Chapter 702 Liu Ping'an 8
After lunch, the family sat around the dining table and took a short break. The afternoon sun shone through the window, gently shining on them, bringing a touch of warmth. Xiao Yuelai was in Qin Jingru's arms, nodding her head, still dozing off, looking so cute. Liu Ping'an looked at his wife and children, and then at the kind elders beside him, his heart full of warmth and satisfaction. He smiled and suggested: "The weather is so good today, how about our family go out for a trip?" Everyone responded one after another, with expectant smiles on their faces.
So Liu Ping'an gently picked up Xiao Yuelai who was still in a daze. Xiao Yuelai felt her father's embrace, rubbed against him, and fell asleep again. Qin Jingru hurriedly got up and carefully supported Zhang Guifang. Zhang Guifang smiled and patted Qin Jingru's hand, saying, "Don't be so careful, I'm still strong." Third uncle Liu Jianping also stood up from his chair with great interest, patted his clothes, and said energetically, "Let's go out with you young people and take a walk. I want to get some of the excitement too."
The family went out in a mighty procession, like a small team, and started their journey to the old city. The old city is a place that carries countless memories of old Beijing, with stories hidden in every corner and the taste of time in every alley.
They first came to Beihai Park. Before entering the park gate, they could hear laughter and melodious bird calls from afar. When the gate slowly opened, the rippling lake water instantly came into view. Under the sunlight, the lake water sparkled with golden light, like a huge and dazzling mirror, inlaid on this ancient land. The breeze blew gently, and ripples appeared on the lake surface, as if nature was gently caressing this mirror.
Willows sway along the lakeshore, and their slender branches sway gently in the breeze like a girl's long hair. Each branch is like a work of art carefully crafted by nature, soft and graceful. Some branches hang down on the lake, floating gently with the waves of the lake, as if playing with the lake; some branches are entwined with each other, as if telling an ancient and mysterious story.
Xiao Yuelai was immediately attracted by the beautiful scenery. He was still sleepy at first, but now he was twisting his body excitedly in Liu Ping'an's arms, his little body full of energy. His eyes were wide open, and he looked around curiously, as if he wanted to take in all the beautiful scenery. His little mouth was babbling, and his little hands were waving non-stop, trying to touch the lake and willow branches that were so close yet so far away.
Liu Pingan was delighted to see his son's excitement. He smiled and said to Xiao Yuelai: "Yuela, do you like it here? Dad will take you for a boat ride." Xiao Yuelai seemed to understand what his father said, clapping his hands and smiling even more brightly.
Liu Pingan took Xiao Yue to the lake, where there were many colorful boats. He picked a boat that looked safe and beautiful, paid the money, and the family got on the boat. Liu Pingan sat at the stern, picked up the oars skillfully, and started rowing. The boat moved slowly on the lake, and the oars paddled in the water, making a rhythmic "clattering" sound, like a beautiful piece of music.
As the boat moved forward, ripples appeared. The ripples spread out in circles, breaking the original calmness of the lake, but adding a bit of agility and vitality. The sun shone on the water, and the ripples sparkled with golden light, like countless stars jumping on the lake. Little Yue Lai lay on the side of the boat, put his little hand into the water, feeling the coolness of the lake water, splashing small water flowers, and he laughed happily, the laughter was crisp and pleasant, echoing on the lake.
Qin Jingru and Zhang Guifang sat in the middle of the boat, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains while chatting about family matters. Qin Jingru pointed to the White Pagoda in the distance and said, "Mom, look at that White Pagoda, how beautiful it is, like a huge treasure bottle." Zhang Guifang smiled and said, "Yes, this White Pagoda is very old and has witnessed the changes in our Beijing city." Third uncle Liu Jianping sat at the bow, facing the breeze, with a comfortable smile on his face. He looked at the surrounding scenery from time to time, and kept saying, "This Beihai Park is still as beautiful as when I was a child."
