Creation Statement: This article is a fictional creation, the materials used are from the Internet, the pictures are not real portraits of the case, and are only used for narrative presentation, please be aware.
"Old man, are you here to visit the hometown of educated youth?" On the platform, the young female guide asked me with a smile.
"yes, it's been forty-seven years, and I finally have time to come back and have a look." I looked at the familiar and unfamiliar station, "How many of the educated youths who cut in line here back now are coming back?" "
"There are quite a few of them every year, and some of the stories are particularly moving." She flipped through the guidebook, "Would you like to hear their stories?" "
I shook my head and whispered, "I'd rather tell my own story." "
01
In the late autumn of 2024, Xi'an North Railway Station will be full of people. I, Zhou Jianguo, stood in front of the ticket gate, looking at the ticket in my hand. A week ago, I had just completed the retirement procedures for the deputy brigade commander, and I was in a trance at the moment.
"Lao Zhou, do you really need me to accompany you?" The voice of my wife, Chen Xiulan, brought me back to reality. She stood beside me the whole time, her eyes full of worry.
I knew what she was worried about. In the forty years of marriage, she has never asked me about my youth, but she must have secretly seen those old photos and diaries. A woman's intuition is always sharp.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to war." I pretended to smile lightly and patted her hand, "Just go back and look for old photos by the way." "
"Over the years, you said you wanted to go and see it, but every time you turned it down because of work." Chen Xiulan's gaze was gentle and inclusive, "Now that I'm finally retired, it's time to go." "
She paused, and then said, "My son said that he would come back from studying abroad for his doctorate next month, and then our family would have a good reunion." "
02
I nodded, looking at my wife's slightly gray sideburns. She has been my strong supporter all these years. From being an ordinary soldier to being promoted to deputy brigade commander step by step, she has silently borne too much.
"If it weren't for my son's insistence on going abroad to study for a doctorate, our family wouldn't be together less and more now." I said with some emotion.
"Isn't it a good thing that children have their own pursuits?" Chen Xiulan said with a smile, "You see that he has published so many papers abroad over the years, and he is so competitive. "
Yes, the son is angry. But every time I see the photos he sends, watching him grow up and mature, I always have an indescribable guilt in my heart.
"Remember to call me when you arrive." Chen Xiulan admonished again.
I turned and walked into the ticket gate. He has been in the army for 40 years, fought wars, and made meritorious contributions, but his mood at this moment is more worried than ever.
The young man who checked the ticket saw my military ID card and saluted: "Hello chief!" "
I smiled and nodded. The military uniform has been taken off, but the military temperament of this body probably can't be changed in this life.
Finding my seat, I put my luggage away. Next door is an old lady who is making a video with her granddaughter. Through the screen, I heard a childish voice: "Grandma, when are you coming back?" "
Somehow, I suddenly remembered the child I had never met.
03
The train started slowly, and I took out an old wallet from my bag, which contained an old yellowed photograph. In the photo, a group of young people stand by a half-finished canal, flying with youth.
"Comrade, drink some water." The conductor passed by pushing a trolley and handed me a bottle of mineral water.
"Thank you." I took the water, but my eyes stayed on the scenery speeding by outside the window. It's been forty-seven years, and I don't know if the canal is still there, I don't know if she ......
I shook my head, suppressing the chaos of thoughts. Fate is like this train, sometimes it goes too fast, sometimes it goes too slow.
The radio on the train sounded: "Next stop, Don River Station." "
My heart pounded. I've been dreaming about this name for forty-seven years.
"Are you going to Tanghe Ancient Town?" A crisp voice interrupted my thoughts.
When I looked up, I saw that it was a girl in her early twenties, wearing a tour guide card, and her eyes were crooked, like a person in her memory. The familiar eyebrows and eyes made me trance-free for a moment.
"yes, you're a tour guide?" I tried to make my voice seem calm.
"My name is Lin Xiaoyu and I work at the Tanghe Ancient Town Cultural Tourism Center." She introduced herself very politely, with curiosity in her eyes, "Looking at your age, could you be the educated youth of the year?" "
I smiled and nodded, and pulled an old notebook out of my bag: "In 1977, I was there in line. "
The moment I opened the diary, the breath of time came to my face. On the yellowed pages, my vigorous handwriting is still clearly visible:
"March 15, 1977, cloudy. Today we finally reached the Don River. Standing on this land, I know that I have turned a new page in my life......"
