Writers Geographic

Behind the Wu Gorge

4. Bed
Wushan farmers broadly divided into two kinds of sleep in the bed. A kind of luxury, the old may not work and luxury. Paint had even carved wood, there are four bedpost, high ground can be picked hanging valance. Also get out of bed after a springboard for individual board. A similar bed, a child in the "Water Margin" illustrations on the old copies seen standing beside the bed kind of bent willow Pan Jinlian Yan Poxi and so on. The other is an ordinary beds, shop, Shen cotton, sleep on a plank covered with a few

Children, co-build an old quilt, taste heavy. Beds also act as wardrobe, a summer and winter clothes were piled on it.
I sat, in the strange odor of drinking tea, a stranger hit came in, said that some places I did not go to. He was like a cadre, wearing a red shirt pieces Chu, waist tied to a big string of keys. He said that some farmers, even though his family's poverty, local people did not believe it. Open the door of mud houses, which have nothing dark can not see behind the door suddenly straighten a child, knees to the door of people respect the team ceremony. A child kneeling on the bed of the family. Stone pine bed, the top ply bamboo, and then the top mat of corn leaves, and cotton at all. I asked him: What is the time of happened? He said: the winter of 1998, the mountain village of Tuk Tsubosato days of garlic.

Quite clear that afternoon, I went to the river Liang Wushan County schools, principals said their school took me to see the Guinness World Records, although they did not go to the register, he concluded that the application can be immediately selected quasi. The young president took us down through the layers of a school, I saw a big dormitory, 154 square meters, 184 people are now living in a student, each with double beds to sleep four students, bed width 90 cm, The end of the bed put a pillow bed. Under the bed stuffed with 4 black pickle personal altar. Principals said that they calculate carefully measured, each student activity space to rest 1  2 Ping Fangmi. 1  2 square meters, the equivalent of a 25-inch color TV in full bloom of paper cartons.

Principal asked me: This is enough of Guinness, right?

When I went to big dormitory, the students failed in, sit in the county to participate in pre-medical examinations of the Normal School. The children of farmers less and less willing to university, reading the junior high school, they reported in Normal School, graduating as soon as possible as soon as possible to take a teacher's salary, more than 200 yuan. There is no Li Ji Da, as then people can flee France.

Near the Little Three Gorges area, there is a very swift river currents, the water rolled the white snow-white ground, red Dangzhe large river stones, the embrace of the smallest stones are also great, magnificent, in 1999 there are people who've been riding River to the swept away by rapids. River in the vicinity of primary schools to allow students who are far away from home, living in the rural teachers. This bed is in the house corner of the mud capped with straw, 4 square meters, sleeps 12 students. Teachers to space constraints at home, more students have to climb mobility River Road, to school, walking the two-hour mountain considered to be very common.

Small Three Gorges tour tourists normally the end of the ancient city of big-chang. This is the city who have seen several film crew. There is an open "numb" car boasted that he had seen the mountains singing red, come here filming MTV. I know that the red-10000 is a woman, and the rest are all flurried trance indistinct. Dachang People always like to talk to strangers these.

Dachang has not set up a "boy on the 8th," the tourist attractions. Glorious things that are not made, it is natural to want to escape. "Boys 8" is a male dormitory, by the local secondary school to a blacksmith's shop rented out to students live. Stone on the road, a boy ran brought us a smaller key. Dark, the ground was wet water, only the deepest quarters opened a big window of about one meter. Everywhere beds. It depends mainly on open-source half-walls, the sun can be directly take care of rain water into the wall sleeping students. Here, 120 square meters, housing 127 students.

Accompany me to see "Boys on the 8th," a teacher said that the school every year, the money paid to smithy 2000, when it comes here, he would sigh. Here again, each bed to sleep two students, the first front of the foot that is said to be willing to sleep in the law, a person's entire bed to sleep with the shop again with Cover, someone's there are so many bedding? I asked: It is fall from the upper berth came from? they say, often threw the climb to sleep, it was morning and woke up only to find still sleep on the floor.

Na Yueshi child silently behind them, finally, he nails a big metal locks, lock the door. Some people say: You have to ask this group of students, boys 8 at home than he Zhude Hao, he was annoyed the first house Oh! Children Nayao Chi running, two rectangular patch on the bottom, swing.

Large-chang told me, all teachers have graduated from Wushan, "Beijing Normal University," North Gate Wushan full name is the slope, large children's school teacher. No. 8 boys out on a lot of transportation.

5. Face

In the summer, and the mountains 2,000 meters above sea level, the elderly still wearing cotton-padded clothes, his family was a good point of a child wearing a sweater.

There is a face Naotomo I go past, is the 78-year-old child, wrote the words across the forehead, "Lvshi Gang," written in blue ink. I asked: Do you call Lvshi Gang do? He did not answer, there is a mountain of Feiqi Overlord. The band is called hometown of Deng Xiaoping, once the bandits out of the nearby fort to retain the year.

