Chapter 39 38
It was May Day in a flash.Old man Qi's pots of pomegranates were not well protected in winter, and only one plant produced two or three small pomegranates.The begonias and hosta flowers at the bottom of the south wall have not even sprouted leaves, and some rabbit grasses have replaced them.Old man Qi ignored the reason—they were not protected in winter—and only looked at the result. He felt that the withering of flowers and trees was a bad omen for the decline of the family; he was very unhappy.He often dreams of "Little San'er", but "Little San'er" doesn't even come to a letter; has "Little San'er" encountered any misfortune?He asked Xiao Shun'er's mother, but she couldn't answer the correct news, but only used dreams to interpret dreams.Lately, her eyes have gotten noticeably bigger because a lot of flesh has been lost from her face.With a lot of smiles in her eyes, she told the old man: "I also dreamed about the third child, how much he likes it! I think, he must be doing well outside! He is really capable Young man! Grandpa, don’t worry about him all the time, he is more capable and smart than anyone else!” In fact, she never had such a dream.She was so busy all day long that she really had no time to dream.However, her "created" dream actually made the old man smile a little.Whether he believed in dreams or not is still a question.However, when he was helpless, he had no choice but to believe the vain lie in order to reduce the actual pain a little.
In addition to deceiving the old people in good faith, Xiao Shun'er's mother had to try to prepare things for everyone for the holidays.She knew that the holidays would not reduce their pain, but if they did not embellish it silently, they would be even more sad.
In previous years, on the first and fifth day of May, from daybreak, there were shouts outside the door: "Black and white mulberries come to big cherries", one after another, until it was almost lunch time, the shouts continued.The voice of shouting seems to be not just for business, but a kind of naughty and join in the fun, because not all the cherry and mulberry sellers are professional fruit sellers, but there are many teenage children.On weekdays, they may be pulling rickshaws or selling boiled water. When it comes to festivals, they temporarily change their jobs-every family must use zongzi, mulberries, and cherry picks to make offerings to Buddha, and they will have a good business.This year, Xiao Shun'er's mother did not hear the call to remind everyone of the festival.The fruit market in Beicheng is in Deshengmen, and the business is done at dawn.Across a city wall, outside the city is a small market for buying and selling second-hand goods, and the time to rush to the market is before the sun rises.Because the prison outside Deshengmen had been robbed, the Japanese were afraid that the guerrillas would attack again while rushing to the market, so they banned the morning markets in and outside the city, and blocked Deshengmen.As for the cherries and mulberries, they were originally brought from Beishan and outside the city, but there were wars between Xishan and Beishan, and no one dared to transport the fruit into the city. "Alas!" Xiao Shun'er's mother sighed at the Stove Lord: "I have wronged you this year! There are no cherries!" After apologizing to the Stove Lord in this way, she did not stop working hard to find a remedy;" Offering a few zongzi can also cover up the embarrassment!"
However, zongzi can't be bought either.There are several sects selling zongzi in Beiping: the Cantonese zongzi sold in "Daoxiang Village" are big, with many kinds of stuffing and expensive.This kind of zongzi is not very suitable for the taste of Peking people, because ham or fat is hard to put in the stuffing; northerners are already a little timid about glutinous rice, and they are even more afraid if they put ham or something.However, there are not many such things for sale. Firstly, people in Peiping think that everything in Guangdong seems to be somewhat revolutionary, so they dare not openly say that it is not delicious. Second, because it is expensive, it is very decent to give it as a gift. ——Expensive is always good, who cares if it tastes good or not.
The orthodox zongzi in Beiping are (1) sold in the old-style Manchu and Han pastry shops in Beiping. They don’t have any fillings, but are only made into small, very small, zongzi with the most exquisite glutinous rice; when eating, just sprinkle a little white sugar.This kind of zongzi is not very delicious, but it is white, petite, and looks very official when placed on a colorful and beautiful plate. (2) It is still such a small food, but it is sold by the bee cake sellers who yell along the street, and it is iced. (3) It is also sold along the street, but it is a little bigger and contains red dates.This is the most common zongzi.
In addition, there are some country people who use yellow rice to make zongzi, maybe with red dates or not, and they are all very big.These, which are sold exclusively to those who work hard, can be grouped together with black-faced pancakes and deep-fried dough sticks, but the content and form are not elegant enough.
