一
"The mountains are not high, if there are immortals, they are famous. The water is not deep, if there are dragons, they are spiritual." This opening line of "The Inscription on the Humble Room" seems to be about my hometown. The waters of Jiaolong Mountain and Yi River are the same.
The mountain facing my hometown Dongliyuan is named Jiaolong Mountain and Temple Mountain.
"Jiaolong Mountain is ten thousand feet high, and it's so touching that the heavens are so tall." This is a folk song spread in our Miaoshan area. In the twenty-sixth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, He Ge, a Juren from Ruian County in Zhejiang Province who was appointed magistrate of Yizhou, mentioned in "Review on River Governance" that "there are two difficulties in governing Yizhou: one is the pass in Shigou, the other is the pass in Miaoshan...above Miaoshan , there is an old road leading from Ma'erwan to Wuzhanggou, Lutang and Pi, etc... At the foot of Miaoshan Mountain, the river is steep, and the river flows to Maerwan and into Wuzhanggou, and then passes through. Tan's horse head is used to leave Suqian." There are five "temple mountains" in this article.
The "Linyi County Chronicle" compiled in the fifth year of the Republic of China records: Jiaolong Mountain, a temple mountain, goes eighty miles from the city, starting from Wenchang and Wenqu Mountains (Huangshan Cliff Mountain) in northern Yi. The river collapsed and flooded, forming a small earth mountain in the east of Yidong. Then it starts from this mountain in the south. From here, the Yishui River meanders and flows southwest, encircling two sides. The mountains are small and beautiful, and the west side is steep. At the top is the Jade Emperor Temple. There is a spring in the temple called Longyan Spring. During the years of Xianfeng and Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, the native people took refuge and tens of thousands of people lived in the mountains.
The "Tancheng County Chronicles" revised in 2001 stated: Miaoshan is a branch of Mengshan Mountain. It is a solitary mountain, running north to south, with a height of 109 meters. The mountain area is 0.78 square kilometers. The mountain is steep in the west and steep in the east, and high in the north and south. It is low, pure limestone, and the Jade Emperor Temple was originally located on the top of the mountain, hence its name. It is also called Jiaolong Mountain because of the Longyan Spring at the top. At that time, the green shade in the mountains blocked out the sun, and the jujubes produced were of good color and taste, especially of the highest quality.
These materials make the beauty and sacredness of Miaoshan emerge from the dust of history. She is no longer just a small mountain, but a famous local mountain with documented records. It can also prove the prosperity of Miaoshan, indicating that the name of Miaoshan originated before the Ming Dynasty. It is the only mountain named after a temple within a few hundred miles, which is enough to prove that the temple on the mountain is very early and has strong incense.
But I am very hazy about its exact shape. I only remember that it is not very high. The mountain is covered with low shrubs, occasionally dotted with some tall trees, such as jujube trees and chestnut trees. , persimmon trees, walnut trees, etc.
When spring comes, it is also lush green and dotted with mountain flowers. It is in full swing and beautiful. It is its most beautiful season.
In autumn, the temple mountain is alternately yellow and green. It can be said that half of the mountain is green and half of it is yellow. The frost-ripened persimmons on the persimmon trees are like small red lanterns. There are also wild fruits such as jujubes and jujubes that are full of pulp and flesh, just waiting for us to pick them. At this time, Miaoshan looked like a slightly rich middle-aged man. We ran up and down, eating and picking, but stood there quietly with a peaceful and tolerant smile.
Temple Mountain in summer is a festival for each of our children, but in winter it is too plain, like an old man basking in the sun, drowsy in the warm sunshine in winter, without saying a word. Word.
2
Although Miaoshan is small, it has many beautiful legends. Every stone and every wood carries the myths left over by the years. Among them, the most widely circulated story is the story of Erlang Shen plowing the fields.
It is said that Erlang God accidentally violated the rules of heaven and was punished to plow the fields on the temple mountain and sow golden beans. The fields are plowed and sown every day, but they never grow, so they work repeatedly every day as punishment. At that time, there were still traces of the bamboo basket that Mrs. Erlang Shen used to deliver meals every day on the mountain, and even the footprints of the barking dog, the stone chair where Erlang Shen rested and reclined, and so on.
But I never thought this story was a legend. Men farmed, women delivered meals, and dogs accompanied them. Isn’t this the earliest lifestyle of our ancestors? From the myths and stories passed down from generation to generation in the countryside, I believe that all legends originate from life and are modeled on daily life. It's just that over time, it was passed down orally and recited, and the narrator's imagination was used to find some vague evidence. Over time, it became a legend and a myth.