Lv Shigang is not you? I asked. His chest is also sewn sweaters Pachytene significant word "Lvshi Gang", seems to be afraid of him losing.

Another pro-speaking children: on the right track! Mean that he was called Lvshi Gang. Twinkling of an eye of a child's face with the word disappeared, surrounded my children were all hanging nose, do not rub their nose like a nose, very natural to stay face. Distance pad very high school, four little girl in the rehearsal program, the body stiff dancing, hand-twisted Miantao the same as in the air about what the dig. I asked, and they are 5 grade students, all flowing nose. This situation, at an altitude of 1,000 meters below rare. I think this is a mountain nose, and altitude related and health has nothing to do.

One morning, I called the officer to cross the river along the water walk a longer distance, then walked back to town. Town in a black stone bridge, there are push cart selling miscellaneous items, have been a few students around, they try them on plastic glasses, try a red frame, and then try the green, the colors have to try. Spent grinding lenses as early as plastic film. Wear glasses, they looked at each other, then looked at mountains, looked at rivers, vast expanse of open loop week off, the one child still pulls out a few cents notes.

I asked them: wear this do?

They say: wear good-looking!

Italian film "Star Exploration," there are a lines: a good face on the mirror. In Wushan, I really have seen a good variety of faces on the mirror, helpless, tired, indifferent, impatient rampage of. The real countryside, there is no a profiling of the face, and everyone living, because he was true.

Wushan territory, there are four Catholic churches. Wandering in the county, just over one. 89 year-old woman Yang Bijiang, is preaching staff, but everyone called her Yang. She told me that she ancestors nine generations of believers, "Cultural Revolution" when the criticism of her and asked her why she called the President, she said: In the past I taught Waer reading to do is President. She took me to see the lobby of preaching, but also exceptionally open all the lights. The arrangement here, a little Chinese flavor, trivial, and it sounds a bit garish. Under the old lady took me Mulou, I asked could not give her a picture. She said: This is the first dark house, and to the door, let the sun shine on his face.

Mr. Yang's face to the sun shine, peaceful and clean.

6. Food

Wushan farmers of their main food is potatoes and corn meal. Corn raw half-broken and some dry  , not cooked soft, very poor taste to eat and eat like sand.

We rely on the river flat land can grow rice, money to eat on the local rice in the Wushan. Generally reluctant to eat white rice, leaving the students to study with rice. I asked 250 people three schools, statistics down, 215 people do not lunch, eating only two meals a day.

Some of Guandu affluent area, primary and secondary schools, there are an open steamer, 4 drawer. I passed the time, was hit with the students of the rice in the drawer side. I saw the steam to disperse after being exposed white gauze or a handkerchief beaten up the rice balls, pickles wrapped in individual small, the majority is just plain rice. If there were a dozen balls of meat, a miracle will happen and will flow over drawer incense, and all people have the blessings with rice. This is similar to the Russian fisherman expect the old woman. With white rice balls have been good.

Rural primary schools in the mountains, few have lunch, teachers also empty, and some schools do not arrange to eat lunch. A hope primary school, I saw a boy across from a distance over the fields, feet Shuaizhe mud, has been run into the school, such as Akira Kurosawa's film "Shadow Warrior" in the mad rush of soldiers into the city messenger. Ran closer, only to see him Satisfy with a white bread. I asked the others, where years of bread, they look complicated, it seems there are envy, saying something to the town to buy Well!

I was sitting the car is a strong guy, jeep made in China, 10 days, did not give Britain actually broken, only bad once, until a coal car, borrow a wrench, for 10 minutes then open the. That day, we have brought to the three high school students back to school, are the little girl.

Which is called Mei Hsu, 15-year-old, back in a big bag, I asked her back to see if you have anything? The county said that confidentiality of the mountains, what a child, of course, can see.

Xu Mei bag when the top is a piece of thin cloth, just like the package a pair of stockings son, two cotton underwear. Third-year students in the same village and then entrusted her with a big glass pickles, there are three kilograms. Now, a large plastic bag wrapped fist a lot of layers, is cut bacon pieces, a total of seven, extremely thin, transparent, and the white parts and more red part of the small, it was her two weeks, the oil fishy, to eat one every two days. The bottom is a cloth bag filled with dried small potatoes, large nails, done rustling sound, earth yellow, there are big bottle of red pepper sauce. This is the Hsu-Mei 2 weeks of food. Hsu Shih-Mei bags looking at the time, another girl to school bag hidden at the foot of the edge, I've noticed. I met a similar situation before, the things that she brought over, but when Hui-mei. I would not ask to see her bag had.

