A crystal clear stream gurgling around the village all year round. On both sides of the stream, there are several weeping willow trees, with their long, soft willow branches fluttering in the wind. The graceful dancing posture is so beautiful and natural. There are two or three particularly long branches hanging on the water, drawing sparkling ripples. When the waterfowl stands on its waist and sings, the flowing water also sings and makes a sweet sound.
During drought, this creek will dry up. Villagers usually rely on it to irrigate their fields, wash clothes, and embellish the scenery. Sometimes, it only has a thin stream of water running through the cracks in the rocks. A group of six or seven-year-old children and I like to dig open rocks to look for small fish, shrimps, and crabs. We don't catch them to eat, but we keep them in glass bottles and play with them.
A small wooden bridge spans the stream. I like to cross the bridge, and I am even more happy to throw the wild flowers I picked under the bridge and let the running water carry them to a distant place.
My home is very close to Xiaoqiao, it only takes five or six minutes to walk. Going eastward along the stream bank, there is a long stone bridge that leads to the Tea Mountain. I once followed the tea-picking girls up the mountain to pick tea leaves. I loved admiring the purple wild flowers and yellow wild fungi under the tea trees. To this day, whenever I see a tea tree, the scene at that time immediately comes to mind.
I love my hometown, it is the place where I was born. There are only a few small bungalows in my house. The bedroom where I was born is very dark and the floor is damp, but I love it very much. My father's study is right in front, and I can play there every day. It was a beautiful, airy, sunny house with large windows to the southeast. In the early morning, you can see the sun emerging from the trees on the back hill. In summer, the cool breeze blows in from the south window, so comfortable! What's even more beautiful is that from the east window, I can see the creek, the small bridge, and the affectionate willow trees.
All the residents in my hometown have the surname Xie. There are large and small villages. The large ones have fifty or sixty households, while the small ones have only three or four households. Everyone leads a peaceful life of "working at sunrise", "breathing in at sunrise" and "watching and helping each other". Those days are deeply imprinted in my mind. I will never forget those beautiful impressions in my life.