Jiangnan Town

? "The narrow river passing through the town, the exquisitely carved stone bridges, the houses built beside the river, there is water under the floors of the houses, and the stone steps lead from the pier. The floor protruded step by step, and women were washing themselves on the pier, while a wisp of white smoke was rising from the awning boat only a few feet away from them. The smoke drifted through the bridge hole to the other side. On the other side of the river, there was a low and There are wide stone railings where you can sit or lie down, and several old people sit there with calm faces and watch the passing ships."

I learned the name of Jiangnan Town after reading Yu Qiuyu's "Cultural Journey." ", and the impression deep in my mind may come from the various images of water towns in the south of the Yangtze River in China. I can’t remember at what age or time I saw it, but I just inexplicably like those ancient buildings with white walls and gray tiles, mottled walls and surrounded by clear water. As for what I like and why I like it, I can’t say. clear.

Traveling to East China has never been in my travel list. Nanjing and Shanghai are not my favorite places. I feel that apart from the warmth of Suzhou and Hangzhou, this trip only has the gorgeousness of cement concrete. and solemn. However, some of the photos that classmate Sheng Sheng took of her trip to Xitang last year deeply moved me, so this year I chose to take a trip to Jiangnan Water Town to see the places in the paintings in person.

There are 6 water towns mentioned in the travel brochure: Wuzhen, Xitang, Fengjing, Mudu, Luzhi, Zhouzhuang, but there is no Tongli mentioned by Yu Qiuyu. The most famous of these towns are Wuzhen, Xitang and Zhouzhuang. This is the first time I have heard of Mudu, Fengjing and Luzhi. I checked on the Internet and found that the towns in Jiangnan are similar, and tours with group tours will not always follow your will. People like me, who are mentally lazy and materially frugal, still chose the worry-free but possibly counter-intuitive way.

It took me more than five days to travel all the way back in a hurry. Each town was less than 2 hours to visit. The most famous ones, Xitang and Zhouzhuang, also chose night tours. This is how tourism is. , there are always many dissatisfactions. However, amidst all these dissatisfactions, I still gained some inner satisfaction: For example, the printing and dyeing workshops in Wuzhen, those tall and exquisite wooden-carved houses, and the narrow stone roads; Snacks; the elegant Yanjia Garden and rowing boats in Mudu; the straight Wansheng Rice Shop; and the famous Zhouzhuang’s twin bridges and water... But my favorite is the little-known one - Fengjing .

The feeling of Jiangnan Town should be quiet and peaceful to me. As Yu Qiuyu said, "There is nothing more representative of an indifferent and stable life than Jiangnan Town." Most small towns have become tourist destinations, but the crowds of people coming to seek tranquility have led to the hustle and bustle of the town. Especially the most famous Zhouzhuang, which seems to have only the appearance of a Jiangnan town, but has lost its original tranquility and peace. Verve. No wonder, I can come here because of its reputation, not to mention so many people across the country? In the final analysis, it was our hasty steps that broke the connotation of Jiangnan Town. Walking on those uneven stone roads, you can no longer hear the sound of crisp footsteps, but only the noise of business in the name of the town.

Fortunately, we still have Fengjing.

Maybe it’s because Fengjing is not very well-known, maybe it’s because the time we went there happened to be noon when it was extremely hot. Except for the 20 or so people in our group, there seemed to be no one else. The town is very quiet, with the same white walls and gray tiles mottled with mildew, the same small river port climbing up the stairs, the same green river flowing through the ring houses and the occasional awning boat, but But it's quiet. On the promenade path lined with small tiles, looking at the thin old bamboo curtains hanging down the edge of the promenade, a family of three walked hand in hand on the promenade, listening to the crisp footsteps coming from the soles of their feet, and the surrounding people A small sign "Coffee Daze Chat" is hung quietly on the small shop. There may be three or two customers quietly drinking tea or coffee in the shop, or there may be two young lovers cuddling together and surfing the Internet. Everything is so casual and casual. harmonious.

The three of them were walking along the quiet riverside promenade. When they were hungry, they went to a roadside shop to eat some siomai or hot and sour noodles. When they were tired, they rested on an old wooden bench on the bridge. . I didn’t want to say anything, I didn’t want to do anything, I just looked quietly at the woman drying her quilt from the house across the river, at the tall plantains growing in the only gap between the waterside and the house, and at the houses on the roadside. The light smoke of lunch came out. My thinking seems to have stopped, and I am comfortable in the silence of this moment. This may be the feeling of a small town in the south of the Yangtze River that I want. In this hustle and bustle of the world, in this commercialized water town, I still found that kind of peace and that kind of indifference. At this moment, I am satisfied and my trip was worthwhile.

I don’t know why the tour guide always likes to describe the small towns in Jiangnan as “small bridges and flowing water with people’s homes”. Although it sounds okay, I personally think that Ma Zhiyuan wrote “small bridges and flowing water”. The "bridge" should be a simple and lonely small wooden bridge or a small stone bridge, the "flowing water" should be a clear cold stream, and the "people's house" should be that thatched house, not the exquisite clusters of stone bridges like the Jiangnan towns, green The bottom of the river cannot be seen and the houses with white walls and gray tiles and cornices. They are also quiet scenes. There is desolation and desolation, but here it is peaceful and peaceful.

I was originally going to the famous water town, but I regretted not having a fun night tour in Xitang and Zhouzhuang. The loudly singing bands and the noisy vendors there have broken my longing for their tranquility, but unexpectedly I found the artistic conception in my dreams in Fengjing. Just like our life, we run towards a goal with great interest, but cannot reach the goal. In the midst of all kinds of melancholy and countless twists and turns, there will be twists and turns, but what we must not lack is the pace of pursuit and the unchangeable spirit. original intention.

Perhaps one day, all the small towns in Jiangnan will be full of noise and no longer peaceful. Then keep that indifference and tranquility in your heart. After all, we just pass by the tranquility of Jiangnan small towns. However, the indifference and tranquility in our hearts will remain with us forever. The Jiangnan town in our hearts will always be there!