1

On a midsummer morning in 2021, I took a boat from Jiaojiang to Dachen Island with my friends.

As the ship gets further and further away from the shore, the water outside the cabin becomes clearer and clearer. The color sometimes turns blue and sometimes turns green, showing a healing purity. The best agate jade in your imagination is probably this color.

The sky closely connected with the sea is blue and covered with white and soft clouds. The waves aroused by the ship's side are also white, as if echoing the white clouds.

Suddenly, the sky became a little hazy. The clouds seemed to have seeped into the sky, and the sky and the clouds were indistinguishable. There is no blue and white anymore, it has become a whole piece of gray. There were waves in the originally calm sea. The sea water is blue, green and gray. There is something vaguely like an island or a hillside in the distance. I am reminded of the poem in Bai Juyi's "Song of Everlasting Sorrow": "Suddenly I heard that there are fairy mountains on the sea, and the mountains are in the void."

The cabin was full of people, and there were a lot of noises around. I watched quietly. With the sea outside the window, my thoughts drifted away at will. At this moment, not only the heart is quiet, but the whole world seems to be quiet as well.

After about ten minutes, we saw the clear sky again. The clear blue sky and white clouds, the green and slightly turbulent sea, and the small island of rocks and trees can be clearly seen not far away. It's like returning from a hazy wonderland to a cheerful world.

After about two hours of journey, we finally landed on Dachen Island. The large white clouds in the sky, the high and low houses along the island, the various ships moored at the port, and the appearance of the island town are initially revealed.

2

Get off the boat and transfer to a minibus and start driving towards the mountain. It takes about 20 minutes to drive on the winding winding mountain road to reach the hotel. Can't wait to check in, my eyes are already dazzled by the beautiful surroundings.

It was noon, and under the scorching summer sun, the bright green and sparkling grass was spotless, the grass was high and low, the sea was crystal clear like sapphire, and the almost sea-blue sky seemed to extend from the sea, with a few wisps of light floating catkins. Like white clouds. Except for the sound of wind and birdsong, there was no noise at all. When you are in it, you feel like you are swimming in a painting.

I squatted down on the roadside and took a photo of basil grass. Because of the angle, the basil grass in the lens looks very tall, like a tall pine, against the blue sky and white clouds. In the clear and transparent air, each of the dense basil leaves is clearly visible and full of energy.

There are also coreopsis, tuberose, aster, and henrya on the grass. We even saw honeysuckle that was supposed to bloom in late spring. Maybe the climate on the island is similar to that in the mountains. As the saying goes, "when the beauty of April ends in the world, the peach blossoms in the mountain temples begin to bloom."

3

Go back to the port at the foot of the mountain and have Chinese food at a restaurant along the street called Twenty-nine Beavers.

Opposite the hotel is a row of stone houses with tiled roofs. There are flower pots, net bags, stools, brooms and the like at the door, giving it a strong atmosphere of life. Standing on the street and looking around, there are many stone houses like this on both sides, and there are also two-story houses with cement walls above and stone below. This is probably a characteristic of island dwellings (I recall that I went to Wenling Shitang more than ten years ago and saw many stone houses).

After the meal, a group of people walked back to the hotel together. I saw more stone houses on the roadside, and I also saw colorful paintings on the exterior walls of many houses about fishermen's working scenes or island scenery and sea animals (such as otters), which presented a special feeling under the midsummer noon sun. Passionate meaning of life.

Going to a higher place and looking back, you can see many stone houses scattered everywhere, both large and small. Some have pools in front and clothes to dry. Some of them are particularly low and shabby, and they feel like they are about to collapse. Most of the roof tiles have rows of stones pressed against them, presumably for wind protection. There are some newer houses built with cement in the middle. But it is obviously those stone houses that bring a sense of history and vicissitudes to the island, giving it a heavier and deeper temperament. There is a newly plowed vegetable patch on the roadside, as well as clusters of wild chrysanthemums.

4

In the afternoon, we went to see Sigui Pavilion, which is built near the sea.

Ju said that this pavilion once had other names, involving some historical events and figures. But what I think of is the lingering nostalgia of the simplest wanderer in a foreign land. There is a couplet on the pavilion. The first couplet is "Watching the sea for rock clouds and listening to the surging waves", and the second couplet is "Wandering far away and returning to my hometown to find the root branches and leaves". I read it with a lot of melancholy and emotion.

Looking further down, you can see the exposed rocks, black reefs, white waves, the blue-green satin sea surface in the distance, the light blue sky where the sea and the sky meet in front of you, and the faint waves. White clouds. No matter how the years change and people experience vicissitudes, nature remains picturesque and poetic.

Next to it is a glass trestle that extends from the island to the sea. It looks very trendy and impressive. But that's not what I like. On the one hand, because of my timidity, I have always stayed away from things like glass trestles. Secondly, I always feel that these superficial things built by man cannot be compared with the beauty of nature itself.

5

After that, we have been walking among the rocks along the coast, which is the Jiawu Rock Scenic Area.

The huge rocks on both sides of the stone steps, the deep ravines, the steep and thrilling stone walls, and the tenacious vegetation growing on the rocks or cliffs all make people marvel at the power and vitality of nature.

There is a small flower that looks unique. The leaves are shaped like miniature rhododendron leaves. The flowers are white with five petals. The flowers are particularly delicate and small. They look like stars or snow in June. They bloom among the rough rocks, making people feel tender and tender. I checked it with color software and found that it is called seaside loosestrife, also known as starstruck.

