Chapter 2 Chapter 1 1904 - Liu Zongxiang

Hanshui, the largest tributary of the Yangtze River known as Xiaohe and Xianghe in Hanyang Prefecture, starts from the ancient source of Han in Mian County, Shaanxi Province. It is 60 kilometers away from Hanyang Prefecture. Wujiawan in Wujiawan turns a sharp bend and enters the river between Huangpi Wuhu and Chenjiajikou.Now, the Han River suddenly lost its temper overnight, and impatiently turned this sharp bend. It broke the embankment and went eastward, and unexpectedly fell into the embrace of the river from the north of Guishan Mountain! This is what happened in AD 1466. Hankou Hankou, the mouth of the Han River into the river.

Naturally, Liu Mazi had no way of knowing that the change of Hankou caused by the diversion of the Han River and the relationship between the change of Hankou and his descendants.After Liu Mazi was stung awake by the hemp fly, he admitted the unbelievable but unbelievable fact that happened before him, and then, the first thing he did was to look at his five-acre paddy field hastily.Fortunately, the green seedlings were still showing him a very pleasant smile, which made him spit out the cloud of stale air that was pent up in his chest.The second thing he did was even simpler, that is, to run home as soon as the other village neighbors hadn't gone out, no matter how hot it was, to close the door first.

Most of the families in Wujiawan have the surname Wu, and only Liu Mazi's family is not Wu.Although few people surnamed Wu live by collecting rent, and many people live by renting land to pay rent or go to Hankou to start a small business and work hard, but people with the same surname and family always look sideways at people with the same surname.Fortunately, Liu Mazi's ancestors went from renting land to buying land to grow and feed themselves. Although it was not tight, it was not rich. Besides, the family of Liu surnamed did not have many descendants. The family motto of the older generation "do more things, don't make troubles, don't practice in this life and not in the next life", nods and smiles when meeting people, and has a reputation for hard work.But Liu Mazi always kept one thing in mind, don't mess with big things, and don't get involved in small things.Such a river diversion, a rare event in the ages, is unpredictable. Although it is wrong to be the first to see it, it is after all an inevitable event that is destined to be avoided.But when encountering this kind of thing, you can't avoid it, but you can pretend to be sloppy, keep quiet, and pretend that you don't know is the best policy.

After all, Liu Mazi did not bypass this door of fate. After the diversion of the Han River, the life of Wujiawan people has not changed much.The old river channel silted up into large or small Shuidang lakes, but there were more lunches for fishing and shrimp, and the bowls also smelled of fish.What's more, those who are lucky and skilled, small fish and shrimp can also exchange for a few oil and salt money.The only change is that more than a dozen springs popped up around Wujiawan for no reason.Most of these springs are dry and flooded. Only the spring water in the middle of Liu Mazi's 5-acre field, no matter whether it is drought or flood in winter or summer, is always a foot high. Needless to say, it is warm in winter and cool in summer. , that spring water is sweeter than other spring water.How sweet is it?Some people say that summer is like rock sugar water, and winter is like lotus seed soup. What is even more amazing and inexplicable is that there is a faint fragrance of cypress in the sweetness.There are many legends, passers-by grab a handful to drink, or curious women and children come all the way to ask for a little taste, there are also some, it has not formed a scale, although it is a bit noisy and disturbing, it is no big deal.Three years passed like this.

In the fourth year, it rained for half a month before the wheat ridges turned yellow.The rain is sometimes like pouring a ladle into a vat, and sometimes like spinning in cotton, but there is no smiling face in the sky.The wheat that is planted is reaped by God.In the paddy field where rice is grown, you can see the water but not the field.In the seventh month of the lunar calendar, I was grabbing late rice to make up for a small autumn, and there was another long drought without rain, which made the toad move.The water of the river has receded to the bottom of chicken intestines, and the former Shuidang Lake is like a glass mirror dropped from the sky, broken into pieces here and there, a cow can't soak its back after taking a bath, all the ponds in Wujiawan are blind, Only the spring in Liu Mazi's field is still a foot of high ground bubbling sweet water out day and night.There is no way to the spring, and the only way to get water directly is through the narrow ridges of the fields, stepping on the paddy fields and knocking down the crops.At first, the neighbors just went to Liu Mazi's field to fetch water because of their sympathy.There are more people fetching water and the spring water flows through the fields, so the taste is not right, so people can't care about Liu Mazi's crops and even forget that this field and spring belong to Liu Mazi.

It was also an early morning in August, and Liu Mazi climbed up the embankment early.To the north, Miliang Mountain, Guodi Mountain, and Fairy Mountain, which were originally connected to Wanzi, are as green as a dream.Now to get to Hanyang Mansion, you have to cross the river!It is rare for mountains and rivers to change. How many changes and tribulations do people have to endure in the past few decades? After urinating freely, Liu Mazi's mind was full of thoughts, and he was in a good mood for a while. "The hair on the nape of the neck can be touched but not seen, why bother? Why bother to untie the deer without paper—I can't think about it (wiping)!"

Liu Mazi scratched the back of his neck with the hand that had relieved the cockroach, then put his hand under his nose and smelled it, and let out a long breath... "Damn it!" Liu Mazi decided to donate the fields to open the well. Liu Mazi's righteous deed of dedicating fields to open wells has been passed down through hundreds of legends, which alarmed the governor of Hanyang.In order to reward Liu Mazi's benevolent deeds, the Hanyang government gave a special plaque of "Runze Xiangzi".After Liu Mazi received the plaque, he immediately sent it to the Wu Family Ancestral Hall with a pious face.The members of the Wu clan felt his sincerity, and felt ashamed to accept it, but it was also disrespectful. Therefore, allocating five acres of the family's public land to Liu Mazi was considered to recognize the existence of the Liu family's different surnames and to compensate for the destruction of the land.

Originally, life went on like this.Unexpectedly, one day, a group of monks wandered to Wujiawan and stopped.I saw him looking around, staring at the well that Liu Mazi had dug, without moving his eyes for a long time. The travel-worn monk proposed to the Wu clan to build a temple by the well, accept the incense, and pray for the safety of the area.Because the well base and the surrounding fields belonged to Mazi Liu, the members of the Wu clan could not make decisions hastily, so they asked the monk to go to Mazi Liu.No matter how ignorant Liu Mazi was, he still knew what the Wu clan meant by kicking this troublesome hedgehog over.Liu Mazi, who had the experience of sinking a well in Xiantian, his brain is not what it used to be. He knows that among the many people in the world who can't be messed with, the monk is the number one.At the moment, I promised to donate land to build the temple, and I am willing to work hard for the temple, so as to form a great good relationship.Liu Mazi's good deeds of donating fields and working hard really made the monk "good" for a long time.After that, the monk built a temple and bought fields, and handed over hundreds of acres of incense fields to Liu Mazi for management.From then on, Liu Mazi became the second boss.