Three
When I was a child, I heard my grandfather say that the reason why the mountain is named after the temple is because the top of the mountain is called Yuhuangding. There is a temple on the top of Yuhuangding, called Yuhuang Temple. , and cigarettes are at their peak, and men and women come in droves, each looking for what they need.
He told me what the old temple looked like, where the Dragon's Nose Spring was located, and there was a ginkgo tree several inches thick in the temple, as well as an old monk named Fahai who was good at playing the flute and flute... Every year on March 3rd of the lunar calendar, A grand temple fair was also held, with various materials gathered, various acrobatic performances, huge crowds of people, and great liveliness. It was once unprecedentedly prosperous.
Grandpa also said that at that time, the mountains were covered with deep forests and lush trees, and the longan spring water halfway up the mountain was cool and sweet. It always fascinates me. I have also searched all over the mountain, but not only have I not found a drop of spring water, I can't even find the ruins of a temple. As for the temple fair, it has transformed into a small market. At the foot of the mountain, on the eighth, eighteenth and twenty-eighth third day of each lunar month, farmers from four villages come here to buy and sell some daily necessities. Artistic performances originate from life and are higher than life, leaving only the basic form of the most basic needs of life.
But my brother, who is much older than me, also likes to search for traces of history at the Jade Emperor Temple ruins on the top of the mountain. He once said that when he went to look for it, the foundation of the hall was still there, the stage was still there, and jujube trees as thick as a bowl were growing lazily on the mountainside. There are also many ancient tombs on the mountain, mostly Han tombs. There are also stone carvings of Han portraits in the large tombs. There are even two or three-story tombs in places with good Feng Shui. Many half-liang coins, five-baht coins, bronze mirrors, swords, etc. have also been unearthed. Clay figurines, clay pots, etc. There were even several stone tablets on the mountain. Unfortunately, the inscriptions on them could not be copied, and they were all destroyed within a few years.
Four
I was born at the wrong time and did not catch the most exciting page of Xiangshan. However, prosperity must inevitably decline, and prosperity and loss are impermanent. This is the same principle of all things, and this has been true since ancient times. Miaoshan is no exception. Every time the flowers and snow fall, and every spring and autumn come and go, the temple has collapsed and its prosperity has become empty. The Temple Mountain that appears in my life seems a little old, a little desolate, and a little lonely, like an old man in his twilight years. The vicissitudes of the past have slowly settled, and he just smiles leisurely and watches the clouds rolling in the sky and the flowers blooming and fading in front of the courtyard. .
Five
Miaoshan’s own loneliness does not prevent it from becoming a worry-free paradise for children. Going up the mountain to cut firewood and collect grass is arduous work, but it is also full of wild fun. With simple tools and a worry-free mood, you can get pure pleasure and a simple and real happiness from working.
The most pleasant thing that Miaoshan has given us is to go up the mountain to catch buffalo and pick up the skins of wild buffaloes in the rain. It's a pity that there is no trace of Dijiaopi in my memory. Whenever my brother and sister talk about Dijiaopi, they look at each other and smile, which makes me very angry.
The mountain buffalo always appears in the mountains when it rains in summer, so we here call it the mountain buffalo. It is quite strong, dark-skinned, and has a pair of sharp teeth that can bite. Because of its strange habits, I never let it go when I grew up. I read many books about animals and insects, but unfortunately I couldn't find any species related to it or with the same habits. I still don't know its real name.
Every summer, when we see the sky turning dark, or when the pattering raindrops fall, we meander up the mountain road, under the dark sky, through the mist of rain and fog, under the dark green Look carefully for the black mountain buffalo on the plants.
The mountain buffalo has a pair of strong wings. Even in the rain, it can still fly very far if it is disturbed. We often run closely behind the buffaloes that pass by at low altitude. When the buffaloes suddenly land, we immediately approach them on tiptoe. After several alternations of running and creeping, mud and water splashing everywhere, and clothes getting wet, everyone had more or less harvested something. Many friends had already shifted their attention and started looking for wild fruits or picking mountain flowers. When dinner was about to arrive, everyone set off on their way home in unison.
Although the delicious taste of fried mountain buffalo is unforgettable, what is truly unforgettable is the process of capturing it. Because we are fearless and unrestrained, everyone can play in the rain and laugh without any worries. Because of this complete joy and this hearty carnival, it can be said that every time we go up the mountain to catch buffaloes in the rain, it has become our most longed-for group outing and the most romantic hiking game.
