There are magnificent whispers floating in the wind, and the morning cumulus clouds rest on the shoulders of the woods.
Dong Qiangqiang was jogging on the path outside the woods. According to Zheng Chunhua, this might help him get rid of depression. He didn't know if it would work, but it didn't cost any money to try.
Although there is no sunny weather and clear sky and clear clouds that are found in the other three seasons, fortunately, the air mixed with soil and herbs is still fresh.
He breathed greedily the heady countryside air, listened to the frost crunching beneath his feet, and admired the countryside of Trier on a cold winter morning.
Soft tones of earth, stone and plants, as well as a variety of vegetation jutting out from hiding places, make jogging both fun and romantic.
The short Christmas break provided a gentle pause in his busy schedule, like a dying battery being put back into its charging case.
When he followed the path to the top of the hillside, he saw tall windmills standing on the endless fields, the giant windmill blades spinning hypnotically.
He looked far into the distance again, and could vaguely see the gauze-like white fog covering the city. Balls of light were swimming in the white fog, as if they were about to pierce the cage at any time.
As he looked intently, he suddenly felt a slight chill on his face and neck. He couldn't help but stretched out his hand, and was pleasantly surprised to see the tiny snowflakes disappear into his palm in a flash.
It seems that the weather forecast is accurate, he thought as he ran along the winding path towards home.
The trail is not steep and rugged, and the vegetation beside the trail generously displays otherworldly vitality, providing one postcard-like scenery after another. In addition to occasionally seeing cattle and sheep grazing quietly on the hillside in the distance, He also noticed the waves of wild flowers of various colors along the road.
They are either fluttering in the wind or lying dying in the grass. He stopped and looked around. Wherever he could see, there was no sign saying "no picking flowers", no human figure, and no houses. They were probably all wild.
Thinking of the Christmas wreaths that the landlord had been putting up early in the morning, he couldn't help but bend down and pick up a few flowers in good condition from the grass. He only recognized hyacinths, chrysanthemums, and some that he couldn't name but looked like roses. The pink flowers are really lively with the warblers and swallows. He didn't know much about flowers and plants at first, but he couldn't help but read gardening magazines to the landlord all the time, so he got to know some of them. He picked some more, and soon he had a large handful in his hand. He made up his mind that if the landlord asked, he would insist that he picked them all in the field. Even if the landlord was more serious, he could justify himself.
When he returned home again, the landlord had quickly decorated the kitchen and was sorting out the Christmas decorations in the living room.
He gave the flowers to the other party and took the initiative to explain that he picked them up while running outside the woods and that they probably did not belong to the owner. The landlord was very happy and saw that the quality of some flowers was really impressive. He believed his words and even laughed and said that he had not received flowers for more than 20 years.
Dong Qiangqiang thought he was going to read something related to Christmas today. Unexpectedly, the landlord waved her hand and said that today is Christmas Eve and Dong Qiangqiang can have a day off. She came to introduce some Christmas customs to Dong Qiangqiang, which can be regarded as letting foreign young people like Dong Qiangqiang understand. Let’s take a look at the German Christmas traditions.
The landlord first hung a Christmas grass ring composed of green branches such as holly, ivy and mistletoe to the ceiling beam, placed a few pink apples on the stone platform above the fireplace, and placed several long candles. Then he carefully fed the wood sticks that Dong Qiangqiang had cracked before into the fireplace: "Fire has long played an important role in German Christmas, especially in the state of Leinland-Palatinate where Trier is located. The ancient Romans It is believed that candles or fireplaces should be kept burning all night on Christmas Eve, otherwise the next year will be bad. Some southern German states also burn rowan branches on Christmas to eliminate jealousy or discord among family, friends or neighbors. Trust. When the clock strikes midnight, people will sing and dance under garlands to welcome the God of Light."
