"Goose" by Luo Binwang
Goose, goose, goose,
The song sings to the sky,
White hair floats on the green water ,
Anthurium stirs clear waves.
"White Goose" by Feng Zikai
Eight months and ten days after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, I sold the small house I built three years ago in Miaowan, Shapingba, Chongqing. Moved to the city to wait for the return boat.
Except for the three years of shelter, I really have no nostalgia for this cabin. Because this house is too simple and the environment is too desolate; I feel like I have abandoned the house when I go there. But it was the white goose raised in the house that I will never forget.
This white goose was given to me by a friend who was about to travel far away. This friend lived in Beibei and brought this goose from Beibei to Chongqing as a gift to me. I personally took the big snow-white bird home and placed it in the yard. It stretched its head and neck and looked left and right. When I saw this posture, I thought: "What a proud animal!" The head is the most important part of any animal. The shape of this part best indicates the character of the animal. For example, lions and tigers have big heads, which means they are strong. The heads of unicorns and camels are high, indicating their superiority. Wolves, foxes, dogs, etc. all have pointed heads, indicating that they are cunning and mean. Pigs, turtles, etc. all have their heads shrunk, indicating their stubbornness and stupidity. The goose's head is proportionally taller than the camel's, similar to the unicorn, which is an expression of superb character. And in its cry, gait, and eating appearance, it even expresses a kind of arrogance.
The call of a goose is roughly similar to the call of a duck, both of which are natural. But the tone is very different. The duck's "gaua" has a tone that is trivial and pleasant, implying caution; the goose's "gaia" has a serious tone, like a stern scolding. Its old owner told me: raising geese is like raising dogs, and it can also guard the door. Later, I saw that it was true: whenever a stranger came in, the goose would scream loudly; even if someone walked outside the fence, it would scream loudly, and its scream was no less severe than the barking of a dog. The dog's barking is specially used for strangers or strangers; when it sees its owner, the dog will shake its head and tail, whining and begging for mercy. The goose scolds no matter who it is, and its cry when asking for food is like an old man scolding his little messenger because he thinks the meal is late.
The gait of the goose is even more arrogant. This is also similar to ducks in general. But Duck's pace is rapid. There is a feeling of embarrassment and uneasiness. The goose's pace is calm and grand, quite like the net angle in a drama. This is the manifestation of its arrogant character. When we approach a chicken or duck, the chicken or duck will definitely give in and run away. This shows fear of people. Therefore, it is not easy for us to catch chickens or ducks. That's not the case with the goose: it stands proudly and refuses to give way when it sees people approaching; sometimes, instead of giving in, it actually stretches its neck to bite you. This means that it is not afraid of people and looks down upon them. But this arrogance is ultimately arrogance. As soon as we reach out, we can grab it by the neck and do whatever we want with it. Among domestic animals, the most proud one is the goose. At the same time, the easiest thing to catch is the goose.
Goose eating often makes us laugh. Our geese eat cold meals, three meals a day. It needs three things to eat: water, mud, and grass. Eat a mouthful of cold rice first, then a mouthful of water, and then go somewhere to eat a mouthful of mud and grass. Probably these mud and grass also have various flavors, which are selected according to their appetite. This food is not luxurious; but the way it is eaten is meticulous and meticulous. For example, after taking a bite of rice, if the water basin is accidentally placed far away, it will stride forward calmly and take a sip of water. Then take long strides to a certain place to eat mud and grass. After eating mud and grass, come back for dinner. To eat in such a leisurely manner, one must be waiting on you, like a waiter in a restaurant. Because the dogs in the neighborhood all know the temper of our Mr. Goose, every time he eats, the dogs will hide by the fence and watch. After it had taken a bite of rice and walked squarely to eat water, mud, and grass, the dog ran up to it nimbly and worked hard to eat its meal. Before he finished eating, Mr. Goose accidentally came back early, stretched his neck to bite the dog, and yelled fiercely. The dog immediately ran to the fence, squatted and waited, watching it take another mouthful of food, and then walked away to drink water, eat grass, and eat. When there was mud, the dog ran up quickly again, and this time he finished his meal and ran away. When the goose came to eat again, the rice jar was empty. The goose raised its head and shouted, seeming to blame people for not providing enough food. At this time, we served it food and stood waiting. Because there are many dogs nearby, one dog will go away, and another dog will come and squat and watch. There are also many chickens nearby, and they often sneak in to steal the geese's food. We were so annoyed that we put the rice can and water basin together to prevent it from wandering away and stealing food from chickens and dogs. However, the location of the mud and grass necessary for food is uncertain. In order to find this sumptuous meal, it still has to go far. Therefore, when the goose eats, there must be someone waiting on it. It’s really full of airs!
