Autumn in the mountain city

1

In the mountain cities in the south of the Yangtze River, autumn is belatedly coming. Although many days have passed since the beginning of autumn, the heat is still raging, as if it is clinging to the mountain city. Summer is still in the middle of autumn. In my hometown on the old path of the Yellow River, the four seasons are clear and the sycamore leaves have already fallen all over the place. Fortunately, the next few autumn rains wiped out the remaining heat of summer, and the order of the four seasons in the mountain city was reincarnated.

If autumn in the north is compared to a strong man, autumn in the mountain city is like a gentle girl. She walks gracefully and thoughtfully.

In the mountain city in September, the west wind is weak, and the grass and trees wither late. The city is lush and lush inside and outside, without any chill or sadness. As for "the mountains are red and the forests are dyed", that is a scene that you have to wait until early winter to see.

The sky in the mountain city is not as blue as in the north, nor as white as the clouds in the north. The term "the sky is high and the clouds are light" seems inappropriate to be used here. There is a lot of autumn rain in the mountain city, the humidity is heavy, and the air is moist. Even on a sunny day, the distant mountains are shrouded in mist, and only their outlines can be seen faintly.

In the mountain city, you don’t hear the lingering sound of cicadas, only the joyful chirping of crickets. The autumn in the mountain city is quiet and beautiful.

二

This autumn, the egret appeared in the mountain city and appeared in my field of vision. Groups of egrets go out early and return late, following the laws of nature. The egret's flying posture is extremely elegant, elegant and agile. This is one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen.

There is a Tankou stream next to the community. The stream is very deep, but the water is shallow, and the water flows gurgling all year round. Sometimes there are egrets, one or two, or three or five, leisurely looking for food at the bottom of the stream. The small fish, shrimps and shellfish in the stream provide abundant natural food for the egrets.

In the early morning, we are used to taking our little grandson for a walk along the stream bank, not only to see the scenery, but also to teach the little baby to recognize things. Every time he walked onto the bridge, the little grandson seemed to be breaking out of his grandma's arms, leaning forward and looking into the stream. We understand what the little guy is thinking. He is very curious about those egrets! We stopped and watched quietly with the little baby. The little baby's pure eyes suddenly flashed, curiously observing the egret's every move. In his young mind, everything he saw was beautiful.

When the sunset turns red, egrets flock to the east to nest. They lined up in neat lines, like wild geese flying south. The lonely lone heron flaps its wings vigorously and flies together with the setting clouds.

In the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Zhihe once wrote a poem to describe egrets: "Egrets fly in front of Xisai Mountain, peach blossoms flow and mandarin fish are fat. Green bamboo hats, green coir raincoats, no need to return in the slanting wind and drizzle." This poem The colors are bright, the conception is ingenious, and the artistic conception is beautiful. In just a few sentences, it outlines a beautiful spring flood picture in a water town, embodying the author's love for life and admiration for nature.

When I first saw egrets, I couldn’t tell whether they were white cranes or egrets. Because I have never seen it before. The lover confidently thinks it is Baihe. Her basis is that the mountain city is also called Crane City, and a large number of cranes lived here in ancient times. I neither agree nor oppose it.

When the egret flies across the sky, my wife will point it out to her grandson: "Look! White Crane." Once, twice, three times, over time, when the white crane is mentioned, the grandson will naturally look up. toward the sky.

That day at the bridgehead, a passerby said the name of the egret to a few birds at the bottom of the stream. I think maybe we were wrong and we can no longer mislead our little grandson. With doubts, I searched Du Niang, and after comparing them, it was like waking up from a dream. It turns out that there is still a big difference between the two. For example: the egret shrinks its neck when flying, while the white crane stretches its neck when flying; the egret is smaller, while the white crane is larger; the egret can perch on a tree, but the white crane never climbs a tree.

The knowledge contained in life always favors those who are willing.

三

After dinner, I am used to lying on the soft sofa and reading one or two short stories by famous writers. When I just read "Swallow Li San" by Feng Jicai, I felt like an insect was beating out of the corner of my eye. I put down my phone and looked for it. There was a small cricket on the edge of the pillow. The little cricket has long antennae, a pair of golden wings, black armor, and a round head that is very cute. I was afraid of hurting it, so I raised my hand to cover it gently, but the little cricket jumped away numbly.

I caught it again and again, and the little cricket dodged again and again, but it was finally caught and became a thing in my palm.