The Han River flowed day and night from the north of Liu's house in this way, and the days passed like this.In the past four hundred years, from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the common people changed from wearing turbans to braids, and the head of the Liu family became Liu Laili.For the sake of simplicity, and of course to show their closeness to the Liu family, the villagers called Liu Laili Liu Yili. As time passed, Liu Yili replaced Liu Laili, but no one knew Liu Laili's name. Because of the well that Liu Jiazu used and the seemingly absent cypress fragrance in the well water, the name was passed on by name, and it was named after the name. The well was named "Boquan Well" and the temple was named "Boquan Temple".Because of the name of Baiquan Well, Baiquan Temple was once very popular for incense.Legend has it that Lu Dongbin, a real person from Chunyang, went south to Dongting, walked happily on the cloud and against the wind, was lured by a fragrant wind, stopped driving in the cloud, turned into an old man, and asked Liu Mazi for water.As soon as the ladle was exhausted, Lu Dongbin was full of praise, so he wrote a poem...

Shadow Qin Kong Frost Jade Appreciation Light, The moss-covered stone urn is gray; Draw several ren of clear spring water, It still has the fragrance of Gaolin cypress. Liu Mazi gave the poem to the monk, and the monk asked someone to engrave it on the porch pillar of Baiquan Temple, and it became a must in the temple. Whether this legend is true or not is impossible to verify.In ancient times, monks and Taoists have the same origin, and the two religions have many commonalities in the secular world.Besides, Lu Dongbin is also a meddlesome fairy, and it is not too outrageous to let the waves go to the world to do some dancing and writing.What's more, the water from Baiquan well is indeed sweet and has a faint fragrance of cypress!Not to mention anything else, since the establishment of this well, the women in Wujia Bay are more watery than those in other bays.There are hundreds of miles around Yuhu Lake, and there are people with big belly disease everywhere, only Wujiawan, only Wu ugly women have this disease, and it is said that they brought it from their mother's home.But now the incense fire in Baiquan Temple is very thin, and the houses are in a state of decay, which makes this legend faint.

Most people think that the decline of Baiquan Temple is related to Liu Yili.Baiquan Temple prospered because of Liu's family, but also declined because of Liu's family. It really was Xiao He's success and Xiao He's failure.It's just that the current Liu family is far from the Liu family where Liu Mazi stood on the collapsed embankment and rubbed his eyes full of feces with his hands that picked his crotch.People in Wujiawan can complain and mutter, but most of them don't look sideways and don't show it in words.Besides, what is the relationship between the decline of Baiquan Temple and Liu Yili, and what is the relationship between a declining temple and the villagers. It's all unclear. Liu Lili was the same as his ancestor Liu Pockmark, with a real surname but a false name, that one had no pockmarks on his face, and this one had no pockmarks on his head.Within a hundred miles of Hanyang Mansion, no matter whether it is urban or rural, if you add people and increase your mouth, you must get a humble name.Therefore, sweet potato, ugly, stupid, dog dung, pockmarked dysentery and the like can be found everywhere in this area.Sometimes, there are several sweet potatoes in an alley or a bay, and they are marked with "big", "small" or "Zhang's" and "Li's" in front of the sweets to show the difference.Regarding the complaints of Wujiawan people, Liu Yili's policy is the same as that of his ancestor Liu Mazi, pretending to be sloppy and pretending. Liu Yili doesn't pretend, so what else can he say? Twenty years ago, 40-year-old Liu Yili had just passed away his father, and his tough shoulders lightly took over the burden of supporting the family and carrying the facade.One day a foreigner suddenly appeared in the bay.The foreigner has a hooked nose, sunken eyes, yellow hair, and a beard, but he is still a young man.The foreigners wandering around in the bay are very much like the wandering monks in those days.Sure enough, the foreigners asked the Wu clan to build a foreign temple in the bay.The patriarch of the Wu clan already had the experience of his ancestors, and he still kicked the tricky hedgehog to Liu Yili.Liu Yili stared at the foreigner's face just like Liu Mazi stared at the plaque of "Runze Hometown", instinctively feeling that something would happen from now on. "Oh, oh! Huh? Yo..." Liu Yili reached into his clothes, picked at his navel a few times, put his picked hand under his nose and took a few deep breaths, then stretched out three fingers and pointed again. point to heaven. Liu Yili's habit of thinking and deciding things is different from that of his ancestor Liu Mazi.He liked to pick his belly button, the smell of the hand that picked it.The foreigners didn't understand Liu Yili's habitual movements, but they gave them full understanding and respect, and just frowned. "Don't make gestures, just say it straight, Mr. Liu." To Liu Yili's surprise, the foreigner could speak Chinese fluently, with a strong Chinese accent. Surprised, Liu Yili stretched out his hand toward his navel again.The foreigner took a step forward and patted him on the shoulder kindly... "It doesn't matter, let's be honest. We build churches, which are foreign temples, just like your temples. They are all to persuade people to be good. Earth Bodhisattvas and Yang Bodhisattvas, don't disturb them!" On the second day