My origin is the hometown of Mengzi Zou city, the old town southwest of Shuangcun town (now Tangcun town). Because of the infirmity since childhood, my parents rehired a fortune-teller for me to get a crack at the method: one is to avoid the lamp, full of nine years of age before not to see their own family lanterns. The second is to avoid the gods, not to see the statue of the gods before I reached the age of nine. If you fail to do either of these, you must recognize Granny Shek as your godmother in order to break the curse, or else your life will be in danger. Therefore, when I was a child, I spent the Lantern Festival either at a relative's house or in an inn. Although I am exceptionally fond of lanterns, however, I have never seen my own Lantern lanterns.
In 1956, I was seven years old, and I was able to sneak behind my parents' backs to play at the school in the neighboring village. I was able to sneak to the market to find my father, who was doing his craft every day. That year's Lantern Festival, my parents were afraid that I would sneak home and see my own lanterns and mistakenly offend the gods, so they sent me to a relative's house in the county to hide from the lanterns.
That day, before dawn, my mother traveled for us to make a good meal of ginger soup. The first thing I did was to get up and walk into the city. The weather is still very cold, we rush all the way, no play, 9 o'clock into the west city gate. In the past, I heard people say, the county government is very close to the west city gate, into the city gate is the downtown area. The city's Dragon Lantern Festival on the 15th of January is extremely lively, often have the honor to see several fire dragons on the same stage than dance, than the countryside dragon lanterns look much better. I have long dreamed of going into the city to see how the fire dragons dance, and today the opportunity has finally come, and I am sure that my dream will come true. Therefore, has been excited, traveling eighteen miles tireless. In fact, the road we traveled inherited the ancient stagecoach route and has become a highway. After five miles, the road is gradually lively. By the time we reached three miles, the roadside was already lined with stores, people coming and going, and traffic flowed. Into the city gates, the street is wider, more stores, more stores, pedestrians more dense, prosperous, lively. South to the north, east to the east, west to return one after another. The picking, carrying, carting, riding a donkey is not a bad look. Everywhere a sea of people, all over the hustle and bustle. Brother afraid of me getting lost, has been pulling my hand in the crowd through. Not long ago, we squeezed into a store from a gap in the people, it is the aunt's family in the west door of the rented store. Auntie saw us and shuttled us to the backyard. She led us to meet the old shopkeeper, her husband, her uncle, her aunt, and her cousin. Afterwards, my brother accompanied my aunt back to the store to catch up, and I ran back to the yard in a huff.
I looked around the compound curiously.
I looked around the compound with curiosity! The city's people are so generous! All of the houses are bright and luxurious. The new year's couplets are still brightly colored and beautiful. Household door lanterns hanging high, different styles, varieties, colorful. There are yarn lamps, skirt lamps, palace lamps, fish lamps, eight immortals lamps, lotus lamps, horse lanterns, three sheep Kaitai lamps, golden chicken dawn lamps ...... festive atmosphere is extraordinary. Left two small iron smelting furnace, one of the furnace fire is strong, the cousin is hanging his head down to pull the bellows. Uncle at the side of the cousin gestures, from time to time will be a large iron hook carefully inserted into the hearth, as if hooked what to be careful to pull, probably the legendary "look at the color of the fire," it. At this time, the tongue of the fire along the hook sprayed out, bright sparks with bursts of sound flying in the sky. Fortunately, the iron hook is particularly long, only a small amount of sparks splashed on the eldest uncle. Not long after making cousin stop drumming wind, pour dazzling iron into the mold. All of a sudden the steel flower spouted out sharply, the fire light flashes, brilliant, poof, than the fireworks when the scene is more wonderful, more exciting ...... right a banquet shed, inside the ten eight centuries table placed neatly, rules and regulations, big and square. Running hall is tea utensils, wine utensils, tableware on the table, as if ready to open. Next to the kitchen, the chefs are cutting, slicing, cooking, cooking, all look arrogant, agile and busy. Behind is a living room, the old shopkeeper is busy receiving guests. There were guests in and out of the hall and in and out of the courtyard. In the yard there are four guests with strange accents, like the legend of the mountains to find the treasure of the "southern barbarians", I tried hard to listen to understand what they were talking about, the more I do not understand the more curious, froze there as if it were a wooden chicken.
