Sansevieria trifasciata Prain
家里的虎皮兰枯萎了。刚开始只是叶片有些松散，我和朋友就没有太在意，直到有一天，一片摇摇欲坠的大叶子终于支撑不住，啪嗒一下就倒下了。这一倒就像开启了多米诺骨牌，在接下的几天，其他的叶子也接二连三地倒下，整株植物呈现出奄奄一息的状态。不像之前朝气蓬勃的样子。叶子们瘫倒在走道上，就好像在说：“不好意思，我先走一步了。”这株虎皮兰养了了快两年，跟着我们经历了搬家和封城，一起度过了很多快乐或者难过的时期，在我们心中已经是不可替代的存在了，朋友和我前段时间还在讨论，在离开上海前一定要给它找好一个新主人，但是没想到它跟我们的告别来得这么猝不及防。
其实，虎皮兰大多数是我朋友在照顾，她在英国的时候养过很多植物，而且照顾得都很好。而我，作为一个拥有景观建筑学位，植物学拿first class的人，其实养植物的手法很烂。目前已知最擅长养的植物是仙人掌，我曾经把一株仙人掌养出了名画《呐喊》中呐喊的形态，也有可能是它心里苦吧，它的属性赋予它坚强的底蕴，所以不得不奉陪我到最后。我在英国养死过两盆花后，就开始专心制作干花。久而久之，我的公寓里摆满了干花，从阳台，橱柜，到书桌，笔记本，甚至卫生间的置物台，都放着不同的干花。最后等到期末的时候，我的干花就会被朋友们薅走做模型。这次虎皮兰也是因为被我两杯水灌下导致过早离去，它本来是IKEA绿植区里最漂亮的虎皮兰，形态优美，叶片饱满，我们带着它上地铁回家时，连坐在旁边的时髦上海阿姨都忍不住向我们夸赞：“这花真好看。”
而现在，虎皮兰靠在墙边，就像弱柳扶风的美人一样，虚弱地看着我这个罪魁祸首坐在它旁边精神抖擞地为它撰写传记，内心大概是五味杂陈。
The snake plant at home withered. At first, it was just that the leaves were a bit loose, and my friend and I didn’t pay much attention. Until one day, a swaying large leaf finally couldn’t support it, and with a snap, it fell. This fall was like triggering a domino effect. In the following days, other leaves fell one after another, and the whole plant showed a feeble state. It was not like its vigorous appearance before. The fallen leaves lay in the corridor, as if saying, “Sorry, I’ll take a step first.” We had been nurturing this snake plant for almost two years, experiencing moves and lockdowns together, going through many happy or sad moments. In our hearts, it had become an irreplaceable presence. My friend and I were discussing not long ago that before leaving Shanghai, we must find a good new owner for it. But unexpectedly, its farewell came so unexpectedly.
Actually, most of the time, my friend took care of the snake plant. She had raised many plants when she was in the UK, and she took good care of them. As for me, with a degree in landscape architecture and a first-class honour in botany, I’m not good at caring for plants. The only plant I’m known to be good at is the cactus. Once, I managed to shape a cactus into the screaming figure in Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream.” Perhaps it’s suffering, and its attributes give it a strong foundation, so it had to accompany me to the end. After killing two flowers in the UK, I started to focus on making dried flowers. Over time, my apartment was filled with dried flowers, from the balcony, cabinets, to the desk, notebooks, and even the bathroom shelf, all adorned with different dried flowers. Finally, at the end of the semester, my friends would take away my dried flowers to make models. This time, the snake plant also left prematurely because of the two glasses of water I poured into it. Originally, it was the most beautiful snake plant in the IKEA plant area, with a beautiful shape and plump leaves. When we took it home on the subway, even the trendy Shanghai lady sitting next to us couldn’t help but praise, “This flower is really beautiful.”
And now, the snake plant leans against the wall, like a weak willow supporting a beautiful woman, weakly watching me, the culprit, sitting next to it, energetically writing its biography. Its inner feelings are probably complex.
How the story starts…
2020
Meet in IKEA
2020年刚从英国毕业，在上海和朋友租了一个两室一厅的房子。我们在一个周末去IKEA购买一些家具和生活用品，路过绿植区的时候，朋友相中了这株虎皮兰，所以就把它一路抱回家了，气势上颇有《这个杀手不太冷》的末路逃亡感。在回家中途还跟另外一个朋友约了在泰餐厅吃饭，当时把虎皮兰寄放在前台，完美融入到餐厅环境中。
In 2020, having just graduated from the UK, I rented a two-bedroom apartment in Shanghai with a friend. One weekend, we went to IKEA to buy some furniture and household items. Passing by the plant area, my friend was attracted to this snake plant, so we brought it all the way home. It had a sense of the last escape, quite reminiscent of the final escape in “Léon: The Professional.” On the way back, we even made plans with another friend to have dinner at a Thai restaurant. At that time, we left the snake plant at the front desk, seamlessly blending into the restaurant environment.
