Chapter 215 Zhenghong flag (5)

Yes, I will never forget that event in my life.Not because he is the shopkeeper, nor because he sent a pair of pig's trotters.Because, he is Han Chinese.It is true that in those days, some Han people who owned real estate would rather leave their houses empty than rent them to Manchus and Muslims.However, the people from Shandong and Shanxi who came to Beijing for business, as well as the general Han people who worked hard to eat, were inseparable from us poor bannermen, and passed through the house.Some rich and powerful Manchus still look down on the Han people and Hui people, so they don't think much of us coming and going with the Han people and Hui people.Anyway, they are them, we are us, and no one can stop the people from being friendly to each other.

After my three days, it's time to celebrate the New Year.Aunt was very upset.She has to buy a lot of things, and her mother can't do it for her during the confinement period.Fortunately, her father was at home, and she was embarrassed to turn her face, but her eyebrows were tightly knitted, and her cheeks twitched from time to time.The second sister noticed: the volcano is about to erupt.She hurried to discuss with her father.My father decided to assign her to my aunt as a purchasing specialist.The second sister knew that this was the worst job to do, but she couldn't refuse. "Half a catty of high vinegar, go to the Shanxi shop to get it; don't feel bad about shoes; don't go to the small oil and salt shop! Do you hear me?" The aunt counted for a long time before cruelly handing over the money to Xiao Liben and the commissioner.

The vinegar just came back, and the second sister hadn't stood still. "I have to go to make sesame oil, and I need to grind the sesame oil, understand?" Aunt issued another order. Yes, my aunt doesn't like to hand over a few pennies all at once to buy several things at a time.She always felt that it was a good deal to buy the same thing and pay less each time.The second sister is patient.How does my aunt support her, what will she do.She was not at all troubled, but she was very sorry for her shoes.When it was time to buy more expensive things, my aunt went out in person.She didn't want to give a lot of money to the second sister, and she didn't want the second sister to know that she bought such expensive things.When no one was in the yard, she slipped out like a small fish sneaking away.On the street, she wanted to buy everything she saw, but she thought it was too expensive.In the crowd, she squeezed back and forth, looking at this and that, very calm so as not to be fooled.As a result, after going around for two or three hours, she didn't buy anything back.It wasn't until New Year's Eve, when she had to go shopping, that she took her second sister on the expedition.The second sister was carrying a basket with all kinds of small bottles and jars in it.This time, my aunt was no longer calm, and bought several things at one stall, and the purchases were not cheap.However, she is most jealous of people saying that her things are expensive.So when the second sister reported to her mother, she always put her mouth on her mother's ear and covered her mouth with her hands before she dared to laugh.

Our new year was very simple.The mother was not allowed to go to the farm yet, the second sister was transferred to be a commissioner, and everything had to be handled by the father.Although his father is a banner soldier, he has lost the all-powerful aura he had two hundred years ago.If he was given a chance, he would also play around like Zhengweng, sit in a teahouse, roast two chickens on credit, and hum a few Erhuang or paizi tunes.However, he didn't have the chance to wear the crown and feathers.The twenty or thirty mu of land outside the northern city had already been sold by the predecessors, leaving only a little over one mu, lined with several grave mounds.The houses distributed by his banner had already been mortgaged and then sold by his ancestors, and they were exchanged for roast ducks.It is said that my great-grandmother traveled to remote places such as Yunnan with a Manchu official.There is no way to check how many ingots that senior official got.My great-grandmother's task was probably to help the wife of the official to get on and off the sedan chair, and to pack cigarettes and tea for the wife.In our family, these tasks of our great-grandmother are not mentioned much, but we only remember that she bought our house.

