Colorful years

The origin of the name Balipo is very simple and direct; it is named so because the slope is eight miles long.

Before the road was built, if you wanted to reach Yuanjiajie and then the mysterious Shentang Bay, you had to pass through Balipo.

Instead of just silently forging ahead, why not take advantage of the beautiful scenery along the way and tell a few interesting stories to make the journey more meaningful?

Thinking of this, Grandpa looked at his little grandson Congcong, who was looking around curiously at everything, and asked with a smile, "Congcong, would you like to hear Grandpa tell you a story?"

Upon hearing this, Congcong's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly, saying, "Grandpa, I love listening to your stories! Please tell me one!"

From his eager words and expectant eyes, it was clear that he couldn't wait to hear the wonderful stories his grandfather would tell.

Seeing Congcong so excited, Grandpa also became interested. He cleared his throat and said, "Alright, Grandpa will tell you the story of Dai Wanjuan who got rich by digging for gold in Balipo today."

After saying that, Grandpa paused for a moment, seemingly recalling the details of the story, before beginning to tell the tale in a leisurely manner.

Long, long ago, there lived a family named Dai on Balipo. The couple lived a simple yet fulfilling life. The husband was in charge of external affairs, while the wife managed the household and spun clothes.

The family mainly made a living by growing corn and sweet potatoes on the land of Balipo. Although they were not rich, they were self-sufficient and lived happily.

However, who could have imagined that on such an ordinary day, a tremendous opportunity was about to befall them...

The male protagonist, Dai Wanjuan, was a contemporary of your great-grandfather, Zhang Xiangsong. Unwilling to settle for mediocrity, he was determined to study extensively, pass the imperial examinations, and thus become an official and change his fate.

No matter how hard he studied, he couldn't pass the imperial examinations. Before he knew it, he was forty years old. His great-grandfather, Zhang Xiangsong, had been a prefect for many years, but he was still a farmer with his face to the soil and his back to the blue sky.

Although Dai Wanjuan's official career was not smooth and he never became an official, as the saying goes, "when one door closes, another opens," he had an enviable windfall!

On such an ordinary day, with the sun shining brightly and a gentle breeze blowing, Dai Wanjuan and his virtuous wife were working diligently in Balipo.

Suddenly, the wife let out a scream, as if she had discovered something extraordinary.

Upon hearing the noise, Dai Wanjuan hurriedly put down his work and rushed to his wife's side to ask what had happened.

The wife pointed to a patch of land in front of her, her face full of astonishment, and said, "Husband, look here! How come there are these golden things mixed in with this soil?"

Dai Wanjuan looked closely in the direction his wife was pointing, and a surge of joy welled up inside him. He muttered to himself, "Could it be...could it be gold? Heaven has opened its eyes! We're about to make a fortune!"

After saying that, unable to contain his excitement and curiosity, he carefully dug out a clump of golden substance from the soil with both hands, then ran to the stream and carefully washed it in the clear water.

After the lump of stuff was washed clean, what was revealed before our eyes was a small piece of bright yellow, golden gold!

At that moment, Dai Wanjuan was overjoyed. He stared wide-eyed at the gold for a long time in disbelief. After calming himself down a bit, he hurried back to where he had found the gold, picked up a hoe, and began to dig diligently.

Sure enough, in no time, he dug up several more pieces of gold of different sizes.

Gazing at the glittering gold before them, Dai Wanjuan and his wife were beaming with excitement. However, they also knew in their hearts that no one could say for sure how much gold was hidden on the mountain, and if they rashly announced it, it might cause unnecessary trouble.

After careful consideration, the couple decided to keep the secret for the time being and quietly continue digging.

From that day on, during the day, Dai Wanjuan and his wife continued to work as usual, pretending nothing had happened. But when night fell, they would sneak off with their tools to the spot where they had previously found the gold. By the faint moonlight, they would continue to search for more treasures, hoe after hoe, full of anticipation.

After several days, they unearthed a whole jar of gold. Dai Wanjuan and his wife were so excited they couldn't sleep at night; they knew this gold would be enough for them to live a life of luxury.

Dai Wanjuan used the gold to acquire vast amounts of land, open pawnshops, and start businesses. In just a few years, he became one of the wealthiest men in the area, and at his peak, his wealth even surpassed that of the Zhang family.

After hearing this story, Congcong couldn't help but exclaim, "Grandpa, Dai Wanjuan really had incredible luck!"

"Yes, that's precisely why this story has been passed down to this day," Grandpa replied with a smile.

"Grandpa, our family has been poor for generations, so how come we've never found any gold?" Congcong asked curiously.

Grandpa smiled and said, "Silly child, there aren't that many people in the world who get rich by picking up gold. Wealth isn't obtained by digging for gold; it's created by your own hands."

Look at this Balipo (Eight Mile Slope). Although it's steep and difficult to climb, as long as we take it one step at a time, we'll see beautiful scenery. Life is the same way; as long as we don't give up, we'll definitely be able to live the life we ​​want.

Congcong nodded, seemingly understanding his grandfather's words.

They continued climbing and finally reached the top of Balipo. Looking down from the summit, they saw endless mountains shrouded in mist, as if they were in a fairyland.

Congcong couldn't help but cheer: "Grandpa, look, it's so beautiful!"