Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 78 Survivor

After turning over a long mountain ridge, the scenery in front of me is very different and sudden.The hills are undulating, the trees are sparse, and the leaves of the crops are withered and yellow; at the foot of a limestone mountain, the cement factory is shrouded in gray smoke, and the white ash factory is emitting thick white smoke. The shrubs and weed leaves on the roadside, Thick dust was accumulated; on the only flat low-lying land, a huge deep pit collapsed, densely erected with large and small derricks, and black coal gangue was piled up around the derricks.

Liu Zhixin told his son that this mountain ridge is an obvious dividing line, and the mining area is beyond the mountain ridge.The north of the mountain ridge is the crop production area, and the south of the mountain ridge is rich in mineral deposits. The huge deep pit is the ground subsidence caused by years of coal mining.

Even the species are different. The mosquitoes in the mining area are big and poisonous, and they will bite people in broad daylight; there is also a kind of poisonous scorpion, which can be seen everywhere on the mountain and in the houses, and it is hard to guard against.

One side of water and soil supports one side of people, which can be regarded as a regional characteristic.

Liu Xiaonan noticed that there are obvious interlayers on the steep wall on one side of the mountain ridge, one layer is yellow and the other is black. The yellow layer is ordinary shale, and the black layer is coal seam?His father told him that it was indeed a coal seam, although it was only a few centimeters thick on the surface. As the coal seam went, the deeper it went underground, the thicker the coal seam was, criss-crossing and overlapping.

Bypassing the low-lying land and passing through a small town that is far less than Fuzhou City, there is a large residential area in front of it, with several low buildings standing in the middle of the bungalows - this is the residential area of ​​the mining family.

The dormitory for single miners is a two-story U-shaped building. There are several tall poplar trees growing in the open space in front of the building. Off-duty miners sit under the trees in twos and threes, chatting and playing chess.

The accommodation conditions are better than those in a textile factory. There are five people in one room. There are no upper and lower bunk beds. The bed sheets, pillow towels and quilt covers are replaced regularly by waiters.It's just that I'm nervous about using water. After riding the bicycle for nearly three hours, my body is sticky. I want to wipe my body but there is no water. I have to wait until night.

That night, Liu Zhixin went to another dormitory to find another place to live, while Liu Xiaonan lay on the iron bed that her father had slept on for 30 years. For 30 years, my father has lived and worked here much more than at home.The miners staying at the accommodation are also like my father. They run from both sides of the mine and the countryside. Two different attributes can be seen in them at the same time-miners who go down the mine and farmers when they go home.

If my mother had insisted on reuniting with my father back then, and the family had moved to the mining area, I would not have been able to get Mr. Guan's stele, and all the stories that had happened would have been rewritten one by one, and this life must have taken another direction.

Destiny is really a strange thing, containing strange chance and randomness, extending infinite possibilities and uncertainties.

If I hadn’t met Gu Yu when I was a teenager and got a seed of my dream, I might have succeeded my father as a miner with peace of mind and continued to walk the road my father walked for 30 years.There is no dream and no change. In this place where my mother disliked, I lived a simple, peaceful and fixed life with Guan Xiaoyun.

Teacher Yue said that he was lucky, but he didn't realize how lucky he should be. Behind the luck was accident and coincidence.The most fortunate thing is that I only temporarily lived in the miners' dormitory, temporarily sleeping on the iron bed that my father had slept on for 30 years.

The only surprising discovery is that there are a few books about farming planted by my father's bedside, and the miners still call his father "Liu Xiucai".

The next day, Liu Zhixin got up early and sent her son to the home of a worker who lived by the sea. After introducing each other, she briefly explained the purpose of her visit.My son wants to live by the sea for a while, get familiar with the environment here, and collect some writing materials.

They are all children from the countryside, so there is no need to treat him as a guest, and there is no need to regard him as a college student to be noble.He eats what the family eats, and lets him do whatever work there is at home, as he pleases.

After decades of friendship, Liu Xiaonan naturally received unusual treatment, and the couple readily agreed.

The worker's daughter, Li Hongxia, a young mother with a flat body and hot eyes, was unabashedly looking up and down Liu Xiaonan while dressing her son who had just woken up.The flames flickered, and the astonished eyes seemed to be observing a strange and wonderful creature, and seemed to be making another subtle hint: I seem to have seen you somewhere.

Liu Xiaonan felt uncomfortable being stared at, trying to avoid the red-hot furnace hook-like eyes as much as possible.

