Spring Breeze

 　　Waking up in the early morning, the chirping of birds in the branches is a delightful surprise. A rare and blessed day, in this fresh and bright spring morning, the sunlight and birdsong simultaneously delight the senses and the heart.

　　These spirits, coexisting with this lonely city, are few and far between. We may not meet them every day, but seeing them always brings extra joy. In distant times, the green vegetable garden of my childhood, with its sprawling branches and blooming flowers, dotted the colorful years. The path leading to school was untouched, a naturally formed path, a small map etched by people themselves. The winding path was damp with soil; walking along it, I would follow the trail of fluttering butterflies, running all the way. The memories, clearer day by day, indicate that I am growing old, beginning to forget things close at hand, while those childhood scenes remain exceptionally vivid, as if they happened yesterday, never far away.

　　If the birds met Gongye Chang, they could easily have a few words with him. If the bird had met Chang Jian, it too could have uttered his exquisite lines: "The mountain light delights the birds, the pool's reflection empties the heart." The birdsong and scenery, frozen in the story of "throwing a brick to attract jade," would have gained worldwide fame.

　　The bird met me, in the spring of this city. Pushing my bike slowly forward, a bird on the sidewalk ahead paused for a moment before fluttering its wings and flying away. It could take off at any moment, unafraid of the slowly rolling bicycle wheels. In the distance, towering trees in the courtyard sang even louder, their lush foliage concealing a flock of lively little birds.

　　I thought of Zheng Banqiao's words: "It's better to plant more trees than to raise birds." He disliked keeping birds in cages; in a natural environment, seeing birds "shining brightly, coming and going in a flash, dazzling the eye, is certainly not the joy of a caged bird."

　　"Spring grass grows in the pond, garden willows become singing birds." Natural charm, so natural, spring washes away the traces of winter. Seasons change with the passing years, time revolves in the cycle of days. "The flowers fall helplessly, but the swallows return as if we've met before." Every spring is a joyful reunion.

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