I'd rather eat a fresh peach than a sour pear and a half Beidou.

- Sarta proverb

The family walked along the ridge of the mountain with a semi-circular arc for less than an hour before they came to Gayindai.

The situation of Gayindai is similar to that of Benkang, and it is also a loess plateau, with more than a dozen Saerta and Han families, and more than a dozen small farmlands with various crops.

In the village, 'Isa found the home of Salta's friend Mahsan, who had previously migrated from the palanquin to settle here.

When Mahattan saw that all of Isa were in rags and dust, he warmly invited them into his small courtyard, washed the dust off their faces with water from a soup bottle, and then let them into the house, where they sat on a kang and brought hot tea and boiled potatoes.

Mahsan, while beckoning 'Isa, Mairiyan, and Gava to eat potatoes (i.e., potatoes, potatoes), said: "Next to this house there is a Joyer with piles of miscellaneous items. If you don't dislike it, I'll clean it up. Tonight you will stay where you are, and tomorrow we will dig a cave on the hillside, and your family will be able to live in your own well. ”

'Isa said gratefully, "I've caused you trouble." ”

Ma Hasan said with a smile: "They are all villagers in Zhuangzi, and they are polite." ”

The next morning, Mahan summoned a few young people from the village to the northern slope of the eastern end of Gayindai. They chose a place with a gentle slope, shoveled the loess from the slope to the foot of the slope, then dug an erected plane, and then dug a hole in this plane laterally.

Young men sweat and dig loess caves. Older men process felt from wool. The women weave curtains from wheat straw and hum the folk song "Flowers" in their mouths.

It took only half a day for a spacious cave to be dug. Nature has rammed the loess of Gayindai very porcelain, and the texture is fine and thick. The walls of the cave are scraped flat with a hoe, and there is no need to paste the walls with mud.

Mahasan led the people to nail the woven wool felt to the entrance of the cave, which could be used as both a door panel and a curtain.

Isa and Maileyam simply cleaned up the cave, built a platform out of loess blocks, and covered it with wheat straw and wool felt to make a bed to sleep on. They dug a small pit outside the cave and put the small iron pot on top of the pit to become a stove for boiling water and cooking.

A new home for the Sartha people was thus built with the enthusiastic help of the villagers.

At night, the family of Isa lay on the clay kang of their new home, as if they were staying in the splendid palace, feeling extremely happy and satisfied.

The second, third, and fourth children soon fell asleep.

'Isa, Mairiyan, and Ibrahim spoke happily in the dim light of soybean oil.

'Isa was content and said, "Ibraham, Gayin has a place to sleep, a place to cook, and a wasteland to cultivate. Our good days have finally arrived. ”

Ibrahim's mind at the moment is the hustle and bustle of Hezhou City: large courtyards with blue brick walls, bright and spacious tiled houses, streets paved with red bricks, and shops full of goods.

When Ibrahim heard his father's words, he sighed and said slowly: "Ada, why do I still think that Hezhou City is good." ”

Mai Liyan said with a smile: "Gava's eyes have opened her eyes now, and her heart is as wild as a running horse." 'Isa, see how you will manage this Gava in the future? ”

'Isa said earnestly: "Don't worry. Gava will go to the capital in the future. Legend has it that our ancestor Ali was buried in the capital. Hey, what about the little stones in Samarkand? ”

Mai Liyan yawned and said, "Don't worry, I've already left my clothes empty." ”

All the land around Gayindai Village has been reclaimed, and it belongs to the people who came here earlier.

Isa and Maileyam had no choice but to go farther and choose a better place to cultivate the land. They built small terraces on steep hillsides and planted winter wheat for the coming year's rations. Then sort out the small leftovers on the cliff and plant vegetables such as potatoes and cabbage.

When 'Isa heard that Ahun in the village was willing to receive the little Manla, he asked Ibrahim to continue his study with Ahun. He hopes that his son will go out of the mountains in the future and go to the outside world. Therefore, he planned to give his son a resounding official name (Chinese name). So, he imitated the Han people's practice of naming and ranking generations, and gave Ibrahim an imposing official name called Niu Zhanyuan, and named his other sons Niu Zhanxiang, Niu Zhanchuan and Niu Zhanhai respectively.

Isa and Mairiyan were frugal, and used the money saved to pay for Ibrahim's education, hoping that his son would become a glorious official in the future, and no longer a farmer with his back to the loess.

Ibrahim had to walk 3 or 4 miles on the mountain beam every day to read and write in the private school of the Han people in Nanxinzhuang.

One afternoon, when Ibrahim returned from school, he hurried to his field and asked his father, who was working, "Ada, the Han Gava in the southwest village said that we Sartars are from foreign countries, is it?" ”

Jesus wiped the sweat from his face and said, "Yes." According to the legend of the old people, the ancestors of our Sarta people came from the Western Regions hundreds of years ago. ”

Ibrahim apparently did not like this conclusion, pouted, silently stepped aside, squatted in the field and pulled up weeds.

