Old objects bear witness to the changes of the times
The years go by, and history rolls forward. In this long history of change, some old objects quietly reflect the changes of the times, witnessing the evolution of rural life from tradition to modernity.
When it comes to these old objects, the gray-haired old man can't help but feel a lot of emotion. They seemed to see the green years again, heard the sound of their spinning wheels, and felt the heaviness of the hulls
These old objects that accompanied them to grow up carry too many collective memories. The youth and struggle of a generation are engraved in it.
For the post-80s and post-90s generations born after the reform and opening up, these old objects are like an ancient legend, evoking their infinite reverie of their past lives.
The grid-like hull, the worn-out spinning wheel, and the rudimentary tongs were both old and new in their eyes. A sense of connection across time and space arises.
The old have seen the changes of the years, and the young have received historical enlightenment. These old objects become a link between the past and the future.
Their simple appearance carries the simple and industrious virtue and spirit of the older generation, which is the common precious wealth of the Chinese nation. Remembering history is to better move towards the future.
Let us not forget the pace of time, keep pace with the times, and move towards the goal of modernization.
Spinning wheels, a good helper for women
The spinning sound of "ding ding dong" seems to still echo in the ears of the old grandmother. She looked at the old spinning wheel in front of her in distraction, and remembered her girlhood vividly.
The spinning wheel is the best helper of the old grandmother when she is a girl. As a peasant girl, weaving is a must-have skill. The first step in weaving is spinning.
A pedal or hand-cranked spinning wheel can help them spin long balls of yarn quickly. In the summer, my grandmother and sisters sat in the shade of the trees spinning threads, and the sound of youthful laughter and the "clicking" of the spinning wheel were intertwined to form a beautiful symphony.
Spinning is a hard job, Grandma said. Fortunately, with the help of spinning wheels, the weaving needs can be supplied in an orderly manner. At that time, the girls were busy and full with a spool on their heads, spinning wheels in their hands, and their feet stepping lightly.
The loom is often placed next to the spinning wheel, so that the newly spun thread can be used directly.
Today's girls may find it hard to imagine how their grandmothers relied on this rudimentary machine to create cloth of all colors and textures. But it is these skillful hands that tirelessly spin out outstanding works and make the virtue of the Chinese nation's diligence and intelligence.
The spinning wheel carries the youthful memories of the female generation. Although it is just a tool of production, in the grandmother's heart, it is the happiest symbol of her girlhood.
Lu Qi, a good helper for the northern harvest
The wheat fields in the north are ripe, and the golden ears of wheat are curled and ready to be harvested. Harvest time is the busiest day for farmers in the north. The rice in the wheat field is cut, and then the ears of wheat are removed.
That's when their best helper, Lu Qi, comes in handy.
It was a boulder that looked like a wheel. At the end of the harvest, the villagers spread out the cut wheat straw around the paddy fields, then pull out the straw and roll it on top of it with oxen power.
Just listen to the sound of "gurgling", and the golden ears of wheat fall off. The use of a dustpan is several times faster than the use of a dustpan for screening! The old farmers in the north couldn't help but praise it, saying that this is a good helper.
During the harvest season, the whole village is enveloped in a bustling atmosphere. The men sweated like rain, and Lu Qi responded to their toils with a rumble. It is a witness to the harvest of the northern land.
Today, advanced mechanized harvesting has replaced traditional manual methods. Luqi can only be used in museums to reminisce about the hard work of the past. But in the eyes of the elderly, it is an indispensable part of the picture of work that has gone through vicissitudes.
Its existence tells the story of the national spirit of the Chinese nation's diligence and bravery.
Hull, a good helper for shelling
The crops in the paddy fields have finally been harvested, and the farmers in the south have entered a busy threshing season. After the ears are cut, an important step is to remove the husks. This is where the good helper of the southern people comes in.
It looks simple, just a tall bamboo box. But the old farmer said happily, don't look at its surface is simple, but the inside of the bulk is full of heavy soil.
This is the secret of it.
After harvesting, the rice is poured into the hull, and then the sturdy men hold the bass and shake it vigorously. Under the weight of the soil inside the hull, the rice husk is separated from the rice grains.
What is needed here is manpower and sweat until the grain is all husked.
It was not an easy task, and tossing the rice dumplings every day was one of the most laborious tasks of the southern peasants. The men were sweating like rain, their strong arms shaking vigorously, and their hammers making a dull sound.
But it saves farmers a lot of time to dehull, and it can be said to be a great benefactor of deshaking.
Nowadays, rice husking has been mechanized, and there is no longer a trace of rice in the southern villages. The darkness fell silent, and the torturous labor became history. The meaning that people have given it back is a symbol of the industrious and optimistic spirit of the Chinese nation.
It carries the memory of the hard work shared by a generation.
Windmills, blowing away light shells
After harvesting in the north and south, there is a common step in which to remove the husks. After the husks are removed, the grain is also mixed with many broken husks and impurities, which need to be cleaned up. That's when the windmill, the star farm tool, is about to appear.
The windmill is a tool with a unique shape, and the old farmer figuratively calls it a "big fan". In fact, it is an ancient threshing machine. The grain is poured into the windmill, and the farmer turns the handle, and the windmill makes a "whoosh" sound, creating a strong wind force that blows away the husk, which is as light as a feather, leaving behind a plump and good grain.
This is not only fast and efficient, but also much less labor-intensive than sifting with a bulky dustpan. The "big fan" of windmills has become the most common shelling weapon in the countryside of the north and south. After the harvest, you can see the scene of farmers shaking windmills at the head of the village, which is very lively.
Of course, some farmers say that windmills are not 100% accurate, and strong winds will also blow away some millet grains, which is a slight loss for the poor families. But on the whole, it undoubtedly reduces the labor intensity of the common people.
