<p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">今天，我們帶兩個孩子去了美國當?shù)氐膱D書館，順帶去買些電影光碟或書籍。圖書館外，一位女士坐在長椅上休息。她告訴我，今天是“美國解放日”——這是一個紀念被奴役者獲得自由的日子。圖書館因此關閉了。</p><p class="ql-block">我們聊了一會兒，發(fā)現(xiàn)她也是來自溫哥華。她說她決定搬到美國這邊，是因為這里的食物和住房成本要低得多。然后她跟我分享了一個讓我印象深刻的真實故事。</p><p class="ql-block">大約25年前，她朋友的母親去世了，留下了一棟大房子和幾英畝的土地，就在這一帶。她的朋友愿意以12.5萬美元的價格賣給她。當時她們都住在溫哥華。她不敢買——她從沒想過要在附近的華盛頓州擁有房產(chǎn)。那時候，這個地區(qū)還不發(fā)達，人口少，工作機會也不多。最終，這棟房子在市場上以15.7萬美元售出。</p><p class="ql-block">六年前，這棟同樣的房子再次轉(zhuǎn)手，這次的售價是——480萬美元。她和她的朋友都震驚了。</p><p class="ql-block">這是一個讓她們永遠難忘的錯失良機。人生充滿了變數(shù)，有時候，某些東西的價值，得過了很多年才看得出來。</p><p class="ql-block">她和她的朋友關系非常親密——像姐妹一樣。?我開玩笑說：“你本來可以一夜變成百萬富翁的?！?她笑了笑說：“命運沒有再給我一次機會。我想，富貴這事兒，可能本來就不屬于我?！?lt;/p><p class="ql-block">現(xiàn)在她搬到那邊住了。她喜歡那種安靜的生活。</p><p class="ql-block">?我說：“謝謝你分享這么真實又動人的故事。我可以為你拍張照嗎？”</p><p class="ql-block">她說可以，然后又補了一句：“把這個故事講給別人聽，講給你的朋友們聽。運氣不會敲第二次門。”?她給了我一個溫暖的微笑。我真的很佩服她對生活的態(tài)度。</p><p class="ql-block">我問她，她的朋友現(xiàn)在是什么感受。她輕聲說：?“很少有人能真正從那樣的打擊中完全恢復……但生活還得繼續(xù)。也許好運本來就不屬于她吧?！?lt;/p><p class="ql-block">她的話讓我想起一句中國的老話：?“命里有時終須有，命中無時莫強求。”?該是你的終究會來，不是你的，強求也得不到。?這個哲理總能安慰中國人，這是一種智慧。</p><p class="ql-block">回去的路上，我們遇到一個在路邊賣櫻桃的男人。?我們問他能不能把櫻桃?guī)Щ丶幽么蟆?他很想做成這筆生意，但他很誠實地說：“我覺得不行?！?lt;/p><p class="ql-block">我們還是買了一些，在過關前吃掉了。?那是我吃過最甜、最有味道的櫻桃——比它們的外觀好太多了。?我原本想挑深紫色的，但那人說：“這些更好?！?他是對的。</p><p class="ql-block">質(zhì)樸而誠實的小鎮(zhèn)人——?這正是我最喜歡加拿大和美國小城鎮(zhèn)小社區(qū)的地方。?它們安寧、安全，又充滿善意。</p><p class="ql-block">Today we took two kids to a local library , going to buy some videos of movie or some books , In front of library a lady sit on the bench to relax , she told me today is American liberation day . In memory of liberating slaves. </p><p class="ql-block">We chatted a while and she is also from Vancouver ,now she chose to live in this side of the border because cost of food and housing are cheaper . Then she told me this life story . </p><p class="ql-block">25 years ago , her friend’s mother died , left a big house with a few acres of land in this area to her , her friend asked her if she would buy it for 125000 US dollars , both of them are Canadian living in Vancouver , she dared not to buy because she never think about buying anything in nearby Washington state , not a big population and job was less , then the house sold for $ 157000 in the market .</p><p class="ql-block">6 years ago , it was resold for 4.8 millions ,shocked her friend and herself </p><p class="ql-block">I joked that she could have become an instant millionaire </p><p class="ql-block">She said fate didn’t give her another chance , so it was not meant for her to be rich </p><p class="ql-block">Now she moved to there to live , she loved the quiet life, I said thank you for telling this true story , can I take a picture of you </p><p class="ql-block">She said yes ,tell this story to others , to all</p><p class="ql-block">Your friends , fortune doesn’t knock twice . She gave me a beautiful smile , I love her attitude towards life . Asking what did her friend feel , she said seldom people can get over such dramatic experiences,but life goes on , maybe fortune doesn’t belong to her . I thought of a Chinese similar saying “命里有時終須有，命中無時莫強求” </p><p class="ql-block">On the way back , a man was selling cherries , we asked him if it is ok to buy and take some to Canada , he really wants to sell his fruit, but he is so honest saying “ I don’t think so “ </p><p class="ql-block">We bought some and eat them before crossing border Those cherries are the best I have ever tasted , it taste much better than they look , I almost bought the dark purple cherries , but the man said this cherry is better , very true.