Past events in Beicheng

"This is a stuffed pie that I learned when I was in Germany. Would you like to try it first?" Wang Yao took out his work from the oven: "It was taught to me by my professor's wife before. I only made it once. I don't know Memory is unreliable."

Cherry stuffing pie, German snacks still have a lot of cherry flavor. Ivan took a sip and said, "Maybe it's not sweet enough for me. I just wanted to say."

"Oh, really?" Wang Yao thought for a while, and added some sugar to the remaining jam: "Try it again."

"Well, it's better now." Ivan licked the spoon that Wang Yao handed over: "Your professor is really kind to you, look at our school, which teacher would treat an ordinary student like this?"

"He treats me really well, maybe I'm a foreigner," Wang Yao felt a little emotional for a while: "His son is the same age as me, but he doesn't get along well with me. How should I say it? Actually, I don't know much. Why would he focus on something that I don't think is a problem at all."

"Huh? What does he focus on?" Ivan's knowledge of Germany is limited to books.

"He pays attention to the Jews," Wang Yao sighed. "Although we all care about politics, but the direction of his attention is not very good. I am actually very worried about him."

"The Germany of today may be very different from the Germany you knew before."

What Ivan was talking about was the news in the newspapers these days. In fact, Wang Yao could feel the changes in the atmosphere in Germany since [-]. In the few years since he left Germany, not only China was experiencing wars, but Europe was also experiencing wars. After undergoing tremendous changes, even in the peaceful Soviet Union can feel the bloody storm.

"I hope they will be safe." This is Wang Yao's sincere wish.

"Of course they are safe, they are the aggressors now."

"Do you hate Germany so much?"

Ivan took another bite of the cherry pie that wasn't sweet enough: "Their storybooks aren't annoying, and their cherry-flavored food isn't annoying, but my mother is annoying. When she wants to scold me alone Knowing how to use German, you have to experience the feeling that I am the only one in the family who can understand, not to mention that German is really suitable for swearing!"

Wang Yao laughed: "Your description of German is really mean. I'm going to rest for a while, you look at the oven, this is for Natalia and the others, thank you for the muffins she sent us yesterday, after a while You send this over there."

Ivan was walking on the way to Natalia's house with a German-style snack made by the Chinese, and he suddenly felt a little complicated.He knew that during the World War, his father participated in the war between Russia and Germany, which planted a huge hidden danger in the relationship between him and his mother.He didn't want the relationship between people to become complicated because of national wars, but he comforted himself that at least this wasn't a conflict between the Soviet Union and China. These two countries have been friendly for generations, which is more important than anything else.

Natalia's mother looked at the stuffed pie in Ivan's hands in surprise: "Is this made by Comrade Wang Yao?"

"We made it together," Ivan put the stuffed pie on the table: "Thank you for the muffins."

"No, he must have done it," Natalia's mother said with a smile, "You can't at all."

Ivan also smiled: "It is indeed my credit, I helped watch the oven."

"Lovely Chinese boy," Natalia's mother tasted a little: "Do you know? Vanya, a boy who can do this must be because he has suffered a lot abroad. Your uncle once studied abroad." In Germany, studying abroad alone is very difficult.”

"Well," Ivan nodded: "In the afternoon, we will take care of the vegetable garden. We have fresh vegetables, and we will send them to you."

"Come over for dinner tonight?"

"No need, I cooked too much for lunch today, and we'll eat by ourselves tonight." Ivan was about to leave: "Auntie, don't forget, I can cook too."

Although that is a red cabbage soup.

Compared with the complicated international situation, Ivan is more concerned about this precious summer vacation. He understands how rare this is for the hard-working Wang Yao, so he should do his best, even if he can only cook a soup.

When he came back, Wang Yao was probably still taking a nap. Before he opened his bedroom door, he went upstairs to get his Russian bouquet. He designed it for several days, and it was finally done last night. .He put it in a desk drawer so that when he opened it he could see this masterpiece, definitely worthy of an engineer.

