The most trivial thing in life: essays

In our place, there is a tool for moving fish called Yi. Yu and Wang are two brothers and sisters in the big family of fishing tools.

Wang is a little sister, and everyone is familiar with it. It seems to be a social butterfly, petite and exquisite, light in posture, not reserved, not shy, very open, very active, as considerate as a dancer. When she is about to jump into the arms of the sparkling river, her dancing in the air is so graceful and amorous, and a huge and beautiful flower seems to bloom on the river. Her beauty is a trap. She sacrificed her skin color to catch fish in the river. So we should be sober and rational in front of beautiful women, or we will ruin your reputation. However, in the long river of history, we only heard that there are many women guarding the memorial archway, but we have never heard that any man can keep it in front of beautiful women. "Men are not good things", I wonder if virtue is painted in men's bones. Indeed, da ji, Japan, and The Story Of Diu Sim, their beauty made those men lose their country and life. No wonder later generations lamented: "Heroes are sad about beauty."

I am the eldest brother. It is simple and honest, introverted, clumsy and taciturn. We often refer to people with this quality as "workaholics". In the past, this title was regarded as a compliment, and some people were willing to be an old ox. In fact, this title has a congenital defect. Because calling people cows is objectively a kind of contempt and insult. What do we usually say about cattle, "animals"? That's what we said. When you say someone is a cow, doesn't that mean they are animals? And this cow, who plowed and raked the ground, was scolded all his life. It never understood what it was for. It has never thought and will never think, let alone come up with some abstract and empty philosophy to torture people like a philosopher. A saint once said, "Those who work hard govern others, and those who work hard govern others."

Some people may feel depressed when they hear this, as if they were drowned by the strong wind with one mouth, but they just didn't breathe. However, you feel your conscience and think, how heavy is this old cow in your heart? Maybe you are wronged for them, or maybe you are wronged for yourself, in order to make good use of and control these people.

And I, like an old ox, stay at home all day, unknown, and few people know. Only in the days of flood does it stumble to the river, and its exposed claws and poles lie on the water like a giant crab, waiting quietly.

I am a square net made of hemp thread, with thick steel ropes at every corner. Its skeleton consists of four claws and a lever. These are the bamboo forests of the villagers' own homes. Those four claws need to be symmetrical and tall, with young people aged two to three, because they are tough and not easy to break. If young people are not enough, they can use those who are four to five years younger.

Next, overlap the bottom ends of two bamboos by several tens of centimeters, tie the overlapping parts firmly with thick hemp rope to make four bamboos into two, and then tie the two claws into a cross. Of course, this is not to pray for Jesus who was crucified. In fact, the villagers at that time did not know that there was such a foreign old man, and even if they did, they would feel that they had nothing to do with themselves. Because they can't even worship their ancestors, how can they have leisure time to take care of this foreign old man? Therefore, when they made this cross, they had no other thoughts. They tied one end of the pole to the cross. The pole should be made of very strong bamboo, and it is best to use a kind of bamboo called "hard head spring". This kind of bamboo is thick in skin and flesh, very strong and can bear load. The pole is my backbone. Whether it can stand upright is related to my spine. Therefore, we must be careful when choosing the pole, and we can't perfunctory it for a trivial matter. Liu Xuande said: "Don't do it because of small evils, and don't do it because of small goodness."

Finally, tie the four corners together with the tips of four claws, and the four claws will stretch and bend, like a big monster falling in the air, like a huge spider web, and like the roof of an ancient car. This makes me look grand and heroic. However, because of its character, I can only curl up in a dusty and dark corner and pretend to have a rustling dream, but I can't be an omnipotent figure. Personality can really change a person's life.

This is very heavy, dozens or even hundreds of pounds. Carrying it on your shoulders, like a big crab with claws, is also like an emperor riding out of the palace. It is difficult to balance the burden, the mountain road is narrow and it is inconvenient to walk. When I saw my father or brother walking on the mountain road with this shovel, my heart hung. I'm afraid they will fall off the cliff if they are not careful.

Moving fish is about seasonality. When the flood rises in summer. The water became turbid due to the rising flood. When fish are in the water, everything is yellow, so they can't see the deadly trap in the water. When it has become something in people's hands unconsciously, we can only sigh: "Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth is in the sky." You can't move the fish unless there is a flood, because in the crystal clear water, the fish can clearly see your net and won't be trapped like some people. We don't know if this is what we usually mean by "clear water without fish"

On a day when the water was rising, the little brother and the third brother carried the burden and came to a place called Sparrow Rock to move fish.