</p><p class="ql-block">What simple and honest people in small places , I really love most of small towns in Canada and USA , very safe places and very friendly people</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">吃飽了睡夠了，第二天帶他們?nèi)ピ缙诿绹鞅边呞锏囊泼穸ň狱c看看，十九世紀中下期，似乎這兒太荒涼，華人無法謀生，可能去金山淘金或者鐵路修路去了，這兒幾乎全是歐洲移民拓荒者。</p><p class="ql-block">首先一定有一座教堂，善男信女們在此結(jié)婚生子，還必須有一座小監(jiān)獄，懲治法不良分子，關上幾天。還必須有小商鋪交流貨物，然后就是小學校，教育后代。走進這個紀念社區(qū)，感受到濃重的宗教情懷，艱辛的最初移民階段，更感受到大自然的饋贈，海洋山川河流森林雪山田野，肥沃的廣袤的大地無邊無際，附近有著名的荷蘭小鎮(zhèn)，還有很多德國小城，可能這里的氣候山川地貌與荷蘭北歐和西歐相似，多雨溫帶海洋性氣候。</p><p class="ql-block">讓我們的孫兒們在這里玩耍，順帶眼見一些古老的木屋和簡陋的生存條件。他們的六代前祖先1860 年離開炎熱的廣東，去到加勒比的甘蔗田，可能也很適應那里的白云藍天，熱帶的氣候，同樣是艱辛的移民，但一方水土養(yǎng)一方人， 還是去身體比較適應的氣候區(qū)能夠減少懷鄉(xiāng)感。（在游泳池畔看小孫子嬉戲邊記下昨日日記）</p><p class="ql-block">昨天在荷蘭小鎮(zhèn)轉(zhuǎn)轉(zhuǎn)，又到當?shù)刈畲蟮膬和螛穲鐾媪藥仔r。</p><p class="ql-block">他們只是嬰孩時就辦好了快速美國通道，這次我看到后哈哈大笑，要是沒有這兩張證件，好像要拐帶兒童過境。</p> <p class="ql-block">After eating well and getting enough sleep, the next day we took them to visit an early immigrant settlement in the northwestern frontier of the United States. </p><p class="ql-block">In the mid-to-late 19th century, this place seemed too desolate for Chinese immigrants to make a living—they probably went to "Gold Mountain" (California) to mine for gold or to build railroads. Here, it was almost entirely European immigrant pioneers.</p><p class="ql-block">First, there would definitely be a church, where devout men and women would marry and have children. There also had to be a small jail to punish wrongdoers and detain them for a few days. Small shops were necessary for trading goods, followed by a little school to educate the next generation. </p><p class="ql-block">Walking into this commemorative community, one can feel a strong religious atmosphere, the hardships of the early immigration period, and also the gifts of nature—ocean, mountains, rivers, forests, snow-capped peaks, and vast fertile lands that stretch on endlessly. Nearby, there’s a well-known Dutch town and many small German towns. Perhaps the climate, terrain, and geography here resemble those of the Netherlands, Northern Europe, and Western Europe—rainy with a temperate maritime climate.</p><p class="ql-block">We let our grandchildren play here, giving them a chance to see some old wooden houses and the rough living conditions of the past. Their ancestors six generations back left hot and humid Guangdong in 1860 and went to the sugarcane fields of the Caribbean. Maybe they also adapted well to the blue skies and white clouds and the tropical climate there.It was likewise a hard immigrant journey, but each environment nurtures its own people. Moving to a climate that's easier on the body can help reduce homesickness.</p><p class="ql-block">Sitting by the pool, watching my grandson play, I jotted down yesterday’s diary.</p><p class="ql-block">Yesterday we strolled around the Dutch town and then spent a few hours at the biggest local children's amusement park.</p><p class="ql-block">?They had already obtained fast-track access to the U.S. when they were still infants. When I saw those documents again, I laughed—without those two pieces of paper, it would almost seem like we were trying to smuggle children across the border!</p>