Accompany a river on a stroll

One winter afternoon, I walked by the Tiaodeng River.

I accompanied the river for a stroll. Or perhaps, the river accompanied me.

There was only me by the river, where the river and I kept each other's company. All around, it was so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.

Tiaodeng River flows through three districts of Chongqing City, the longest stretch is in our district of Jiulongpo. When the sky and clouds are reflected in the clear water, it is as if we were walking in the sky. When we look around then, the reeds are swaying in the wind, purple baby’s breath are blooming in old tramcars. Near the bluestone handrails, there are thick Chinese silver grass, each is dyed a golden color by the sunshine.

When I was little, my grandpa liked to take a walk after a meal. I wasn't interested in the walks, but grandpa would whisper something in my ear, and I would follow him out happily. We walked along the dirt road to the town, and would arrive at a convenience store in just over 10 minutes. In accordance with our secret agreement, grandpa would give me a dime, and I would hastily go buy candies and put one in my mouth. Which almost made the road under our feetsweet.

After growing up, I also started to enjoy taking walks. Though grandpa has passed away for a long time, I always remember the rhythm that he taught me. Each step I take is slow and steady, as I accompany the river on a stroll.

My favorite park near the river is Caohaiwan Park. It is one of the 10 riverside parks by Tiaodeng River. Looking around, the entire park is a rolling hillside full of cattail. The grass is very tall, taller than an adult male. In the past, this is a scenery that can only be seen in the wild. A sea of cattail stretches into the distance, like a poem written by nature under the sunshine. Here, there is no rockery, no bonsai, and no fountain. Nothing is elaborately created, there is only grass.

Walking over the cattail road at Caohaiwan takes a long time. Emerging as a sparrow out of the cattail field, shaking off the speck of reed on my body, my exhaustion and worries also seemed to have been shaken onto the ground.

I walk to the riverside again, as if it were waiting for me, to walk with me shoulder to shoulder. We walk with such tacit understanding, that there is no disturbance, we communicate with only sound and smell.

For a period of time, the odor of this river was foul. The water was dark and smelly, people had to cover their noses when walking by. This was the language of the river. It is pouring out its misfortune to others, hoping to be heard.

Fortunately, we understood its complaint. In 2017, the pollution of Tiaodeng River became a priority to be handled. It took on a new look each day, until it miraculously becomes the clear and bright river that I knew in my childhood again.

Older people always say that Tiaodeng River did not have a bridge in the past. People who crossed it had to step onto different pieces of rock, which is the origin of the down-to-earth name of “Tic tac river”. Now, there is a bridge on the river for people to walk on and for cars to drive by. People who live nearby come to the river every day to get some fresh air. There is a footpath for people to take walks leisurely, a 24-hour self-service library for people to concentrate on reading. There are also flowers and birds, insects and fishes, the wind from nature, and a dedicated companion of the river.

Contributed by Li Shanshan, member of the Chinese Writers Association, Vice-Chairman at the Writers Association of Jiulongpo District of Chongqing

Translated by Zhang Junye