In the courtyard of Lijiaba, at Uncle Li's house, there's a carrying pole, a little over a meter long, a very simple work tool. Legend has it that this carrying pole is no ordinary one; it has accompanied generations of the Li family, and it can predict good and bad fortune, bringing blessings to its virtuous and hardworking owners. What kind of carrying pole is this? Could it be a treasure fallen from the sky?
(I) The Legend of the Origin of This Carrying Pole
This carrying pole in Uncle Li's house is an heirloom. It looks no different from an ordinary carrying pole, with fine wood grain, and can only bear a couple hundred pounds; too much weight and it will break. What kind of wood is this carrying pole made of? Many people hold it and can't tell. Some say it's oak, but everyone immediately disagrees; some say it's pear wood, but everyone shakes their heads; others say it's chestnut, but everyone says they're wrong…
The ancestors of Uncle Li's family were foreigners who migrated to Sichuan during the "Huguang Filling Sichuan" migration movement. They settled in Lijia Dam, a place of beautiful mountains and clear waters. The courtyard was flanked by a "Green Dragon" on the left and a "White Tiger" on the right, with a distant dragon formation behind it. A small river flowed merrily in front of the main hall, and large tracts of fertile land were cultivated on the dam for the Li family descendants to cultivate. In the Li family compound in Lijia Dam, there was a small mound, the "Anshan" (table hill) of the compound. On the mound was a large rock that, from a distance, resembled a rooster. There was a crack in the rooster's head, and it is said that a tree, slightly larger than a teapot, grew from this crack. Without soil on the rock, what nutrients could the roots absorb from the crack? Yet, the tree survived, never drying up in drought, never losing its leaves in winter, and blooming year-round, its fragrance spreading far and wide, a truly beautiful sight. People didn't know what kind of tree it was, so they named it "Wannianxiu" (Eternal Beauty).
Not many years later, the Li family, who had moved to Sichuan, became wealthy and became the richest family in the area.
On this day, the Li family discovered a secret while filling a wooden basin with water in the main room: the basin reflected the evergreen shrub on the rooster-shaped rock in front of the hall. The first person to see it exclaimed in surprise, "There's that evergreen shrub on the rooster-shaped rock across the hall in this basin of water!"
Everyone thought it was a lie. How could there be a 'Perennial' in a basin of water when it was a mile away? But when someone walked over and took a look, he exclaimed, "It can't be fake! That 'Perennial' is right here in this basin of water."
The shout startled everyone, and they all gathered around to look. Sure enough, they saw the shadow of the evergreen plant in the basin of water, with bright flowers in bloom, and they seemed to smell the fragrance of the flowers as well.
The Li family prospered with each generation, with some members passing the imperial examinations and becoming officials in other places. The Li family did not sell their old house in Sichuan, but continued to have members of the clan living there. With power and influence, the courtyard was transformed into a magnificent complex of vermilion eaves, upturned corners, carved beams, and painted pillars.
Generation after generation, it was Li the Bloodthirsty Ghost's turn to be in charge of this courtyard. Li the Bloodthirsty Ghost was his nickname, because unlike his predecessors, he wasn't kind. Although he was well-educated, he failed even the lowest level of the imperial examinations. He was cunning, ruthless, and cruel. Relying on his power, he raped women and bullied the poor. The locals had no good opinion of him; they all said he was a wicked man, so behind his back they called him Li the Bloodthirsty Ghost.
He had dozens of farmhands who worked for him from dawn till dusk, living like pigs and dogs on scraps. They were beaten and verbally abused for the slightest dissatisfaction. Many farmhands worked for months without receiving a penny and were driven away by his beatings and insults. At the end of the year, Li Xuegui, in an attempt to pay his farmhands less, always made up excuses, saying Zhang Shan had slacked off or Li Si had damaged farm tools. Some of the farmhands, however, were not afraid of trouble and sat at Li's house waiting for him to take pity on them and demand their full wages. But Li Xuegui didn't respond kindly; instead, he ordered several accomplices to chase them away.
The farmhands were furious. They gathered together to discuss what to do. Some suggested filing a complaint with the authorities, but others objected, saying that the government offices were wide open, and those without money shouldn't enter. They argued that if Li Xuegui offered bribes, would the officials speak up for the poor? Besides, his family held high-ranking positions. Others suggested uniting to fight Li Xuegui, burning his house, and beheading him. But most were cowards, saying that such an action would implicate their parents and children, and harm their families. They discussed for a long time but couldn't come up with a good way to avenge themselves. Suddenly, someone said that this method would bring bad luck to Li Xuegui's family. Everyone stared at him and asked, "What method can bring bad luck to Li Xuegui's family?"
The man gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he told everyone his brilliant plan to bring bad luck to Li Xuegui's family. Everyone who heard his plan agreed it was a good idea; in less than three years, Li Xuegui would also become a laborer, making him experience the hardships of a laborer.
