Cattle buffalo and yak are all cattle, and the Han nationality, Yi nationality, and Tibetan nationality have a common ancestor.

- Yi proverb

The next day, the Niu Shishan brothers and Althea said goodbye to Ma Yuliang, took a carriage out of the west gate of Linxia City, passed through Hujiazhuang and Tongjiangzhuang to Baijia Village. Because there was a steep mountain road ahead, the carriage could not go up. Niu Yushan sent away the carriage, hired four more mules, one carrying the luggage, and then the three of them each rode one on the other, climbed the pale red loess plateau along the rugged mountain road, and entered the boundary of Jinggou.

Althea looked at the higher and higher slopes and the deeper and wider ravines, and couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you say that Gayin Dai is on the western half of Hezhou City?" How did you get into the mountains? ”

Niu Yushan said with a smile: "That's it in front." ”

When they reached Gayindai, the sun was about to set, and the western sky was covered with a brilliant red glow, spreading a golden afterglow on the top of the mountains.

Niu Yushan and Althea visited their stepmother Han Sophie with gifts, and recognized their younger brothers Wanshan, Jianshan, and Yinshan as new sisters (sisters-in-law) and brother-in-law.

Han Sophie's skin was already dark, but it looked even darker under the soybean oil lamplight. She stared at a pair of yellow-gray eyes, looked Asya up and down with cold and critical eyes, and then said, "Are you tired of walking on the road?" Go and rest. ”

Niu Yushan and Althea came out of Han Sophie's room, made a bend along the downhill slope, walked to the slope behind Han Sophie's house, and saw several caves carved out of the hillside.

Niu Yushan told Althea: "There is only a little place left in the big yard where Grandma lived. We stayed in a cave for the time being. Don't look at the cave is not good-looking, but it is warm in winter and cool in summer. ”

Althea asked, "What about the old house?" ”

Niu Yushan replied: "They are all defeated. You'll find out later. ”

Althea said again: "Look at your grandma, it seems to dislike me." ”

Niu Yushan said: "Grandma has been like this all her life, don't take it to heart." Anyway, we're living on our own. ”

Niu Yushan opened the door of the cave and walked in with Althea.

The next day, before dawn, Althea heard a child at the door of the cave shouting, "Auntie, get up, Grandma is calling you." ”

Through the small hole in the window, Althea saw Hamaki, a 3-year-old child in the Tianshan Mountains, standing outside the cave. She originally wanted to tell Niu Yushan, who was sleeping, but she was afraid that it would affect his rest, so she put on her clothes, washed her face a few times, and went out to turn right and go uphill to Han Sophie's house.

Han Sophie was neatly dressed and sat cross-legged on the earthen kang. Ma Sim, the daughter-in-law of Tianshan, Mai Liha, the daughter-in-law of Wanshan, and Ma Afei, the daughter-in-law of Jianshan, stood respectfully by the kang.

Han Sophie glared at Althea with eagle-like eyes, and said sternly: "How can a new daughter-in-law who enters the door for the first time sleep until the sun goes up?" I remember that in the morning I should get up earlier than the sun, and I would finish my work at night and wait until the stars came out before I could sleep. Now you carry your backs. Come back to me after breakfast. I have something for you. ”

Mahim's eyes glanced at Althea, who had a big belly, and kindly reminded: "Grandma, Althea is still ...... with a big belly."

Han Sophie slapped the small square table on the hot kang with her hand and shouted, "Mouthy! Do you think I'm blind? The new daughter-in-law must learn the rules. You and Ah Fei are both spring-born Gawa, and they are treated the same. ”

Althea followed Mahim, Meriha, and Maafi out of Han Sophie's house with the barrel on their backs, and walked down into the ravine.

