Chapter 13 People from Yuanling

From Changde to Yuanling, a traveler's feelings in the car can be imagined, firstly, there are no Miao people on the road, and secondly, bandits are rarely heard on the road. Although there are many twists and turns on the mountain and in the valley, the road surface is very well repaired, and it is no problem to drive regardless of rain or shine. The design of driving safety on the highway shows the best efforts of those in charge.When traveling, it is easy to forget the dangers of car driving and enjoy admiring the beauty of natural scenery.In the natural scenery, you can see the brilliance of Song Yuan's paintings, which is the scene of Taipingpu crossing the river.The stream lingers back and forth, the water is clear and shallow, rinsing among the boulders and fine sand.The peaks are beautiful, and the emerald green is blue. In the drizzle or the sun, the color is really indescribable.In the woods at the foot of the mountain, there are some small houses that seem to be intentionally and properly arranged. There is a stream around the woods around the river island, a long bridge, and a piece of smoke.Vanilla mountain flowers can be picked up at hand.

The mountain ghost in "The Songs of Chu", Yun Zhongjun, seems to be in front of his eyes.At the top of the long mountain in Shangguanzhuang, one mountain after another, with frequent turning points, nervous women and cowardly men will inevitably feel dizzy.A normal man must express his admiration for the magnificence of nature, and express his admiration and gratitude to the strong men who came to build roads in this high mountain a few years ago with food and water.This is a group of unknown and silent real fighters!Every inch of the road was built with their sweat. Some of them came from small villages hundreds of miles away, silently carrying soil and breaking stones at designated places. Thirty or fifty people bowed their waists and shoulders and pulled a big stone roller to crush the road. They were exposed to rain and starved. Endured all kinds of abuse and completed the work assigned to him.After the road was repaired, many strange objects of various colors passed by roaring and screaming. These lovely country folks, knowing that the work was over, smiled and returned to the unimaginable small village. Lived here.Over the past few years, China has built a little bit of foundation, which is made by such unsung heroes.They know nothing, and yet the work done is great.

Just judging from the solid and dangerous engineering of this road, we can know that the people of Xiangxi can accomplish any great ideal for the country.As long as there are leaders, it is expected that they will do well if they are given more difficult tasks. Seeing that there are so many Tongcha trees on the hillside along the road, and Tongcha Mountain is so perfectly arranged, we will understand that even if there is no leader, the people in this place are making continuous efforts in survival techniques based on their experience, and they are expected to conquer the ground. , to increase production.

As long as the superiors don't impose too much on them, fish them, this kind of thrifty and hardworking people, will not take risks and cause problems.But if we go to any parking place and try to talk to the villagers nearby, we will know what the "past" was like.Country folks have a share of any taxes. Baojia’s efforts to ruin the country people’s “results” It's impressive!Yet the motive which impels their efforts is the custom of giving half of what they receive and keeping the half.However, when he noticed this problem responsibly, he said, "This is Baojia's crime," and never regarded it as "a disgrace to being in power."Those in charge do not know how to be responsible, and thus perpetuate local progress as an empty ideal.However, all of this can be said to have become a thing of the past.

When the car arrived at the Guanzhuang intersection, a line of vehicles waiting to cross the mountain quietly stopped in the open space on the side of the road, which showed that the traffic order on this road was strict.Although in the military state, military vehicles are still under the control of road regulations and cannot pass first. They come and go in an orderly manner. The construction and management of this road are all in charge of an engineer surnamed Zhou.When the car arrived in Yuanling, what caught our attention was the pickers, lifters, loaders, and push-pulls at the station, all of whom were women.All the labor that men can do in other places is done by women in this place.Citizen labor service is still this kind of woman, and many women participated in the completion of the road station.The work is quick and capable.Feminist activists have been campaigning in China for 20 years, and when they show up in society today, they still have to use the name "Madam" to appeal, and they are not ashamed.And everyone is concentrated in the metropolis, leading a corrupt life.Comparing the situation where this kind of female laborer combines sweating and eating, we can't help but be full of respect and sympathy for this kind of person.