Yes, the only carefree thing for my father is that he doesn't have to pay rent every month, although he has to be a little anxious when it rains heavily in June and July-the courtyard walls are all made of broken bricks. It collapsed in several places when it rained heavily.He has no hobbies, neither smokes nor gambles, and only drinks one or two glasses of wine during festivals, and before he puts down the glass, he is full of face.He loves flowers and plants the most. Every summer, he will buy a few five-color plums at a very low price that his grandma doesn't love and his uncle doesn't love.As for kenaf, jasmine, etc., they grow on their own every year, and even without watering, they will bloom in due time.When it was time to go to work, he went to work.After work, he went straight home.When he got home, he was not very literate, so he didn't read; there was only a piece of "Wang Xizhi Loves Goose" painted by a painter hidden in his home, and he didn't watch it at any time, because he found it on the wall every New Year's Eve and hung it on the tenth day of the first lunar month. Nine is taken off.He only goes in and chops firewood, looks at five-color plums, or cleans the rice vat.When someone talked to him, he was very kind and answered a few words in a low voice.No one asked him anything, so he kept smiling and kept silent all day long.To people, he is quite polite.But when he was walking on the street, he always did not look at him wrongly, and he would not rush to greet him unless his friends greeted him.Whenever his mother asked him to visit relatives and friends, he would gladly go.Not long after, he went back home. "Yo! How did you come back so soon?" my mother asked.My father just smiled, and then used a cloth duster to dust off the dust on the shoes.All his life, he had never fought or quarreled with anyone.He is more honest than anyone.However, no one bullies him a lot, he is a banner soldier with a belt badge.

When I was a teenager, I always liked to ask my mother: what is my father like?If my mother is happy, she will tell me about those characteristics of my father.I always thought my father was a very strange bannerman. My father was very happy when he threw the green onion that had hit me three times onto the room.From then on, until he found "Wang Xizhi Loves Goose" and hung it up, he not only kept smiling, but also spoke to everyone first.Almost as soon as he saw anyone, he asked: What should this kid be called? After researching and researching, it was not until New Year's Eve when I burned the paper money for my ancestors that I decided that my official name was Chang Shun, my nickname was Baldy, and I was short of "Taifu".

Apart from this, my father didn't buy anything for the New Year, the main reason was that he didn't have money.He did not ignore the gods and Buddhas, and not only invited the paper statues of the God of Wealth and the Stove King, but also invited high incense, large and small red candles, and five bowls of unbaked mooncakes.He also cooked rice for several years, and served it in a special small rice bowl, put a few red dates on it, covered it with a piece of persimmon, inserted a pine branch, and hung a few small gold paper ingots on the branch, which looked quite interesting. New Year weather.He simply expressed the joy in his heart: "It doesn't matter what we eat or not, but we can't wrong the gods and Buddhas! The gods and Buddhas rewarded me with an old son!"

On New Year's Eve, my mother and I fell asleep very early, and seemed not very interested in the New Year.The second sister helped my aunt to make New Year's dishes, and my aunt chatted while working, mainly because she was dissatisfied with me. "Don't come early, don't come late, why come here to make trouble during the Chinese New Year, you bald boy!" Whenever she scolded to the fullest, her father would come over and ask with a smile, "Sister, let me help you!" !" "You?" My aunt looked at him, as if she had never met him before. "You talk when you don't think! Think about it, what will you do?"

Father thought for a while with a smile, and then walked out backwards like he was saying goodbye to Zuo Ling or Shen Ling. On the street, there are more and more fireworks for worshiping gods.In the alley, every family was chopping dumpling stuffing, and there was a lot of noise.When the firecrackers and the sound of chopping dumpling stuffing combine, it's like a galloping horse and a roaring tide.Above all the noise, suddenly here, suddenly there, with an overwhelming momentum, the debt collectors knocked on the door knocker, slamming, slamming, as if the door and the knocker were smashed together at once, it was thrilling, and everyone was shocked. , Even the most stubborn big dog trembled, not daring to make a sound easily.How many humble beggings, or life-and-death quarrels, were aroused by this sound, mixed with the cries of women and children.In order to avoid this voice, some men who want face and have no choice but to avoid this voice secretly go to the root of the city or outside the city on this night of auspicious clouds, and end their lives silently.