The first month of the year is the 15th Zoucheng dragon lanterns, the first month of the 16th to 18th is the Zoucheng Steel Mountain Temple, the local people to watch the dragon lanterns to catch the temple known as the "walk North Ridge". North Ridge, refers to the north of the city within the "Steel Mountain" and "Iron Mountain", the local Buddhist, Taoist monasteries and temples are located in the two mountain ranges. Often heard the elders say: steel mountain incense in addition to all diseases, iron mountain incense free from disaster, farmers on the incense on the five grains Wang, businessmen on the incense on the wealth ...... Therefore, the people who go to the North Ridge in the incense is particularly large. One day, the relatives walk north ridge to aunt's home landing a lot, aunt hospitality, prepared a family banquet to entertain everyone. The first thing I want to do is to get the best out of the world, and I want to be able to do it in a way that will make me feel better.
It turns out that the old shopkeeper (cousin's grandfather) is Zou, Teng, hills County, the head of the line of small furnace smith. Once a year, during the temple fair season, diamond traders from Jiangnan and small stovesmiths, jewelers and glassmakers from all over the country converge on the line to hold a three-day diamond trade. Those big banquets are prepared for the merchants. Since these merchants began to converge on the line from the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the line's banquet needed to be held for four consecutive days, and it was said that it had become a century-long practice. Guests from both inside and outside the line have always taken this opportunity to do business, make friends and talk business.
Around 9:30, my uncle had given my cousin a vacation. I followed my two elder brothers to the busiest county government street to watch the dragon lantern. Cousin told us that the next day is the steel mountain temple fair, grandpa, uncle permitted him to accompany us to see the dragon lantern, climb the leaning tower, walk the north ridge incense. He also said, in the Iron Mountain, "Road place" stone wall of the ground copper is called "North Ridge money", who has the North Ridge money, who has the honor and wealth. So we have to climb to the top of the mountain to see the "Taoist place" and grind a few "Beiling money". Although the next day is the temple fair, but today's Lantern Festival Dragon Lantern Festival is also unusual, from morning to night can be seen off and on the dragon lantern show. I followed them closely, walking, listening and watching, and soon entered the street outside the government gate. The closer to the square, the more lively. Look, the square is not large, three dragon lanterns each occupy a roadway, as if preparing to enter. The edge of the square has been densely packed with spectators, the streets are crowded. Children to see the theater seems difficult, have set aside the gap between the people forward hard drill. We were lucky to find a slightly higher platform, not far away, not close, the whole good to be able to look at the whole scene.
The dragon dance, the salute to the road, drums and music to declare the sky. Stilts, dry boat, rice-planting songs, puppets, black donkeys followed. The huge fire dragon lamp is either swinging in the air, or skidding on the ground rolling. A moment out of the water playing beads, a moment the dragon disk high mountains. It was just like what was said in the commentary: "the trumpet in the east and the horn in the west, the pipe on the left and the sheng on the right". The scene was like a storm, and the gongs and drums were sounding like a salute. The drums and music were thrilling, and the salutes were deafening. The dance floor is flooded and the audience's blood boils. Dragon a tide of high tide, a wave of joy, is so harmonious, is so auspicious. Dancers are worthy of Shandong man, everyone like a warrior called hero, although the spring breeze like shear, dance hand door is sweating. Dance out of the Zoucheng people's level, dance out of the Zoucheng people's spirit, dance out of the Zoucheng people's happiness, dance out of the Zoucheng people's hope. Look: Whether it is the dancers, viewers, performers, players, singers, listeners, or the hilarious ones, the defense of the doorway, learning the skills of the people, all the feelings swing, *** gathered into a vast ocean of joy. *** with the celebration of the new China's eighth Lantern Festival, *** with the song of Zoucheng people's harmony, *** with the song of Zoucheng people's happiness. It is said that the night of the dragon lantern performance, is in the lighting of the dragon lantern in the candle, then the scene and the effect is more wonderful, more charming.