Mahim told Althea, "Walk slowly, and keep the soles of your feet solid." I think you'll be born in two months, right? ”

Althea replied, "November in the solar calendar." Isn't there a well in the village? Why go down to the ditch to carry water? ”

The quick-mouthed Mairiha hurriedly replied, "On which hill can you dig water?" Why is this called a well ditch, that is, there is a well in the ditch! ”

Asya then asked, "How many Gava do you have?" ”

Mahim replied: "Hameki, who just called you, was born to the divorced daughter-in-law of the Tianshan Mountains. I just gave birth to my first girl, Ayisha, this year. We just called Gasha. ”

Ma Afei continued: "The first Gava born to me and Jianshan is gone without a year old. Gawa born this year is the second child, named Bai Kai. ”

Mai Liha finally smiled and said, "I have a baby with Wanshan." ”

When the four concubines said this, they didn't realize that they had reached the bottom of the ditch. They filled buckets in a spring with clear water and helped each other put them on their backs.

As Mahim helped Althea carry the bucket, he quietly poured out a little of it before putting it on her back.

Step by step, they moved up the hillside for about half an hour before they returned to the village, panting. They poured water from the bucket into a large vat and sat down to rest.

Han Sophie stuck her head out of the open window and shouted, "Go back again, fill the tank." ”

The four concubines looked at each other and grimaced, then picked up the barrel and went down the mountain again.

By the time Althea returned to her cave, Niu Yushan had already woken up. He looked at Althea's aggrieved look, and asked for a long time before he clarified the reason, and then said, "I'll talk to Grandma later, and you won't have to carry the water in the future." ”

Althea hurriedly lit a fire and cooked.

After eating, Althea cleaned up the dishes, chopsticks, pots, and stoves, and went to the house where her mother-in-law lived to listen to her.

As soon as Han Sophie saw Althea, she asked, "What did Yushan do?" ”

Althea replied, "Yushan is chopping wood." ”

Han Sophie taught unhappily: "A daughter-in-law can't call her man's name. It's the rule! ”

Athea was not convinced, the name is what Jean called, what is the name if it is not called? Unexpectedly, she inadvertently said this sentence.

Han Sophie said angrily: "The name is called by Abba and Grandma." The daughter-in-law can only call herself the man the shopkeeper. Why do men wear hats on their heads? It is to live in the house. You all sit on the kang, one of you takes a bundle of yarn, and the other of you wraps it into a grunt. ”

Mahim and Althea sat on Han Sophie's right, and Mairiha and Ma'afi sat on Han Sophie's left and began to work.

Han Sophie watched her daughters-in-law work and began to tell her story: "Do you know what the phrase 'Sarah in Hui, Kangba in Fanzi' means? Let me tell you, that is to say, the most courageous among the Hui people are the Naumun Salar people, and among the Tibetans the most courageous are the Khamba people. The Naumun Salar people are the heroes who respect the sect and sacrifice their lives for the sect.

In that year, Gale Mang and Ah Mang brought the ancestors of the Nao people to Xunhua Street and settled there. The street is 10 miles west of Xunhua County. It is surrounded by the sacred Otus Mountains to the south and the spacious Yellow River to the north, surrounded by fertile fields and villages, with smoke curling from cooking, apricots and willows green, and sweet flowers and fruits. The street is the name of the Han people and the Hui people, and the Naumunsalar language is called Altioli, which means ancestral tomb, because the Gongbei of Galemang and Ahmang is there. There is also a camel spring with sweet water flowing all year round.

In order to strengthen the management, the Qing Dynasty built an earthen city in 1730 in Caotanba, the center of the 12th work, named Xunhua, and set up the Xunhua Camp, which was later renamed Xunhua Hall. Xunhua returned to Lanzhou Mansion for a while, and returned to Xining Mansion for a while, constantly changing like a marquee.

The names of the Naumen Salar people are not like your villages, villages, or ditches, but they are all called work. The worker is transformed from a worker. Gan is a Naun Salar dialect that means town. At the earliest time, it was centered on Xunhua County and divided into 12 workers. On the west side of the city are 6 workers: Jiezi, Caotanba, Chaga, Belie, Chahan Temple, and Suji; On the east side of the city are the six labors of the lower city: Qingshui, Dasugu, Mengda, Zhangga, Xichang, and Naiman, which together are the 12 labors of Sarah.

After Su 43 led the Protestant masses to hold an anti-Qing uprising, a large number of Salar Protestants were killed by the government, resulting in a large decrease in population. The government merged the 12 workers into 8 workers. At that time, there were 46 villages in the upper 4th industry and 36 villages in the lower 4th industry, making a total of 82 villages.

