15, Mary Liu's apartment (2)

Zhang Lili asked Mary Liu, "Mary. Why do you have to give yourself the surname Liu when you name yourself?" ”

Mary Liu looked at Zhang Lili in surprise and asked rhetorically, "Don't you know such a simple common sense question?" ”

Zhang Lili and I were stunned at the same time, why did she give her surname Liu? How do we know? Zhang Lili was very strange, "How can it be a common-sense question?" ”

The butterfly broke through the heavens with one word, "Because the emperor of the Han Dynasty is surnamed Liu." ”

Hearing this, the two of us laughed at the same time, it turned out that the source of Mary Liu's surname for herself was because of the emperor of the Han Dynasty, but I felt that this was also very reasonable.

I was also very curious to ask Mary Liu, "You grew up in a privileged family in the West, and you are so interested in China and Chinese civilization?" ”

Mary replied simply, "It comes from the influence of my family, because my father likes China." ”

Zhang Lili further explained, "Mary Liu's father was an aircraft mechanic, as a technician of Lufthansa, lived in China for more than three years, when Lufthansa and the Beijing Civil Aviation Authority jointly established the Beijing Aircraft Repair Company, and Mary Liu's father came to China at that time. ”

Mary Liu continued, "After my father returned from China, he entered the management of Lufthansa Airlines, responsible for the joint venture business with China, he was interested in all things in China, especially in the more than three years of working in Beijing, using the vacation to find all the places in Beijing, the Badaling Great Wall, the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum of the Ming Tombs, and so many royal gardens, the most amazing thing for him is the Forbidden City, seeing that China is so brilliant, creating more than 40% of human GDP in the world for a long time, He is a very pragmatic person, in the work also met a lot of Chinese friends, do not understand the Chinese culture can not further deal with these friends, when he began to understand China, 5000 years of splendid Chinese civilization deeply attracted him, he later returned to Germany, every year to travel to China, including to your hometown Suzhou, our family lived there for half a month, to see every garden, I also began to like China at that time. ”

Mary Liu had been to my hometown of Suzhou, and I asked her further, "Which garden do you have the deepest impression of in Suzhou?" ”

Mary Liu, "Suzhou for me which garden is a good memory, is completely a fairyland city, not only rockery stone exquisite, but also so many garden walls, the above window leakage of various shapes, elegant and generous, the frame is also particularly ingenious, in fact, I am most impressed by the small garden road paved with stones, all kinds of stones, on the rugged original road into a variety of patterns, how much effort is needed? In short, every detail of the Suzhou garden is very beautiful, so I still remember it, the season we went to is March and April, it is the rainy season, sitting in the pavilion, enjoying the hazy weather, looking at the beautiful scenery around, really like a fairy. ”

Mary Liu's description brought me into my childhood memories again, everything in Suzhou seemed to be in front of my eyes, the season she went to, it was the most beautiful season in the garden, the fine drizzle, the garden was washed so clean, it was also the spring flowering season, the white and flawless magnolia in the rain seemed to be more generous, as well as those exquisite rockery, various shapes of garden walls, all of this is deeply in my memory.

I couldn't help but admire, "You, a foreigner, can understand our classical Chinese garden, and appreciate its beauty in that profound artistic conception, which shows that you have a good understanding of our Chinese civilization. ”

Mary Liu continued, "After returning home from China, I was also deeply attracted by Chinese culture, and my father and I set up a Chinese culture corner at home, and put the collected pictorial articles and books in this corner, and specially made a multi-treasure pavilion to put the Chinese porcelain and decorations we collected on it, and my favorite is a Chinese Su Xiu, the pattern is a cute giant panda, which is very beautiful." ”

Zhang Lili said, "It seems that Miss Mary really has a deep affection for Chinese culture and Chinese civilization. ”

