Four-way cart
Text/Zeng Bingyan
The place names of the hometown have their own merits, and some are very elegant, such as Haogutang, Yingke Bay, Yangque Mountain, Zhaigongtang and so on. Some are very popular, such as Maogongtang, Shuichong, Tangweizi, Tongziyuan, etc. These place names are easy to understand, easy to remember, not tongue-twisting, elegant and vulgar, showing the wisdom and thick history of the ancients when they were named.
There is a place name with a unique flavor, it is estimated that when the ancients took this name, they looked at the riverside, touched the scenery and were inspired, and casually popped out four words: four delivery carts.
The four-delivery trolley is located on the south side of Queshan Village, Dachengqiao Town, Ningxiang Township, on the shore of Weishui. In the old days, there were four cylinder cars day and night to lift up the water of the Weijiang River, introduce the diversion canal, irrigate the farmland in the embankment, four delivery cylinder cars, to be precise, it should be four delivery cylinder cars, it may be that someone wrote four delivery cylinders according to the homonym, so it was handed down.
A corner of Magpie Mountain. Photo/Peng Qiaoli
In my memory, the cylinder car is very mysterious and mysterious. It looks a bit like the Ferris wheel in the current city children's park, turning leisurely, not in a hurry or slow, like a wise old man telling a story slowly. When I was a child, I was very curious to look at the cylinder car, but at first I didn't understand: how could it rotate automatically and tirelessly lift the river up? The diameter of the cylinder car is more than two zhang long, the center of the spokes has a very thick and thick spindle, the axle is equipped with two rows of spokes, the spokes are equipped with scrapers, and a movable water bucket is installed every scraper. The axle is fixed between the stone walls on both sides, and the water flow with some drops pushes the scraper, and the drum car will rotate slowly, and the bucket will scoop the river water in turn, slowly rising, and when it rises to the top of the wheel, the bucket flips downward, and the water is discharged into the wooden trough, and the wooden trough is introduced into the canal, and then into the farmland by the canal. In the old days when there were no pumping machines, this kind of water intake tool full of wisdom was an advanced productive force.
It is a bit difficult to find out its history, because it is neither an ancient village, nor a historic site, and more importantly, there is no accurate written record. There are many versions of the legend, and there are two types that are more reliable, one version is based on the information provided by the villagers in the area of Mishazhou and Taitai, and the address of the four-hand cylinder was marked in the genealogy compiled by the surnames Chen and Yu in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, indicating that the history of this place can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty. Another version is that the local villagers listened to the old man's legend that Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty had a great drought for ten years, and there was no rain for a long time from March to August, and there was no harvest in the fields. After the disaster, the government took the lead, and the people raised funds to set up more than a dozen cylinders on both sides of the Weijiang River. Loading trucks, must be barrage dams, at that time, the wealthy people headed by the surname Yang built a dam here to erect four cars, after that, this dam is called Yangjia Dam, the place name is called four delivery cylinders.
After I finished studying, I was in Egong Mountain, from home to school to the four-way car, which happened to be three points and one line, with a total length of less than 3 kilometers. I love the four-way cart, and it also has a story. When I was in the fifth grade of primary school, Chinese teacher He Jie asked us to take advantage of the rice planting season to go for a walk by the river, and write something we saw, choose our own themes, and formulate our own topics, to see who was inspired and whose words were good?
I still remember that when I started writing, I took great pains to write three layers of meaning. First, the flowing water pushes the scraper of the drum car to move, and then it makes a call; second, in the tireless call, the river water is lifted into the diversion canal to irrigate the farmer's field, which brings the hope of a bumper harvest and sees the smile of the farmer; third, I made a little description of the scene, and I remember to write the following sentences: In the sky, there is the cry of the cuckoo urging planting, on the tree, there is the sound of the cicada, and by the river, there is the tireless "squeak" sound of the tube car and the "whoosh" sound of the bucket pouring water, these sounds are put together to form a beautiful farmhouse symphony. After reading the essay, Mr. He typed a lot of "cat feces" with a red pen in the on-site description part, and made a model essay to recommend in the class. This harvest was a bit sudden and unexpected. I thought to myself, the spirituality of the four-hand cart can develop and bring the children's minds to life, such places should be visited more, and such a life should be experienced more. Since then, I have developed a special affection for the four-way cart, and I come here from time to time to listen to the elegant "squeak" sound.
