Chapter 4 Apricot Blossom Spring Rain Talks about Ye Chun

Speaking of dim sum in Yangzhou, people always think of Fuchun Tea House.The colorful steamed stuffed buns, fried noodles with shrimp toppings, and shredded ham are all unforgettable.At two or three o'clock in the afternoon, Fuchun is already overcrowded. Make a pot of tea, order a guest of mixed flowers or a bowl of dry silk, whether it is in the front hall or the back garden, the content of the food in the early years is the same.Go to Fuchun to eat dim sum, the dim sum is very delicate, but the environment is a bit noisy, especially in the afternoon when the variety is the most complete (Fuchun also sells dim sum in the morning, but mainly steamed food, such as big buns, variegated buns, and millet oil Cakes, etc.), there are no empty seats, and there are too many shuttles, you can only listen but not hear, turn a blind eye, and focus on the taste.Fuchun is called a tea house, and tea comes second. How can you talk about drinking tea in this environment? I think the function of tea is just to dilute the greasy in the mouth.If you really want to drink tea, you can only live up to its name in Yechun Tea House.

Walking westward from Shigong Temple on the bank of Meihualing in the north of the city, Yechun Garden is not far along the river. The north of the city has always been the best resort in Yangzhou since the Qing Dynasty. According to the "Yangzhou Painted Boat Record" written by Li Dou of the Qing Dynasty, there are many teahouses in the area from Tianning Temple to Hongqiao. The most famous years are outside the middle of winter. The other three times are "and stop", "seven sages" and so on.Before and after the Qingming Festival, tourists are like weaving, as the saying goes, "the willows are green and the rain is three feet, the cherry is red and the flute is broken, and you live everywhere in the area of ​​​​Lanradi".

Yechun Tea House is a thatched cottage built near the water, surrounded by water on three sides, leaning against the window and leaning on the railing, you can have a panoramic view of the water and trees.The river outside the window is not wide, but it can lead directly to the Hongqiao of Slender West Lake. Occasionally, small boats pass by, breaking the calm of the water.The trees on both sides of the river are verdant, and the Yechun thatched cottage is hidden among them.Yechun is close to the busy city, separated by a river, two worlds, it can be said that it is quiet in the middle of the bustle.

It is too early to say that it is the spring rain of apricot blossoms. The best season for spring is when the green, fat, red and thin are after mid-spring.At this time, the new tea from Jiangnan has just been picked and shipped, so Yechunkou will put up a sign saying "New tea has arrived", which is more concise than any advertisement text.Yechun tea is good. In my impression, there are not many varieties, and there is no difference in grade. They are all brewed in porcelain cups with lids, which is different from some of the current tea cultures that call for "tea culture". Tea art halls and teahouses are intended to make a fuss about tea ceremony and beautiful utensils, but Yechun is closer to life.After the clear tea is brewed, the tea leaves occupy about two-thirds of the cup. After two or three sips, the water needs to be refilled. A rattan leather thermos is delivered with the tea. No matter how much you drink or how long you sit, there is enough water.The tea leaves are freshly picked, green and green, after one or two sips, the teeth and cheeks are fragrant and refreshing.

Four times I went to Yangzhou, except for the mid-winter in 1966, the other three times were in the spring of Shuimu Tsinghua University.These three times I went to Yechun to drink tea, probably spent five or six afternoons there, almost every time I caught up with the spring rain.Through the open window, there is a wet green in front of my eyes, sometimes it is the rain that stops every now and then, and sometimes it is the smoke that looks like rain or mist. Yechun is much quieter than Fuchun. No matter what time of day, most of the one-third of the tables are occupied by people, and most of them are elderly, who are drinking tea while reading books and newspapers, or playing chess. The birds chirping among the trees can be heard endlessly. If you close your eyes and listen, the sound of the pattering rain and the oars of the boat can be clearly discerned.

Yechun also sells dim sum, mostly in the afternoon. Compared with Fuchun Tea House, its varieties are too far behind. There are only two or three types. They are simple and popular, but the quality is very good.The most famous ones are Huangqiao Shaobing and Huaiyang Shaomai.Huangqiao biscuits are made and sold on the spot. There are two kinds of sweet and salty, the sweet one is filled with sugar, and the salty one is scallion oil.Huaiyang Shaomai is stuffed with glutinous rice, with a little fat and lean meat and mushrooms. The skin is as thin as paper and crystal clear.Yangzhou people like to eat meat and oil, and the filling is heavy oil.Huaiyang Shaomai is bigger than the Sanxian Shaomai in the north, and it is filled with glutinous rice and heavy oil. It is not suitable to eat too much. As an afternoon snack, two or three are enough.The time for Yechun tea guests to eat snacks is always at three or four o'clock in the afternoon. A cup of clear tea tasteless, their spirits are waning, and their stomachs are slightly hungry, so they want to serve a Huangqiao biscuit and two Huaiyang Shaomai. Just right.At this time, it was almost dusk, and the light rain had just stopped, so we could choose our way back.