Firmament

It can be divided into the power of ten people.

- Hezhe proverb

Niu Ersa and Mai Liyan did everything possible to save money and raise their children.

Niu Ersa heard that there was a private school for Han people in Zhuangzi in the southwest, and decided to send Ibrahim to study at the private school. He hoped that Ibrahim would learn more knowledge, surpass the abilities of the previous generation, no longer be a farmer facing the loess with his back to the sky, go out of the mountains to the outside world, and be a great official who honors his ancestors.

He imitated the practice of the Han people in the village to name according to their seniority, and gave Ibrahim an imposing official name called Niu Zhanyuan. He also named his other sons Niu Zhanxiang, Niu Zhanchuan and Niu Zhanhai.

Niu Ersa walked three or four miles with Ibrahim to Zhuangzi in the southwest, found a private gentleman, and begged him to take Ibrahim.

Mr. Private was a little curious about Niu Ersa's behavior, and asked puzzledly: "You spend money to send Gawa to school, and it stands to reason that I will collect money to teach in the market." However, I still want to inquire that neither the Hui people nor the Sarta people are willing to let Gava read and write, so why should you be so zealous?"

Niu Ersa replied sincerely, "I just want my Gava to have some success in the future." "

From then on, Ibrahim carried a schoolbag made of various rags on his back every day, and proudly walked out of Gayin Dai to study in the private school of Zhuangzi in the southwest. He was the only child of a Sata family in private school.

One afternoon, when Ibrahim returned from school, he hurried to the field, and while squatting in the field to help his father with his work, he asked his father seriously: "Ada, Gava of the Southwest Zhuangzi said today that we Sarthas have come from a far away. Isn't it?".

Niu Ersa wiped the sweat from his face and said, "Yes." According to the legends of the elders, our ancestors migrated from the Western Regions hundreds of years ago. "

Ibrahim clearly didn't like this answer. He pursed his little mouth high, thought about it for a long time, didn't say anything more, lowered his head and silently pulled the weeds in the field.

Once, Ibrahim and his friends met to climb the highest mountain beam on the west side of Gayindai to experience the heroic feeling of "seeing all the mountains at a glance". They struggled to climb the highest mountain beam in their eyes, only to find that the mountain beam in front of them was even taller. So, they continued to climb higher peaks, only to find that the next peak was even higher. They tossed and turned for a long time to climb the highest mountain beam. The calves are sore and swollen. Sweating profusely on his head.

They couldn't run anymore, so they sat on the mountain beams in a daze, looking at the continuous loess mountains in the distance.

Niu Zhanxiang pointed to a high mountain in the east with his little finger and asked Ibrahim, "Brother, what kind of mountain is that?"

Ibrahim replied, "That's Phoenix Mountain." Let me recite to you an ancient poem describing Phoenix Mountain. "

The friends said in unison, "Okay." "

Ibrahim stood up in high spirits, facing the Phoenix Mountain to the east, and recited aloud:

Dongcheng refers to the top of the phoenix

The name of the phoenix mountain does not remember the year.

Zhou Room Ming Qi sanctified,

Han Shi Lingfeng is autobiography.

Virtue wrapped madly to receive the Song of the Saint,

Mao Mei Chaozong who recognizes the virtuous.

Shun Ri Ritual Court is now again,

The Four Spirits of the Western Frontier.

After listening to this, the friends asked, "Ibrahim, are you reading Amen's poem?" Tell us about it!"

Ibrahim patiently told his friends:

The poem describes the scenery of Phoenix Mountain. When he was in the southern country, a Luzhou named Liu Chengxue raised people to visit the mountains and rivers of Hezhou, and wrote a poem praising the eight scenes of Fenglin in Hezhou while being happy. This is one of them.

"Phoenix Mountain sits on the eastern bank of the Great Xia and Oxford rivers. Looking down at Phoenix Mountain from the beam of Alouchi Mountain, it looks like a phoenix with wings ready to fly. Crested to the east. The tail is facing west. Huge wings are sandwiched between the intersection, the hairy groove, and the dental groove. The colorful landscape resembles the beautiful feathers of a phoenix.

"The meaning of this poem is that I stand on the head of the city in Hezhou and point to the top of the Phoenix Mountain in the east of the city and tell the story of the phoenix. During the Zhou Dynasty, the phoenix once fell on Qishan. During the Han Dynasty, the beautiful phoenix visited here. Talents like the Mad and Mao also rejoiced. Shun and Yao are now reappearing, still singing the praises of the unicorn, phoenix, turtle and dragon, which symbolize the peace and prosperity of the world. "

The friends looked at Ibrahim in admiration and exclaimed, "You know so much!"