Sunday noon, Wushan mountains have many children keep our noses, close to the cliff walk, which because it had to stay home in the mountains of the students go home the whole purpose is to get food. Ask any one, your back in any way? He answered in the affirmative: Yes, to eat. Some trucks leisurely walk, take a student received a money, the little car. They and their own food along slowly walking down the mountain.

7. Bacon

I Wushan those days, formed a bacon thinking. All good, valuable, and can be converted into cash, and symbolizes the rich only bacon. Zhu wrote in the city, "I love dollars", living in Wushan who must write "I love bacon."

Before he left, the only thing I bought was a pack of bacon with plastic packaging. Send me the Wushan Man saw that said it would not work, to the homes of peasants out of their own smoked. Bacon this thing in the Wushan in hard currency, you can sell money 4 a pound, the day is the city that day, you can exchange for yuan. Were just a call to the primary school students on both sides of his family on the walls, hung him from school since the one hand, has won the awards, the other side hung up the 16 bacon, the whole family all know, it was just the future of tuition fees to the case of .

The morning, only 5 o'clock, but the tractor through the window, people can not sleep in the. I was forced up, stand night only charge a small shop, five of money, the entire valley with the tractor roll. At this time, I saw two students standing in a small street, hot steam steaming pot of small shops opened, the two were wrapped in a white mist. That day, we have to go into the mountains, the students leave to go home, would like a free ride. Two students, woman is called Feng Yan, men Jiaozhang cast.

Zhang Zhu Reading who started 6 hours to go home mountain, he is written in front of me, and to see the mountain stream tears children. ZHANG Zhu-standing, hanging of a rope belt, pull out a two keys, semi-transparent tape volume crushed, one I've seen a child of 9 cents a knife. I asked him what knives and tape? He said: sticky broken the book. I asked: breaking book you with? He nodded.

Later, the car moaned up the mountains. Zhang Zhu said he was only a sister and grandmother at home, the parents took my brother to go to work in Zhengzhou, the Spring Festival came back. We went to Zhang Zhu home, a somewhat senile dementia of the old woman very loudly right ZHANG Zhu said that a burst of Wushan words. Zhang Zhu said that he lived in the attic, and then he was gone. I own the loft, wood Zhiga to the sound of the collapse at any time did. The above is only a wooden bed, quilt, like bone-dry with a meat accumulated tan thick leather children, which is Zhang Zhu bed. Attic Another thing is with the meat hanging on a beam, the entire attic walls to Xunde dark, follow-up of the coal mines or less the same line up a bunch of chunks of bacon. Zhang Zhu six hours every two weeks to run the mountain back Peifang beam bacon were sleeping one night, pitted six hours back to the school.

At this time, I smelled the scent. I was right food no interest in people, but Hong Oh! From the attic of the wood crevices, can see the following shiny outside, take a bowl of the little boy. Zhang Zhu's parents, brother unexpectedly returned.

Zhang Zhu returned from Zhengzhou, the younger brother was eating bacon, 3-year-old, complete and independent of this world look like, only know that Meat of small animals.

I admit that I will always remember this scene, Zhang Yong Zhao cast his brother, head is not next to the TV, and find out that yellow hair, touch that eating oily face. 11-year-old brother and 3-year-old brother, so deep intimacy between. Brother Zhigu eating, small arms around the bowl to live, meat was tough, not easy to bite. I approached, and smell the bacon was a huge incense.

I asked Kevin: You do not eat?

Zhang Zhu wrote: gave him to eat. 11-year-old child, look where adults have emerged in the soft kind.

To concentrate on a small boy to eat meat Mingjiao Hai Feng, Daming Dr Chiu.

I wrote on the land, and a Ph.D. Ph.D. words. Zhang Zhu said: on the right track.

Dr Chiu was born in Hainan Island, two brothers, surnamed Zhao named Zhang, respectively, is to avoid family planning. At this time, the bowl of a large piece of bacon to Dr Chiu finished his bowl upon their Zhang Zhu, Dr. Zhao Zhang Zhu pulled the oil black hands are not relaxed.

Metal is of good quality. Similarly, the bacon is also a quality. Peasant child of Dr. Zhang Zhu and Zhao emotions of quality. That noon, I actually forgot I have a camera. Is only aware of their time and talent to others might think of taking pictures, but I had never been seen disappeared. Only Zhang Zhao, can there be cameras?

In June, I am at an altitude of more than 2000 meters of Wushan countryside to eat soup at a small shop, bacon potatoes, separated for a while, the owner would come into a washbasin full of potatoes, bacon continued into the pot. Marked Piaodang, the temperature 10 degrees. Cold in the back, it was through the clothes to me, is it an old style black clothes, it is impossible to wear. I would like to see the history of bacon.

8. Electric

I went to the Wushan country has electricity, no power more remote places, to walk and climb mountains, the need for adequate time, and I have a plan, on the return day in front of them the future, I hope it will not set out in a planned way to walk.

