Chapter 31 From French Bakery to Chunming Food Store

In recent years, there have been more and more books and articles describing the social life in Beijing in the past. The contents reflect the historical changes of Beijing, the prosperity and decline of shops and businesses, and the migration of social customs in the past few decades.In terms of time, although it is not far away, with the rapid development of modern society, it has been quickly forgotten by people. Important events are recorded in history; Precious enough.Most of these social life historical materials are based on the most extensive public life. Although they are pieced together, they can form a portrayal of life and society in a specific historical period.If there are too many writers, the content will be somewhat repetitive, and there will also be some contradictions and differences in historical facts. In addition, there will be some hearsay, and falsehoods will be mixed in it.I advocate that ancient records should be experienced and seen personally, or at least heard personally, so that the value can be reflected.On the other hand, Beijing is a multi-layered society. No matter in any historical period, social life is diversified. Any form and style of life, as well as the ways of making a living around this form and style of life Means and social services are also multifaceted.No matter, ham, canned food, pastry, foreign wine and so on.Whether it is a big scene named French bread or a small corner, it is a part of the whole society.

Since the end of the Qing Dynasty, Dongjiaomin Lane in Beijing has been the seat of embassies of various countries in China. In the era when great powers invaded and national sovereignty was trampled, Dongjiaomin Lane became a concession that was not a concession.On this land, churches were built, hospitals and banks were built, and around it, many businesses serving foreigners also came into being, such as western clothing shops specializing in suits, and antique shops in Yangzhuang. Foreign firms, bakeries selling food, intestine shops, etc.The French Bakery is one such shop. The French Bakery is located in the east of Chongwenmen Inner Street Road, where the Jinlang Hotel is today, and the ruins are nowhere to be found.It is a two-story building. The upstairs and downstairs are not too big. The downstairs sells food, and the upstairs has sold simple western food and refreshments for several times.In addition to homemade bread, French bakeries also have a variety of Western-style sausage houses. The bread they actually sell is not only French, but some bread is their own creation. It is difficult to verify the "nationality".In addition, gingerbread, which the British like, and caviar, which the Russians like, are also on sale.The intestines of the French bakery are the most distinctive, and there are more than 20 kinds of fixed varieties every day, which are the most popular.French bakery intestines are famous for a reason that many don't.That is, at the mouth of Chuanban Hutong not far north of it, there is a small red three-story building (this building still exists today), called Hanji Restaurant, which serves Western food upstairs, and the quality is not inferior to that of French bakeries.Downstairs is the well-known Hanji Sausage Shop, which makes the best Western-style sausages.In the mid-1940s, Han Kee Intestine Shop closed down, and the technicians and cooks were replaced by new owners, which belonged to the French Bakery, so the quality of the French Bakery’s intestines improved to a higher level.Among the fixed varieties, less than 70% can be said to be long-term mud sausage, garlic sausage, tea sausage, large meat sausage, red sausage, air-dried sausage, pea sausage, dry cloth sausage, mushroom sausage, foie gras mud sausage, Pork liver sausage and beef liver sausage.Among all kinds of intestines, chicken intestines are the best. This kind of intestines is made of whole chicken skin and looks like a fat chicken when it is complete. It is filled with chicken, minced pork, eggs, and peas. It has a unique shape and taste. delicious.In addition, the sausage counter also sells butter, sour cream, cream, pickles and more.Jisi looks like a purple radish, which can be cut and sold.Pickled cucumbers are pickled with white-skinned cucumbers that are more than three inches long.In West Point, in addition to the homemade cream cake, there is also a cream cake with multiple layers and different colors, which is very attractive.It is also known as "Madai Keke", which is a rectangular cake with raisins and walnuts. It has different shapes and sizes. There is a layer of oil paper around and at the bottom, which can be sliced ​​and eaten.In addition, there are rusks (also known as succulents), cocoa puffs, bogey sticks, cocoa walnut balls, etc.For today, these things are nothing, and they can be eaten in major hotels and guesthouses, but in the old days of Beijing, they could only be bought in a few shops in Dongdan Toutiao and Chongwenmen Nei Street.

The name of the French Bakery lasted until the early 1950s, when it was renamed "Liberation" Food Store.Why is it called "liberation", I think it is probably for the denial of the colonial color of the old era.In addition, there is a People's Liberation Army institution next door, and there is a big "August 1" five-pointed star on the screen wall of the gate. It is hard to say whether it is related to this.The French bakery has changed its name, but its business remains the same.Still thriving.Until the early 1960s, "Jiefang" was a special store in Beijing specializing in special food, and its customers were also a special group in this specific historical period.