This kind of person does not forget that he is a woman just because he works all day long, and the nature of women who love beauty is still well preserved. The button flower decoration on the front of the chest and the button flower decoration on the bottom of the trousers are made under the light of camellia oil after labor. (The exquisite workmanship and ingenious design of the apron buttons are praised by outsiders.) Although the daily work of this kind of women is not easy, the clothes are neat and clean.Some are over forty years old, and they compete with their peers for business.For two cents, you can carry your luggage to the riverside ferry for the guests, follow the transition, reach the other shore, and then carry it to the foothold.When outsiders came to the ferry boat at the river pier, they were very surprised, what a piece of water!What a small mountain town!Especially the row of ferry boats, the sailors on board, at first glance, are almost all women. After crossing the river, entering the city gate, and walking towards the long street, you can see vegetable sellers, rice sellers, and shopkeepers. , all silversmiths are women.There is no other place where women are so ordinary and natural about participating in various careers and life.When seeing this situation, one can't help but wonder: Almost everything is done by women, just like the phenomenon of the daughter country in a book.Should the local men go out to fight, or stay at home and take care of their children?

However, when a traveler feels that he has come to Chenzhou, he may not be interested in these ordinary issues.Chenzhou is famous for its Chenzhou talisman, and among the legends and miracles of Chenzhou talisman, it is also famous for driving corpses.The road is on the south bank of the Yuanshui River, passing through the city on the north bank, I naturally hope to have the opportunity to figure out this kind of old stuff. But the curiosity of the traveler will be dampened.Most of the local people are baffled about Chenzhou talisman, and have no interest in it, and don't believe it very much.Maybe you will come across a "big" person accidentally, who has a big body, a loud voice, and seems to have a big style.

Either his surname is Zhang, or his surname is Li (he should be surnamed Li! A typical philistine, who works in the Chamber of Commerce, and is good at blowing and playing as an acting honorary councilor), will tell you that the miracle of Chenzhou Fu is to kill a chicken with a knife. Cut off the neck, reconnect it, take a mouthful of talisman water, and throw it to the ground, the chicken will run away immediately, sprinkle a handful of rice on the ground, and the chicken will come back to eat the rice!You ask him: "Have you ever seen this with your own eyes?" He will definitely say: "It's really something you saw." Maybe if you think about it slowly, you will also feel that you have seen this thing with your own eyes in the same place up.So it was said in a book fifty years ago.This big man is a well-known local big talker.It seems that I know everything in the world clearly, but I don't really know whether what I say is false or true, whether it is in the book or fabricated by myself.Most of the local people don't know much about the "Chenzhou Talisman" as usual.

As for the legend of expelling corpses, it is really touching.Any new gentleman from outside who has received a new education and is still soaked in superstitions of the original people, who wants to satisfy his wild fantasies, always has an opportunity to review this legend when he comes to this place.The gentleman, the student, the innkeeper, as if bound by an inescapable obligation by virtue of his native place, always repeats its magic, as if inspired by an innate sense of humor and sympathy.Or friends and relatives have seen this kind of thing with their own eyes, or someone has been driven back.In fact, he is still the same as the guest, who doesn't understand or believe it, and he never pays attention to this issue until the guest mentions it.The guest wants to "study" it (and we can imagine that there are many people who are most interested in studying it), and it is better to read it. This book may help him a little, and the natives will not help him much.Although the locals are happy to answer such silly questions, they cannot explain the truth of the matter.Among them was a "man with the right way", surnamed Que, who was collectively called Que Wulao by the local people. He was nearly 60 years old, and he was as energetic as a child when chatting.It is said that he left Yunnan and Guizhou at the age of fifteen and learned this spell from a famous teacher.It's not unusual to practice the formula, but it's just Wen Tianxiang's "Song of Righteous Qi".The ability of the dead to walk is influenced by this lyrics.The main tool of the Chenzhou talisman is a bowl of water; this bowl of water was displayed in front of the god in the family of this man of Taoism.All ailments are solved by this bowl of water.Even if a dead body moves, it needs to be splashed with water.This water can also indicate omens by turbidity and boiling. Someone needs help or a good or bad omen of family affairs. If the visitor is a scholar or a fake foreign professor, he will describe the magical function of this bowl of water to be even more thrilling.

