In 2016, my wife and I moved to a neighborhood called Arbor Hill, our third move since coming to Alabama. I guess my Manchu blood makes me love to migrate. The previous owner of the house was very skilled in gardening, and there were many colorful trees and flowers in the backyard arranged in a charming and artistic way. However, beauty was not the only criterion for my ideal yard. As soon as we moved in, I immediately cut down three oak trees and two maple trees, then planted a fig tree, a blueberry bush, a peach tree, two pear trees, and two persimmon trees. By the third year, they all bloomed and produced fruit, which made us very happy. As we say in the Gaoyou dialect: "Can't help it—the one born in a famine year will be so happy to eat."
Of all the fruit trees, I prefer the persimmon tree. In mid-March in the southern United States, peach and pear trees are already in full bloom before their leaves grow. Peach flowers are pink, pear flowers are white, all over the branches. In April, when the azaleas are in full bloom, the flowers of peach and pear trees have already turned into tiny fruits. If they're not harvested by the end of June or early July, these peaches and pears will quickly break free from their branches and fly back to their homeland.
But the persimmon tree is different. Its branches first sprout new buds, then tender leaves, and the green buds slowly open only after the leaves on the tree have fully extended and become dark and shiny. Our persimmon tree blooms in May. Its small white flowers are not as pure and dense as pear blossoms, nor as brightly colored as peach blossoms; they are just ordinary. However, the persimmon tree is the easiest fruit tree to manage, as it bears fruit on time without much maintenance. Its fruit also has the best color.
One of the local farmers once told me not to rush to pick persimmons, to be patient and to wait for the harvest season after autumn, to wait for the winter to come, to wait for the leaves to fall, to wait for the frost to cover them, and to wait for snowflakes after Thanksgiving, until only the ripe persimmons have been left on the trees, then it will be the time to harvest. Whenever I carefully pick each mature persimmon in the cold wind, I am filled with gratitude.
At this moment, if you quiet your heart and listen carefully, you will hear Christmas music ringing everywhere.
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Where Lake Meets Sky (Part 1)
Historical FictionIn the increasingly tense and discordant world between China and the West, bridging the cultural divide is crucial for mutual understanding. One way to uncover the complexity of Chinese history, culture, and ways of thinking is through literature. ...