Modern, culture, and do not necessarily have the mountain, but the electricity is still useful. Farmers to power diverted to the fields, put lights on the two horns tied to the middle of Upper Ngau Tau cattle are forced to make farming in the night, like the miners wore miner's lamp. I have seen in the tourism goods store where a similar hiking headlights, Germany, production, priced at nearly 300 yuan. It was the words of Guangdong, the "play " objects, play  not very good and accurate translation, posturing, the blind pursuit of fashionable bar. Farmer said, just 10 days ago, a heavy rain, a dome light farming of cattle to mine hack, I guess so are working with the electric cattle get burned.

CLP to our lives to change, at least extended, and also put yellow Natiao cattle to the bully's life taken from them.

Wushan the Normal School did not provide arts professional, no music teachers in the county, the most qualified singing teacher is the power.

I heard the bizarre song. Young primary school principals have a trademark label Phi suit, said his students are ready to practice a song. I asked: What singing? He said: I love Beijing Tiananmen Square. It did not get, Tiananmen Square in Beijing is so loves please? Principal, said: Battery is dead. Students are learning songs the kind of square box around the tape recorder, on the ground put a few large cells. Vice-Chancellor said: a change of batteries. Student said: no power of.

From the county over the Yangtze River to the south ferry, the taxi companies for nearly two hours, and then climbing, there is a yellow date the village primary school, more than 70 students. In 1997, Huang jujube village got electricity, but electricity from the village to the introduction of school, use the 2000 money, this money is not out of school students, so the village of Huang jujube Chinese students will sing the national anthem, seriously out of tune.

9. Shoes

Rural supply and marketing cooperatives where the best shoes, I would like to see. A woman to find me, in the middle of turning the old farm tools, come up with a pair of boots, wipe the dust, the original color it was new and bright, suddenly became the most-wide supply and marketing cooperatives shiny things. Purple boots, Gao Tong, rubber, and has posted up a very strong trademark, is a Pegasus, indicating the BMW licenses. BMW, let me think of luxury car.

I asked how much money these boots? Woman seems not a professional salesperson, she said she was going to ask his store dropped the whole, from the back door and left. The county estimates to be more than 20 pieces. Who would wear something so expensive, who has so precious in the foot? They said.

10 days, I have seen on the back of coal were barefoot, back Chai people, barefoot to school students. Foot is good, no matter how not to use the money to go.

An elementary school hallway full of shoes, each door of the classroom heap pile. School bell rings, and a bell were skull-bone, put a hammer through it, Backlight, walk shoes forests. Outside the classroom students are looking for shoes, with the words of Wushan, they are complaining about: Where is my child? This school students to be afraid of the mud into the newly paved concrete floor of the classroom, requiring students to all take off their shoes before you can go in class. Even so, clean the classroom when the usual phone-in everywhere, from the dust fall in. The child is still bare teeth out laughing.

There are shops selling straw sandals child. Wear clusters, overlapping layers of dried fish as a scattered open, hanging. I want to buy a pair and asked, as long as two dollars, carefully picked, the grass where they all add to the chemical fiber rope may be strong in order. Stuff of science who rejected? I said, I bought a pure straw sandals. Owner is the bad guy for the elderly as soon as the storm suddenly the muscles in the foot to show me that he is also wearing straw sandals, he put it bluntly, a three-year no bad! I told them not this increase fiber rope, and he said no! Turn into the store , it seems that I have trouble, them the good things not to single bad thing.

10. Letter

Wushan in a primary school for students in four grades according to the arrangements for teachers in secondary school students in Shenzhen, a letter in advance, sent a list of students in Shenzhen, Wushan child recipients of their own choice, they want to pick and his own surname The. The following are the students Wushan not send the letter to go excerpt, I have commented on Riga in parentheses:

"Every day I 5:30 Qi Lechuang the future, they eat, and then run to the school. (Run!) This time I did not test well, I think that damn 80 points, like a demon all day long entangled me, and I hate you, you will not let me progress. "(80 min by the devil, the devil that you change the person).

"Every day I get up at 5:30 on (the same as the beginning of the previous letter), cook their own food to eat. My bad math, but I like sports, I would like to improve." (Jumping too high) .

"We do a flag-raising ceremony every week." (Dry?)

"Every time release week, a rare day to play about, grandmother and younger brother asked me to work, and let rest a week should I go to Gan Huo and his younger brother." (He wants to do justice).

"We are here, the fish can be more below the bridge, are a female under the fish, people should eat one meal a year." (The whole river fish is a fish born to the mother?)

"Every year for the New Year's gift I have only five or sixty dollars, we are here to eat members (round) rice should the door shut, before the walls of the house hung a firecracker, eat before the first call upon the death of their loved ones but also to eat, the chopsticks out three or four on the bowl, on a moment, to chopsticks to win, and then pour some tea in the seat, in the (re) to rice down the (?) himself ready to eat. "(Tong chapter folk report).