Once, Ibrahim and a few friends from his private school met to climb the highest mountain in the neighborhood to experience the feeling of seeing all the mountains at a glance.

As a result, they climbed the highest mountain beam in their usual eyes, only to find that the mountain beam in front of them was even higher. They continued to climb the next peak, only to find that the peak ahead them was higher. After tossing back and forth like this for a long time, their calves were sore and swollen, and they could no longer run.

They had no choice but to sit on the mountain beams and stared blankly at the continuous loess mountains in the distance.

Ibrahim's younger brother Niu Zhanxiang pointed to a high mountain in the east with his little finger and asked curiously, "Brother, what kind of mountain is that?" ”

Ibrahim replied, "That's Phoenix Mountain." Let me recite an ancient poem describing Phoenix Mountain for all of you. ”

The friends said in unison, "Okay." ”

Ibrahim stood up and recited aloud:

"Dongcheng refers to the top of the phoenix, and the name of the phoenix goes to the mountain without remembering the year.

Zhou room Mingqi sanctified, Han Shi Lingfeng autobiography.

De Bao is crazy to receive the Song of the Saint, Mao Mei Chaozong who recognizes the virtuous.

The Shun Ri Ritual Court is now again, and the four spirits are sung in the west. ”

The friends asked, "Ibrahim, what are you reading?" Tell us about it! ”

Ibrahim told his friends: "Phoenix Mountain is located on the east bank of the Daxia River and the Oxford River, from the Alau Chiliang bird's eye view of the mountain, just like a phoenix with wings ready to fly, the head east and the tail west, the wings between the three grooves of Jiao, Mao and Ya, the colorful landform is like its beautiful feathers.

"In the Ming Dynasty, a Shandong man named Liu Chengxue visited the mountains and rivers of Hezhou, and wrote a poem praising the eight views of Fenglin in Hezhou.

The meaning of this poem is to stand on the head of the city of Hezhou, point to the top of the Phoenix Mountain in the east of the city of Hezhou, and tell the story of the Phoenix. During the Zhou Dynasty, the phoenix once fell on Qishan. During the Han Dynasty, the beautiful phoenix visited here. Talents like the Mad and Mao have also rejoiced. The prosperous times of Shun and Yao have reappeared today, and they still sing the praises of spiritual creatures such as unicorns, phoenixes, turtles and dragons that symbolize peace and prosperity. ”

The friends all looked at Ibrahim with admiration and exclaimed, "You know so much!" ”

Ibrahim said proudly: "The most famous poem in praise of Phoenix Mountain is the "Phoenix Mountain" by Wang Hong, the secretary of the Ming Dynasty's military department.

I haven't seen Phoenix Mountain for ten years, and now Chengen has to return it temporarily.

Catch a glimpse of the rising sun Dan Fengzhu, striving for the white clouds and leisure.

The source of the river comes from the Kunlun realm, and the terrain is far away from the stone pass.

Sending a message to the people of my hometown, I want to climb to the top together.

"It means that because of the emperor's kindness, I returned to my hometown and saw the Phoenix Mountain, which I haven't seen for many years. The Yellow River comes from the majestic Kunlun Mountain, the terrain is connected to the majestic Jishi Pass, the outstanding talents of the hometown come quickly, let us climb to the top of this magnificent mountain together. ”

The friends listened intently to Ibrahim's moving narration, bathed in the golden light of the sunset, as if they were in the beautiful scenery described by the poet.

They looked at the city of Hezhou under the mountains in the southeast, yearning for the mysterious world beyond the mountains.

The winter weather was particularly cold this year.

Mairiyan dressed Ibrahim in a sheepskin coat with black cloth and a belt woven of wool around his waist, a delicate knife on his belt, and rough leather shoes made of cow and sheepskin with grass to keep him warm, and dressed him as a teenager dressed in the typical clothes of Sartha.

In his spare time from studying, Ibrahim followed his father to herd sheep on a distant hill.

The sheep bowed their heads and ate the hay left on the ground.

Ibrahim and his father sat on a sunny hillside, basking in the sun and singing the melodious "flowers":

"One bought a whip and two bought a horse,

Three bought the stirrups of plum blossoms.

I thought about it for a long time, and I thought about my mother for the second time,

Three thought about the meat of the heart. ”

The song of 'Isa still echoed through the valley, and from the village of Benkang, on the opposite hillside, came the duet "Flowers":

"The clouds of heaven are dark,

The rain on the ground was heavy.

Halfway down the road I cried,

I remembered what you said. ”

The people in the mountains are introverted, so they have a lot of things buried in their hearts. Because they have nowhere to talk about their hearts, they will often sing the mountain song "Flowers" to the mountains, rivers, blue sky and flowers to express their inner emotions and pass away their loneliness and loneliness.

When people in the distance hear the "flowers" that come from afar, they can't help but feel emotional, and whether they know each other or not, they will continue to sing along with the content of the former.

