Whenever the broad Wutong leaves on the street bring autumn news, "yepingtou" will become a popular word. They constantly jump out of mobile wechat and the Internet, accompanied by shining pictures and huge and bright chrysanthemums, like exquisite invitations, constantly urging you: let's go! Let's go!

This early winter, I came to yepingtou with my beautiful imagination of a bright chrysanthemum and the scene of "picking chrysanthemums under the East fence". Although the season has entered winter, it is still the weather in early autumn. The wind is still not cold, the sun is still so warm and warm, and the rural air is clear and sweet.
Rows of brand-new houses stand on the small flat ground at the top of the mountain, neat and orderly. The walls of the farmhouse are covered with publicity photos related to chrysanthemums: or vast chrysanthemum fields, or beautiful girls wearing square scarves and broken flower clothes picking chrysanthemums... The bright and earthy atmosphere of the new countryside, mixed with the familiar commercial flavor, comes to your face. Every detail is clearly and unmistakably transmitting the news about chrysanthemums to you.
Lao Wang is the first person I met in yepingtou. We met by chance at the entrance of the village. He is in his sixties, thin and looks like a rural cadre. When I asked, I was once a village cadre. He received us strange intruders with the unique enthusiasm of rural people.
In Lao Wang's mouth, the story of Yeping head planting chrysanthemums can be called a legend. Three years ago, a professor surnamed Zhou from Jiangxi, led the investor and "Huangju" technology, traveled all over the north and south of the river, and finally took a fancy to yepingtou in the mountains, so he took root and settled here. This once remote mountain village has become a famous "Huangju village".　　

The name of "imperial chrysanthemum" has been publicized and domineering, but it tries hard to find this deep mountain countryside. It needs pure air and pollution-free land to accept it. This extremely contrasting contrast is undoubtedly a major feature of the commercial era. But yepingtou village is really changed by a chrysanthemum. Every autumn, watching chrysanthemums in yepingtou has almost become a necessary program for small town people.
We're actually late. "Imperial chrysanthemum" is in full bloom in early November, and its flowering period is only 20 days. You should have come earlier. It was the most beautiful half a month ago, Lao Wang said with regret. But we don't care. For those of us who have only seen sporadic chrysanthemums in the corner of the courtyard, this flower event, even if it is coming to an end, is still beautiful.
The village faces the green mountains. The bamboo and wood are dotted with green, and the jutian is sandwiched between the mountain and the village. The fields in winter are quiet and bleak, and the grass is withered and yellow. Only the terrace in the valley is still lush as spring from a distance. A large area of dark green plants are dotted with chrysanthemums, like yellow waves on the sea.
The path leading to the field is narrow and curved, and the yellow mud road is trodden smooth. Walking on it makes people tremble. Crisscross ridges form fields with different shapes and spread across the valley. There were few visitors, and several chrysanthemum pickers scattered in the distant fields. There was silence all around. Standing on the ridge, I listened carefully, as if I could hear the sound of plants jointing in the soil coming from the wind. The sound is faint and indistinct, similar to the rain hitting the window porch on a spring night, or the insects chirping and katydids jumping in the grass. It is a dialogue between plants and land, exchanging the secrets of season and growth. We stepped into the muddy chrysanthemum field, looked carefully among the dense green leaves, picked one or two favorite flowers, pinched them, carefully held them in our hands, and the fresh breath slowly penetrated into our hearts.
　　

At this moment, I thought of the idyllic poet thousands of years ago. He abandoned the prosperous life of the city and lived in seclusion in the mountains and fields. His weak body could not bear the pain of heavy work. His thin stature was bullied even by the dew of plants and trees: "the morning is desolate, and he returns with the hoe of the moon and lotus. The road is narrow, the plants and trees are long, and the evening dew touches my clothes..." what comforted his heart? Maybe it's a bright and moving chrysanthemum.
Since ancient times, literati and refined scholars loved chrysanthemums more, which was a proud and independent gesture of loving them, implying noble and outstanding quality. Ordinary people, like us, dare not think of themselves as refined scholars, but also get a moment of peace in this half day leisure. In the warm afternoon sun, take some dried chrysanthemums and soak them in a crystal clear glass pot. Watch the petals stretch slowly in the water, and a faint fragrance comes to your nose. Take a small cup and taste it. It is slightly bitter at first, then sweet and cool. The meaning of coolness is introduced into the body along the throat.
The so-called way of life is not only a way of life, but also a way of life. Just like us at the moment, we temporarily put down the fence in our hearts and put ourselves in the silent countryside. It is open and vast around, with warm winter sun, flowers and trees, and relatives and friends. This kind of light is actually another kind of thick. Unfortunately, we can't feel it all the time.