During this time, I dreamed of returning to my hometown more and more frequently. The mountains, waters, flowers and grass in my hometown gradually became clear. Especially the two persimmon trees behind the house. Amidst the torrent of time, they still have lush branches and leaves, and they still gaze affectionately.
Somehow, the images in the dream became clearer and clearer, like an unforgettable movie, lingering in my mind over and over again.
It is unclear when these two persimmon trees were planted. As far back as I can vaguely remember, there have been two persimmon trees in that open space, one big and one small, like a close mother and daughter, accompanying and gazing at each other.
A little further down from the persimmon tree is a large wasteland, covered with weeds and a lot of gravel. The industrious mother dug it out, dug out the gravel one by one from the mud and threw it away, and then mixed it with load after load of farmyard manure. The barren land soon became fertile. Day by day, year by year, my mother traveled back and forth in this land, planting corn in the spring, vegetables in the summer, peanuts in the autumn, and sweet potatoes in the winter. The leaves were dense and green all year round, and the weeds could no longer grow anywhere.
In summer, the sun scorches the earth mercilessly like a big fireball. Mother's sweat dripped on the ground and was dried in an instant. My mother was afraid that the vegetables in the field would die in the sun, so she got up early to carry water from a far away river to water the vegetables. The two full buckets of water were so heavy that the thin pole almost bent, and there were bloody marks on the mother's shoulders. This is a difficult path to walk on. Every step she takes must be steady before she dares to take a second step. When turning, she must switch to another shoulder. When she was tired, her sweaty mother would sit under the persimmon tree to enjoy the cool air. The dense persimmon trees are like two big green velvet umbrellas, bringing shade to my mother. Mother kept shaking the straw hat in her hand while staring at her vegetable field with a smile. Another good harvest was in sight! During the difficult years, my mother provided the family with sufficient and delicious vegetable grains. In my memory, my family has never been short of vegetables. The uneaten food was not only used to feed chickens and pigs, but was also given to neighbors in need.
In autumn, the persimmon tree is full of yellow and orange persimmons swaying in the wind. From a distance, it looks like it is covered with lanterns. Mother pulled the peanut seedlings out of the ground, then went to the persimmon tree and picked the peanuts one by one. The peanuts are big and plentiful. After washing them, put them into a large pot and steam them with salt, and then dry them in the sun. This is our famous "salty beans", which are so delicious that I still have endless aftertaste. After harvesting the peanuts, it was natural to pick persimmons. After getting approval from our mother, our naughty children climbed up to the tall persimmon trees quickly like monkeys, one for you and one for me. Laughing and having great joy. Mother peeled the persimmons, strung them up with thin bamboo strips, and dried them on the clothes pole. Sun-dried persimmon cakes are as sweet as honey when you bite into them. This is also a delicacy that I still have endless aftertaste to this day. My mother has always taught us to be industrious. She said, "If a person is diligent, he will be poor for a long time. If a person is lazy, he will not be rich for a long time." The heavy-burdened, hard-working mother tried her best to provide food and clothing for the family. Due to years of hard work, my mother suffered from many diseases. Her waist was bent, her hands and feet were strained and deformed, she also had bone hyperplasia, rheumatism, and soreness. Especially in the past few years, her leg disease has become more and more serious. She walks with a limp and will fall down if she is not careful. Her mother, who used to have trouble walking, has become old in an instant. I can't help but sigh, where has the time gone? A mother has worked hard for her children all her life, and in the blink of an eye, only wrinkles are left on her face. The land has long been overgrown with weeds. The persimmon tree behind the house was cut down at some point. Even the roots of the tree cannot be found. It seems that it has never grown there. There is endless loneliness and desolation flowing around it.
I have traveled across thousands of mountains and rivers and seen many scenery. I forgot about it in the blink of an eye. The only thing I can't forget are the two persimmon trees behind the house in my hometown and the land, because it carries my mother's deep love. The love and endless fun of childhood
