Weibei woman Zhang Baotong

On the plateau of Weibei, there are cracked winds that blow the yellow dust intermittently in all seasons. When the wind blows, the air is filled with scattered dust and dry yellow thirst, so that even the sun is desolate and bewildered all day long, without heat. At night, the night is dark and windy, the stars are faint and the clouds are low, and under the dark sky, there are always ghostly ghosts calling in the wind.

Because of the lack of water, this land is desolate and poor, malnourished, showing a congenital deficiency of earthy yellow, and is blown by the perennial dry wind, dust and sand, the land is eroded, and there are ravines and ravines and loess slopes everywhere. Because there is more wind and less water, the temperature is cold, the salt and alkali are everywhere, the soil is dry and hard, the survival of animals and plants is difficult, and in some places there is even no grass.

Where the land is poor and the environment is harsh, the population is relatively sparse, but this is not the case in Weibei. The village seems to be deserted and depressed, with much of the land barren and unused and overgrown with weeds, but the population is not small. The way of life, which is based on the sky and the sky, still dominates them.

However, the natural environment of the plateau has created the perseverance and stubbornness of the plateau people, so that they can survive tenaciously and endlessly on this land. But this natural character and nature have colored their traditional concepts with a layer of tragedy. Plateau people have the concept and custom of "it is better to stay at home than to go out", even if the family is too poor to open the pot, they will not go out to work lightly. This is in stark contrast to the image of southern men who have been uprooted from their homes all year round and have gone out.

Weibei men still have the style of "uncle" in Guanzhong, they can't wash clothes, they can't cook, they have a big temper, they have a strong temperament, and sometimes they are unhappy, so they catch their wives and yell, punch and kick, often making women honestly afraid, I don't know what they are doing.

The women of Weibei are humble and pitiful, they are faced with the yellow dust of the plateau and the slow treatment of their husbands, but they are like the tall poplar trees on the plateau, not afraid of the wind and cold, and they are beautiful. Therefore, when we feel solemn and sad for the women of Weibei, we will realize why there are so many confused cold winds and anxious longings on this plateau.

Among the women I know, women in Weibei rarely get divorced. Maybe it's because they value their personal promises as important as life, or maybe it's because they have too much patience and sacrifice in their minds, making them unable to overcome and break free from the shackles and folklore of that tradition. In Weibei, a woman's divorce would be seen as a deviant and cause rumors, which would be despised. They take the family and men too seriously, and dare not embarrass themselves for the family and make themselves ugly. Because face is their dignity and their glory. Without face, they lose the meaning of living in the world.

When the women left their mother's house and entered their in-laws' house, they lost a qiē property. Every aspect of life depends on her husband. Once divorced, they have nowhere to live. Therefore, even if some irresponsible husbands play cards and are in debt, or run away from home with other women for many years and do not return, the wives are still pulling the children with hard work, serving their in-laws, and waiting for their husbands to return and change their minds.

I have heard many sour songs and sad songs of women in northern Shaanxi. These songs are the outpouring and expression of joy and sorrow in their hearts. Even when their men encounter joys and sorrows, they will shout a few words in a thick throat. However, the women of Weibei do not have this kind of expression and feelings. Perhaps they regard this kind of sadness and grievance that is common to the world as a natural law, and have acquiesced in the misfortune and injustice of fate; Only when they are faced with marriage, especially when they have lost their relatives, will they sing and cry out loud. The cry was earth-shattering, sad and tragic, and people were moved to hear it.

It's not that the women in Weibei are not beautiful or beautiful, it's just that they don't want to dress themselves up in splendor, so that others can catch their eyes and admire. They think it's a show, a flirtation, and a seduce of others. They would rather spend their time tidying up the house, tidying up the house, and making the house clean, neat, tidy, and decent, so that the in-laws look like and are satisfied, and the men feel happy.

For many Weibei women, before they have tasted the sweetness and infatuation of love, they have become women or mothers in ignorance, and since then they have been burdened with a heavy plow. Therefore, their youth has not yet been stretched and bloomed, and it will disappear like a passing cloud, never to return. And when they are truly mature and full, the flower of love has withered prematurely. Looking at themselves in the mirror is a face of gloom and melancholy, they can only hide the dream of girlhood in their hearts. Therefore, just like the lack of water on the plateau, lacking men's love and moisture, Weibei women are not fresh, the moon is not beautiful, the skin is dry, empty, and they show their old color at a young age.

They do not strive for equality with their husbands, nor do they seek the mercy of men, but they give silently and silently, willingly, without regrets. This kind of silence and dedication often makes people forget their emotions and needs. Therefore, they are more obedient to men's assignments and ignore the exchange of feelings. Although they share the same bed with their husbands, they are often separated from each other in the depths of their feelings and hearts. Because many of them have not really been in a relationship before marriage, and some of them don't even know what love is like.

Even so, the feelings of Weibei women are still loyal and single-minded. They still walk on the road with their eyebrows lowered, avoiding gossip, and generally not talking to others, even if they see a man who is tempted and favorable, they just raise their heads and smile shyly, for fear that their behavior will be disorderly.

However, they are fully committed and dedicated to men, children, and families. They are usually reluctant to spend even a small amount of money for themselves, but they are willing to spend money to choose a good school for their children, so that their husbands dress properly and decently, and they are also very generous in terms of etiquette and entertainment. Although they are in their mother-in-law's house, half of their hearts are still in their mother's house, and they never want to be sloppy and do everything thoughtfully.

There is no delicate and beautiful dress, and there is no beautiful backdrop, Weibei women do not seem to be amazing, but if you look carefully, you will find that they are very attractive, and the more you look at them, the more you like them. Especially when you fall in love with her, marry her, and live with her, you will deeply and sincerely feel that this woman is so affectionate and lovely.

2016.3.12