Xiao Shun'er's mother was thinking of glutinous rice dumplings with red dates inside.She listened attentively to the voice of "Little Zaoer, Big Zongzi!" outside the door.However, she never heard it.Her Beiping has changed: there will be no cherries, mulberries, and rice dumplings during the Duanyang Festival!She shouldn't have taken this as a miracle, because from last autumn until now, Beiping lacked everything, and sometimes the city was shut down suddenly, and even a vegetable could not be bought.However, she couldn't help but feel awkward today. Today is a holiday.In her heart, it doesn't really matter if there is a holiday or not; she knows that it will be a holiday anyway.She herself has to be tired; she has to shop for things, and then hold the stove to cook for everyone; when everyone is full, she is too tired to eat anything.However, from another perspective, this is her life, and she seems to be living exclusively for everyone to manipulate.If there were no old and young children in the family, she would naturally not need to celebrate the festival, and it seemed that living would be meaningless.She couldn't tell what culture is, and people can only enjoy life if they live according to their own cultural ways—like zongzi, cherries, and mulberries must be eaten during the Duanyang Festival.She just felt that Peiping had changed, and it made her watch the whole family staring at the May Festival with nothing to do.She knew that this was the result of the Japanese occupation of Beiping, but she would not say in a nutshell: After the country is subjugated, it means that you can no longer live according to your own culture.She just felt extremely awkward.
In order to make up for not being able to eat zongzi, she wanted to buy two bunches of puzi and mugwort to put in front of the door, and she also wanted to buy a few talismans to stick on the lintel, so as to show a little "to the end", which is a bit like a festival.She loves those runes.Every year, she always buys a large yellow paper with red Zhong Kui and five bats printed on it, and sticks it on the gate; "Poison" patterns were pasted on the door frames of each house.She may or may not believe that these paper objects have any warding off effect, but she loves their colors and patterns.She thinks they are more beautiful and lovely than Spring Festival couplets.
However, she didn't buy it either.Yes, she saw a copy or two selling talismans, but the price was extremely expensive, because the Japanese were not allowed to use paper indiscriminately, and the price of paint was rising every day.She couldn't bear to spend more money.As for the sellers of puzi and aizi, because of the inconvenience of getting in and out of the city gate, they didn't sell any.
Xiao Shun'er's small mouth gave her mother a lot of embarrassment: "Mom, why don't you wear new clothes for the holidays? Eat rice dumplings? Eat good food? Wipe the word king on your forehead? Mom, you should go to the street to buy meat." How much meat and fish did the Guan’s buy! Mom, Guan’er is posted on the door of Guan’s house. If you don’t believe me, where do you go?” His questioning was like a condemnation of his mother!
Mothers cannot get angry with their children. Children are the center of the Chinese New Year. They should enjoy and be happy.However, she really couldn't find anything to make them laugh out loud.She had no choice but to say ashamedly: "On the fifth day of the lunar new year, realgar is used to wipe the characters for the king! Don't worry, I will wipe it for you!"
"How about a gourd?" Gourds are cherries, little tigers, mulberries, and small gourds made of wool of various colors... connected in a string for girls to wear.
"You brat, what kind of gourd are you wearing?" Mom said with a half smile and half annoyance.
"Put it on for my little sister!" Xiao Shun'er always had many and substantial reasons.Niuzi also refused to lag behind, "Mom! Niuniu Dai!"
Mother had no choice but to spare some time to make a string of "gourds" for Niuzi.She only managed to get entangled with a little yellow tiger, so she pushed the thread basket away.What's the point of hanging a string of "gourds" without any other festive things?If the children don't have any good things in their stomachs, but only wear a bunch of colorful gadgets on their heads or bodies, it is simply deceiving the children!She wept secretly.
Tianyou brought back a catty of pork and two bunches of garlic early in the morning on the fifth day of the lunar new year.Although Xiao Shun'er didn't know how to score two, he could also see how unseemly that piece of meat was. "Grandpa! Just bought such a small piece of meat?" He asked with a smile.
Grandpa didn't answer anything, he walked around in old man Qi's room and his own, and then went back to the shop after striking up a conversation.He was very pessimistic, but he didn't want to tell his family members.There is no way for his business to continue, but he can't close the door.The Japanese do not allow any store to be closed, whether there is business or not.Tianyou knew that since the big and small traitors gained power, the silk and satin business had a slight turn for the better.However, his shop is mainly made of cloth, and silk and satin are only used as the mainstay; people who really pay attention to clothes don't come to take care of him.Just rely on selling cloth, ordinary people and common people in the surrounding suburbs are all concerned about food and not clothing because of the soaring prices, and of course they cannot take care of him.Besides, the wars in various places have cut off the source of goods; he can neither replenish the goods, nor can he be surprised that there are stocks like those big companies.He simply has no business.He is willing to go out of business, but the government is not allowed to report at all.He has to run a shop, which seems to be for paying taxes and subscribing to government newspapers—he has to read two newspapers that he doesn't want to read.He discussed with the shareholders, and they didn't give him any good ideas, but they seemed to be willing to stand aside and watch his jokes.He had to lay off people.This again caused him great pain.Since his shopkeeper didn't break any rules, and he caught up with this time when wars and horses were chaotic and should be in trouble together, why did he dismiss him for no reason?On May Day, he laid off two more people.Both are apprentices taught by him.They understood his difficulties, and did not say a bad word.They are willing to go home, they have land at home, enough for them to eat two meals of cornmeal.However, the more they separated like this, the sadder he felt.He felt that he was incompetent and unfair.The more they forgave him, the worse he felt.