New cylinder car. Photo/Peng Qiaoli
The cylinder car, like everything else in the world, has its boom and its decline. In the late sixties of the last century, with the promotion and popularization of pumping machines (pumps), the cylinder car also completed its historical mission and withdrew from the ranks of farming. Although its withdrawal is the progress of society, the locals are always nostalgic and grateful to it, regard it as a "hero", and are reluctant to demolish it, so that it still stands on the bank of Weishui, guarding the land and landscape here.
In the summer of 1969, a once-in-a-century flood destroyed Yangjiaba and swept away the cylinder car, and since then, the mighty and domineering cylinder car can no longer be seen in this place. I've been here a few times since the disaster, and every time I go, I feel a sense of loss in my heart. In the winter of that year, I went to the north as a soldier, and when people went to the barracks, they would always think of the four-delivery cart and those people and things in their hometown when they were homesick. At that time, there was no mobile phone, and the only way to get information about my hometown was to contact me by writing letters. In frequent contact with relatives and friends, I learned that a dam was rebuilt on the site of the original Yangjia Dam, called the Goose Mountain Dam, and a health center, a consignment store and a pharmacy were also built on the base of the old house of the four delivery carts. Here, it has regained its popularity and vitality.
People say that there are thoughts in the day and dreams in the night. For many years after I left my hometown, I often had the same type of dreams, always starting from my home in Maple Bay, sitting in the wood-paneled classroom on Egong Mountain for a while, and then going to the four-way cart to see the bottomless river. Dreams are always fixed on these three points and one line. When I went to Changsha to work, sometimes in order to realize my dream, I would drive back to my hometown on Sunday and walk around these three points and one line. This kind of dragonfly water type of short stay, always feel not enjoyable, there is always a knot in the heart, I, a native of the local, unconsciously become a passer-by in the hot land of my hometown! In fact, I am actually not convinced, I am just involuntarily working outside on an errand, I always pay attention to this place, here is my eternal root.
A few days ago, I was thinking about writing about the four-hand cylinder car, and I knew that a history of the cylinder car was actually a village history. This is the landmark of Queshan Village, which has witnessed the whole process of the village's growth and development, and it has also had many little-known experiences and stories.
Four delivery carts, there was a shining past here. Quietly carrying water to irrigate the farmland and feed the people, year after year, the contribution is indispensable. Because of its special geographical location, it was a secret liaison place between the party-led guerrillas in central Hunan and the local armed forces of the Song clan on the other side of the river, and the transmission of intelligence, the exchange of information, and the handover of weapons were often carried out secretly by the cylinder car in the dead of night, and efforts were made for the liberation cause of Ningxiang. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was also the place where the party organizations and peasant associations carried out their activities, and many of the implementation methods of the plan for dividing the land and the agricultural cooperatives and mutual aid groups were brewed and discussed here, unified thinking, and then implemented. It can be seen that there used to be a place with historical characteristics and a red brand.
The four-handed cylinder car has also left the footprints of the premier of the State Council. At the end of June 2010, the 260-meter-long Goose Hill Dam, which was built next to the four delivery trucks, was destroyed by floods, leaving a 150-meter-long gap and more than 8,000 acres of rice fields on both sides of the river unable to be irrigated. On the afternoon of 1 July, Premier Wen, who had come to Hunan to inspect flood control and flood control, got off the plane and went straight to the four-delivery cylinder to inspect the Eshan Dam. Braving the high temperatures, he climbed the damaged embankment, inspected the disaster, inquired about the progress of the emergency repair, and told the military and local responsible persons who participated in the emergency repair to fight for half a month to restore irrigation. The construction site of the Goose Mountain Dam was carried out day and night, and dozens of machines operated in an orderly manner, which lasted for half a month, and finally completed the emergency repair task on July 15. Now, the Chen family and the aunt of the Yu family in the Taipa House still clearly remember the scene at that time.
Goose Hill Dam. Photo/Peng Qiaoli
The four-hand cart is called a feng shui treasure. When I was a child, I heard adults talk about the feng shui of the four-hand cart, saying that this place is located on the bank of the endless river, and the water flows in from the upstream by turning a bend, bringing in blessings and bringing in wealth. People who know a little bit about Feng Shui often talk about the overall topography and landform, and it seems that they have their reasons. It is said that standing here and looking at the vista, there is the magnificent Wuniu Mountain, in front of which is Lima Village, and in the back is Egong Mountain and Wulidui. In the old days, there was a martial temple with very strong incense in Egong Mountain, and Wulidui was the symbol on the ancient road, which reached all directions. Guarded by black oxen and fierce horses, backed by the God of Wealth and the ancient road, it is a good village that produces talents, seeks happiness and has prospects. Over the years, many knowledge-based talents have come out of Murakami, such as Yu Guobin, Lu Yilai, Zuo Qiaorong, etc., some of whom are engaged in development, some specialize in science and technology, some are engaged in trade, and some are investing in securities. According to the survey, nearly 20 people in the village have become billionaires. In addition, Zhang Dingxiang, Peng Zeshan and other highly educated talents, who have the courage to innovate and make outstanding achievements, have become well-known experts or associate academicians in the field of scientific research at home and abroad.
