Rambling along Khe Phen River

(Baonghean) - Khe Phen is the name of a large stream in Con Cuong district. It originates from the mountainous area of ​​Mau Duc commune and has two main branches, one of which runs through Don Phuc commune and then flows into Lam river in Chau Khe commune. During its journey of dozens of kilometers, the stream has created lush rice fields in Thai villages. Life along this stream is as ups and downs as the water, sometimes full, sometimes dry...

Hong Dien village in Don Phuc commune (Con Cuong) has 114 houses living along the two banks of Khe Phen stream. Half of the village leans against a dirt mountain called Pu Le, facing the stream. No one remembers when this name, which looks like "Kinh" in Vietnamese, appeared because the whole Don Phuc commune also has 3 out of 7 villages with names like Hong Thang, Hop Thanh. There are also ancient names like Phuc village, Xieng village, Tong Tien, Tong To. People only know that Hong Dien village appeared after the August Revolution. Before 1945, in the area, there was a powerful Lang Vi family in Phuc village who had been the district governor of Tuong Duong for several generations. They were also people born next to Khe Phen stream.

During the long holidays, my friend who loves highland legends and works at a provincial literature and art association insisted that I take her to Don Phuc to visit the Lang Vi clan and to Hong Dien village where girls were tricked and sold to China 3 years ago. After the media and the government got involved, the trafficker was imprisoned. My friend wanted to find inspiration for her writing from old stories and the fate of the young girls who were tricked. The visit to the Lang Vi clan was considered a collusion. When we had just reached the end of Hong Dien village, before we could ask any questions, the rain came.

Women of Hong Dien village cast nets on the stream.

And then we frantically searched for shelter. I turned under the thatched roof of a house on stilts by the roadside. The owners were Mr. Lo Van Dieu and Mrs. Luong Thi Lan. I had visited this family during a trip to Hong Dien village to write an article about two years ago. Mr. Dieu used to work in the army with the rank of captain, Mrs. Lan was an official at the district court. They were both in their 30s when they started a family, so they were late in having children. During the subsidy period, many state officials quit their jobs, and the two of them discussed going home to farm and raise children. He discussed it, she agreed, and "the boat followed the rudder". After nearly thirty years of hard work, they had planted a forest with all kinds of wild and domestic trees right on the hill next to it, with flowers and fruits all year round. From the house, the view was a lush green space. He once said that they planted it so that their children would not have to worry about finding wood to build a house in the future.

Once I settled down on a wooden chair by the window, looking out at the pouring rain, I realized that the land of about 1,500 square meters of Mr. Dieu's family, which used to be used to grow crops such as corn and beans, had now turned into terraced fields. He boasted that he had grown 4 crops. The first crop was new and inexperienced, so the rice was good but had few grains. After that, things got better, growing 2 crops each year. The rice could therefore be said to be enough to feed 5 mouths all year round, including 2 elderly people, a young couple, and a nephew who had just started kindergarten.

While chatting, Mr. Dieu boasted about his “extraordinary” work in digging fields. He started by raising buffaloes and planting forests. After many years of digging forests and collecting forest products, he only had enough to earn rice to eat, without any savings. He thought about creating a stable food source for his family. The Kinh people say “only when you have food can you live a life of virtue” and it is true. In the days when he had to earn rice for each meal, he could not think of anything else. His land was right next to Khe Phen stream, but unfortunately it was several meters higher than the water’s edge, so he had to build a dam to make it back. He worked hard to cut wood and bamboo to make a water wheel. After a few months, the wheel was swept away by the flood. Only those who live next to this stream know that it is gentle, but sometimes it can be contrary to its nature. When the flood comes in July and August, Khe Phen stream turns into a river, and a temporary ferry dock appears in Hong Dien village. Since 2014, there has been a solid bridge, and the worry of children going to school during the flood season has ended.