after Liu Yili agreed to think about it for three days, the water in the Baiquan well suddenly became stagnant. This has never happened for more than four hundred years. Coincidentally, the abbot of Baiquan Temple went to Hanyang Fucheng in the past few days, and no one discussed it, so Liu Yili had to find a few villagers to dig a well. Baiquan well is a brick well.For more than 400 years, the well shaft has not seen the sun, and the moss marks are green, making the ancient well, which is several feet deep, even more profound and mysterious.The bottom mud was hoisted up basket by basket.The mud is blue-purple in color and has no peculiar smell, but there is a faint fragrance of cypress.Liu Yuli asked someone to put the well bottom mud into the barrel he had prepared in advance. "Uncle Diarrhea, uh, I can't handle it!" the young man from the well shouted.They were all stripped naked, there was no woman in the well, and the well was dark, which made them even more unscrupulous. "What's holding it back?" Liu Yili shouted while leaning on the well rail. "Uncle Diarrhea, I don't know what kind of guy resisted it!" the well answered.There was a chopping sound of "bang bang bang", which was neither metal nor stone, strange. "Wait a minute, don't mess around, take a fire and watch it before digging!" How could such a little mud block the spring?Liu Yili felt a little strange. "Uncle Diarrhea, uh, it looks like a tree scorpion! I don't know what kind of wood it is, it's thick and long, it's curved and twisted, it looks like a donkey's dick!" Shouting and laughing from the well, the voice was buzzing. "Uncle Diarrhea, the water is coming out! Hey! It's coming out!" "Quick, hang up and feed!" Not long after the candle was passed down, there was a commotion in the well.The people in the well and the well were all happy and chattering.Only Liu Yili stayed by the well with a dazed look on his face. Hey, Baiquan well, Baiquan well, several Renqing spring water is drawn, still carrying the fragrance of Gaolin cypress.There are only locust trees, willow trees, medlar trees, neem trees and so on around here. Cypress trees are a rare thing in the Huxiang plain. There is not even a cypress tree hair in Wujiawan area. Where does the cypress fragrance come from?The tree stumps in the well must be the roots of cypress trees. Where is the cypress tree that stretches its roots so far?This doggy strange tree stalk has been hidden for hundreds of years, but now that it has been dug out and seen in the light of day, it is not known whether it is auspicious or ominous?Reminiscent of the fact that foreigners were going to build churches by the well, Liu Li dysentery on a hot day shivered violently like urinating and urinating on a winter morning! "Look, look! There are two dragons in the well!" "It's true, it's true! It's two dragons, one big and one small!" Liu Lili was startled again by the villagers' shouts. on the well fence.Sure enough, the two cypress root-like things, rippling in the well water, changed for a while like two red carps, and for a while like two little golden dragons that are about to leave... Liu Luli suddenly felt dizzy, turned around and went home without saying a word. That night, Liu Yili was invited to the temple by the little monk from Baiquan Temple beating the door like a drum. Although the incense is good, it is a small rural temple after all, and Baiquan Temple has no scale.Ten monks, if there is something in the village, come out to do a ritual; if there is nothing to do, clean the court, morning bells and evening drums, and the day's homework is over.People say that the practice of green lanterns and yellow scrolls is hard, but the monks of Baiquan Temple simplified the Buddhist rules and incorporated more secular interests, showing some of the free and easy of a paradise. Passing through the small front hall, Liu Yili came to the abbot's small room dressed in evening cigarettes.Because the Liu family is the great Tanyue, the benefactor of the temple for generations, and the land steward of the temple, the abbots of all generations and the head of the Liu family are very close and easy-going. "Almsgiver, please sit down. The old monk has something to ask." Although he is the abbot, he is not very old.Abbot Kongse, who was in his fifties, hadn't seen him for two days, but now he looked sick.Even though he was sitting on the futon, he could tell at a glance how helpless he was. "Master has something to do, just say it." "The great benefactor brought people to dig the well today?" "Yes Yes……" "The poor monk found out about this in Hanyang Fucheng." Having said this, Abbot Kongse, who had been closing his eyes and twisting the bead, rolled his eyelids. Seeing the astonishment on Liu Yili's face, he put his hand under his nose and did not move, knowing that when he heard the hand that picked his belly button, he was suddenly stunned. Living.The abbot closed his eyes again, and continued... "Today, the poor monks returned to the head of the Arhat Hall in the ancient temple of the Yuan Dynasty and went to the Yuwang Temple to pay their respects. They rejoiced and paid homage to Houji, Boyi and other ancient sages. The poor monks were coming from a place full of interest when they suddenly heard that the queen of the Yuwang Temple The sound of bang bang in the bushes is endless. Looking for the sound, I can't see where the sound came from, and I can't see any other abnormalities. I can only see the old dragon cypress, which is surrounded by twists and turns, trembling for no reason under the bang bang sound, and every time it trembles, Just sowed green cypress leaves all over the ground! All the monks were baffled, but the poor monk sent his body