Weekend Afternoon
我们把虎皮兰放在穿衣镜旁边，背靠着一大面白墙，房东帮忙安置了投影仪，所以这面白墙在周末的时候就变成了家庭银幕，我们还趁着“双十一”买了两个沙发椅布置在银幕前，就像《老友记》里Joey和Chandlerder的家一样。当时我们都很喜欢看美剧《This is Us》，每个周末都会投屏整整一天，一直看到“全美最佳好男人”Jack Pearson去世，我和朋友就先把这部剧封存在片单里了。
We placed the snake plant next to the dressing mirror, against a large white wall. The landlord helped set up a projector, turning the white wall into a home screen on weekends. Taking advantage of the “Double Eleven” shopping festival, we bought two sofa chairs to arrange in front of the screen, similar to the home of Joey and Chandler from “Friends.” At that time, we were both big fans of the TV show “This Is Us.” Every weekend, we would project it for the whole day, continuing until the “Best Dad in America” Jack Pearson passed away. My friend and I decided to put the show on hold for a while after that.
2020
2021
House Moving
2021年秋天我们搬家了，为了找到一个合适的房子我和朋友每天下班后一起奔波在上海的街头，和不同的中介看各种房子，从8月看到9月，终于在长宁区找到了现在的家。也许是因为之前在英国我们都是自己搬家，所以这次我们也决定自己搬就好了。我们把所有的行李装进小货车，抱着虎皮兰连夜从静安搬到长宁，卸货后满满的行李堆砌了半条小道，一直忙到凌晨两三点，一趟下来我的运动鞋也报废了。
In the fall of 2021, we moved to a new place. To find a suitable house, my friend and I roamed the streets of Shanghai every day after work, exploring various houses with different real estate agents. From August to September, we finally found our current home in the Changning District. Perhaps because we had both moved by ourselves in the UK before, we decided to do the same this time. We loaded all our belongings into a small truck and, holding the snake plant, moved from Jing’an to Changning overnight. After unloading, the packed luggage filled half of the small road. We worked tirelessly until two or three in the morning, and my sneakers were worn out by the end of the trip.
Lockdown Life
封城来得猝不及防，我和朋友整整三个月都呆在这个60平方米的小家里，从房间走到阳台，从厨房走到大门口，跟自由的距离只隔着两扇门，但是难以触及。
The lockdown came unexpectedly, and my friend and I stayed in this 60-square-meter apartment for a full three months. From the bedroom to the balcony, from the kitchen to the front door, the distance to freedom was just two doors away but seemed unreachable.
2022
2022
Chatting
解封后我们想起虎皮兰很久没有浇水了，所以我就喂给它满满两杯水，对于干旱了三个月的它来说，可能水源来得猝不及防，无法一时间全部承受下来，所以不幸走上了英年早逝的道路。图中还原了案发现场，展示了我当时错误的浇水方式，正确的应该是把水浇在土壤里，而不是叶簇内，容易造成植物腐烂死亡
After the lockdown was lifted, we realised that the snake plant hadn’t been watered for a long time. So, I gave it a full two cups of water. For it, which had been dry for three months, the sudden water supply might have been overwhelming, unable to handle it all at once. Unfortunately, it took the path of an untimely demise. The image reconstructs the crime scene, showcasing my erroneous watering method at the time. The correct way would have been to water the soil, not the leaf clusters, as the latter can lead to plant rot and death.
2022年7月的周末，我和朋友去安福路吃完饭，看到路边的花车的最高处摆了几束荷花，有一丝“小荷才露尖尖角”的意味，立秋已经过去很久了，这几束荷花的出现就像是夏天留下的信号，提醒人们它还没有走远。虽然内心不希望夏天再折返，但是还是希望它离开的脚步慢点吧。
On a weekend in July 2022, after dining with my friend on Anfu Road, we noticed several bunches of lotus flowers arranged at the top of a flower cart by the roadside. There was a hint of “little lotus just reveals its pointed tips,” even though the start of autumn had long passed. The appearance of these lotus flowers seemed like a signal left by summer, reminding people that it hadn’t departed completely. Although I didn’t want this summer to come back in my heart, I still wished its departure could be a bit slower.
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