One
My hometown, Ningchang, is an ancient town of Yanquan at the southern foot of the eastern section of Daba Mountain.
The green hills on both sides of the ancient town are facing each other, and the river is turbulent. According to the record of "Classic of Mountains and Seas": as early as 5,000 years ago, in the natural cave under Baoyuan Mountain in the north of Zhenbei, a stream of natural salt brine (salt spring) gushed out, and the local residents put a pot to fry salt with spring water, which opened the prototype of "ten thousand stoves of salt smoke" in history.
After the Qin and Han dynasties, the salt field was taken as an official office and a salt official was set up; in the 15th year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty (210 AD), Wuxi was set up as a Beijing County because of salt; the production of salt was sold to the neighboring counties of Chongqing, Shaanxi and Hubei provinces; it formed a rich and colorful ancient town civilization that has been baptized by the years.
Two
The Ning River, where "a spring flows white jade, and gold travels thousands of miles", is the artery of water transportation in the ancient town. The salt produced in the town and the coal needed to boil it, as well as the people of the town to go to the city to run errands, all rely on water transportation.
In the early morning, when people were asleep, the Ninghe River in the morning wind and fog sounded the sound of the boatman's oars and the singing of the Ninghe slender man.
"Salt ships open, coal ships open, gold and silver shuttle in, the gorge is like a corridor, the sky is like a belt, and the sound of waves shakes the clouds beyond the sky...... ”
The slender man, wearing straw sandals, stepped on the pebbles in the clear water, closed the number, and walked slowly step by step. Occasionally, a playful fat fish, due to the rippling waves of the boat, will be stuck in the turbulent stone crevice of the turbulent water in a panic, which has become a "natural gift" for fishermen or those who go to the river to wash clothes and wash rice.
I often see fishermen who catch fish taking small fish out of their nets and putting them in the water. Let them grow back in the river, and when they are fat and strong, they can enjoy the fun of catching them.
Three
The houses in the ancient town are built on the mountain and stand by the river. The base of the house is made of two thick logs, one end is connected to the wooden house, and the other end is deeply inserted into the cliff, and the "box" shaped like a birdcage is supported in the air.
In front of the stilted building, there are generally several stone steps or wooden ladders. Descend the ladder and follow the gravel path for a few meters to the middle of the river. In the ancient town, both men and women, most of them use the water from the river to wash rice and laundry, and young people like to study, play the piano or fish by the river.
In the early morning, the girl who slept in the dream stood slim and jade against the window, listening to the flowing water under her feet, and appreciating the fragrance of flowers and birds. Some come to the cool river, use the water as a mirror, and use the river water to comb their youthful faces.
"The moon on the stilts is round and bright, as if Ah Mei is grooming...... The moon gently (yo), walk into the window (yo hey), with affection (yo), look at the sister, the distant brother (yo), the sister knows, you will not forget me, forget me, (yo hello, yo hello) ......."
Wuxi's original folk song "The Moon on Stilts" is based on the salt culture of Ningchang Ancient Town, relying on the moon, and combing the hair of Ninghe beauties. The lyrics and melodies are beautiful and the melody is smooth to interpret the love in the girl's heart. It is just the right reflection of the humanistic customs of the town life during this period.
Four
In the summer, when the sun is shining, a group of young people who are smiling or tired from a long day go into the river, and the men who know how to swim bare-naked and soak in the water, and the women who are not interested in swimsuits at that time, so they go on a blind date with the water in long clothes and long skirts. The wind ruffled their hair, like shy brides in the water.
Throughout the summer, the river is full of laughter and commotion until the sun sets, and people walk to their homes with wet hair and songs......
At night in the ancient town, the moonlight is like a wash.
Shrewd, strong, and eloquent people walk on the chain bridge after dinner, enjoy the breeze and moon, and listen to the flowing water under the bridge. Some sat in front of their homes, shaking thin fans, talking about the Dongfanghong-1 satellite going into the sky, talking about Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka's visit to China, and posing for national sports athletes to climb Mount Everest; some people talked about the ghosts in "Liao Zhai" and the story of Zhu Bajie's daughter-in-law in "Journey to the West"; and some sang songs and played guitars. The evening breeze blends people's singing and laughter into one, drifting towards the direction of Baoyuan Mountain and Longjun Temple, where the legendary Ten Witches ascend and fall......
Five
In the Mid-Autumn Festival with a full moon, the lights of the salt workshop of the riverbank salt factory roared with the roar of the machine, reflecting the blue night sky of the lake. The workers who "mustered up all their energy, strived for the upper reaches, and built socialism as quickly as possible and in the province" used their wisdom and sweat to water one production miracle after another.
On a moonlit night, when I was young, I and a few good friends came to the small wooden boat docked in the water of "Taishan Temple", the breeze stirred up the crystal waves like broken diamonds, kissed the Elephant Trunk Mountain in the moonlight, and made a heart-warming echo. We look up at the bright moon, drink fragrant tea, talk about boundless childhood topics, dream of the future, and find a girl as beautiful as Chang'e in the month......
Six
Time changes, like water passing years. In the 90s, the salt industry civilization of the ancient town originated from Baoyuan Mountain, which was hit by the wave of modern scientific and technological industrial revolution and the reform of state-owned enterprises.
The majestic and precipitous Daguan Mountain, the crystal clear water of the Ning River, the "fairy cave" where Luo Hongxian, the champion of the Ming Dynasty, lived in seclusion, and the military stronghold of Li Zicheng at the end of the Ming Dynasty - the "daughter village" that insisted on resisting the Qing Dynasty, the famous Baoyuan Mountain, the prosperity and bustle that witnessed and recorded, disappeared in the long river of history, and gradually faded out of people's sight.
We have come from the shelter of history and are walking towards a broad and grand future.
Revitalizing the ancient town, reshaping the prosperity, returning the historical heritage of the "ancient salt capital", and rebuilding the landscape and humanities of the ancient salt industry town are our feats of forging ahead and not forgetting our original intentions, and they are also the historical responsibilities that the 550,000 people of Wuxi should shoulder.
Originally published in "Classic Literature Network"
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