My father made dumplings with vegetarian fillings alone.He is quite nervous.It is a tradition in my family to make dumplings stuffed with vegetarian stuffing on New Year’s Eve. It is not only for Buddha, but also to save pork.The work for the Buddha must be delicate, small in size, beautiful and strong with pinched flowers on the edge-it is unlucky to boil the dumplings.The more nervous he is, the more disobedient the dumplings are. Some are shaped like boats, some are like little mice, and some still keep their mouths open no matter how hard they try. In addition to low technology, I'm afraid it also has something to do with "absent-mindedness".He was thinking about his eldest daughter.Although he himself is living without money, he really knows this fact, so he dare not count the use of every money, lest the creditor knock the knocker on the door in the third section.As for Zhengweng, his wife and Duofu, they thought it was a waste of money to get credit, and never considered how to repay the debt.If someone was willing to lend them the White Tower in Beihai, they would accept it without hesitation.He couldn't figure out what clever strategy they had to pass the New Year's Eve, so he was extremely worried about his eldest daughter.

The mother was awakened by a loud knock on the door nearby.She didn't sleep well, and she was also thinking about her eldest daughter in a panic.However, she couldn't get up enough energy to discuss this matter with her father, so she just said: You should sleep too! Watching the new year's Eve and staying up all night is an old rule that must be followed for many lifetimes.My father was amazed at my mother's suggestion.He hummed, and made dumplings as before, and found a small coin, wiped it clean, and put it in a dumpling, so as to test whose luck was better——whoever got this dumpling, if he didn’t swallow the small coin by mistake, he would be lucky all year round!He decided to keep the New Year's Eve, so that the oil lamps, the small iron stove, and the incense in front of the Buddha continued all night long.He has an old son, and he has hope, so the lights must be prosperous, the weather is magnificent, and good luck!He also went to move the big green tile basin in order to store the dirty water, and pour it out after "Bao Wu".After making another mouse-like dumpling, he picked up the imperial calendar to see clearly the location of the God of Wealth and the God of Joy, so that he could face them when he left the house tomorrow morning.He became happy again, thinking that as long as he lived frugally and was blessed by gods and Buddhas, everything would go smoothly and all seasons would be safe! In the middle of the night, there are more fireworks on the street, and shopkeepers start offering sacrifices to the gods.Father laughed again.He didn't quite know whether Yunnan was to the east or north, let alone whether Britain was next to the United States or not far from Yunnan.As long as he heard the sound of fireworks in Beijing, he felt that the world was peaceful and everyone was happy. The second sister came in with her mouth pouted, holding two pieces of Double Ninth Flower Cake in her hands, with tears in her eyes.She wasn't annoyed that she didn't even get any lucky money after helping her aunt for so many days.However, she got angry when she received two pieces of ancient flower cakes that were placed on New Year's Eve by Chongyang!As soon as she was about to throw it on the ground, she was stopped by her father. "That's not good, Erniu!" Father took the two antique snacks and put them on the table. "Second girl, don't cry, don't cry! That's not auspicious!" The second sister held back her tears. The father took out a few hundred dollars and handed it to the second sister: "When Xiao Li comes over, buy some jelly beans or something, and use it as a side dish!" He knew that Xiao Li would sell until dawn tonight, and many of them couldn't afford the regular side dishes. The children are waiting for him. After a while, Xiao Li really came over.Just as the second sister was about to go out, the aunt opened the door: "Second girl, just now, I just fed your... the dog! Come, come here!" She stuffed a new red money ticket into the second sister's hand, and then said Bang slammed the door shut.The second sister went out and bought some jelly beans, jujubes, and two bunches of candied haws.When I came back, I asked my aunt first: "Auntie, don't you want to eat a bunch of gourds? White crabapple!" My aunt replied: "Sleep! See you next year!" Father could tell that if Auntie were to end this year like this, the beginning of next year would probably not go well.He hurried over and asked hesitantly outside the door: "Sister! Why don't you play cards with me, Er Niu?" "How much money do you save?" Aunt asked. "Bet on iron broad