What made him even more worried was that it was said that the Japanese would soon check the goods of each store, and then they would distribute new goods according to the amount of inventory.How much they give you, what they give you what you sell.They may give you three bolts of cloth for two dozen umbrellas.You have to give the buyer a piece of cloth, an umbrella or two, whether he needs an umbrella or not!
Tianyou's black beard showed a few white strands. On the surface, he wanted to pretend to be calm and kept silent.He is the shopkeeper of the shop in Beiping, so he can't talk nonsense in front of the shop assistants and apprentices.However, when no one was in front of him, his beard and mouth kept moving: "Is this a business rule? A cloth shop, selling umbrellas! Am I the shopkeeper here, or is the Japanese the shopkeeper?" After a while, he couldn't help but add "Damn!" He can't swear at people, only these three words are his wild words, and only these three words can make him feel happy.
It was inconvenient for him to tell the people in the shop about these grievances, and he decided not to tell the people at home.To the old father, he not only keeps his grievances in his heart, but also keeps saying that everything is peaceful, in order to teach the old man to be more relaxed.Even to Ruixuan, he didn't want to say anything more. He knew that two of his three sons had left, so he couldn't keep complaining to the eldest son who was the most responsible for the family.When father and son meet, it is almost a great pain.Ruixuan secretly kept his eyes on his father, and when his father's gaze met his son's, he quickly avoided it.Both of them have more or less been soaked in tears for a long time, but it is inconvenient to pour out the words and tears at the same time.One is a shopkeeper in his fifties, and the other is a middle school teacher in his thirties, neither of them could shed tears casually.Moreover, they all know that as soon as they talk freely, they will inevitably talk about the country's ruin and the family will be destroyed, and the more they talk, the more pessimistic they will be.Therefore, when father and son meet, they just smile like that, hypocritically and embarrassingly, and they have to smile.Therefore, Tianyou was even more reluctant to go home.It is true that there is a shortage of people in the shop, but since there is not much business, it is unlikely that we will not be able to spare some time to go home and have a look.He deliberately did not go home, firstly to avoid the pain of encountering his relatives, children and grandchildren, and secondly to show a little bit of his own stubbornness——Since the shop cannot be closed, I will accompany it to the end; But you should do your part!
Among the family, the one who can understand Tianyou best is Ruixuan.With the old man Qi on top, and his sons on the bottom, Tianyou had to let the old father a step ahead in terms of authority, and at the same time, his knowledge and knowledge were not as good as those of his sons, so he had to be a leader at home. A filial son must be a father who is not hated by his sons.Therefore, everyone only sees his honesty and ignores his importance.Only Ruixuan understands that his father is a person who can inherit his grandfather's family tradition of diligence and thrift, and who can enable his son to receive higher education.He respects his father, and often wants to give him some spiritual comfort.He is the eldest son, and his relationship with his father is closer than that of the second and third children; he has known his father for several years longer than his younger brothers.Especially in the past few months, he saw his father's melancholy and his strength to keep his grievances in his stomach, so he wanted to give his father some comfort.However, how to comfort it?Since father and son are not allowed to tell lies, how can he tell the truth to the old man and comfort the old man at the same time; the truth, when the country is subjugated, there is only pain!Let's not talk about national affairs for now, just talking about family affairs is enough for him to talk about.He knew that his father missed his third son, but what words could he teach the old man not to miss his son?He knew that his father was dissatisfied with the second child, so what could he say to make the old man like the second child instead?These are still better not to talk about.However, if they don't even talk about these, what else can father and son talk about?He felt that there seemed to be a veil between father and son, and they could still see each other, but no one could touch the other.The crime of the aggressor is not only to separate his brothers, but also to make the father and son who have not been separated become indifferent to each other!
Everyone ate lunch so-so, and Ruifeng came to visit his grandfather after eating and drinking without knowing where.No, he didn't look like he was visiting his grandfather.After entering the door, he asked his sister-in-law for tea: "Sister-in-law! Make a pot of good tea and drink it! I drank too much wine! Are there any good leaves? If you don't have any, buy it!" He seemed to show his complacency and boredom.