Mary Liu recalled, "In order to better understand Chinese culture and understand Chinese civilization, I began to apply for the Confucius Institute, learn Chinese traditional culture, learn Chinese, just now Butterfly said that he felt too difficult to square characters, at the beginning we were all the same, all foreigners have a strong interest in Chinese characters, but it is really too difficult to learn, I in order to solve this problem, began to practice Chinese calligraphy, we specially bought ink and brushes from China, that is, the four treasures of the study, with the help of the teacher, I started to practice calligraphy, on the one hand, to practice Chinese characters, on the other hand, I also felt that Chinese calligraphy is too strong, so I became more and more interested in learning, and finally I also wrote beautiful Chinese calligraphy, and my parents took my books and sent them out to show off everywhere. ”

Zhang Lili said, "At such a young age, you have practiced Chinese calligraphy vividly, so are you more interested in Chinese culture?" ”

"My work has been hanging in the window of the Confucius Institute, and I have participated in a competition for German secondary school students, and I have won a special prize. In fact, in the process of calligraphy, I learned more about Chinese characters, and I learned a lot of beautiful Chinese poems through words, and how wonderful it is to write these poems in calligraphy. ”

In the face of Mary Liu, you can use calligraphy works to copy ancient poems, many of our Chinese children should feel that the Chinese language, a foreigner who does not understand the language and grew up in a distant country, is so fond of our Chinese culture and Chinese civilization, compared to many young people in our country are more diligent, we have the genes of Chinese culture in our bones, the inheritance of Chinese civilization, but we are really like them, so cherished?

Liu Mary said proudly, "The more I copied, the more Chinese poems I memorized, although I couldn't fully understand the artistic conception and meaning of those poems, but gradually understood more, I wrote a lot of limerick poems according to my own habits, the reason why it is called limerick poems, is because I didn't learn ancient Chinese knowledge at that time, I didn't master the rules of mediocrity, but just created these poems according to rhyme, so it can only be called limerick poems." ”

Zhang Lili sighed, "It's really not simple, are those works still there?" ”

Mary Liu continued, "Later, I learned the basic knowledge of Chinese, and also learned the basic knowledge of ancient Chinese, and I knew that my things were too naïve, so I didn't keep them, but I began to write modern poems, although my poems are not as good as those written by Miss Jiang, but among us foreigners, it should be said that I write very literately, in our Confucius Institute in Germany, my poems are widely circulated, and teachers often use my works as model texts to promote in front of everyone. So I'm also a well-known person at the Confucius Institute in Germany. ”

After Mary Liu finished speaking, she also laughed.

I said to Mary Liu, "You are really amazing, it is very difficult for you to learn Chinese, and you can also create in Chinese, which means that you have a deep attainment." ”

Mary Liu said to me, "Miss Jiang, don't laugh at me, compared to your poems, I am simply not poems, I really worship your poems after reading them, the words are so exquisite, the age at which you write poems is about the same as the age at which I write poems, but your art of writing poems is really at the peak, you are the idol in my heart, so I also plan to join your ranks, translate your poems into German, and promote them among our German youth, do you agree?" ”

I saw Mary Liu's sincere statement, this straightforward German girl is so beautiful, Xingguo is so straightforward, and the sincerity of her friends cannot be doubted at all, "I am really honored, thank you for valuing me and my poems so much." ”

When Mary Liu saw that I agreed, she also gave me a warm and intimate hug.

Zhang Lili began to ask, "Jiang Wan, take advantage of this heat, hurry up and sign for the two young ladies." ”

I quickly took my book of poems, signed my name on the title page, and solemnly handed them to them.

I didn't expect that on this date with Zhang Lili, I actually met two foreign admirers, and entrusted my work to them to translate, it was like a dream, now I really believe that this is a kind of fate, if it is not a coincidence, if it is not for the fact that I know Zhang Lili, Zhang Lili is a college student of the School of Languages, and they are all classmates, how can I know people abroad? How can you entrust your work to them? What is this not fate?

