柏桦《母亲的村庄》

My mother, Mrs Bai, was born in Xiao Zhai, a Dai village, nine years before the founding of the People's Republic of China. Her life was fraught with challenges: at the age of seven, her father was murdered by bandits returning from the market. Her mother remarried and moved away, leaving her and her older sister to be raised by their uncle’s family. Through their generosity and care, she grew up facing numerous hardships. My mother began school at 12 and was admitted to a junior regular school at 18 due to her exceptional academic performance. Upon graduation, she was assigned to teach in a rural primary school, proudly becoming a people's teacher. She later transferred to a prefecture-level city, working as a teacher and deputy head at a county-level kindergarten until her retirement.

My mother's journey is a remarkable story filled with hope for women from ethnic minorities in rural China and its border regions.

I was more fortunate than my mother, having the opportunity to attend university in Beijing for four years—an unimaginable chance for my mother’s and grandmother’s generation in Xicao Zhai. My mother was a primary school and kindergarten teacher, while my father taught at a middle school before retiring. After graduating from university, I was assigned to teach at a college in my hometown. Since then, I have studied at various institutions such as Renmin University of China, Lu Xun Literature Institute, Central Institute for Socialism, Peking University, and Tsinghua University, giving me numerous opportunities to travel between Yunnan's border regions and the heart of the country.

As I journeyed across the nation on steel "big birds," looking down at the picturesque Yunnan landscape, I often saw Xiao Zhai nestled shyly among the rolling mountains and rivers. Every time I walked through Tiananmen Square, I felt I was representing the villagers of Xicao Zhai, visiting Chairman Mao Zedong and greeting the capital of the People's Republic of China. Though I was neither born nor raised in Xicao Zhai and became a "city person" after moving with my father before finishing primary school, I have visited Xicao Zhai countless times since childhood. As the descendant who has attended the most schools and travelled, I unconsciously became the ambassador and spokesperson for this civilized provincial village in Yunnan Province.

I am grateful to be a "poet" and "writer," allowing me to introduce Xicao Zhai to people beyond Wenshan Prefecture and Yunnan Province. My 10,000-word prose titled "The Village Forgotten by the City," completed in April 2005 in Kunming's Cuihu Park, dedicates a significant portion to describing Xiao Zhai and its villagers, reliving the beautiful memories and nostalgia of my hometown:

"Xiao Zhai is my mother's birthplace and a village in Wenshan County with well-preserved Dai ethnic characteristics. Like those in other Dai villages I have visited, the villagers here are hardworking, kind, optimistic, and enlightened. Xiao Zhai enjoys neighbourly harmony and a simple folk custom, earning it the title of a provincial civilized village."

"Xicao grass and stones are the two specialities of Xicao Zhai. The houses in the village are mostly built with stone walls, and the roads are paved with stone slabs. The village's name comes from the abundant Xicao grass used for making mats. As soon as you arrive at the village, you can see lush Xicao grass growing in the rice paddies, forming a beautiful landscape. Mat-making is an important source of income for the villagers. At night, the sound of mat-making rises and falls in the village, which is quite pleasant. The mats made from Xicao grass are soft and sturdy, with a faint fragrance of the grass."

Xicao Village possesses an admirable quality I deeply respect: it is the only Dai village in Wenshan County where children receive bilingual education (Mandarin and Dai language) from an early age. When my mother and I visited Xicao Village for the Flower Meal Festival, we encountered friendly villagers of all ages who greeted my mother in Dai and invited her into their homes for meals. In other Dai villages, few young people speak the Dai language anymore.

My hometown is nestled in the softest part of my heart. When my soul is weary from the materialistic hustle of city life, it becomes my spiritual haven. I immerse myself in its warm memories, which bathe my soul and joyfully fill my heart. The deep, steadfast, and warm intimacy it has provided me is a priceless treasure I will cherish forever.

When I hear the long whistle of the train piercing through the city's night sky, my sentimental heart quivers. I am filled with a shy longing for my hometown, hidden behind the distant city's silhouette. A sense of melancholy washes over me as I contemplate the joys and sorrows of life, reflecting that life is but a fleeting journey, a transient dream. I realise I am merely a wanderer, a passerby who has left his homeland, rushing through the journey and dreams...

