下载掌阅APP，畅读海量书库
立即打开
I spent my childhood in misery.Most of childhood was very hard, although I can’t recall every detail, like the children nowadays can’t appreciate how happy their lives are.I was numb to the misery, but remembered a few happy things.Whenever I looked back to my childhood life, those happy things shine the brightest.
The happiest memory was to play “Liu Hai worship Guanyin” when I was three to four years old.
“Liuhai worship Guanyin” was one of the most important activities in the Temple Fair.Many arhats would gather in Hengdian to perform, and people from dozens of miles would come.Arhats would walk in arrays first, in dragon array, long snake array, circle array and butterfly array, and then they performed martial arts: hongquan, monkey boxing, Tai Chi, Xingyi boxing, broadsword, coiling dragon staff, poles, meteor hammer and so on.And then there was the real story: the human pyramid.This was a more difficult kind of performance art.A dozen people stacked together forming a pavilion, or different shapes in different layers.The stout men with round arms on the bottom, and children disguised as Liuhai and Guanyin, Skanda would be on top.
I was an adorable child back then.At the Temple Fair on August 13th, the year when we first moved to Hengdian, I was selected to be the child on the top.I couldn’t remember whether I was dressed to be Guanyin or Liuhai.I only remembered that I wore beautiful clothes made of silk and a new pair of shoes.I stood on the shoulder of an adult, and worshipped with my hands.I was surrounded by people, who would give me food to eat, and my fathers’ friends would give me eggs.I was so happy.That was my happiest memory when I was a kid.
The second thing I remembered was getting a pair of new shoes when I was six.My mother made me a pair of new shoes, and I wore them every day.Soon after my grandmother passed away, my parents were taking me to attend her funeral.My grandmother’s house was in Xiwu Village, not far from my hometown, Xindong Village, but was more than 40 li away from Hengdian.My father asked me to change back to my old pair of comfortable shoes for the long journey.I refused and insisted to go in my new shoes.The long walk made my feet swollen and my new shoes were getting tight, but I still refused to change, nor did I asked to be carried by my parents.On the way, it started to rain and I fell into the muddy water, but I carried on with my new shoes.Finally we arrived at my grandma’s house, and my feet were so swollen that I couldn’t take my shoes off.My mom had to find a pair of scissors to cut them off my feet.I was so devastated because I loved this pair of shoes so much.
Another anecdote happened when I was 10 years old, when my older brother Wenhao bought me a pair of Huili brand sneakers with his salary.I had never worn sneakers.They were so soft and elastic.I wore them on good days and on rainy days.Before long, my second sister was married to Zhongxin.It was the custom here to invite the bride’s brother to the wedding ceremonies.My big brother Wenhao couldn’t make it and I would take his place.I went to my sister’s wedding in my new pair of sneakers.That was such a happy moment for me.
Another thing in my memory is when I graduated from upper class in primary school, the good news was sent to my home and my family paid for my graduation uniform.I wouldn’t take it off until it was worn out.I was so proud to wear the graduation uniform, which I believe would win me respect from others.
These stories may seem trivial now, but when I was young, they were the things that cheered me up and made me happy.Therefore, after seven decades, these memories are still in my mind.