That very night, everyone made an appointment with the man. Six or seven farmhands, armed with axes and machetes, arrived at the ancient rooster-shaped rock in the darkness. Just as they were about to climb the rock, many people surrounded them, shouting, "Your actions have long been seen through by the master. You will never be able to ruin the feng shui of the master's family's wealth and prosperity!"
The farmhands realized that someone had leaked the secret, so they tried to defend themselves, saying that they hadn't come to cut down the ancient tree. But what were they doing gathering with axes and machetes in the middle of the night? They had no way to defend themselves and were beaten half to death before being told to go home.
From then on, the Li family cherished that ancient tree day and night, protecting it as if it were their own life. As time went on, their vigilance waned, and a determined person, always looking for an opportunity to strike, finally managed to cut it down one stormy night.
That night, Li Xuegui was sleeping in bed when suddenly a person ran in, crying, and said to him, "I am a spirit chicken, who has attained enlightenment for a thousand years. Your ancestors have done good deeds for generations and have been protected by me, which is why you passed the imperial examinations and became high-ranking officials. You have changed your ways, done evil, and are hated by the world. Someone cut off my crown, which is my crown. Without my crown, my thousand years of cultivation have been in vain, and I have to start all over again. Your family will also decline from now on."
Upon hearing this, Li Xuegui patted his chest. The newcomer said, "Too late." He lowered his head so Li Xuegui could see, saying, "Look at my wounds, look at my bloodstains."
Blood Demon Li cried and said, "Is there any way to save it?"
The visitor sighed and after a while said, "Considering your years of protecting the ancient tree, you should send someone to retrieve it and take it home. Find a carpenter to make it into a carrying pole. Keep this carrying pole with you; it will be helpful to you and your descendants. But you must change your bad habits and do good deeds from now on, otherwise this carrying pole will not help you."
Li Xuegui wanted to ask more questions, but the visitor had vanished without a trace. Startled, Li Xuegui woke up in a cold sweat, crying loudly; it was just a strange dream. He also began to suspect that perhaps the Wan Nian Xiu tree had really been cut down, which would bring bad luck. He got up to see if the tree guardians had gone to guard the tree that night. He entered a room and found the tree guardians reeking of alcohol, snoring loudly, fast asleep. He woke them and said, "You guarded the tree like that, and now it's been cut down! You've ruined my family's great undertaking!"
The group woke up with a start, listened to their master's words, rubbed their eyes, but still couldn't believe that the tree had been cut down.
Carrying torches, they walked together toward the rooster-shaped rock as the wind and rain stopped. Upon reaching the rock, one of them shouted, "The Wannianxiu has been cut down!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xuegui fainted on the spot. The tree guardians dared not return to the Li family home, knowing Li Xuegui's power, and they fled that very night.
Without an accomplice, Li Xuegui found it difficult to hire farmhands. His fields lay fallow, and his family lived off their savings. His uncles, brothers, and cousins who held official positions elsewhere had vanished without a trace; it was rumored they were connected to the Taiping Rebellion, and the court was preparing to punish their families through association. Hearing this, Li Xuegui had the ancient, beautiful tree trunk forged into a carrying pole. Knowing impending doom, he immediately abandoned his possessions and fled to distant lands with his wife and children, taking the carrying pole with him.
Li Xuegui and his family fled to a distant place, hiding their identities, their former glory gone forever. To avoid revealing their identities, he also became a farmhand. He carried loads on his shoulders and backs, toiling in wind and rain, under the scorching sun, and in frost and snow. His hands became calloused, and his face was covered with wrinkles. Only now did he realize how difficult life was for the poor and laborers. He regretted mistreating them in the past, which had led him to this state.
He often used that carrying pole to work, and he never left it behind. In this way, he was regarded as a poor man by people from afar, thus escaping the pursuit of the government and protecting the lives of himself, his wife, and his children.
Li Xuegui grew old, and before he died, he said to his son, "Life is long. When you are in power and have good fortune, do not bully the poor. Doing good deeds and accumulating virtue will bring good rewards. This carrying pole is not made of ordinary wood. You must cherish it as you would your own life. It will protect your descendants for generations and keep them from disasters and calamities."
(ii) Legend has it that this carrying pole can predict good or bad fortune.
This carrying pole followed the Li family descendants. Although some of them escaped the fate of being farm laborers and earned their own small plots of land to support themselves, they still frequently used this pole to carry goods, placing it beside their beds at night. Every year on the Qingming Festival, they would wash the pole with water boiled with mugwort and then place it under the altar for everyone to worship.
During the Republic of China era, the owner of this carrying pole used it to transport goods down to Chongqing. Along the way, there were dozens of porters, forming groups; the larger group was less vulnerable to bandits, and if any trouble arose, dozens working together to resist was far better than a lone individual. The owner of this carrying pole felt very relaxed carrying it; even though the goods were heavier than his companions', he would walk at the front. He often told everyone, "The sound this carrying pole makes on my shoulder is an omen."