With the end of the Dragon Lantern Festival, the crowd gradually evacuated, the streets are dredged. We followed the flood of people and continued to stroll along the street in front of the mansion. In addition to enjoying the thousands of buildings, pagodas, public halls, stores, stores and a variety of commodities along the way, an endless stream of new gadgets to make my eyes wide open. Such as: pulling a piece of ocean, blowing sugar man, set the circle, shake the firecracker, selling dog skin cream, blowing glass boom boom, to name a few. There are countless boxers, entertainers, storytellers, opera singers, monkey jugglers, and jugglers. The streets are full of toy stalls, fruit stores, grocery stores, flower arranging huts, and silversmiths' buildings where you don't know what to look for. There are also selling clay figures, turn the handle, catching color, carving monkeys, dipped in sugar also came into the city. Even the bun car, biscuit basket, groundnut piper, incense bag picker, sugar ball pole, cigarette roll tray, the goods man stretcher, dog meat box, shadow box also into the city gun turf to join in the fun. What's more interesting is that the way they attract business is very funny and attracts people's attention. There were clappers, gongs, drums, bells, blowing, pulling, playing, and singing, all of which were colorful and varied. However, the sellers of icing sugar, hemp boards, sugar balls and tobacco rolls were obviously much inferior. What they call the head also do not use, simply pull the throat yinfeng yangqi hawking, South and North accent, a thousand forms ...... we are excited to watch, cousin prompted lunch, and then rushed back. Rush in the eyes of the view, really full of prosperous city scene, everywhere rich Tanghuang. The first time I saw the movie, I thought, "I don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it.
Back to my aunt's house, my aunt is arranging relatives to sit. This feast is quite distinctive, a large plate of rice is made by the aunt herself, the relatives from the countryside to bring a lot of local specialties are also loaded with small plates on the table, the variety and quantity of food is extremely rich. The guests were old and young, rich and poor, workers and businessmen, elegant and vulgar. I was a stranger to these relatives, but my aunt pointed out to me that I knew them one by one, and greeted them one by one. It is really worthy of the etiquette of the township, the host and guests on the table under the table a harmony. Or with wine, or tea, or meals, or words, always more than etiquette, mutual respect, mutual respect, heart to heart, since the love of family and friends. Before and after the seat freely speak elegant and vulgar **** appreciation. Guests have thanked the aunt's warmth and generosity, aunt modestly said, are relatives do not have to be polite.
Later, I realized that the compound where my aunt's family lives is the location of Zoucheng's "tanner's row", which is also the local Hui Min district. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on some of the most popular products and services in the world, and then you'll be able to get your hands on them. It is reported that the compound is living in the Hui Han two ethnic calendar for a long time, and has always lived in harmony with ****, has long been rumored to be good news. The head of the courtyard is located in the Hui Min Shrine, the annual Hui Min Zhai Festival, come to this compound more people than the Lantern Festival, more lively, busier. There are more than 60 houses in the courtyard owned by the tannery, of which nearly 40 belong to the tannery merchants' workshops and stores. Small furnace smith line is a poor line, there are only 16 houses, store workshop warehouse accounted for most of the main business is casting and management of Ming plows, plowshares, columbarium shares, plowshares. Secondary business is to repair the plowshare, repair iron pots, maintenance of waterwheels, agricultural tools. Business small business less, the house is tight. Therefore, only the old boss, uncle, aunt, cousin often live in the workshop.
