Thai Binh is located on the coast, divided by winding rivers such as the Red River , Hoa River, Day River... This is not only an important source of water for agriculture but also a place where Thai Binh people are attached and develop from generation to generation. Life here is peaceful and simple, with green rice fields along the endless river.
My house is located along a river that is a small branch of the Hoa River, which my hometown people call Mang He River, starting from Thuy Ninh Commune, through Thuy Viet Commune to Thuy Quynh, Thuy Truong and then flowing out to the sea. I heard the elders say that in the past, the Cooperative sent workers to dig for work, calculate points and share rice, called the Irrigation Team of the Agricultural Cooperative, the purpose of digging the river was to create irrigation to bring water to the fields of the old Thuy Anh District. This river flowing through my village is only about 1,500m but it fed many households in my village at that time.
At that time, my hometown did not have electricity, each house had a few oil lamps, the summer was very hot, almost no one was indoors, all activities depended on the bright moonlight and the wind, at night every house had to pull the threshing axe to let the rice grains fall out, we were young so we went out to the alley to play mock battles or went to youth training (singing and dancing) to join the camping, some people went to the river bank to sit and enjoy the breeze, talking. Occasionally there were couples sitting and chatting.
I remember, my mother once said, on the full moon days of the month, the moon will be very round and bright. The full moon on the full moon day is usually very beautiful, the moon is full and round like a ball with pure white color. The moonlight is bright, leading the light down to everywhere, everywhere seems to be illuminated by the sparkling golden moonlight, the hidden stars seem to add to the natural picture. The moonlight shines down from above, emitting a gentle, soft light, as if wanting to embrace and cover everything. The hometown river, under the shimmering moonlight, appears like a soft silk strip, sparkling with silver. The small waves reflect the moonlight, creating tiny, undulating bright spots, making the river more lively than ever. The gentle sound of flowing water, mixed with the chirping of insects, creates a gentle natural harmony.
On full moon nights, especially on the Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone in the village gathers in the yard, sometimes sitting under the bamboo roots to chat, children play and dance around the yard, women and mothers take advantage of the time to do laundry outside on the riverbank, uncles and brothers bring out their nets to cast along the riverbank, the nets are very big, I heard that to make this net, you have to go get hemp, spin it into small fibers and then weave it into a net, when cast down, it almost covers the other side of the river, one for each house, all along the riverbank, we catch fireflies and put them in glass bottles next to the fish basket to have more light, each time we raise the net, shrimps, fish and crabs jump around, we are very happy, running from house to house to see who can catch more. Indeed, the river is so beautiful on full moon nights, every time I remember, the charming scenery appears like a painting, the colors are simple but contain so much love.
But then, development is inevitable, the river is now partly filled to build houses, build roads, the river flowing through my village is just a slow flowing stream... Change is inevitable, but somewhere in my heart, I always hope that one day the river will flow again, carrying the dreams, hopes and love of many generations. The river is no longer present as before but it will forever live in the memories and hearts of the children of the homeland like me. Memories of the river, moonlit nights will always be a source of inspiration, a source of motivation for me to overcome all difficulties in life. And every time I remember, I feel my heart soften, as if returning to the peaceful and quiet days of my childhood.