Nowadays, these vintage farm tools can only be learned about in museums. We should remember the industrious and courageous spirit created by the older generation using these humble tools, and carry it forward in order to inspire ourselves to move forward in the new era.
Bellows, assistants to fires
Lifting the bellows, an old stove scene appeared in front of the old man's eyes. That was the way that every family had to cook on a fire in the past when people were not rich.
And the bellows are a good helper for the stove fire.
The bellows have a simple structure, which is a small wooden square box with a wooden tie rod attached to it. But its role should not be underestimated. Whenever the firewood was added, the grandmother would pick up the bellows and pull the handle vigorously to send in fresh air, and the fire on the stove would be hot.
Not only the stove, but also wherever the fire is needed, the bellows have provoked the important task of "fanning the flames". For example, when the rural blacksmith smelts iron, the tile kiln burns pottery, and the bellows are indispensable to make the fire burn more vigorously and steadily.
It can be said that the humble little bellows were ubiquitous in the past life.
Time passed, natural gas and induction cookers replaced stoves, and bellows withdrew from the stage of history. But in the memories of many old people, it is still the mark of the old time, a small bellows, carrying the epitome of the living conditions of a generation.
Its simple appearance has become a symbol of the Chinese virtue of diligence and thrift.
Cloth, shelter from the wind and rain
When it comes to the way of the older generation of farmers to shelter from the rain, Lingyi always first comes to the minds of the elderly. This is the traditional rain clothing of the ancient working people, which is closely linked to their industrious image.
A poncho is a lightweight poncho made of fabric that is simply sewn from cloth. With a hat, you can go out to do farm work without fear of wind and rain. The image of a peasant in a robe is often seen in the poems, which has become a cultural symbol.
Throughout ancient texts, the cloth is everywhere. It shelters the laborers in the fields, and it has also become a romantic image in the poet's pen. It wasn't until the advent of the modern raincoat that it gradually withdrew from people's field of vision.
Time has passed, and Lingyi can only be seen in costume dramas. But in the memories of many old people, the clothes are still associated with the images of rural labor in the past.
Its simplicity is closely linked with the simplicity of the working people, and has become a record of the vicissitudes of the Chinese nation's spirit.
Shoe lasts and sock lasts, maintainers of shoes and socks
There was a soft sound of "ding dong", and the old grandmother took out a shoe last from the box, her expression full of nostalgia. This used to be a good helper for her to repair shoes and socks.
In the past, people made their own shoes and socks. The shoe last is a tool for making the upper, while the sock last is used to mend the torn sock. In the era of material shortages, no one will casually discard worn-out clothes, and it is the norm to repair and reuse them stitch by stitch.
The grandmother said that the shoes and socks she wore when she was a child were worn out and not thrown away, and it was more environmentally friendly to take out the shoe last and sock last and mend them carefully, rather than throwing them away. The shoe last and sock last became a good helper for them to maintain their shoes and socks.
Although they are simple in appearance, they reflect the virtues of the older generation of thrift, industriousness, and non-waste. Times are different now, and these old objects have passed away with history.
But for the elderly, what they carry is not the object itself, but an unpretentious memory of youth.
Tongs, a good helper for the cooktop
With a "squeak", the old grandmother took out an old tongs from the fireside, and her eyes showed nostalgia. This is a good helper when she used to burn the stove.
The fire tongs are deceptively simple, just a long pincer-shaped tool. But in the old days when firewood was used for cooking, it was an indispensable assistant for the old farmers.
The old woman said that every time she added firewood, she needed tongs to pick up the firewood and stir up the fire in the stove. The tongs waited by the stove and witnessed so many fireworks and meals.
The tongs have a long history, and it has been found since the ruins of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Similar tools are still being used by many elderly people in rural areas. It is just a small object, but it carries great historical changes and life memories.
Today, modern stoves have replaced traditional stoves, and tongs are a gadget that fades into the background. But in the hearts of the elderly, it is the mark of an old time, a small tongs, which sets off the epitome of the living conditions of a generation.
Washstand, simple washing
There was a soft "babble", and the old man turned out an old washstand from the attic, which couldn't help but evoke memories.
The washstand is a traditional tool for the older generation to wash in the morning. It's very simple, it's just a shelf made of a few pieces of wood, with a basin, and people can bend down to wash their faces and brush their teeth.
The old man said that in the past, the washers of poor families were usually simple wooden shelves, while the rich and noble families were carefully carved and beautifully made. But rich and poor, it has served the daily lives of a generation.
Today, washbasins have long since been replaced by washbasins and are a thing of the past. But in the long memory of the old people, this simple object freezes the simple and unpretentious living conditions of the people in that era, as well as the yearning for a better life.
Things change, and time changes. These old objects carry not only themselves, but the memories and emotions shared by an entire generation. We should remember the stories of the older generations to inspire ourselves to move forward in the new era.
Witness to change
History is the passage and change of a lens. These old objects quietly bear witness to the passage of time and the changes of rural life.
They were once deeply rooted in people's production and life, and they were the symbols of the father's description of youth, and the old time marks that the mother talked about.
However, in the tide of social development, they are gradually replaced by more advanced tools and disappear from people's worlds.
Today, these old objects can only be found in museums and documents. But in the hearts of many elderly people, they do not carry the objects themselves, but their shared memories and emotions.
A generation used these simple tools to create a spirit of hard work and bravery. Today, we should learn Xi from the simplicity and tenacity of the older generation, internalize this spirit, and carry it forward.
The new era requires something new, but we must not forget to pass on the history. The old objects bear the imprint of history and also reflect the national temperament. Walk into the future with hope and confidence, and don't forget to remember the past.