After dinner, the elder brothers left me with my aunt, and they went to watch the fire dragon lantern show in the distance. My aunt took a brief moment to take me to the west entrance to see the lanterns. In our compound, the big red lanterns in front of each house were all lit up, reflecting the light and splendor of the courtyard. Outside the compound, the street was full of children carrying lanterns and setting off fireworks, a group here and there. There were a lot of children of my age, and the older ones were in groups by themselves. The younger ones were mostly accompanied by their families. Big brothers and sisters, little brothers and sisters, neatly dressed, beautiful and healthy, a round face bag, in the light of the lanterns is particularly beautiful. Children from rich families play luxury lanterns, gorgeous new clothes embroidery shining. Poor children were born beautiful, red face bag as if the rising sun, a lively and lovely, a happy mood. Paper lanterns are more colorful, delicate and bright, flowery family, beautiful. Looking at the west gate on both sides of the road, large red lanterns hanging intensively, row by row, a string of strings. With the undulation of the terrain, up and down, layers and layers, constituting two golden fire dragon, far and near the majestic, magnificent. Fireworks rising, the light of the sky covered the ground, dazzling streetscape gold wall. Firecrackers rumbling, sound into the ears, echoing,
The rise and fall. The fire dragon lamp side show while marching, a team after a team, one after another, a even a, rendering color, vast and majestic. Showing the dragon's temperament, rendering the spirit of the dragon. The arrival of the dragon lanterns is always accompanied by thunderous cheers, and the dragon dance always has a lingering charm when it goes away. The children as the flower branches fluttering, all happy and joyful. Holding up the lanterns to sing the praises of the great motherland, lighting fireworks to praise the country of etiquette. What a cherished time, what a fascinating scene, but, because my aunt is very busy, we can not see more.
Earlier, I heard the legend, the city people "upstairs and downstairs lights and telephones", the countryside child how can not aspire to. However, the city only saw the street lamps on both sides of the road, I do not know what kind of family lights, not to mention the phone what kind. Aunt's house is a phonograph, usually placed on the counter of the store "singing foreign opera" to solicit business, except no longer have any foreign gadgets. As soon as I entered the compound after watching the lanterns, the living room immediately caught my eye. A strong column of incandescent light, through the windows and doors shot out, the light where the day like bright. I asked my aunt if this was an electric light, and she wryly told me: Ha! I asked my aunt if this was an electric light, and she told me in a funny way: Ha! This is not an electric lamp, this is a gas lamp! Our family just installed electric lamps in the store, you can see it in a while. I was even more curious about the gas lamps. How come they were brighter than the streetlights on the street? My father said that he often used kashi (calcium carbide) lamps, and it looked like the gas lamps were brighter than the kashi lamps, and the kashi lamps were brighter than the street lamps. I wanted to go over and take a look through the door, but just as I took two steps, I was pulled back by my aunt. My aunt told me that my grandfather had a guest at his place and that I must not disturb him. It is not a good idea to have a good time, but it is a good idea to have a good time.
At that time, my aunt, uncle and aunt were listening to the phonograph, drinking tea and chatting. When I entered the house, before I opened my mouth to greet them, I was taken over by the big mom, making me snuggle in his arms, asking questions. She would let me drink tea, eat candy, and give me snacks and fruits from time to time. As my parents have always emphasized on the education of our siblings' manners, I felt that it was not elegant enough to snuggle up in the arms of my elders. So, I said that I would give Big Mother tea and subtly left her. It was no wonder that Big Mother was said to be nearly 50 years old and had not yet had any children. Therefore, no matter whose children she sees, she is extremely kind and loving. Then, in accordance with the rules, my right hand end of the teapot, the left hand caress the lid, one by one to the big Po, aunt, uncle, aunt Zhen tea, and finally, Zhen their own tea poorly. Turn the teapot, so that the pot nozzle diagonal to the "mouth of the seat", rambling down, proposed elders with tea, their own back to sit down. Perhaps my own behavior is too formal and respectful, I noticed that everyone stopped talking and stared at me. The only exception was my aunt, who was whispering to my eldest mother about something. For a moment the atmosphere changed, and all of them cheerfully took their tea. Of course, I was also very relieved and happy. The aunt's husband rushed to the aunt to speak: see understand it, the descendants of the main family is different, it seems that this guy must have future success. I don't know how the conversation turned to my aunt's cousin. The first time I saw him, I was so happy to see him, and I was so happy to see him, and I was so happy to see him.