beans!" My aunt laughed loudly, and when she finished laughing for a while, she blew out the lamp with a scolding sound! When my father came back, he said in a low voice: I made fun of her, maybe tomorrow we won't have a falling out! The father and daughter chatted while eating jelly beans. "On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, I have to pick up my eldest sister." The second sister said. "right!" "What should I give her to eat? The father-in-law and mother-in-law pick and choose what to eat, but the eldest sister can't eat anything!" Father said nothing.He really wanted to get some delicious food for his eldest daughter, but... "My little brother is full moon, and I have to..." The second sister was unwilling to continue. My father wanted to spend New Year's Eve economically and happily, but he couldn't be happy no matter what.He didn't dare to doubt whether the Qing Dynasty could rule the country for hundreds of millions of years.However, even if the Qing emperor could sit firmly in the Golden Luan Palace forever, and his son could fill in the vacancy and become a banner soldier, so what?Giving birth to a son is the greatest joy, but it can also become the most worrying thing! "Little brother has grown up," said the second sister, with an iron broad bean in her mouth, trying to say a few beautiful words to cheer up her father. "You have to come to a Xiaoqi school at the youngest, the fifth-rank top wearer, just like the eldest brother-in-law!" "So what?" Dad didn't feel happy. "Or, tell him to study a lot of books, go to the exam, and get a Jinshi!" "Who can afford it?" The smile on my father's face disappeared. "Just tell him to learn crafts! Just like the second brother Fuhai!" The second sister wondered why she thought of so many ideas tonight, or what happened to the jelly beans and iron broad beans. "We banner people, but if you don't learn crafts, you don't learn!" The father and daughter kept talking about three o'clock in the morning, but they still couldn't find a way out for the younger brother.The second sister finished eating the candied haws, and then fell asleep.The father found out a set of dominoes that lacked a "tiger head"②, and told the old son's fortune alone.On the first day of the new year, the first one to come to pay New Year's greetings is naturally the second brother Fu Hai.As soon as he kowtowed, my father raised the difficulty of having a full moon for me.The second elder brother came up with an idea that was not easy to come by: "When you go to pay New Year's greetings, just say goodbye!" Father sat on the edge of the Kang, holding a cup of tea, speechless for a long time.He knew that the second brother came up with a good idea.However, I am really sorry for my old son!How can a son who has honored his ancestors not have a full moon? "You see, even if you resign from door to door, you can't stop them. We banner people like this!" The second brother smiled. "However, that's easy to handle. Anyway, we said first that we won't hold the full moon, so if we have to come, we have nothing to say; we will wait for you with tea, and they won't be picky!" "That can't be waiting for you with tea!" Father said with a frown. "That is to say! Get something to eat anyway, they can't be picky, and we finally gave the little brother a full moon!" Father nodded again and again, with a smile on his face: "Yes! Yes! Second child, you are right!" It seemed as if he didn't need to spend a penny to get something to eat. "Second girl, take the trousers! Second child, let's go! I'm going to celebrate the New Year too!" "What are you up to?" "Tell relatives and friends earlier, and feel at ease!" The second sister found out her father's pair of maroon satin chaps.The trousers are two years older than the second sister, but they are not obviously too old, because they are only worn during New Year's greetings and congratulations.On the sixth day, the eldest sister came back, and we didn't order her a mixed hot pot or Su-style box from Bianyifang.The mother's eyes always follow the elder sister, as if she can't see enough of her, but also sorry for her.The eldest sister said something from her heart: "Grandma, don't keep looking at me, I don't want to eat anything! As long as I can sleep well and rest my legs, I will recite the Buddha's name!" When she said that, her lips trembled a little. She dared to cry, she didn't want to cry at her natal home to pour out her grievances, to wash away the auspiciousness of the new year.On the ninth day of the ninth day, she returned to her husband's house.When a gust of wind came, she shed two tears, blaming the sand for blinding her eyes. My aunt has been playing cards everywhere since the sixth day of junior high school, and it went well, winning several times.Therefore, although our New Year