The reason why he is so tongue-tied is either that he himself is very lonely, or that he has a natural sympathy for the guests, so he often mentions things that are not in the book.The guest should ask honestly: "Wu Lao, have you seen this kind of thing?" He will pretend to be very serious and say: "Of course. I have personally rushed over! That is a relative of mine who is an official in Yunnan. , died in office, rushed back to Hunan, and changed a pair of straw sandals for the deceased every day. When he arrived in Hunan, all the toes of the deceased were gone. It’s just that if you don’t practice your kung fu, it won’t work, and you have already thrown it away.” As for why it was thrown away. , do not specify.The purpose of the guests is to "perform", and the host intends to "tell the story", so it is inevitable that the guests will be disappointed in the end.But knowing that this thing is reading "Song of Righteous Qi" as a formula, and it has a lot to do with Confucianism, it is not without gain.Regarding the legend of exorcising corpses, this man of Taoism can be said to have achieved great success, so it is worth visiting once at a convenient time.His residence is in Shangxiguan, and he can be found out just by asking.But a scholar may see another kind of silent teasing from the smile and speech of the righteous man Fu Ertai, "You foreign nerd, you know a lot about the world, but books Not to mention, there are many other things that I don’t know. You used the "Song of Righteous Qi" to drive away the dead bodies, and you were full of curiosity and concern. You, a living person, were driven to me by some evil song?" At that time, he might have been Sitting in his grocery store (he is hidden in medicine and business), he suddenly pointed to a long-haired man on the street and said, "Look, madman!" That is really a madman, the only madman in Yuanling, but His tone may refer to your caller.Just think about it for yourself, for a ridiculous legend that has been popular for many years, you are full of curiosity to visit a person who is familiar with life, and ask him what method the dead person uses to get on the road. Come to a foreign country to make money and become famous, at least get a doctor of philosophy to return to China, and then use it to deceive Chinese students. In his sophisticated eyes, how different is your behavior from a lunatic!