Sparrow Rock, as its name implies, is a place where sparrows live in groups. Sparrows imitate people and build this place into a prosperous and rich city, just like Liu Yong wrote, "There are laurel trees in Sanqiu and lotus flowers in ten miles", which is beautiful.

At night, sparrows return to their nests. At this time, the sparrows on Sparrow Rock are dense, like bees in a hive. The population density of sparrows here is unmatched by us humans.

The tall building where sparrows live is rock whisker grass growing on the cliff. This kind of grass is slender and looks like a beard on a person's mouth from a distance, so people call it rock beard grass. The villagers named things pictographs, which is a very simple and ancient art, only exists among the people and is despised by literati. I wonder if our scholars, while hiding in the ivory tower to study hieroglyphics, have ever thought of going to the people to listen to public opinion?

Sparrows are busy going in and out of this tall building. I don't know whether they are busy with housework, dropping in, or informing each other of what general meeting to hold. Our village was such a model at that time.

There are many other sparrows scattered around Bamao and on the grass on the ground. Like nomads and gypsies, their ability to adapt to the environment is amazing.

Sparrows' songs spread in all directions like water bursting its banks, and can drown for miles.

At that time, in our place, sparrows were aristocratic families of birds. They inhabit eaves, bamboo forests, Woods, cliffs and other places. Later, when I read "I woke up easily in this spring morning, and birds were singing everywhere", I thought that this singing bird must be a sparrow's cry. Because we get up every day, the birdsong we can hear is the sparrow's cry. We often climb trees or bamboo to dig out sparrow eggs, which are as big as quail eggs and are quite delicious when cooked. It's just that adults don't let us dig, for fear that we will fall from trees or bamboo. If the adults know, we will be beaten, just like we were found taking a bath in the river.

For some reason, the sparrow suddenly disappeared from our sight, and now we can't see a sparrow. At that time, I heard that the sparrow left by train, and we thought it was a joke. Sparrows have wings and can fly. How can they take your train? Now that I think about it, it really happened. It seems that this sparrow is also a very spiritual bird. It knows how to use things invented by human beings to serve itself, which is very similar to the "takenism" advocated by Mr. Lu Xun. I don't know why, without this chirping sparrow, our hearts feel very lost. Really, as some people say: "What is lost will be cherished." But what's the point of cherishing it at this time? If I know today, why should I know? Now there are some birds smaller than sparrows, but we are indifferent to them and emotionally far away from them. Looks like we're going to blame them for the sparrow's disappearance. Now we know they are innocent, but if they don't come as scapegoats, who will?

When the little brother and the third brother were transporting fish to Sparrow Rock, there were sparrows in this Sparrow Rock at that time. It's just that the prosperity of that year is gone, and it looks bleak, depressed and cold. Just as Liu Yuxi lamented in his poem that "weeds are blooming by the Suzaku Bridge, the sun is setting at the entrance of Wuyi Lane, and Lao Wang Xie Tang flies into the homes of ordinary people".

At that time, people turned Sparrow Rock into a stone factory. For the benefit of mankind, sparrows can only sacrifice their own happiness. The hammer with the chisel tinkling replaced the chirping sparrow, but the stiff voice made people tremble and feel numb. Sparrows can't stand it. They have no choice but to give up their ancestral homes and move to other places. Only some old and infirm people are still struggling in their broken families. Anyway, they're running out of time. When they died here, they finally fell to their roots. Like those old women who move to another place and never want to move again.

The specific place where the little brother and the third brother moved the fish was at the foot of the cliff opposite Sparrow Rock. There are many miscellaneous trees growing on this abrupt cliff, and there are green vines winding on the miscellaneous trees, which looks eerie. Green life is vigorously promoted, but it reveals desolation. Green moss and lichen have grown on the rocks, and a little cold color has penetrated in, which is dignified and stagnant. The exposed rocks are blue and black, which is different from those plants that grow vigorously. This barren land is ancient and dim, solidified and cold, which reminds people of its hardness and eternity, tenacity and unyielding. Under the cliff is a wasteland covered with eight hairs of serrated leaves. Eight hairs are the lowest and most tenacious plants in our hometown. Where crops can't survive, that is the paradise of eighty cents. However, the eight Mao people never say, "Bad luck, bad luck." They are optimistic and cheerful.

Little brother and third brother found a suitable place to move fish, put them in the muddy Yellow River, and then stopped on the river bank to start moving fish.