Xiao Shun'er's mother's words were on the verge of her mouth, and she controlled herself again.She wanted to say: "Even my grandfather can't drink good tea. If you understand people, why don't you buy some?" But after thinking about it, she told herself: "Why bother, it's a big deal! Besides, He is ruthless, do I have to be ungrateful?" Thinking so, she sat the kettle on the stove.
Ruixuan hides in the house, pretending to take a nap.However, the second child decided to hate it to the end. "Where's Big Brother? Big Brother!" He called and opened the door. "It's not good to sleep after eating!" He clearly saw his brother lying on the bed, but he decided not to quit.Ruixuan could only sit up.
"Brother, how about the Japanese instructors in your school?" He sat on a small stool, reeking of alcohol, and belched two long and forceful belches.
Ruixuan glanced at his younger brother, but said nothing.
Ruifeng continued: "Brother, you have to know that the instructor, no matter what he teaches, must be the headmaster. He earns more than the headmaster, and naturally has more power than the headmaster. If the headmaster has contacts with Japanese dignitaries Well, the instructor should be more polite; otherwise, the instructor will be hard to serve! Recently, I have made a few Japanese friends. I think so, if my section chief is lost, I can still—— I have the qualifications of a section chief—to be a principal, and to be the principal without being angry with the Japanese instructors, I must have Japanese friends. This is called being prepared, don’t you think, brother?” He blinked, waiting for his brother to praise him he.
Ruixuan still didn't say a word.
"Oh, big brother," the second child's mind was spinning around because of the alcohol, "I heard that next semester, all schools will cut the English language. You are teaching English, you have to make up your mind early! In fact, you can teach anything, as long as you can talk to the Japanese instructors! I see, brother, don’t be so stubborn, the boss will do things with a face ;This year, that won't work! You have to be more active, socialize when you should, and don't be afraid to spend money if you should give gifts! The Japanese are not as bad as you think, as long as you are willing to give gifts, they will be very kind What!" Ruixuan still didn't make a sound.
The second child, with a bit of alcohol in his heart, didn't feel his brother's indifference.After finishing speaking, he felt that he looked like a younger brother, and said good things to his elder brother without getting paid.He stood up, pushed open the door, and called: "Sister-in-law! How's the tea? Please bring it to grandpa's house!" He walked towards Old Man Qi's room.
Ruixuan thought of the instructor at the school——Shan Mu.It was a short man in his fifties, with a square face, gray hair, and wearing deep myopia glasses.Instructor Shan Mu is a zoologist, and his book "Birds of North China" is quite famous.He was not like the instructor that Ruifeng mentioned. Apart from teaching Japanese, he was always reading or making specimens in the room, and he hardly cared about school affairs.He spoke Chinese very well, but when the students scolded him, he just pretended not to hear.Students sometimes put the blackboard eraser on the door, and he would hit his head when he opened the door, and he would not report to the students.This caused Ruixuan to pay attention to him, because Ruixuan heard that the same thing happened in other schools, and after the instructor reported it, the military police immediately came to arrest the students and put them in prison.Ruixuan thought that instructor Shanmu must be a scholar who opposed aggression and war.
However, one incident changed Ruixuan's view.One day, when the teachers were in the lounge, Yamaki walked in gently.After bowing very politely to everyone, he told the dean that he was going to lecture the students, so please listen to them too.His politeness made everyone feel embarrassed not to go.All the students arrived in the auditorium, and he went to the podium very seriously.His eyes were clear, his voice was low and vigorous, and his body did not move. In Chinese, he said, "I have reported to you an event, a major event. My son, Second Lieutenant Shan Mu, was killed in battle in Henan! This is my son. The biggest, the biggest, the glory! China, Japan, is a country of brothers; Japan is fighting in China not to destroy China, but to save China. The Chinese do not understand that the Japanese have insight, courage, and dare to fight to save China. Sacrifice your life. My son, the only son, died in China, which is the most honorable! I tell you, to teach you that my son died for you! I love my son very much, but I don’t Dare to cry, a Japanese should not cry for the death of a hero!" His voice was always so low and powerful, and every word was a controlled madness.His eyes were always dry, without tears.His lips were dry and constricted, like two blades that could open and close.His words, except for a few inappropriate "de", are almost perfect and simple Chinese—his emotions seem to be pressed by some kind of greatest pressure, so he can turn madness into reason, and What is systematic and powerful can be expressed in the language of other countries.After speaking, he fixed his eyes and looked down, as if he despised those people and hated them very much.However, he bowed to them very deeply and politely.Then slowly stepped off the stage.He raised his face, smiled, and looked at everyone again. He walked out gently and quickly.