The sidewalks between the rocks are very smooth, and there are barriers on all roadsides, so there are no dangerous spots. At the end of the journey, you have to pass through a canyon about ten meters high, with a plank-paved trestle above. Because I am afraid of heights, I naturally dare not walk on such a bridge. Friends said it was okay and there was no need to be afraid. Some people immediately walked onto the bridge to try it out for me. It indeed looked very stable, unlike some trestles that were obviously shaking. But I still didn’t dare to leave, so I said I’d better go back and find a way to meet everyone at the destination later. But my friends refused to give up. Finally, they came up with a way to ask me to close my eyes and send two people to help me walk. During this period, no one else went on the bridge to reduce the shaking. Everyone talked about it, but I really couldn't resist it, so I agreed immediately. This is the first time in my life that I decided to walk on such a suspended trestle. In order not to let everyone down, I also risked my life.

I closed my eyes and walked onto the trestle uneasily with the help of two friends. Sure enough, it felt solid and stable when I stepped on it. There was no obvious feeling of walking on the bridge. In addition, there were people supporting me on both sides. They kept comforting me and cheering me up. They also walked very slowly, and I couldn't see any dangerous things with my eyes closed. kind. The panic in my heart gradually eased.

I don’t know how long I walked – it probably wasn’t long, but it still felt a bit long. Finally, I heard my friend who had already crossed the bridge say loudly to me, "Okay, we're here, you can open your eyes." Then I saw that I had stepped on dry land. I finally succeeded in overcoming the fear in my heart, not to mention how happy I am. Although I probably won’t dare to leave next time I encounter a similar situation, but at least I can get through it this time. Sincere thanks to my friends.

At the end of Jiawuyan Scenic Area, there is a shallow river. There are two rows of roads connected by rectangular stones on the river, and the river water flows through the gaps between the stones. A friend with long flowing hair stood on the rocks and looked back with a smile. He was very beautiful. There are large tracts of seaside loosestrife, seaweed, goldenrod, and reeds along the river.

6

Then we drove to a highland with lush vegetation.

The weather suddenly changed, the clear sun disappeared, the sea and the sky were covered with smoke, and the islands in the distance were looming in the smoke.

The wind started to pick up again, and the lush grass and leaves around the highlands and some fresh and beautiful small wild flowers swayed in the wind, making a swishing sound. There is also a very loud sound like the wind blowing a flag, but there is no flag here. It is probably the sound of the wind blowing towards the island or the sound of the wind flying through the air. For people who have lived in the city for a long time, these sounds are like the sounds of nature and can cleanse the soul.

The sea surface is like a huge gray-green satin undulating in the wind.

Later, the sea and sky turned gray, like smoke and a dream. A thin drizzle of rain fell.

Standing on the island like this, looking at the sky and sea like this, listening to the sound of the wind, and being brushed by such clear wind and rain, it seems that many noisy things that fill ordinary days have gone away. , and it seemed that I was withdrawn from some familiar field. Although I was only away for a short time, I felt a rare sense of comfort.

7

Continue to eat at the same place in the evening. After dinner, a group of us went to the port town for a stroll.

It is said to be a town, but in fact it is mainly a street along the coast. There is a barbecue music bar with "wine and meat" written on the small blackboard at the door, Ganjiu Beaver Tea Restaurant with the same name as the previous hotel, an inn with red lanterns, vegetables grown on wooden shelves on the street, a breakfast shop, Food stalls, boats moored on the harbor, lights swaying in the sea, and noisy crowds. This is the night view of the seaport town, and the chatter and laughter of our group also blended in.

8

After turning back from the street, we decided to continue walking back to the hotel. Slowly walking uphill, I quickly left the hustle and bustle of the harbor town behind and began to enter the quiet country mode.

The scattered lights on the roadside, the trees in the night, the smell of summer mountains and grass, the chirping of unknown insects, and the faint starlight in the sky. Occasionally a car passes by and we quickly move to the side of the road. At this time, I felt as if I was in my hometown mountain village far away from the sea. It has been many years since I walked in the countryside like this at night. Reminds me of many past events. My friends who were traveling with me no doubt had many similar associations, because we soon began to talk enthusiastically about our respective night walks in the countryside.

What impressed me most was when I was in junior high school. The school was more than thirty miles away from home, and I usually lived in school. I walked home with a few classmates after school on Saturday evening. On the way, they arrived home one by one, and finally I was the only one left. It was already dark, and sometimes there were no houses or lights for a long way. I felt really scared. . Another very happy memory was that I went to a classmate's house about ten miles away from school on Saturday. On Sunday night, we went back to school together. There was a good moonlight on the road, and we laughed and sang all the way. The singing of such a happy boy may always be remembered by the night sky in the mountain village and the mountains and fields beside the road. Speaking of these, by the way, I think of the life of students living in rural middle schools in that era.

Several of my friends who were obviously younger than me had similar experiences of walking at night in the countryside and living on campus. They also said a lot. Then there was an eager scream, and the distance suddenly felt closer.

Usually we are immersed in our work, and most of our free chats are about the life around us now. If we hadn’t walked together in the night of Dachen Island by chance, I’m afraid we would never talk to each other about these long-lasting memories. past.

A few years from now, this night may become a treasure in our respective memories.

9

The next morning it rained heavily and there was a strong wind. We couldn't go anywhere and had to stay in the room. When the wind and rain subsided a little, I wandered around the hotel for a while.

Listen again to the island’s soul-cleansing whistling wind. The wildflowers that were brilliant under the sunshine yesterday are now enduring the rain and wind, but they have not lost their grace. They should be used to wind and rain.

I unexpectedly discovered that there were still mulberries on a mulberry tree (like honeysuckle, they were originally gifts from nature in late spring). They were half green, half red and purple. It was really surprising. I immediately picked a purple mulberry stained with rainwater and put it into my mouth. The refreshing sweetness made this trip to Dachen Island a delicious ending.

At noon, the rain stopped and the wind stopped. After having lunch in the port town, we embarked on the return ship.