This man's speech is really a masterpiece. The local history of the past thirty years has been completely preserved in his memory, and the words are mixed and humorous, which is really worth listening to.Especially the sharp and penetrating criticism of the local personnel, which reminds people of France's Voltaire. As for the source of cinnabar, it was produced in Houziping, Miao Township, Fenghuang County, which is far away from Chenzhou, three hundred miles away. Anyone who has been to Yuanling can still get compensation from the beauty of natural scenery after being disappointed by curiosity.Looking at the mountain city on the north bank from the south bank of Yuanling, the houses are connected with tiles and rafters, and the battlements are exposed on the higher places, surrounded by mountains, dotted with trees, the scenery is eye-catching, it is really tacky.Looking from the north bank to the south, the bamboo gardens, trees, temples, towers, and dwellings in the hills beside the river seem to be in the most appropriate positions.Farther behind the mountain, peaks are lined up, like screens and barriers, the smoke and clouds change, and the color is green and blue. Morning and evening face each other, and it is imaginable that there must be emperors, sons and gods, riding chi and riding Ni, galloping in between.The long river around the city, every March and April after the spring water comes out, the oil tankers on the Hongjiang River are brightly colored and sail down continuously amidst the singing of oars.There are dozens of strong and strong men on a large rectangular raft, each occupying a corner of the raft, raising their arms to stimulate the water, and ride the current down.The most touching part of the trip is the boat crossing halfway, looking around, as if it is surrounded by mountains, and there are many mountains outside the mountains, everything is picturesque.The water is deep and the current is fast. The woman who plays the boat has a strong waist and legs, is bold and calm, and stands on the bow of the boat as if nothing happened.On the same ferry boat, most of them are women, the rowers are women, and most of the transitioners are also women. Some firewood and charcoal sellers travel fifty or sixty miles back and forth to the city to sell a load of firewood for two catties of salt, or bring back some simple boats made of red and green paper and bamboo strips, and small incense sticks. When I asked her, He would answer with a smile: "Take it home and do a land fair." You may not understand the meaning of the Land Society, but in fact, it is to reward the kind of cloud king mentioned in "Chu Ci" - the mountain ghost. These women are so kind and simple at first glance, all of them under the age of forty have a piece of flower embroidered on the chest of the earth blue cloth or light green cloth apron, and almost every one of them has an ingenious plan to deal with it. Very beautiful, regardless of realistic or abstract flowers, they are always so appropriate and elegant.In the light smoke and drizzle, an outsider who sees this situation will inevitably sigh softly in praise.The weather often shrouds the mountains, waters, and people in a mood like rain and fog that makes people feel slightly desolate, but the glorious side of "life" in this place can be seen everywhere. Visitors from outside will naturally have a question: women have a share in all careers in this place, and it seems that there are only "two pieces of clothing" The woman has a share, but where is the man? On the long street, we can often see a young couple, the woman has handsome eyebrows, a perfect nose, wearing light blue cloth, a flower apron buttoned with thick silver chains with fingers, and a small bamboo cage on her back.The man is tall and thin, heroic and hearty, carrying all kinds of wild animal skins on his shoulders to sell to merchants, which is very surprising at first sight.But this kind of man is special.It is the Yao nationality who paid the money and was exempted from military service. Most of the men went to the army.Due to the flaws in the military service law and the incomplete selection of candidates for the middle-level Baojia system that enforces the military service law, many escaped from military service. These strong men left their cattle and went to the mountains to become bandits. Because of the large number of bandits, foreign officials demanded Actually the main reason.As usual, country people are willing to live well, and the old-fashioned methods of officials are mostly to prevent them from living so well.As a rule a countryman makes a good soldier as soon as he enters the barracks, but the conscription feels that there is nothing to gain if everyone is willing to serve.When there were many bandits, the authorities sent a large number of troops to "maintain law and order" and guarded several urban areas, and ignored the others.After the bandits distributed in the countryside obtained considerable weapons, they were particularly rude to civil servants in the mood of revenge. When outsiders who looted too much fell into their hands, they must first get everything and then take the "life".Many people have a particularly brutal and bloodthirsty impression of the Xiangxi people or bandits, which comes from this lesson.Many people say that there are bandits in Xiangxi. Although many people encounter bandits in Xiangxi, they have never encountered a robbery. This is the reason. If a traveler thinks that the road was built by such fierce and unruly mountain people or bandits in the scorching sun and wind and snow, and takes a new type of bus to pass by this road, he will feel the greatness and solidity of the road project and feel the greatness of the road project. In Yuanling, women can be seen everywhere how conscientious and competent they are, making a living through hard work, and the impression of nature is so beautiful, it is unavoidable to be touched by it.The mystery of this place is here and not there.The people are so available, the scenery is so beautiful, the herdsmen have come and gone in the past 30 years, and their metabolism is unknown, and they have found