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墨書 Inktalez
As the pre-examination period and the college entrance examination approached, my classmates and I, who had spent three years together, felt a sense of reluctance. We bought plastic-covered notebooks, wrote a few opening lines, and passed them around to each other, exchanging messages that became a trend throughout our grade shortly after the start of the second semester.
Unlike when we graduated from middle school, I felt I had matured a bit; yet, like during our middle school graduation, I remained rebellious and naive. Perhaps it was a desire to showcase my superiority or perhaps it was genuine nostalgia. I jokingly addressed nearly all my classmates, boldly calling them by various elegant titles and even pairing up hidden and obvious male and female classmates.
With a gesture of goodwill returned with kindness, gossip began to spread among us like messages flying between classmates. I noticed my message book was already filled, yet I still held some vague expectations. So, I bought a second one and wrote these lines: Perhaps you were late, perhaps I was late; in any case, you won't make it into this first book. This second commemorative album is hoped to be even more beautiful and better…
A few days later, the commemorative album returned to my drawer, filled with familiar handwriting:
You have a youthful face,
Still bearing the innocence of childhood.
You have a loud voice,
When you speak,
It carries
A hint of childishness,
A touch of naivety.
You are mischievous and playful,
Your pranks
Are truly amusing,
Leaving people both crying and laughing.
You are clever and quick-witted,
Bold and smart,
Truly like a little genius.
Whenever I see you,
I can't help but
Think of my own childhood:
The purity of childhood,
The childishness,
The cuteness,
The joy of childhood.
Just like you now,
I too had countless beautiful dreams back then.
Though you are younger than us,
Your ambitions are not small.
In class, you are the most active,
When answering questions, you are logical and organized.
What you know is not less than
Us older brothers and sisters;
In fact, it may even be more.
Since you
Are a sleeping lion, you should awaken fiercely.
If you are a young tiger, you should regain your might.
If you are a dragon, you should keep soaring.
Life is not a game, my friend; since we have stepped into the door of youth, we should think about how to make our youth shine brilliantly. We must face life head-on and embrace its challenges.
A Poem for a Friend:
Since ancient times, many heroic talents have faced hardships, while dandy figures have been few and far between.
Little brother (please allow me to call you that), I wish for all your beautiful dreams to come true. When that day arrives, don’t forget to let your sister know, so we can share in your joy. May you always remain like a Smart Ikkyu, with the heart of a child forever residing within you!
After reading all this, something stirred within me, and I opened the second Commemorative Album to the "Cold Palace," no longer sending it to any classmates. Instead, I found the message I had written for her and neatly copied it below:
Just because of a teasing remark,
So much trouble ensued.
Fate,
Is something one cannot resist.
Nature,
Creates a stubborn character—
Without flesh and blood,
And devoid of worldly wisdom.
A disciple of Confucius,
Spouting classical phrases,
The legacy of Kong Yiji
Is all upon me.
Five thousand years of ancient civilization,
The Yellow River is my mother.
The Yangtze River
Is the winding path of life.
Though the road is rugged,
And fraught with obstacles, people still walk it.
Those who came before have paved the way,
So that later generations may enjoy prosperity.
Unaware of the hardships in starting a business,
It is difficult to maintain a respectable enterprise.
Achievements
Are not created by one person alone;
Even perfect giants
Can make mistakes.
Marxism
Teaches us how to navigate life and conduct ourselves.
Political Economy
Instructs us on how to do business.
Communism
Has painted a beautiful picture for us;
For it, many have sacrificed their lives.
Life is full of barriers and traps;
People are cautious,
Not allowing tigers and wolves to devour them.
Like Yue Fei,
Who sacrificed his youth for the nation—
His blood staining the rivers red—
Awakening the sleeping lion of China.
We were never meant to meet, yet fate arranged it so. The teasing from classmates led me to write a few playful lines. After three years together in school, we should have formed a deep friendship; yet I treated it lightly as if it were mere jest. With your broad-mindedness, there’s no need for you to be angry with me—just like a sitting president should not quibble with an inexperienced candidate over trivial matters.
Forgiveness could resolve many issues in this world; unfortunately, many do not enjoy forgiving others. I am just a humble villager with no intention of comparing myself to a refined lady like you. As we approach parting ways, if you feel my jokes have gone too far, feel free to tear up what I’ve written—including everything that came before.
Years later today, I could not find the first Commemorative Album anywhere; this second one I similarly set aside after graduation and seemed to have forgotten about it entirely. Until one day when I was idly at home in my hometown, rummaging through the large bookshelf while looking for something to read and clearing out some useless clutter—I unexpectedly stumbled upon it.
Brushing off the thick layer of dust, I discovered that this Commemorative Album, though devoid of any other person's Message, had been used by me up until the eve of my college entrance exam in 1989. I gradually transcribed some articles that resonated with me; even my younger brother recorded on the few remaining pages: on a certain date, a relative gave a gift of a certain amount for a particular occasion; on another date, a neighbor borrowed a certain number of bowls and chairs...
What surprised me the most was that I had also penned a Message to another classmate:
I hope that after we part ways,
We can still dream together.
Let the Wild Goose carry our dreams.
If you have a good dream,
Share some joy with me.
If you have a sad dream,
Let me share in your pain.
When the day comes that you see through the worldly illusions,
Please let me know.
Perhaps I will join you
In that Paradise.
If at that time I still do not understand
The meaning of seeing through the worldly illusions,
Then please wait for me.
By the time I am ready to go,
It will not be too late.
When you argue with your parents,
I have an idea for you:
Never let them feel hurt,
For they brought you into this world.
When you confront bad people,
I will give you courage:
Fight back fiercely,
Do not hold back your compassion.
It is because of their existence
That injustices occur in this world.
Perhaps our disappointments
Are also due to
The presence of such people.
Disappointment should not lead to despair.
You and I have both faced setbacks;
I hope you help me,
And I will help you,
To dispel the troubles of disappointment.
There may be more disappointments in the future,
But if we continue like this,
Fate may bring us, these “twin” brothers,
Together again.
This might be divine arrangement.
In the past, Liu, Guan, and Zhang
Became brothers due to shared aspirations;
They did not seek to live together,
But wished to die together.
Our aspirations are so similar;
Let us also form a “Third Middle School” brotherhood.
Why not?
We do not seek to live together,
But only to see through the mundane world at the same time,
To reach Paradise.
For the sake of our sincere hearts,
The divine will transcend us into immortality.
Then,
Isn't your talk of entering hell merely empty words?
It doesn't matter.
At that time, we can still
Request permission together,
To enter hell,
To transform into the Old Ox.
In the past, in One Thousand and One Nights,
How many stories of One Thousand and One Nights have we had in our dreams,
Yet we cannot completely
Merge them together,
To weave a tale of China,
More enchanting than One Thousand and One Nights.
Now,
Separation is inevitable.
In order to participate in the Pre-examination for college entrance,
We cannot yet undertake this great endeavor.
But with One Thousand and One Nights behind us,
What is there to worry about these few nights?
After graduation,
We will reunite,
Using the dreams we have crafted,
To compose a modern Dream of the Red Chamber,
Plus a Chinese version of One Thousand and One Nights.
Counting carefully,
Even if we become immortal at sixty,
There are still more than ten One Thousand and One Nights left.
To prepare for the Pre-examination for college entrance,
We cannot spend more time,
Adding more letters,
To compose a song of friendship.
This small chapter of One Thousand and One Nights ends here,
And we shall return again later.
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