Chapter 4 Li Family Valley.

Hello! Erpi! A crisp voice came, Li Junguo turned his head and saw a beautiful young woman standing in front of him. She was wearing a light lotus-colored shirt on her upper body, a pair of denim capri pants on her lower body, and white sneakers on her feet.

The banyan tree is indeed larger, with a thick trunk directly blocking one-third of the sky above the small river.

Local people call this place Shenzhen Fang, but it cannot be verified whether it was the work of Li's ancestor, Shenzhen Gong.

Upstream along the Wuxi River, after another half an hour of driving, a small pier appeared on the left hand side, with blue stone steps and a large banyan tree, but without a small square, the stone steps directly laid on the hillside.

This is not only a tool for villagers to cross the Five Creek River, but also the favorite toy for children in the village during the summer.

Later, the archway gradually evolved into a kind of monument-like architecture, with names such as "Meritorious Archway," "Scholar Archway," "Loyalty and Filial Piety Archway," etc. It serves to promote ritual and ethics, symbolize the great achievements and virtues of ancestors, and also functions as a place name marker and ancestral worship.

A few people hurriedly greeted each other. Li Ermao said, "Hey, Erpi is back! Why didn't you hear from Auntie? Stay a few more days this time! Come to my house for a drink tonight!"

After walking a short distance uphill and passing the highest water level line of the summer, the stone path becomes flat after a few steps of stairs, with rice fields on both sides.

In the rice field, the rice plants are lush green. As the two people pass by, the frogs in the grass by the field jump into the field with a "plop, plop".

On one side of the wall, there is an ornate window, showcasing the former owner's past glory.

Li Jungé hurriedly smiled and said, "Uncle Li is right. Some rules still need to be observed."

With a coarse porcelain bowl in hand, I began to survey the surroundings. The buildings around the small square were all old houses made of blue bricks and black tiles. The door frames were painted with dark red lacquer, giving them a dignified and generous appearance.

During the summer, wooden boats are basically occupied by children, and it is common to see a boat full of naked children playing in the middle of the river.

Li Junge and Li Ermao are about the same age. They have been playing together since they were young. However, Li Ermao did not do well in school and did not continue his studies after junior high school.

"Hahaha, crazy girl!" Li Junguo also laughed and opened his arms, "Come, come, long time no see, let brother give you a hug!"

Then set up a pavilion in the courtyard, placed several tables, serving as a small teahouse, providing a place for villagers to gather and chat, making life somewhat bearable.

The people of Lijiagou are mostly of the same clan. Going back several tens of generations, they all share a common ancestor—Shen Qinggong, a Jinshi scholar in the Chunyou era. Therefore, they generally address each other according to the seniority in the genealogy.

The ship sailed away, and Li Junguo turned around to see the maid waving her fists at him from the shore.

The girl with round apricot eyes said, "No, I want meat! All kinds of meat! Otherwise, I will complain to the old lady!"

Okay, okay, okay, all kinds of meat!" Li Junguo echoed, stuffing a big bowl into the girl's hands, taking two steps back, looking up and down a few times, and then smirked, "I'm afraid you'll cry and scream for weight loss after eating it all." After saying that, he laughed heartily and quickly jumped onto the small boat.

The girl has a ponytail, with a bangs that bounces, long eyelashes, big eyes, a slightly upturned nose, and a round face shape. She is looking at Li Junge and laughing.

Across the pier is a small cobblestone path, with some wooden houses on both sides. Today is not a market day, so there are not many pedestrians on the road. There are only a few makeshift stalls made of door panels, on which some small commodities are displayed, mostly daily necessities.

The archway is one of the distinctive architectural cultures of China, which evolved from Hengmen, that is, a building with two pillars and a horizontal beam, generally used to mark the entrance of each residential area.

The iron boat shut down its engine and began to glide towards the small dock using inertia. It gently docked next to the wooden boat by the side of the banyan tree.

"Knowing that you are here, I hurried back. " Li Jungé is used to bantering with the eldest maid, and he couldn't help but do it habitually. Suddenly, he remembered that she is now the deputy township head, surrounded by a group of old men and women with their eyes askew and ears pricked up.

Using hemp ropes to pull the boat from the opposite bank, after boarding the boat, pick up the pole, insert the steel cable into the wooden groove, pull it back and then release it, and the boat will move forward towards the opposite bank.

Li Jungé used a long wooden spoon to scoop half a bowl of water and took a sip. "Mmm! Still so sweet!"

I'm so lucky! The girl was smiling as if she had found a treasure. "There are several spots in our department that no one wants to take. But when I saw Pan'ao Township on the list, I knew it was my old hometown. So I quickly grabbed it. Hahaha, it's such a great place, how could I not come?"

There is also a steel cable on the wharf, which spans the Wuxi River, drawing a soft arc in the air. The midpoint is only half a meter above the water surface, and both ends are fixed to large stones on both sides of the river.

After passing three people, the two continued walking towards the village. After walking for more than ten minutes, the terrain changed again and they entered a small plain at the bottom of the mountain. The terraced fields disappeared here, and only reappeared on the mountains surrounding the plain.

At the end of the cobblestone road by the pier, there is a cement road. The buildings on both sides are starting to become modern, mostly two-story red brick houses.

Li Junguo jumped off the boat and skillfully secured it to the wooden stakes at the edge of the dock.

Li Junguo also got off the boat, strolled onto the pier, and habitually came to the left side of the small square.

"That's right, that's right," Li Jungé echoed, "scenic, pleasant climate, everything grown in the mountains and water, it has everything. Except for the difficult roads and poverty, there are no problems."