"My family is very difficult, Mom and Dad away from home, only the maternal grandfather and my home, I went home and sometimes did not work done on the evening. But there is no light, I would be very difficult, therefore, the words are written is not neat." (This Thus an abrupt end in the letter).

"Every day I Tianbuliangjiu get up, eat again after carrying bags, carrying flashlights and flew like (to) school came running over, if the slow (and place) to go, it will be late. Just recently, we here Small grass-green of the leaves is also very lush, the flowers opened, colorful, multi-US-uh. After a holiday here can come watch us. "(a sudden shift from the tense lyric).

It appears that they write the time learn from each other before, more than half of the letters were written though life is hard, comparable "war" Well, it seems that they have just lived through the war. Shenzhen, the students did not send a gift over to, almost all students have to write a gift letter has been received, thank you. Only one student speaking the truth, saying that you sent me something, I have not received.

Dozens of letters placed in the old wooden table, all without sealing, teachers said, what means it stick envelopes?

11. Old Town

Accompany me to see the ancient city of big-chang said his grandfather was an officer then stationed in Dachang, riding a collapse gun squadron leader, "horse collapse the gun" is his description.

Dachang ancient 1,700-year history, the Qing Sichuan, Chongqing, the two buildings is the best preserved, and now there are three years of changes, the South East and West gates. I was sitting, "numb" in the city turn. "Numb" vehicles that have two explanations: 1. Right rules of the road completely numb, rampage, no one can regulate; 2. Damping of very poor, bumpy too uncomfortable, not to jolt the guests to get off to the whole body numb, absolutely do not accept transportation money.

Rich city, there lived in the early years, "Wen Grand Courtyard", cultural preservation centers. Big house there is only one future generations of farmers fully dressed, be careful words and deeds, it is a restrained elderly Wen Lin. He told me to look at a pair of carved wooden windows, exquisite designs, solid wood, carving fine, there are butterflies, bats, peach, chrysanthemum, peony, etc., two windows on the design team to fight together, is a double happiness character. This window to a fancy American tourists come up with to buy 800 U.S. dollars, Wen Lin say no sale.

Little popular furniture compound as an empty house. Said the old man a lot of windows and doors and staircase railings are in the "Cultural Revolution" period gives when burned firewood. Retention walls of an empty house "clear up the instructions" and the painted heart-shaped "loyalty" is used.

Courtyard far away from the warm, wooden style architecture is said to be past, a den, opium place. Into the Three Gorges reservoir area, the whole city will have drowned Dachang, buildings will be moved upward. I do not know that the stone wall of uneven wood cornices how the breath of a child migration law. Dachang were privately talking about, like the old smoke Museum this year's contentious region, at the time removed, quasi-rare to find objects that year, gold jewelry, black smoke bubbles, silver coins and so on. The story was all gone, there still exist some kind.

Old Smoke House, opposite the door was being unloaded. Then the descendants of those who ride collapse guns to our streets of the quartzite that said, here is where Long rest and drink tea. I asked him which year, he said long march. I asked him to go Long line. He said: how can there be any quasi-line, the elderly say that a group of people from that side the hills, here the mountains go, where sparsely populated high mountains, dense forests where the left. Sagittarius is commonly known, in fact, no horse.

Ancient city there is a commercial street is very nice. Sell rough weaving, selling straw sandals, selling embroidery color line, selling leather nitrate, selling coarse salt, into a time tunnel back 30 years, is the feeling.

The size of the Three Gorges travel quite cold in 1999, and the ancient city where almost no visitors, a few meters away before the wooden wall to open a door, the door will swing only a back of a wooden chair, the whole street not seen and only a wooden chair gatekeeper. One with more than 40 years of age, said his childhood in the ancient city kids to get up early Dachang The first thing is to wear padded gown, clamp the broom, watering out street sweeping, and everyone so, greeted each other with, so that the streets The slate blue Liangliang to be revealed. Who sweep the streets, he said that now, at most, clean up their own house first.

12., R.

I am talking about the Three Gorges of the Daning is a small, green, and transparent, emerald like. And farmers with the passenger sitting to the Wushan county, only 15 tickets. The river has a rocky beach, no motor boat, when there are trackers.

Ship by a parent with a son manipulation, ranging from full-off will never weigh anchor. I squat an old peasant cabin, wearing black clothes the body, the new dyed. Took out a small bottle of alcohol over the ship's liquor taste, food burning, and drinks are a little Twisted fried. The cabin, there are three children are learning to walk, the old peasant children call them one by one, leaving long finger nails, hand the child a small piece of cannabis teaser in the past. Down-the child had stopped, cannabis was good, spirits scorching hot, they are all staggered dodged.