Ibrahim proudly said, "If you go to school, you will know a lot of things." The most famous poem in praise of Phoenix Mountain is "Phoenix Mountain" written by Wang Hong. "

The friends shouted, "You can read it to us again." "

Ibrahim nodded, and recited affectionately

I haven't seen Phoenix Mountain for ten years

Now Cheng En has to be repaid for the time being.

Take a quick look at the sunrise Dan Fengzhuo,

Strive to be idle.

The source of the river comes from the Kunlun realm

The

terrain is far away from Jishi Pass.

Message to my hometown Zhong Xiu,

It's good to climb to the top.

The meaning of this poem is that because of the emperor's kindness, I returned to my hometown and saw the Phoenix Mountain that I had not seen for many years. The Yellow River comes from the majestic Kunlun Mountain, the terrain is connected with the majestic Jishi Pass, the outstanding talents of the hometown come quickly, let us climb to the magnificent mountain top. "

The friends listened attentively to Ibrahim's moving narration, bathed in the golden light of the sunset, as if they were in the beautiful scenery depicted by the poet. They obsessively looked at the city of Hezhou, which was located on a flat river in the southeast, and revered the mysterious world outside the mountain.

During the winter days when he was not at school, Ibrahim followed his father to herd sheep on a distant wasteland.

The sheep lowered their heads and ate the remaining grass stalks on the ground, bleating from time to time. From time to time, magpies and house sparrows pass by, dropping a burst of chirping.

Ibrahim and his father sat on a sunny hillside, basking in the warm sun while singing the melodious "flowers":

One bought a whip and the other bought a horse

Three bought the stirrups of plum blossoms.

I thought about it for a long time, and I thought about my mother for the second

time

Three thought about the meat of the heart.

"Flowers" reverberated round after round between the valleys. Immediately from the opposite hillside came the sound of singing and singing

The clouds in the sky went black

The rain on the ground was heavy.

I cried halfway through

I remembered what you said.

Most of the people in the northwest are introverted and reserved, and they bury the joys, sorrows, and sorrows in their hearts. Because it is difficult to tell and vent to others, when they face the blue sky, white clouds, mountains and rivers, flowers and plants, they make up a bunch of hearts into "flowers" and sing them to nature, sing to virtual objects, express their inner emotions, and dispel loneliness and loneliness.

If someone hears the song of "Flowers" in the distance and touches their hearts, whether they know each other or not, they will follow the content of the former song, improvise, and sing harmony. Singing and continuous series, the mountains and rivers resounded everywhere with the "flowers" singing of grievances and sorrows, full of nostalgia and praise for happiness.

This winter, the weather was particularly cold.

Mai Liyan was worried that Ibrahim would freeze when he went out to school, so he dug out a few large pieces of cloth from the box and specially sewed a winter jacket for his son.

In Ibrahim's memory, for many years he had been wearing clothes that had been changed from Ada's old clothes to smaller ones, and he had hardly worn new clothes. Now that he saw a new set of outfits, he was so happy that he couldn't close his little mouth.

Mai Liyan helped him to put on a long sheepskin coat with black cloth and noodles, tied a belt woven of wool around his waist, hung a delicate knife on his belt, and put on thick cowhide shoes filled with hay dust to keep him warm, and dressed Ibrahim as a handsome young man.

The spring breeze blows away the cold of winter and wakes up the frozen earth.

The Niu Ersa family ushered in the first spring after settling in Gayindai. He, Mai Liyan and Ibrahim cleaned up the fields early and learned from the villagers to grow crops and vegetables.

The soil quality of Gayin Dai is relatively dry, which is especially suitable for planting artichoke that is easy to survive and has a large yield. The artichoke produced here is not only large, but also has a sinister flesh and a pleasant taste. Artichoke can be used as a staple food, but it can also be combined with other ingredients to make a variety of dishes: boiled artichoke eggs, fried artichoke shreds, fried artichoke chips, wrapped artichoke dumplings, artichoke stew, etc., and can also be used to make vermicelli and jelly. The Sarta people have loved to eat artichoke for generations, and they have also brought the role of artichoke to the extreme.

Niu Ersa has been eating potatoes with Ada and Grandma since he was a child, and he has eaten them for almost half his life. Whether it's boiled potatoes or fried shredded potatoes, he always eats them with relish.

