Family nostalgia is in my heart
Illustrated by Sun Denggao
Most of the former Gaotai Castle has been flattened and reclaimed to the ground, and the only remaining Fengliang South Lane will eventually pass away, which was the place where my fathers and ancestors multiplied and nurtured me, and here carries my haunting thoughts and memories.
One by one inscription
Although January 15, 2022 is the 39th season, the wind and sun are as warm as spring. I had long thought that the Spring Festival was coming to my hometown to burn a few pieces of paper money for my parents and relatives, so I took advantage of the good weather to ride an electric car back to my hometown to complete this wish.
An aura-filled pagoda on a high platform at the west entrance of the village
I cycled along the Old Xitong Highway for about forty minutes to the Parents' Cemetery located in the south of Izumi Village. As with every sacrifice, standing at the grave of my parents, thoughts and thanksgiving always make me think a lot. In front of the tombstone, I leaned down and lit the paper money one by one with a heavy heart, and while burning the money, I said to my parents in a godly manner: "Big, Mom, your son has sent you money." Are you living well? The money sent to you on october may not be able to spend miles. Don't be sad and reluctant, it's going to be the New Year, buy whatever you need, and don't be reluctant to suffer you like in the past! You have suffered so much in the past, and now you should think of yourself... Are grandparents, maternal grandparents all right? I burn more money for you, can I send them some?" My grandparents' graves are gone, I can't give them, please! ″
From my parents' graves, I went to my uncle's grave and burned him a few pieces of paper money to express my sorrows.
Out of the cemetery, I drove my bicycle all the way north and returned to the old village of Fengliang, the ancient castle of Yitai. In the past, due to the relocation of new rural areas and the resumption of land cultivation, only Fengliang South Lane remained
At the east entrance of the village, a few clusters of green bamboo and a sign of "Welcome to the Ancient Village" add some life to this high-rise ancient castle, and several brick-and-concrete houses are mixed with dilapidated and collapsed walls and crumbling wooden shelves, which add a little silence and desolation while showing the old. There are only more than a dozen families in good condition, five or six of which are painted, the gates are closed, and the rusty iron locks are hanging, and it seems that the owners have not lived here for a long time, or moved to a new village with better conditions, or went out to work and live in the city.
My childhood friend, Chen Zhongnong, a bamboo weaving artist
I walked from east to west to see an old man in his seventies sitting in the doorway skillfully weaving bamboo. I recognized at a glance as my childhood friend, who was a year younger, and we happily talked about our childhood village neighbors and classmates. When I mentioned my childhood friend, Zhang Youshan, who liked to sculpt calligraphy and painting, he pointed to the rockeries on both sides of the laneway, pagodas and farm tools from the past.
Zhang Youshan's door is like a wonderland dragon spring rockery
I admired the masterpieces of this self-taught peasant sculptor, most of which were waste-using, the discarded tiles of the former tile houses, the water urns of the noodle tanks filled with water in the last century, and even the broken asbestos tiles picked up from the garbage heap, which became exquisite art treasures in his hands. The collapsed remnants of the wall were cleaned up by him and decorated with discarded old tiles into elegant and simple flower walls.
Behind the asbestos tile rockery is a flower wall made of remnant walls
At this time, Zhang Youshan heard me shouting at him and the voice of praise hurriedly greeted him, leading me from the east of the village to the west of the village to introduce his masterpieces, such as Jiazhen. We talked speculatively, and he asked me, no matter how busy I was, to write something for the old Fengliang village of Gaotai Castle, and continue the sincere cooperation we had since the Cultural Revolution. (At that time, the two of us cooperated to repair the quotation monument for the village, repaired the laundry pool, and I wrote the text and he painted) I naturally responded generously. In fact, even if he didn't say it, I was going to write it, because here are my haunting memories!
Because he was anxious to go to the grave of his parents-in-law more than ten miles north of the village to send paper money to the second elder, he had to say goodbye to the two friends in a hurry.
When I came to the tomb of my parents-in-law, I cleaned up the branches and debris next to the tomb, and prayerfully lit the paper money, telling my sincere gratitude to my parents-in-law and conveying their daughter's sorrow for her parents but not being able to come because of illness.
On the way back to the county town, my thoughts could not be calmed, I was thinking and thanking my relatives, and I was fascinated by the ancient castle of Gaotai that was passing away. Because this was once the place where my fathers and ancestors multiplied and raised me, here are my childhood memories, dreams and experiences, here are my parents and ancestors, here is the Yangshao cultural site, is the birthplace of Chinese civilization! However, society is developing, the times are progressing, and the newly planned socialist new countryside will inevitably replace the former Gaotai villages, which is a historical necessity.
The childhood friends who are working hard are one by one
I could not suppress the nostalgia and gratitude for the Castle of Gaotai more and more intensely, and there was always a feeling of loss in my heart. But I also thought, I am not the only one who feels the same as me, my childhood partner, Zhang Youshan, who beautifies the countryside with sculptures, and Chen Zhongnong, who sits leisurely in front of the door and works, is not like this! But they are expressing their love in another way of guarding and beautifying. Add luster to the last remaining Gaotai Castle, so that even if it passes away, it will leave a glorious sky full of color!
Source: Author's recommendation ~ Beautiful article
Photo author: Sun Denggao
Compilation and editing: Huazhou Literature and History Collection