10th April, 2001
Huang Jinao Mountain Cleared To Grow Chestnuts And Grapes.
Huang Jinao had no large chemical or car factories and no viable alternative for employment other than farming. The land in the area was very fertile and good use was made of any flat land for the growing of rice, rice and more rice. Yin had been telling me in his letters about the work his family and friends had been doing to clear a mountain of its trees and brushwood, so that it could be terraced for growing fruits and vegetables.
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When he said he would take me to see the results of their work, I had assumed that the mountain was close to the farm, but I was mistaken, and as we walked on narrow tracks alongside and between paddy fields, in blazing sun, the perspiration seeped from my pores. Looking back from the top of the mountain I felt quite pleased with myself, until we went into a small wooden shelter for a rest to find Yin's grandma there smoking a cigarette whilst sitting on a low stool, and then to be told that grandma makes the journey to the top everyday.
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My idea of a chestnut tree had always been something growing about 5 to 10 metres tall with wide spreading branches, and never in my life had I seen a bush about 1 metre in height producing fruit ! Yin proudly stands by one of his bushes after explaining to me the process of grafting short stems onto a root stock, to produce a first crop within a period of 18 months, something I had never heard of before. We live and learn ! Of course, the mountain had been cleared and terraced by hand without the use of any mechanical equipment so it was a particularly remarkable achievement which I admired.
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Returning back to Yin's home after our climb up the mountain, we passed a neighbour's house and were immediately invited in to have a drink of water, so I think we must all have looked rather hot and thirsty. The neighbour's son seemed particulary interested in my camera, so I took a few photos of him looking rather serious at his first contact with a Westerner.
Only a miracle or a disaster would change the pattern of his future life. He would leave school, work on the farm, get married and have a child, but continue to live with his extended family.
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When we got back to Yin's home, grandma was waiting for us looking far more relaxed in her eightieth year than any of us. I sat on a cool and comfortable bamboo armchair in the living room, and soon after, Yin's mother brought a bowl of hot water and a hand towel so that I could refresh myself; such is Chinese hospitality to their guests.
Yin's nephew then wandered into the room, took one look at me, and promptly left !
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