The customer composition of "Liberation" is very clear, and 70% of them can be said to be long-term customers. Among them are the intellectuals who have been accustomed to "European" life for many years, and the "Zhaimener" in Beijing who is gradually declining, university professors, doctors from Xiehe, and colleagues. People in the literary and art circles and democratic parties, as well as many Chinese employees in foreign embassies and foreigners living in Beijing at that time.At that time, Beijing’s social structure was quite different from today’s, and the scope of life circles was not large. Therefore, when shopping in “Liberation”, we often met relatives, friends and acquaintances. Although some people had never spoken to each other, they knew at a glance that they were familiar faces. .Professor Xu Yinxiang, director of the ENT Department of Tongren Hospital and a famous ENT expert, Peking opera artists Qiu Shengrong and Li Shaochun, as well as a large number of translators, painters, composers and democrats who can be named often patronize "Jiefang".The wives of professors from Tsinghua University and Peking University who live in Haidian often take more than an hour's car to come here to purchase.In addition, the nannies and chefs of these families also get to know each other here. The chef of my family met the chef of Long Yun's family during "Liberation" and became close friends.

I remember that during the three-year difficult period, "Liberation" still sold traditional food, but I can't remember the price.At that time, there were fewer varieties of things, and they were only sold for one morning, and there were almost no customers in the afternoon.Therefore, every morning, there will always be a long queue in front of the "Jiefang" gate. After the door is opened, it will be divided into bread team, intestines team and snack team. Except for the dim sum team, there are fewer people. Bread and intestines are popular, and people have no way to separate them. The way to help each other, for example, I buy two pointed breads and two long breads, you buy two tea sausages and two garlic sausages, and then give half to each other, which saves trouble and time.It often takes an hour or two to buy food in "Jiefang" in difficult times. The queue is very long and the sales are slow, but the order is orderly, and there are almost no quarrels and fights.

During the queuing process, due to the closeness of people's lifestyles, economic status and knowledge levels, there are often some exchanges, such as cooking techniques, shopping guides, common sense of life and so on.As for communication in other areas, in those days, everyone was very cautious.When buying food, some interesting things often happen. For example, the nannies reveal a lot of the owner's privacy while talking about the owner's house.Or when people exchange kitchen skills, they promote a certain product instead.Occasionally, a shrewd hostess can be seen bribing other people's nanny, first with a small favor, she exchanged the two chickens that the nanny just bought from Dongdan vegetable market for a smaller one at the price of tea sausage, and then continued to communicate with the nanny. Chatting with my nanny, and finally got the remaining one by giving me an extra two yuan.

The upstairs of "Jiefang" also sold coffee and refreshments, but the business was not good. Most of them were places where boys and girls had a romantic relationship.During the three-year difficult period, the upper floor became a "special supply" for foreign guests. At that time, the Friendship Store was on Donghuamen Street, but food, tobacco and alcohol were served on the "Liberation" upstairs. In the early 1960s, "Jiefang" went out of business, but its operation did not stop. Instead, it merged with "Huaji" at the entrance of Maxian Hutong in the north, and continued to sell special bread, intestines and pastries, and the quality remained the same.

The "Cultural Revolution" began in the summer of 1966. It can be said that until August 20 of this year, "Huaji" was only forced to change the name of the store (what name it changed to can't be recalled now), and the business was not affected much. On August 20th, the situation changed drastically. The house raids in Beijing started. Overnight, the above-mentioned customers of "Jiefang" or "Huaji" could be described as the same fate, and almost all became "ghosts and snake gods", precarious , and even their families were destroyed. The front of "Hua Ji" was extremely sluggish, and almost no one could remember the state of "Hua Ji" at that time.

In the early 1970s, the original "Hua Ji" was renamed "Chun Ming" and started business again.I often went shopping at that time, and carefully observed the situation of the customers. As time went by, there were gradually more familiar faces. Although these faces looked haggard and old after the catastrophe, it was difficult to change their original temperament.At that time, "the color was still yellow and green", but the customers of "Chunming" were almost all dressed in gray and blue old clothes, and the social class of these customers could be judged from the hands and skin.I am amazed at the ability of people to survive and the flexibility of social life. After four or five years, the people who survived this catastrophe gradually resumed their old way of life with the mentality of respite and survival after the catastrophe.

At that time, there were not many varieties of "Chunming", but there were long white bread for one catty of grain stamps, two-end sharp bread for half a catty of grain stamps, raisin bagels and small butter bread.Garlic sausages, lunch sausages, small mud sausages, and large meat sausages can always be sold until noon, and occasionally chicken sausages, round ham, barbecue, liver paste, bacon, etc., but dry sausages and dry cloth sausages (similar to today’s salami Intestines) have not been seen.Homemade cream cakes were never revived, and cakes from Moscow restaurants were later sold on behalf of them.Dim sum has recovered some varieties, but the taste is not as good as before the "Cultural Revolution".

"Chunming" is also a small society. In the late period of the "Cultural Revolution", acquaintances often met here. If they didn't communicate with each other for a few years, they would think that the other party was no longer alive. But when shopping, they would feel that someone seemed to have known each other. They stared at it for a long time and confirmed it. , Shaking hands with each other, speechless, sighing with emotion. To this day, "Chunming" is still in business, the location has not changed, and some of the varieties it operates are still maintained, but the store has become old and outdated.With the changes in social structure, pace of life and lifestyle, and even the unprecedented prosperity of the commodity economy, "Chunming" is no longer a store with a special status, just as today's society is re-structuring and reorganizing.What falls is the afterglow of the past; what rises is the morning glow of tomorrow.