Chapter Nine – Boat Memories
I don’t remember when I started to like going on boats. Boating in the lakes of Zizhuyuan and Yuyuantan must have been in high school. I went rowing in Zizhuyuan with two close classmates and talked about interesting things about my youth. The sky is clear and the gentle spring breeze on the lake feels very pleasant. There is not much academic pressure, and I am hazy and longing for the future. The college entrance examination had just resumed at that time. We don’t have much idea about college life yet. Influenced by Song of Youth, my ideal university is Peking University. I yearn for the kind of ignorant love in the student movement, like-minded classmates who shout for the country’s freedom and democracy, and there is no lack of romantic love. Peking University is undoubtedly the birthplace of the Chinese student movement and the most dynamic and leading university.
I have been on a yacht in Hainan and looked at the blue water, soft sandy beaches, colorful shells and graceful coconut trees. Unknowingly, I wanted to sing the famous Taiwanese song “Seawater, Beach, and an Old Captain”. The cruise from Haikou to Guangzhou was not that comfortable. The weather was bad and the waves were very big. Leaning against the side of the boat and looking at the rough waves, I felt somewhat worried. When I got back to the cabin, my stomach was a little queasy. I drifted off to sleep. The sea became much calmer overnight. After entering the Pearl River Estuary, the speed of the boat slowed down. After landing, we hurried to the train station to board the train from Guangzhou to Beijing.
(to be continued)
