Watching Love in the Snow
“Gently pushing open the cold window, I watched the continuous falling snow. It swept away the gray and cold mood I had since winter began.”
The Most Beautiful Encounter in the Snow
In the snow-covered land adorned with silver flakes, during a leisurely walk to admire the snow, if one encounters a blooming red plum, it is the most beautiful encounter in the snow.
At the age of 20, I had such an encounter once. It was a missed spiritual connection.
A-Xue was my colleague Xiao Qing’s sister. I learned about her from my colleague. I had just started working in a very remote mountain village. My colleagues told me that Xiao Qing had a very beautiful sister. I didn’t pay much attention, but a year later, at Xiao Qing’s home, I saw his sister.
She had a natural beauty, with a moderately slim figure and delicate, fair skin with a hint of peach pink. Anyone who saw her would agree that she was undoubtedly a beauty. Of course, her beauty also came with an inner grace that naturally evoked affection in people.
I had never spoken to her. Although I had worked in that village for three years, apart from going to the countryside for work, I mostly stayed in my room reading, almost every day. Every morning, I woke up early to sit by the window and study English. At that time, I wanted to take another exam to try and change my destiny, so I worked very hard.
Outside the window was a road, and across the road was a locally-run enterprise producing black tea. Every tea season, many girls were hired to work in the factory. Therefore, the tea season was the busiest time outside my window. Over time, many girls came to know that there was a diligent young man across the road, and naturally, they were referring to me. Although I was separated from them by only a road, I felt miles apart from them in my heart. Thus, I remained calm and did not stir up much commotion among them.
The cold winter was the hardest time to endure. The biting wind made one long for the warmth of home and made an outsider feel exceptionally lonely.
The Days of Falling Snow
When winter came, I loved the falling snow, which temporarily soothed my empty and unanchored soul. The drifting snowflakes were the kind of winter everyone in Jiangnan longed for.
The tea factory across the road was very quiet, with only a few people left to watch over it. A-Xue was among those few people. She occasionally visited her brother, so I knew she worked at that factory too.
Every morning, I continued to get up early to study English, no matter how cold it was. I wondered if the sound of my early morning studies stirred any ripples in the girls’ hearts.
Deep winter arrived, and with it came the first snowfall of that year in the Jiangnan village. The snow started falling at midnight, accumulating two to three inches thick. That morning, I woke up to see the snow-covered mountains and fields, and I was indeed very excited.
Gently pushing open the cold window, I watched the continuous falling snow. It swept away the gray and cold mood I had since winter began.
There was no smoke, no footprints, just exquisite, transparent branches, a tree of emeralds swaying in the wind, the white backdrop complementing the purity, and the dreamy freshness drifted in with the snowflakes. Standing by the window, I could hear the sound of snowflakes falling. The snow quietly dispersed my worries and fatigue, and the agitation and loneliness in my mind drifted far away. My heart softened with the drifting snowflakes, and I forgot about studying.
I wondered if the sound of my window opening had disturbed someone else because there was some movement in the courtyard of the tea factory opposite. I was quite annoyed that the silence of the snow had been disturbed, and the purity in my heart seemed to have been tainted.
The Girl in Red in the Snowy Mountains
The sound of a door creaking open followed, and a girl in red stood in the snow. My eyes lit up, and my heart moved. In the pure snowy mountains, a passionate and innocent girl stood there, what kind of scenery would that be? Sacred! That was undeniable, but it seemed that sacredness alone could not fully express it.
Holding my breath, I admired this rare encounter of my life, unwilling to disturb this unusual scene, not wanting this beauty to quickly vanish from my sight and heart. I, as pure as the white snow, admired from afar, not daring to desecrate it.
Sometimes, a feeling can warm the stillness of the heart at an unexpected moment, making one feel a gentle tenderness. At that time, I felt this way; it was the most beautiful sight I had ever encountered.
A-Xue, in her red clothes, stood in the snow, looking up at the sky, welcoming the snowflakes, extending her hands to catch the snow. This beauty was more splendid than camellias, fresher than lotuses, more elegant than peonies, a red rose blooming in the snow, unforgettable for a lifetime.
I didn’t know if A-Xue, across from me, was glancing at me with her peripheral vision. I felt the cold air outside the window. It was time to study.
After sitting for a long time, I decided to go out for some activity. I put down my “New Concept English” book and opened the door. The snow outside was still falling. I was in the best mood since winter began. Covered in snowflakes, I prepared to walk along the road to enjoy the snow.
As I stepped onto the road, A-Xue was also turning onto the road, and we met face to face. Whether it was the reflection of her red clothes or the feeling in my heart, A-Xue’s face was tinged with a blush, making her look exceptionally beautiful. She looked up and, with all the courage needed for those three words, she said to me in English, “I love you!”
I couldn’t describe my feelings at that moment. Was she talking to me? I couldn’t believe it. No, it couldn’t be. But there was no one else in the snowy field.
Faced with such sincere and bold emotions, I was at a loss. I had never dealt with such situations before, and any response seemed inappropriate. I could only continue walking, leaving a trail of deep footprints in the pristine snow.
Perhaps she had been waiting in the snowy field outside the window for an hour and a half. She chose this season, this moment, and this way to express her feelings, certainly after much thought.
I didn’t know how long she had admired me. I indeed thought she was a beautiful, good girl, but perhaps the time wasn’t right, and my heart wasn’t in it. I could only remember this scene forever. This scene warmed me and accompanied me through that lonely period.
Not long after, I left that mountain village.
The Most Beautiful Memory
Later, I returned to that mountain village to visit old colleagues. I also wanted to see A-Xue, but in the end, I didn’t go, leaving the girl who loved me with the most beautiful image in my heart!
Was A-Xue, who watched over love in the snow, still waiting?
Many years have passed, and I still think of that lonely mountain village, on that snowy day, a girl in passionate red, who, when she passed by me, softly said, “I love you!”
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