The family was enjoying this warm and wonderful time on the beautiful lake of Beihai Park, as if the whole world had become extremely peaceful and harmonious.
Xiao Yuelai sat at the bow, her round eyes full of curiosity and excitement, her chubby little hands constantly slapping the water. Each time she slapped, she did it with force but with a bit of tenderness, splashing small water droplets. The water droplets were crystal clear, and under the sunlight, they looked like scattered pearls, shining briefly on the stage of the sun before falling back into the lake. Xiao Yuelai felt the coolness of the water splashing on her face, and she laughed happily, her laughter as clear as a silver bell, rippling happily in the air, as if to pass this joy to every drop of water in the lake and every tree on the shore.
Qin Jingru and Zhang Guifang sat in the boat, their bodies swaying gently with the swaying of the boat. Qin Jingru squinted her eyes slightly, admiring the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains intoxicatedly. The sparkling lake seemed to be covered with a layer of broken gold by nature. The mountains in the distance were rolling and connected with the blue sky, like a beautiful ink painting. She sighed softly and said with emotion: "Mom, look at this scenery, it's so beautiful, every time I come here, I feel that I can't see enough." Zhang Guifang smiled and nodded, with a satisfied look on her face, and said: "Yes, this Beihai Park has a kind of magic that makes people don't want to leave when they come. I think when your dad and I were young, we often came here to play." As she said, her thoughts seemed to drift back to the past, and a trace of nostalgia appeared in her eyes. The two of them talked about everything from family matters to the past years, and laughter echoed on the boat.
Third uncle Liu Jianping was watching Xiao Yuelai with great interest. His weather-beaten face was full of smiles and his eyes were full of love. He would reach out his hand from time to time to tease Xiao Yuelai, or touch his little face with his fingers, or make a face to make Xiao Yuelai giggle. Xiao Yuelai was amused by his third uncle and laughed even louder. The cheerful laughter seemed like a string of cheerful notes, playing a joyful movement on the lake.
They rowed the boat and slowly came to Qionghua Island. As soon as the boat docked, Xiao Yuelai jumped off the boat like a happy little deer and ran around the island. His little feet stepped on the soft grass, making a "rustling" sound, as if he was greeting the earth. After a while, he squatted down, staring at the little ants on the stone, watching them line up in an orderly manner, busy carrying food, and muttering in his mouth: "Little ants, what are you doing?" That serious look seemed to be communicating with the little ants. After a while, he saw a colorful butterfly flying among the flowers. He jumped up excitedly, waving his little hands to chase the butterfly, and shouted while chasing: "Butterfly, butterfly, don't run!" He was a naughty little explorer, full of curiosity and desire to explore everything on the island.
Liu Pingan followed closely behind Xiao Yuelai, not daring to take his eyes off him for a moment, fearing that he would fall. His footsteps moved quickly as Xiao Yuelai ran, and he kept reminding him: "Yuelai, run slowly, don't fall. There are many rocks on this island, be careful not to bump into them." Those caring words, like a warm spring breeze, always surround Xiao Yuelai.
The family strolled along the path on the island. The flowers and plants on both sides of the path swayed gently in the breeze, as if welcoming their arrival. They admired the ancient buildings, the flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted buildings, all of which showed the vicissitudes of time and the weight of history. Each building was like a silent old man, quietly telling stories of the past. The beautiful scenery made them dazzled, with green trees, birds singing and flowers blooming, as if they were in a paradise.
When passing by the White Pagoda, Xiao Yuelai was immediately attracted by the tall and white tower. He stopped, opened his eyes wide, pointed at the White Pagoda, and babbled, as if to say, "Look, that tower is so tall!"
Liu Pingan looked at his son's curious eyes, smiled and picked up Xiao Yuelai so that he could see the White Pagoda more clearly. Xiao Yuelai lay on his father's shoulders, waving his hands excitedly, staring at the White Pagoda with amazement in his eyes.
