It was late at night when I returned home. My brother took me to have a midnight snack at the noodle restaurant on Shilin Old Street. Unexpectedly, the old street in the middle of the night was still very lively, and the business of several adjacent snack shops was still very prosperous.
Although the "Silin Night Market" in front of us is indeed not comparable to the "Silin Night Market" on the other side of the strait, it is indeed not bad at all from the literal to the content. A thought suddenly flashed through my mind. Maybe one day this "Silin Night Market" will suddenly become popular and become the Jiangnan Water Town version of the "Silin Night Market".
I grew up in this place of Shilin. Shilin Old Street is the deepest and most profound part of my hometown complex. Compared with other memories, this old street has brought me more surprises.
The so-called Shilin Old Street is a small market that is more than ten kilometers away from the ancient town of Xinshi, Deqing County. Maybe it is not old, but it is full of fireworks.
Shilin Old Street was the location of the township government before the township was revoked and built. It was a street market that integrates multi-functions such as trade markets, administrative offices, gatherings, and residence. There are many shops along the river, and people are crowded from morning to night.
The old street is not big, one horizontally and one vertically, but it has the typical characteristics of Jiangnan water towns. A river channel in the east and west lie across it, and a rebuilt flat bridge connects the old street's long past and present life.
The original name of Shilin Old Street was "Muqiaotou", the village on the south side of the bridge was called "Bridgenan", and the village on the north gate of the bridge was called "Bridgebei". I can't remember when the old "wooden bridge" was converted into a cement bridge. Whenever the surrounding villagers go to Shilin Street, they are used to calling them "wooden bridgehead".
On both sides of the river facing the street are thick camphor trees with twisted branches and leaves extending towards the water surface, becoming a scenic spot in the old street. On the north side of the old street of
, a Tongde Highway passes by diagonally, forming a T-junction, which is also the bus stop for villagers to the county town and town.
The Shilin Old Street, which has been renovated several times, has long been different from the past. The road has expanded quite a lot. Shops on both sides of a north-south street are crossing the street, making it prosperous and energetic.
Old Street "Although the sparrow is small, it has all the internal organs", snack bars, hardware stores, grocery stores, barber shops, health centers, vegetable markets... On the old street, each store is a microcosm of rural life.
The most lively old street is the vegetable market. People in the surrounding countryside either row a boat or ride tricycles to come here to buy.
Every time I go back to my hometown, I enjoy accompanying my mother to the vegetable market. Even if I don’t buy anything, I feel extremely friendly with my fellow villagers.
It seems like when I was a child, my mother who worked in the canteen in the village bought vegetables in the vegetable market, and I took five cents and one or two grain coupons to buy sesame cakes. When you put the hot sesame cakes that have just been baked from the stove to your mouth and just take a small bite, the fragrance will instantly penetrate your taste buds.
No matter spring, summer, autumn and winter, there are always some elderly people around the corner of the old street, including three or five, seven or eight, standing or sitting.
Walking up to you, you will see some of them drawing a few horizontal and vertical stances on the ground, and then they will talk to Yi with interest; some talk about the family matters in the village; some tell jokes passed down from generation to generation, and the past of rural things that are much older than them...
Everything here is so enthusiastic, and those who play chess will argue because of one move; those who say and those who say will argue based on facts.
Sometimes they will be red in the face because of the difference, but they are like children, fighting and making fun of each other, and after breakfast, they get together again. There are laughter and sighs here, always filled with the joy and tranquility unique to the old rural streets.
Whenever young people wear clothes pass by their eyes, there will always be old people asking, "Where does this come from?" "Whose child is this?"... If they know who it is, they will wait for a "respect". If they wait, they will say, "This child is promising, but it's better to gain knowledge outside." If they haven't waited, they will mutter, "This child is really big or young and ignorant.""
Sometimes, how well a child is doing outside will become their new topic. If you can say it for a while, it is still their old saying after you finish it.
The winding river, the quiet rural path, the elderly sitting against the door, the shops that open and close the door... This is the real lifestyle of the old rural streets, where life is still interpreted day after day. Daily life.
My Shilin Old Street is the mark of time and the broken gold of time.
My Shilin Old Street silently tells history while also shining new brilliance in the changes of the times.
The old street is not old, full of vitality everywhere. The old street is old, and the soul that is immortal remains.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-