茶花源记

和老公、朋友一行四人，在一个秋寒雨细的早晨，去了浙江的九溪十八湾。

山涧淅淅，鸟鸣婉转，九曲八回，此枯彼翠，还有随着习习的秋风遥遥飘下的黄叶，本应是枯的，可是在西湖的烟雨中，竟也饱饱的浸透了水，好像它已准备好来年的再绿了。一阵阵风儿袭来，夹杂着雨气和茶香，这就是人间仙境了吧，一时间我忘记了此身在何处，今昔是何年。

曲曲折折得走了许久，偶遇一位阿婆，孤单的一个人走着。断不是游人，不禁怔踵，她这般形单影只，步履匆匆，是从哪里来？又要到哪里去？禁不住好奇， 我便和她搭起讪来。阿婆说，她本是桐庐人，应媒妁之言，嫁到了这茶园深处，从此便扎下根来。生有三子，都已成家，在这里彼邻而居。“不如，中午到我家吃饭 吧，给你们做地道的农家菜”她提议道。正合我意，想想这仙境般的地方，和蔼可亲的阿婆，不禁觉得，在这青山绿水里做一个茶农， 何尝不是一件幸福的事呢。

又走了一阵，眼前豁然开朗，只见碧绿的山坡上，层层叠叠嵌入了漂亮气派的白色楼房，不下数十家，错落有致。虽然潜意识里觉得，这样的人间桃花源里， 应该有的是古朴的木屋，矮矮的篱笆和袅袅的炊烟，可是，当眼前突现白墙红瓦，却又觉得也同样令人心旷神怡。不禁忘了鸳鸯忘了仙，转而羡慕起这世外桃源里的 人了。

阿婆家的房子很气派，二层小楼。我暗笑自己刚才还想放弃都市繁华，转投这片清贫宁静中来，却原来喧闹的是我，清贫的还是我。

还未坐定，阿婆拿出了几包自家的茶叶，让我们挑选。
我有一丝发愣，随即说，不好意思，我不要买茶，只要吃饭就好了。
阿婆随即说，那不买就先喝点茶吧，10元每人。
可是我们不想喝茶，只吃饭行吗？
这样啊，可能我的儿媳妇就不太乐意做咯。阿婆的脸上有明显的不快。
我突然很愤怒，对老公用英文说，不做算了，感情我们还非在她这儿吃不成？
同伴问，那5元一个人行吗？我们在这儿吃饭
好吧，阿婆犹豫着说
我重拾起了我的戒心，问道，你家吃饭什么价位呢？
素菜10元，土鸡堡60元。
我冷笑，对同伴说，那我们还是进城去吃吧。
………..

其实，明知道到了市中心，饭店的价格并不比这儿便宜，但我却无论如何都不愿在这个地方妥协的留下来。至少，在那个充斥着商业气氛的市中心，我对高利润的收 费是有准备的，因为他们需支付高额的租金和税金，更重要的是因为他们胸前明明白白的挂着“我是商家”的牌子。因为有准备，所以可接收。然而，在这个貌似仙 境的茶园里，我先入为主的放下了防备与戒心，以为这里的应该都是不是人间烟火的善良纯朴之人，所以，在我毫无准备的情况下，阿婆现出了她商人的贪婪，我无 法接受，有种被骗的感觉，还有对她扼杀了我难得温情的愤怒。就像恋爱，若被一个花花公子骗了不会伤很久，可若被一个一直以为老实可靠的男人骗了，恐怕一辈 子都不会原谅他。期望越大，失望越大，反之若没有期望，便也没有失望了。

回去的途中朋友对我突来的愤怒很不理解，说，阿婆也只是想日子过得好一点而已。是啊，其实阿婆没有错，她从没有说自己不是个商人，只不过我自己自作多情妄加定论罢了。想来谁说环境的宁静和经济的繁荣不能兼顾？我自断必须合二选一，倒是自己迂腐了。

可迂腐归迂腐，还是觉得，与其在这山中想尽办法赚钱，还不如扎进喧嚣的都市中明目张胆的挣钱的好，否则，真是可惜了这一片山水了。

Ugly Together

Ever since we moved to Shanghai and reunited with some old Jinan friends?Alex and Annie, who recently got married; Rita and David, we’ve been doing the Happy Friday Thing, getting together on Friday for Dinner first, and Bar later. Dinner is my favorite part, I like eating, and would never give it up for my figure. But bar, I could never really enjoyed it.

Unlike me, Eric is a bar animal. We live in a small town called Huacao, which is way far from the downtown, so far that it even weakens my interest in Shopping. But, for Eric, it is nothing. He will bitch about my choice of moving to this no where, but it doesn’t affect him traveling one and half an hour downtown and meet his friends twice a week. I mentioned before, he is a man of never fading passion, generally it is cute when it concerns me, but when he shows this passion to anybody other than me, even to his friends, this passion will be taken by me as “Childish”. I always hate him spending the night in bars, but I also know that is something I am not powerful enough to change, besides, he is more stubborn than me. For the peace and happiness of the family, I chose to keep my eyes closed and my mouth shut most of the time, and get used to his twice a week night absence.

Despite he spends the whole night out, I never get worried. Not due to full confidence, but because I believe in “go with the flow”. “If your passion flows to other woman, just let me know, and I will let you go; same otherwise.”

My mind flowed too far, now come back------

Eric called this morning at 6:00 from downtown, (he was out last night) told me in an exciting tone: “guess what, I bought you a rose”. “OK, see you” waken up by his call, that was all I wanted to say. His passion, and my seemed indifference, perfect match.

But I did hear him clearly, and did feel something, just didn’t bother to show it out.

In our 5 years long relationship, he’s been treating me the best, but, he’s never really BOUGHT me flowers. The following are my limited 3 times rose receiving experiences:

First time: he stole some roses from a garden in my old dormitory garden. His reason is: buying roses is no fun, steeling is much better because it shows he is willing to take the risk for me. Not a perfect reason, but makes sense to me.

Second time: in my last year birthday. He was not in Shangyang for business trip. So he ordered some roses on line and got them delivered to me. 11 roses, lasted for a week, But some how he paid the money and whoever honest returned it back saying it was the wrong account. So technically he didn’t BUY it.

Today, is the third time. He bought ONE rose when he was idling on a street at midnight from a women god knows from where, at RMB 1. and the poor rose is almost dead when he got home. He rushed into the kitchen and sank it into water, but I know the rose is dying definitely.

I guess now most of you will think I am a pathetic woman, who married the least romantic man. But I am feeling ok. Imagine if he suddenly gets romantic, I wouldn’t know what to do, how to react. If I have a romantic, gentlemen-liked husband, I would hesitate to dress sloppily, act rudely and show my ugliest side at home.

We are ugly together!

Can’t remember who said: “Marriage is that you can fart loudly in the blanket, give the other Dutch oven and then laugh.”