Liu Pingan patiently told him the story of the White Pagoda: "Yuela, this White Pagoda has a long history. It has witnessed many changes in our Beijing city. In the past, there were many interesting things around the White Pagoda..."
Little Yuelai listened with a half-understanding, staring at the white pagoda without blinking, as if trying to remember every word her father said. The little figure looked particularly lovely against the backdrop of the white pagoda, and the family also left behind a warm and beautiful memory on this Qionghua Island.
On the shore, some traditional buildings of the old city are scattered in an orderly manner.
The buildings are made of blue bricks and gray tiles, and the traces of time have left mottled marks on the bricks and tiles, as if telling of their former glory and vicissitudes. The flying eaves and brackets are exquisite and majestic, and every detail shows the superb skills of ancient craftsmen.
The high-raised eaves look like a bird spreading its wings to fly, giving people a sense of agility and solemnity. These buildings exude a simple and ancient atmosphere, as if they came from the long river of history, carrying the fragrance of time, which makes people intoxicated.
Liu Pingan looked around the shore and finally found a quiet corner. It was far away from the noisy crowd, with only the rustling of willow branches and the gurgling of the lake. He called his family over and they sat down.
Little Yuelai had just learned to walk and was taking his first steps on the soft grass. His small figure was wobbly but full of energy. After a while, he saw a colorful dragonfly flying low in the sky, its transparent wings sparkling charmingly in the sun.
Little Yuelai opened his eyes wide with excitement, waved his little hands, and chased the dragonfly with his short legs, calling "yayaya" as if saying, "Little dragonfly, wait for me." But the dragonfly seemed to be teasing him deliberately, flying high and low, causing little Yuelai to run around on the grass, with laughter echoing throughout the shore.
After a while, Xiao Yuelai squatted down again, staring at the pebbles on the ground. The pebbles were of different shapes, some like round beads, and some like pointed cones. He curiously picked up one with his little hand, observed it carefully in his palm, and threw it out from time to time, watching it roll on the grass, with a satisfied smile on his face. He was full of curiosity about everything around him, as if the world was a huge treasure for him, and every place was full of surprises.
Qin Jingru and Zhang Guifang sat aside, quietly watching little Yuelai. Their eyes were full of tenderness and love, and their faces were filled with happy smiles. Qin Jingru said softly: "Mom, look how cute Yuelai is. These days are getting more and more promising." Zhang Guifang nodded and said with emotion: "Yes, a family that is safe and healthy is better than anything else." As they talked, they recalled the bits and pieces of the past. Those ordinary and warm days filled their hearts with warmth.
Not far away, several old men from Sijiucheng were sitting together playing chess. Some of them were wearing simple Zhongshan suits, some were wearing old-fashioned hats, their faces were covered with wrinkles left by the years, but their eyes revealed a kind of wisdom and open-mindedness. They argued loudly while playing chess, and the sound of chess pieces falling on the chessboard was crisp and loud. "You made the wrong move, you have to do it this way." An old man pointed at the chessboard and said loudly. Another old man retorted unconvincedly: "My move is meaningful, you don't understand." The two of them were talking back and forth, neither of them giving in, and the atmosphere was very warm. From time to time, their hearty laughter could be heard, and that laughter seemed to be contagious, making people around them feel their happiness.
Uncle Liu Jianping was also infected by the lively atmosphere. He stood up and walked over with a brisk pace. He stood aside, watching the uncles playing chess with interest, his eyes fixed on the chessboard, as if he was also in this fierce chess game. After watching for a while, he couldn't help but give the uncles some advice: "Uncle, if you make this move, you may be able to turn defeat into victory." The uncles looked up at Liu Jianping and said with a smile: "Oh, you are quite good at chess, come and analyze it for us." Liu Jianping did not refuse, and he talked endlessly. His insights were unique and profound, which made the uncles look at him with new eyes. Everyone played chess and communicated at the same time. The laughter and joy echoed throughout the Shichahai Sea, adding a different color to this beautiful time.