When will I tell him?So that the proud teaching assistant of mechanics can be amazed by his handiwork?Ivan pushed open the door of Wang Yao's bedroom and took a look.

My sister's room was actually very plainly decorated, and the plain curtains made the room look very dark. He walked into the room lightly, not daring to move, just looked at the person on the bed, and took away the book beside his pillow.

"Huh?" Wang Yao woke up: "Are you back?"

Ivan felt a little regretful: "It's still early, go to bed."

"It's one o'clock, it's getting late, I've slept for an hour." Wang Yao sat up: "I still have to finish this chapter today."

Ivan reluctantly handed the book back to him: "Remember you have two hours to accompany me to take care of the vegetable garden."

"Yeah, um," Wang Yao pushed down his raised hair, "I know, you evil capitalist."

Wang Yao sat quietly at the desk and started his routine study. Ivan looked at him and found that he didn't take the initiative to open the drawer—that's right, why did he open the drawer when he had nothing to do?Ivan sighed, feeling that his plan was stupid, he should just put the flower ball on his textbook and let him surprise or not!

Ivan couldn't sit still anymore. He stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and took out a copy—"Paul the Puppeteer"?

Ah, yes, of course, I also have this book, and I thought it was a coincidence when I saw him also have one, that's all.Ivan habitually turned a page, and of course he had read the content of this page millions of times—the man who sold his shadow to the devil, he never dared to go into the sun, he was afraid of others Finding that he has no shadow, thus causing him to lose the person he loves.

Why am I always obsessed with this book?Ivan couldn't help shivering.

Is it because the villas in Greentown have become comfortable?Make him forget that he is a person without a shadow?

Ivan quickly closed the book and stuffed it back on the shelf.

"Calm down!" Ivan said to himself: "You have to calm down, we are just friends, best friends, that's all!"

"Let's go! Let's go to your vegetable garden." Wang Yao stretched his waist and put away his notebook: "What book are you reading? Oh, "Virgin Land"? I haven't read it, what are you talking about? Turgene I know the husband's name."

"Nothing, populist literature, about the disillusionment of utopia, my dad always liked books like that."

Wang Yao knew a thing or two about sad Russian literature: "It's just right, young man, aren't we going to the vegetable garden now? It's very appropriate to read some populist literature before going."

Seeing Wang Yao's face—come, let's build a rural socialist utopia, Ivan couldn't help laughing: "Wang Yao, you can always make everything interesting!"

So Turgenev was put back on the bookshelf, and the two young men put on their shoes, rolled up their sleeves, and went around to the back of the garden with tools.It has to be said that Ivan's vegetable garden is overstocked because few people come and the grass grows much taller than the vegetables.But at this moment, Wang Yao seemed no longer capable, he looked at Ivan knowingly with a hoe.

Ivan looked at his family's "socialist farmland" with his hips on his hips, and said, "All the vegetables in our family have become wild. Let's see if we can get some sweet peppers?"

Wang Yao never saw sweet peppers in the field at all.

Ivan pushed through the weeds and found a chili seedling with several small fruits that could not be identified as chili peppers: "Look, if you find one like this, pick it off."

"We are not harvesting peppers, we are picking wild fruits." Wang Yao threw away the hoe and stepped on it.

"Be more optimistic!" Ivan showed a serious expression, as if he had suddenly become Torres: "Look, success is just ahead!" Ivan pointed to the grass in front of him, and there was a decent fruit inside, and then he spoke Turn around: "Also, don't throw hoes casually! This soldier."

Wang Yao's little soldier is obviously not good at farming, picking a chili can be covered with mud for one hand.Wang Yao showed Ivan his hand: "Look, this is the real Utopia, it's black and black."

Ivan obviously didn't understand this joke, and he drove Wang Yao to the ridge of the field: "You'd better bring me the seeds, I'll scatter the seeds after weeding."

"What kind of seed is this?" Wang Yao flipped through the bag beside the field ridge.

"Sweet peppers."

