All three of us are normal students, making a living in the same town. We are usually busy with our own trifles and have no time to meet often. After a long time, contact to find a secluded place, sit casually, drink tea and chat, or go to the suburbs not far away to enjoy flowers and mountains, breathe fresh air and relax.
Located in the north of China, the land is vast and sparsely populated. There is drought all the year round here, sometimes there is no water to drink, and crops often fail. My hometown is called Ganliuchuan, which means there are many places lacking rain and water. Like me, Otawa, who lives here, knows the difficulty of survival and is full of yearning for water. Speaking of the Yellow River, I have to see it with my own eyes. Naturally, I am extremely gratified. I support it with both hands. I hope I can't arrive early.
When I was admitted to normal school, I learned that some students came from Yongjing, lived near Liujiaxia and came across the Yellow River. I am very envious. When I was in junior high school, I read an article describing the Yellow River, but I remember it was written by Cang Kejia, which had a deep influence and is unforgettable so far. Unexpectedly, the Yellow River mentioned in the article actually flows through Linxia Prefecture where it is located, with a distance of about 100 km. Nobody mentioned it because I was young and ignorant, and I don't know.
The car sped along the detour in the country, the crops on the roadside flashed by, and the breeze blew head-on, feeling quite cool. The garden is still short of water, and the crops in the scorched earth are still struggling. When I approached Lianhua Village, I saw many pepper trees growing in the roadside fields, which were fat and big, and the branches were covered with green leaves. Pepper seeds the size of beans are exposed to branches and leaves, purple and red, which are quite eye-catching and can be seen on the side face.
When the bus arrived at the Lotus Pier, it was deserted everywhere and there were not many passers-by. A few people wandering around casually are probably local farmers, or they are not far away, and their homes are nearby. On the edge of the concrete floor, colorful umbrellas are propped up, plastic sheets are spread out, and people take snacks, eat at will and look around.
In the dense shade of the dock, stop and walk ten steps to see the Yellow River. The water is clear, sparkling, unusually blue, rolling and surging. Looking from a distance, the fog is filled, the water and the sky are connected, and the sky is gray. There is chaos in the world, and there is no other shore at all. At the end of the road, a cement road with a width of more than ten meters extends obliquely to the Yellow River. Vehicles and pedestrians who came here got on the boat one after another, crossed the undulating Yellow River, groaned and struggled to cross to the other side. From time to time, steel pegs appear in the potholes on the sidewalk, which are U-shaped and thumb-thick, and both ends extend into the cement road to tie boats and anchor them on the shore.
People happened to find that the water level of the Yellow River was much lower. On the road, on the soil, on the tree and on the slate, water marks are like annual rings, carved layer by layer and clearly visible. It's midsummer, the weather is hot, the water vapor evaporates and the water level drops. The three of us will wait and see The misty scenery, the clear blue river and the cool and soft wind seem to have entered our hearts, making us feel refreshed and very happy. Think of the Lotus Wharf by the Yellow River in those days, where the traffic is surging, the voices are buzzing, the flute is bursting, and the boats are coming and going, which is very lively. In a few years, it will be much more convenient to go to Yongjing Liujiaxia from here, without waiting for the local train to cross the river and bypass Xintong Dazhe Highway. In this way, people and cars passing by rarely come, and the heavy ferry has stopped. It seems to have been forgotten by time, and it seems quite cold.
On the east side of the river bank, there are more than a dozen yachts moored. They are listless and paralyzed on the bank of the Yellow River. Seven or eight thin sailors, dressed in thin clothes and singlets, watched the water on the boat or played cards on the shore to pass the boring time. Most people who come here specially want to take a speedboat, ride the boat and break the waves, have a panoramic view, feel the broad mind of the Yellow River and taste its perseverance.
Looking from a distance, there is a small speedboat in the distance, chopping waves, flying with its head held high and rowing the long river, so it flies, looking so powerful and free and easy. The waves behind the speedboat quickly flapped to both sides, overflowed and set off huge waves. As you drift away, the peaks and valleys behind you gradually fade away, heal and restore their original appearance.
I remember that more than ten years ago, when I was making a living in a small county near Guangtong River, my unit organized a trip and chose this section of the Yellow River. We came here by bus, rented a luxurious boat, and a dozen people flocked in, sitting in the best cabin, eating melon seeds, drinking beer and enjoying the scenery of the Yellow River. It was the first time I saw the Yellow River and took a boat. I was so curious that I walked onto the long deck and felt the surging of the Yellow River.
On the waterfront, there are many wanderers, two or three or four or five people, men, women and children, probably a family. On the high shore, all kinds of cars are parked, carrying seven or eight people, or four or five people, which is very conspicuous. The sediment on the shore rises and falls in the river, scouring and scouring, and becomes very flat. On the beach, the footprints of pedestrians are winding and different in depth. The children who followed were naughty, running back and forth, and very happy. They picked up stones and threw them at the water, trying to make a series of splashes to add extra happiness.
