The canary in the bamboo cage flapped its wings, but it could never escape the cage. And I am under the white wall and black tiles, only the square sky wall above my head. And why not a man in the game, a bird in a cage.
一 The
smoked wind curling up, and the light rain is like silk. In the corner of the West Garden, there is nothing else except a ten-foot green water and clear waves and wooden apple blossoms.
Get up early to dress up, see the sky is clear and bright, then open half the blinds to enjoy the spring. I sat by the window and teased the canaries in the cage while the maid Lingxi was adding incense and cleaning the house.
”Sister Ayan.” A hearty and familiar voice came from behind me. I looked back and saw Cheng Mingsheng in a white robe.
I was born in the Lan family, a family of merchants. In the early years, my father unfortunately died in a foreign country, and my mother also passed away due to excessive worry. After that, I grew up with my elder brother Lan Ting. And Cheng Mingsheng and my elder brother Lan Ting were married to Jinlan, so he liked to come to Lanfu to visit the gardens since he was a child, and never regarded himself as an outsider.
”Next week is my sister’s birthday. I won two theater tickets. How about my sister doing me a favor?” He looked at me with a pair of star-like eyes and smiled.
”Brother, don’t you know girls? Girls just like to draw, and they’re not interested in Nao Shizi’s plays.” Lingxi still teased me when she presented him with a good brocade.
My father is good at painting flowers, and I was taught by him when I was young. Later, the time was long and there were too many boring days, only paper and pen could express our feelings.
I looked at the blue lotus picture placed by the shutters, adjusted the cinnabar and flower blue, and traced three or five koi.
”How could I not know my sister’s heart? No, I entrusted someone to buy this picture of Lingxiao flowers at night and gave it to my sister.” Cheng Mingsheng put down the teacup, waved his hand outside, and three or five attendants walked away with a painting Come.
When the white shirt covering the painting is removed, what comes into view is a painting with excellent color and luster. The dark blue sky is used as the background color, and two clouds are used as decorations. Under the beige eaves grows a branch of vermilion-colored Ling Xiaohua, which blends with the green leaves. Although the brush and ink are somewhat unevenly colored, it is difficult to conceal the ethereal and natural charm.
The style of this painting is so similar to my father’s that even the traces of ink unevenness are exactly the same.
I caught a glimpse of the word Lin written in the lower right corner of the painting, and I couldn’t help asking: “Is he from Nancheng?”
Cheng Mingsheng told me that the painter was called Lin Biheng. The young master of the Lin family, who grew up with a golden key in his mouth, was later exiled in the market due to his family’s decline. He could only earn a living by selling calligraphy and paintings.
”Can I see him?” I want to see this boy and see if there is a gentle moonlight between his brows and eyes.
The next day, the rain came and the sun cleared, and the apple blossoms were mossy.
When I saw Lin Biheng for the first time, he was wearing a blue robe that was washed to starch, and the light-colored cuffs were frayed, making him look shabby. The thick black and sharp eyebrows, but the eyes contain clear waves, like a cold spring. The person in front of him had a handsome face, but it was hard to hide the cold temperament in his bones.
”Miss Lan is well.” His voice was gentle, like the wind on a spring day, or the raindrops on a sycamore tree.
I ordered Lingxi to buy him an outfit. The gentle and introverted young man didn’t want to take advantage of nothing, but wanted to write an IOU with me. He signed his name and surname on the high-quality jade rice paper, and the style of the pen is simple and elegant.
”Sir, you have superb painting skills, who is your teacher?” I asked with a smile.
”When I was studying in a foreign land, I met Mr. Cang Lang who was good at painting flowers, but it’s a pity that he passed away early.” He sighed.
I led Lin Biheng into the studio, and Hexi’s sunlight sprinkled a piece of pink gold. Outside the window, the banana leaves and lingxiao flowers intertwined, and the mottled light and shadow fell on his black pupils.
His father’s paintings hung on the off-white walls, and he took a closer look and found that each painting was signed “Mr. Canglang” in the lower right corner.
Lan’s family style is open-minded, and it is not uncommon to have an unrestrained nickname. But my father seldom mentioned the name “Mr. Canglang” with others, and I think what Lin Biheng said was true.
”I have a short relationship with my father. Can you tell me about my father’s past?” When I looked at him, I saw his red eyelids.
two
Perhaps it was because of this past event that Lin Biheng and I had a very pleasant conversation. He told me about sycamores and bluebells, and he also told me about the evening wind of Nancheng and the clear waves of green algae. In his gentle voice, this southern city is so romantic.
During Meng Dong’s season, when it was snowing heavily, Lin Biheng opened a studio in the west of the city. The studio and the private school are only one journey away, so I always use my head to meet him when I leave school.
One afternoon, the sunset and the lone duck flew together. I walked through the crowded alley and saw Lin Biheng standing in front of the pear wood door of the studio.
He was holding a government notice in his hand, and I vaguely saw the word “North Move” written on the rice paper. In recent years, wars and turmoil have continued, and Nancheng has not been peaceful. The government ordered the families of the powerful to move north to the capital.
”The current situation is chaotic. I will pick you up from the school tomorrow.” He said to me.
After I nodded in response, I kicked the gravel on the ground absent-mindedly. At this time, a few playboys walked up to them, humming a tune and throwing banknotes on the ground. When the beggars on the side of the road followed them to pick up money, they accidentally knocked the buttons on my dress off the thread, and Lin Biheng dragged me straight to the tailor shop.
Hanging in the soft sunlight, the cardamom green train looks like a leaf of a lotus in the water, rippling with the ripples.
Lin Biheng took off the dress, looked at it for a long while, and said: “The beautiful woman’s makeup is natural, and it matches the emerald green.”
”My clothes can still be worn with a few stitches, no need to spend money…” I ignored it He walked out of the store alone.
He grabbed my arm and stayed close to him, his warm breath sprinkled in my ears: “As a gift for the clothes you gave me.” The
night was fading, and the moonlight was shining outside the court. I tossed and turned and still couldn’t fall asleep, so I simply pushed open the carved double fans and looked up at the galaxy.
For a long time, the palpitations were difficult to calm down. The emerald green dress placed on the pillow is too eye-catching. After much deliberation, I dug out the IOU signed with Lin Biheng and prepared to return it to him.
The next day, it was always difficult for me to concentrate on my studies at the private school. Clutching the IOU in his hand, he sweated layer after layer. It was hard to make it to school, and ran into Lin Biheng as soon as he went out.
He stood in the mist, and a soft sunlight stretched his shadow long.
”Bi Heng.” He is only three years older than me, and I always call him Mr., which seems a bit extravagant.
He took the book in my hand, casually flipped through it twice, then tapped me on the head gently: “The book is cleaner than my face. If I were your wife, I would die young.
” Bo, with a few blushes on his face, only thinking about taking back the book and stepping on him to relieve his anger. It’s a pity that the sky failed to fulfill people’s wishes. Before I reached the corner of the book, it began to snow.
He took off his robe and put it over my head to shield me from the snow, and his collar smelled of bluebells.
”Follow me.” He held my white wrist with cool knuckles, and led me into a deep alley.
The plum blossoms were shy, and a string of fiery red lanterns hung under the black eaves. The wild cat living at the end of the alley stared at me with a pair of strange pupils.
