Yunding Ranch

Chapter 32 Slowing down
Leaving the teaching building, a gust of cold wind hits my face, all the heat on my body was blown away, and I shivered involuntarily.New York in March was still unbearably cold, making one wonder if winter would never leave. Lu Li thought of the ranch again, lit the firewood in the fireplace, swayed in the old chair, hugged a book, Accompanied by a cup of hot tea, you can spend an afternoon.

I just went to meet with the professor and had an interview for nearly an hour, and conducted an in-depth discussion on the research topic, research direction and research method of the thesis.But there was so much content that Lu Li's head was a little swollen. Now that he was blowing cold air, he felt a little better.

Looking around, the trees on the campus have sprouted new shoots, and the fresh green is connected between the dark red brick walls, as if the whole world is lit up; there are already people on the light green grass Can't wait to sit down, bright yellow, light red, lake blue, bright purple clothing colors can't wait to get rid of the heavy and dull winter clothes, and welcome the arrival of spring lively; even the wings of birds flying between the treetops They seem to be much lighter, shuttling through the thin sunlight, reflecting the white clouds on the sky.

Lu Li stood quietly on the spot, raised his head, and felt the slightly cold sunshine of New York falling on his face, the faint warmth, and the coldness passing by, the indistinct presence in the air. The water vapor can smell the strong presence of the Hudson River, and the bustling and noisy voices in my ears seem to have finally broken through the white snow, letting go of their hands and feet.

This reminded Lu Li of when he first arrived in New York and saw the campus scene of New York University for the first time. He couldn't restrain his excitement and excitement. Every corner seemed to be full of life, and he walked briskly to explore every inch of the campus. .Soon, he realized that it was almost impossible to measure the entire campus with two feet.He originally thought that in the next four years, he would slowly complete this task, but obviously he was still too young.

Unlike domestic universities, which are difficult to enter and easy to exit, American universities are easy to enter and difficult to exit. What's more, Lu Li has to complete all his studies in English. Many courses are quite difficult to study even in Chinese, let alone foreign languages. ?During college, Lu Li had almost no room to breathe - for those local students, they followed the policy of "play hard, learn hard", and Lu Li wanted to do the same, but it was not so easy to implement.

He almost forgot how excited and fresh he was when he came to this campus.

People always seem to be like this. With the progress of time, they gradually forget the appearance of the starting point, and start to become muddled and ignorant, like a trapped animal, trapped in place, wanting to break free, but can't find the direction , can't go back to the past, and can't see the future.Is it because the pressure of life has worn away the edges, or the passage of youth has lost the passion/passion, or the road is so long that the memory begins to blur.

Originally, Lu Li planned to go to the law firm to look for Mark, and he needed to consult with him about the handover procedures of the inheritance; moreover, Lu Li also wanted to consult about changing his visa. After the student visa expired, he would apply for a work visa. , You can still rely on the ranch to apply for a green card.

However, now Lu Li has changed his mind.He walked to the grass in front of the teaching building, found an open space, sat down cross-legged, opened his backpack, fumbled for his phone, put on earplugs and listened to music.Just let yourself relax and enjoy the rare leisure in the city.Although the rhythm is still different from that of the ranch, Lu Li has never fully appreciated his own campus, nor has he fully appreciated the elegance of New York.

Thinking of this, Lu Li immediately made a decision to take a good look around New York in the next few days. Like a tourist, but as a perennial resident, in the streets and alleys, in the famous scenic spots, in the living quarters, truly Feel the charm of the world's first capital.

Why do people always ignore the beauty around them?This is a very interesting thing. Whether living in an international metropolis or in a remote mountain village, people always seem to forget their environment inadvertently and lose the ability to find beauty around them, as if the day-to-day After the scenery becomes a part of life, it starts to become boring and boring.

But if you are willing to stop the busy pace of life and calm down to look at the streets, buildings, and pedestrians around you, your life will take on a special look.

It may be an old woman sitting on a street corner with handmade needlework, it may be children chasing and playing in the alley, it may be the sprouts on the treetops welcoming spring, it may be a group of sparrows parked on a telephone pole, it may be The strangely shaped clouds in the sky may be the next-door neighbor who is beating the quilt under the sun...

People always take everything in life for granted, so that they ignore their unique beauty among tourists, newborns, and youth.

Suddenly, Lu Li felt homesick, more precisely, his parents.It has been less than half a month since the last time he called his family, and he still hasn't reported the inheritance and ring to his family.

After thinking about it, Lu Li felt that he had to confess to his parents. He also wanted to let his father come to the ranch for a while to rest and recuperate. As for his mother, who had worked for most of her life, and suddenly let her retire, she probably didn't want to.In short, things still have to be done step by step, let's start with the ranch.