Mary Liu did not finish his request, and then said to me earnestly, "Miss Jiang, I hope that my translated works will increase, you can write a preface, introduce yourself and your works as a whole, so that our friends who like your poems in our country will know more about you and your affairs, and I will translate it into German after you finish writing, do you think it is okay?" ”

This request is not too much at all, and it is also conducive to making a summary of my writing career, I happily agreed to her request, "Okay, I will send it to you after I go back, why don't we add a few of us to WeChat, after I finish writing, I will send it to the WeChat group, Miss Butterfly will receive it at the same time, okay?" ”

One author, three translators, and four of us set up a WeChat group.

I was still very interested, and asked Mary Liu, "After you came to China, did you meet your own love like Miss Butterfly?" ”

The three of them smiled in unison as soon as I asked Mary Liu this question.

Mary Liu smiled and said to me, "My love story is too bland, there is no miracle like Miss Butterfly, it's just campus love on the college campus, you are not interested." ”

Miss Butterfly said with a smile, "Mary Liu is embarrassed, her love is very happy, we all know his story, her boyfriend is also our classmate, is a handsome young Jack, looks like a sign, everyone envies her, met such a prince charming, and is very good to him, it can be said that he is very caring, all girls, when they see it, they will be envious, jealous and hateful." ”

I further joked, "Miss Mary, since you like China and Chinese culture so much, why don't you find a Chinese boy?" Why did you come to distant China and find a young man from Jack instead? ”

Mary Liu smiled heartily and said to me, "Dear Miss Jiang, this is something that is unattainable, I really came to China to find a handsome Chinese young man to form a family, we both love China and Chinese culture, if I become the daughter-in-law of the Chinese, won't I become a Chinese?" But feelings are not something that can be controlled, Maggie launched a strong emotional offensive against me, and I saw the sincerity on his face, so I agreed. ”

Zhang Lili said to me, "Miss Mary's boyfriend is a young man named Jack, whose name is Maggie, and we are all used to calling them Chinese names, in fact, they themselves feel that their names are too long, too verbose, and the Chinese names are simple and loud, but they are almost forgetting their real names." ”

Butterfly kept introducing Miss Mary's boyfriend Maggie, "Miss Jiang, don't you know?" Mary's boyfriend Maggie is a Chinese expert, he is not only very good at Chinese culture, but also versatile, he is best at playing the Chinese flute, a song of spring river flowers and moonlit night opened Miss Mary's heart, and since then the husband has been singing with the wife. If you watch TV, many variety shows have the shadow of Maggie, a handsome guy, who not only studied at a language university, but also learned his craft with Chinese artists, and often showed his style on TV. ”

Mary Liu officially introduced, "Maggie and Ding Guangquan's apprentices are very familiar, and because he knows Chinese musical instruments, so he often goes out to perform with them, those apprentices are not as good as Maggie except for cross talk, and they are talented. Because I am familiar with several apprentices of Ding Guoquan, Maggie can also say an allegro, his versatility really fascinates me, don't let him become a China expert, they are invited to performances all over the country, but he wants to learn, but he only accepts very few invitations. ”

I asked Mary Liu, "Miss Mary, do you love Maggie because of this?" ”

Mary Liu generously admitted, "Of course, such a versatile young man, who has studied Chinese culture so deeply, and loves me so much, so the two of us fall in love with each other, if he is a fool, who will love him?" After saying this, Mary Liu laughed out loud, and her straightforward character was fully revealed.

Seeing this Western girl so frank is really enviable. "Will Maggie take you with her when she goes out to perform? You can also show off your calligraphy talents. ”

Mary said happily, "I won't play monkey with him, if I want to perform, let her perform, the two of us are together, just enjoy the world of the two, and it has nothing to do with his performance." The two of us went on a trip together, and I didn't tell anyone, and now that the two of them know, I'll tell you all about it. ”

The four of us looked at her curiously, not knowing what kind of legend he was going to perform.

Mary Liu told us what happened.

"There is such an ancient legend in the Czech Republic, Maggie's family was immigrated by China, I don't know what era, in China I should say I don't know what dynasty, the Turks were surrounded and suppressed by the Han Chinese, abandoned the base camp in Mobei, and immigrated to Persia, Maggie's ancestors left their homeland and came to the Czech Republic. So when Maggie came to China, he always wanted to see where his ancestors lived, and I fulfilled his request, and I accompanied him to Wuwei in Gansu, on the edge of Ulan Bu and the Great Desert, which is said to be their ancestral home.