Producing talents is the biggest highlight of a village and the best feng shui. According to statistics, among the more than 4,300 people in the village, there are 235 healthy elderly people over 80 years old, including 25 people over 90 years old, which has become a well-known longevity village.
The four-wheeling cart turned around and turned out a special character and spirit. Here, the built Eshan Dam spans the Weijiang River, runs through the north and south, and the upstream of the dam shows the lake and mountains. After the scenery belt on the shore began to take shape, Murakami asked someone to plan and design and set up two sightseeing tubes. The scenic spot is beautiful, and the popularity is booming, which is not only a landmark of Queshan Village, but also a check-in point for Internet celebrities. I have stood here and listened to the special sound, and I feel that there is a spirit of silent dedication, a tireless quality, and a mind for the benefit of one party. From this, I think of the group of people in the village party branch, especially Chen Jian, the secretary of the party branch, who has such a "cylinder car spirit" in his body.
In the spring of 2014, Chen Jian, who had already started a business in Changsha and was very up-and-coming, encountered a new problem: the party secretary of his hometown Queshan Village retired at the end of the year, and the town party committee and the people in the village hoped that he would come back to take over. He knew that it was a hard job, and the ideological struggle was very fierce. In front of the "big self" and "small self", he chose to focus on the overall situation and picked up this burden. As soon as he took office, he worked with the two committees of the village branch to innovate and reform according to the conditions of the village. First of all, agricultural cooperatives were set up to carry out land circulation; second, it was necessary to renovate and strengthen the embankment of the Weishui River, which is more than three kilometers long, to enhance the people's sense of security; third, it was necessary to readjust the industrial layout, and the bases for greenhouse vegetables, special breeding, and novelty fruits were formed into a scale; and secondly, it was necessary to carry out the construction of beautiful housing farms, optimize the environment, and improve the quality. In order to refine every task, we must do arduous ideological work. In the more than a year when he first became the branch secretary, he held nearly 800 large and small meetings in the group, sometimes four or five times a day. Of course it is impossible, for the realization of the happiness of the villagers and the advancement of the set goals, we can only operate tirelessly with the "spirit of the cylinder car". The results are always reserved for the diligent. After ten years of careful construction and operation, the experience of Queshan Village has been recognized and recommended at all levels.
Chen Jian took home the medal. Photo/Peng Qiaoli
Under the leadership of Chen Jian, the Queshan Village Branch won the title of Provincial Advanced Party Organization in 2016, the Provincial Management Innovation Award in 2017, and the Provincial Civilized Village in 2018. He himself was awarded the honorary title of "China's Rural News Figure", and was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Congress and an alternate member of the Changsha Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China. In 2021, he was rated as a national outstanding party worker and received a heavy medal in the Great Hall of the People.
In the spring of Jiachen, when the cuckoo was urging spring, I came to the four-delivery cart again. Stepping on this land again, my heart is not only filled with nostalgia for this land, but also respect for the people here. Secretary Chen Jian told me that he plans to develop tourism and folk customs industry, so that more people can come here to enjoy the scenery of lakes and mountains, experience farming culture, understand folk customs, and enjoy farmhouse delicacies. He is a person who thinks about problems, has ideas, and will do what he says, and the prospects will be considerable and the business opportunities will be limitless.
After that, I took it back and forth along the riverside scenery. Standing on the side of the dam embankment, to the left is a bay of clear water, the lake surface is as horizontal as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, and the willows by the lake hang down the tender branches, graceful and colorful. To the right, you can see half of Queshan Village, every house is full of vitality and elegance, small bridges and flowing water, lush greenery, and smoke curling, giving people a feeling of living in a painting. Immersion in this place allows you to experience not only the beauty of nature, but also the purification and relaxation of the soul. It can also make people let go of their troubles and return to their true nature.
When he returned, he was no longer a teenager. Although I have traveled more and farther, and the attractions I have seen are also complicated, the most haunting thing for me is the land of my hometown, although it is not perfect at present, I do not dislike it, I can tolerate it, because she is my village, my roots.