Middle school student's exam essay - Super model

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Stone Gatehouse Memories – Shanghai, Chen Hui
Stone Gatehouse – two large black doors, ornate doorframes, high walls, and a courtyard with small flowers and grass. Yes, this is the Stone Gatehouse of Shanghai, the Stone Gatehouse in my heart.
Stone Gatehouses and the people within them accompanied me through my childhood and youth. Although I have lived outside the Stone Gatehouses for many years now, whenever I recall the dozen or so years I spent there, a warm current surges through my chest. There were many neighbors in the Stone Gatehouse; often, several families lived in one building, like a large family, filled with a strong sense of kinship.
As dawn broke, the Stone Gatehouse came alive. The sounds of washing, talking, and hurried footsteps mixed together, forming the "morning symphony" of the Stone Gatehouse.
"Grandma Zhou, I saw that the river carp today are both cheap and fresh. May I bring one back for you?"
"Sure, sure. Thank you, Grandma Chen."
"Huihui, you're late for school. Here, take these meat buns first."
"Thank you, Grandma. I'm off."
These simple, everyday phrases were the wonderful notes of that "symphony."
During the day, the Stone Gatehouse belonged to the elders. The grandmas were always busy washing vegetables and cooking, while the retired grandpas first took care of their precious plants, then gathered in the lane to play chess or chat endlessly. If it rained, the elders would help neighbors bring their working clothes inside. If a guest arrived and the host was not home, the elders would treat them as their own.
Evening was the liveliest time of the day. Children gathered in groups in the lane, girls skipping ropes and building "houses," while boys spun topknots and played chicken. Only when the call of "It's time to eat!" came did the children reluctantly put away their toys and run home.
At dinner, you might sometimes see neighbors serving dishes in small bowls. Then, you'd hear, "Auntie Li (or Grandma Zhang), this dish is so delicious! Teach me how to make it next time."
After dinner in summer, the gentlemen would gather in the courtyard to discuss world affairs, while the ladies would gather to watch TV dramas with great interest. The children would sit around a table doing homework or critiquing the day's cartoons.
Oh, Stone Gatehouse, though the people here are not relatives, they are like family. Today, Shanghai, amidst the tide of reform and opening up, is undergoing tremendous changes. With the redevelopment of the old city, the Stone Gatehouses are about to fulfill their mission and make way for high-rise buildings, as more people move into new homes with private entrances. But I can say that in the history of architecture, Shanghai, known as the "World's Fair," will never replace the status of the Stone Gatehouse. It is not just a symbol of residential architecture; it has become a culture, a sentiment, and a symbol of warm and friendly relationships between people.
Oh, Stone Gatehouse, perhaps in the near future, you will disappear from the land I love, but you will forever remain in my heart, in the hearts of every Shanghai resident who cherishes you.
P139