The kindness and simplicity of the rural elderly make you not imagine, often a small thing is like the warm sun in winter forever warming your heart. Recently, the photographer's group walked into the hinterland of Zhongtiao Mountain in Shanxi Province, and encountered such a thing, everyone took a photo of a 95-year-old grandmother in a mountain village, the old man took out 2 eggs and 1 bag of walnuts in return, 1 week later we went to send the photo, the old man took out another 20 yuan! The result also made her angry, what's going on?
The small mountain village deep in the mountains is almost all mountain villa sleepers, this 10-odd family is still a big village, 91-year-old grandma Zhu lives alone in her old house, the grandmother is healthy, unwilling to live with the children, after the death of her wife has always insisted on living alone, at 9 o'clock in the morning she had breakfast, was cleaning up at home, our group of uninvited guests walked into her home.
"Children, have you eaten it?" Shall I cook you something to eat? Don't dare to go hungry, come to the door are guests, go into the house to sit and warm up at home. "Don't be busy, old man, we have eaten, and there is nothing to do when we come to your house, we are here to photograph and record rural life." This was the first time we met Grandma last Saturday, and the exchange was very smooth, which led to the photo story of us and Grandma Zhu.
The grandmother told us that her ancestral home is from Cao County, Heze Prefecture, Shandong, and when she was 24 years old, she came to Shanxi with her family to settle down, according to her surname Shi, but I don't know how the surname on the hukou became Zhu. "My health is good, I am in my early 90s and 91 years old this year, my son and grandchildren are working outside, I live here alone and don't need anyone to take care of me, now the society is good and the life is good, and I can't cause trouble to my children if I can move."
Teacher Huang likes to study the way of longevity of rural elderly, and Grandma Zhu said to him: "People must first maintain a good mood if they want to live long, and happy every day is a good recipe for longevity; Secondly, you must open your mouth and open your legs, that is, you have to open your mouth to talk and laugh, do some work with your hands and feet every day, and move your body; Another one does not dare to eat and drink excessively, let alone picky eaters, only eat fine grains and large meat. The grandmother said that her younger siblings are the same as her, have such good living habits, and are now in their 80s.
Teacher Huang was very satisfied with his grandmother's answer, saying that he wanted to take a picture of his grandmother, and his grandmother was also very happy, standing there cooperating with Mr. Huang's command, and the group immediately sounded the shutter.
The small mountain village deep in the mountains is more than an hour's drive from the county seat, and her grandmother said she had not been out of the mountains for more than a decade, and her photo was taken decades ago when she applied for an identity card. In the past, when his wife was there, he also took her back to his hometown in Shandong, but in the past 10 years there have been no conditions, and her younger brothers and sisters have also settled in Shanxi, and the older generation in her hometown is gone, and there is no longer any concern.
"My life now feels very good, although the children are not at home from work, but the food and drink are ready for me, my daughter comes home from time to time to see me, people are old and meet a good era is a great creation, will never be hungry again, food and drink are very satisfied, happy every day, you can also do some things you like, go up and down the mountain to do some odd jobs, never feel lonely, this day is beautiful, you have to be content."
Local mountain people have a habit of processing persimmons in the fall, they process persimmons are very characteristic, not persimmon cakes that everyone often sees, but this delicacy called "persimmon pimples", grandma introduced: "Persimmon pimples are very simple to make, is to pick home persimmons to cut a few holes, and then tie ropes in strings to hang under the eaves to dry, more than 1 month later take it off and put it in the house, and wait until after New Year's Day to eat, the flesh is sweet and soft and the peel is strong, is a traditional mountain delicacy of the Spring Festival, If the amount is large, you can also get the county to sell a good price, when I was young, I relied on this to earn some New Year pocket money, and now I only process a little every year, leave it for the children to eat, and you can eat it in a few days. ”
Grandma's life is still very traditional, farming chickens are essential, a group of local chickens lay eggs is still okay, grandma can't eat alone, all left to the children back home, occasionally tourists from outside the mountains come to buy, she is also happy to sell a few. "There are chickens and dogs is the life of rural people, puppies are tied to the yard, native chickens let them move freely, there are many wild beasts in the mountains, last year there were mountain eagles that took away 2 small native chickens, now the state wants to protect animals, villagers dare not beat them indiscriminately, so they have to watch mountain eagles to infringe, since the state has regulations, we should all abide by them."
"Often eating eggs is good for the body, TV is like this, I have been eating every day for decades, although the stomach is not very good, but every day insist on brewing an egg soup in the morning to drink, you see my body will be good, a day is very spirited, see you hard to take pictures of me, but also give you 2 eggs, boiling water into egg soup can be drunk immediately." After Grandma Zhu finished speaking, she wanted to boil water for everyone to make egg soup to drink, and she stopped under everyone's repeated explanations.
Mr. Huang's ancestor is also from Heze, Shandong, speaking of it and Grandma Zhu is a fellow countryman, talking about the hometown topic is more, and the distance between each other has been closer, he said that he will come to see the grandmother in a few days, send the washed photos over, grandma said: "This is getting closer and closer, this has become a relative, and let you take pictures of me, waste a lot of film and electricity, come on, bring you some pecans, this is a good thing in the mountains, eat to replenish the brain, it was I fought in the mountains in the autumn, don't be polite." ”
A group of people often go to the countryside to shoot folklore, more than 10 habits is to send photos to the old people photographed, never charged any money, let alone ask for the old people's things, you push me to let are embarrassed to collect grandma's walnuts, don't want grandma a little angry, she said: "You don't want to taste a few, right?" Do you look down on my wife? Seeing this, everyone had to taste a few walnuts, wild walnuts biting in their mouths full of fragrance, couldn't help but praise, Grandma Zhu smiled with satisfaction.
A week later, the three local film friends and teachers arrived as promised, and specially sent a large photo to the grandmother to take over, Teacher Huang also specially brought a box of instant noodles to the old man, walked into the house The grandmother was eating breakfast, looked at the photo and was very satisfied, warmly beckoned everyone to sit down and eat together, grandma took out walnuts again, and even took out 20 yuan from her pocket: "Children, give you photo money, is it enough?" "Grandma, don't you dare to pay for it, we don't accept money, as long as you are satisfied, we are happy, and it is our duty to do something for you." After everyone exchanged politeness to each other, grandma was obviously angry again: "Tell you to eat and not eat, and send me photos to send instant noodles, if you don't eat, you don't want your things, take them and take them!" Teacher Huang then told his grandmother about his hometown feelings: "Grandma, we are fellow villagers, as juniors should do something for you, you should treat us as your grandson, don't dare to be polite." ”
Grandma Zhu held Teacher Huang's hand for a long time, just like seeing a child who had been away for a long time, and the two stood in the courtyard when they said goodbye, and there seemed to be endless words. The amiable and respectable Grandma Zhu is one of the ordinary old people, in her we see the image of a kind mother, although they are not very rich, but they treat guests like relatives, do not spare their possessions, treat the people of the world kindly, they are all the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, but also the wind of our times, this is the true wealth. [If you want to see more people's stories, please click to follow]