50 km of the waterway, met three cruise ship. A stop at a rocky beach, everyone looking for treasure, like picking up stones. The other one stopped at the steep, the tourists were walking to Old Plank Road. Really only Yanbi thousands of ancient stone holes. Shop the board made a short scenic spots in recent years thing. Only one high-speed boat, a man stood on the bow, foreign, white, yellow and white hair, yellow and white of the pants, fluttering independent bow. Estimate is that the entire package of cruise ships Kuoren, the county of speculation about to pay 200 U.S. dollars. Drinking old farmer Dundao the bow deck, this is the time and he was tied for a consignment of Jialing Motorcycle.

The river, issued a big sound, I thought it was emerald sound. Into the Yangtze River, mysterious immediately decay, river Hun Huang. Because the ship's rating is poor, there is no terminal, stepping on large stones over a rocky beach.

See also flourishing, and the Yangtze River ferry check-in woman in thick containers, wearing a black short skirts, platform shoes, shiny hair, sitting on top of your head spin. Selling insole for human use portable loudspeakers, facing the crowded alley, such as ants call along the river embankment and on more than 30 passengers to Wushan stomach filled with anything only digest.

To accompany me back to the county seat of Wushan said that 20 years ago, she was in the middle of the town Daning do teachers once every month back to the county seat. Tianbuliangjiu from the mountains in time to pull the coal ship, able to get on ship, for a place to sit down and sleep in a while even if the lucky, who cares about this river?

13. Leadership

I walked through the potato fields. To brake the point, after a little heel plus Cuo force, fields of the steep slope and could slide down a little loose. Banpo, on a thatched cottage, Wong Nai cracked hole in the wall, to see the house things. Adopt a child of a long bench said to me: a good leader! Sound strange big, shocked me.

He called me the leadership, probably because I was from the car down.

Wushan's children on the roadside to see the cars, would immediately Li Zhu, salute. They respect the ceremony is entirely American-style Hollywood movie, suddenly raised his hand and stopped in the vicinity of the temple until paused. The same position, I think only Bill Clinton boarded Air Force One, he's always done before. However, he did not say a good leader!

There is a mountain on top of the primary and secondary schools, their principals misunderstood, may think that we are to check the "universal compulsory education is literacy" work. Vehicles can not enter school, we walk a road, only to stand like a honeycomb trampled mud, like the playground, all students in all long term resident, and King Bill Clinton ceremony, saying that good leadership! Then, as if into a program, there are several small girl-side basin of warm water, soap and towels, let us face. Then, the muddle into a classroom to make each cup of tea. Mao wearing a vest to open the book have begun reporting on the principals. Now, I mistakenly thought I was to hear some of the leading figures were written down:

Deng home, the county, one of 12 poverty-stricken village. The highest elevation of 1680 meters, Chongqing and Hubei border. Population of 4184 people. 8848 acres of land. Early in 1999, the loss of 28 high school students through multi-mobilization, except one, are all into the school to study. The county's population, the current 15 to 49-year-old young adults in this age group, there are illiterates (not finished primary school at grade 3) 2787 people, never reading literacy, the town's population, accounted for 30 percent. Literacy classes are being organized all kinds of ... ...

I am the furthest away from the leadership of the ordinary civilians, but only heard the local farmers, the illiteracy rate, I was still surprised. I do not have a trace of the rigid responsibility, but I always have a sense of race, there is always a sense of humiliation.

14. Qian

Some paper money from the machine printed out. However, money is much worse than the paper and machinery. Farmers want their money, only the backs of small potatoes, or bacon, sneaking into the private open a small coal mines, Kangshang easiest to work outside the luggage.

In Wushan countryside, formal teacher salaries from 200 to 300. Private Teacher 110. Also on behalf of private teachers, less money. LAU Cheong Fu Private school teachers to teach language, history, politics, geography, art, sports, calligraphy, 7 classes, monthly wages 24. Yang Shilin the same school another teacher, teaching mathematics, physics, chemistry, wages 21.

Fukuda affluent town of secondary school students, 40 live-in students, 6 have never spending money. Every two weeks 5 of 27. Be able to get 10 to 7. This includes pocket money to buy soap, candles, ink, a class of necessities of life.

County's market, there are an old pair of my wore Jiefang Xie from his feet, he found a certain age had. His whole upper body is drilling a bamboo basket, the long time with no success. I am very novel, go back to him and found he was fiddle with some apricot leaves in a few money. Malay race so he has black face, a reasonable deduction in the basket a dirty notes. Those days I Wushan, it was apricot season. Apricot This is a good thing, do not Sinong, natural way to the money.

