Chapter 29: Sanggubal II

  Zanzibar is famous for its cloves. However, a friend told me that the most planted trees on the island are not clove trees, but coconut trees.

  The most common thing on Zanzibar is not clove oil, but coconut juice. The coconut juice there is cool and refreshing, known as the "heavenly dew".

  Flying over Sangebar and looking down, I found that this is simply a world of coconut trees.

  From the airport to the city, from the city to the countryside, all I see are coconut trees, one piece after another, endless and boundless, lush and verdant.

  Those straight tree trunks stand upright to the sky, arranged in a strict formation, like an army array, resisting the invasion of sea storms and guarding the tranquility of the island.

  And those tall and slender leaves, swaying in the wind, dancing with elegance, add a touch of charm to the quiet island. Ah, what a coconut forest, majesty embedded with soft beauty, soft beauty revealing majesty.

  Sanggau Island has an area of 2,651 square kilometers, with coconut forests covering as much as 120,000 hectares, and over 60 million coconut trees. Every year, it produces 1.8 billion coconuts.

  Apart from a small amount being consumed as a beverage, the vast majority of coconuts are made into copra, coconut milk and coconut oil, which are supplied to the local market and exported in large quantities.

  It's the season when areca nuts are ripe. The ends of the branches are laden with bunches of brownish-green fruit as big as human heads.

  On the side of a small path, I saw a black boy with bare arms and feet, climbing up the smooth tree trunk as if he were walking on flat ground. He climbed to the top of a 20-30 meter high tree in an instant.

  He used his feet to hold onto the trunk, one hand parted the leaves, and the other drew out the machete inserted in his waist. The flashing knife, a coconut fell to the ground. This thrilling and interesting scene, under the blue sky, white clouds, and beautiful day, was like a vivid secular landscape painting, elegant and refined, pleasing to the eye.

  Coconut groves are full of poetic and picturesque, coconut groves inspire people's intelligence. Thousands of years of coconut cultivation history have taught the Sambar people to make comprehensive use of coconuts.

  The trunk of the tree can be used for building houses, and the leaves can be used as thatch. The hard shell of the fruit can be peeled off to reveal sweet coconut water that can be drunk, and fragrant coconut meat that can be eaten directly or used to extract oil.

  The coconut shells that have been drained of their juice and stripped of their meat are piled up like small mountains in front of and behind many farmhouses, serving as free natural firewood.

  I saw in the market that coconut shells, after being processed and colored, can be made into various exquisite handicrafts such as cups, lampshades, masks, birds and beasts, becoming a unique souvenir for tourists to compete to buy.

  I visited a coconut seedling nursery run by our government. According to the director, the coconuts in Zanzibar have degenerated due to long-term cultivation.

  They are now experimenting with and promoting a dwarf coconut tree. This tree is half the height of an ordinary coconut tree, grows fast, and bears fruit in two to three years. The fruit is large and juicy, with thick and dense flesh, high oil content, and easy to pick.

  They plan to update all coconut trees on the island in 10 years and double the production of coconut oil. Now, they are busy breeding.

  Some people are transporting the newly selected large coconut varieties to the fields; some people are burying the transported coconuts in the soil, watering and irrigating them; others are cultivating and shading the newly emerged coconut seedlings.

  Under the scorching sun, dozens of workers were working with their sleeves rolled up, sweating profusely. "You've worked hard!" I greeted them.

  They smiled and said, "It's nothing." I knew that in the hearts of these simple and hardworking people, there was a magnificent ten-year plan.

  Returning from the breeding ground, the sunset has already hidden behind the coconut forest.

  The sea breeze blows gently, and a cool feeling arises. I wander in the narrow stone alleys of Zanzibar City. Every time I come to a slightly open place, I see piles of coconuts on the side of the road, with people loudly hawking them, similar to the watermelon stalls on Beijing's streets in summer.

  I curiously walked up to a stall, and saw a young man holding a steel knife in one hand and a coconut in the other. With a "chop" sound, he cut off the top of the coconut and handed it to the waiting customer.

  The customer took it over, held it with both hands, aligned his mouth with the opening, and drank loudly.

  I raised my camera, just about to capture this interesting scene, when I suddenly heard the young coconut vendor shouting loudly: "Lafik (friend), try one!"

  It's a simple sentence, Swahili and Chinese are used together, it feels both familiar and surprising. Upon closer inspection, I find it somewhat familiar. It turns out that he is the young man who climbed up to the top of the tree to pick coconuts on the side of the road.

  He told me he works in a factory built with aid from our country on the island and learned a few Chinese phrases from experts of our country.

  His family has three acres of coconut grove, with many coconuts. Taking advantage of today's holiday, pick some to sell.

  As he said that, he rummaged through the pile of coconuts, picked out the largest one, shook it next to his ear, then chopped off a piece with a "chop" sound and handed it to me saying: "Lafik, try this. It's from a dwarf coconut tree, new variety, lots of juice and fresh taste."

  The generous gift was hard to refuse, I took over that huge coconut from the top of the cut mouth, and saw the white pulp inside.

