Morning Glories Plucked at Twilight - ()

Author: Lu Xun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Reflections on Where the West Wind Blows by Yu Xiaoxing "Behind the Three Flavor Study, there was also a garden. Although small, one could climb onto the flowerbed to pick winter-flowering plum blossoms or search for cicada exoskeletons on the ground or in the osmanthus tree. The best job was to catch flies to feed ants, in a quiet and silent manner. However, when too many classmates went to the garden for too long, it wouldn't work. The teacher would then shout in the study, 'Where did everyone go?!'"
Reading Lu Xun's Where the West Wind Blows: From the Baicao Garden to the Three Flavor Study in detail, one enjoys the innocent and carefree feelings that occasionally leak from the lines, and a series of enchanting natural scenes appear before the eyes. "The oil cricket sings here, and the crickets play music here. If you flip over a broken brick, you might sometimes encounter a centipede; there are also ladybugs. If you press its back with your finger, it will make a sound and spray a cloud of smoke from its rear."
Reading this prose filled with Lu Xun's childhood memories is like reading the innocent and playful love for nature and freedom that comes from the bottom of Lu Xun's heart. Suddenly, I seem to see the young Lu Xun. When the adults weren't looking, he sneaked into the Baicao Garden. He played with insects, picked wild flowers and fruits, and then caught birds with his friends, but due to his impatience, he never caught many. He often listened to stories told by his nanny, Grandma Chang, and thus was very afraid of the red snake in the Baicao Garden. At the Three Flavor Study, although he received strict teachings from Mr. Shou, he couldn't help but retain the childlike nature in the students' hearts. When he was absorbed in reading, he didn't notice that his students were doing all sorts of things—some were wearing paper armor on their fingernails and playing, while Lu Xun himself was focused on drawing. All these feelings were so innocent and delightful, leaving a lingering impression. Perhaps it resonated with me, for I truly don't understand why I love one of the essays in Where the West Wind Blows so much, especially how the author views the world through a child's eyes, making it feel and passionate to read.
Lu Xun expressed in the article his passion for nature and his longing for freedom, hoping to play freely and be close to nature, rather than being controlled by parents and servants all day. This is truly characteristic of childhood. How time flies—I have long left my childhood behind and entered my youth, living in the busy routine of studies and the hustle and bustle of life every day. Yet, I still consider myself a child at heart, sometimes dreaming sweetly of my childhood. Recalling those trivial childhood memories still brings back vivid images and laughter.
My home was originally in the suburbs, surrounded by a large field. As a child, I often went there to enjoy the sunshine of spring, the breeze of autumn, and the rapeseed flowers that I would pick until none were left. I was immersed in the embrace of nature. As a child, after every meal, I would go to my neighbor's house without even wiping my mouth, eating tofu pudding with my friends, playing in the fields, and sometimes slipping into the mud and turning into a "little mud person." I picked all sorts of flowers, afraid that the owner would come looking, and hid them in tree holes. By the time I returned, the flowers had already wilted, but I was still immersed in the boundless freedom of space.
Loving nature and yearning for freedom—whether it can be realized now or not. This may be the similarity between me and the young Lu Xun, which made me so moved after reading the article. Childhood is gradually fading away, leaving only scattered and trivial memories. It might be better to read Where the West Wind Blows carefully and experience the dreams of childhood from a different era, loving nature and yearning for freedom alongside Lu Xun.
P110-111