Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 522

The Old City of Shanghai
Ying Wa College, Siu, Cheuk Hang - 13
“Click…click…”
“Flash…flash…”
“S
ee how popular your grandchildren are! Everybody is capturing their every move. The park is seeking names from the
public. Do you have any ideas in naming them, Mr Gran Gran?” said Reporter Niao.
“Let’s call them Shang Shang and Hai Hai! They are the old city of Shanghai’s first-ever panda twins! I’m so proud of my
grandson and granddaughter!” exclaimed Gran Gran.
“What good names!” said Reporter Niao. “You are the key giant panda of the Shanghai Wild Animal Park and have experienced
all the changes here. Can you share with us?”
“Sure! The birth of my grandchildren has really brought back a lot of memories. Visitors have always taken lots of photos of us.
In the past, visitors used cameras of enormous size. They used tripods and a big flash too. You know, I was a good model. I usually
set myself at a nice posture. Later, they used digital cameras. They clicked the shutter continuously without careful consideration
and deleted the photos they didn’t want. I even was not quick enough to smile! Now, there is an interesting scene. People look at
us through their mobile phones! They take photos and send to their friends immediately without actually looking directly at us,”
said Gran Gran.
“What an interesting phenomenon!” exclaimed Reporter Niao. “Have you come across any special visitors?”
“Yes!” replied Gran Gran. “There is a man who comes to visit me every year before the Winter Solstice. Every time he comes, he
brings me a spike of rice harvested from his rice field. He throws towards me and asks me to keep warm.
“What a good old farmer! He doesn’t know you don’t eat rice or feel cold!” wondered Reporter Niao.
“Haha! He thinks that is a good treat to me. You know the spike of rice is so precious to him. Cuckoo Bird told me all about
him. This hardworking farmer used to wake up before dawn to set up a fire with branches. His wife cooked rice, providing their
young children’s meals for the day. The couple then went working in their field for the whole day. In summer, the fierce sun
burned their backs while the cutting winds froze their ears. They kept working because the field was the heart of their life. Once
they received a flood alarm and were told to evacuate. The farmer quickly grabbed some spikes of rice, though they were not
ripe yet, and he and his wife ran for their life. The rice was their treasure. After the water subsided, they came back with tears