nothing except that they are "brutal".Those who work as officials from outside, when they return home, at most, they can only talk to strangers about the absurd legends of all kinds of symbols and ghosts that have been wiped out in the local area for a long time.The real benefits of the place cannot be appreciated, and the disadvantages cannot be understood. Isn't this another mystery of Xiangxi? Yuanling can be regarded as a place in western Hunan that has been influenced by outsiders for a long time. The power of the church in the urban area has created a group of people who eat and drink, and their aggressive temperament has completely disappeared. Perhaps a little bit of the habit of serving people in the Youth Association has been replaced. .Yuanling is also a transshipment point for several tributaries of the Yuanshui River. The merchants are relatively powerful, and the habit of profiting naturally affects some people's intentions and behaviors.Yuanling is located in the middle of the Yuanshui River Basin. Geographically speaking, it is a place that must be contested during the civil war.Therefore, some of the sailors in Mayang County became powerful local hawkers after they landed.The sons of Fenghuang County's settlements were soldiers and officers, and those who stayed at home became local residents with property.Generosity, kindness, and heroism, this kind of classical enthusiasm among Chu people, if you look for it from the locals, you can also find it from the men of these two places.An outsider, on a long street made of stone slabs in the mountain city, would be curious about such an ordinary person who is short, thin, blind, deaf, walking in a hurry, and stuttering when speaking. Heart.Maybe he was solving problems on the street at that time! Maybe his behavior needs others to solve the problem!He looked weird like that, and his air was weird.Everything is like a countryman, like a person whose faculties have been destroyed by addiction and poison, and whose heart is very ordinary.But we should find an opportunity to get acquainted with him and have a chat.We should find a way to get acquainted better and follow him to his home (his home is on a mountain. That house is the one with the best status and the most flowers and trees in Yuanling).In this way, as a result, you will come into contact with something very novel, a kind of mind cultivated in a special environment and a special life by mixing classical enthusiasm and modern rationality.You will naturally "sympathize" with him, but it is best to "trust" him.What he needs is not sympathy, because he sympathizes with others all day long, imagines and helps others, and does not have time to accept others' sympathy.He needs people's trust, because his classical attitude of being a man is worthy of trust.At the same time, his character is full of a kind of innocent interest. He needs to be trusted in order to be trustworthy.His sight and hearing were destroyed, but his heart and brain were perfectly sound.Among the children of the Fenghuang Reclamation Soldiers, there are strong men, who are not weaker than others in terms of physical strength and courage.Although this short and thin man was born in a family of warriors for generations, he lost his qualifications as a soldier because he had no strength to conquer others.But that bit of hereditary military spirit has conquered, controlled and transformed himself, and he has become the most lovable person in Yuanling County.His name was "Mr. Big," or "Big," a quirky title.Merchants, prostitutes, butchers, church ministers, and doctors called him that.People who go to Yuanling should know this great gentleman. In Yuanling County, there is a four-mile road along the lower reaches of the river. There is an island in the center of the river, surrounded by high mountains, and it is called "Hezhang Island". The name is commensurate with the scene.There is a temple on the island named "Monk Island", which is also reasonable.But the local legend thinks it is "Hezhangzhou", because the river is wide and cannot be submerged when the water rises, because the island rises and falls with the river!There is a white pagoda in Hezhangzhou, and a small piece of it was struck by lightning from the top to the root. The local people think it is strange.It's not surprising that the village on the south bank of the river is called Huangcaowei, and most people live in the orange groves. The orange trees are white and vermilion, and they should have small waists and white teeth.A Zhou family who planted a vegetable garden gave birth to four daughters. The youngest, the fourth sister, is called Yaomei. She is seventeen years old and has an apprenticeship in a tailor shop, but she has not yet married.The apprentice in the tailor shop saved up his wages for the whole year and gave Yaomei a pair of gold earrings. The girl wore this pair of gold earrings and picked vegetables to sell in Dongmen City every day.Because of her prosperous personality and handsome appearance, everyone in Dongmen Street knows Zhou Jiayao, who sells vegetables. Therefore, there are more clerks in the county's government agencies, small army assistants in the security headquarters, and small and medium-sized shops, and there are more people playing in the yellow grass tail.But it doesn't work, the fat and water don't fall into the fields of outsiders, and there is a master.But "people are afraid of being famous and pigs are afraid of being strong", Yaoyao's reputation spread, and everyone who rowed on the water knew Zhou's family Yaoyao.Last year (1937) one night in the winter, four hundred armed minions suddenly came to attack Yuanling County. They fired guns all night at the edge of the city.The original purpose of these people might just be to shoot overnight outside the city.One of the leaders called the head of the team, but he brought his brothers to Yaomei's house to knock on the door.After entering the house, do nothing but take this girl away. Although the girl was startled and frightened, she said calmly, "You snatched me and my suitcase, so I can change into clothes!" When I took it to the mountains, the leader asked! "Yaoyao, are