Rui Xuan really wanted to go to Shan Mu alone and have a talk with him.He wanted to tell Shan Mu: "Your son didn't sacrifice himself to save China at all. Your son and hundreds of thousands of troops came to destroy China!" He also wanted to explain to Shan Mu: "I didn't expect you, a scholar. , are just as stupid as other Japanese! Your stupidity drives you crazy. You only know that you are the best nation that should be your master, but you don’t know that no nation is willing to be your slave. China’s war of resistance is I want to understand you and teach you that you are not the nation of the master, and the peace of the world must depend on the equality and freedom of the nation!" He also told Shan Mu: "You think you have conquered us, but in fact, war It's not over yet, you can't prove whether you won or not! Your theory of subjugation of China in March has come to nothing. Now, you want to use traitors to help you slowly destroy China; your method has changed a little, but you have never realized your Stupid and wrong. Traitors are of no use, they will harm us, and they will harm you too! The Japanese can’t kill China, and the traitors can’t kill China, because China will never bow to you, and the Chinese will never believe it Traitors! You must wake up as soon as possible, call madness madness, mistake mistakes, and stop calling madness and mistakes truth!"
However, he turned around several times on the playground, and swallowed all the words he had thought up.He felt that if a scholar was still crazy to that extent, other Japanese with little knowledge would be even more insane.Even if he persuaded a Shanmu, what's the use?Besides, he might not be able to convince him yet.
If he wants to solve the problem between China and Japan, he can clearly see that only the Chinese can understand the Japanese.When we knock down the "master", he will wake up, lose confidence and make another good idea.Empty words are useless.For the Japanese, bullets are the best propaganda!
Thinking of this, he slowly walked out of the school gate.Along the way, he still hasn't stopped thinking.He thought: It may be a trivial matter to persuade Shan Mu, but what is more important is how to prevent the students from being fooled by the Japanese instructors and the propaganda of the fake newspapers.How can we not teach students to be fooled?In the classroom, he couldn't talk to the students openly, and he doubted that there would be no Japanese detectives among the students and teachers.Besides, he teaches English, so he can't casually talk about Wen Tianxiang and Shi Kefa's story to remind the students.At the same time, if he continued to gossip as usual, except for teaching, wouldn’t he come to the class only for that little salary, and besides taking the money, wouldn’t he have any reason to comfort himself?He couldn't do that, it would be so inhuman!
Today, when he heard what Ruifeng said, he didn't take it to heart.However, he listened to it: the English hours will be reduced after the summer vacation.Although the second child's other words are boring and annoying, this news can't be ignored.How could he live if his hours had been cut in half or more?He stood up.He felt that he should go out for a walk right away, and he could no longer be so obedient.He must find something else to do.For the sake of his family, he can't just teach English for a few hours a week.As a student, since he can't give them any useful guidance, he should leave them-this is not brave, but at least it can be at ease.Running around doing things is what he fears the most.But today, he decided to go out for a run.
He was walking in the courtyard, Xiao Shun'er and Niu Zi were pulling Rui Feng out of Old Man Qi's house.
"Dad!" Xiao Shun'er called out happily. "We'll see!" "What will?" Ruixuan asked.
"All clubs in Peking, stilts, lions, big drums, open roads, five tiger sticks, too many! Too many! All come out today!" Ruifeng answered for Xiao Shun'er. "Originally Xinmin would like to do what it did 20 years ago, teach the city god to go on tour, and play all kinds of things along the way. However, our statue of the city god is too dilapidated and cannot be carried outside, so we only It’s a meeting in Beihai. It’s worth a look. I’ll show you something I haven’t seen for many years. The Japanese have an advantage, they like our old stuff!” “Dad, you go too!” Xiao Shun The son begged his father.
"I don't have time!" Ruixuan said very coldly—not to Xiao Shun'er, of course.
