A century of poverty

Chapter 110 Beautiful Scenery

The eldest sister's house was also newly built with five main rooms. Unlike the second sister's house, her house had a door in the middle of the five main rooms, and the east and west rooms were composed of two rooms and one window, so it was designed to be spacious and bright.

The collective land here has low contract fees, allowing for diverse planting options and individual choice. In recent years, sweet potatoes have been planted, yielding high output; in the fall, the sweet potatoes are ground into flour and sell for over two yuan per kilogram. The hillside land can be expanded, and the yield of sweet potato flour is high.

The money my eldest sister earned from selling flour after the autumn harvest was used over two years to rebuild five rooms. She was very content with this income.

After the household responsibility system was implemented, the income of one year was equivalent to several years' income under the collective system.

The eldest sister has six daughters. The eldest is beautiful, and the second sister acted as matchmaker to arrange their marriage in Liuzhuangtuo. They now have a daughter and a son.

The second son, Yanwen, is married in the same village and already has a daughter.

The third daughter, Yanqing, is married to a soldier. Yanqing teaches at the village primary school and they do not yet have children.

The fourth sister, Yan Ying, works as an accountant in a factory run in the township. The fifth sister, Yan Yun, is a sophomore at Hebei University.

The sixth child, Yanwei, attends high school locally.

The return of my maternal grandparents' family from Northeast China was a rare and joyous occasion, as both married and unmarried members came back.

Diaoyutai Village is located on the left bank of the Luan River. The surging river flows from the north, turns east in the southwest of the village, is blocked by "Bangchui Stone" and then flows south again. The village sits firmly on the north bank of the river.

The Bangchui Stone, standing facing the water, Qinyu Mountain, and Huishi Mountain across the river, and the village are separated by the river, with two beautiful sandy beaches scattered on both banks.

The rugged grandeur of the mallet-shaped rocks and gray stones, combined with the soft beauty of the fine sand on the river bend beach, creates the unique beauty of this place.

Rows of tall poplar trees line the north bank of the river, and large pebbles cover the riverbed. People born in Jinhai have never seen anything like it, and even we, who have lived there for twenty years, find it incredibly captivating.

We came from Jinhai this time, intending to enjoy the scenery of the mountains and waters in front of and behind Diaoyutai Village. My older sister was very supportive of our idea.

Xiao Shi, the son-in-law of Yanwen from this village, volunteered to be the guide.

He said, "We went to climb Qinyu and Bangchui Stone in the morning because they are quite steep. It's better to go up there when we have more energy in the morning."

He led the way, climbing up the north slope that only hunters would go to; we really had to use both our hands and feet.

Xiao Shi reminded everyone: "Be steady! Be extra careful. Look up, don't look down, and don't look back."

We followed his instructions and climbed upwards.

Upon reaching the height of the mallet stone, following the faint path, step by step, we arrived at the mallet stone.

From a distance, the mallet-shaped rock, standing firmly and quietly in the river in front of the mountain, appears serene and unmoving.

A closer look, however, is terrifying.

From afar, the gap between the rock and the mountain appears as a narrow passage; up close, it is a cluster of towering boulders, like a pass that cannot be crossed unless one is flat-chested and covered with a thick layer of skin.

Looking down, the mighty river at the base of the club-shaped rock swirls and flows away, a breathtaking sight.

Looking straight ahead, the top of the land, which had been ripped off by the earthquake, was cleanly cut off as if the ground had been sliced ​​off, and the area was about the size of a room.

We marvel at the wonder and power of nature.

After a few steps along a rugged and treacherous path, there is a flat area of ​​about one square meter in front of a cluster of rocks where one can stand.

But only those with exceptional agility can reach it.

Because of foot pain, I couldn't go, so I could only watch others experience the thrill of adventure.

Xiao Shi told us, "There's a larger flat area over there, big enough for three or four people to sit down. If you're confident, you can go and take a look."

Big brother, Shuanglai has come and gone.

Yanqing: "I've never been there before, so I'll go and take a look today."

Xiao Shi said, "Normally, who would dare to come here alone? Even I've only been here once or twice. Just over there is Hezuo Village."

Shuanglai took off his camera to capture the moment he felt like taking a picture.

It can truly be said that you can visit the South Mountain and then the North Mountain.

Yesterday I went to Bangchui Stone in the south, and today I went to the north, to Niangniang Temple Mountain, the highest mountain in the area.

The name of Niangniangmiao Mountain comes from a myth.

Legend has it that more than a thousand years ago, two armies were fighting. One side retreated to this mountain, while the other side pursued them up the mountain but suddenly could not find any trace of their retreat.

The pursuers spotted a woman drawing water from a stone well and approached her, asking, "Did you see a group of people pass by? Which way did they run?"