The fellow porter didn't believe that the sound of a carrying pole could tell good or bad fortune.
On this day, a dozen or so people were walking on the road when the owner of the carrying pole in front of them put down his goods and said to everyone, "Guys, stop! There's a 'Bang Lao Er' ahead. We need to go around him."
Everyone listened and didn't believe it, saying it was nonsense.
As everyone was discussing this, one of the porters who had been robbed turned back and said, "Don't go any further. We've all been robbed. We have nothing left, not even our money."
Only after hearing this did everyone believe that the owner of the carrying pole was not lying, and that the carrying pole was indeed magical.
The owner of the carrying pole had repeatedly traveled to Chongqing to sell goods, always outselling his companions and returning to transport scarce goods from the countryside. One time, after selling his goods, he bought more scarce items from the countryside. Unable to wait for his companions to return, as their goods in the city were still waiting to be sold, he carried his load home alone. Because the sound of the carrying pole was believed to indicate good or bad fortune, the owner set off with peace of mind. That day, carrying his load alone, the pole made auspicious sounds. He crossed ridge after ridge, and when he reached one, feeling tired, he put down his load and rested by the roadside. Suddenly, three masked men wielding knives and spears rushed to his side, saying, "This road is mine; if you want to pass, leave your toll."
The owner of the carrying pole thought to himself that it had malfunctioned today, failing to produce the usual "thud" sound. He decided to fight these "thuds" with this pole. He stood up, gripping one end of the pole with both hands, and charged at the bandits. These three bandits were gamblers, addicted to opium. Having lost money today and lacking funds for their opium addiction, they devised a plan to rob the porter. One carried a hunting rifle, while the other two used long machetes for chopping wood. Unable to satisfy their opium addiction, they staggered and yawned constantly. Unfazed, the porter swung his pole and attacked. The owner of the carrying pole felled one of them, who cried out from the ground. The bandit with the hunting rifle fired a shot, but missed the owner. The rifle, loaded with iron filings and gunpowder, required reloading after each shot. The owner of the carrying pole struck him with it, knocking him to the ground where he rolled. His hunting rifle fell to the side. Seeing the situation was dire, the other bandit turned and ran. The owner of the carrying pole gave chase, and the bandit dropped his knife, kneeling before him and begging for mercy. Just then, porters arrived one after another. Seeing that the owner of the carrying pole had single-handedly defeated three bandits, they praised his martial arts skills, saying he was a reincarnation of the fierce Zhang Fei. The owner of the carrying pole told them, "I haven't practiced martial arts; it's all thanks to this carrying pole that my ancestors gave me to bring good fortune and avert disaster."
(III) The carrying pole and its later owners over the years
The carrying pole changed hands many times over the years. After liberation, the owner and the carrying pole remained companions for years; he was a true laborer, classified as a poor peasant. Back then, being a poor peasant was an honor; it meant one's children could go to school, and one's son could join the army or be promoted.
The owner of the carrying pole was barely literate. Under the slogan of the poor and lower-middle peasants managing the school, he used this carrying pole to walk into the classroom many times. He told the children, "In that evil old society, my family has been poor for generations. The rich exploited people, and this carrying pole has weighed down my family for many generations." As he said this, he waved the carrying pole as if to smash the exploiter's head, cursing the exploiter as a bastard, as if he wanted to use this carrying pole to dig up the exploiter's ancestral grave.
At the rally to recall past bitterness and appreciate present happiness, the owner of the carrying pole said, "My family has been poor for generations, and this carrying pole that has weighed down the shoulders of my ancestors is proof of that." He then burst into tears: "That year, my father worked as a farmhand, eating pig and dog food. The landlord, a scoundrel, didn't pay him a year's wages, and we had no grain at all. On New Year's Eve, the whole family went to beg for food. When we entered the landlord's courtyard, his henchmen released vicious dogs, and the whole family was terrified and cried their eyes out. My father used this carrying pole to hit one of the dogs on the back, and that's how my parents and I weren't bitten..." The audience chanted slogans, while the man with the carrying pole on stage wept, unable to speak any longer.
On the road carrying patriotic grain, this carrying pole played a crucial role. This iron-willed woman, carrying half the sky's grain and wearing a straw hat, was photographed by reporters, made the newspapers, and became a celebrity. Once was enough; the iron-willed woman used this carrying pole again, carrying soil and stones under the slogan of fighting against nature. She was awarded a big red flower and became a glorious model worker. In an era when even submitting a blank exam paper could lead to university admission, the iron-willed woman used this carrying pole to work her way up to university, securing a secure job for life.
These days, that carrying pole is rarely seen, and no one tells any stories about it anymore. This family drinks tap water, uses chemical fertilizers in their fields, and with electricity, they don't burn firewood or coal anymore; the carrying pole is rarely used. That Uncle Li is now a hundred years old; he's been dead for many years. His eldest son is over seventy; if you happen to meet him, ask him about that carrying pole. Perhaps then you'll learn more about its story.
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