Wushan County, the river north, the first car to go two hours, and then sit motorcycle 2 hours, and then hiking 2 hours, there is called Chen village. The villagers carry water to go very far, to a naturally formed cave pools to go. This is Murakami's generation of 47-year-old private teacher Wang Xutian, 21 monthly salary, plus a variety of subsidies, less likely to get 70 or so. Month into the cash balance in the village people. Often helped them to submit late fees, and some yet to pay the tuition fees owed to his father, his son again he came to advance. The summer of 1999, his family suffered, unfortunately, has just received the money up for school 3000 tuition fees, during the night of burglary, money was taken away, Wang's wife was killed, murder, robbery in broad daylight who is actually the village a 23-year-olds . After the accident, youth suicide, Wang Xutian back the school's tuition, but his wife was no more. Committed suicide after killing the honest peasant family, Qian Guo a young cow, the operator paid out Wang Xutian his wife lives. Later, I received the news of Wushan Man Chuan came two months later, Wang Xutian and a young woman in the homicide took place in the wedding house, continue to do his rural teachers.

Let me write this thing, to write more relaxed. 3,000 were lost again and again, sent two lives. Xueguang is not dispersed, newcomers came to live. People live more like the individual, his feelings will be more delicate. On the contrary, he chaotic rough, big thing, touch of the later, do not sigh.

I have a strange house waiting for lunch, cook the bacon by a black on the chopping block, now submerged, as a black leather boots. I saw the window being the precipice of some artificial stone drilled holes. People want to close them, the only way is from the cliff top Shuanshang rope, hanging in the air, hanging down. I think those are placed on the dead exhumation of the cliff caves, such as I have seen Yao in Guangxi burial caves. Asked the locals say they are old, rich people store valuables's "Shizhaishan." This is a cliff called the Cheng Jia Ya, without a certain skill skill of the people nothing to do. When bandits rampant, the local workers dug a pit hole rich, I heard that Stone is an open trumpet shaped hole inside, but also deep and spacious, larger than average room. Bandits strongman knows where all the treasure, but it is difficult to get. I roughly counted, this Shizhaishan more than 20 up and down mixed with, arranged in steep on. I said: you Fukuda rich past of this place so much! Locals, said: The rich may from time to time in general, the momentum of a big oh.

Shizhaishan below, there are some natural caves, holes have been messy shrub cover closed. It is said that every last bad years, there is always clothed and inadequately of the people to leave the village and hid in a cave, saving a person wishes to do the tedious dress to wear pants.

Hun Hun in the sun is shining in 1999, Cheng Jia Ya, the family wealth in the rich, the poor naked in the next. This is something all the money to engage in the. Paper and rolling machines.

15. Home

Our car into the mountains, suddenly the car people called, saying that there is the following children, who lived too far away, and bring Him.

Yang Peng-Jun on the train, and Bubur, and to rely on the door of people caught and shoulder Eurya up, stuffed into the back seat. Peng Yang Jun small stature, wearing a thick suit it, must have been dirty, do not see the background of the. I said: you have the clothes in the washing. He did not say anything, looked around to see the person on board, laughing when the big stars of the teeth exposed. Cadre in the village who knew him, said: This is outside the donated clothes, the more the smaller wash. On the right track, right? They asked Peng-yang forces. The child is still too confusing, do not understand why pull him on the train. Along the way, he does not say anything, look at the scenery outside the window.

Around on a mountain, with thick woods. Rarely seen in the Wushan over sized thick trees, we say that this place Oh well. Peng Yang Jun said that his house is up. His voice has not changed child, voice thin tip. Peng Yang Jun Asayama slope out of the car ran around a plastic film of obesity also was covered tobacco seedlings, then the issue of a small child cry so much. Now, Wong Nai Banpo behind the house on a front and rear, run down two people, are the parents of Peng-yang forces are barefoot, splashing the mud on the pants.

They were all stood in front of. The father seems to have received an eye injury, there is no vision. They laughed loudly and Peng-yang forces of teachers say words Wushan. I have turned into a look at their home. The house occupied a wooden bed, piles of clothes and food quilts, jumbled. Also a very clean, there is a stone wall hung flat basket tray basket, white stubble a wooden coffin, wood is still the fragrance. Side of the wall of the Chinese phonetic alphabet to write a o e, the other side write Riyue stone water and fire earth. A healthy old woman crossed the threshold came in, pointing to the coffin toward me laugh, you may say that it was her coffin, as early as prepared well. Stone, coffin, Chinese characters, these things together a little bit beyond the ordinary life of feeling old woman put the flat basket tray basket took away.

We walked the narrow ridge between tobacco seedlings continued on our way, Peng Yang Jun's father to recover from the mud out of the room, holding in their hands Sheng Nestle the largest number of coffee Chu color glass. Sunlight through the branches evenly fell on him. Unfortunately, no time raised his camera, he ran to the front steps, hoping that we communicate to each other and drink this bottle just bubble tea. Peng-yang forces at this time like a little gentleman wearing a tight-fitting suit, standing in the middle of a slope of trees, Yang Zhao juvenile pink little face.

