Rural prices are not cheap
Whenever the winter and summer vacations come, I will happily return to my hometown in the countryside. When I was a child, I always thought that I should be able to live a simple and peaceful life in the countryside after leaving the hustle and bustle of the city, and everything here should be much cheaper.
However, when I grew up and lived in the countryside for a while, I realized how naïve my childhood imagination was. Except for rent, other prices in the countryside are almost the same as in the cities.
I still remember when I was a child, rice in the city cost 4 yuan a catty, but in my hometown it only cost 2 yuan. Now that prices are rising, there is only 3 rice in the city. It's about 5 yuan, but the price in my hometown is about the same as in the city, and it's basically 3. 5 yuan a catty.
In fact, the price of vegetables is only different from the cost of transportation, and the price of vegetables in my hometown is not far from the retail price in the city.
I also tried to eat fast food a few times in my hometown county, and found that the price of a set meal was the same as that in the city, basically about 10-15 yuan. This is completely different from the impression I remembered, I found that the frugality of rural life comes from the cheap rent, and other aspects are actually not much different from the city.
Every time I think of these changes, I can't believe that when the barren countryside in my memory is not much different from the city? My mother told me that the countryside has indeed changed slowly over the years, and life is not as hard as before. I lamented the changes of the times, and I was glad that my hometown was getting richer day by day.
There is a shortage of young people in rural areas
Every time I return home, I have to go around and relive my childhood dreams. However, turning around the old streets and alleys, I found that those familiar friends were no longer there. The village in my memory was full of children laughing and laughing, but now I can't see a single child.
When I asked the elders, it turned out that most of them had gone out to work, and those who stayed in the village were some elderly people.
Most of the people who work in the fields during the day are middle-aged and elderly, and there are few young and strong young people. The few remaining primary school students in the village also take care of themselves at home after school. The term left-behind children is rarely mentioned anymore, as there are very few children who actually remain in the countryside.
Even many elderly people choose to leave their hometowns and find odd jobs or small businesses in the city, just to make more money. They are retired, and they could have wandered the country roads leisurely, but they still have to leave their homes to work and support their families.
When I saw their staggering figures, I couldn't help but sigh at the changing times.
My mother told me that there is indeed a growing shortage of young and energetic laborers in the countryside. Most young people go out to work, both to earn more money and to see the outside world. Although I lamented the changes in my hometown, I also wished them a good life outside.
The number of houses built in rural areas has increased
Walking around my hometown, I found that the houses in the village were being renewed year by year. The original simple tiled and earthen houses were demolished and replaced with two- or three-story cement houses. When I asked my elders, I learned that several families build new houses every year.
Although these new houses are not too luxurious, each one has two floors, each of which is more than 100 square meters.
It turns out that many young people in rural areas go out to work in the city, and although they don't earn much money, they can still save more than 100,000 yuan in savings. They would send the money back home and let their parents help build a new house in return. The cost of building a house in my hometown is not high, there is no need to buy land, and the materials and labor are relatively cheap, so a two-story small building can be built with only a dozen or two hundred thousand.
Looking at these brand-new small western-style buildings, I feel that rural life is improving day by day. In the past, most of the old houses were dilapidated and shabby, but the new houses are in significantly better condition, which also makes the parents' lives more comfortable and convenient. The changes in the village have made me see the hope for the development of my hometown, and also made me look forward to the future of the village.
Neighborly relationships are complex
I still remember when I was a child, the neighborly relationship was so good and good. However, this time when I returned to my hometown, I could often hear the noisy voices of my neighbors next door. I wondered why they were arguing, so I listened quietly for a while, and found that the content of their argument was nothing more than a trivial matter.
Some argue over the ownership of a small piece of land, and some shout loudly over the occasional chicken flying to a neighbor's house to cause trouble. These things are not enough to worry about in the city, and it is enough for both sides to say sorry, but in the country they can quarrel all day.
I don't understand why rural people have become so calculating, and they still like to take advantage of them, which makes the relationship between neighbors tense.
Once, an old couple even had a big fight over playing cards. It turned out that the husband lost money playing cards, so his wife scolded him with a slap in his face. I listened to the content and tone of their quarrel, and thought that something big had happened, but I didn't expect it to be a trivial matter.
This incident made me see that the hearts of people in the countryside are much more complex than in the past.
People's hearts are unpredictable, and neighborhood relationships have become complicated. I can't help but sigh at homesickness and miss the joyful and harmonious scene of the neighborhood back then.
There are many people who do not work properly
In the past, the rural people in my memory were simple and hardworking, working from morning to night. Now there are also people in the countryside who "lie flat" and have nothing to do all day. They neither farm nor do any other work, but leisurely play cards, chess, and chat at home.
It turns out that farming in the countryside is not constrained by the boss, and if you want to work, you can work, and if you don't want to work, there is no one to control. They don't have much land, and their income from farming is limited, just enough to feed and wear. In addition, their children can send money home when they work outside, so they choose to lie down.
Moreover, there is no mortgage pressure in rural areas, and the consumption of food is not large, so it can be maintained by lying flat. For them, it doesn't matter if they earn less money, peace of mind is the most important thing. This attitude to life is very different from that of the hard-working peasants of the past, and I can't help but lament that the changes of the times have also affected the value orientation of rural people.
My mother told me that it is true that young people today are not as hardworking as they used to be, but life has to pass, and they have chosen what they can afford. When I listened to my mother's words, I was relieved. Everyone has their own aspirations, as long as they don't break the law.
Poor families live in difficulty
Wandering around the village, I came across an old man in ragged clothes. He told me that he had no land at all, so he had to do some rough work to earn some money to get by. I was surprised that there was such a poor family, so I inquired further and learned that it was a big family with many brothers, and after the farmland was distributed to the brothers, there was very little left, and it was impossible to support the livelihood.
This old man became a well-known poor family in the village. Five or six members of their family live on a little bit of wages and handouts. Children are also unable to pursue higher education and are destined to inherit the fate of their parents.
Seeing their difficult life, I was not happy and emotional, and I was eager to do something for them.
I told my mother about it and asked if there was anything I could do to help them. My mother told me that although our family is not very wealthy, we can still donate some money or supplies to help them get through this difficult time. I agreed with my mother's suggestion and decided to actively contribute to these families in need.
Seeing that there are still these problems of poverty in my hometown, I am even more determined to develop myself well and contribute to the improvement of the lives of the villagers when I return to my hometown in the future. I am convinced that as long as we do not forget our original intention and continue to work hard, the life of our hometown will definitely get better and better.