"Really!" Lin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up and sat down beside me, "My grandmother often tells me stories about educated youth. She said that at that time, there were many young people from the city who contributed a lot to the development of our place. "
04
I smiled and continued to look through my diary. Each page carries a memory: the first time I learned to plow the field, I had several blisters on my hands; The first time I tried to cook, I turned on the stove quickly; The first time I built a canal, I accidentally slipped into the water, which made everyone laugh. Also, the feeling of the first heartbeat - she stood on the ridge, with the sunset on her back, and smiled back at me.
Those memories are so vivid that they seem to have happened yesterday. The diary contained bits and pieces: a dried leaf, a rudimentary work sheet, a negative of a group photo, and even a note written on pink letterhead, the handwriting on which was blurred, but I knew what it was.
"Educated youth......" I whispered, my fingers gently stroking the pages of the diary, "Sometimes I wonder, is it us who has changed the countryside, or has the countryside changed us?" You know, I joined the army later, and it was here that I made the decision. "
"Then how did you end up in the army?" Lin Xiaoyu asked curiously.
I was silent for a moment. It was a past that I didn't want to mention, about ideals, responsibilities, but also about helplessness and regret.
Lin Xiaoyu seemed to notice something, and said seriously: "My grandmother often said that in this life, some things seem to be a choice, but they are actually a responsibility. "
05
This sentence struck me like a bolt of lightning. Years ago, on that moonlit night, someone said almost exactly the same thing to me. After that night, I packed my bags and left the Don River to join the army. After that, never came back.
There was a jolt and the train passed through an uneven track. I woke up from my memories, looked at Lin Xiaoyu beside me, and plucked up the courage to ask, "What's your grandmother's name?" Maybe I do. "
"My grandmother's name is Lin Meifang." Lin Xiaoyu said.
"What? Forest.... Lin Meifang. My hands shook suddenly, and the journal fell to the ground.
The diary was spread out on the floor, and photographs, letters, and dry leaves were scattered all over the floor. I hurriedly bent down to pick it up, and a yellowed old photo stood out. In the photo, a group of young people stand by a half-finished canal, smiling brightly. In the middle is a girl with braided flowers, dressed in a simple blue cloth shirt, and her eyes are crooked into crescent moons.
"Is this the Happiness Canal?" Lin Xiaoyu helped me pick up the photo, and my eyes were attracted by the photo.
I nodded, my throat tightening, "yes, it took us a whole year to build. I pointed to the girl with braids in the photo, "This is your grandmother, Lin Meifang." "
Lin Xiaoyu's eyes widened in surprise: "It's really grandma!" She was so beautiful when she was younger. She looked at the photo carefully, and suddenly pointed to the young man next to Lin Meifang and asked, "Who is this person?" He looks like my dad. "
06
My heart skipped a beat. In the photo, the young me was standing next to Lin Meifang, and both of them were smiling so happily. It was the day the Happiness Canal was completed, and we thought our story had just begun, but we didn't know that it was already the end.
"I remember my grandmother saying that she proposed this canal." Lin Xiaoyu continued, "Because at that time, it was difficult for people in the mountains to get water, and there were droughts and floods every year. "
"Yes, your grandmother said that you should let the people in the mountains drink safe water and let the crops eat in time." I whispered, with a deep sense of nostalgia in my voice, "She's always thinking about others. "
The train slowly pulls into Tanghe Station. The air on the platform is still so fresh, mixed with a faint earthy aroma. Everything has changed, and it seems like nothing has changed.
"Uncle Zhou, let me help you arrange accommodation." Lin Xiaoyu said enthusiastically, "Now there are many characteristic homestays in the ancient town, which are on the edge of the Happiness Canal. "
I followed Lin Xiaoyu out of the platform and got on the shuttle bus to Guzhen. I was overwhelmed by the scenery on both sides of the road, where the dirt roads had been turned into wide asphalt roads, the fields were full of fruit trees, and there was a sightseeing cable car on the hillside in the distance.
