warmth between strangers

Alexa 2022-10-28 16:37:50

This is an unprofessional review.

I watched this movie on the train from Zhengzhou to Xi'an. Because I bought the ticket too late and only got the station ticket, I simply sat on the ground at the connection of the train cars and watched a movie.

It's one of the very few movies I've watched with a knowing smile, and it's the best movie I've seen during this time.

I won't say much about the storyline, it's a warm story that happened among strangers.
Germain is a mediocre middle-aged man, illiterate, with a bloated physique. Disgusted by his mother since childhood, he has engaged in various humble jobs in his life. One day, while counting pigeons in the garden, he met Margueritte, a 95-year-old lady. Margueritte began to read for him, telling him some of her own understandings and deeds. Germain's life began to change little by little, and in the end he helped Margueritte as well.


Such a short, warm-toned film reminds me a lot of the past.

Most people are like this, ordinary, unremarkable, working in a small, unremarkable job. Typical little people.
Little people have little people's lives, philosophies, and unremarkable happiness.
While dealing with little people, they also have a lot less arrogance and prejudice, so that they can treat others sincerely with clear eyes.
This is probably the stranger-like warmth between little people.



After watching this movie, I just wanted to record the other strange little people that a little person like me met, the several intersections between us, and the warmth between us.
Such people may meet once or twice in a lifetime.
However, it remains indelible in the memory.


[1. Uncle Maruko]

Uncle Maruko sells octopus balls at the school gate, and often sees him pushing a car and making balls seriously.
Uncle Maruko is simple, with a smile and a dimple, full of simplicity, and at first glance, he is a good person. He always speaks softly and softly.

I often buy a ball when I go out to eat.
9 pieces for 5 yuan, at this time I will say pitifully: "Sell me 10 pieces for 5 yuan". Then stared at Uncle Maruko pitifully.
The uncle would smile and give me 10 balls. I will also happily walk away with the balls in my arms.

In this way, for a long time, and Uncle Maruko are very familiar. Sometimes when I see him setting up a stall at Northwestern University, I will ask him when he will come to the outer courtyard to sell; sometimes I would chat with him when I pass by his stall with my classmates; I will also say hello to him during the New Year... .
And every time he will give me and my classmates an extra ball. Ha ha.

At the beginning of this semester, I was buying meatballs at Uncle Maruko's stall, and the uncle asked me if I could do him a favor.
His wife also wants to set up a stall in the university town, but there are not enough funnels for making meatballs, and they can't buy things online, so he wants to ask me to help him buy two funnels for making meatballs online.

I just promised it, it's still very easy to do things like online shopping. I didn't think too much about anything, they would cheat me if I gave money. The trust is simple, and I'm glad I trust strangers that way because they give me more trust in return.

A few days later, the funnel of meatballs arrived, and I went to them with the funnel.
Uncle Maruko didn't ask me exactly how much money, just how much money should I give me. After I said it, he gave me the money without the slightest suspicion. He even had to choose a big bowl of balls for me, and said with a smile that he would buy balls for me to eat in the future.
In fact, I'm still quite shocked. I rarely trust someone who doesn't even know their name like this, but they gave me their trust so unreservedly. I never thought that I would deceive them and so on. Whenever I see me, my face is full of smiles and warm.

Later, I didn't dare to go to Uncle Wanzi's car to buy meatballs, because as soon as he and his wife saw me, they would definitely call me over to pick me meatballs to eat. People's small business, I can't hurt others to lose money, right?

Although I rarely buy meatballs now, the warm smile of this uncle always stays in my mind. When I smile, it is full of trust and honesty, which is really nice.


[Second. Miss Sister]

When I was in elementary school, I liked cats and dogs very much. The cats and dogs around my house were my friends, and I always went to tease them when I went to school and after school.

