at the shadows of trees and clouds

On Saturday morning, I took my junior high school students to a nearby mountain. A fire in the previous year cut off half of the hill's dense forest. Looking around, the unburned roots and branches were like soldiers in black who were unwilling to fall, still protecting the scorched Eden.

The barracks at the foot of the mountain were like wagons, looming in the white morning mist. The smoke from the cooking was faintly discernible, reminding me of the smell of green vegetables and the story of Dagui and the wasp. The small river that fell from the sky and passed gracefully through the camp lingered with the memory of Donna and me growing up together in silence.

For the little ravine in my eyes, except for us, who knew its existence?

My students and I shoveled the soil to level out the terraces in preparation for planting rubber trees. The loudspeakers played revolutionary songs, advanced deeds, and letters of determination of the educated youth to take root in the frontier.

Suddenly, the announcer Xiao Wu's voice came from the broadcast, and she read an urgent notice: "The following comrades, please pay attention. Please report to the battalion headquarters immediately…" The message mentioned three people's names, including me, my master Dashang, and another with whom I was unfamiliar. I immediately guessed that it was related to university admission. Due to my excitement, my feet suddenly softened, and I almost rolled down the mountain.

When I arrived at the camp headquarters, many people had gathered in the basketball courtyard. My university admission letter passed through many hands before it reached me. It had black handprints on it, which almost made me unable to recognize my name. I was admitted to an inland university to study economics. Although it's not the university and major I had applied for, I didn't mind much. My dream of leaving here had come sooner than I thought! With the admission letters in our hands, three of us were surrounded by people – they were as excited as we were. This seemed to be a tangible example that a different kind of life had already begun.

The announcer, Xiao Wu, was also watching in the distance. Seeing her boyfriend dancing in the crowd, she walked up to him and shouted, "What are you happy about? Does it have anything to do with you?" We all quieted down and looked at her, her boyfriend's silliness reddened her face, and it was clear that she felt that her boyfriend was not enough.

***

We were about to embark on a college trip in a few days. My mother had already sewn a quilt for me, and the organization had handed my personal file over to me.

I received a short letter from Yalan Bai, telling me that her army recruit training had ended. She knew where she was going but couldn't tell me the details, and she couldn't write me letters from now on. Maybe this time next year, she could come home for a visit and hope to meet me again.

When I was packing my things, I accidentally dropped my notebook to the ground, and the kapok in it was smashed. Donna gave it to me at the beginning of our relationship. It was a precious token. I failed her again. I put the residual petals on the table and looked at them for a long time, unwilling to believe that this might herald the end of a story.

I looked back and saw a small purple stone on top of the bookcase, very much like the outline of a flower. I randomly picked it up by the river. I thought, because it was brightly colored, it might be good as a calligraphy stone. I never used it; it sat there to collect dust. I picked it up, blew the dust, and had an idea.

I borrowed Dashang's carving knife, hid in the backyard, and cut it into the shape of kapok. I turned it gently against the sunlight, the warm red like petals in summer and the purple like receptacles in spring. Although it was not very delicate, I would take it into my heart and always treasure it.

The closer I got to departure, the more I felt about Donna, knowing that there would be no result. I just wanted to see her again and have a happy farewell. I'd been to the rubber forest, the waterfall, and her dorm. I also went to her mother's house and wanted to ask where Donna was, but I saw Dr. Fang talking to Zhongwei Gao at the door, so I didn't disturb them.

On the morning of the trip, I came to Donna's dormitory. Only Jialin was there, and she told me, "Donna came back last night. She was crying all night. She really likes you." I said I knew how she felt, but the world was against us, and it was impossible for me not to go the college. I saw that Jialin's eyes were also red, and I knew she must be sad about her boyfriend Dashang's departure. I hoped they would not go separate ways.

The farm prepared a truck to send the three of us down the mountain for our college trip. The three of us arrived and got into the vehicle. The front and rear were studded with big red flowers, as they did last year to welcome the hero of the naval fleet. I searched the crowd, thinking that Donna would hide in a corner to say goodbye to me, but I didn't see her lovely face.

Jialin rushed to the car, handed Dashang an envelope, and shouted, "There are food stamps inside!"

I suddenly wanted to leave a souvenir for Donna, so I stopped Jialin, put a small thing in her hand, and whispered, "For her."

Under many people's watchful eyes and blessings, the truck started and moved slowly. The road was still so rough that the car crawled slowly. The vehicle turned mountain after mountain, forest after forest. A year and a half ago, I was huddled with Donna in this exact vehicle, with my heart pounding and my forehead sweating.

Now we were passing where I fell off the cliff, where my true intersection with Donna began.

At this time, a crisp folk song rang out in the high jungle, and I could hear Donna's voice. I knew what she was singing; she said goodbye to me like this. I was about to stop the truck but wondered what I would do after. I looked up to the top of the mountain and saw the shadows of trees and clouds. The singing echoed in the valley for a long time. "It's really nice, but unfortunately, I can't understand it," Dashang said regretfully.

Tambourine versus gong, gong versus song

The girl misses her boy, which makes the moon ashame

That one song, one dance, one autumn

Much miss, much longing, year by year

Tambourine versus gong, gong versus song

The girl picks the stars and knits a wedding dress

The ivy on the tree asks the tall branch

The season of rice incense is about the return date