Li Hongxia smiled and closed her eyes, Gaba said to Liu Zhixin crisply: "Uncle Liu, don't worry, give your son to me, and promise not to let him make any mistakes."

Liu Zhixin told his son again, and went to work with his fellow workers.Liu Xiaonan and Li Hongxia sent the two fathers to the street. When they turned around, Li Hongxia said to Liu Xiaonan, "You came after me."

Facing such a straightforward woman, Liu Xiaonan didn't have to deliberately hide it. He said, "My father told me about you, and I was shocked. I want to meet you, a strong-willed woman."

Li Hongxia sighed lightly: "My life is not good, so why is there a strong will? Isn't it all forced."

Liu Xiaonan can say many comforting words like fate can be changed.But he felt that saying these empty words to a woman who was struggling with fate was like shouting across the mountain, without any echo, and it would be better to walk into her life.He said: "If you want, and I haven't interfered with your life, you can take me with you in whatever you do."

"There is a college student by my side, of course I am willing." Li Hongxia was a little excited: "Today is the morning tide, and it is too late to catch the sea. I will take you fishing. Do you know how to fish?"

"Of course I will." Liu Xiaonan was also very excited: "I have loved fishing since I was a child, but only in the river. My dad often bought me hooks and lines when I was young."

"I'll show you how to fish with a needle instead of a hook."

"What kind of needle? The needle is straight, can it catch fish? Wouldn't that be Jiang Taigong fishing, and those who wish to take the bait?"

"It's just an ordinary sewing needle, and you'll understand when the time comes."

Back in the house, Li Hongxia found out a new set of miners' work clothes for Liu Xiaonan to change into, while she put on a set of work clothes that had been washed white.She explained that heat is a hot spot, the sun on the sea is very poisonous, and wearing short-sleeved underwear will burn your arms and legs, and it can also prevent mosquito bites.The mosquitoes on the beach are so big and poisonous that they can bite through a thin layer of clothing.

Bringing fishing tackle, two pots of water and some food, with a straw hat on their heads, the two rode bicycles and set off one after the other along the path on the salt flat.

The salt flats spread out along the seashore, stretching as far as the eye can see.One side of the salt pool is shining with silvery white dazzling light, and under the pale yellow brine, thick salt grains are growing silently; the tall salt piles are like the tops of snow-capped mountains, and the extreme eyes are empty and white, which makes people unable to stare for a long time.

Liu Xiaonan saw the salt flat for the first time, although he heard his father describe it, he was still shocked.What shocked him was not the size of the salt flat, but the insignificant crystals.

Human beings cannot do without table salt, but who would have thought that even a grain of table salt has vitality.Contained in the microcosmic world, under the sun's exposure and the blowing of the sea breeze, they condense into crystals and gradually grow up. The growth process is arduous and long, and it takes a path that is completely opposite to that of all animals and plants.

Even Suaeda salsa, which can be seen everywhere on the side of the salt flat road, opened his eyes, awed and moved him.Growing in the barren saline-alkali soil, it still blooms and bears fruit. When the north wind blows in late autumn, it takes off its green clothes and puts on a red shirt, which is another glory of life.

He looked at Li Hongxia who was leading the way.The thin back swayed slightly, and his legs were pedaling the bicycle briskly and vigorously. There was no trace of the distress of a single mother, and a man's body was wrapped in the large overalls.

She is the only survivor of that sea distress, what kind of woman is she?
Passing by an abandoned salt pond overgrown with seaweed, Li Hongxia jumped off her bicycle.She took off her shoes and upper body work clothes, rolled up her trouser legs, and wore only a short-sleeved floral sweater. She walked into the salt pond with a cylindrical plastic box. She said she would dig some sea maggots (scientific name clamworm) to feed the fish.

Bending over, raising hips and lowering head, he inserted his hands deeply into the soil, turned up a large lump of soil vigorously, and searched for green sea maggots that were as long and thick as earthworms, and covered with hairy and slender legs.The movements are fast and powerful, without sloppiness, and the smooth arms are covered with black alkali mud and dark green water plants.

Liu Xiaonan also went down to the salt pond, followed suit, and turned up a large pile of soil, but only found a sea maggot with a severed head.

Li Hongxia smiled at the side: "Move quickly, you think you are touching a clam. Slowly reach down, the sea maggot will be frightened, and before you can turn up, it will go down to the bottom of the hole."

Liu Xiaonan said, "I thought it was the same as digging up earthworms. Earthworms don't move so fast."