Every day when I go to school, I pass by a gallery. The owner is a young lady. I vaguely remember her perming her hair and smiling with crooked eyes.
The lady has a dog named Beibei. This babe is my sweetheart. I have to look for it even when I go to school, and I have to look for it even after school. It's not good for Beibei to kiss me when she sees me.
Through Beibei, this young lady and I became friends smoothly.

I was only 11 and 12 years old at that time, and my lady is estimated to be 24 years old.

From the unfamiliar to the familiar, I can't remember what it was like.

Only later, I often went to that gallery, hugged Beibei and chatted with the young lady.
Miss Summer often treats me to eat ice cream, and the two of us love to sit in the gallery and blow fans to chat about some mysterious events of the Discovery Channel. Miss Sister also likes to tell me a lot of funny things about Beibei and some things about Beibei's children. Miss and sister also lent me the book "discovery", there are many unsolved mysteries in it, which was a big hobby of me when I was young.
I will also talk to my little sister about some things at home, two or three things at school and so on.

In such days, the page is turned day by day, and the lady will wait for me to see Beibei every day. If I don't go one day, she will ask me why I don't come the next day. Ha ha.

Later, after graduating from elementary school, moving house, and leaving many galleries on Zitong Road, I never saw Miss and Beibei again.
In my impression, I didn't even say goodbye to the lady, so I really never saw each other again.
But her voice, face and smile have always remained in my mind, although vague, but very warm.

This kind of me, and this kind of young lady, like Germain and Margueritte, from strange to familiar, the intersection of years-old, full of warmth.



[3. The courier brother]

I started to buy books online when I was a sophomore in high school. In 2008, online book buying was not as widespread as it is now.
Having tasted the benefits of discounts on online books, I basically spent my living expenses on buying books. So I buy books at least once a week.
That's how I met the courier brother who delivered books to our school.

Now I can't remember what he looks like, only that he is not tall, but he speaks very powerfully.

At that time, the courier was still very responsible, and would not pile books in a pile at the door and let students pick them up by themselves. They are often sent upstairs.
Every time I sign, I have a few words with the courier brother, and I can't remember what we talked about. Usually after thanking him, he will leave in a hurry to deliver other packages.

Later, every time he came, I would give him a few candies. He went from being surprised at first to being completely used to it later. Come to think of it, I am really a child.

I don't know why I gave candy to this brother. Maybe at that time, I really felt that others were very tired to go upstairs.

Days are like this day after day, until the third year of high school and rarely buy books until graduation.
I just never saw this brother again.

I wonder if he occasionally thinks of me, a kid like his sister who used to give him a few candies after he climbed the stairs to deliver the book. Although we don't know each other's last names, we simply believe in others.
I hope he recalls it, it will be a very warm thing.








I trust strangers a lot, and so far I haven't suffered a loss. Maybe I suffered a loss, maybe I forgot in a blink of an eye.

Strangers, especially small people, are often overlooked by everyone, but they often have simpler smiles and kinder hearts. Like the protagonist of this movie.

Perhaps many of us have passed by and we will never see each other again, but their voices, smiles and sincere words will remain in our memory forever.



ps:
After watching this movie on the train, an uncle of a migrant worker sat next to me, and after two or three words of greetings. The two of us started chatting about his running around the country.
For me, it was a fresh encounter, the opening of a new world, and an unreserved trust.

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Extended Reading

My Afternoons with Margueritte quotes

  • Germain Chazes: It's not a typical love affair, but love and tenderness, both are there. Named after a daisy, she lived amongst words, surrounded by adjectives in green fields of verbs. Some force you yield to. But she, with soft art, passed through my hard shield and into my heart. Not always are love stories just made of love. Sometimes love is not named but it's love just the same. This is not a typical love affair I met her on a bench in my local square. She made a little stir, tiny like a bird with her gentle feathers. She was surrounded by words, some as common as myself. She gave me books, two or three Their pages have come alive for me. Don't die now, you've still got time, just wait It's not the hour, my little flower Give me some more of you. More of the life in you Wait Not always are stories just made of love Sometimes love is not named. But it's love just the same.