"Did you know? Now the happiness canal is already a 5A-level scenic spot. Lin Xiaoyu introduced, "Every year, many tourists come to visit, especially the documentary film team with the theme of educated youth, who often come to film. "
07
In the evening, I stayed at a homestay called "Impression of Educated Youth". The walls of the room are covered with old photos, all of which are scenes of the life of educated youth.
"This B&B was opened by my grandmother." Lin Xiaoyu's words shook my heart, "She said that she wanted future generations to remember that period of history." "
There was a photo wall in the room on which I found my shadow. Those yellowed photographs record our laughter: working in the fields, resting by the canal, singing at the entrance of the village. In the most conspicuous position, there is a group photo of the completion of the happiness canal.
Early the next morning, Lin Xiaoyu took me on a tour of the ancient town. Walking along the Happiness Canal, the clear canal water flowed happily, and I felt as if I had returned to that fiery era.
"It's my grandma's favorite place." Lin Xiaoyu pointed to an old willow tree by the canal, "She often sits here and tells me stories about those years." "
"Uncle Zhou, tell me the story of you and your grandmother." In the memorial hall, Lin Xiaoyu looked at the old photos on the wall and said.
I took a deep breath and knew it was time to tell the truth: "Your grandmother is not only a good friend of our group of educated youth, she is also a ......"
"Wait!" Lin Xiaoyu suddenly interrupted me and took out his mobile phone, "Look at this photo." "
On the screen of my phone is an old wedding photo, and the groom is wearing a military uniform, which is exactly me when I was younger.
"This is what I found in my grandmother's old box." Lin Xiaoyu's voice trembled a little, "Grandma said that this is the most precious photo in her life." "
08
It turned out that Lin Meifang had always kept our group photo. Forty-seven years later, she has never told anyone our story, but she has preserved this memory intact.
"Your father......" I choked up and couldn't speak.
"I see." Lin Xiaoyu had tears in his eyes, "You are my grandfather, right?" "
A few days later, I finally met Lin Meifang. She was in a wheelchair, her hair was all white, but her eyes were still so bright.
"You're finally back." She said calmly, as if it were just an ordinary reunion.
"I'm sorry......" I knelt in front of her, tears streaming down my face.
Lin Meifang shook her head: "It's all over." You have your choice, and I have my persistence. The important thing is that our daughter and granddaughter are doing well. "
It turned out that not long after I left, Lin Meifang found out that she was pregnant. She chose to raise the child alone and never told anyone who the father of the child was. She used her strength to raise her daughter to grow up, and later raised her granddaughter Lin Xiaoyu with hard work.
"All these years, I've been waiting for you to come back and take a look." Lin Meifang said, "Where the water of the Happiness Canal flows, my heart is there." "
Today, the ancient town of Tanghe has become a well-known tourist attraction. On the edge of the Happiness Canal, there is an "Educated Youth Story Hall", which tells the unforgettable years. Every weekend, I tell the story of the year to visitors in the story gallery. Lin Xiaoyu sat on the side, carefully recording every detail.
09
My wife, Chen Xiulan, also moved to Guzhen, and she accepted it all with amazing tolerance. Our family started a new life and made up for the lost years.
"Grandpa, do you think we're lucky?" One day, Lin Xiaoyu asked me.
"Yes," I looked at the happiness canal in the distance, the sun shining on the sparkling water, "life is like this canal of water, going around and around, and finally finding its own home." "
This year, I was 70 years old, Lin Meifang was 68 years old, and our granddaughter Lin Xiaoyu was 23 years old. In a place that carries so many memories, our story continues.
Many tourists ask me: Why is it called the Happiness Canal?
I always smile and say, "Because it brings not only water, but also happiness." "
Sometimes, I would sit alone by the canal in a daze, looking at the clear flowing water, thinking of those distant years. The years flow like water, taking away our youth, but precipitating the most precious emotions.
Now, Lin Meifang and I often sit under the old willow tree, watching Lin Xiaoyu lead tourists on the tour, and listening to her tell our story in a crisp voice.
Forty-seven years have not washed us away after all. Perhaps this is the best arrangement that life has given us - to let our stories, like the water of the happiness canal, flow forever.