With experience, he quickly inserted his hands into the soil, turned it up vigorously, and found six or seven thick and long sea maggots.

"It's because you men are stronger." Li Hongxia simply stopped digging, and stood beside Liu Xiaonan holding a plastic box, waiting to fill it with sea maggots.

The alkali mud in the salt pond is sticky and hard, and it takes a lot of effort to turn it over. After a long time of digging, your fingers will hurt.

With her arms bare, Liu Xiaonan dug harder and harder. Every time she turned the soil, she would find a few intact sea maggots, which she conveniently put into the plastic box in Li Hongxia's hand.The sea maggots in the box are getting full.

Li Hongxia praised: "After all, you are a college student, you can learn everything quickly."

Liu Xiaonan bent over and turned her head and said, "I like fishing for fun, and digging sea maggots is also part of the fishing process. It has nothing to do with whether you are a college student or not, it's mainly about interest."

Li Hongxia said: "You are fishing for fun, and I am hoping to make money from fishing. If I take you fishing for fun, there is a small tidal creek near my house and you can catch fish. Why go so far?"

Liu Xiaonan put the newly found sea maggots into the box and said confidently, "As long as I learn your needle fishing skills, I will help you catch a lot of fish."

The sea maggots in the plastic box were full, and Li Hongxia said it was enough.The two of them washed their arms and feet, put on their clothes and shoes.

Li Hongxia took out another plastic box, poured out the dry ashes prepared in advance, and stirred them together with sea maggots.Sea maggots have plenty of water in their bodies and are easy to rot in high temperature environments. Dry furnace ash can absorb part of the water in sea maggots and is convenient to use.

After continuing to ride for about half an hour, Li Hongxia led Liu Xiaonan to a sea fork.

The sea branch is long and narrow but not too wide. The bottom of the sea on the shore is clear, and there is a blue water line in the middle, which looks like a deep ditch.This place is remote and inaccessible, and only a class room for workers in the saltworks can be seen far away, but it is a good place for fishing.

Push the bicycle into the tall grass to prevent the sun from blowing out the tires, and it would be too far to walk back.The mosquitoes hidden in the grass were startled, flying in clusters, and buzzing like bombers, they rushed towards the faces of the two people.

The two laughed and hid while waving the weeds to drive away, and finally drove the mosquitoes away.

Li Hongxia started to assemble the fishing rod.A meter-long thick bamboo pole is inserted into the front end of a meter-long bamboo tip straightened by fire, and a fishing line of the same length is tied. The other end of the fishing line is tied with a copper coin wrapped with cotton thread. Two sewing needles are hung on the copper coin with a fishing line more than 100 centimeters long.She handed the assembled fishing rod to Liu Xiaonan.

Liu Xiaonan weighed the crude fishing rod in his hand, puzzled, and couldn't believe that it could catch fish.Most unlikely, unless the fish will climb up the line by itself, which would be too weird.What are the two sewing needles for?

Li Hongxia assembled another fishing rod, hung a plastic box full of furnace ashes and sea maggots around her neck, and dangled it on her chest.Use a sewing needle to thread a whole sea maggot from head to tail, and pin the sewing needle into the cotton thread on the copper coin. The sea maggot follows the natural bending of the fishing line on the sewing needle and wriggles non-stop.Another sewing needle is processed in the same way, and the lower end of the copper coin forms two groups of baits.

Liu Xiaonan soon understood the secret: the copper coin can be used as a lead sinker, and it can also hold a sewing needle.However, if there is no hook on the bait, won't the fish let go?

Li Hongxia explained to Liu Xiaonan that this is a special tool for fishing fathead fish (also known as sea catfish).Fathead fish are greedy for food, and they will not let go after biting the bait, and pull it out of the water at a constant speed.If the bait is bitten by a fish, remove the sewing needle and put a sea maggot on it.

Liu Xiaonan fully understood, imitating Li Hongxia, hanging another plastic box filled with furnace ashes and sea maggots on her chest, with a fishing rod in one hand and a net in the other, rolled up her trouser legs and followed Li Hongxia into the sea, ready to show off her skills.

Li Hongxia didn't roll up her trouser legs, she went directly into the sea like that, her trousers were soaked by sea water, dragging her feet.Seeing Liu Xiaonan looking at herself in surprise, she smiled and said, "Do you think I'm stupid? The sea looks shallow, and when it reaches the edge of the ditch, it can submerge your thighs. It doesn't matter whether you pull up your trousers or not. If you weren't there, I would usually just take off my clothes." with trousers."