to Baiquan Temple, and suddenly thought about it but didn’t know why. Just returned to the temple, and heard from the villagers and monks that Tanyue dug a well during the day After digging out the cypress stump, the poor monk suddenly became enlightened." Speaking of this, Kong Se suddenly panted slightly, and paused. At this time, Liu Yili's spirit has already left his body, half of him is listening to Kong Se's words, and half of him has already entered the well, circling up and down with the thing that looks like a fish, a dragon, and a root.For a while, his ancestor Liu Mazi, and the family motto of the Liu family "Don't cause trouble, don't get involved in trouble, misfortune will come, blessing will come"; The sloppy face and hands stayed motionless in the navel. "This temple is prospered because of the cypress spring well. In ancient times, the Buddha prospered the country, and the Buddhist affairs were also the state affairs. I dare not say that the small temple is connected with the state affairs, but the cypresses in Dabie have been rooted here for nearly a hundred miles. Now the roots are exhausted. I am afraid that the temple will be exhausted. It's..." "Although what the master said is true, isn't it too heavy? Although the tree root was dug out, it was not injured, but it looks like a fish and a dragon, and it looks very good!" Liu Lili hurriedly turned his thoughts away, casually perfunctory, and stretched out If the family members don't want to take over the matter, they will pretend to be sloppy. "Liu benefactor is friendly with the aristocratic family of this temple, why did he speak with the politeness of the two families today?" Abbot Kongse stopped twisting the beads, opened his eyes and swept Liu Yili, and his light disappeared in an instant.Liu Yili felt the weight of the other party's gaze, but remained calm. "How does the benefactor plan to answer the foreigner tomorrow?" Seeing that Liu Yili continued to pretend to be sloppy, Abbot Kongse had no choice but to introduce another topic. "I am going to report to the master, and ask for the decree of the master." "The well is the well of the villagers, and the land is the land of the benefactor. What is the decree?" "..." "The benefactor does not need to think about it. In fact, the old monk Shicai has already said that the temple is exhausted. This is the number of days, and it is not the fault of people. The benefactor does not hesitate to do. Misfortune and good fortune are caused by ancient times. According to the old monk See, the appearance of dragon roots in Baiquan is a bad omen for this temple, but it is not auspicious news for the benefactor. The Liu family has been passed down for several generations, and the surname is independent in a different place. It is not easy to make a living. This omen appears on the land where the benefactor belongs. Could it be a sign of good luck to the benefactor , Will Liu's descendants have something to do in Hanyang Mansion?" "Grandmaster……" "The almsgiver usually shows others with reticent words and clumsy deeds, but he talks about everything with the poor monk. Now, when you speak today, the poor monk knows everything from the bottom of your heart. Please settle down yourself, the almsgiver, and leave a short verse for the poor monk. Three generations may be fulfilled." At that moment, Liu Yili unfolded the gatha handwritten by Abbot Kongse by candlelight, and the knowledge of writing and ink that he usually learned from the abbot came in handy... "Follow the time and the trend, follow the fate at random; prosper because of Yang, and lose because of Yang." After a long conversation with Liu Yili overnight, Abbot Kongse passed away at five o'clock that night.After participating in the burial of the abbot's bones and accepting the ten mu of paddy fields donated by Kongse's will during his lifetime, Liu Yili was busy building churches for foreigners. Foreigners are French.The French are romantic by nature, and a foreign temple was built, named Notre-Dame Church.Father Pierre Jean, who was under thirty years old, insisted on asking Liu Yili to be the steward of Notre-Dame Church.Liu Yili picked a few times in the belly button, and proposed a condition... "From now on, all descendants of the Liu surname will work under the French!" Liu Yuli put his hand under his nose, took a few deep breaths, and exhaled a long breath.He remembered the four verses of Abbot Kongse.Yang Yang Yang Yang, care about him, a live cat catches a dead mouse, a blind man beats a guest, catch it once! In the past 20 years, the ancient appearance of Baiquan Temple has been vicissitudes, and it has gradually fallen into disrepair, while the Notre Dame Church, which is close to it, shows a sense of vitality. In the past 20 years, although Liu Yili's population is still not prosperous, he has children after all.His son Liu Zongxiang studied French for ten years under the hands of Father Pierre Jean, and now he is a well-known figure in Hankou. "Prosper because of Yang, and lose because of Yang." "Damn it!" Liu Yili dug his fingers into his navel, stopped there, his eyes followed the direction of the Han River, looked as hard as he could, and exhaled deeply. As soon as Liu Zongxiang emerged from Lixing Foreign Firm, Wu Ershao, the driver, quickly picked up the handlebar, rushed forward in two small steps, and stopped suddenly. "go back?" "Out of town." After leaving the city, Wu Ershao understood that he was going to Liu's garden.From Lixing Foreign Firm in the French Concession to Liujia Garden, go up Dongting Street, pass through the Russian Concession and the British Concession, then turn right on Zongxiang Road, exit Xunli Gate, one of the eight gates of