The sky is still raining in Mao Mao, and the dark clouds in the sky are running in a hurry, as if to catch a banquet. Because he can only run so fast if he drinks spicy food. We have a saying there: "The official is the first, and the guest is the last."

The little brother looked at the cloud and said, "It's going to rain."

Third brother asked him how he knew. The little brother said, "Don't you think that cloud is running south?" This cloud is east, empty; Clouds to the west, covered with hemp fiber; The clouds go south and smash the ship; Clouds heading north are good for drying wheat. Third brother, you put the plastic bag on the ground to keep out the moisture, and put the hemp fiber on the gummed paper so that you can sit down. "

The third child did as his brother said. This plastic bag is urea bag. This pocket is quite thick. One side is cut off and it can be used as a raincoat. On rainy days, you can see many farmers wearing bright white things on their heads, that is, urea-wrapped raincoats. Our poor and kind villagers are still very creative, but this creativity reveals the bitterness, helplessness and poverty of the villagers.

Moving fish is heavy work, and it is impossible without strength. This is hard qigong in martial arts. You have to throw away those juggling things like four or two kilos.

As a member of the working people, my little brother lives by strength. Their bodies are like an engine, which can supply energy continuously. So in the eyes of my younger brother, this moving fish is like our children's home.

My little brother put my foot into the river and stamped my feet on the ground barefoot. This is to make it easier for my feet to stand in the nest and not slip when pulling my feet, which is also good for my strength.

Although it was summer at this time, it rained, the ground was wet, and the clothes were wet with water on the hair. When the breeze blows, I still feel a little chilly, which makes me long for dryness and warmth.

Waiting to move the fish is boring. With inexplicable excitement and depressed boredom, hope surges.

After a while, the little brother went to pull the stool. His feet stood in a figure of eight, his hands pulled a rope as thick as a thin rope, and his body fell backwards, trying to reduce the power of pulling the stool with his own weight.

Little brothers pulled the pots out of the water one by one, and sometimes there were several small fish in the pots. After leaving the water, they instinctively felt the danger of their own situation and jumped desperately in the pot, like trampoline athletes. In the eyes of the third brother, I think they are jumping for joy. The third pulled the basket to his side, and when he reached the fish, he grabbed it with his hand and threw it into the clearing. Then he let go of the basket, caught the fish struggling on the ground and dipped it into the river. This is not kindness, but to prevent fish from dying.

There are few fish in the afternoon, mostly small fish, and even crucian carp are rare. Sometimes a basket is pulled up, and there are no shrimps. My little brother was in no mood to pull up a basket, and my third brother was listless, sitting on the hemp fiber and sleepy.

On rainy days, it gets dark early, and the sound of sparrows on the other side of the river is particularly loud and annoying. However, the sparrow's cry clearly reminds people that it will be dark soon. As the saying goes, "Sparrows can't walk fifteen miles."

Little brother asked third brother to go back to dinner and bring food and flashlight. I didn't move any fish in the afternoon, so I want to move on at night. Maybe there will be more fish at night. People, everything will look on the bright side. Besides, it's a joke anyway. You can move more fish here to improve your life.

It's getting dark, and the sparrow's calls are sparse. This is the sparrow who can't sleep well, complaining that "Tonamiyama is more secluded", so it is quieter here.

Little brother stopped moving, hungry and weak. He will wait for the third brother to come and eat before moving.

Third brother brought rice, a flashlight and a bottle of boiled water. This rice is made of wheat flour, Baba, because it is fried a little dark for lack of oil. My little brother is starving. He picked up Baba with boiling water, and the threes were one. After a while, those babas all went into my little brother's stomach. After eating something, I had some goods in my stomach, and my spirit came again, so my little brother went to pull it.

There are a little more fish at this time than at night. Occasionally there are one or two crucian carp. Third brother must tell his younger brother happily when he shines a flashlight on crucian carp. It seems that I am delivering good news to my brother.

It was completely dark, and the little brother and the third brother couldn't see each other clearly one step apart. People are afraid of the dark, which has become a habit. Because of the dark cover, all the shady things came out and were ready to move. At this time, they heard eight hairs behind them. For a while, they all fell to the left, and for a while, they fell to the right. It seems that a group of people pressed it at eight cents. The younger brother and the third brother always thought it was the wind, because only the wind would blow the eight hairs sideways. And people, except them, can't even find a living thing. Sparrows in Sparrow Rock are asleep. I don't know what they dreamed. Two lines of clear tears wet their cheeks. Later, the younger brother and the third brother recalled the scene at that time and realized that there was no wind at that time. What caused the eight hairs to turn upside down? This makes the little brother and the third brother very confused. There is also why they think there is no wind, but they think there is wind blowing. Maybe I thought only the wind would do this, so I didn't think much. At this time, fish also increased. The little brother said to the third brother, "third brother, that's good. I said to keep moving at night, otherwise I can't move the fish." Third brother agrees very much.