In the evening we are down, vehicles have been here, see Peng Yang Jun's mother wearing a very blue very blue pants, in the fields near the side of the road laughing at us. According to the mud houses into gold. Peng Yang Jun's teeth like he was charity mother.

I brought the film ran out of the countryside. At that time, the county seat at a distance of about 100 kilometers Benedict Tsubosato. In the old alley turn, want to try to buy film. People say to the supply and marketing cooperatives asked. Soon, I saw a remarkable magnificent house, high housing than the average peasant is much greater. Not long ago, painted the walls, with tile eaves, wooden walls are connected to two pairs of lining around the slogan, left Long live the Communist Party, the right is Long Live Chairman Mao. Color is red, has faded almost the same. Held out a hand over the baby's farmers take the initiative to introduce, saying it was the last landlord of the house, now part of the supply and marketing cooperatives done, he is willing to take me to visit.

The landlord's home actually is not just the street to see such a big, followed by a layer of the compound layer. Two Mulou, handrails, windows and doors are carved flowers, birds and animals. This is the landlord surnamed Tan, fathers built this famous mansion, the old landlord's death, to show Shigehisa event, filled with corpses in coffins in the garden planting placed a full three years before he is buried choose auspicious days for burial. The deceased to do the local security chief, several farmers said: So powerful a big Oh! Tan landlord's son buried his father soon after the land reform, he began to pull out at home and shot.

Tam's house almost completely empty, the yard long with the high grass. Beam to "BES underwriters, Qianxiang gather" ink is also clear.

A thermos bottle to mention the farmers came in, he said that the landlord rather Hao Heng Tan overbearing. He specifically brought us to a side door, from here out, can see the humble town of Wong Nai Uk, black tiles were Xiu corruption. Hay people who want to have back from the narrow lane where passing bale too much, he gave caught in the alley, splashed peristalsis Norway teng. Farmers said that now that we step on the foot of these places are then to Tan landlords forcibly occupied. He was very angry to bring thermos flask, it seems Tan landlord is at hand.

Tan landlord to leave the house, supply and marketing cooperatives operating yet. After a dark curtain drilled hazy sleepy eyes who asked him film. He said: No purchase of more than a year. I suddenly remembered the descendants of Patrick Tam asked to shore up the baby's farmer said, there is a daughter does not know where you've married into. There is a child, on the town, most recently from the house. I asked what kind of housing. Farmer said: that a general way.

16. Scarecrow

A full 10 days of bumps, take the ferry off the north shore, when the Yangtze River to see garden trees of Apricot, and then come back, leaving only the leaves of. Recall that, in the mountain is almost never seen empty hands of people, each person who is loading. Is back up to the straw. Straw stack to the two people are so high, yellow of a hill. Wushan mountain road that is playing wheat field, farmers are not afraid of traveling by car to help him pressure wheat, deliberately moved the stones, the wide road did not become more narrow, and guide each vehicle through his straw. Every day we Paolu daily voluntary labor.

In addition to wheat straw back, there were carrying food, kids back, back stone, back soil, coal, back, back rape stalks, back Apricot green peach, sling mud of rice seedlings, back wooden plow. Basket carried on the bottom of an old man does not know what installed, put a large box above the cactus, driving a purple, fleshy leaves spikes on the back of the head facing the elderly. Broken car had never been seen, a basket carried on the backs of farmers through, I asked him what the back, he was somewhat alert to look at me, and then use a thick Wushan saying: potatoes.

Back East and West after the people could spare two arms, forced placed, to speed up road speed, like a fish's fins.

In Wushan is driving the real threat of wild birds hanging around the scarecrow, not crafts, non-back things, do not walk, but also extraordinary wearing bright clothes. Chuanlan kind of yes men and the Scarecrow, wear red is the kind of woman. Male to female ratio is even, leisurely and dignitaries stood the fields. Wushan of wheat only grows to more than 20 cm tall no strength in them. Wheat ear knot, potato blossom. Scarecrow nobly caretakers of the land, and some two cuffs was also tied to a red plastic bags, drums a mountain breeze. And compared to people who simply admired the Scarecrow, but lack of a face above the collar.

Farmers said that the rainy season fast, overnight rain, they might potatoes, corn and wheat without a trace along with the Scarecrow, opened the door, only to see the red mud.

I just left the near Wushan, July 29, 1999, from the newspaper to see a message, Chongqing, Wushan Mong Ha Heung may occur about one kilometer landslides, threatened, including the township government, residential areas and schools. Unstable rock may also affect the body of an ancient landslide, once the hillside like a domino like collapse of, which may result in blocking the Yangtze River, the county seat was completely submerged and a series of disasters. Later, not heard from the follow-up

News, Wushan simply asked the old name "is still" remains the same.
Up to now, you feel pretty good, right? Mountains of the scarecrow.

June 2000

Active-duty editing and proofreading Qu

Full End

Author: bluesocks