you going to die or live?" The girl thought for a while, and said softly, "I'm going to die. You won't let me die." The leader smiled, "Then you mean to live! If you want to live, marry me and follow me. I'll treat you as an official Madam, I will live up to you by slaughtering pigs and goats for you." The girl looked at the head of the group, he was really handsome and handsome, much better than an apprentice in a tailor shop, so she said, "People eat everywhere, so I'll go with you." So on the same day, two pigs, twelve sheep, and one hundred pairs of chickens and ducks were killed.The girl asked where her suitcase was, and when she took it out and opened it, it turned out that it was all prepared for dowry!A heroic beauty can be described as a happy marriage.Three days later, the head of the group sent someone to send a letter to the old Zhou couple who were growing vegetables in Huangcaowei, saying that they were father-in-law and mother-in-law, and that sister-in-law was well and there was nothing to worry about.The letter is still written in red post, the words are gorgeous and classic, and the master's handwriting. Also sent a batch of gifts at the same time!The old couple had nothing to say, but sat in a shop on Dongmen Avenue with the apprentice in the tailor shop, weeping while cutting strips of cloth to make buttons. This can also be said to be one of the characters in Yuanling County. As for the few senior and virtuous old gentlemen living in the city, they are just like the decent gentlemen in many counties in western Hunan. their poems. Most of the children are well-educated and work outside.Plant flowers and trees at home, keep goldfish and birds, and the family rules are also very good. However, the relationship with the local area is much like that of the aristocrats mentioned by Xian Keweizhi in his book "Charcoal Painting", who adopt "non-interventionism" in everything.Because of his great fame, many irrelevant donations, irrelevant business affairs, and irrelevant troubles will not come to his door.As for the hard work and seriousness of life, he is neither as active as the heavy-duty women at the station, nor as active as the Zhou Jiayao sister who sells vegetables, but he still lives well, and that's enough. A hundred miles down the Yuanshui River to Yuanling is a border place named Liulincha, which is Liulincha, where gold is produced in western Hunan and the scenery is extremely beautiful.There was a person in that place in the past, which is very interesting.It is said that his mother was beautiful and widowed. He lived in Liulincha Town. There was a temple on the high mountain opposite the river. In the temple lived a young monk who practiced hard work sincerely.Because the widow loves the monk, she will go to see the monk every day in the name of burning incense, and it has been like a day for twenty years.The monk sincerely practiced hard work and ignored it, and it will also be like a day for twenty years.After the son grew up, he slowly learned about it.After the son knew about it, he did not dare to advise his mother, nor could he blame the monk, for fear that his mother would fall into deep water and drown if she was not careful because of her old age.I also saw that the temple is on a round peak, and it is really not easy to climb.Therefore, a hundred masons were specially hired to open a path on the hanging rock near the river, which was only enough to accommodate, and a hundred ironworkers were hired to make a thick and long iron chain and fix it on it as a helping tool.A stone arch bridge was built between the two mountains, which can save more than half of the way up to the temple on the top of the mountain.I still participate in these tasks when they are in progress until they are completed. After everything was done, the man went away and never came back. This temple, this bridge, this strange artificially hewn road on the black cliff near the river, and the thick iron chain beside the road are all well preserved there for passers-by to see.Those who go up the boat must pull the boat onto the beach from this road.Everyone on board knew the story.Although there is another version of the story, it is believed that everything was repaired by the widow, for the widow... In short, this is a great project completed by an ordinary person to satisfy his certain wishes.This person is dead long ago, but he lives in the memory of all the people on the water.The legend and the local scenery are extremely harmonious, beautiful and slightly melancholy.After 30 miles downhill from Yuanling, Yuanshui is connected with beach water, Bairong, Jiuxi, Hengshi, Qinglang... Among them, Qinglang beach is the longest, with the most stones and the most violent water flow.When going down the river, the 40-mile waterway can be completed in only 20 minutes, but sometimes it takes a whole day to go up the boat. There is a large temple at the foot of Qinglang Beach, named Fubo Palace, dedicated to Ma Yuan, a veteran of the Han Dynasty.When boaters come here, they must burn paper to offer sacrifices in the temple.The temple is featureless, not surprising.There are thousands of little crows with red beaks and red feet perched on the treetops in the corners of the temple. When they encounter a boat, they will fly to pick it up and send it off. , and ate it.As usual, boats going up can not patronize.Although there are a lot of boats going up and down, this little thing knows which boats are profitable and which ones are not.The boatman said it was Ma Yuan's magic weapon, and to welcome the boat's magic weapon, according to the old rules, anyone who hurts must pay a silver crow of equal size, so no one would dare to hurt it. Several things are human things.Inseparable from human life, but mixed with divinity and magic.The legends and myths in Xiangxi are all ancient and charming.There are many more similar to this.The mystery of Xiangxi has a lot to do with the special nature of the nation.The fantasy emotions of the "Chu" people in history must have been bred in this environment before they can grow into moving poems.If you want to save it, you also need this kind of environment.