is materially poor, it is quite energetic in spirit.On the night of the Lantern Festival, she took the initiative to take her second sister to watch the lanterns, and went to the Chenghuang Temple west of the back door to watch Huopaner with five sense organs blazing outside.She seems to have attached great importance to the second sister these days, probably because the second sister did not refuse the gift of two ancient flower cakes on New Year's Eve.That might be a test to see if the second sister is really honest and obedient.If the second sister refuses, it means that she does not recognize the hegemony of the aunt in this yard, and she will definitely be punished. In our house, we didn’t even buy a glutinous rice ball.We must save money to entertain unstoppable relatives and friends on the day of my full moon. On that day, there were indeed several congratulators.The first one is the eldest brother-in-law Dofu.His face was a little thinner, because from the first day to the nineteenth day of junior high school, he was too busy to describe.He visited all the temple fairs.In the second day of junior high school, he went to the Temple of Wealth to borrow ingots, and he was convinced that he was very devout and would be able to make some money this year.In Baiyun Temple, he hit the old Taoist sitting in the bridge hole with copper coins, and tapped the back of the released old pig with a small stick to see if it would bark or not.In Changdian, he bought a kite and a large bunch of Shanlihong.In Dazhong Temple, he drank soy milk and participated in the lottery for nothing, and got back a piece of sesame candy the size of a fingernail.In various temple fairs, those who practice martial arts, those who talk about cross talk, those who sing bamboo board script, and those who juggle...all get rewarded by him, and are called the God of Wealth by the artists.Only on the racecourse outside Baiyunguan, he didn't show his skills, because he didn't have a horse, and even if he had a horse, he wouldn't know how to ride it.When he entered the city, he hired a big black donkey with a brass bell on his neck. He ran very fast and won applause from the tourists.He was so proud that when he lost his mind, the black donkey ran away, leaving him in the sandy nest.On the 14th, 15th, and 16th nights, he went to see the gauze lanterns, ox horn lanterns, ice lanterns, and malt dragon lanterns in front of the Dongdan West Fourth Drum Tower for three consecutive nights; A hole was burned in the crepe jacket. He came to congratulate, mainly to report the experience of the game and spread knowledge to everyone.He told my mother and second sister that they couldn't get along.So, he had no choice but to come over and inspire me: Little brother, grow up quickly, I will take you to play!We bannermen, we can do nothing but talk about eating, drinking and having fun. Remember, we are number one in the world! My father wanted to ask Dofu several times how he passed the New Year's Eve, but he swallowed the words back on his lips.After coming and going, it was up to Dofu to say it himself: the house deed was mortgaged, so it was a fat year.The father couldn't help frowning when he heard this.In the eyes of my father and the general old and prudent banner people, I must live in my own house in order to be deeply rooted and live in Beijing forever.As for those who have made a fortune by being an official, "eating tiles"① is the most reliable.Taking the income of Zhengweng and Duofu as an example, if they could manage their household diligently and thriftly, they would have already owned several small houses, and they would receive rent money every month.However, they mortgaged the house deed!Seeing his father frowning, Duo Fu had to explain a little: Don't worry, that's right, if you pledge the deed, you are selling the house!As soon as the salary comes down, take it back! "That's good! Good!" the father said in his mouth, but he was very doubtful in his heart whether they would see their house deed again. Seeing that the words were not speculative, and seeing that there was no hope of having a banquet, Dofu disappeared in a flash. The eldest aunt was panting again, and the second brother Fu Hai went to work, only the uncle came to sit for a while.Everyone earnestly asked him to stay for dinner, but he resolutely refused.However, his coming to Congratulations had some effect.My aunt wanted to lose her temper when she saw such a clean pot and cold stove, but when my uncle visited her house as a leader, she smiled again.After the uncle left, she asked her father: Why didn't you tell me earlier?Three taels of silver, I can still take it out!It's not like talking so cold and clear!The father just struck up a conversation for a while, hehe, and said in his heart: Good guy, use your money for