Chapter 104 Mengzi Miscellaneous Notes

Mengzi Miscellaneous Notes I lived in Mengzi for five months, and my family lived there for two months.I often think of this place now, especially when people are busy. Mengzi was small and had few people.People who are used to the big cities will feel like a toy when they see the city circle of Mengzi, just like people who are used to riding ordinary trains will feel like a toy when they first step on a small Bishi train.But after staying here, it gradually became interesting.There is only one main street in the city, and it doesn't take a few trips to get familiar with it.Bookstores, stationery stores, pastry stores, flashlight stores, you can almost find the door with your eyes closed.The places of interest outside the city, such as Nanhu Lake, Song Island in the lake, Junshan Mountain, and Sanshan Park, can be visited in one afternoon, which saves effort.Whether in or out of the city, walking on the road, sometimes you can't see a person.The whole world seems to be his own; the self expands to infinity, infinity.This reminds me of Taizhou and Baima Lake. When I lived there, I also had this kind of tranquility.

There is a shop selling sugar porridge on the street, and it also sells fried cakes.Tables, stools, bowls and spoons are all clean and cheap, and our teachers and students in Lianhe take great care of them.The shopkeeper is a Sichuan native, surnamed Lei, with gray hair.He often has a smile on his face, but he is not trying to curry favor with customers.He likes some antiques, and bamboo and porcelain occupy half of each table; sugar porridge and cakes are placed on these tables to eat.There are still some "boutiques" hidden in his home. When he is happy, he will specially bring them to invite customers to enjoy them.The old man has a wife and a buddy, and he enjoys his life just like that.We call this shop "Lei Porridge", and the shopkeeper is also called by this name; he is very popular.

The most noticeable thing in the city is the pair of doors.Many door pairs here match people's surnames.Of course, there are other places that do this, but not as many as here.It's interesting to watch and guess while walking.But most of them are the door pairs of the Anti-Japanese War.Kunming also has them, but proportionately speaking, they are probably not as many as Mengzi; if there are too many, it will create an atmosphere, so that people walking on the street will not forget this country in this era.This seems to be the use of the old form to promote the war of resistance and the founding of the country, which is worthy of encouragement.The old calendar year is just around the corner, and this kind of Spring Festival couplets for the Anti-Japanese War can be advocated.

Mengzi's official propaganda work, in addition to the slogans of the party headquarters, the efforts of the Education Bureau are also worth recording.They converted an old stage into a podium, and posted mimeographed radio messages every day.This is all beneficial to the people.Their funds are not much, and they can do it step by step, which is very promising.They also helped Peking University students run a public night school.The registration was very enthusiastic, but because of the relationship between teachers and seats, only 200 people were accepted.The night school has been running for two or three months, and the students are serious and their grades are quite impressive.At that time, Mengzi's United Nations General Assembly was about to move to Kunming, so it had to stop.The Director of Education expressed regret to me; judging by his attitude, he was telling the truth.The people of Mengzi were quite willing to accept the propaganda.Students from the United Nations University once participated in a fly control campaign.There are so many flies in Mengzi in April and May.A friend laughed on the street, and flew into one mouthful.After the fly eradication campaign, many food shops on the street were equipped with cold cloth covers. Although it was simple, it could not but be called an improvement.People in the shop often tell us, "This is only available after you came here." It can be seen that they are very modest.

There is a torch festival in Mengzi, which falls on the 24th night of the sixth lunar month in the four townships and the 25th night in the city.That night, people in the city were burning reed stalks or branches at the door, and there were piles of raging fires everywhere, surrounded by men, women, adults and children; the children even dangled fireballs soaked in rags and oil in their hands. , jumping and shouting, the calm city suddenly became lively.This fire is light, heat, strength, and youth.The four townships are empty, and all of them are burned with small trees; imagining clusters of hot fires bursting out of the vast darkness, the scene is quite majestic.The barbarians in the four villages should enjoy this festival more, they should dance and shout more enthusiastically.This may be a festival of extraction, but it implies the greatness of life, and it is a meaningful custom; in this period of the Anti-Japanese War, when the spirit needs to be inspired, its significance is even more profound.

Nanhu Lake has very little water in winter and spring, and half of it is almost dry.But in summer, the swell is melting and shining, and it is really rejuvenated.Rows of Yugali trees are planted on the lake embankment; the tall and straight trunks are not bad, and they have the potential of "towering".The slender and long leaves are like weeping willows accustomed to blowing water. When I stand on the embankment, I can't help but think of Shichahai in Beiping.Coupled with the lotus leaves and lotus flowers in Songdao, it looks more like Shichahai.Song Island is a good place, but I think it is not as quiet as Sanshan Park.There are only three small mounds here.A few simple kiosks.But it is undulating, covered by trees, and there are some stone tables and stone piers dotted here and there; whether it looks or walks, it seems to have an aftertaste that can be chewed.This cannot but thank the commander Li Song.The road on the South Lake was built by his soldiers, and Song Island and Junshan were also rebuilt by him; and this small park shows his ingenuity.There are many plaques written by him in this area.Naturally, he is not a calligrapher, but his writing style is thin and hard, and he is quite heroic.

The United Nations General Assembly leased the former site of the Customs and the Oriental Bank of China, which is the best place in Mengzi.The tall Yukali tree in the customs house and a piece of soft green grass are the main notes. When you enter the gate, you will not only open your heart, but also feel moisturized all over your body.There are many egrets on the top of the tree, which are of the same type as the "gray cranes" in the Taimiao Temple in Beiping, and they are called "Laowai" in the north.The pure white feathers and the clever posture are eye-catching, especially in the early morning.In one corner there is a path of bushes, and at night the moonlight filters through the leaves, which should be very interesting.In another corner there are some mango and papaya trees, but unfortunately the sun is not strong enough to produce fat fruit, but it has a pleasant tropical flavor.There are many flowers in the bank, and there are colors all over the place. They are available at any time, so you are not lonely.The most beautiful ones are bougainvilleas.The flowers are turbid and thick purple, with clear veins, like leaves, in clusters, in pieces, really "too thick to melt".It takes a long time to bloom.When we went in April, it opened, and when we left in August, it hasn't thanked yet.

Made on February 5-6, 1939 (Originally published in the third issue of "New Yunnan" on April 30, 1939)