Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Although our home is situated in a hilly area, the surrounding hills are relatively small, and there are not many trees. The production team manages the resources strictly, and the timber forest is absolutely not allowed to be used for firewood. Therefore, throughout my childhood, our family's firewood mainly relied on my siblings and me going up the mountain to rake pine needles and chop some miscellaneous firewood.
Raking leaves was our main labor after school and during holidays. The intensity of the labor was not very high, and the results were tangible. The problem was that burning pine needles was quite troublesome, and they did not produce much heat. We always wanted to go further into the mountains like the adults do to chop some larger firewood and enjoy the happy life we envisioned.
Less than a mile from my grandmother's yard is the commune's reservoir, where the surrounding mountains are much larger than those next to our yard. There are also more shrubs and thorns on those mountains compared to ours. My cousins and uncles often go to the reservoir to chop firewood. Their families never burn low-grade firewood like pine needles, and chopping wood in the mountains for a day yields much heavier loads than raking pine needles for a day. The burning time and effectiveness are also much stronger. Many families have piles of various firewood stacked densely against their walls, which makes me very envious.
Finally, I waited for a holiday and came to Grandma's House. I had made plans with my friends, Xing Nan, Xingyi, and others, to go up the mountain by the reservoir to chop firewood. Seeing my underdeveloped body, Grandma and my uncle reluctantly approved my outing and prepared a sharp, polished firewood knife for me. They reminded Xing Nan and Xingyi to take care of me and not let me wander too close to the deep water, and they told me, "It's your first time chopping firewood by the reservoir; it's okay if you chop a little less."
After having breakfast early, I excitedly set off with a group of about ten children. We quickly arrived at the first dam at the outer edge of the reservoir. The group stopped, and I thought we had reached our destination. I looked around for firewood to chop, but they gathered in a huddle to discuss something.
After a while, Xing Nan told me that they planned to go further into the mountains today because there were more bushes there where we could chop sticks for firewood. If we stayed at the outer edge of the reservoir, no matter how hard we tried, we would only be able to chop some reeds or even just cut some yellow grass for kindling.
The team continued to move forward, walking for another two or three kilometers, stopping and starting along the way. The companions joked and played, often spotting groups of fish swimming in the rice fields revealed by the receding water levels. Occasionally, a wild animal would dart quickly from the path into the grassy thickets on the mountainside, while branches extending into the small path were adorned with clusters of white and pink flowers, sometimes dripping with beads of water.
Finally, they reached their destination. From the surface of the reservoir, this hill did not seem very high, but Xingyi informed me that the submerged areas were very deep. It was said to be the deepest part of the entire reservoir; even twenty baskets tied together would not reach the bottom.
Aside from the narrow path leading into the mountains, there were hardly any signs of human passage. The mountains were densely covered with tall reeds and trees of various sizes, but there were few of the tall pines and firs that I often saw in my backyard.
Xing Nan shouted for four or five companions to walk ahead of the group. They quickly used their machetes to slash through the reeds in front of them, clearing a narrow path just wide enough for everyone to squeeze through to the thicket ahead.
Upon reaching the clearing, I immediately aimed at a tree that was about my height and thickness. I picked up the machete that my uncle had sharpened and swung with all my might. To my surprise, my hands went numb from the impact, and I only left a shallow mark on the bark.
Seeing this, Xing Nan put down his machete and came over to me. He picked up my machete and demonstrated with a swift motion, cutting a deep gash into the tree with ease. Then, he struck again on the other side, and I watched as the tree began to sway precariously. With a kick from his foot, the tree fell to the ground, branches and leaves lying at my feet.
After the demonstration, he told me that to Chop Firewood, one must chop at an angle, using the weight of the axe combined with one's own strength. By making two or three cuts in various directions at the base of the tree, one can then pull it down with their hands or kick it down with their feet.
