"Reading Time"

　　What is happiness? Some say it's the smile of a baby lying in its mother's arms, some say it's the sweetness of young lovers cuddling together, and some say it's the mutual support between elderly couples… Clearly, there's no fixed formula for happiness; everyone's interpretation is different. For me, happiness is my own reading time.

　　Confucius said, "Knowing is not as good as liking, and liking is not as good as enjoying." I'm a little hazy about when I started to love reading, but I remember starting to enjoy books from the beginning of my school years. Even as time has passed, the habit hasn't changed. For over 20 years, I've never tired of it; reading has become one of my greatest joys and an indispensable part of my leisure time. Even now, I often go to the park at dawn to read a book, feeling the moist breeze and the chirping of insects—the gifts of nature. Watching early risers exercising around me is like watching a beautiful painting. "The breeze and the bright moon are priceless," and with books by my side, I feel happiness surrounding me, within reach.

　　In my spare time, I enjoy brewing a cup of tea, putting on some music, and reading a good book or a beautiful piece of writing amidst the lively notes. It feels like a kind of enjoyment, a blessing. A fine time, fragrant tea, classical charm, poetry—all these elements resemble the "four beauties" described in Wang Bo's "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng," making this kind of reading truly "joyful reading." Bai Juyi wrote, "I rise to taste a bowl of tea, then walk and read a line of a book," "A couple of ladles of night tea, a few autumn chants," "Sometimes I drink a cup of tea, sometimes I recite a poem," perfectly capturing the joy of reading with tea and composing poetry.

　　At night, as I peruse books, my thoughts seem to travel through a time tunnel, spanning thousands of years and thousands of miles, far from the hustle and bustle of the world, forgetting the impermanence of life, and freely wandering along the tracks of time and space. That unhindered freedom of commanding the world and expressing oneself with words, that carefree ease of sitting or lying down, that unrestrained movement, allows the soul to find rest in the books. As Zhu Tianwen said, "Life is so heavy, but reading makes us light."

　　I read a wide variety of books, especially classical poetry. The concise language and profound meaning, the fragrance of ink emanating from them, are intoxicating. Reading a good book is like making a good friend; within its pages, I seem to hear their soft whispers, feel their sincere breath, and engage in a heart-to-heart exchange, still able to touch their shining wisdom and passionate souls. When encountering good books and articles, one must slowly study and savor them to truly appreciate their flavor. Every now and then, I reread old books. "Old books are never tiresome to read a hundred times; through repeated reading and deep thought, one will naturally understand." Revisiting the old helps one gain new insights; good books are like fine tea, each sip bringing a different experience. "The fragrance of books can take one far," perhaps this is why good books have endured for centuries.

　　There's an old poem that says, "You stand on the bridge admiring the scenery, while someone in a building admires you." Reading about others reading is also quite interesting: Wen Yiduo was "intoxicated" by books, Zhang Guanghou "ate" books, Cao Yu pretended to bathe while actually reading, Wu Kan mistook ink for a side dish, and so on… Because of reading, I've met many people who share a love of books: some love literature, some are skilled in calligraphy, some enjoy life, some are adept at painting… And each mentor and friend is like a good book, from whom I can draw much wisdom: noble qualities, profound thinking, an optimistic outlook on life, or a compassionate heart… Books are friends, and friends are books; books and friends complement each other.

　　Life is fleeting, like a dream, but reading allows me to grasp the hand of dreams, preventing time from being wasted in the hustle and bustle of the world and adding much brightness to life.

　　Tonight, I wish to transform into a Tang or Song dynasty poem, carrying a wisp of bookish fragrance into my dreams amidst the pale moonlight and dim lamplight.