I dare not hold it too tightly, and my palms are empty. The wife came over with her little grandson and wanted to show the baby a cricket. I carefully opened my fingers, and the little cricket seemed to know that I didn't mean to hurt it, so it moved a few times on my palm without fear. The little grandson was very excited to see the little cricket, with a pair of novel eyes flashing. The little baby is babbling and learning words, and keeps saying "um, um" in his mouth.

After teasing the little cricket for a while, the wife kissed the little grandson and said, the little cricket’s mother is still waiting for him to come home! Shall we send it home? The little grandson seemed to understand. Under his gaze, I opened the window and released the little cricket into nature.

The moonlight outside the window is like silver, the chirping of crickets is surging, and the sounds of nature are endless. The autumn night seems more peaceful and peaceful.

Crickets not only belong to the countryside, but also to the city. In the mountain city, the fragrance of osmanthus adds to the charm of autumn, and crickets play and sing to celebrate the passing of time.

The media recently broke the news that farmers in Yanjin County, Henan Province earn more than 10,000 yuan a month from catching crickets, and the highest transaction price for a cricket is 16,000 yuan. The humble cricket bulges up the farmer's money bag. Compared with the days of the people of the Ming Dynasty in "Promoting Weaving", it is really a world of difference!

However, some experts are worried that crickets are also an important link in the biological chain. If over-captured, it will destroy the biological chain and even cause the reduction of birds, which will affect other biological species.

Farmers catch crickets. I wonder if they are happy? Is it worry?

　Thursday

On the weekend, my wife and I took the opportunity to go to the north of the city to buy flour, and came to the outskirts of the city to relax. At first, our trip was unclear and aimless. It wasn't until I saw a large advertisement on the roadside promoting Shenhe Valley that I decided to go there to find out.

Along the way, the autumn breeze blows coolly, and the fragrance of cinnamon bursts; the mountains are like humps, stretching endlessly. Roads and railways extend in the mountains, extending in all directions. The majestic viaduct stands tall and shocking, and trains can be seen whizzing by from time to time, which makes people marvel at the ingenuity and wisdom of the builders.

Following the signs all the way, I saw the towering mountain gate from a distance, shaped like an archway. Five gold-plated characters are engraved on the forehead: "Shenhe Health Valley".

Shenhe Valley is surrounded by mountains, with only a newly built winding mountain road communicating with the outside world. A pool of clear water reflects the shadow of the mountains; a few fishing rods are used to catch autumn fish.

At the end of the winding mountain road, there is a compound. When you enter the courtyard, the first thing you see is a piece of Buddha belly bamboo with swaying shadows. People love bamboo not only because of its humility and integrity, but also because of the Buddhist philosophy and Zen philosophy of "green bamboos and yellow flowers are all Buddha-nature, and clear ponds and bright moonlight illuminate the Zen mind"; in the innermost part, there are two buildings, the Senior Apartment and the Shenhe Happy Hall. Standing at random, it is built against the mountain. The swimming pool on the side of the building is clear and transparent; exotic flowers and plants can be seen everywhere in the courtyard, and the fragrance is pleasant.

At the foot of the mountain, there is a long row of bonsais, one after another, a full fifty or sixty meters long, divided into straight stems, slanting stems, curved stems, lying stems, dry stems, with roots, and attached ones. Stones and other forms are all tree stump bonsai. Some of these bonsais are old and branchy, some are ancient and majestic, and some are graceful and graceful. They are colorful and have different shapes, which condense the beautiful scenery of nature. No wonder people call bonsais "three-dimensional paintings" and "silent poems".

We are very interested in bonsais and appreciate them carefully. They are originally breathing works of art. Those that look like they are about to wither. The fallen tree stump is filled with rich colors of life, conveying the tenacious vitality of survival, which is surprising. The endless life is perfectly reflected in the bonsai, and I linger here for a long time.

The Shenhe Valley has an elegant environment and abundant negative oxygen ions. The developers mainly accept the elderly who come here to live in their old age. These elderly people either chat and laugh in the pavilion, or walk among the flowers, and spend their old age leisurely.

"The small town has many stories and is full of joy and joy. If you come to the small town, you will gain a lot. It looks like a painting, but sounds like a song. The realm of life is included here..." Teresa Teng's singing sounded in the mountain city, with a sweet voice and as gentle as jade.