The woman pointed in the opposite direction, and the pursuing soldiers chased after her in that direction.

Later, after the army retreated and gained control of the country, he made a special trip to this mountain to offer sacrifices and built a "Temple of the Goddess" on the mountain.

The older sister said, "The temple is gone now, but the well's design is still there, and there's a footprint on the stone."

This further increased our interest in watching it.

Our group of over twenty people, including adults and children, left the main gate and headed west along the road, rounding the foot of a mountain to reach the foot of Niangniang Temple Mountain.

Standing at the foot of the mountain and looking up, Niangniang Temple Mountain is a mountain on a mountain, located on top of this mountain.

My feet were hurting, and I was in a dilemma: "This mountain is too high; I can't climb it carrying the child. I'll wait down here; you guys go ahead!"

At this moment, Yanqing's son-in-law, Gao Junwu, took Su Long from her: "I'll hold the child for you."

I happily joined everyone. Again, it was Big Brother, Shuanglai, and others leading the way.

We sisters and mothers, in twos and threes, climbed upwards one after another.

The mountain is high, but not very steep. On the lower part, farmers have cleared a path, and we followed the path up.

Upon reaching the summit, we forged our own path and began our ascent. Gradually, the mountain became higher and the rocks larger and more numerous. By then, the first group had already reached the top, and hearing their cheers gave us a surge of strength.

Reaching the summit, I let out a long sigh, instantly feeling refreshed and invigorated. Looking around, the scenery was even more breathtaking.

The Luan River flows beneath our feet like a white ribbon.

Looking east and north, one can see patches of city walls. Looking west, one can vaguely see six layers of mountains.

He shouted, "Oh—! I'm here—!" The sound echoed for a long time.

We stood atop a high mountain, where there were three peaks, each with its own unique rock formations. The northwest peak was steep and precipitous, while the southern branch was dotted with scattered rocks. The mountaintop beneath our feet was gentler, with large, square stones clustered together.

"Fifth Sister, come here, let's take a picture!" It was my sister-in-law, Jiang Xiaoyu, calling me.

We took photos against a backdrop of ochre-colored rocks and scenery of various styles.

Xiao Shi: "The 'Niangniang Temple' and 'Shijing' that my mom mentioned are located in that area."

We followed him southeast and there really was a well that looked abandoned.

The temple ruins, judging from the piled stones, seem to have once been houses.

"Look! This big footprint!" Xiao Shi said, standing next to a smooth, oval-shaped rock.

When we went over, sure enough, there was a clear, large footprint on the stone, as if it had been left barefoot.

Zhang Xing ran up and put his feet on it: "But our feet aren't even that big."

Xiao Shi: "You? An adult's bare feet are probably that big?"

We stood there for a long time, examining and discussing it. Who could have walked on it barefoot? How could such clear footprints be left on a stone? It's truly amazing!

I said, "It was probably stepped on by a woman."

My niece, Zhang Jing, a chubby seventeen or eighteen-year-old with her hair just tied back, asked earnestly, "How did you know?"

Fourth Sister chimed in, "There's a temple to a goddess here! Maybe the goddess was carrying water, and with that effort, she stepped on the stone and made a mark. That makes sense!"

The nieces smiled and agreed, "That's about right."

We chatted and laughed, rested for a while on the mountaintop, and then descended from the south side, quickly reaching the bottom of the mountain.

"It feels shorter to walk this way than that way," someone said.

Yan Ying: "Second brother-in-law, you've led us on such a long and arduous journey. What kind of tour guide are you?"

Xiao Shi: "That side is easy to climb, and the view is good."

When we arrived at the foot of the mountain, my nieces, nieces, and I didn't go home. We went straight to the Luan River beach to walk on the sand and pick up "baby stones".

The riverbed upstream from the ferry crossing is covered with pebbles of all shapes and sizes. We walked upstream, crouching down to search carefully.

Some were as smooth as jade, others resembled animals. I found a seed that looked just like a kidney bean, and a yellow stone that looked exactly like a jeep, with green stripes on it like car windows.

The sun was setting behind the mountains, and the magpies in the big poplar trees by the river were chirping as they returned to their nests. We had just gotten home, each of us carrying a heavy bag.

My third sister teased us, "You're carrying so much of this, the train conductor will make you check it in once you get on the train."

I said to the older sister, "Your Diaoyutai is really nice, with beautiful mountains, unique rocks, and historical sites. If you renovate it, it can become a scenic area."

The eldest sister proudly said, "Yes. Haven't you heard? Along the banks of the Luan River: Kulong Mountain, Zhouwangzhuang, and Bangchui Stone to see the Empress."