He went out, and Ruifeng and the children followed.Once out of the gate, he saw Da Chibao, Gaodi, Zhaodi, and Fat Juzi all standing under the shade of Huaihuahua trees, as if they were waiting for Ruifeng.They are all dressed up very coquettishly, as if they are some kind of "skills" that go to Beihai to perform.Ruixuan lowered his head and hurried over.He suddenly felt flustered, his stomach felt sour, and he spit out a mouthful of water.The madness of Yamaki and other Japanese, he thought just now, must be taught to the Chinese to understand.However, Da Chibao and Ruifeng have another kind of madness. They regard kneeling and humiliation as enjoyment.The Japanese taught the people of Peking not to eat zongzi, but only showed them something exciting to watch, and they dressed up colorfully to watch!If the Japanese encounter Dachibao and Ruifeng everywhere, they will go crazy forever!He really wanted to go back and talk to Ruifeng.Looking at his hand, such a white and soft opponent, he smiled helplessly.He doesn't hit people.His education and culture are the same as Ruifeng's, and his and Ruifeng's weaknesses are only different in degree!Both he and Ruifeng lack the heroism of the new nation (like the Americans), who fight as they say, laugh as they say, and dare to do something (whether it is to protect the country or to test the speed of airplanes or cars) ,) and sacrificed his life.Thinking of this, he felt that even if his hands were not so white and soft, he couldn't beat Ruifeng anymore;
What made him even more sad was that he now had to ask someone to find something to do.He is a person with no ambitions, and he has always been unwilling to rely on favors and relationships.Friends begged him to do things, and he always did what he could; but he never wanted to help his friends as a cost, but to make a little profit from it.After working for several years, he felt that this style of helping others without asking for others made him always have friends and be respected by them forever.Today, he was forced to do nothing, and had to speak good words to his friends.This made him very sad.The crime of the invaders, he felt, was not only burning, murdering, prostitution and looting, but also exposing the face of everyone!
At the same time, he really hated those students.Teaching has its troubles, but it also has its joys.When you get used to teaching, even if you don't mention any sacred words of education, you don't want to suddenly leave the faces of those lovely young people, those flowers and plants that you have watered with your own painstaking efforts!Besides, although he himself dare not talk about state affairs to the students, at least he is an upright and understanding person.With him and the students together, at least he can use a sentence or two to correct the students' mistakes and teach them to endure humiliation without forgetting revenge.To leave school is to give up this little responsibility!He is sad!
Besides, it was foreign friends he was seeking.On weekdays, he hates "foreign dogs" the most - the kind of cigarette company salesmen who wear their hats askew, put their hands in their trouser pockets, have gold teeth in their mouths, and foreign characters pop out from between their teeth. Translation of the Summer Palace.Therefore, even though he taught English himself, he never used English words in his ordinary conversation.He also never wears a suit.He is not a narrow-minded nationalist, he knows what is admirable in Western civilization and culture.He really hated the shallowness and boredom of the foreign dog who put on a tie and pretended to be a foreign dog.He thought it was the most despicable thing for a dog to rely on others.According to him, "foreign dogs" are more annoying than Ruifeng, because Ruifeng's boredom is purely Chinese, while foreign dogs are double-they don't know what Western culture is, and they treat Chinese culture The benefit is completely lost.Lian Ruifeng can appreciate good Zhuyeqing wine, but foreign dogs must add soda to Zhuyeqing, and then smack their lips and say: It's a bit like foreign wine!When the country is in peril, foreign dogs are the most terrifying people. They usually think that Chinese surnames are not as lively and pleasant as foreign surnames. When they surrender, they will destroy their own culture and cultural relics even more fiercely than foreigners.Among the neighbors, he hates John Ding the most.
However, today, he had to go to the place where John Ding came and went.He also has to find "foreign" things!
He knew that there was no place for him to work in Beiping, which was occupied by the Japanese, if he must "not eat Zhou millet".He cannot teach a family to starve to death without doing anything.Then, find something to do that has nothing to do with the Japanese, there is really nothing you can't forgive yourself for.However, he didn't think it was a taste.If he has a few acres of land, or has a craft, he doesn't have to be embarrassed to support his old relatives.However, he is from Peking.He has to live, and the only way to live is to earn a wage.He almost hated himself for being born in Beiping alone!
Walking to West Chang'an Avenue, he saw a stall of too lions and young lions.With an apricot-yellow pennant at the head of the meeting, he hurried away sweating profusely, as if he was afraid of being late for the meeting.At a glance, he saw Master Liu, a shed craftsman.His heart was cold for a while, why did Master Liu surrender?He knew what Master Liu was like, so he didn't dare to greet him, he knew that would embarrass Master Liu greatly.He himself bowed his head.He didn't want to blame Master Liu, "Anyone who refuses to give up Beiping will have to give up his shame sooner or later!" He muttered to himself.
What he wants to see is what he is most willing to see, but also what he is most afraid of seeing, people.It was an Englishman who had taught him English at the university, Mr. Fushan.Mr. Fushan is a typical Englishman. He always has his own opinions on everything. He will never give up his ideas and opinions easily unless he is refuted to the ground.Even if his opinion has been refuted, he still has to come back and find some weird words to debate a few more times.He seems to enjoy debating.His words are always extremely sharp and extremely blunt, choking people out of breath.However, if someone choked him so much that he couldn't breathe, he wasn't in a hurry.When he was cornered by others, he would choke his neck until his neck was purple, shaking his head again and again.Then he gave wine to the man who had conquered him.He was still unconvinced, but he showed respect for the defeated enemy.