Hankou City, and cross the Luhan Railway , there is still a long way to go.Fortunately, Er Shao was wearing a vest with a big "Liu" written on it.There is no hindrance from one concession to another.In Hankou, in the business circles, political circles, and concessions, who knows Liu Zongxiang's name?Liu Zongxiang, who is the comprador of the French merchant Lixing Foreign Company and the Hankou branch of the French Bank-Arily, is indeed a figure who stomps his feet and shakes the world in the business circle of Hankou. The rickshaw was running on Zongxiang Road, the driver Wu Ershao deliberately slowed down, and the rustling footsteps also disappeared.Wu Ershao is now like a prowling cat. "You bastard, you're such a character! At the age of 20, when you're a comprador, buying land, building roads, building buildings, just sitting on a bench with bare buttocks-you're so serious! It's all about a dick in the ass He's a tough guy!" Wu Ershao made a monthly contract for Liu Zongxiang.To be more precise, Wu Ershao was the personal driver of the Liu family, and he also played the role of protecting Liu Zongxiang's bodyguard in private.He understands that this is a great honor.How many rickshaw drivers like him are there all over the streets of Hankou!Throughout the year, the rickshaw driver was covered in sweat and spanked with his heels. Earning two coins was considered lucky.How many rickshaw drivers in Dahankou can there be such a good thing as Wu Ershao has a fixed income, and the boss is respectable, honorable, rich and powerful, and he follows the moon? Liu Zongxiang pushed up his flat gold spectacles, squinted his eyes, leaned back on the car with his hands on the civilized stick.It's totally a walk in the house feeling.The road named after him was built by him out of the land.Not only this piece of land!From Qiaokou down, the entire Hankou city base, inside and outside, to the wasteland Shuidang along the railway, was bought by Liu Zongxiang with money! Liu Zongxiang's move to buy the wasteland inside and outside the base of Hankou City once caused a commotion in the business community of Hankou. "Crazy, fucking crazy!" "Still young, be tender!" "How much money is there, it's not itchy, it's not too hot!" Five years ago, in order to build the Luhan Railway, the imperial court established the Railway Corporation.Zhang Zhidong, governor of Huguang, asked Sheng Xuanhuai to preside over the negotiation of loans with foreigners, and at the same time raised funds in the nearby province.Liu Zongxiang, who had just become a comprador of Lixing Foreign Bank and also a comprador of CA-CIB, offered to lend 200,000 taels of silver in the name of his Xiangji Commercial Bank, with an annual interest of 8%, and the principal and interest would be paid off in 10 years.Zhang Zhidong felt that the high interest rate was a bit high, but after all, he was a Chinese businessman, and his meat was rotten in the pot. Besides, at the time when he was short of money, Liu Zongxiang's borrowing money could be regarded as a righteous act to help the court.Liu Zongxiang saw that Marshal Zhang looked pensive, and offered to reduce the annual interest rate to 6%, and the 2% he gave up would be used as money for his acquisition of wasteland near the base of the inner and outer walls of the city wall from Qiaokou to Shabao. Hankou, the famous town where Liu Zongxiang is now doing business and buying land, was still a low-lying reed island for a long time after his ancestor Liu Mazi discovered the diversion of the Han River that morning.Later, more mounds of soil were silted up, and villagers gradually moved to settle in Huangpi, Xiaogan, Tianmen, Mianyang, and even Echeng, and gradually became an integrated town along the Hanshui River.In order to prevent floods, Yuan Chang, the general judge of Hanyang in the Ming Dynasty, presided over the repair of the embankment. From Qiaokou to the embankment, Hankou is inside the embankment, and the lake is outside the embankment.The city walls in front of us were built 50 years ago under the leadership of Zhong Qianjun, the governor of Hanyang County, and Sun Fuhai, the magistrate of Hanyang County.The moat outside the city and the Yudai River inside the city have silted up into countless muddy waters.The Yuangong embankment built by Yuan advocated back then lost its function, and people built houses along the embankment, which became the current Changdi Street. What Liu Zongxiang wants to buy is precisely the useless land: the barren land on both sides of the inner and outer walls of the city, Dangshuidang. Zhang Zhidong picked up the hookah and blew on the coals twice, but he didn't light a cigarette, he just rolled up his swollen eyelids and stared at Liu Zongxiang for a long time. Liu Zongxiang still remembers the scene at that time. Zhang Zhidong's pupils were cloudy, but when he stared at Liu Zongxiang for a while, a bright light flashed with vitality, just like the sky covered by thin clouds, dim, with occasional sunlight flashing, especially dazzling. The news that the son threw the white money into the water reached Liu Yili's ears.Liu Yuli didn't fly into a rage like the person who spread the news expected, and even his expression didn't change.He was chatting with Father Pierre Jean. "Liu, are you worried?" Father Pierre Jean was also getting old.The beard turned from golden yellow to silvery white, and the sunken eye sockets still couldn't hide the swelling of the lower eyelids.For decades, Father Pierre Jean lived in the Church of Notre-Dame in Baiquan, and he also went to Hankou once a fortnight for decades.Every time I come back from Hankou, I am always tired and excited. "Don't worry, Father, he is a student of your