Wash your hands by the river and take a drink. It tastes sweet and cold, and the coolness permeates your whole body. The running water is crystal clear and blue, which can be seen at a glance. You can see the washed sand, the precipitated debris and the wandering animals clearly. From a distance, the water waves are vast, the light smoke is diffuse and boundless. A fishing boat, floating on the nearby water, seems to be in no hurry. It is estimated that there is no fish to catch, floating on the Yellow River.
Walk slowly west along the beach along the coast. The wind blew gently, shaking the long hair on my head. Oblique sunlight shines on the river, dazzling people's eyes, like a huge sieve shaking a river to break gold. At the moment, I found that the Yellow River in the sunset was surging, golden, magnificent and colorful, and people could not bear to leave.
Soon, there was a buzzing flute, which seemed to be struggling desperately. Looking for fame, on the beach more than 30 meters away, there is a car like Chongqing Chang' an, stuck in the mud and starting. Next to a child, there is a young woman wearing a scarf, probably a family.
On both sides of the cement road, there are mostly wet mudflats, which are formed by the repeated ebb and flow of the river. Behind us, some tourists with different dresses and special clothes are walking around leisurely, speaking Mandarin, and making sure they are not locals. Like us, they were deeply attracted by the Yellow River, and they came here not far from Wan Li. I think the Yellow River is so charming that it not only attracts us to live in the north, but also attracts tourists from all directions. After a long journey, we linger here and feel the charm of the Yellow River.
The flute sound of the car's dull struggle is still coming from a distance, blending with the rushing waves. Looking back, the car was still in the mud pit, the driver started hard, and the woman pushed hard, but she still didn't come out. Seeing that there was no one around, we couldn't bear to look, so we went over and wanted to lend a helping hand and give it a hand. Maybe we can get rid of it.
Before it arrived, the driver was so anxious that he opened his mouth and asked us for help, saying that the ground looked hard, but he didn't expect the wheels to suddenly sink in and never get out. Judging from their strange accents, they are not locals either, so it is not far away. Through the conversation, we know that they are a Salar family of three who live in Xunhua County, Qinghai Province. They make a living by farming and doing odd jobs and lead an ordinary life. This time, I was free, took my wife and children and spent the whole day watching the Yellow River.
The rear wheel of a passenger car with a small row of seats is stuck, and it keeps turning, and it turns deeper and deeper, but it just can't get out. The three of us, and the woman, pushed hard with all their strength. The rear wheel is still turning sharply, and the soil under the wheel splashes, flying to the back of the car, but never coming out. Everyone is a little depressed, thinking that they can't do stupid things, and they think of another trick. I went to the side to find a stone and wanted to put it under the wheel. I went to find it, too. Xiaowen took a shovel and stood on the ridge in front of the shovel wheel. After all this, it is estimated that the driver will start, everyone will push back, and they will definitely come out.
In this way, the driver got on the bus and started flexibly. We tried our best to push and shove, only to see the rear wheels spinning, and the car was the same as before, and we couldn't get out at all. What's even more disturbing is that the stones on the tire friction pads emit plumes of black smoke and burnt smell. If this fever lasts too long, there will be a danger of puncture, so we have to stop the driver and take a long-term view.
After dawdling for half an hour, I can't think of any way anymore. I suggest finding an empty car and walking around casually. I'm sure I can get out. We saw a lot of tricycles and small cars on the beach nearby and on the ground near the shore. As long as you are willing to pay some money and call Lala, the problem will be solved.
The driver is in his thirties, thin, sweaty and helpless. After listening to our suggestion, he just answered, but didn't act. It's hard to say whether we don't want to spend wasted money or it's not convenient at hand for the time being. It's really hard to guess. I think, we are all like this, what we should do has been done, and we can't help anything anymore. We are ready to say goodbye and continue to walk away.
Just then, I heard the driver say there was a way. The three of us will go back and see what we can do. I saw him open the back door, put down the back seat and look for something carefully. After a minute, I took out Catherine's bent iron core, which turned out to be a simple jack. The driver said shyly, I have a bad memory. I don't need to leave beautiful things, so I'm sorry to hurt you. We smiled knowingly and said nothing more, waiting for him to try his hand. The driver took the jack, squatted at the rear wheel position, slowly stabilized himself, shook violently, and turned around like a pulley. The car body is getting higher and higher, and the tire is one or two inches higher than the blackened stone. Xiaowen brought stones and stuffed them into the open space under the wheels. Repeat, the rear wheel position is as flat as the ground.
The driver set off as soon as he got on the bus. After walking three or five meters, he stopped to thank him, and his wife also said thank you, and then got on the bus and left. The three of us went to the river to wash our hands and walked back along the cement road. Looking forward, the minibus disappeared, and the Salar family of three also walked away.
I think they, us and all the people here are destined to come together and gather on the banks of the Yellow River because of the charm of the Yellow River.