In the past, in Xiangxi, I saw a kind of woman who didn’t speak, but there was a mountain fire and autumn water in her eyes. She sat quietly, and seemed to be burning in the wind. When I thought of her, I happened to see Ju Fufu.
She is not a complicated character. Her moves, flames, and popcorn pots sound even a little funny. But the more these strange and absurd settings are, the more they hide a kind of seriousness and loneliness that she is unwilling to say. She walked into a battle, like a girl walking on a mountain road, her clothes fluttering, holding a torch in her hand, warming herself and illuminating others.
Her ordinary attack is like a girl chopping wood in front of an old house in Xiangxi in the early morning, one knife after another, fragmented and rhythmic. It was not a grand scene, but it was daily enough and tough enough. Every blow was like a hatchet chopping on pine wood, bursting out sparks, and also the real pain and warmth of the day. The bonus of the fire attribute seemed to be the stubbornness hidden in her heart, a flame that remained unextinguished after being hit by reality.
Let’s talk about the dodge – her action was very much like a girl who sneaked into the woods to hide a cat. She disappeared as soon as she turned around, but she might show half of her face from behind the tree at any time. She was not timid, nor was she escaping, but the kind of person who knew how to keep herself intact in the turmoil. She didn’t want to be swallowed by the wind and waves, so she learned to slide and also learned to use the knife again when she landed.
What moved me most was her “fiery rotation”. What she rotated was not a weapon, but the will of her entire life. Like a person dancing drums, the flames jumped around the body, and the heat was not an attack, but more like an emotional outburst from deep inside, an emotion that could not be controlled but was reluctant to stop. Sometimes, life is like this action, we are spinning in the flames, not knowing when to stop, and dare not stop.
Her “pot” is a battle prop, but it is also like the old pot in the country house, the only fire in the house, the warmest corner. She used it to hit people, not because she was cruel, but because she had no choice. She stewed herself and offered herself to the world, but the world wanted her to give more heat, so she had to spin again.
Her “linked skills” reminded me of my mother. Every time I saw her swinging the pot to attack, I remembered the moment when my mother brought out the food, the same action, the same full effort, the same desire to make the world a better place, even if it was just a mouthful of hot rice, a simple support.
That “finishing move” was very much like the last fireworks on the hill outside the village at night. She jumped up, fell down, slashed twice, and the flames suddenly rose. That was not a show of skill, but a woman’s farewell, a serious statement to the world. You can continue to make noise, I just need to use my way to make this silence ring.
Ju Fufu is not alone, she has a “support skill”, which is the hand she extends when others are about to fall. She will fight back with the popcorn pot, and she will also block in front, using the flames as a shield to withstand the storm for others. This kind of “passion” is not self-showing, but a kind of ancient kindness.
I think of the little girl who runs a tofu shop in Fenghuang Ancient Town, who sells tofu during the day and massages her mother’s legs at night. She treats people like this, a little warm and a little hot. When others bully her, she does not resist, but she will not give in. She quietly practices swordsmanship in the backyard. When someone comes to provoke her again one day, her pot will fly out, not for victory or defeat, but just to tell others: I also have fire.
In the game settings, it is said that Ju Fufu has a passive ability. When she is not on the battlefield, the pot will automatically attack. It’s like a person’s spirit extends out, even if it doesn’t make a sound, it is doing things silently. Her pot, like her soul, stays in the crowd, guarding a small peace.
Her imagery is not a magnificent miracle, but it adds a little heat, makes a little combo, and makes the team’s finishing move more effective. Just like a woman who can cook in life, it is not earth-shattering, but can make the whole family eat and sleep well. Do you think this is the most powerful image?
Ju Fufu is a character, but also a kind of person in our lives: a little hot, a little silly, a little stubborn, unwilling to hide in comfort, and unwilling to be completely crushed by reality. She has a little bit of the breath of “old people”, the ability to deal with the world calmly, not panic, not fierce, but can take action when it is necessary, and be gentle when it is necessary.
If you pass by her world and see her sitting alone by the hot pot to repair the pot, please say hello to her gently. She may not talk much, but she will smile, the flames will jump, and she will remember that you are a warm person.