Unfortunately, we didn't listen to the weather forecast that day, just in time for the strong wind, there was a sandstorm, at the edge of the desert, the sandstorm was overwhelming, the sky instantly flew sand and rocks, stretched out his fingers, he hugged me tightly, and quickly transferred to the sandstorm, I don't know how long I walked, and finally met an old man,

The old man saw that we were two foreigners, who had been lost by the sandstorm, and we told him that we were international students from Beijing, and both of us were from Europe, and we were originally traveling here, but we didn't expect to encounter a sandstorm, and now we can't tell the difference between the southeast and the northwest, and we don't know how to go home? Where is it?

The old man was very helpful and led us to his house.

After entering his house, the two of us just woke up, we were completely blinded by the sandstorm, after waking up, we saw the old man's four walls, his house is not big, and the house is very dilapidated, there is no one in the family, only an old mother is still waiting for him at home, after seeing us come in, the old man explained our situation to the old mother, and then quickly asked the old mother to prepare hot water to prepare food, saying that we must be hungry.

The old mother hurriedly boiled the water, and cooked while boiling the water, and then the old man went out, and we didn't know what he was going to do, and we didn't pay attention to when he would come back, but when he came back, he held a bloody bag of mutton and a bunch of mutton bones, and handed these mutton and mutton bones to the old mother, and then the old mother began to cook mutton for us.

After a while, all the rice was ready, and the old mother used a large ceramic basin to stew a pot of mutton and mutton bones, and used a very large bowl, which we later learned was called a big bowl, and gave each of us a bowl of mutton soup, and brought up a stack of flour cakes, so that we could eat mutton, drink mutton soup, and eat flour cakes.

The two of us were really hungry, we didn't care about anything, we didn't care about anything, we devoured a meal, the best to eat the most fragrant meal, the old man also took out his treasured liquor, the three of us ate and drank together, talked about a lot of interesting things, that day we ate and drank, must have drunk too much in the end, we slept in his house for a dark day, when we woke up, it was already the second morning, the weather was still a sandstorm, but it was much lighter than yesterday.

The old man cooked for us in advance this time, according to the old mother, this is the best local noodles, the two of us gobbled up again, the more we ate, the better it is, we actually ate several bowls, the old man who ate looked at us and was happy.

After eating, the old man and the two of us chatted together, at this time we noticed that the old man killed his own sheep, with their most precious sheep to entertain us, we were moved by the old man's enthusiasm, Maggie and I were in tears, because when the two of us came out, we did not expect to encounter a sandstorm, and did not bring more money with us, because we had to go back to Beijing, so the money on our bodies was only enough for the journey.

Seeing that the weather was already clear, we reluctantly bid farewell to the old man and set foot on the road back to Beijing.

After the experience of this sandstorm, the relationship between the two of us is better, in order to repay the old man for saving our lives, and in order to repay the old man's sheep money, the two of us sent 20,000 yuan to the old man, I feel that my heart seems to be stable, but I didn't expect it, the old man returned the remittance slip intact.

During the 11th Golden Week holiday, the two of us went to the old man's house again, this time we left the money to the old man anyway, this is not a problem of money, this is the quality of life, and you must know how to repay your kindness.

Maggie and I, let the old man be their father and mother, and we were their children in a foreign country, the old man was very happy, and the two of us also had our own parents and a warm home in China.

In order to let the old man get rid of the current situation, Maggie deliberately used the money from her performance to buy a lot of sheep for the old man, so that the old man could live more comfortably, so that they could get rid of poverty and really embark on the road to prosperity. ”

Mary Liu finally said, "Our experience has made us love China more, there are so many kind people in China, including our parents and parents, we have to strive to be a good Chinese, so our love is also tested by life and death." ”

Hearing Mary Liu's narration, Zhang Lili Butterfly and I were moved by their legendary experience.