He is very proud because he is British.However, if someone wants to say how good Britain is, he will start to criticize Britain severely, as if Britain has never done a good thing in history.When the other party followed him in criticizing Britain, he changed his mind and defended Britain, which did not seem to have missed a single thing in history.Whether he criticizes Britain or defends Britain, there is nothing British about his behavior, demeanor, and even his every move.
He has lived in Peking for thirty years.He loved Peiping, and his love for Peiping was almost equal to his love for England.Everything in Peiping, even the wind and sand and the manure pickers in Peiping, was good in his opinion.Naturally, it is inconvenient for him to say that Beiping is better than England, but when he is a little drunk, he will tell the truth: "My bones should be buried outside the Jingyi Garden in Xishan!"
He knows more about the customs and anecdotes of Peking than the average Pekingese.Peiping people, who are used to living in Peiping, sometimes think that everything is ordinary.He was a foreigner, and his eyes refused to ignore anything.He looked at everything carefully, and then made judgments, and gradually he became an expert in Beiping.He considers himself the master of Peiping because he knows everything.He hated the foreigners who came to Peiping the most: "You want to understand Peiping in a week? Don't waste your money and insult Peiping!" He said with a little anger.
His lifelong ambition is to write a book called "Peking".He sorts out the manuscript every day, but he always says "It's still a little bit close!" He is British, so when he has not done something, he is absolutely unwilling to open his mouth to publicize it.He refused to tell people that he was going to write a book of "Peking", but in his will, he had already written it - the author of the masterpiece "Peking".
The advantages and disadvantages of the British have a lot to do with their old-fashionedness.Mr. Fushan, since he is British, of course he is conservative.Not only did he keep the old things for Britain, but he was also willing to keep all the old things for Peiping.When he was walking in the city roots or in the suburbs, if he met a "remnant" who was carrying a birdcage or kneading a walnut in his hand, he could talk to him for several hours.He, at such times, forgets England, forgets Shakespeare, and only pays attention to the remnant, and the remnant's bird and walnut.From an Englishman's eyes it seems that he should object to caged birds.But now he forgot about England.His eyes became Chinese, and belonged to a survivor.He feels that China has a whole unique, independent culture, and raising birds is a part of it.He forgot the pain of the birds, and only saw the culture of the people of Peking.
