Enjoyment Requires Early Preparation; Materialization Also Occurs Sometimes
said, 'After watching the sea for a long time, one wants to see people; after seeing people, one wants to see the sea.'
Life is always like this: after a monotonous life of working from eight to six and rushing around, a 'romantic' paradise of 'solitude' lingers in one's heart, accompanied by longing and nostalgia, always slipping into it to savor and contemplate.
However, in terms of life, time, and scenery, a seasonal or time-specific encounter is: of the ten uses of life, three are for seeing the sea, ten for seeing people, and three for seeing the world. For example, spring flowers are best enjoyed when the timing, mood, weather, and company are all favorable – this is rare indeed! Therefore, seizing the opportunity is difficult and precious.
Shen Congwen said, 'I have walked through many places, crossed many bridges, seen countless clouds, and drunk many kinds of wine, but I have only loved one person during my most beautiful and youthful years.'
Those 'most beautiful and youthful years' – the beautiful scenery, favorable weather, and self-indulgent moments – are not meant to be waited for, nor are they meant to be given to others!
Even if spring comes and goes, the cycle begins again, upon closer reflection, how much of nature's myriad beauty have you captured, for enjoyment's sake?
Some people can capture a rose, others lament the loss of flowers. Year after year, the beauty of a particular year and month seems to be frozen in the past, always assuming that it will reappear next year, and this expectation always slips away as we rush through life, leading to memories that are cherished and remembered.
For example, the succulent river snails that come on the market in spring – tender, plump, and flavorful – always evoke the scent of roses, requiring no preparation, just the original flavor makes them exquisite. However, even after buying three times in a row, my old lady is always frowning and scolding: 'Such delicious things, why waste them?' Previously, I always obeyed her orders and didn't dare to buy them. Now, in my middle age, looking back on the journey, I no longer feel so constrained between my desires and the pleasure of enjoying these delicacies – I allow myself to be spontaneous, carefree, and indulge in them, for I fear that one day they will not be there for me, and I will not be there to enjoy them.
Good times, beautiful scenery, a good mood, and beautiful colors have feet. They wander in the shadows, and if you don't seize them, they will disappear. To capture them, to hold onto them, to savor them – that is the most beautiful expectation and the most sincere declaration of love!