The golden-brown fire in the fireplace was not burning brightly, and the entire living room didn't seem to get any warmer. Dong Qiangqiang looked at the slender fire and couldn't help but be puzzled: Since it's burning, why not burn it brighter? Besides, don’t Germans pay attention to environmental protection? Can cutting down all the trees for firewood be considered environmentally friendly? Trees in Germany grow so slowly, and there are very few poplar trees that grow quickly. Most of the trees I have seen are various dwarf trees.
He originally wanted to take the opportunity to ask the landlord about his salary, but then he thought about it: It is a big holiday, so he should not cause trouble to the other party, and just leave as soon as he hears this.
Unexpectedly, the old lady changed the subject and took the initiative to explain: "When I was a child, every cold winter night, the whole family liked to sit around the campfire, either talking or reading a book. The temperature of the fire was very comfortable. But times have changed, Currently only about 10% of German households continue to use open fireplaces or wood-burning stoves during the winter."
The landlord's age was estimated to be between 60 and 70 years old. Dong Qiangqiang estimated that when she was a child, she was warming up by the fire either during World War II or just after World War II. However, no matter which time period it was, it was very reasonable. All the resources in Germany at that time should have been used for the war. , there is no surplus material for civilian use at all, and maybe the person standing in front of him is a descendant of (that) Zu. However, the old lady rarely talked about politics. At least Dong Qiangqiang never heard her make any alarmist remarks.
"Is it because these 10% of families are richer?" Dong Qiangqiang asked deliberately.
"Of course not." The old lady shook her head.
“Is that because of the widespread use of heating?”
“It’s because people’s awareness of environmental protection has increased.” The old lady corrected her sternly, “Burning wood will release harmful particles, which will not only pollute the air and natural environment, but also cause wood to be grown as fuel to compete with other land needs, such as Food production. At the same time, tree vegetation can ensure the reproduction of wildlife, enhance nature's ability to resist pests, and protect humans from storms, floods, droughts and diseases due to climate change, so Germany does not have enough land for all families Wood fuel is provided. Although there are fireplaces in many rooms of the house, I only burn some nostalgia for a few days during Christmas, and I have an emergency device in case the heating suddenly fails."
Although the old lady spoke very sincerely, Dong Qiangqiang still wanted to laugh: No matter how little the fever was, it was still a fever, and he didn't blame her. Could she stand on the moral high ground and teach him a lesson? Although he thought so in his heart, he didn't show anything on his face, and he still listened with an open mind.
Seeing that he seemed to understand, the old lady continued to talk: from the ventilation of the fireplace to the means of preventing carbon poisoning, from the size of the fireplace to the skills of selecting firewood, the list was endless.
After finally holding on until the landlord finished speaking, Dong Qiangqiang said "goodbye" and just as he was about to leave, the old lady pulled him to the kitchen again, pointed to the two empty compartments in the refrigerator that Dong Qiangqiang could use, and reminded him that he should put these few things away. Prepare food and daily necessities for the day in advance, because supermarkets will be closed for two days, and New Year's Day will come immediately after the Christmas holiday. After the supermarket sells out, it will not be replenished very quickly, so you must be aware of stocking up.
Dong Qiangqiang thanked the old lady and made a list of the things he wanted to buy. Looking at the long shopping list, he somehow remembered that when he was a child, he would follow his parents to the nearby vegetable station to buy hundreds of kilograms of Chinese cabbage for winter storage every winter. At this time, his father would ride a borrowed bicycle. The tricycle lurched forward slowly, and he would help his father push the cart considerately. The father and son sometimes had to make several trips back and forth to bring home hundreds of kilograms of cabbage. In addition to grabbing Chinese cabbage, the family also buys dozens of kilograms of tomatoes at a time to make tomato sauce, as well as enough meat fillings and casings to make homemade sausages. Although there has never been a fireplace in the home, the busy scene of the family sitting together laughing and laughing has not changed with the passage of time. More than ten years have passed, and those memories are playing in his mind frame by frame like a slideshow.