  The pulp is like snow and solidified cream, inlaid on the inner wall. The whole coconut shell looks like a jade bowl and silver cup, shining brightly.

  A cup of coconut milk, brewed within, is like jade liquid and crystal dew, bright and clear.

  Such a good thing, really tempting. I imitated the locals, raised my head and drank with relish.

  A day of rushing about in thirst and fatigue suddenly vanished completely.

  Coconut water, I have drunk it both at home and abroad in the past. Although they all have a refreshing effect, the taste is actually different.

  Some taste like peanuts, fragrant but not sweet.

  Some of it tastes like milk, is very sweet, but has a strong smell.

  But these few mouthfuls down the gullet, the feeling is vastly different. What's the difference? Can't quite put it into words for the moment. Savoring carefully, all I can sense is a subtle fragrance wafting through the coolness, and a hint of bitterness hidden within the sweetness.

  It is refreshing but not biting, sweet but not greasy.

  I recall that in the poem "Ode to the Coconut" by Yang Bi, a poet of the Ming dynasty, there is the line - "The flavor need not boast of being born from a hundred melodies". In the past, I recited and appreciated it superficially, but now I suddenly feel enlightened.

  What's so special about the coconut milk on Sanjibari Island? I thanked the host and hurried back to my residence, still racking my brains.

  Is it the unique climate and soil conditions on the island that make it uniquely flavored, or is it the fruit of a new variety of dwarf trees that is truly exceptional? I couldn't judge for the time being.

  What flashed through my mind was the thousand-year history of planting coconut trees, the sweat and hard work of cultivating young coconut shoots, the touching scene of picking coconuts in mid-air, and the warm hospitality of inviting guests to drink together.

  And all of this doesn't form any answer, it just stirs up wave after wave of warmth in my heart.

  When it comes to Sanggou Bar, the door of the building can't be left unmentioned.

  In the 19th century, here, doors and door frames became the most important means of expressing a building's grandeur. The owner's status and wealth were reflected in the quality and size of the doors, with higher-ranking individuals having larger doors that were more beautifully decorated.

  Interestingly, the door is built before the house. People always put up the door first and then start building walls. From this, we can see that the door is the most important part of a building. The doors in Sanggou Bay are all carved with exceptional fineness.

  The doors of Zanzibar flourished in the early 19th century, with most having decorative door frames and lintels, as well as intricately carved central pillars.

  The door is studded with bronze nails, behind which are crossed iron or wooden bars. The use of iron bars and bronze nails on the doors was influenced by the Indian subcontinent.

  Such decorations have a special function, that is to prevent the invasion of war elephants. Of course, there are no war elephants now, but people will still install copper nails when building doors, not only for decoration but also to prevent thieves and make people feel safe.

  The lotus flowers, fish, chains and frankincense carved on the door symbolize fertility, harvest, safety and wealth.

  According to statistics, there are more than 560 intricately carved antique doors in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Due to their rarity and preciousness, wooden doors made by craftsmen in the classical style are also very popular.

  "Is this a writer? Such beautiful words, I've become his fan."

  "Please be patient for a moment, the author will arrive soon."

  "It's just lunchtime. Take a look, are you ready?"

  "There's nothing much to prepare for, she doesn't mind. A cultured person? That's exactly what's needed."

  "Uncle Ye, we're back." Along with the sound of his voice, the chameleon couple walked in.

  "White Dragon, just right, your wife is a writer. A writer will come soon, the one who wrote the travel notes of Sanggong Bar, named Shao Xiaoming, let's receive him well together. Also, ask your wife what gift is suitable for a first meeting with a literary person."

  He hadn't even finished speaking when the whole room erupted into laughter.

  "Laugh? I'm telling you the truth, let's pick some good gifts from our gift warehouse."

  "Uncle Ye, what's your wife's name?"

  "Jiān jiān ah? What's wrong?"

  "That's her nickname. Her full name is Shao Xiaoming."

  "What's going on here? It's come full circle to a whole family now. Juan, come over, I really didn't expect this. No wonder your aunt said you were my first fan."

  "Am I the sole author of your biography or just your number one fan?"

  "Of course, of course. That Jing Mei, you should have said so earlier and it would have been settled already, you're really something."

  "You're just stupid, I say one thing and you should react immediately. I see that your brain is filled with big things."

  "Got it, I guess my brain reacted slowly. Juanjuan, write more in the future, I love reading them. People say that a girl with a boy's name must have a noble appearance, but I think Juanjuan is a talented woman with a man's name, definitely not common."

  "Look at what you're saying, compared to your grand strategy, they are all minor skills. However, this time I went to Africa and got a bad overall feeling, I have a suggestion, let's focus on resource development, it's unlikely for them to become a society like ours."

  "I remember, I knew it clearly, they were all wolves that couldn't be fed. Later, I'll think carefully about how to do it. Yingmei, get ready for the family to welcome Juannu properly, this is a long way."

  "That's natural, I've been ready for a long time. What's the difference between Juan and our children?"

  The house was filled with laughter again.