After listening to Xing Nan's introduction and watching his movements, I suddenly understood and picked up the axe, rushing towards another tree of similar size. Although my movements were still somewhat awkward and I couldn't quite master the angle and force of my strikes, after five or six chops, I managed to fell my first small tree.
At this point, experienced individuals like Xing Nan had already knocked down around ten small trees at their feet. My competitive nature urged me to swing my axe faster and pull more fallen trees into a pile.
As I was panting and looking at the few dozen small trees at my feet, Xing Nan, Xingyi, and Xingye had already chopped several piles, each dragging six or seven trees to my woodpile. Even the youngest Xingpeng gave me three small trees.
"We'll only chop this much today," said the leader Xingyi.
Gradually, everyone stopped and sat on their respective woodpiles, taking out their dry rations and slowly nibbling on them. Those who were thirsty slowly sat down, grabbed the grass on both sides, and slowly slid down to the reservoir below. Upon arrival, they would open the various floating leaves on the side, stretch their necks long, and drink directly from the reservoir with their mouths.
After resting for a while, everyone began to gather firewood. This was a skilled task that I knew nothing about, so Xing Nan took on double the work.
First, he had to find some vines on the mountain or cut down small trees about the size of a thumb, which were leafy and had strong flexibility. He twisted them into rope-like shapes, then bundled together about ten of the small trees and tied them up. Using the vines, he bound several small bundles into one large bundle, ensuring that the leafy ends were facing upward, propping it against a dirt embankment or a slightly larger tree.
It was my first time going to the reservoir to chop firewood, and since I was relatively weak, my grandmother and uncle had arranged for Xing Nan to only give me six small bundles to tie together, which formed two larger bundles of firewood. Meanwhile, each of their large bundles contained five or six small bundles.
After tying up the bundle of firewood, the next step is to prepare the pluck burden. First, you need to find a small tree trunk that is smooth, straight, and about the thickness of an adult's arm. Once you cut it down, remove all the branches and leaves, cutting it into a long strip of about two meters. Then, sharpen both ends so they can be inserted into the tightly packed bundle of firewood.
When it comes to inserting the pluck burden into the bundle, there are some techniques to consider. From a height perspective, since the weight of the stick is concentrated in its lower half, you cannot simply insert it straight down the middle of the bundle; instead, it should be placed slightly lower. In terms of length, the pluck burden must penetrate completely through the bundle but should not stick out too much—generally, one or two centimeters is sufficient. To prevent the pluck burden from loosening during the process of carrying firewood, it should be inserted at a spot where the bundle is tied most securely. Some people even add two more ties at the insertion point for extra stability.
If someone is going up the mountain to chop firewood alone, after inserting one bundle, they must lean another bundle against a sturdy surface to secure it. Then they can carry the inserted bundle along with the pluck burden on their shoulder and use the other pointed end of the pluck burden to insert it into the leaning bundle. However, since we are a team, helping each other out makes inserting the pluck burden quite effortless.
The final step was to carry the firewood back home. Since my bundle was the smallest and lightest, I started off running, even leaving my friends behind. However, the good times didn't last long. I hadn't brought much food, and since I rarely carried such a heavy load while walking on the mountain paths, I slowed down after less than a mile, gasping for breath. After walking a few steps, I had to take a break to relieve my shoulders. My friends were eager to get home and attend to other tasks, one by one passing me by.
My tender shoulders were already sore and red, and with no companions by my side, hunger mixed with pain, loneliness with fatigue. If it weren't for a faint sense of vanity and a subtle fear, I would have just tilted my shoulders and let the firewood roll into the reservoir.
Gritting my teeth and pushing through, I took one step at a time toward my grandmother's house. My heart was filled with hope—hope that my grandmother or one of my uncles would appear before me, hope that the road beneath my feet would somehow shorten, hope…
(Note: When we reached the dam of the reservoir, my distant cousin Liu Dali, who was about my age, carried his firewood to the ridge without resting or eating. He then turned back to take my load and helped me carry the firewood to Grandma's House.)
Comment 0 Comment Count