When shallot seeds are sowed here beyond
the Great Wall, winter wheat is planted in my native land.

塞外種葱日，故園播麦時。They both go into hibernation under a white
quilt and awake in the spring rising as green waves.

冬眠覆白衾，春醒湧碧浪。

The predicted rain didn’t come and the sky was only overcast sometimes.
Our headmaster had his deputy tell me to come to work in time because I’m always late. I decided never to stay too long at the bungalow after supper from today. I should return to the apartment as early as possible. Go to sleep after finishing my diary. This perhaps ensures my earlier rising next morning. I must try my best not to be late again. I should get ready to start out at half past six am. Not to stop on my way for picking bottles in sight.

The first day of another new semester for the staff. School begins next week. We had a heavy shower yesterday. I started out early to avoid the predicted moderate rain. I finished the drizzly journey under the protection of the raincoat. I begrudge riding my new bike in such weather. So I rode the old instead. I heard my colleagues arriving one after another and greeting each other. Mr S’s forced laughter was still loud and easily recognizable. Three new members joined us. We were set free after having lunch. I have a completely different teaching task this term.

China Daily Net April 12, eliminating poverty
is the common desire of mankind.

中国日报网4月12日电 消除贫困是人类共同的愿望。

Through the unremitting efforts of China, a
poor population of more than seven billion has successfully got rid of poverty,
making up over 70% of the total population of poverty alleviation in the world of
the same period.

中国经过不懈努力，七亿多贫困人口成功脱贫，占同期全球减贫人口总数的70%以上。

American scholars expressed that China’s achievements
in eliminating poverty afford valuable experience to the developing countries
for alleviating poverty.

美国学者表示，中国的脱贫成就为发展中国家减贫提供了宝贵经验。

The night rain still went pitter-patter in the early
morning. I thought how to go to work with knitted brows.

夜雨淅瀝曉未停，何以之任鎖眉峰。When our headmaster phoned me that we were to
be off today, the dripping of rainwater down to the front steps turned into
music to my ears.

執事傳來休假令，階前滴響作樂鳴。

A National Memorial Day is a day designated by a national government and observed among the majority of the populace to commemorate the past calamities in the country.
After the Second World War, the governments of the main warring states issued dates in succession to hold public memorial ceremonies for the victims in massacres during the war for strengthening contemporaries’ memory of the sufferings in the disastrous years.
Each year national memorial ceremonies are held for massacre victims at Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland, for Pearl Harbor attack in US, for the Great Patriotic War in Russia, and for atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, etc.
A bill was passed by a unanimous vote at the Seventh Session of the Twelfth National People’s Congress Standing Committee of the People’s Republic of China. That is to set 13 December as the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims.

Abnormal winter weather, warm and snowless. Son will come back soon spending his
vacation at home. Then I’ll have less time to take care of mother and study. Every day it’ll take me a lot of
time to wait on him. For I have to prepare meals for him
specially.Aged mother dwells at our bungalow. She sits
indoors on the special chairs pissing and defecating. She often moistens her
briefs and cotton-padded trousers close to her secret parts when urinating. The other
day I washed her trousers which gave off an aggressive smell of urine. Every evening
after she undresses retiring, I change her dirty briefs for a clean pair with a
new feminine napkin attached inside.

The emperor hopes
his officials to be grateful and manage to save the state and its subjects
after receiving the awards of baskets of silk. If they ignored the intention
and failed to fulfill their duties, His Majesty would have rewarded in vain.

聖人筐篚恩，實欲邦國活。

臣如忽至理，君豈棄此物。The benevolent
among the numerous courtiers should carry out their obligations with reverence
and awe. Moreover, it is said that all the gold vessels in the imperial palace
have been removed to the mansion of the prime minister. 多士盈朝廷，仁者宜戰栗。

况聞内金盤，盡在衞霍室。

Some properties have been put in requisition at
the west end of our town. It has got round that our neighborhood will be laid
under requisition too before long. Skeletons of greenhouses have been
mushrooming recently in the yards of many of my neighbors, who in this way
assume to be compensated more afterwards. I have been used to dwelling in the
bungalow furnished with brick beds heated by cooking stoves. I would rather continue
to live in the house than move into a flat or receive cash in exchange. The
old inhabitants of the bungalow can keep in good health for its connection with
the ground vapor. Moreover, it’s convenient for them to move in and out every day. I feel
perplexed at the thought of bidding it farewell one day. How can I bear the
great change？

I favor the attitude to take it easy. I like
the slow pace of life in the countryside. I hate to be urged to do something. I
appreciate the saying once learnt that the man dies in a hurry who lives a fast
pace of life and the one passes away leisurely who leads a slow life. Currently,
many people are complaining about an exhausting life. We feel a deep sympathy
for those who have to overwork because of the pressure to make a living. But most
of them have fallen victim to vanity and been reduced to slaves of life. Let us
put aside the chores and duty at hand and have a good rest enjoying some
leisure deserved.