Therefore, he hates the new Chinese the most.The new Chinese want revolution and reform. They want to take off their overcoats and put on short ones. They want women to stop having their feet bound. They want to release thrushes and starlings from cages.He thought that this was all about destroying and destroying the entire culture, and that it should be banned immediately.In good conscience, he has no intention of teaching the Chinese to stop in a pool of stagnant water.However, he was afraid that the Chinese would lose the Peking that he had written down because of reforms.He would take out his collection of woodblock New Year pictures from thirty years ago, and ask the people of Peking: "Look, is it better to see the things from thirty years ago, or the current lithographs? Look at the color, look at the eyebrows, and see看线条，看看纸张，你们哪样比得上三十年前的出品！你们已忘了什么叫美，什么叫文化！你们要改动，想要由老虎变成猫！"
同年画儿一样，他存着许多三十年前的东西，包括着鸦片烟具，小脚鞋，花翎，朝珠。"是的，吸鸦片是不对的，可是你看看，细看看，这烟枪作的有多么美，多么精致！"他得意的这样说。
当他初一来到北平，他便在使馆——就是丁约翰口中的英国府——作事。因为他喜爱北平，所以他想娶一个北平姑娘作太太。那时候，他知道的北平事情还不多，所以急于知道一切，而想假若和中国人联了姻，他就能一下子明白多少多少事情。可是，他的上司警告了他："你是外交官，你得留点神！"他不肯接受那个警告，而真的找到了一位他所喜爱的北平小姐。他知道，假若他真娶了她，他必须辞职——把官职辞掉，等于毁坏了自己的前途。可是，他不管明天，而决定去完成他的"东方的好梦"。不幸，那位小姐得了个暴病儿，死去。他非常的伤心。虽然这可以保留住他的职位，可是他到底辞了职。他以为只有这样才能对得住死者——虽然没结婚，我可是还辞了职。在他心情不好的时候，他常常的嘟囔着："东方是东方，西方是西方，"而加上："我想作东方人都不成功！"辞职以后，他便在中国学校里教教书，或在外国商店里临时帮帮忙。他有本事，而且生活又非常的简单，所以收入虽不多，而很够他自己花的。他租下来东南城角一个老宅院的一所小花园和三间房。他把三间房里的墙壁挂满了中国画，中国字，和五光十色的中国的小玩艺，还求一位中国学者给他写了一块匾——"小琉璃厂"。院里，他养着几盆金鱼，几笼小鸟，和不少花草。一进门，他盖了一间门房，找来一个曾经伺候过光绪皇帝的太监给他看门。每逢过节过年的时候，他必教太监戴上红缨帽，给他作饺子吃。他过圣诞节，复活节，也过五月节和中秋节。"人人都象我这样，一年岂不多几次享受么？"他笑着对太监说。
他没有再恋爱，也不想结婚，朋友们每逢对他提起婚姻的事，他总是摇摇头，说："老和尚看嫁妆，下辈子见了！"他学会许多北平的俏皮话与歇后语，而时常的用得很恰当。
当英国大使馆迁往南京的时候，他又回了使馆作事。他要求大使把他留在北平。这时候，他已是六十开外的人了。
他教过，而且喜欢，瑞宣，原因是瑞宣的安详文雅，据他看，是有点象三十年前的中国人。瑞宣曾帮助他搜集那或者永远不能完成的杰作的材料，也帮助他翻译些他所要引用的中国诗歌与文章。瑞宣的英文好，中文也不错。和瑞宣在一块儿工作，他感到愉快。虽然二人也时常的因意见不同而激烈的彼此驳辩，可是他既来自国会之母的英国，而瑞宣又轻易不红脸，所以他们的感情并不因此而受到损伤。在北平陷落的时候，富善先生便派人给瑞宣送来信。信中，他把日本人的侵略比之于欧洲黑暗时代北方野蛮人的侵袭罗马；他说他已有两三天没正经吃饭。信的末了，他告诉瑞宣："有什么困难，都请找我来，我一定尽我力之所能及的帮助你。我在中国住了三十年，我学会了一点东方人怎样交友与相助！"瑞宣回答了一封极客气的信，可是没有找富善先生去。他怕富善老人责难中国人。他想象得到老人会一方面诅咒日本人的侵略，而一方面也会责备中国人的不能保卫北平。今天，他可是非去不可了。他准知道老人会帮他的忙，可也知道老人必定会痛痛快快的发一顿牢骚，使他难堪。他只好硬着头皮去碰一碰。无论怎么说，吃老人的闲话是比伸手接日本人的钱要好受的多的。
果然不出他所料，富善先生劈头就责备了中国人一刻钟。不错，他没有骂瑞宣个人，可是瑞宣不能因为自己没挨骂而不给中国人辩护。同时，他是来求老人帮忙，可也不能因此而不反驳老人。
富善先生的个子不很高，长脸，尖鼻子，灰蓝色的眼珠深深的藏在眼窝里。他的腰背还都很直，可是头上稀疏的头发已差不多都白了。他的脖子很长，而且有点毛病——每逢话说多了，便似堵住了气的伸一伸脖子，很象公鸡要打鸣儿似的。
瑞宣看出来，老人的确是为北平动了心，他的白发比去年又增加了许多根，而且说话的时候不住的伸脖子。虽然如此，他可是不便在意见上故意的退让。他不能为挣钱吃饭，而先接受了老人的斥责。他必须告诉明白了老人：中国还没有亡，中日的战争还没有结束，请老人不要太快的下断语。辩论了有半个多钟头，老人才想起来："糟糕！只顾了说话儿，忘了中国规矩！"他赶紧按铃叫人拿茶来。送茶来的是丁约翰。看瑞宣平起平坐和富善先生谈话，约翰的惊异是难以形容的。
喝了一口茶，老人自动的停了战。他没法儿驳倒瑞宣，也不能随便的放弃了自己的意见，只好等有机会另开一次舌战。他知道瑞宣必定有别的事来找他，他不应当专说闲话。他笑了笑，用他的稍微有点结巴，而不算不顺利的中国话说："怎样？找我有事吧？先说正经事吧！"
瑞宣说明了来意。
老人伸了好几下脖子，告诉瑞宣："你上这里来吧，我找不到个好助手；你来，我们在一块儿工作，一定彼此都能满意！你看，那些老派的中国人，英文不行啊，可是中文总靠得住。现在的中国大学毕业生，英文不行，中文也不行——你老为新中国人辩护，我说的这一点，连你也没法反对吧？""当一个国家由旧变新的时候，自然不能一步就迈到天堂去！"瑞宣笑着说。
"哦？"老人急忙吞了一口茶。"你又来了！北平可已经丢了，你们还变？变什么？"
"丢了再夺回来！"
"算了！算了！我完全不相信你的话，可是我佩服你的信念坚定！好啦，今天不再谈，以后咱们有的是机会开辩论会。下星期一，你来办公，把你的履历给我写下来，中文的和英文的。"
瑞宣写完，老人收在衣袋里。"好不好喝一杯去？今天是五月节呀！"