After the water wheel was swept away by the flood, Mr. Dieu looked down at the stream and sighed: I really can't stand the sky and the water god. I have to find another way. Then, when he had saved up nearly ten million dong in his hand, it was not easy for those who dug into the forest to earn rice in this village where the poverty rate was about sixty percent. With a little money, he went to the top of the mountain next to his house. Up to the mountain again. There was a small water source there. He built a small dam and installed a water pipe to cultivate the fields. From then on, it was difficult for the water god to take away the water to irrigate the fields. As for Mr. Dieu, he had time to think about taking care of the forest without having to worry about rice anymore. Seeing him do that, some neighboring houses also went to the stream to install water pipes to cultivate the rice fields.

The rain stopped and then stopped. The sun appeared red on the distant mountain peak. From the stream bank, the foot of the rice field, the sound of frogs croaking echoed throughout the space. On the road, suddenly appeared five or seven villagers holding fishing nets and fishing nets. They called out to each other: "The water is coming!" While happily chatting, Mrs. Lan suddenly stood up and ran under the floor to prepare the fishing nets. She said that when the water is coming, there will be fish. We must quickly find something to change the menu for the family. At this moment, everyone seemed to have stopped talking. Everyone looked out at the stream, which was red in the late afternoon sunlight. Mr. Dieu was still sitting on the chair, looking down at the stream with a pensive expression. He said that only about twenty years ago, this stream was always full of water. This kind of cool fish is now on the menu of high-class restaurants in the district town, but back then, there were countless of them. After working in the fields, in the afternoon, they would go down to cast their nets, and after about half an hour of casting their nets, they would have fish to feed the whole family. During the flood season, the water is still clear. Now things are different. During the dry season, wading down, the water only reaches up to the knees. When the flood comes, the stream turns into a river, muddy and scary. However, when the water comes back, people still go to the stream to fish. It seems that this habit has become ingrained in everyone living next to the stream.

I followed the fishermen down to the stream. In early summer, the rain came suddenly and then passed quickly. The water from the source did not form a big flood. When the water came, the fish followed the school to feed, and it was also the time when the villagers brought their nets and fishing rods. At the bottom of the stream, people could be seen with some fishing tools in their hands. Ms. Mac Thi Lien, Mr. Dieu's neighbor, recognized me. While picking up the tiny fish in the net, she explained: "Now there are only small fish left, uncle. When the stream gets smaller, the fish also get smaller." On the other side of the stream, a man quietly cast his net. Every now and then, the net would be tossed up and then sink to the bottom of the stream. Pulling the net up, he dragged it back to the shore to remove each small fish. In the murmuring sound of the stream, he looked just like a scene in a silent movie. His movements were rhythmic and monotonous.

It was getting dark, the camera didn’t work well in low light conditions, so I had to turn back. By this time, Ms. Lien had already caught half a basket of fish and was pulling her net back. Mr. Dieu was still waiting for us by the window, looking out at the stream and the rice fields that were singing the chaotic music created by the frogs.

It was not until eight o'clock in the evening that Mrs. Lan and her friend who loved exploring rivers and water returned home. He was carrying a heavy basket of stream fish that Mrs. Lan had caught. Everyone wanted to try the "strange dish" the host had prepared, which was stream fish, so they waited, so our dinner was almost ten o'clock at night. The meal consisted of stream fish, and duck soup cooked with a sour vine leaf picked from the forest, which looked similar to lemon leaves. This dish is often reserved by the highlanders to treat distinguished guests.

In the middle of the meal, the lights suddenly went out and the house was plunged into darkness. The television stopped. At this time, the country music of the frogs had stopped and I could hear the murmur of the stream in the distance. While the owner was groping for the oil lamp that had been sleeping peacefully in the corner of the house since the village had installed the electricity, I suddenly thought about the stream. I had not yet tried to investigate the origin of its name Khe Phen. But one thing was certain: this stream, like the rivers in a certain song I had heard on the radio, had its moments of sadness, joy, and anger. But the last and most meaningful thing was that the stream had created terraced fields and peaceful villages along its flow.

Oh, I forgot, streams also contribute water to rivers!

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