Qilu Tian

Wen | Qilu Tian Editor | Swallow Picture | Network

After the fright, with the roar of spring thunder, the sleeping earth was awakened again. As the agricultural proverb goes, "99 plus 19, plows go everywhere." In my memory, before the 198s and 199s, in my hometown of southwest Shandong, this season was already a time when plows mooed, and the fields showed a lively scene of spring ploughing.

When I was a child, my grandfather was a breeder in the production team, and I was his little tail. I often stayed in the cowshed yard of the production team to play, and even slept in the cowshed at night, especially in the cold snowy days, lying on the floor paved with straw and wheat straw. Even my dreams were sweet and I felt very warm and practical.

I am familiar with the process and method of feeding cattle because I have heard a lot about it. At that time, a production team of more than 2 people had more than ten oxen, and the members regarded them as indispensable family members in the team. There are basically no decent agricultural machinery in the production team, and most of the important labor such as plowing, sowing, hoeing, threshing, grinding and transportation depends on these oxen. Therefore, the members look at them with kindness and compassion. At that time, the treatment of cattle was quite high. Forage should be cut evenly and finely with hay cutter, with an average length of about two inches. First, impurities should be removed with a sieve, and the forage should be poured into a stone trough, and fine materials mixed with fried soybeans, sorghum and corn should be added. In winter, some warm water should be added to wheat straw and mixed well with a straw stick, so that cattle can enjoy it after drafting. They stick out their tongues, roll the wheat straw into their mouths and swallow it into their stomachs. After eating and drinking enough, several cows lay side by side in the cowshed behind the stone trough, and then slowly ruminated. That kind of carefree look is like a farmer who has been working hard for a day, frying a plate of delicious side dishes at dinner, drinking a few "Erguotou" wines, lying in bed, squinting his half-drunk and half-awake eyes and resting. Young me, I like to stand alone in front of the stone trough and quietly observe the concentration of cattle eating forage. There is silence around me, and the chewing sound of cattle eating forage comes from my ears, which is simply an intoxicating light music.

After the fright, after a winter break, the annual spring ploughing activity will begin again. The energetic oxen were led to the fields by the farmers. With the long shouts, the oxen struggled to pull the plough, and the fresh soil turned up behind them, giving off the breath of spring, and the fields of hope woke up from now on ...

It was another year of spring ploughing, and a vivid picture of the oxen in the spring could not help but come to my mind, just like an old cow.

About the author: Qi Lutian, male, party member, is a member of Chinese Poetry Association, Shandong Writers Association, Shandong Prose Association, Heze Writers Association, director of Heze Chinese Culture and Qilu Culture Promotion Association, executive director of Hanyuan Culture Research Committee, arbitrator of Heze Arbitration Commission, director of Dingtao Writers Association and director of District Chinese Culture Promotion Association.

Yidianhao Dream Literature