However, this child has a quick-witted mind. He opened a small supermarket in the village, mainly selling small items such as cigarettes, water bottles, and laundry detergent.

Li Ermao still didn't dare to argue with his old man at home, so he could only grumble reluctantly, "It's a new era now, who cares about those things!"

On both sides of the bluestone road, there is a small ditch. The mountain water flows down from the ditch, providing ample water source for the terraced fields.

On both sides of the wellhead, there is a pair of regular script couplets engraved, "The beauty of literature and wine intoxicates for three days, the heart is as clear as an ancient well." It is unknown which local virtuous person from the past left this, and the handwriting has already been slightly worn.

The boat moored at the pier, and Shi Baoquan wrapped the rope around the wooden stake beside the stone steps before going to the township government to find someone.

Then the two of them stepped onto the stone staircase and walked towards the village.

Li Sixin is a well-known kind-hearted person in the village. It is not known whether it is due to a genetic mutation or not, but he gave birth to Li Ermao.

On both sides of the road, there are cornfields, sweet potato fields, and some vegetable fields. The stone road gradually widens, and some houses start to appear along the road. After walking for three to five hundred steps, a huge stone archway suddenly stands in front of the road.

A wooden boat is still docked on the pier, with thatched roof and both sides of the hull covered in moss. A hemp rope, about two fingers thick, is tied at each end of the boat. There is also a thick wooden stick on the boat, with a wooden groove on top.

I quickly adjusted my tone and reported my experience to the girl again. Then I asked, "Why did you decide to come here for training instead of staying in the provincial capital?"

Shi Baoquan threw his backpack to him to catch, and then dragged out a large bamboo basket from the stern of the boat. He loaded the things that the villagers entrusted him to purchase into the basket, and called Li Ermao, who runs a small supermarket in the village, to ask him to send someone to move the other items.

Here is an old well, with a round opening in the middle of the bluestone slab. Looking inside, it feels chilly. Beside the well, there is a long-handled wooden ladle and a large coarse porcelain bowl, which the villagers placed here for the convenience of passersby to wash and drink. From this, it can be seen how simple and honest the local customs are.

It is Li Ermao, his father Li Sixin, and Li Ermao's wife Zhang Guangping.

In order to distinguish between closeness and distance, one does not use surnames for their own elders, but uses surnames for elders from other families. This is also one of the customary practices that has been agreed upon.

No seriousness! The eldest girl gave Li Jungge two beautiful glances, "Why did you suddenly think of coming back?"

This trunk is obviously smoother than the other trunks. It is a natural springboard for children to play in the water during the summer. It has been climbed up and down many times, and has become very smooth.

The archway in Lijiagou Village is such a building. The archway is exquisitely carved with dragons and phoenixes, decorated with auspicious patterns such as Rui grass and auspicious clouds. On it is engraved a couplet: "The clear water is like a ribbon, the green walls are like a screen, and the Zhongling gathers the talents of three provinces. The poet immortal in the Tang Dynasty, the famous minister in the Song Dynasty, the morality has been passed down for generations."

It's necessary! Such words like "one can only say it to their own people when they are in a difficult situation" are just a way to show modesty. Who dares to say such things outside? I'll beat him up!

After walking for about seven or eight minutes, three people came towards me - two men and one woman. The men were carrying a shoulder pole with a hemp rope hanging from the top, while the woman was carrying a large basket on her back.

Hmph, I know both of them. As for the earthworm, the three of us have eaten grilled fish together several times. The eldest girl seemed a little proud of her ability to quickly expand her network, patting Li Junge and the bookstore's shoulder and saying, "Okay, I'll visit my uncle and aunt this weekend, you prepare the food, I want to eat well." After finishing speaking, she licked her lips and said, "Oh, I'm craving the delicious food at your home." She patted Li Junge and the bookstore's shoulder and said, "Okay, I'll visit my uncle and aunt this weekend, you prepare the food, I want to eat well." After finishing speaking, she licked her lips and said, "Oh, I'm craving the delicious food at your home."

He was seen shifting the carrying pole from his right shoulder to his left, freeing his right hand to take the Ta Mountain handed over by Li Jungu. At the same time, he scolded Li Ermao, "You kid only knows how to play all day long. How can you expect to not be scolded when you don't come home for a whole day? Mr. Jungu is a learned man who must pay respects to his elders in the first few days. You are not allowed to visit him these days."

Then he greeted Zhang Guangping, who was carrying a shoulder pole basket, saying, "You should also hurry up and pick the goods, don't waste time. I will stay here for a long time this time, and I will come to your shop for tea another day."

The two of them chatted about some childhood anecdotes for a few more hours, both very happy. Li Jungé said to the eldest daughter: "Are you free this weekend? Come to my house to play. Two other friends are also coming, one of whom you know, Wang Congjun, and the other is named Zhu Chaoan, who is also my classmate."

The first line clearly describes the local geographical environment and location, while the second line hints at the surnames of the local clans. It elevates itself by using the names of three individuals with the surname Li from different periods: Li Bai, Li Gang, and Laozi. The author of this couplet can be considered a master of creating couplets.

Do not look down on your hometown!'' Big sister criticized, "The current situation is a bit difficult, but we are trying to find a solution. I believe things will get better!"

Li Junge pouted, "What delicious food have you city folks eaten? Just roasting a sweet potato is enough to satisfy."

The impatient uncle and grandpa who were crossing the river shouted loudly, and then a boatload of children jumped into the water like dumplings, in order to empty the boat.

Li Jungé quickly started to offer cigarettes, taking out a few Taishan brand cigarettes. He first offered one to Shi Bǎoquán, then offered one to Li Sīxìn. He shouted "Uncle Li San" and casually tossed one to Li Èrmáo.