Ibrahim asked curiously, "Ada, you eat potatoes every day, and Amen never knows how to break trouble?"

Niu Isa laughed when he heard this. After laughing, he told the children with a serious expression about the folk tale of the life and death of the Sarta and the artichoke

"Legend has it that when they migrated to the East, the Sarthas carried two of the most valuable things on horseback, one was the scriptures to be read every day, and the other was the artichoke eggs to be eaten every day. They traveled thousands of miles to bring artichoke eggs to Hezhou, which can be used as daily food and vegetables, and can also be used as feed for livestock in emergencies, and become life-saving eggs shared by people and animals on the Loess Plateau.

"The yield of artichoke eggs is more or less, the appearance is large or small, the sunny slope is not a Yin Mountain seed, the seedlings are harvested in three points, the land is not lost, and there is always a harvest more or less. Even in the year of famine, the wheat and bean grains are not harvested, and the artichoke eggs can still feed the Sarta people. The Sarta and the eggs and potatoes depend on each other and are inseparable. Without artichoke eggs, we Salta people would not be where we are today. "

Niu Ersa took a bite of the shredded artichoke and continued.

"In ancient times, when the battle to defend the capital was very tight, the grain and grass in the rear could not be supplied. The commander of the army, Miragahei, was at a loss, and he was so anxious that fire bubbles appeared on his lips.

At this time, the war horse tied to the tree by Lord Miragahei began to dig up the earth with his front hooves, and many potato eggs were dug out of the soil. It kept screaming at the soldiers, reporting to them that it had dug up artichoke eggs that people didn't know at the time. The soldiers immediately replenished the military rations and horse feed with artichoke eggs.

"The generals fed their stomachs and finally defeated the enemy, won a major victory, and saved the castle, the country, and the people. "

Ibrahim and his brothers listened to their father's story as they stared at the inconspicuous artichoke on their plate with wide eyes. They didn't expect that the ugly-looking artichoke would have such a big credit. Since then, they have been impressed by the artichoke and have developed a deep affection.

Every morning, Niu Ersa takes the children to the temple for worship.

Mai Liyan stayed at home to prepare breakfast. She first buried a few artichokes in the boiling ashes of the kang cave, then steamed a pot of steamed buns mixed with wheat flour and corn flour, boiled a pot of corn paste, and finally boiled a pot of thick and sour tea. Half an hour later, she raked the roasted potatoes out of the ashes, put them in a sieve to clean off the dust, and put them on a plate on the small kang table.

After preparation, she sat quietly on the edge of the kang and waited for her husband and children to come home for dinner.

In late summer and early autumn, clusters of white and purple artichoke flowers bloom all over the mountains of Gayindai, decorating the loess plateau like a beautiful garden.

Niu Ersa always brings some fresh potatoes from the field and lets the wheat swallows be steamed in an iron pot to give the children a taste of freshness and the joy of the harvest.

When Mai Liyan lifted the lid of the pot, the house was suddenly fragrant. The artichoke in the steamer cracked open a large opening, revealing a white, crispy flesh, as if it were a blooming white peony flower.

In late autumn and early winter, the trees on the hillside are covered with golden yellow leaves. A faint mist shrouded the mountains near and far.

Niu Ersa took the family to the field to harvest the potatoes.

At noon, Mai Liyan brought a pile of dry firewood and grass from the ridge. Niu Ersa dug a pit on the top of the ground, built a pagoda with a large bottom and a small top with dry soil blocks, and then lit the firewood and grass under the tower, and burned the earthen pagoda with a large fire. For a while, the firewood crackled, the fire was scorching, and the green smoke was curling, forming a friendly and vivid picture of a farmer's picnic.

When the clods of soil are burned red, Niu Ersa takes out the ashes in the stove, blocks the stove, knocks open the clods on the top of the tower, breaks the clods of soil with a wooden stick on one side, throws the artichoke into it, and when the artichoke is full, it is flattened, and seals the oven with wet soil to prevent the hot air from leaking.

Half an hour later, Niursa dug open the door of the stove with a hoe and plucked the artichoke out of it with a branch. The artichoke has a golden skin, and it can be eaten after dusting off the ashes. After peeling, the flesh of the artichoke is white and transparent, exuding an intoxicating aroma.

Niu Ersa beckoned the family to sit around the field and feast on a simple and delicious stuffy artichoke.