Six
Some things experienced in life can never be explained clearly. It can only be said that everything must have an inseparable duality, positive and negative. , Yin and Yang, good and evil. Like Temple Mountain, it not only gave me extremely unrestrained happiness, but also gave me complete terror and darkness.
It was a warm afternoon in late autumn, and my friends and I went to "pouring sweet potatoes".
"Poppy sweet potatoes" is a local dialect here. It means that after the owner takes away the sweet potatoes grown in the field, everyone can dig up the sweet potatoes that the owner missed on that piece of land.
Children from farm families have already been in charge of the family. When they are a little older, they naturally begin to help the family with farm work within their capabilities. My family's living conditions are slightly better, so there is no need to go "pouring sweet potatoes", but all my playmates have gone to the fields. I have no playmates in the village by myself, so I might as well go to work in the fields with my friends, and at least we can talk together. .
That afternoon, a few friends and I were rummaging around in a sweet potato field looking for sweet potatoes. But no matter how hard we dug the soil and searched carefully, we couldn't find many sweet potato roots, let alone small sweet potatoes.
Just when we were desperate, a friend suddenly said: "You know? Over there on the mountain, the ground is full of sweet potatoes, and there are piles of them when you dig them up."
< p> "Really?" The friend who asked already showed an expression of infinite fascination. They are too eager to have a few decent sweet potatoes in their baskets in exchange for a smile of approval from their parents.And that one swore that everyone he saw was pouring baskets full of sweet potatoes from the other side of the mountain.
"How about we go there too?!"
Everyone hit it off immediately, packed up their tools, and ran on the road towards the mountain. I was eager to play with my friends, so I followed them without any hesitation.
When we climbed to the top of the mountain after all the troubles, the sun was already hanging slanting in the western sky, but everyone was full of hope and no one noticed.
After going down the mountain and walking a short distance eastward, there was indeed a sweet potato field, and someone was already rummaging through it. We soon joined the team and each found a piece of land to dig around.
After searching for a long time but still not finding much, someone straightened up and suddenly found that the sun had moved to the top of the mountain. The strong light was all gone, the color was bright red, and it was surrounded by thousands of clouds. It was very spectacular. I couldn't help but say: "Today's clouds are so beautiful."
I looked up quickly and saw the late autumn sunset, which was so beautiful that the clouds were steaming and the sky was red.
I watched the brilliant sunset carefully, and suddenly I remembered that my home was still on the other side of the mountain, and there was still a long, long way to go back. He hurriedly called his friends to go home.
The friends also seemed to feel that the problem was a bit serious. It was too late and they were a little scared to go back over the mountains. It was better to go to a nearby village to seek refuge with relatives and go home tomorrow.
But my mother has always had strict family rules. If the three of us, brother and sister, want to go on a long trip, we must make it clear to my mother in advance. I left without saying goodbye this afternoon. Walking so far across the mountains and ridges was already a big mistake. Staying out all night would be an even bigger mistake. And I can't imagine how anxious my mother would be if I didn't come home all night.
Although I have relatives here, I still refused my friends’ attempts to stay and set foot on the road home over the mountains alone.
When we reached the foot of the mountain, the setting sun had been blocked by the mountain, and the magnificent sunset gradually dimmed and faded. In the diffuse twilight, the birds in the sky all returned to their nests together, and the noisy mountain slowly fell silent, leaving only half a mountain. Occasionally there were a few shrill chirps of birds, which made my heart beat faster and faster almost as fast as my steps.
In the faint, almost invisible peripheral light, I stumbled and ran on the mountain road dragging a pickaxe and a basket. When I climbed to the top of the mountain panting, the river in the distance and the trees nearby were all integrated into the darkness. Except for a few dim stars in the deep night sky, darkness completely dominated this boundless world, and fear completely occupied my little heart.
Although the mountain road is no stranger to me, I have never walked alone on the mountain in such a dark night. All the legends I heard about mountain monsters and ghosts all came to my mind, and I felt more and more as if they were not far away, quietly waiting for me with their big mouths open. So I slowed down my pace, taking every step with trepidation and fear, but without shedding any tears.
When I grew up, I often thought of this scene. I was surprised that I, who always loved crying, didn't cry at that time. Maybe in the extreme fear, in the unknown darkness, I had already forgotten to cry; or maybe even though I was young at that time, I also understood that crying had no effect at all in that situation. Only by moving forward step by step can we get out of trouble, return to our mother, and return to a warm and comfortable home.
As I was going down the mountain, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the silent darkness. Instinctively, I stopped and leaned toward the roadside, but the hurried footsteps also stopped in front of me.