"It's bell peppers again..."

"..."

The field is not big, and Ivan is obviously a familiar hand. He quickly tidied up the field, and even turned the field hastily with a hoe: "Is it possible to sow seeds? It's just like you sprinkle salt." , I went to find a bucket to fetch water."

When Ivan came back with a bucket, he saw Wang Yao standing on the ridge of the field, really spreading seeds like salt, spreading a handful, moving a place, spreading a handful and moving a place, even if he was unqualified The peasants couldn't stand it anymore: "Wang Yao, this is not a wedding scene, you are not throwing flower petals! Forget it, forget it, let me do it."

"But," Wang Yao spread his hands: "It seems that I have finished spreading."

"You have finished sowing a bag of seeds!" Ivan regretted that he did not explain clearly: "This bag of seeds is enough to spread half a hectare of land! You have sown half a hectare of land on this palm-sized land before it can be used up." Seed!?"

"It looks like this." Wang Yao looked at the empty cloth bag in his hand: "Too bad, your land will be completely destroyed next year."

"Okay, forget it," Ivan took the empty cloth bag: "Anyway, this year is almost like a failure."

The two frustrated farmers blamed each other and evaded each other, and then they each came to fetch water with buckets.

In the back corner of the garden, there was a small water pump. Wang Yao put the bucket under the outlet, and Ivan pulled the wire that tied the handle: "Wash your hands first."

"Yeah." Wang Yao put his hand under the water pipe.

puff!With the pressing of the handle, cold well water rushed out.

"Wow!" Wang Yao was so excited that he withdrew his hand.

Ivan was amused by his expression, and started to press the water pump faster. The water splashed all over the place, and the small bucket overflowed in no time, and the sprayed water spread all over the ground.

"Hi! Ivan!" Wang Yao tried to block the water outlet with his hand, but this action made the situation worse: "Stop it! Hey! The water has wet my clothes!"

Not only the clothes, but Wang Yao, who was dripping from his hair, wiped his face in embarrassment, and Ivan smiled even more happily.

"Oh, look at you, you are not all wet." Wang Yao shook his hand and got water.

Ivan, who was half squatting, looked at Wang Yao, and suddenly forgot to continue laughing. The wind suddenly quieted the surroundings. He was a little surprised at the picture in front of him—maybe it was because of his trembling eyelashes, or because the angle of the backlight was so beautiful .

It was so quiet all around.

Ivan raised his face and looked at Wang Yao who was looking down at him.

"Vanya?"

Maybe it was because he was too close, Ivan couldn't lower his head, but he felt his wet fingers touch his neck.

"What happened to your neck?" Wang Yao's fingertips touched the old scar.

"Me? I..." Ivan maintained a stiff state: "Wang Yao, I think the relationship between me and my father is not as good as you imagine..."

The gilt sun shone down on him, making his senses almost faint, and he felt the slight sliding of his cold fingers.It's like touching not shameful inferiority complex or bad memories, but young and sweet sustenance.These mixed emotions became a temptation, an irresistible temptation.

"I……"

Ivan was about to close his eyes in a daze.

"elder brother!!"

In the grass by the fence, Natalia, who had just poked her head out, yelled in horror: "Brother!!"

Wang Yao straightened up, smiled and waved to Natalia who was outside the fence: "Natalia, you came just in time, we were talking about sending you sweet peppers!"

Natalia leaned on the fence and approached a little suspiciously.

Ivan also stood up, without looking back, just picked up the bucket in front of him, and walked towards the vegetable field.

"Come in, Natalia." Wang Yao took a step towards the fence.

"Me?" Natalia forgot what to say for a while, but according to Wang Yao's words, the gangster got in through the gap in the fence stiffly.

"Are you here to see Ivan?"

"Ah," Natalia remembered holding something in her hand: "I picked some flowers."

"Ivan, Natalia brought flowers." Wang Yao took the sunflower from Natalia's hand.

Ivan walked over coldly with an empty bucket in his hand: "Oh, thank you."