On this quiet night, I think of my hometown... My beloved hometown, with its verdant mountains and flowing green waters, is forever etched in my memories, unforgettable. (Zhang Mingmin, "Hometown")

I have returned to the steel and concrete jungle, solitude, and nights. What comforts me is the fertile and delicious memory of my hometown.

All praises and affection are a form of gratitude, even though I know the kindness of my hometown can never be repaid. The lush red earth, my mother's village, the clear ripples of the roaring river, the red camellia blossoms on the rolling hills, the rare reunions in the warm stone house, and the carefree daydreams on the red soil-pounded rooftop... All have become precious memories and rich nourishment in my life. As I walk through life, the modest honours I have been fortunate enough to obtain belong to my father and mother and the small villages linked to my mother, mainly the Dai villages.

When I completed the long prose "Villages Forgotten by the City," I had only been working in Kunming for a month since moving from my hometown, but my homesickness grew stronger daily... During the May Golden Week, I returned to Xicao Village like a weary bird flying back to its jungle. Sleeping on the straw mat that held the warmth of my loved ones, I felt like a happy and innocent child who had shed all worries and constraints, dreaming of an untainted spring on a night filled with the fragrant scent of straw in my hometown...

The "Panlong River" magazine, hosted by the Wenshan County Literary and Art Federation, in the first issue of 2002, recorded the documentary prose "Walking into the Dai Civilized Village" by He Yuanmei, the chairman of the county federation:

"Xicao Village is located in the arid river valley area, 51 kilometres from the county town of Wenshan and 4 kilometres from the township government. All the villagers are Dai people, with 114 households and 1,272 residents. They primarily cultivate dry land, growing crops such as corn, straw, chilli, and peanuts."

"Known as the 'Village of Straw,' Xicao Village in Hongdian Township, Wenshan County, boasts unique geographical advantages and rich natural resources. It is a civilized village that has rapidly developed in recent years. The land is golden, and bridges and streams intersect, blending the rustic charm of blue skies and green lands with the modern allure of white walls and green tiles. However, the most touching aspect is the prosperous life with full granaries and livestock, the clean and tidy village environment, the harmonious and peaceful interpersonal relationships, and the good customs of civilization and mutual assistance..."

"The Dai people living by the water reside in a place free from exhaust gas or wastewater. Whether in the old village or the new one, the exterior and interior walls of the houses are made of stone, and the roofs of the earth-paved houses are made of red soil. They appear orderly and picturesque from afar, surrounded by green trees..."

"Since the liberation, no one in this village has violated the law or committed a crime, and all disputes in the village are resolved under the auspices of the village officials..."

The Dai people hold filial piety and etiquette in high regard. Each year, on the 23rd of the sixth lunar month, they invite the married women back to their village, offering them fine wine and delicious food. This allows them to partake in the traditional festival cherished and passed down through generations. (Note: This conventional festival is known as the Girl's Festival of the Dai people in Wenshan, also referred to as the Jinku Festival or the Flower Meal Festival.)

Celebrated by various ethnic groups on the 24th of the sixth lunar month, the Flower Meal Festival is noteworthy. The Girl's Festival, or Jinku Festival, of the Dai people in Wenshan, is particularly significant, lasting for two days: the 23rd and 24th of June, with the 23rd being the primary day. This arrangement allows married women to celebrate with their natal families on the 23rd and their husbands' families on the 24th.

Though small, Xicao Village is renowned. It has welcomed numerous officials, been featured in various media reports, and attracted photographers eager to capture its unique Dai ethnic charm.

In 2009, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xicao Village planned a grand and vibrant Jinku Festival. My mother and I were invited, but due to official responsibilities, I could not attend. Nonetheless, I often dream of the green reeds at the village entrance and hear the nocturne of my aunt diligently weaving mats under the lamplight.

Once a poor and backward village, Xicao has transformed into a prosperous and cultured provincial model. My mother and I have also moved on from that enchanting and beautiful red land, becoming members of the county and provincial political consultative committees, respectively. As two generations of Dai women, we share the solemn mission of governing and participating in the political affairs of a socialist country.

My mother's village, the shared glory and dreams of two generations, has grown alongside New China.