No matter how proud the goose is, we will always keep it until the house is sold. Because it contributes to us both materially and spiritually. Make both mistress and master happy with it. Material offerings are raw eggs. It lays an egg every day or every other day. There is a pile of straw beside the fence. When the goose crouches in the straw, it means it is about to lay an egg. The little children in the family were even more excited and stood beside it waiting. After giving birth, she got up, strode into the house, and shouted for dinner. At this time, the children picked up the eggs warmly, hid them behind their backs and brought them into the house, saying they were afraid that the geese would be angry if they saw them.
Goose eggs are really big, four times as big as chicken eggs! The mistress's egg basket was full, so she used it to make salt eggs and stewed one salt goose egg. The whole family couldn't eat it! A worker went shopping for vegetables and came back and said: "There was a goose egg seller in the market today, and it cost 400 yuan each. Our geese earn 400 yuan a day, 12,000 yuan a month, which is better than our workers, haha. Haha. "Let's accompany him too." Haha, haha. "Looking at the goose, it was full of food. It was striding in the yard with its chest and belly raised, looking at the wild scenery, and it seemed to be even more proud. But I think what’s better than eating goose eggs is its spiritual contribution. Because our house is too simple, the environment is too desolate, and our life is too lonely. Thanks to this white goose, it embellishes the courtyard, adds vitality, and comforts my loneliness.
My house is really simple: within the fence, the land is twenty feet, and the house only takes up six feet. On these six feet, there are three "anti-construction style" bungalows built, each of which is divided into two rooms in the front and rear, resulting in six rooms, with each room averaging one foot. In the central room, the front room is particularly large, about one and a half feet wide, and can be regarded as a dining hall and living room; the back room is only half a foot long, smaller than a bus and a car, and is used as a bedroom for the family. The one on the west side is evenly divided into two and serves as the kitchen and coworkers' room. The one on the east side is equally divided into two. The back room is also my family’s bedroom, and the front room is my study and bedroom. For the past three years, I have been writing in this abbot while sitting or lying down. Gui Xifu's "Xiang Jixuan Ji" said: "The room is only the abbot, and it can accommodate one person." He also said: "Yuze made a bet, and every time he moved the case, he looked at the person who could not care about it." I can only think of these words. Sometimes, I feel satisfied. Although my house is not leaky, the walls are made of bamboo and are very thin. After nine o'clock in the summer, the east wall is so hot that it's like a hot water bath has been opened indoors. At this time, the rebels wanted to sound the alarm, but they could go to the basement six to seven feet deep to cool down.
The yard within the bamboo fence is full of rocks under the thin layer of mud. You can only grow tomatoes, broad beans, plantains, etc., but not trees. Beyond the bamboo fence, the undulating slopes and rocks are all desolate. Therefore, the hut is naked, lonely, and without any shelter; from a distance, it looks like a pavilion. I have been sitting there for many years, just like the head of a pavilion. This place is about a mile away from the street. The paths are winding and difficult to find, and visitors are very few. Du's poem "a secluded place with few passing by" means that this room deserves it. On windy and rainy days, the road is muddy and dogs are too lazy to walk through it, making the environment even more desolate. The feeling of silence these days is still terrifying when I think about it.
Since the completion of this hut, I resigned from my teaching position and resumed my pre-war living. I have very little contact with the outside world. I just read, paint, drink and chat every day. All my time is my own, which is the requirement of my character, and this is what I consider happy. However, this happiness requires two conditions: in peace and in the city. Now during the Anti-Japanese War, in deserted villages, this happiness is accompanied by a kind of depression - loneliness. In order to avoid this depression, I planted beans, vegetables, and raised pigeons and geese in the yard while reading and painting. But the goose impressed me the most. Because it has such a huge body, such a snow-white color, such a majestic cry in winter, such a majestic attitude, such a proud temper, and such ridiculous behavior. In this desolate and silent environment, this goose unexpectedly became a focal point. On a windy and rainy day, when my hands are sore and tired, I open the window and look out, only this great snow-white thing is lifeless, holding its amber beak high, walking proudly in the rain, like an armed guard, making this small house safe. , this yard has a master, and this environment has become alive.
A few days before my cabin changed hands, I gave this goose to a friend who lived in Xiaolongkan. Within a few days after sending it away, I felt quite strange. This feeling is exactly the same as what happens when you say goodbye to someone, but the intensity is smaller. It turns out that all living beings have the same root, and all flesh and blood have a sense of sex. Therefore, this bird is more affectionate and can make people nostalgic than this house. Now that I am writing this short article, it is like writing a biography and portrait of a forever friend.
The old owner of this goose was named Xia Zongyu and is now my neighbor.
Spent in Chongqing in the summer of 1946.