花园，不是什么真的花园。

2023年8月31日晚上，我来到这个花园小区。从西门口进入，右手边是一个小型的健身广场，里面布置了一些简易的运动器材，供人们闲坐的长凳，还有一座高达3米的恐龙滑梯。

这个一个建成有25年的老旧住宅小区，夜晚灯光昏暗。尽管如此，两个小学生在恐龙滑梯上享受着最后一点暑期时光。他们的妈妈坐在旁边的长凳上，一边驱赶蚊虫一边聊天。我问长凳上的两位妈妈，你们愿意把房子拆掉重建吗？她们同时说：愿意，不愿意。

两位彼此对望，质问：“啊，为什么啊？”“又不用我们花钱，你为啥子不愿意？”“不花钱谁给我们重建？”“只是听说不用自己出钱呢。”

我沿着小路继续漫步，观察小区的布局。这真是一个充满烟火气息的小世界，商店，麻将馆，茶馆，理发店，饭馆，快递驿站，游戏厅，房屋中介处，洗车店，废品收购站，足疗店，养生馆，菜市场……即使不外出，在这个小区内部度过一生也不会乏味，我想。除此之外，与3000多户业主一同在此生活的，还有随处可见的猫咪，狗狗，它们在垃圾堆中自由寻找食物。

我提醒自己，下次再来时要带上猫条，跟这里可爱的动物们交交朋友。

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Garden? Not a real garden.

On the evening of August 31, 2023, I came to this garden community. Enter from the west gate, on the right side is a small fitness square, which is equipped with some simple sports equipment, benches for people to sit on, and a dinosaur slide up to 3 meters high.

The building, a 25-year-old residential complex, was dimly lit at night. Still, two elementary school students are enjoying their last bit of summer time on the dinosaur slide. Their mother sat on a nearby bench, chatting away the mosquitoes. I asked the two moms on the bench, would you tear the house down and rebuild it? They said at the same time: yes, no.

The two looked at each other and asked, “Oh, why?” “It doesn’t cost us anything, so why don’t you?” “Who will rebuild us without spending money?” “I just heard you don’t have to pay for it yourself.”

I continued to wander along the path, observing the layout of the community. This is really a small world full of fireworks, shops, mahjong parlors, teahouses, barber shops, restaurants, Courier stations, video game halls, real estate agencies, car washes, scrap stations, foot massage parlors, health clubs, food markets… Even if you don’t go out, a life in this community will not be boring, I think. In addition, with more than 3,000 owners living here, there are also cats and dogs everywhere, they are free to search for food in the garbage.

I remind myself to bring a cat strip next time I come and make friends with the lovely animals.

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