At this time, they heard something jump down from the high cliff behind them, and they could hear the sound of landing. Then they seemed to be running forward, making a clatter of eight hairs. The noise disappeared when they ran after them. Suddenly they heard a bang in the river, as if someone had thrown a stone into the river. It's so late, naturally no one will throw stones, so both of them thought it was fish jumping in the pond, and the little brother and the third brother were surprised and happy. This time they are going to move a big fish. The third brother lit a flashlight and the younger brother walked to the place where he pulled it. He pulled hard as usual. It's strange why it can't be pulled. My brother pulled harder, but he still couldn't move. The little brother thought, I'm afraid the online tree has been planted, which will be in trouble. If you can't pull it up, the fish can't move. Maybe not. The two brothers are here tonight. My little brother put me down, but fortunately, he wanted the river to wash me away from the place where the tree subnet was built, so that he could pull me up.

This time, I waited a little longer than I went back. My little brother stood up and walked back to the place where I pulled. This time, he will use all his strength to pull me up at once. Who knows, it was so light that it was pulled up at once, and the little brother ate a meat. That Geng immediately pressed the little brother down. When the little brother saw it, he stood up hurriedly, and the third brother quickly stepped forward to hold the fishing rod. When I put my pig back into the river, my little brother said to my third brother, "third brother, you are optimistic about Japanese monsters." I didn't pull it up just now, but I pulled it hard, but it was light. " You said the sun was weird! "

Third brother was a little scared after listening to his younger brother. In the countryside, everyone says that there are no ghosts, and everyone says that they have seen ghosts, and they are vivid, with noses and eyes. In fact, only the eyes know whether there are ghosts or not.

When I was a child, I listened to these ghost stories and dared not leave at night. My father and little brother are so bold that they are not afraid to walk at night. I admire them very much. Sometimes I walk with my little brother at night, afraid to walk in front, only dare to walk behind, and I have to pull my little brother's clothes with my hands. Seeing that I am so timid, my little brother teased me and said, "Riding a foreign horse in front will hit a ghost in the back." Hearing what my little brother said, I was too scared to walk behind and wanted to walk in front. At this time, the younger brother would say, "I rode a foreign horse behind me and was hit by a ghost in front." Now, I'm afraid to leave. When my little brother saw me like this, he said to me, "Brother, where there are ghosts in this world, scare yourself." I'm still timid. Tell my little brother not to say those words to scare me. My little brother promised not to tell me, so I dared to take my little brother's clothes and line up with him. For some reason, children are most afraid of death, and old people are most afraid of death.

Third brother is afraid, so he doesn't want to move fish here. He urged his brother to go back. The little brother said, "there are many fish at this time, so I will take the opportunity to move more fish and eat fish again tomorrow." Don't be afraid with me here. " Third brother can't help it if he doesn't leave. He is afraid to walk back alone.

In this way, it moved for a while. A little later, it may be midnight. Third brother is a little sleepy. Every time he pulls, he calls third brother. At this time, the little brother and the third brother heard that the cliff behind them seemed to collapse, and a boulder fell from the cliff. When the boulder hit the ground, the ground gave a muffled sound, as if it were a sound when it could not bear great pain. At the same time, the little brother and the third brother felt the ground shaking violently. Now even such a bold little brother is a little scared. Because my brother is familiar with the cliffs around here, he often comes to these places to cut grass and feed cattle. He knew that there was no stone cracking on this cliff, so how could a boulder fall off the cliff? Coupled with the strange phenomenon in front, the little brother knows that this is a ghost reminding him not to move here. Maybe he moved here to get in the way of ghosts. So the little brother said to the third brother, "Don't move, third brother, go back." My little brother pulled me up without dissolving me, picked me up intact and left.

The next day, my little brother went to mow the grass. He specially went to the cliffs in this area to have a look. He found that at night, not a stone fell from the cliff in this area, not even a small stone.

When my little brother told me these things, I was even more afraid. I believe there are ghosts in this world.

Now that I'm grown up, I don't believe in ghosts. But I don't know how to explain this strange thing that happened when the little brother and the third brother moved fish. Perhaps the magical and strange things in nature need to be explained by future generations.