family." Liu Yili took out his hand from the waistband of his trousers and sniffed it under his nose.Very well said. Liu Yili listened to Father Pierre Jean's suggestion, and went ashore directly to the Dragon King Temple by boat.After a long talk with his son behind closed doors, Wu Ershao dragged him for a walk along the city wall and moat, and then left by boat again with a smile on his face.He went back to the water by boat, and it was very slow.But Liu Yili is just as slow as the picture.He felt quite comfortable, and he wanted to slowly digest this comfort in the sound of oars. "You're a bastard, and you have a sweet heart!" Liu Yili smiled like a happy Buddha, saying goodbye to his son... "Xiang Yazi, uh, let's do it like this!" He said to his son before boarding the boat. Liu Zongxiang noticed that his father didn't pick his belly button when he said goodbye. Following the rhythm of Wu Ershao's running, Liu Zongxiang's head nodded for a while, as if admiring something, and swayed for a while, as if denying something. In fact, Liu Zongxiang's heart is sweet right now. The land I bought 5 years ago, close to Youyimen and Xunlimen, has already been filled up to build houses, rented and sold, and the money has produced money.The money to buy the land was borrowed from the Hankou Branch of Agricole Bank in the name of Xiangji Commercial Bank, with an annual interest of 2% and 50 cents.It was as if he was using other people's money to lend out with his left hand, first earning a sum of interest, and then using the money generated by the house to offset the sum, and the remaining large tracts of land were all earned!wasteland?Wasteland?Wasn't the current railway a wasteland yesterday?Wasn't today's Hankou a wasteland in the past? The railway is connected, the money is connected, the train sounds, and the money flows! Going out of Xunli Gate, crossing the bridge over the moat, on the somewhat bumpy road in the wasteland outside the city, Liu Zongxiang was like a landlord patrolling the fertile fields full of crops, and he didn't know how comfortable it was. After crossing the railway, the terrain became more and more flat.I don't know when it started, the two sides of the high and low railway embankment became the messy, smelly, messy look in front of me.At first, it may be the road construction migrant workers, who first set up reed mat sheds and slab houses, and then, the five elements and eight works to provide various daily necessities for the road construction migrant workers came up one after another.Those who sell kang tiao, rice cakes with permed hair, steamed cakes, and fried noodles.The number of reed mat sheds continued unabated, and they caught fire a few times, and the fire was terrible. After a while, there was a large densely packed shanty town again!This shanty town is like the weeds on the plain, no matter how you mow or burn, the weak and primitive life is extremely tenacious. "Humans are cheaper than grass!" After all, Liu Zongxiang had been in contact with Father Pierre Jean for ten years, and he couldn't tell whether it was disgust or pity for this chaotic shanty town. "Er Shao, all the people living here are your colleagues, right?" Seeing Wu Ershao's more energetic gait, Liu Zongxiang knew that he wanted to show off and "play some fun" here again. "There are a lot of people pulling carts, and there are a lot of miscellaneous things. It's not clear!" Because of the relationship between the boss, Wu Ershao is well-known in the shanty town, so every time he pulls the boss out of the city and enters the shanty town, he You have to accept a lot of compliments and envious looks. "Er Shao, come out? Come here later and have sex!" "Er Shao, there are some wild ducks in the lake at the back, come here later and have a few sips!" "Damn it, Er Shao, what a piece of shit luck you have!" In response to these envy and compliments, Er Shao always had a serious face, kept nodding his head, and glanced at the car behind him.The meaning is very clear: buddy, I am very busy, you may not have seen, what kind of person is sitting in my car! Hearing the crisp ringing of Wu Ertiao's car bell, the vermilion lacquer gate embedded in the butterfly-shaped fence opened quietly. Since the start of construction the year before last, Liu Zongxiang has required that the fence designed for the garden should correspond to the inner city wall of the railway, and be made of uniform green bricks.Liu Zongxiang seems to realize that the walls of his garden will eventually replace the city walls of Hankou! Liu Zongxiang came to Liu Garden a few days ago, and brought a large number of writers to write couplets on the pavilions and pavilions in the garden one by one.Today was supposed to be the day when the construction was completed, and the parents and officials in Hankou had sent a message saying that they would come here tonight to "take a look", so he had to come to check it first. This is the youngest private garden owned by the owner since Hankou became a town.There were a lot of names like "Fangze", "Yi Shui" and so on, but Liu Zongxiang finally decided on the word "Liu Yuan" straight to the point.Originally, the purpose of building a garden was to save face and advertise for business.Just for fun, what's not fun in such a big Hankou? Liu Garden is built according to the terrain, with ups and downs and ups and downs, which are very organized.Close to the high place on the side of the railway, the mountain is built according to the trend; towards the back lake, there are many waters and soil, and the design is to dig the lake into a pool.There are pavilions on the mountains, and pavilions on the water, surrounded by greenery and embraced by greenery, cuddling