Qiushi Garden in my eyes ——A Confession by a Pomelo Tree

Right in front of the library stands a pomelo tree. And that’s me, an unimpressive pomelo tree.

As one of the multitudinous plants in Qiushi Garden, I have lived an easy and comfortable life in Hangzhou, a pleasant city in Zhejiang province in all seasons, for many years. Now that I’m evergreen, I get to admire spring, summer, autumn and winter in Qiushi Garden, listening to the happy laughter and cheerful voices, sensing strong voices of the times from diligent and perseverant ZJUers who are always devoted to truth seeking.

Source: LI Xi

Spring brings trees of flowers and waves of warmth. The genial spring breeze sends away the last touch of dampness and coldness in winter in Hangzhou. Broken bits of sunlight fall on my nearly frozen fruit, announcing the arrival of spring in Qiushi Garden. With the advent of spring, everything rouses up from sleeping. Groves under the Yangming Bridge start to sprout up a little green, with white flowers blooming on the nearby treetop. On the lake occasionally appear a couple of long-unseen ducks, splashing their long-unflapped wings spiritedly. Young men dig thin long sleeve shirts out of their dull winter wardrobe, starting their new spring semester high-spiritedly and vigorously. Some of them talk and walk in groups of three or two, bags slung across their back. Others ride their bikes speedily from the distance.

Spring nights in Hangzhou are rainy, but most of the time, they are drizzles with tiny raindrops, refreshing the air silently. The fragrance of blossoms mingled with the smell of soil fills the wet and warm air after the rain, attracting those students who have finished evening classes to stop by. Who splashes the water in the stone at a brisk pace, taking away the tiredness of the day, feet up and feet down? Who unlocks the bike, startling birds resting, making them spring up to have a look on my shoulders? The spring breeze sweeps through my branches at night, fanning the cheek of Qizhen Lake as well. The last ray of light in East and West Buildings as well as faint ripples on the lake dissolve in the gentle night wind.

The Beginning of Summer readily comes after the Grain Rain, and the temperature in Qiushi Garden rises little by little. Senior Kitty often comes to my shade to cool off as the noon nears. The high noon sun blazes down smartly on me, casting sheets of mottled shadow together with shafts of sunlight. Inside and outside the library just behind me, the whole world is caught in drowsiness because of the hot summer air. Even the usually busy crossing turns into emptiness, leaving street lamps, rows of bikes and my friends accompanying me.

Once I also look into the library through the window and surprisingly see different figures. Some youngsters have matted hair, raising their heads from their crossed arms with bleary eyes. Some reluctantly put down their pens and close their books, ready for a nap. Some pack their bags and carry them onto their shoulders swiftly. Some step into the library full of vigour. Windows shield them from the heat and tediousness outside, turning the library into a cosy learning centre. No whispers, no distractions. All the disharmony is excluded outside the windows. What remains are the same passion and desire for knowledge exploration, revealing the atmosphere of truth-seeking practiced by our ZJUers.

Different from boys’ monotonous T-shirts and shorts, distinctive dresses the girls wear amaze all summer long in Qiushi Garden. The former humdrum crossing now resembles a palette filled with paint continuously dazzling me, breaking the monotonous greenery. Cicadas hidden in trees sing relentlessly, whose chirp lights up the whole summer; Popsicles, plum juice and iced watermelon, summer refreshments symbolize the summer. As the day gets longer, the setting sun and the evening glow can be seen even after the last class of the day. Yangming Bridge is a great sunset place, above which the sunset is merely a flush of rose on the dome of silver. The Crescent Building is also dyed by the soft orange light, which adds much tenderness to our once amusing “Mr. Crab”. (P.S.: “Mr. Crab” is the nickname of The Crescent Building)

Qiushi Garden in autumn is surprisingly vibrant. The arrival of freshmen instills fresh blood into it, and the carpet of thick fallen leaves bears more vibrancy rather than bleakness. The sweet-scented osmanthus tree and I unsurprisingly become “online celebrities”. Our photos go viral on the Duoduo Alumnus Forum and at CC98, with countless questions and compliments flooding toward us, such as “The sweet-scented osmanthus smells so great!” and “Is the pomelo in front of the library edible?” I suddenly realize that quite a few new faces appear on the usual road. The girl growing up in the south is bright and beautiful, while the boy from the northeast is tall and strong. In the past they don’t know each other at all, but now they come here to possess a new identity——ZJUer, somebody who seeks truth and pursues innovation.

The autumn in Qiushi Garden is golden and red at every casual glance, which makes the orange tree near Qizhen Lake and me much more outstanding. Autumn is the liveliest season of the whole year in Qiushi Garden. Giggles and laughters from “The Hundred-Club / Association Campaign” as well as chants and cheers from the sports meet are heard, attracting me to join in the fun. How I wish I had legs this time every time! Perhaps because they have joined new clubs and organizations, freshmen get much busier all of a sudden. There are big and small exams together with endless deadlines overwhelming these freshmen, whose happy faces decrease gradually. Life in autumn is usually filled with happiness and sadness. “No pains, no gains” is the best interpretation of school life. All of them acquire knowledge as well as experience from college life. And I could see their former childishness fade away gradually.

The fall after a little rise in temperature is an omen of winter. Just as inexperienced freshmen put on their short sleeves, the weather suddenly becomes extremely cold in the blink of an eye. It is also rainy in winter. However, different from the gentle rain in spring, rain in winter turns freezing and fickle, with bitterly cold raindrops beating on students on the bike. And that’s why cycling with one hand becomes a necessary survival skill in Qiushi Garden.

If lucky enough, winter will send a big snow to Qiushi Garden as a present. It is said that Great Lawn will change into a great snowfield dotted with purely white snow in Qiushi Garden. Accompanied with the bare branches, it naturally turns into a harmonious Chinese ink painting in the shot. Casseroles in Lakeview Restaurant become a winter favourite for youngsters. Everyday after the class finishes, a delicious casserole gets their stomach warm and comfortable, adding warm happiness to the chilly winter.

I have heard the birds living in my branches tell the stories of the youngsters studying late till midnight in the dormitory. I’ve also heard bugs describe their figures running with perseverance on the playground. The wind in all seasons brings me their joy and sorrow in Qiushi Garden, while sometimes someone will sit by me sharing me his secret. And that’s why I gradually become a pomelo tree full of stories, no longer as ordinary as I used to be.

I know clearly that the four seasons of Qiushi Garden are not just the corner in front of the library that I could see. Far from Yangming Bridge, Qizhen Lake and teaching buildings, maybe in a unnoticed corner in Qiushi Garden, or even outside it, countless ZJUers always enjoy or miss the four seasons in Qiushi Garden, practising the spirit of seeking truth contained in the four seasons. And on that level, Qiushi Garden is not only a place for ZJUers to study and live in, but also a starting point for them to set off from, a crystal stair that leads them to the whole world.

I used to be an ordinary pomelo tree. But because of growing up in Qiushi Garden, seeing countless people and things in Qiushi Garden, I also get to understand the soul of truth little by little, becoming a remarkable pomelo tree.

I am a pomelo tree in Qiushi Garden. I have seen spring, summer, autumn and winter, all four fantastic seasons in Qiushi Garden.