Chapter 11 Qingfeng Bridge

Qingfeng Bridge The place where my mother was born is a village near the sea.There she spent her childhood, her teenage years, and most of her life as a young girl before she married. My mother and I went back to the village on Qingming several times.In the mountains in spring, the air is fresh, the sun is bright, and the climate is slightly chilly.Rhododendron, pear, apricot and peach blossoms on the mountain are in full bloom.My mother took me to see the old houses, along the narrow cobblestone streets, to the front of the old wooden buildings.The interior has been changed beyond recognition, and the new owner has used it as a storage room, full of dry wood and farm tools.But my mother remembered the structure of the house before, when her grandmother ran a small hotel, and she lived in the attic with her siblings, and the days were just as joyful.

Inside, the elegant hometown of Neihe, the typhoon, the market, the sea, the ferry, and the description of the flood flooding the streets come from my mother's intermittent and incomplete memories.Her tone is always cheerful, with innocence, automatically filtering out the turmoil and poverty in the world, only a kind of abundant and strong affection. The main street in the village is newly paved with cement and looks flat and wide.The streets were empty.A silk shop that sells old-fashioned quilt covers and satin materials.An old man was making cakes on the side of the street and guarding the coal stove.The yellow dog ran slowly to the other end of the street.This is an unremarkable, groomed street.My mother said that there used to be a big river here.The water diverges from the sea and passes through the middle of the village.Both sides of the river bank are full of people, open the back door, wash clothes and fetch water by the river.It was very lively.This big river is the lifeblood of the whole village.There is a stone bridge on the river connecting the houses on both sides.The stone bridge has a long history, with a round arch and large blocks of square bluestone paving.In summer, there is a cool breeze on the bridge, and people spread out mats and spend the night on the bridge to enjoy the coolness.

Later, the township government decided to encircle the pond and completely transform this seaside village.They filled fields along the coast, paved rivers, and tore down stone bridges.As a result, this once bustling and bustling village where ships docked and traded products suddenly fell silent.There are no more big ships docking, no people coming to exchange things, and no grand bazaars.There is no river.There is no bridge.Only two large piers remain.A stone tablet stands next to it, recording the history of the bridge being demolished.Filling rivers and demolishing bridges is commemorated as a feat.

Mother stood on the concrete floor, looking at the white front, as if looking at the river that brought her infinite fun and vitality in her childhood.The life by the river with infinite joy and noise and the unity of heaven and earth emerged before my eyes, but no one would know the shape of that big stone bridge anymore. Its name is Qingfeng Bridge.