a full moon, my old son will call you scolded! This year, spring came earlier.A few days before my full moon, there have been two or three strong winds in Beijing.Yes, the spring breeze in Beijing does not seem to bring spring here, but blows it away violently.In those years, people only knew how to cut trees, but not planted them. Gradually, the mountains became bare mountains, and the land became bare land.In the past, there were three or five cypress trees even in our small cemetery, but in my father's generation, this has become a legend.The Bald Mountains in the north cannot stop the strong wind from beyond the Great Wall, and the city wall of Beijing, however strong and thick, cannot stop it.The cold wind rolled the yellow sand, and the ghosts and gods blew, the sky was dim, and the sun and the moon were dark.The blue sky turned into yellow sky, and yellow sand fell.On the ground, the black soil containing horse urine and donkey dung flew into the sky triumphantly together with trivial matters.In mid-air, black and yellow gradually mixed up and down, forming a dark gray mist, covering the sun.Where the sun is, there is red in the yellow, like a coagulated blood clot. When the wind came, the towering archway outside the shop made a chaotic noise, and the cloth cover was blown to pieces, bringing horses neighing and cows screaming from miles away.The big tree lowered its tip to the point that it could not be lowered, dry branches and dried locust beans fell one after another, and the crow's nests on the branches were scattered here and there.All the dust on the corridor and the sidewalk seemed to fly up, and there was no one on the other side.People who have to go out are like fish struggling in the turbulent waves. Those who walk with the wind can't help running forward;Their bodies and faces were covered with black soil, as if they had just been drilled out of the ground; tears were streaming from their red eyes, and two small mud ditches were punched out on both sides of their noses. The poor people in the house felt that the gable wall was shaking, the roof tiles were lifted, and the house and the people were blown away somewhere.The wind blows in from all directions, pushing out all the heat, and the water tank freezes during the day.The table and the kang were covered with foul-smelling dust, and even the bean juice that was being boiled was covered with white waves, and there was a black circle around the edge of the pot. For a while, the wind whizzed away from the high altitude; for a while, it came again scratching the ground, hitting the courtyard wall, making a loud roar, blowing the torn paper and dry grass leaves in the courtyard to nowhere.A gust of wind passed by, everyone let out a sigh of relief, and their hearts fell back to their original positions from the height.However, the wind came again, making people feel dizzy.The sky, the earth, even the red walls of the imperial city and the golden palace seemed to be trembling.The sun has lost its brilliance, and Beijing has become a place where flying sand can run amok.The wind and the sunset, everyone is looking forward to the early setting of the ugly sun.In the evening, it was really quiet.The branches of the big tree straightened up again, although they still swayed lightly from time to time, they were obviously relaxed and happy.The courtyard was even cleaner than it had just been swept, and all the torn papers were missing, except for one or two pieces that were hidden in the corners occasionally.There are some small grave mounds piled up on the window ridges, the soil is extremely dry and fine.On the window sill, it is thicker here and thinner there, and there are patches of light yellow fine soil piled up, like the traces of water flowing on the beach after the water has receded.Everyone felt more at ease and hoped that there would be no wind tomorrow.But who knows what will happen!At that time, there was no weather forecast. How else to put it, I am very lucky!On the day of my full moon, not only was there no wind, but also the wild geese that had returned to the north earlier came up from the blue sky.Although there were not many of them, the clear and clear chirping made everyone run into the yard, raised their heads to point, and read: "Seventy-nine rivers open, eighty-nine geese come", very excited.Everyone also discovered that a small clump of tender green Artemisia leaves was exposed from the cracks in the bricks of the steps.The second sister was about to take off her big padded jacket, but was stopped by her mother: "Don't take it off! Spring cover autumn cold!" At this moment, a thumping car came and stopped outside our door.Immediately afterwards, a burst of laughter, clearer than the sound of geese, entered the courtyard from outside the door.Everyone was taken aback!