with red and holding fragrance.Entering the garden is the "Cuihan Pavilion", surrounded by flowers and trees.Passing through the pavilion, the winding path leads to the "Qingyan Pavilion", which has the meaning of "Su Causeway Spring Dawn".Walking along the lake on one side of the railway, the grass is luxuriant all the way, leading directly to "Fubixuan".The pillars of the Fubixuan corridor are all light green, with double eaves and corners in the Xieshan style. The small glass windows are exquisite and clear. The lake water reflects the windows, and the windows reflect the lake water. Heavenly charm. Accompanied by Er Shao, Liu Zongxiang turned to Fu Bixuan, and Er Shao was waiting outside.Seeing that the steward Feng Zigao was instructing a few handymen to display antiques on the antique shelf, Liu Zongxiang walked back without disturbing them. "Boss Liu, is your house here?" Feng Zigao left the handyman and came over to say hello. Feng Zigao was originally from Bagong, and was originally a judge in Hankou.Due to the influence of some constitutional reform thoughts, coupled with a bit of honesty, Feng Zigao felt a little out of place in his stomach. Among his colleagues and superiors, there were inevitably more blue eyes than white eyes. Finally, he found a fault and forced him to walk away. It's over. It is quite interesting to talk about a case that Feng Zigao hung up for trial. At that time, a certain prefect from other provinces retired and became an official. He returned to his roots and lived in Hankou.The prefect's son died of cholera in his father's office a few years ago, leaving behind a beautiful daughter-in-law to live with his father-in-law in Hankou.Firstly, this daughter-in-law couldn't bear the loneliness of being a boudoir, and secondly, the bustling and various entertainments and tricks of the big wharf in Hankou, a famous town, were all too tempting.The daughter-in-law came to the house to socialize and watch the theater, and as time went by, she attracted bees and butterflies, and she had an affair with the son of an official family.In the past, the sea was too difficult for water, and the dried firewood could not be boiled.This woman was also very bold, she simply moved out to live with the man in a rented house, as if they were husband and wife.Originally, if the father-in-law presses the button, it will be over when the family tradition is vented.But the retired prefect was an old and careless person, so he reported the matter to Hankou Hall.In Hankou Tongzhijiao Trial Hall, Feng Zigao judged.Not only had Feng Zigao never seen this case before, it was probably unique among the case files of the Qing Dynasty.Trials came and went, but the father-in-law insisted that he was indecent and hurt the state.Big hats were put on one after another, with a posture of bullying others and insisting that Feng Zigao should sentence the woman to a felony.The daughter-in-law also went all out, leading the law to make a statement, and issued an appeal that it is not a crime for a woman to live together without a husband. This made it difficult for Feng Zigao.Walking around the room until late at night, after much deliberation, Feng Zigao announced the rumors, and of course it was his last judgment before the end of his career as a judge... The law cannot help changing the marriage of a widow, but it is now the constitutional era, when marriage is more free.However, Er is a descendant of eunuchs, and he should understand the righteousness. Although he talks about freedom, he should not go beyond the scope.Like the mother of Confucianism in ancient times, there are certainly many people who remarry, but it is too unselfish to abscond outside. It should be said that this is a judgment that is extremely ill-formed and irregular, but it is a wonderful article that is extremely witty and sympathetic.Of course, this wonderful article made Feng Zigao lose his future.He later went to Japan and studied economics for several years.After returning to China, he worked under Zhang Zhidong's door as an aide to the Qing Dynasty. Five years ago, after Liu Zongxiang bought the city's wasteland, he saw that Boss Liu was a big hitter in the economic circle, so he joined his door. Liu Zongxiang bought the wasteland of the city foundation, and there was a lot of opposition around him. "City wall? A city can have a wall, but how can a wall stop it? A deserted lake? In the past, Hankou was a deserted lake! The vicissitudes of life, sometimes a hundred years, sometimes instant!" Feng Zigao muttered something to himself, murmuring.Liu Zongxiang didn't hear it with his own ears, but the meaning of this passage still reached his ears. "Mr. Feng, Huang Bingde, a co-prefect of Hankou, is going to visit the garden tonight. Look..." Liu Zongxiang hoped that Feng Zigao would do his best to arrange tonight's activities. "I heard that Master Tongzhi likes things on the left side of the word Hao and on the right side of the word Jue. I'm afraid I have to go to the city and call for some notes." Liu Zongxiang understood that Huang Tong knew he was a womanizer and wanted to go to the city to pick up some whores. "In terms of piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, I wonder which line Huang Tongzhi likes?" "You don't need to ask, his old man only likes to play mahjong. Mahjong is his life. His life is alive. With a bitch and mahjong, his old man's life will be saved!" Feng Zigao was muttering again, and said a lot in one breath, making Liu Zongxiang shake with laughter while leaning on a civilized stick. Feng Zigao usually doesn't show his mountains or dew his water, and every time he comes up with ideas, they are all on the surface.刘园建成，多请些汉口的中外名流来玩玩，就是他的点子。 