Sure enough, standing by that trench, the sea water submerged up to Liu Xiaonan's thighs, and only the upper half of Li Hongxia's body was still exposed on the sea.The two stood at a distance of four or five meters, and Liu Xiaonan was not in a hurry to reach out. This kind of fishing method had never been heard or seen before. He wanted to observe how Li Hongxia fished with a needle first.

Li Hongxia threw the pole lightly with her right hand, and after the copper coin sank to the bottom of the sea, she straightened the fishing line, the tip of the bamboo trembled slightly, there was no float, it all depended on the feel.The left hand is holding the net, waiting for the fish to take the bait at any time.

After waiting for a while, the tip of the bamboo sinks and bends slightly, Li Hongxia raises the fishing rod steadily, and the two chopstick-long fat-headed fish are pulled out of the water at the same time, swinging forward with the force of the pull.As soon as the net was picked up, the fishing rod was shaken slightly, and the two fish let go of their mouths and fell into the net pocket accurately.

Liu Xiaonan was dumbfounded by the skillful, graceful and neat movements.No wonder the net is also made of clay, the long net bag is sewn on the iron ring, and there is only a short handle, which is for accurate control of the position.

He stopped watching and waiting, straightened the fishing line after throwing the rod, and shook his hand slightly to make the bait move and attract the attention of the fathead fish.

A fierce pulling force was transmitted along the fishing rod to his arm, and Liu Xiaonan quickly raised the fishing rod.A fathead fish was pulled out of the water, and the strength of the struggle disappeared, but the strength of the fishing rod did not decrease at all.

Following the inertia, the fat-headed fish drew a beautiful arc above Liu Xiaonan's head, and landed on the water behind him like diving with a plop.After the catastrophe, Yu Sheng was quite surprised, dizzy and didn't know why he flew into the sky, plunged into the bottom of the sea and swam quickly.

Li Hongxia smiled and bent over: "You are teasing the fish, it thought it could fly by itself."

Liu Xiaonan also laughed loudly: "I always think that there is a fishhook, and the fish's mouth can only be hooked with force. This strength is really difficult to master."

Biting the hook again, Liu Xiaonan gently pulled up the fishing rod, and a fat fish was slowly pulled out of the water.

Faced with a huge monster, Fathead Fish seemed to be aware of some kind of danger, so he let go of his mouth in time, only had a face-to-face encounter with Liu Xiaonan, and then slowly sank to the bottom of the sea reluctantly.It failed again, this time with too little force.

After experiencing this countless times, Liu Xiaonan gradually mastered the skill of fishing with a needle.There is no need to pick the hook, the whole sea maggot is also very attractive, and there is no need to change the bait frequently, which is fast, effective, time-saving and labor-saving.

When there are many fish, the fishing rod will fly up and down with almost no time to stop.He guessed that this fishing method was invented by people in a difficult living environment. The fishing tackle is simple and simple, and the fishing method is simple and effective. It is just for more fishing and more money. It is not suitable for leisure and entertainment. pleasure.

With the sun hanging overhead, the two went ashore to drink water and eat dry food.Li Hongxia looked at Liu Xiaonan, and said regretfully: "I really didn't realize that he is a good fisherman. It's a pity that he has a pretty face, and he will be tanned after half a day. When you go back to the city, your partner will feel distressed when he sees it." .”

The sun on the sea is extremely venomous. Even wearing a straw hat, the light reflected by the sea still scorches the skin.The face and back of the hands were hot, and a layer of salt and alkali seeped out. Only the two legs were soaked in the sea water, and they did not feel the heat wave.

Liu Xiaonan noticed that the flames in Li Hongxia's eyes had gone out, revealing genuine concern.He said: "I have been away from the countryside for less than two years, and black faces are the true colors of our rural people."

After eating and drinking enough without rest, I immediately went down to the sea to continue fishing.There is no shelter on the shore, and the scorching sun hits directly on the body. It is better to stand in the sea water and feel cooler.

The sun was a little to the west, and Li Hongxia said that it was almost time, and she had to go back immediately, and sell all the fish before dark while they were still alive.When they went ashore with net bags, the fathead fish in the net bags were alive and kicking, and everyone caught more than ten catties.

Li Hongxia tied the two net bags to her bicycle. She said that the bicycle would rust if it got in the sea.

Hurrying back along the salt flat path, Li Hongxia was still in front and Liu Xiaonan was behind.Li Hongxia was pedaling the bicycle so fast that Liu Xiaonan could barely keep up.

(End of this chapter)