My eyes, which have long been adapted to the darkness, vaguely saw a person through the dim starlight, who seemed to be very tall. And he also saw me, maybe he didn't believe that there was a child walking alone in the dark on this remote and dark mountain road. He stood for a while and then asked me in a low voice:
"You Where are you going? "
"Dongli Garden." I could not help but timidly answer when I heard such a soft voice while standing on the roadside.
"Oh, I know that village. Let me take you down the mountain!" As he said that, he took the basket and pickaxe from my shoulders, put them on his shoulders, turned around and walked down the mountain.
I didn’t say a word, but followed him obediently. We had a brief conversation on the way, and he generally understood why I was here alone.
Soon, we reached the road at the foot of the mountain. He handed me the basket and pickaxe: "I still have something to do, so I won't see you off anymore. The road ahead is flat, don't be afraid. Come home quickly!" After that, he left in a hurry.
Listening to the rapid and getting smaller and smaller footsteps, I was stunned for a while, then picked up the basket and pickaxe and started running on the familiar and flat loess road.
As I ran, my mother’s voice calling me by my baby name was faintly heard in the darkness. I didn’t dare to agree, but I just ran faster.
As I approached the village, I really heard my mother’s anxious call. My mother was standing on the road. Maybe she heard the sound of me running and called my name one after another. I opened my mouth to answer my mother's call. Unexpectedly, tears poured down like water from a bursting bank. I couldn't help but burst into tears. Cry loudly.
My mother hurriedly came over, took the basket and the pickaxe, held me in her arms as I cried loudly, and walked home with tears streaming down my face. For the first time, my mother never blamed me that night. She always comforted me with gentle words and took me to the homes of those friends who had not returned to tell me one by one.
Years later, my mother still feels sad every time she thinks about this incident. She has not forgotten the person who gave me a ride, thinking about it and thanking me again and again.
And he must be a traveler who has important things to do. Otherwise, in those years when the sun rises and sets and rests, who would rush over the mountains and ridges at night?
But he still stopped for me. When I was most helpless, when I could no longer support myself, it was his voice that warmed me, and it was he who led me through the journey. The most difficult part.
As time goes by, some details have gradually faded away, such as the heavy basket and the clumsy pickaxe, the rugged mountain road, the rocks that are bigger than the feet, and the unforgettable fear, but in the dark night on the rural mountain The voice coming from the scene became increasingly clear. The voice was so soft and gentle, shattering the darkness and fear of the night.
"Where are you going?"
Seven
I heard about the annihilation of Temple Mountain.
After my family moved to the county town, villagers often stopped by my house when they came to the city. From them, I gradually learned about the final glory of Miaoshan and the inevitable end of the glory.
Fortunately, I did not personally watch it shrink a little bit, disappear piece by piece, and move towards the end of life day by day. I think I must not be able to bear it. My beloved Temple Mountain, the origin of my life, my happiness and dreams, is attacked by artillery fire all day long, subjected to ruthless hammers, crowbars and roaring drilling holes. Then it is no longer green and is devastated. Covered with bruises.
A long time ago, a cement factory was built on the east side of Miaoshan. Later, my villagers all went up to the mountains. Every family dug grass and cut trees on the mountains, dug the ground into the ground to build stone ponds, and built various large and small stone ponds. They frantically mined stones and sold them to cement factories to make profits.
"Living on the mountains to feed the mountains, relying on the water to feed the water." This is the only way to survive that makes all miners feel at ease. It is said that the busyness and prosperity of Miaoshan at that time has exceeded the prosperity of the temple fair, but it still seems to be a reflection of the past: the machines for drilling blast holes are roaring, the tractors pulling stone are in an endless stream, and all the folks are working hard on the mountain. Day and night, there were loud blasts from time to time, followed by exploding rocks flying all over the sky.
I don’t know how those mountain buffaloes escaped, and I don’t know when the dusty vegetation in the mountains stopped breathing. Miaoshan, which has been silent for hundreds or even thousands of years, may not have thought that it would have such a glorious day.
The villagers became rich quickly, and Miaoshan was also eroded at an extremely fast speed.
Due to disorderly mining and chaotic management, the wealthy folks have paid too many prices. Some costs are visible to them, and those who die under the stone will make them sigh and cry; however, some costs, those invisible and heavy costs, are invisible to them.
Without the protection of Miaoshan, Dongli Garden lost its peace and tranquility. The endless pursuit of money has finally exhausted the stones, and the temple mountain has been flattened, leaving only abandoned large and small quarrying ponds, as if the deep ribs of the temple mountain are exposed, one after another, facing each other. Heaven, speechless and tearless...