There is a small pond in front of the old house, which was dug up when my family was building a homestead.
There are two old trees on the edge of the pond, which seem to be decades old, one is a camphor tree and the other is a jujube tree, and the two trees are very close together. A few Tsubaki trees, far away, look very thick, but in fact there are not many years. The trees had straight backbones, but the old camphor tree grew diagonally into the pond, and its huge canopy covered most of the pond. On weekdays, there are always many birds perched on the tree, chirping, a stone is thrown over, startling a large area, the birds flutter and fly to the sky, spin, and return to the jujube tree to perch.
When I was a child, I often saw some dragonflies with red and green flowers circling around the pond, and when they were tired, they would stand on a small grass by the pond and look at me proudly. I tried to catch it, and it didn't move, but just as my fingertips were about to touch its cute and nasty tail, it floated away like the wind in front of my eyes. So, I feel that the beauty of the dragonfly is just a kind of nothingness, and what it gives me will always be only a kind of ** and distant.
Every morning, my mother would always lead me to the pond early, wrap my index finger with straw, and then stick some mud on the pond to start our oral hygiene workI haven't confirmed it, but what I do know is this: when my grandmother was in her seventies, her teeth still allowed her to enjoy the taste of nuts.
When the villagers come back from the field, they will also come to the pond to wash their feet in twos and threes, laughing and laughing loudly without restraint, and the hearty laughter and the fighting sound of the water waves on the surface of the pond resonate in the sky above the pond, making people feel the harmonious notes in the rough rural life. When young people are interested, they will jump into the water, enjoy the caress of the pond water, and happily wash away the sweat and fatigue of their bodies.
At night, people who have been busy for a day set up bamboo beds and sleeping chairs by the pond and lie on them to talk about the heavensThe fireflies that are active in the surrounding area are like moving lanterns, which reflect the entire water surface in a faint purple blue, adding a touch of mystery to the quiet night. Frogs and insects also come to join in the fun, playing pastoral songs one after another for the people enjoying the shade. A frog chirped, and after a while, they joined together, and they played without a conductor, but the melody was surprisingly consistent. Often the frogs are singing and the insects are singing, and their chorus is no less sound than that of frogs, as if they are fighting a ring match that can never tell the winner. Amid the chirping of frogs and the song of insects, people gradually doze off and slowly fall asleep.
There is no day or night in the life of frogs, they have been performing concerts all night, and they continue to linger by the pond during the day. When you approach them, they stop chirping, and those who are farther away from you will watch you closely, and those who are closer to you will immediately dive into the water and swim in the middle of the pond in a standard breaststroke, their legs kicking some beautiful ripples, and when they emerge from the water not far away, they will also peep at you alertly, as if they want to play a game of hide and seek with the kind people.
This pond is not only a paradise for small animals, but also a paradise for children. At noon, the sun was blazing, the air was hot, the clouds were burning in the air like patches of white flames, and there was not a trace of wind in the field. The wind blew on the body as if it had been roasted by fire, and it was hot. The sky and the earth are bright with white flowers, and no one dares to look up for the sun. Our little friends would run to the edge of the pond, strip off our clothes, and jump into the water to enjoy the cool ...... of the pond impatiently
When you get tired of playing, climb ashore and go fishing. Place the fishing gear in the pond at will, and then sit and lie down on the edge of the pond, some roll a few times, some lie on the soft green grass, revel in the chirping and laughter of the birds, and feel the fun of "Taigong fishing, willing to take the bait", so it is common for a morning or even a whole day to not catch a fish.
Standing on the shore, you can clearly see the green aquatic plants at the bottom of the pond, and you can see the scene of fish and shrimp chasing and playing in the waterIt makes people feel the pursuit of life and freedom in the animal world. The fish didn't seem to want me to peek into their minds, and when they heard my footsteps, they burrowed into the aquatic weeds with a "whoosh". This reminds me that all living beings have privacy, and all living beings with privacy are thinking beings.
The ospreys come uninvited, and every time they fly to the edge of the pond, they will quietly stand on a branch, their eyes constantly scanning the water, waiting for the opportunity they have been planning for a long time. As soon as a fish moves, it picks up the fish with its long, pointed beak like lightning and flies away quickly.
But what I remember more is those rhombuses. At the beginning of summer, leaves began to emerge on the surface of the pond, only the size of a fingernail, round, and dotted on the water. Then the flowers bloomed, white with green, finely broken, resting among the rhombus leaves. From a distance, it looks like a layer of rice flour has been sprinkled. The flowers are grateful, the water chestnut begins to grow, and our happy season has come.
I can't wait for the water chestnut elders, the pond is full of children all day long, carrying the wooden barrel for bathing at home, putting it in the pond, and the people sit in the wooden barrel, swaying into the pond. Pick one after another, and laughter wafts over the pond. Tender water chestnut, peeled off, the water chestnut meat is tender and white, with a sweet breath, eaten in the mouth, watery, with a green sweetness
When I am alone, I like to sit on the stone slab by the pond, put my feet in the water, and enjoy the relaxation and freedom that the pond water gives me. Small fish would swim over and peck at the dander on my feet, sometimes a few bites. It tickled my heart, so I quickly ran home to get the dustpan, first put some leftovers in it, and then sink the dustpan into the water, the small fish and shrimp will flock to grab the rice in the dustpan, as long as I move, it seems to be a delicacy at my fingertips, no matter how fast I move, those little guys of different sizes and crystal clear disappear without a trace in an instant, leaving a circle of small ripples and my endless sighs.
In winter, when the water receded, a few of our friends came to the pond with shovels and buckets, rolling up their pants and rolling up their sleevesWhen the water is almost dry, the fish in the pond are huddled together with their heads exposed, and some even want to die and jump around. We divide the fish into piles and divide them into piles, one for each person. I took it home and cleaned the fish maw, salted it well, and when I made dinner, I added some oil and chili peppers, and when it was time to eat, there was an extra meat dish on the table, and the thick umami flavor made me have endless aftertaste. Therefore, this pond is a record of my childhood life and dreams, and although I have been away from it for more than 20 years, I still have a longing for it. (Nine full).