There are also some Salar people who fled to live in nearby Hualong County, and gradually formed Gandu workers, Kargang workers, Sheung Shui ground workers also called Qunke workers, Heicheng Zigong also called Zaba workers, and the 15th Hui workers. The Salar and Tibetan people of the Karigang workers lived together, and under the influence of their habits, they changed their clothes to Tibetans.

Hualong's 5 foreign workers and Xunhua's 8 local workers add up to a total of 13 workers.

The Nau Salar people are the best at rolling felt, weaving brown, striking iron, chiseling stones, and making shoes, and the craftsmanship is much more elaborate than yours, and there are all kinds of things. ”

Mai Riha interjected and asked, "So grandma's handiwork must be top-notch, which day will make a pair of shoes for Nauhae?" ”

Han Sophie squinted at Mai Liha dissatisfiedly and said:

"Work quietly. Where did all this nonsense come from? ”

Mairiha smiled heartily and stopped talking.

Han Sophie continued:

"Embroidery, paper-cutting, and window grilles are the best crafts of the Naumsar women.

The Nauman Salar people have great respect for their uncles and relatives, saying that 'iron comes out of the furnace, and people come out of the uncle'. It's a pity that your uncles live far away and don't have the time to come here. When there is a chance in the future, Nao will take you to Xunhua, Jiezi and Mengda to have a look. ”

"Grandma, I've heard that the songs of the Salar are very good, aren't they?" ”

Han Sophie's face immediately showed a look of pride. She proudly says:

"Of course. There are several kinds of songs. Salar is a lyrical folk song sung by the common people in Salar dialect, consisting of many concise poems. The more popular songs include "Brazil Ancient Yoyo", "Withdrawal of Lar Sai Sibuga" and so on.

The Salar people sing flowers in Chinese, and the lyrics are generally 4 sentences, and the tune has the same trills as the Tibetan singing, which is very tactful and beautiful.

The feast song is a traditional song sung by the Nauman Salar when they get married.

The Nau also had musical instruments called mouth strings, made of copper or silver, resembling the hooves of horses. I played it well when I was younger.

The most popular dance of the Nau is the camel dance. The four performers wear sheepskin clothes and imitate the movements of camels walking and twisting their necks, with a gentle rhythm and elegant elegance. It's not just about dancing, it's also about having fun conversations.

The house in which Nau lived at that time was a two-story wooden building made of wood and earth. The house is surrounded by an earthen wall. A white stone is placed on top of the four corners of the courtyard wall, as is the custom of the local Tibetans. ”

Hearing this, Mai Liha couldn't help but interject and asked, "Grandma, why are you Salar people like Tibetans in many places?" ”

Han Sophie glanced at Mairiha, did not answer her question, and continued:

"When the courtyard is built in a wide area, a square or rectangular wall is built with rammed earth to form a zigzag corridor, and then a row of houses is built horizontally on the small part of the corridor, forming the layout of the 'front house consequence garden'. The houses in front are generally built into bungalows, with a concave pattern, consisting of a hall house, a kitchen, a small house, a gate, a livestock pen and a grass house. The walls are covered with Arabic calligraphy, and the whole house looks elegant, solemn and clean.

The orchard at the back is used to grow vegetables and fruits. In spring and summer, the garden is red and green, and it is more beautiful than the garden.

Nau's best life was spent in Xining. At that time, the scenery and posture of the Nao people were unmatched by no one in this Gayin. I'll tell you about it later.

It's almost noon, and you each go home to cook for the shopkeeper and the Gawa.

By the way, in two days, Nao's baby daughter Zai Naibai will go back to her parents' house. I haven't seen her for a long time, and I miss her. Alas, I don't know if my in-laws are good to her? ”

Ma Afei, who lived with Han Sophie, got up and went to the kitchen to cook.

Althea, Mahim, and Meriha were finally relieved, and quickly put down their work and hurried back to their own house to cook.

Historically, the basic identities and legitimate rights of ethnic minorities such as Hui, Tibetan, and Mongolian have not been recognized and guaranteed.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the central government fulfilled its promises during the revolutionary period and implemented the great policy of ethnic equality. In order to change the confusion of ethnic composition and ethnic names in old China and to effectively protect the equal rights of ethnic minorities, starting in 1950, the central and local ethnic affairs organs organized scientific research teams to identify the names of more than 400 ethnic groups proposed throughout the country.