Ivan's expression made Natalia a little uneasy, and she also took a step forward: "Brother?"

"Thank you for the flower, I'll put it in the vase."

"Natalia, do you know how to arrange flowers?" Wang Yao smiled and said to Natalia, "I'm not very good at it, can you help me?"

"of course can."

It was better than staying here in embarrassment. Natalia, who was still dizzy, ran away after Wang Yao.Ivan didn't follow, he walked into the garden, sat on the deck chair in the yard, fell asleep on his back without thinking, and closed his eyes with a cold expression.

Wang Yao found a vase of suitable size and handed it to Natalia: "You picked this by the river?"

"Ah, yes." Natalia stuffed the flowers into the vase and straightened them casually: "Just add water."

"What's wrong with you?" Wang Yao looked at Natalia's face: "Your complexion is not very good."

"It's nothing." Natalia didn't dare to look up at Wang Yao's eyes: "I should go back."

"Okay," Wang Yao washed his hands, "Can I wait? I'll change clothes and send you back."

It was too late for Natalia to refuse, or she didn't think of the reason for the rejection, Wang Yao had already entered the bedroom.Natalia stood in the living room, staring blankly at the sofa in front of her. She couldn't tell what was wrong, or it was hard to explain what was wrong with Wang Yao, but Brother Ivan's attitude was abnormal, and it was a little scary. The things she dared not think about.

On the way back, Natalia did not speak, but mechanically answered some questions about customs and customs from Wang Yao. When her small building appeared not far away, Natalia suddenly raised her head and looked at Wang Yao. : "Brother, does he regard you as a girl?"

Wang Yao stopped and turned around: "Natalia, what did you say?"

"Brother! Did he think you were a girl?" Natalia's eyes were red, tears were about to flow out.

Wang Yao turned around, bent down, and looked into Natalia's eyes: "Natalia, I hope you can remember what I said, you must know that Ivan is an officer, and his job cannot be changed casually. Yes, his profession is more strict with some of his questions, so it is better not to have some rumors around him. As for me, I will leave the Soviet Union in at most two years. I have been to many, many places, So I know that once I leave, we won't have a chance to see each other again. So, I, who is destined to leave, don't think about it. Do you know what I mean?"

Natalia lowered her head: "...I understand."

"Look at me," Wang Yao held onto Natalia's shoulders: "I think your violin ensemble is very beautiful, Natalia, I hope...he can get happiness. So wipe away your tears, laugh Smile, don't worry your uncles and aunts when you go back, okay?"

"it is good."

The two stood like this for a while, until Natalia's face gradually recovered, and they separated.

Each go their own way?This weird idea suddenly appeared in Natalia's mind, she couldn't help but look back at Wang Yao, but Wang Yao didn't look back at her.Natalia felt that her hands buried in the folds of the skirt were still trembling slightly. In fact, she didn't really understand Wang Yao's words. She just knew that if she wanted to protect her brother, she should pretend that nothing had happened. Just like Wang Yao.She doesn't know if she can do it, but she wants to protect him, that's for sure.

August is coming to an end, and the long night seems to be coming again, and the still warm weather reveals a little tiredness.On the other side of the road, the people lying in the yard felt the resentment in their chests that could not be fleeting.He lingered in regret and melancholy, and even forgot the fear he built for himself in the morning.He sighed, imagining the clouds drifting across the sky, trying to catch him, even if there was only hope.He was waiting, waiting for his return, when they might be able to continue.

But is the wait too long?It looked like he dozed off.

Suddenly, there was a crisp sound from the fence, he opened his eyes, and saw Wang Yao open the door, walking towards him with a smile.

The author has something to say: Note: Populism corresponds to elitism, which means that the wisdom of the people dominates historical development. This concept is widely used. Turgenev’s article is a mockery of utopian populism. In this article In the article, the protagonist gives up his good life and elopes with the heroine to open a farm in the countryside.Here Wang Yao jokes about the concept, calling it a "rural socialist utopia."