I checked the time and calculated the time difference. It should be past seven in the morning at home, and my parents have already woken up.After dialing the phone, after waiting for a short while, the phone was answered, "Hey, Lu Li, I told your dad just now that it's been cold in spring recently, so I don't know how you are doing. Every year at this time, people in New York The weather is particularly bad. After the last blizzard and the power outage, I don’t think the temperature will return.”

The familiar voice has the softness of a Jiangnan accent. The mandarin is not very standard, but there is a sassy and sharp in the gentleness. That is his mother Song Lingyi, who worked in an old-fashioned department store in the 90s. Later, it was rectified and all department stores were closed. Using my spare time, I took an accounting certificate, and now I work as an accountant in the county hospital.

"Mom, don't worry about me, I'm fine." Lu Li didn't even notice that the smile on his mouth involuntarily rose slightly. Even though there was a Pacific Ocean and a North American continent, he could still feel the warmth from his mother. "The weather in New York has been fine these two days, about ten degrees. But you, every time the season changes, your wrist hurts. When I called last time, Dad urged you to get the medicine. You took it ?"

"Take it." Song Lingyi's cheeks felt a little hot as her son said it, and she nodded repeatedly, "Do you still have enough living expenses this month? I heard from your Aunt Fangfang the other day that there is a spring break in the United States, and everyone should go there." If you're on vacation, you should go too, it's great to have fun with everyone. Young people just want to go out and have fun." Xie Lingfang, that's Song Lingyi's best friend since she was a child, she watched Lu Li grow up, her daughter Instead of choosing to study abroad, I went to SH to make a living.

"Hehe, I know. If the living expenses are not enough, I will tell you about it." Lu Li said obediently without making any excuses.

"Lingyi, ask Lu Li if he has received that package?" A moderate voice came from the phone, echoing in the hall. The gentleman's polite voice was full of bookishness. Lu Li's father, Lu Huaijin, a middle school Chinese teacher, has worked hard to teach and educate people all his life. Unfortunately, after a heart attack, his energy is not as good as before. He still hasn't gone back to school and is at home.

As I said before, I plan to go back in September this year, and there is no problem with the school.But who knows what will happen to Lu Huaijin's physical condition?
Song Lingyi's voice came over immediately, "Yes, the package I sent you last month hasn't arrived yet?"

If you go to school in the United States, you can go back during the winter vacation, but there is no way to do it during the traditional Chinese New Year in China, and the school still has classes as normal.Lu Li missed the food at home. Although he said that there are a lot of shops in Chinatown here, the family still sent him a big package.

"Got it." Thinking of that package, Lu Li couldn't help feeling amused. It didn't matter that there were dry goods like bean curd sticks and shiitake mushrooms, but there were also things like roast duck, beef jerky, old godmother, and even a big bag of fresh plums. , As a result, he was detained at the customs for nearly three weeks. Lu Li almost gave up hope, thinking that the customs had corrupted him, but unexpectedly, he finally came out. "Most of the things have already entered my stomach. But, Mom, don't send fruit next time. After wandering on the road for so long, after coming here, they are all overripe, and some are still rotten."

"I said don't send fruit, but your father insisted that it's okay, you're still a scholar." Song Lingyi complained about her husband shamelessly on the spot, which made Lu Li snort and almost burst out laughing.Lu Huaijin sat quietly beside her, without saying a word, "Just receive it. I was thinking about whether I should send you another box. The cured duck made by your grandmother this winter tastes very good, and everyone likes it very much. I left you a cured duck leg, but you can't eat it either."

"Mom, I'm drooling from what you said. I'll call grandma and ask her to do it again this winter." Lu Li said with a smile, making Song Lingyi on the other end of the phone smile, "Mom, do you want to do it again?" No, you will bring dad to America to visit me next month?"

Now there are more children studying abroad, and it is not uncommon for parents to visit their children abroad, especially to attend graduation ceremonies abroad.However, Lu Li's family's financial situation is relatively tight, so Lu Huaijin and Song Lingyi did not plan to attend Lu Li's graduation ceremony.They've discussed this before.

When Song Lingyi heard Lu Li mention it again, she thought her son felt sorry for the graduation ceremony, so she turned her head and glanced at her husband, "Lu Li, isn't the graduation ceremony in June?"

Lu Li was stunned for a moment, then realized that his mother had misunderstood, he smiled and waved his hands again and again, "No, what I said was not about the graduation ceremony." After a pause, it seemed that he was about to confess.

(End of this chapter)