In accordance with Stalin's book "Marxism and the Question of Nationalities," they pointed out that "a nation is a stable community formed by people in history with the four basic characteristics of a common language, a common region, a common economic life, and a common psychological quality expressed in the common characteristics of the national culture." In the specific work of ethnic identification, they carried out ethnic identification in light of the actual conditions of various ethnic groups in our country.

Beginning in 1950, they identified 38 ethnic minorities. In addition to the Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Korean, Manchu, Yao, Li, Gaoshan and other ethnic groups, the newly recognized ethnic minorities include 27 ethnic groups, including Dongxiang, Salar, Baoan, Zhuang, Buyi, Dong, Bai, Kazakh, Hani, Dai, Lisu, Dong, Naxi, Lagu, Shui, Jingpo, Kirgiz, Tu, Tajik, Uzbek, Tatar, Evenki, Qiang, Russian, Xibe, Yugu, and Oroqen.

In the past, the group known as the Hui people in general terms was divided into four ethnic groups according to their wishes, language barriers, and other factors: the Chinese-speaking Hui were named the Hui. In the past, the Salta-speaking people who were called Dongxiang Hui, Mongolian Hui, and Dongxiang people were named Dongxiang because they lived in the eastern part of Linxia. The Salurian-speaking people who used to be called Salapanhui and Salahui were named Salar people. In the past, the security people who spoke the language of security were called Fan Hui and Bao Hui, and they were named the Bao Bao clan.

Ethnic groups that were once arbitrarily incorporated into other ethnic groups, or who were deliberately discriminated against by adding anti-dog to their names, have now gained the same rights, equality and dignity as other ethnic groups, and have become the masters of a socialist country.

This is a groundbreaking event for these nationalities, a joyful event for the whole world to celebrate, a sign of official recognition and rebirth of these nationalities, and the foundation and foundation for these nationalities to support the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

After the initial identification of ethnic components was completed, the state implemented a system of regional autonomy in minority areas.

As early as May 1, 1941, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region promulgated the "Program for the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region," which stipulates that, in accordance with the principle of ethnic equality, the equal rights of the Mongolian Hui nationality and the Han nationality in political, economic and cultural fields shall be implemented, and an autonomous region of the Mongolian and Hui nationalities shall be established.

On May 1, 1947, China established the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the first provincial-level administrative unit in the border region of Mongolia that stretches from northeast to north, pointing out the direction for the implementation of regional ethnic autonomy in other ethnic areas in the future.

In 1949, the "Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" clearly stipulated: All areas inhabited by ethnic minorities shall exercise regional ethnic autonomy, and various ethnic autonomous organs shall be established according to the size of the population and the size of the region. These contents were later written into the Constitution, which clearly stipulated the proportion of ethnic minority deputies among the people's deputies, the training of ethnic cadres, and the use of ethnic languages, thus establishing ethnic equality and ethnic unity in law.

Against this historical background, most of the ethnic minority areas throughout the country have established ethnic autonomous administrative units. Among them, in 1953, Xunhua County in Qinghai Province was renamed the Salar Autonomous Region. In 1955, according to the provisions of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, Dongxiang Autonomous Region of Gansu Province was officially named Dongxiang Autonomous County, and Xunhua Salar Autonomous Region of Qinghai Province was changed to Xunhua Salar Autonomous County.

On November 19, 1956, the state abolished the Linxia Prefecture and officially established the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture.

Five provincial-level ethnic autonomous regions have been set up in the country: the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

In the distant Central Asian region, in the more than 600 years after the decline of the Mongol Khanate, the Timurid Empire, the Black Sheep Dynasty, the White Aries Dynasty, the Khiva Khanate, and the Bukhara Khanate established by the Turks, the Safavid Dynasty and the Qajar Dynasty established by the Iranians, and the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union established by the Russians, successively controlled all or part of the homeland of the Khorezm Empire.

Although the rulers of the region have changed frequently, there has been no major change in the main ethnic groups, religious beliefs, and culture and arts.