As the taxi turned around a mountain col, the wind became softer and the view opened up a lot, and familiar scenery gradually appeared in front of us.
I had lingering fears along the way, but became more relaxed as I became familiar with the scenery in front of me. The black asphalt road stretches forward, and the houses near and far get closer little by little. The dark-coloured mountains in the distance are getting greener and greener, and you can vaguely see cattle and sheep walking on the hillside. The wild flowers on the roadside are also swaying, as if they are welcoming guests from afar. The faint smell of green grass fills the air, making you feel happy. People feel refreshed.
Seeing a figure moving in front of the house from a distance, my husband said excitedly: "Dad is waiting for us!" This is also a habit.
The car turned a corner and suddenly saw the signboard of "Banshi Village", which had not been seen in decades. Slate Village is named after the production of flaky slabs.
As the driver said, the newly built asphalt road is right in front of the house. My father-in-law had been waiting for us in front of the door for a long time. At this time, the third brother and his wife came out to greet us with smiles, and then my nephew Lei came out.
Entering the small courtyard, I noticed at a glance that there was an extra room on the side of the red-tiled house. It was brand new. When I asked about it, my third brother replied: "It was built by the state, and it is more than 20 square meters!" Leilei immediately answered. : "My uncle's house has also been built, exactly the same!" Father-in-law said: "It's better to have a national policy!"
Walking into the not-so-spacious room, I suddenly found a big bed lying on one side. In surprise, the quick-talking third brother and sister said: "The old man heard that you had a waist operation last year. I was afraid that you would not be used to sleeping on a big bed, so I specially borrowed it." The bed." I was a little embarrassed and said quickly: "No, it's okay, it's too troublesome." The third sister-in-law said to me, "Second sister-in-law, don't be embarrassed, wash your hands and make vermicelli with me!" "
Pressed vermicelli is really a new thing for me. I usually eat dry vermicelli sold in supermarkets. I have never seen my own pressed vermicelli. I forgot about my fatigue and hurried into the kitchen to help.
The third brother and sister had already put the cooked noodles into a small container, and when they twisted it hard, the vermicelli really came out. The hot water pot below turned the pressed vermicelli into a transparent shape. The third brother and sister told me again: "Use Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the vermicelli into a basin of cold water. The large stoves in rural areas are relatively low, which is a bit difficult for me with a sick waist, but I still insist on finishing it. On the one hand, it is novel, and on the other hand, it is natural for a daughter-in-law to come to her husband's house to cook.
After lunch, our family insisted that we rest, so we had a good sleep in the new house next door. While I was sleeping soundly, something was scratching the soles of my feet, and I realized there were two cats on the kang. Suddenly I thought of the old cat. Lei, who was playing with his cell phone next to me, said: "Grandpa's old cat is dead, and these are his children." "I touched the cat sitting next to me with some pity, thinking about the old cat's deep and charming big eyes, which were sour. After a long time, I was attracted by the sound in the yard. It turned out that my elder brother and sister-in-law were here.
After we exchanged greetings, my sister-in-law invited us to her house and treated us to some potato seeds. I asked my husband in a low voice: "What are potato seeds?" He whispered: "They are made of potatoes (called yam here) and oatmeal noodles. A kind of pasta that tastes good”. Things that I have never tasted before, especially local specialties, are the most tempting to my taste. He happily agreed.
Yam seeds are a kind of northwest pasta that is made by boiling potatoes and mixing them with oatmeal noodles into a slender oval shape. It can be frozen in the refrigerator and eaten at any time. Just put it in the pot and steam it for 10 minutes, then dip it in the marinade (according to your own taste). The third brother and sister helped cook and they made mutton, bell pepper and tomato marinade. The tempting taste is mouth-watering. Because when we came back, my sister-in-law also cooked a large pot of mutton bones. The bones were not moved much, and the large pot of potato seeds was completely eaten.
So delicious! My sister-in-law is happy to see us eating happily, and she is equally happy! Later, the mother of the fifth brother and sister heard that I was willing to eat it, so she specially sent someone to bring a convenience bag in the car, and she had a delicious meal!
Every morning, I go out for a walk to exercise as usual. I get up earlier here than at home. The elderly are up, and the juniors are too embarrassed to sleep in and are not in a hurry to cook, so they go for a walk along the newly built road with their husband.