Some of the toys they bought for me, as soon as they entered the house, they all shook out, put on the table, we began to fiddle with those toys: there are hand-pushed "Wang Ba Beating Drums"; there will be walking "leather rats"; there are firecrackers, turn flowers, glazed Boom Boom; there is a compass with a watch chain, worn on a watch chain, and a compass with a watch chain. Compass with a watch chain, worn on the wrist as a watch exactly the same; there is a "foreign musket" (match gun), every strike consumes a match. I tried to play with the gun, clumsily, from time to time to make everyone laugh. Because the matchsticks from the gun were dangerous, my aunt confiscated the gun on the spot and gave my two older brothers a few lessons. My aunt was afraid that I wouldn't want to do it, so she tried to coax me in every possible way. In fact, I fully understand my aunt's good intentions, my aunt is very happy with all my responses.
Auntie is a second-class A disability Rongfu veterans, in the anti-American aid Korea fresh battlefield wounded, and honored second-class C war heroes. After his discharge, he returned to his hometown to resume his old profession, and his father (the old shopkeeper, whom I call grandfather) operated this foundry workshop together. Due to the housing shortage, my brother and I accommodation has become a problem. Had no choice but to set up a temporary bunkhouse in the storehouse. The storehouse and the storefront were adjacent to one another, the front was the counter of the store, and behind it was the long storehouse. My aunt and cousin took the bedding and led me and my elder brother to the storehouse to rest. Cousin went into the house first, and there was a "click", haha! The electric light came on! While they were busy making up our bedding, I ignored them and concentrated on the light. Then I turned around and followed the light to see what was in the storehouse. As it turned out, ironware of all sizes filled the high shelves. Most of the artifacts can be recognized: the big one has a bright plow, plowshare, plowshare tip, sowshare, plowshare, iron pots and pans, waterwheel tubes, waterwheel chains ...... Smaller ones include iron spoons, sickles, spatulas, stove hooks, hoe binders, windlass sets ...... The smaller ones were in shallow boxes, with thimbles (fingers), awls, skinning knives, board cutters, bottom cutters, and foot cutters (pedicure knives). At the end of the shelf, there are spinning spindles, shovels for hogweed, and palm knives (pronounced zhao dao in the dialect) for sorghum and grain cuttings. ...... I was touching this one and knocking on which one when my elder brother urged me to go to bed quickly. My cousin made a joke to me: if you look again, I'll block it for you! Let you can not see anything! As soon as the words fell out of my mouth, I saw my aunt's husband bring canvas and rope, and really pulled up a screen by the bunk, really blocking it. In fact, the real purpose is to give us a windbreak to avoid the cold.
I drilled into the quilt, elder brother pulled out the electric light. I was not satisfied with the daytime viewing gain, the quilt, I closed my eyes and listened to the night scene in the city. The sound of firecrackers, the sound of fireworks, the sound of cars and horses, the sound of instrumental music, the clamor gradually disappeared cleanly. It seems that there is no difference with the countryside, the same late at night, there is no good view to listen to, sleep well, have a good dream!
The train station is only a few hundred steps away from us, and during the day the downtown area is so busy that the train's roar doesn't attract much attention from me. The first thing I did was to get the money to pay for it! Suddenly noticed that the rumbling, earth-shattering sound of the train. A moment to far and near, a moment to near and far, endless, endless. The roar of the whistle, the thumping of the tracks, the muffled thunder rolling over the bridge, the thrilling exhaust of the steam, the ghostly brakes, the roar of the locomotive skidding ...... Fill my ears and eyes again and again, plugged and plugged. At one time I was forced to listen to the "solo", at another time I was forced to smell the **** sound. Plowshares on the shelves, was shocked by the mutual collision, clanking. This "music" really has a bit of poetry, not only did not lead to my boredom, but also triggered my curiosity. There were times when this "beautiful" music was suspended, and when it was suspended, there was indeed silence. But then it comes back with a vengeance. Whether you like to listen to it or not, you have to listen to it. Strange to say, the train whistle sound is not the same, there are long and short, there are slow and urgent, there are single and double, there are light and heavy. It seems that there is a name here, ask my cousin tomorrow will know. Since my elder brother often went to the city to do his work and often stayed at my aunt's house, all the things I was curious about were commonplace to him. I was still enjoying the late night view of the city when my elder brother had already gone to sleep. Soon, I too was sleeping peacefully.
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