To keep warm is the most important matter in such ice-cold December weather.
Mother’s hands have chapped with several cracks in her fingers after working day by day outside recently. I smeared some chap cream on the cracks and told her not to get her hands wet. But she disregards my advice and still washes her hands and clothes behind me.
Windless day. It was good for cycling but hard for the air-borne garbage to disperse. All the villages in the distance were shrouded in smog. As I drew closer to them, the grey curtain was gone. Far in the west, a large mass of smoke ascending from an unseen chimney was held up high and refused to leave like a huge hopper.

Recently, a video has got around wildly on the
Net and aroused a heated argument among the netizens, which concerns an inscription
of Blooming Business borne on the horizontal scroll, a part of the couplet
pasted up on the front gate of the hospital in Fanji Township, Xiangcheng Municipality.

近日，一则关于项城市范集镇卫生院张贴“生意兴隆”对联的视频在网络疯传，引发网友热议。

All the year round
I’m concerned about the life of the
civilians. Thinking of their misery, I can’t help sighing and being anxious for them.

窮年憂黎元，嘆息膓内熱。

Regardless of the
mockery of my fellows, I’ll make further
efforts singing heartily.

取笑同學翁，浩歌彌激烈。I could not have avoided the temptation
to withdraw from society and live freely in solitude.非無江海志，瀟洒送日月。 Lucky to be under the reign of such a
sagacious emperor like Yao
and Shun, how can I have the heart to leave His Majesty forever without contributing
my share?生逢尭舜君，不忍便永訣。In the court today there is an abundance
of talent, and how can I be needed in the construction of the state？

當今廊廟具，構厦豈云缺。

Just
like the sunflowers facing the sun, how can I change my loyalty to the monarchy?

葵藿倾太陽，物性固莫奪。

This afternoon saw the old Japanese film A
Distant Cry from Spring by chance on the movie channel. The name is familiar to
me because it was one of the many films I had listened in to on the radio in
the 1980s in my teens. But its content had left on me a vague impression. The hero
dubbed into Chinese by Mr B is still melodious as before. And this was the
first time I’ve seen the film. The story is mediocre but the players’ acting is first-rate which moved me
to tears. It is really a good film and I can’t pinpoint any of our films
matching up to it.

It’s more important to learn to behave than to
study. But the world thinks contrarily. So it’s enough for a child to be
excellent in his or her study. That’s why nowadays most youngsters know nothing
except for attaining high marks. They are praised and rewarded for their achievements
in study. They fail to realize the responsibilities they should take in other
aspects. They lack decent behavior both at home and outside. They feel no
gratitude to their parents and people who have helped them. They take it for
granted that their parents serve them as slaves attending their masters. They’re very selfish regardless
of others’ feelings.

Shangde school has its own unique feature,
which indicates the capability and resolution of its principal. He can make daring decisions on running the school within the scope of authority. He hopes every student can
command a special skill and have some virtue-oriented quality that he or she is
proud of before graduation. He sets a good example for other schools not to
give in to the exam-oriented education.

Now it is really necessary to establish a
course in calligraphy at primary and secondary schools. But it will be a hard
work to finish for not all students are obedient to their teachers. Not only
students but also teachers lack the enthusiasm and patience to practice
calligraphy. So the first job is to arouse the enthusiasm of the absent-minded students.

It’s somewhat abnormal to be rainy after the arrival of winter. The dirt path west of our bungalow was quite muddy. The warm weather was just like spring. The global warming can be observed here by now.
We should owe recent hygienic conditions in the neighborhood of our school to the sanitation workers newly employed by the village committee. We can hardly see any rubbish at any dumping spot for it has been cleared frequently by the devoted workers.
Thanks to so much propaganda against burning of corn stems in the fields and the patrolling car that no one has dared to set fire to his stalks just cut down as before.

On my arrival at school Mr W assigned me to
remove the heaps of weeds in front of the south house on behalf of our
principal. He said I needn’t conduct any class today. The first important was
to clear the heaps as quickly as possible. There will be some kind of
inspection from above tomorrow.

The green-leaved corn stems that stand in
the fields have almost been frozen to death.

Felt a little warmer today with the newly-worn
long-sleeved upper underwear and the western-styled outer garment which is
usually put on in spring and autumn. But this one is particular, and it’s the
upper part of my wedding suit twenty-odd years ago. It’s open near the breast and
can’t be buttoned for keeping out the cold headwind.

Dense half⁃dry wild plants can be seen in the
fields bordering our residential quarters, which are good fuels. The stored corn
stems in our shed are running out.

郊野多柴薪，敝棚存且盡。

I give up my reading, take up the blunt sickle
heading out and soon come back in a sweat.

棄書操鈍鐮，歸來汗淋淋。

I lent her almost all my liquid deposit with most of mother’s. For conscience’ sake, how could I be deaf to her entreaty and let her go empty-handed? Mother had always tried by all means to stop my lending any money. When she knew I had acted against her will, she got very angry. Then I explained patiently to her why I had done so. We owed her both cash and favors. So she was a debt-collector rather than a money borrower. I had declared to her she needn’t return the money any more. Now I’m quits with her, ie we don’t owe each other any money.