吴二苕跑到园外，在棚户里找了五个同行，五辆人力车，自己权当一回上等人，坐了一辆，让其余四辆空着，一溜烟跑进城，就近到花楼街的烟花巷子里接婊子去了。 婊子还没有来，汉口同知黄炳德倒先来了。 汉口一直属汉阳府。前几年，朝廷批准了张之洞张中堂阳夏分治的折子，才把汉阳汉口分开。汉口设夏口厅，父母官是同知，拨原属汉阳的东至滠口西至沌口、横100里纵30里的地域为夏口厅政区。汉口作为四大名镇之一，名气早就比汉阳大，名字改成了夏口厅，人们习惯上还称为汉口镇。 黄炳德是个矮胖子。四十多岁年纪，几绺胡子稀稀朗朗的，泛黄。明显地纵欲过度的肿泡脸，一笑一口黄包谷牙。 “哎呀，刘先生，少年俊秀，风采照人哪！好一阵不见了，有失亲候呵！”黄炳德的轿子一直抬到浮碧轩，一下轿，就抱拳四下里晃动，口里哈哈连天。他现在没有穿朝服，青衣小帽，一副志得意满的文士模样。 “哎哟，黄大人，您老驾临，真是篷筚生辉，篷筚生辉呀！”刘宗祥依然藏青西服，白衬衫，黑蝴蝶领结黑皮鞋。地道的洋派绅士派头。 “黄公，老天八地的，受累了！”等老板他们寒喧过了，冯子高才过来打招呼，把黄炳德朝后堂引。 咖啡送上来了，黄炳德吸吸鼻子。 “好香！这东西我试过一盘，苦叽叽的，好闻不好喝。” “换茶，换茶！刘老板您家咧？”冯子高吩咐。 “随便，随便，看黄大人的意思罢！”刘宗祥手一摊，谦恭而又洒脱。 头道茶刚喝完，婊子就来了。 四个婊子都还年轻，高矮胖瘦都有，都穿旗袍。一个翠绿，一个水红，一个杏黄，一个湖蓝。 摆桌子，掷骰子，摸风。杏黄湖蓝陪刘宗祥、黄炳德打牌，翠绿和水红坐在旁边凑趣。 “十番倒牌和，您家看咧？”黄炳德两手在桌子上洗牌，问刘宗祥。 “听您家的，听您家的！” “那就十番和，满贯五十番，一番一两为注，好算！” “听您家的，听您家的！” 刘宗祥已经吩咐过了，上桌的婊子一人先发五百两银票，叫她们只输不赢，只管“放铳”，让黄同知高兴了，就算她们有功。按黄炳德的意思，每盘和下来，至少是三十两银的输赢。 打第一圈东风，黄炳德的手气倒是不错，只是无牌可吃。上家的杏黄婊子尽打些不搭界的张子，下家的湖蓝婊子总有牌碰。一圈下来，黄炳德一盘也没有和，刘宗祥也一盘没和。倒是两个婊子和过来和过去。不过，都是些屁屁和，十二番以上的都不多。 黄炳德开始打哈欠。他的嘴又大，可能有胃病，一个长哈欠打得嘴如深渊，一股子酸菜味。 “黄大人莫老是让着我们唦！” “黄大人这是撩我们玩的！” 牌桌子上的两个婊子哗哗地洗牌，手时不时地摸到黄炳德手上。坐在黄炳德身后的水红婊子把手肘子往黄炳德肩上一搭，嗲声嗲气地叫： “黄大人，她们是赢头盘输十六盘，您家莫再让她们了！把她们身上的钱都洗过来！” “是的是的！把她们洗干净！洗干净！”黄炳德又开始摸牌。站在刘宗祥身后的冯子高，向黄炳德上首的杏黄婊子做了个眼色。黄炳德只顾低头起牌顺牌，没有看到。 这一副牌黄炳德又起得很顺。九张万字，差不多都顺着，一条青龙的坯子摆着，只有四张杂牌。 这一手，黄炳德打出一张二筒。好张子先打，免得后头放铳。起一张，又是一张二筒。 “咿！二饼跟我有缘！” “大人二筒多。”下首的湖蓝婊子抿嘴一笑。 “大人这样好的二筒，专照顾你，你又不吃！”水红婊子把拿手绢的左手掩着右手，在黄炳德大腿根处轻轻地搔。 “要死的臭嘴，要吃你吃！你顶喜欢吃二筒的！”湖蓝婊子跟着打出一张三筒，“邪货！” 刘宗祥还是那副洋绅士派头，始终微微笑着，跟着也打出一张三筒。杏黄婊子顺碰一坎，打出一张一万。黄炳德碰一坎一万，清一色一条龙就只等六万或者九万了。下首的湖蓝婊子看一眼杏黄婊子，在自己的一对九万中抽出一张打进塘子里。 “嘿，和了！清一色，一条青龙，外加老少配、平平、将将六番，你这一铳放得不小咧！” 黄炳德这一和倒下来，除掉零头，是整整两个满贯，算起来，桌子上的三个人每人要输给他300多两。 接下来，黄炳德起的牌牌形不好。筒条万四季风中发白都有却不靠边。对面上下三家都不倒牌，黄炳德也就定下心来，慢慢摸。 “黄大人只要多摸几下，名堂就来了。”水红婊子的手在黄炳德的腿根处慢慢地抠。翠绿婊子坐在刘宗祥后边，见这位刘老板一脸正经的样子，感到自己有些丢面子，脸上就不免有些讪讪的，丢一句给水红婊子…… “这是黄大人手气好！要是让你的手去摸，不晓得摸出么名堂来咧！” “那倒不见得！黄大人的火气，有一半是我带来的咧！” 冯子高怕分了黄炳德的心，插了一句：“你们这是扛锄头进庙门——挖神哪！红的绿的搞不清白，莫把黄老爷的心搞花了啊！” 黄炳德的牌慢慢摸顺了。碰了一坎五万，吃了两柱是三四五筒、五六七条，手上就剩一对一筒和六七万四张牌了。 “黄大人真是火旺咧，您家这牌一倒下来，我们又要大出血！”上手的杏黄婊子说着说着，甩出一张一筒。 “大出血？你们哪个在出血？”黄炳德满意地看了杏黄婊子一眼，话就往下三路走了。 “我们都冇出血，您家，您家莫担心！” 一直不动声色的刘宗祥也看出黄炳德这手牌和下来非同小可。因为这手牌有“五大郎卖炊饼”的牌形：每柱牌都有“五”，用一筒做将。现在黄炳德碰了一坎五万，倒了两柱三四五筒、五六七条，又不要上首的一筒，那么手上的牌要么就是没“听和”，要么“听和”这三张牌：五筒、五条、五万。五万碰了一坎，还剩一张绝张，要五万的可能性就不大了。多半是要筒子或条子。 Snapped!刘宗祥打出一张五筒。见黄炳德不动，刘宗祥朝杏黄婊子瞟了一眼。杏黄婊子把五筒往塘子里一推，顺手丢出一张五条。 “怎么这么好的中间的嵌张子，都像臭巴巴样地冇得人要啊？”黄炳德明白桌子上的人都在“打凑和”，试他的牌有意放铳送钱给他用，心里喜欢嘴巴上却说些不相干的话：“五条！” “好！”下首的湖蓝婊子手上一长溜牌叩得一声脆响，做出的是单吊五条和牌的动作，把其余的三家吓了一跳。 刘宗祥和杏黄婊子是吓她不懂局冲了黄炳德的大和；黄炳德吓自己这五条放了别人的铳，毁了自己的这一手好牌。 哪知湖蓝婊子只是倒下三四两张条子，吃成一柱牌，拿起那张已经嵌好的五万来，做出犹豫不决的样子，瞟一眼下首的刘老板：“五万，刘老板，绝中心张子，您家嵌不嵌？” “嵌不进，嵌不进！”刘宗祥也随声附合，打个哈哈，心里头称赞湖蓝婊子还蛮灵醒，会看事。 “和了！嗨嗨，您家们看叻，我这副牌和得还有点意思啵？” 如愿以偿，绝张子牌和了个满贯，黄炳德心花怒放，失声忘形，那肘拐子还不老实，往身后的水红婊子胸前杵杵擦擦。 这手牌不如上盘那副牌大。只是除零头，一个满贯50番，一个绝张10番，但牌色新颖，还有点意思。 “黄大人，是不是先用点小点心，压压饥，消停一下再玩？”冯子高察颜观色，及时提议换项目改“汤头”。 “也好，也好。刘老板真是心细如发咧，周到之至，叫下官不好意思咧！” “黄大人不必客气。刘某后辈，您家能把这里当自己的家，常来走动走动，就是刘某的福气了！” 刘宗祥嘴里客套着，心里却有些不耐。天色已不早了，白天立兴洋行经理皮蓬·杜交代的那笔芝麻生意，还没有和自己手下的人商量，放到明天，恐怕又生变故。皮蓬·杜说的芝麻生意，是关系80万两银子的买卖。 法国人第一讲究风流，第二讲究吃喝。法国酒，法国大菜，法国奶酪，法国小点心，都是很讲究的。刘宗祥随皮埃·让神父学习上十年，深知法国文化中“食色”二字的重要性。这次是法国立兴洋行受托到中国买一批白芝麻。立兴洋行已经委托汉口红黑两道都插手的大富商穆勉之经办。这笔生意既然交给在汉口的华商办理，刘宗祥作为买办，只行使督办之责也就够了。但刘宗祥粗略毛算了一下，这笔买卖做下来，大约可赚20万；如果操作细一点，可赚到30万左右。如果只是督办，这笔事完，从穆勉之那里顶多可以拿到两三万的“好处”，而且还欠姓穆的一笔人情。再说，穆勉之是个什么人物，也是个名声在外的恶菩萨！拿他的钱被他的钱咬了手也未可知。 汉口同知黄炳德兴致正高。 穿过后堂，是一个大花圃。虽然暮色四合看不清姹紫嫣红，那氤氲的芬芳花香，却是让人精神为之一爽。 酒过三巡，黄炳德就有些微醺了。 “刘先生，刘老板，下官今日承情，当铭不忘。为表谢忱，有几句体己的话，不知老板想听不想听？” “大人一方父母，刘先生虽醉心西学，总是父母官大人治下的草民。何况刘先生对大人一向是仰慕得紧的。”冯子高清清瘦瘦的，却是个酒篓子。喝得从容，不现于颜色。 “同知大老爷既是官身，又是前辈，刘某虽供职洋行，行走商道，与朝廷洋务强国也是出于一途的。刘某人对大人的教诲正是求之不得呢！” 刘宗祥真的不知道黄炳德有些什么“体己”话要说。近段时间，与洋商打交道多些，也是为了巩固地位扩大在洋商租界内影响的意思。相应与华商尤其是官场就有些生疏了。 People without thought, he must worry about.庙里的菩萨，一一要拜到。否则，不晓得哪天哪根筋哪块骨头就会出点毛病。想到这一层，刘宗祥心里一惊，那急于去商谈芝麻生意的心情，也就淡了下来。 刘宗祥与洋人打交道多了，于尊重女士之类，受了些影响。他喜欢在女人堆里头混着，但在大庭广众间摸摸捏捏乃至于打情骂俏，他不习惯。男女之事是两个人之间的事，享受的就是那一点隐秘。没有了隐秘，男女上的事也就寡淡无味了。刘宗祥认为，这与所谓的羞耻感无关。羞耻感不是与生俱来的，是后天环境造成的，带有伦理的成份也就有了虚伪的成份。而隐秘感是人与生俱来的所需所求、既与本能相合又与道德相默契的。 有了这种想法，刘宗祥在人的眼睛里就有了一本正经的印像。也有人夸这是少年老成，是干大事的料。也有人怀疑他是不是有毛病…… “体面有么用？聪明能干又么样？钱多又怎地？粗篾笆斗细篾篓，世上哪有男儿丑？胩里东西不硬足，随么事都不消谈得！” 说这话的人晓得刘家世代单传，子嗣运薄。再说，刘宗祥娶妻进门四五年，媳妇肚子一点动静都没有，这岂不是印证！ "Hehehe!" 黄炳德打了个老长老长的哈欠。 据冯子高所知，黄炳德并无好大的烟瘾。他脑子转了两转，明白黄炳德是有话想单独与刘宗祥说。 “二苕喂，”冯子高喊进吴二苕，“带这几个姑娘到后头去，为黄大人烧几个烟泡子，让黄大人过来好润泡子！”见冯子高起身要走，刘宗祥发话了：“冯先生，不是外人，多双耳朵无妨！” “刘先生，您家可听说后湖筑堤的事？朝廷就要下旨了！” “没有，没有。”刘宗祥听得心中一惊，随即复归平静。 “真的没有？难道先生在此筑园，是与此事不谋而合？”黄炳德今天所透露出来的消息，的确非同小可。 汉水改道以后，从柏泉吴家湾一直到黄陂，旧河道一带都淤成一片湖荡。寒暑易节，年复一年，湖荡中沿汉水往北，由高往低，逐渐淤出陆地和星星点点的土墩。开始，陆地、土墩上有割苇的、捕鱼的，不久就有了常年长住种菜种稻麦和行商坐贾人家。明清两朝，袁倡筑长堤，奠定了汉口成镇的雏形；50年前筑城墙，是汉口第一次向北扩展。现在，芦汉铁路通车，直擦城墙外而过，筑堤围湖扩城也就是必然的事了。 刘宗祥只算到朝廷待铁路修通之后，会首先拆城墙，把市区同铁路连成一片，然后再待时日，或筑堤，或淤湖，逐渐向北扩展。刘宗祥在后湖沿铁路外建刘园，作的是几代人的准备，没想到，几代人的事，会来得这样快！ 后湖筑长堤，将是比袁倡筑长堤宏大不知多少倍的工程！ 后湖一带，汉口人称黄花地。那漾漾的湖水，青青的稻麦，葳蕤的芦苇，作为汉口的一景，伴随着汉口成镇到成为四大名镇之一的历程，的确曾经声名远播。 后湖又叫潇湘湖，得名于据说是朱元璋的一首诗…… 马渡沙头苜蓿香，片云片雨下潇缃。东风吹醒英雄梦，不是咸阳是洛阳。 人一有了身分地位，好事就会自动地往身上附会。朱元璋于琴棋书画诗词歌赋一途，似没有听说有什么造诣。这首诗虽无很深的意蕴，也还算畅达，是哪位文人的涂鸦之作也未可知。话虽是这么说，但后湖作为汉口商贾百姓人家暮春踏青、三伏避暑、清秋赏月的消闲地，倒是曾有过八景之说：晴野黄花、平原积雪、麦陇摇风、菊屏映月、疏柳晓烟、断霞归马、襄河帆影、茶社歌声。 后湖八景中，当以“晴野黄花”看新绿为第一。清明时节，苕货丑货狗娃花子，孩童或呼朋引类，或由大人带着，放起风筝，一时鹞子凤蝶银燕漫天飞舞，逗得踏青的游人引颈仰观，有诗纪其盛…… 二三月内喜天晴，草色青青画不成。一碗粗茶嗑瓜子，布棚厂下看风筝。 每到这时侯，待字闺中或操劳厨下的妇女，或结女伴或带孩子，到后湖踏青赏春，不被视为有违妇道。即使倦坐茶寮，呼烟唤茶，也视为平常。当然，也有那追花逐蝶的浮浪子弟，在后湖教坊青楼柳巷，同那些操皮肉生涯的俗粉艳脂盘弄厌了，到这良家女子堆里钻来磨去，沾些清新气，让个后湖一时显出红尘沸沸的模样。有个叫熊梦华的墨客，曾对此颇多感慨，留下一首很不错的五言律诗…… 一镇销金窟，风流奈尔何。 路遥芳草远，人向夕阳多。 曲榭忱丝竹，轻衫斗绮罗。 哪堪追往事，独访旧襄河。 到刘宗祥这个时侯，汉口对外开埠，中外互市，对内筑城，市区内的繁荣繁华真个是中外合璧，色彩纷呈。而后湖毕竟低洼，蚊蝇麇集，春夏汛期，往往浸涝成灾。 于是，后湖无可挽回地失去了它昔日的繁华。 然而，后湖真的像一个风尘女子吗？ 刘宗祥此时没有更多的浪漫，更谈不上有抚今追昔的伤感。只是，后湖的地势地貌在他脑子里一一映出。他此刻想的是，朝廷要筑堤，他可以得到点什么。 刘宗祥本能地感到，他要做点什么。 他太熟悉后湖了。 从7岁开始，爹就让他早晨上私塾，下午到圣母堂围着皮埃·让神父转。皮埃·让神父教他学法国话。法国话不好学。一长串颠来倒去的字母，才是一个字，看得头皮发麻。爹要他学，比学私塾还看得重。12岁上，爹不要他上私塾了。上午帮神父浇花修枝，下午学法文。稍大些，神父买了一群鸭子，让他赶到后湖去放。神父的鸭子不是当地鸭子。当地鸭子是麻鸦，母的纯麻，是那种豆沙色的麻；公的颈子、翅膀上有翠蓝的羽翎，漂亮是蛮漂亮，就是嗓音沙哈沙哈的不好听。神父的鸭子是洋鸭子，像神父一样是大块头，一只都有四五斤。神父说鸭子好，鸭绒可以做枕头。法文学久了，刘宗祥入了门，可以和神父对话，叽哩哇啦，也只有同神父对话，旁人听不懂。 后湖有刘宗祥童年的烙印，这烙印既有童真的欢乐，