In this way, singing and harmonizing, and continuously connecting in series, the whole mountain and river resounded everywhere with the song of "flowers" that were sad or full of nostalgia.

The dry soil of Gayin is particularly suitable for growing artichokes. The artichoke grown is large, and the flesh is sandy. Artichoke can be used as a staple food or to make a wide variety of dishes: boiled artichoke, sautéed shredded artichoke, sautéed artichoke chips, artichoke dumplings, artichoke stew, etc. Artichoke can also be used to make vermicelli and jelly.

The Sarta people took the role of the artichoke to the extreme.

Isa was especially fond of eating artichokes.

Ibrahim and his brothers asked curiously, "Ada, you eat potatoes every day, and you never bother?" ”

'Isa laughed. He told the children the story of the Salta and the artichoke.

Legend has it that when the Sarta people migrated eastward to the Han region of the Central Plains, the two most valuable things they carried on horseback were scriptures and artichokes. They traveled thousands of miles to bring artichoke to Hezhou, which can be used as food and vegetables, as well as feed for livestock, and has become a lifeline for people and animals.

From that time to the present day, the Sarta people and the artichoke depend on each other, and their love is sincere and inseparable. It is no exaggeration to say that without artichokes, there would be no Sartas.

The altitude of about 2000 meters above sea level around Hezhou is barren and arid mountain, the slopes are stacked, the yin and sunny slopes are alternate, the sunshine time is long, the ventilation and ventilation are good, the soil is loose, and the ground temperature is distinct in four seasons, which is very suitable for the growth of artichoke.

The yield of artichoke is more or less, large or small, the sunny slope does not become Yin Mountain, the seedlings are harvested in three points, the land is not bad, and there is always a harvest. Even in a disaster year, when wheat and beans are not harvested, the artichoke can still support the Sartha people.

The artichoke produced here is starchy and nutritious, and there is no spicy taste. The young men there were thinly dressed, but their physique was stiff, their faces were black and red, their physiques were strong, and they walked with wind under their feet. Those girls are tall, with pink faces, beautiful and good-looking, and their voices are crisp and bright. It is said that in addition to the human race, it is because of eating a lot of artichoke.

In the mountainous areas around Hezhou, five catties of artichoke can replace one catty of wheat or corn.

'Isa continued.

There is also a folklore that our Sartha hero, Miragahei, went on a campaign to fight for his country.

When the battle to defend the capital was very tight, the supply of grain and grass in the rear did not keep up.

Commander Milaga Black was at a loss.

At this critical moment, his war horse began to dig up the soil with its front hooves, digging out many artichoke eggs, and at the same time neighing incessantly, reporting to the generals that they had dug up the artichoke that had been hidden in the ground for a long time and was unknown to the people at that time, and replenished the military rations and horse feed.

The generals defeated the invading enemy and won a major victory in the war, saving the castle, the country and the people.

Ibrahim and his brothers stared at the inconspicuous artichoke in the bowl with wide eyes, and they couldn't imagine that the ugly artichoke could have such a great effect.

Every morning, 'Isa took his children to the temple for prayer. Mai Liyan buried a few potatoes in the hot ash of the kang cave.

After half an hour, the artichoke is roasted.

Mai Liyan took out the potatoes with a rake, put them in a sieve, blew off the dust with her mouth, and gave them to her husband and children who had returned from the week for breakfast.

After the autumn of each year, the white and purple flowers of artichoke bloom all over the mountains and slopes of Gayin, and the wild onions on the ground are also fragrant.

At this time, Isa would take out some fresh potatoes from the land and let the wheat swallows be steamed in a pot, so that everyone could taste the joy of the harvest.

When Mai Liyan lifted the lid of the pot, the house was full of fragrant fragrance, and the artichoke in the steamer cracked open a large opening, revealing a white, sandy flesh, like a blooming peony flower.

In late autumn and early winter, when the potatoes are harvested, the fruit trees on the hillside are covered with golden yellow leaves, and a faint mist covers the mountains near and far.

Isa took his family to the field to harvest the potatoes.

They gathered a pile of dry firewood and grass from the ridge of the ground, dug a soil pit on the ridge at the top of the ground, and piled up the dry soil blocks at the place where the pot was placed to form a hundred-hole pagoda with a large bottom and a small top, and after the capping, the pagoda was burned with firewood and grass.

The firewood crackled and exploded, the fire was blazing, and the green smoke was curling.

When the clods of earth were burned red, 'Isa took out the ashes from the stove, blocked the door of the fire, and then knocked on the clods on the top of the tower, and smashed the clods with a wooden stick on one side, and put potatoes on the inside. After filling it with artichoke, it is thickly sealed with wet soil to prevent the heat in the stove from leaking.

Half an hour later, 'Isa dug open the door of the stove and pulled out the artichoke.

Those artichokes have golden skins on the outside, white and transparent inside, and exude the aroma of wild game.

The family of six sat down on the ground and began to enjoy a delicious lunch, stuffy potatoes.