A country road that took six years to build

The most profound memories of my hometown later were not only the high betrothal gifts, but also the muddy road.

I was born in a remote mountain village. In spring, the village will be full of peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, pear blossoms, plum blossoms, and the fragrance of flowers. In autumn, there will be patches of wheat sea swaying in the fields with the wind. After moving away from the cave dwellings, almost every family built a courtyard house with red bricks and blue tiles, which has the characteristics of the north.

There is a big road in the village that leads to a very far place. I heard that this road has no end and you can go wherever you want to go.

When we were children, we walked along this road for an hour to go to the market and an hour to go to school. When it doesn't rain for a long time in the summer, the dust will fly, cars will speed by in front, and people walking on the roadside will suddenly turn white. After heavy rains, countless small rivers will appear on the road. After the water in the small rivers dries up, large and small puddles, deep and shallow, will be left. After heavy snowfall in winter, the road turns into a muddy swamp as soon as the sun comes out.

I remember that the most painful thing every year was going to school after a snowy day and my bike got stuck in the mud, making it difficult to move. I can only wear rain boots in this cold winter and walk for more than an hour to go to school. Every time I see the asphalt road on the street, I am very happy. I always imagine that if the road in the village can be paved with asphalt road one day, what kind of happiness it will be.

There are many stories about this road. When I grew up, I walked out of my hometown along that road and went to far away places. I went home less and less times a year. My hometown has changed. People in the village have all driven cars. The courtyards at home have become more luxurious. There are many young people who have made a name for themselves outside. Life has gradually become richer and there are fewer and fewer people. Everything has changed. changed.

Sheep, cattle, and cyclists are rarely seen anymore. Tricycles, motorcycles, and cars have become popular. Everyone is talking about the development of the new era. The only thing that has not changed is this small road.

In 2013, the number of dirt roads in this town began to decrease, and many villages were paved with cement-hardened roads, so they no longer have to suffer from traffic inconveniences. Over the years, every time I go home, I see the changes in my hometown. High-rise buildings have been built in the town, and the road extending to the village has been paved with asphalt. It is flat, convenient, and full of hope.

Only the road in our village remains the same. Around 2015, many people came and said they were going to start paving the road. Excavators, workers, and various machines drove into the village. The old man in the village squatted against the corner smoking a cigarette, with a smile on his face and even said "Hello!" good! good! The houses on the roadside were demolished and the courtyard walls were knocked down. The apricot tree in front of my house that I grew up with was not spared either. But no one has any complaints. Everyone is looking forward to changes, looking forward to a smoother road to the outside world and bringing our hope far away.

A few months later, the group of people dispersed. The road was widened a lot and a thin layer of gravel was sprinkled on it. The road was still the same as before. After the rainy days, it became even muddier, and various potholes appeared. After several heavy rains, the gravel on the road was washed away. When it doesn't rain for a long time, the dust is still flying.

I heard that the place where the oil was originally dug has been stopped, so the road has not been repaired, leaving only a village of empty and happy villagers who can only curse and continue to live.

Later, another group of people came with a construction team, and the lost fire of hope was ignited again. Everyone is saying that this time it was built by the state and there should be no problem. Everyone is looking forward to it. At this time, many villages around the town have been paved with cement roads for several years, but the dirt roads in our village are still forgotten corners.

Unfortunately, the situation this time was the same as last time. After a long time of commotion, the construction team left again. The road has been renovated and paved with a layer of gravel, but it still stirs up dust. After the heavy snow, it is muddy and impossible to travel.

Every year when I go back to my hometown, my husband will ask me if the road at home has been repaired, and I say not yet.

This is the case every year. One day he said that we had to make money by refueling and built the roads in your village, making it very difficult to walk.

Although it is a joke, it is also the truest wish in our hearts.

I still remember that year, I took him home for the first time. Unfortunately, it rained heavily that day. The two new pairs of shoes we bought specially when we returned home were already covered in mud and their original appearance could not be seen.

I don’t know if he wavered at that moment whether he wanted to marry a girl living in such a backward place.

The roads in the village have become a concern for everyone in our village. Young people go out every year, and it is even more inconvenient for the elderly at home.

Since returning home the year before last, I have been listening to everyone talking about how to petition and how to get more people to pay attention to this matter.

Someone posted the video on the Internet, but unfortunately it was not widely circulated. Someone was looking for connections to see if they could report the matter to the government. Someone posted the picture online, but it was quickly deleted.

Last year I forwarded videos and posted pictures, but none of them were approved.

Nowadays, with the rapid economic development, 90% of the villages around the town have cement roads and street lights. And we are still living in the 1980s, fighting against muddy roads.

This road that cannot be repaired has become a knot in the hearts of the villagers. When they talk about it, they are full of disappointment.

During the Chinese New Year this year, a grandfather in our village who has some status in society said that he would try again.

Everyone has high hopes and is waiting for the results. Young people are busy preparing materials, taking photos and interviewing in the village. The information was submitted to the county committee and received a reply from the magistrate of Ning County. The following special instructions must be paid attention to and the Wuzhong Village road project should be approved and construction should begin as soon as possible.

I remember that day, everyone was very happy and seemed to see hope. The document must have been received in the first month of this year!

It is almost May now, and the road is still there, unchanged at all. There is not even a convoy coming here.

Everyone's enthusiasm for this matter is slowly losing, until now they are completely desperate. I don't know why it's not fair, I don't know why it's so hard for folks who just want the same rights as everyone else.