Yang Jiang: Three Classic Essays
Curtains People aren't afraid of crowds. Even shoulder to shoulder, everyone is still separated. Like kernels in a shell, each one is independent. Like dust motes dancing in the sunlight, each one is independent. No matter how bustling a place is, windows face each other. Each is their own home, unrelated to one another. Just hang a curtain, just draw that thin layer, and you're separated from everyone else by a vast distance. Separation is not severance. The curtain doesn't block out windows...
Yang Jiang: Three Classic Essays
Curtains People aren't afraid of crowds. Even shoulder to shoulder, everyone is still separated. Like kernels in a shell, each one is independent. Like dust motes dancing in the sunlight, each one is independent. No matter how bustling a place is, windows face each other. Each is their own home, unrelated to one another. Just hang a curtain, just draw that thin layer, and you're separated from everyone else by a vast distance. Separation is not severance. The curtain doesn't block out windows...
A tree in the countryside
In my hometown village, there's always a tree in front of and behind every house. Trees are common in the countryside; a village without trees cannot survive. In uninhabited courtyards, weeds take over, and the trees, hidden among the weeds, look like lonely, helpless children. My family moved three times in the village, and each time a tree welcomed us. When my parents had me, they lived under the same roof as my great-grandparents. It was an old house, and a tree grew inside. Inside, the wo...
A tree in the countryside
In my hometown village, there's always a tree in front of and behind every house. Trees are common in the countryside; a village without trees cannot survive. In uninhabited courtyards, weeds take over, and the trees, hidden among the weeds, look like lonely, helpless children. My family moved three times in the village, and each time a tree welcomed us. When my parents had me, they lived under the same roof as my great-grandparents. It was an old house, and a tree grew inside. Inside, the wo...
My Tree
My entire understanding of summer comes from the trees in our village—passionate, naked, and mysterious. They twist their necks, covered in knots, unfurling their leaves one by one to resist the longest days of the Northern Hemisphere. Like us, trees take the sun's movement as their guide, yet their schedules differ. We work during the day and sleep at night. They rest only in winter, busy for the other three seasons. The two most imposing, unnamed trees in the village stand not far apart. In...
My Tree
My entire understanding of summer comes from the trees in our village—passionate, naked, and mysterious. They twist their necks, covered in knots, unfurling their leaves one by one to resist the longest days of the Northern Hemisphere. Like us, trees take the sun's movement as their guide, yet their schedules differ. We work during the day and sleep at night. They rest only in winter, busy for the other three seasons. The two most imposing, unnamed trees in the village stand not far apart. In...
pomegranate, pomegranate
Today, I rushed to the classroom, only to find the pomegranate blossoms in bloom at school. The fiery red, delicate flowers boldly and flamboyantly captured my attention, and I suddenly remembered the pomegranate tree in front of my house that had been blown down by a typhoon. As far back as I can remember, this tall pomegranate tree stood firmly in front of my house, blossoming and bearing fruit, its leaves falling and new leaves growing, year after year. Naturally, birds nested among its br...
pomegranate, pomegranate
Today, I rushed to the classroom, only to find the pomegranate blossoms in bloom at school. The fiery red, delicate flowers boldly and flamboyantly captured my attention, and I suddenly remembered the pomegranate tree in front of my house that had been blown down by a typhoon. As far back as I can remember, this tall pomegranate tree stood firmly in front of my house, blossoming and bearing fruit, its leaves falling and new leaves growing, year after year. Naturally, birds nested among its br...
Enjoy a drink in life
Convincing oneself is a victory of reason; being moved by oneself is a sublimation of the soul; conquering oneself is a maturity of life. Those who have convinced, moved, and conquered themselves possess the power to conquer all setbacks, pain, and misfortune. Each setback deepens one's understanding of life; each mistake adds a step to one's awakening; each misfortune matures one's understanding of the world; each hardship thoroughly elucidates the meaning of success. In this sense, to achie...
Enjoy a drink in life
Convincing oneself is a victory of reason; being moved by oneself is a sublimation of the soul; conquering oneself is a maturity of life. Those who have convinced, moved, and conquered themselves possess the power to conquer all setbacks, pain, and misfortune. Each setback deepens one's understanding of life; each mistake adds a step to one's awakening; each misfortune matures one's understanding of the world; each hardship thoroughly elucidates the meaning of success. In this sense, to achie...
