The returnees whose hometown is on the black sand bank have traveled all the way home for the New Year, and when they see Zhang Ping on the bank of the Yangtze River, they know that they have arrived home.
Zhang Ping may be the captain who is most familiar with the passengers that the reporter met on the Spring Festival Road. Surrounded by rivers, Heishazhou is located in Baimao Town, Jiujiang District, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, with a registered population of more than 10,000 people, and during the Spring Festival, many people from all over the country returned to this more than 20 square kilometers of Jiangxinzhou. There is no bridge, but those who come back know that Zhang Ping's ferry will take him home.
Ferry ferry, passenger ferryman. More than 100 years ago, 52-year-old Zhang Ping is already the third generation of passenger ferry captains, and his grandfather and father used to be ferrymen. "My grandfather rowed a wooden boat at that time, my father drove a hang-up boat, and I have been buying this cockpit boat for more than ten years. Zhang Ping said that three generations of three boats do only one thing.
The picture shows the ferry and passenger ferries on the black sandbank. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Nuo.
Zhang Ping was serious when he drove the boat, and when he laughed, his face had crow's feet as wrinkled as the river. "Generally, the temperature on the river is two or three degrees lower than that in the city, and the river is windy and cold. Zhang Ping said.
The passenger ferry is not large, rated for 40 people. From the deck to the cockpit, you need to turn sideways to pass slowly, and the cockpit is just right for one person, and two people seem a little cramped. Open flames cannot be used on the boat, and it is not convenient to eat and drink. There was a large red thermal kettle in the cockpit, which had lost its paint and had been used for many years.
Villagers who sell vegetables early, neighbors who go out to run errands, and wanderers who return to their hometowns from part-time jobs ......Boats are the means of transportation for people to get in and out of Black Sandbank.
Crew Roger sighed: getting on and off the ship, going back and forth, before you know it, it's another year. The 48-year-old man wears a big velvet hat to protect against the cold wind on the river, and he will greet people warmly when they come on board. "I've been running boats for 30 years, and most of the passengers know each other. Roger said.
The picture shows the river view from the passenger ferry. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Nuo.
The river water is infiltrated with the temperament of the people of Heishazhou, whether it is a large bag of passengers or a vehicle full of goods, they are quietly waiting at the ferry, not fighting or rushing to queue up to get on the boat. Take a 10-minute ferry ride across more than a mile of the river and return home.
Approaching the end of the year, there are more people returning to their hometowns. "Usually there are about 100 people a day, but there are more than 200 people during the New Year's holiday. Zhang Ping said. Despite the strong winds, some passengers did not want to stay in the cabin, preferring to stand on the deck and chat, looking out over the continent. Zhang Ping said that if he crossed them to the side of his home, there would be more stories of Heishazhou.
The photo shows vehicles waiting for a ferry on a black sandbank. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Nuo.
Aunt Wang went out early in the morning, changed trains and buses all the way south, boarded a passenger ferry, and returned to Heishazhou before sunset. When she arrived at the shore, Aunt Wang skillfully handed the package to the driver who was running a short passenger transport on the continent, needless to say too much, they were all acquaintances. On the way, a familiar villager saw Aunt Wang and greeted her loudly, and Aunt Wang responded enthusiastically, with a happy face that could not be hidden.
On the way home, we always encounter those long-lost but familiar moments: maybe the whistle on the shore, maybe the finless porpoise jumping on the river from time to time, or the familiar ferryman.
Reporter: Chen Shangying, Chen Nuo, Pan Feng.
*Production: Ye Baihai, Sui Yonghao.
Acknowledgement: Hefei Passenger Depot of China Railway Shanghai Bureau Group.
China Railway Shanghai Bureau Group *** Hefei Train Depot.
Propaganda Department of Jiujiang District Committee of Wuhu City of the Communist Party of China.
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