This place is located in the north-central part of China, close to the Loess Plateau, and has experienced drought nine times out of ten years. But the air in the morning is particularly fresh. The birds are chirping, the roosters in the village are crowing, and the cattle and sheep are making joyful cries, which constitute the happy movement of the village in the morning. The smoke rising from several houses adds a bit of liveliness to the small village. During the walk, I suddenly discovered that not only the vegetation here is low, but also the flowers of the wildflowers on the roadside are very small. The roots of the wildflowers are very hard, and the leaves are very thick, and they are covered with a thick layer of down. This may be to conserve water and resist drought. This is also in line with the principle of survival of the fittest!
Walking through a large field of flax (a plant used to extract oil for food), the small blue-purple flowers are blooming in dense numbers. From a distance, it looks like a layer of light purple mist is hanging on it, giving you a dizzying feeling, as if you are walking. Enter the Holy Land of Taoyuan and forget the noise and worries of the world.
I picked a lot of wild flowers, and the faint fragrance of wild flowers enveloped my emotions and decorated my mood.
On the third day, the fourth brother, the fifth brother, and the sixth brother came back with their families for a reunion. The old man said with emotion: "My eldest grandson is the only one who didn't come back!" In order to comfort the old man, the husband quickly said: "Maybe next year Xiao is coming back to see you with his wife!" The old man's cloudy eyes suddenly became shiny, and he said "good" several times!
Because the road was repaired, the old people who went out came back. It's summer vacation again, and children from many families have returned to the village to reunite with their relatives. The place is much livelier than three years ago. You can often see fashionable children coming and going, adding vitality to the small mountain village.
Naturally, there are not many people around the old well, but I have to pass by the old well when I go in and out, so the fellow villagers greet me in dialect. This is the most embarrassing time for me. Fortunately, my husband is here, and he will help me quickly. When he got out of the siege, he greeted the villagers in a dialect he was not very proficient in. I could only wave my hand and smile, which was regarded as a polite greeting.
The thing that makes the villagers most happy is that delivery trucks come to the village once or twice every day. The delivery trucks play a two-person stage with a loudspeaker. Almost all the people in the village come out to watch the excitement and ask questions. There are those who buy the goods they need. It’s so lively!
My brothers were rushing to buy things. There are more than 20 people in our family who need a lot of food and daily necessities. The boss who delivered the Coke broke, so he parked the car in front of my house and waited for us to finish shopping. He ran straight to the old well singing happily.
The changes in the small village don't stop there. In addition to a company settling in to raise special sheep in captivity the year before last, this year another edible fungi company has settled in the village, which is very large. Cars came and went, and the originally quiet village became much livelier. Some fashionably dressed men and women appeared in the village from time to time. According to the villagers, they came to enclose land and build houses. I also discovered that many brick and tile houses had been built around the village, which was in sharp contrast to the original collapsed mud houses.
My husband took me to a ravine where he and his friends often went when he was a child. The path was rugged and rugged, and the roadside was covered with thorny plants. Whenever a naked body part was touched, red bumps would appear in patches. My husband led the way, and I followed carefully. Gradually the air began to get much cooler, and gradually I heard the sound of water flowing, and gradually I saw the cool stream flowing out from the cracks in the rocks. As we walked up the winding mountain road, he told me stories about his childhood, digging out bird's nests, digging medicinal materials, and even climbing over the mountain to go to the theater in the village behind. He pointed to a steep cliff and said, One of his classmates fell from here and was stopped by a small tree below to save his life. Later, this classmate and my husband were admitted to college together, and they were also the first two people in this village to be admitted to college.
For this reason, I proposed to visit the village primary school where he once attended. He was a little reluctant and could not bear my pestering, so he took a detour to the primary school where he once attended more than 40 years ago. Now it can only be said to be a ruins. , coming in front of it makes us feel sad. When I came two years ago, although the classroom had no doors or windows, the tables and chairs made of stone and wood were still there, and the dusty cement blackboard was still there, but now there are only broken walls, filled with high and low growths. of wormwood. Looking back at him, tears welled up in his eyes. As time goes by, there will be fewer and fewer things worth remembering. I took a photo of the classroom to keep him in my thoughts!
The setting sun has dimmed the small village, giving it a layer of orange. People's life here is still a day of working at sunrise and resting at sunset, but we are contented and feel the beauty of life in ordinary days.
Standing on the high ground at the west end of the village, listening to the high and low rhythmic cries of the shepherds driving the cattle and sheep back to the pen, and the "chirping" calls of the tired birds returning to their nests, our hearts also felt a little... Excited and reluctant, we will leave here tomorrow and continue our journey to visit relatives!
The two cats will grow up and continue to accompany the old man to guard his countryside; the old house will also be lonely because of the departure of his owner's children. However, because of the old man's presence, the children from different parts of the world will rush back here. , enjoy our family happiness in the fragrant days