Chapter 6 "Beating villains" under the Gooseneck Bridge?

When I came to Hong Kong in September 2004, I raised my eyebrows quite high at the beginning, thinking that Hong Kong has shrunk a bit after we have transferred more than a dozen films in the capitalist world?Market economy, mechanical transparency.But after setting up camp and preparing to live in it, I gradually realized that Hong Kong is a place where you look at the flowers and live for a long time. Although this city is small, it is unimaginable. It is very similar to the sky here, often covered by a cloud A cloud of fog——I persistently rushed in, and the cloud and fog drowned me out. When I came out, I wanted to go in again, making myself drenched all day long, but what I gained was nothing but a handful of water vapor.Therefore, many things in Hong Kong may still be new to mainlanders. With a special history of more than 100 years, people have never been idle for a day. How many strange things do you want to save?Among them, "beating villains" first attracted my attention——

"Beat the villain", the patent of old China. In the past, when Chinese people hated someone until their teeth ached, they generally would not rush forward to directly argue with the other party, let alone draw a gun to a duel like the hot-blooded men in the West. Instead, they liked to whisper bad things about this person behind their backs. Spit on the ground, women are even worse, hide and hide, get a rough step doll to stick needles on it every night. The first time I heard about "beating villains" under the Gooseneck Bridge was when I chatted with a painter friend after I arrived in Hong Kong. He said: Do you know Causeway Bay in Hong Kong?I said of course I know, it is one of the most famous commercial centers in Hong Kong.The painter said: Yes, the "Gooseneck Bridge" is in the southwest of "Causeway Bay". It is very old, and most mainlanders don't go to see it.But this bridge is very historical and famous - "history" means that many years ago, the small bridge here did cross a small river that bends like a gooseneck, so the name "gooseneck bridge" is beautiful and clear ; As for the "famous hall", it refers to a custom under the bridge, or a "juggle" - "beating villains".

Hong Kong also has "beating villains"?Right near downtown? ! After listening to the painter's words, I was ecstatic: who said Hong Kong is a cultural desert?Isn't such an ancient "culture" preserved to this day?I asked the painter: "The business is still on fire now?" The painter nodded wildly: Oh, it's on fire!If you don't believe me, take the time to take a look. Several old ladies, known as "witches", move a small wooden stool every day, and sit under the Gooseneck Bridge as if going to work on time. When someone asks, the "sorceress" will hold up the shoe hammer and hit the "five ghost paper" that symbolizes the "villain" placed on a brick, muttering to herself while beating, saying They are all spells, one string after another: "Slap your little head, and you won't get ahead when you succeed"; Waiting for you to be sued by others every day, and you will get old forever"; "Slap your throat until you can't breathe smoothly, and you will suffer from tuberculosis and stroke"... When the "little person" is beaten to death, the "witch" will invite you Take out a "white tiger" made of paper, let the "white tiger" bite the "little man", and then "hold" it into a charcoal basin and burn it on fire!

I don't know how long the "beating villains" under the Gooseneck Bridge has been in Hong Kong. I heard from the painter that some descendants of Hong Kong were not born in Hong Kong at all, but they will come back to make such a trick when they grow up. .I searched the Internet and found that the traditional Chinese "beating villains" was first popular in the Tang Dynasty. " and "Breaking the Sun" are both prosperous days for "beating the villain".The most popular day for "beating villains" in Hong Kong is "stinging", because after "stinging", hibernating animals will wake up no matter good or bad. In order to avoid being persecuted by "villains" or encounter disasters in the coming year, it has become a tradition to "worship the white tiger and beat villains" on the day of Waking of Insects. On this day, many people in Hong Kong will scramble to get under the Gooseneck Bridge.

March 6, 2005, which is the seventh day of the second month of the lunar calendar, happened to be the day of the "stinging sting". I was pinching my fingers and looking forward to it, but I missed the wonderful moment because of work, so I had to go to the newspaper and the Internet the next day. Look at the photos and text descriptions of the fireworks under the Gooseneck Bridge taken by other reporters-at noon today, the sound of crackling under the Gooseneck Bridge came one after another, and more than a dozen "witches" set up stalls here to represent "beating children" people", and there were hundreds of citizens waiting.In front of every mother-in-law who set up a stall, there is a shrine. The offerings are different. There are red-faced Guan Gong, white-clothed Guanyin, and Huang Daxian, who is especially trusted by the locals. There are also foreign lucky cats; Incense burner, a pot of charcoal fire, a pair of cups and sticks for divination... But when the host is seated, the mother-in-law who "beats the villain" begins to offer three sticks of incense in front of the shrine, and then asks the "villain" that the guests want to beat gender, name...

Because I missed the "sting sting", I regretted it very much, and I couldn't wait for the next year, so I rushed to the Gooseneck Bridge alone at noon on March 21, sitting in the car and took out the plant from the Internet. Preview of the "Ligers" of "Hitting the Villain" in advance: When I arrived at the scene, I had already expected that the beauty of the Gooseneck Bridge that I had been fascinated by in the past would be gone. Sure enough, a few huge bridge pillars supported a triangular land of about 100 meters, and the ground was dark (the vegetable market next door ), three "witches" are sitting under the bridge doing nothing, and they can see that there is no business for the time being.Looking around, I really hope that a hateful victim can appear quickly at this moment. A few minutes later, a woman who looks like a staff member came. Expressionless, whispering to the old lady, I think she must be reporting the name of the "little person" in her heart to the "witch", so I can't help but think: the "little person" in the heart of this good-looking woman "Who could it be?Give her a "boss in tiny shoes"? "A co-worker who turns jealous"?The "ex-boyfriend" who defrauded her of money?Or the "fox mistress" who broke her family?

Just guessing, the "witch" who "beats the villain" has become excited, and hits the "five ghost paper" placed on a brick. The "little man" mentioned the lard barrel in front of the shrine, and swept the raw lard a few times, so that the lard blocked the "little man"'s mouth, and he could no longer bite people everywhere. I lit the fire step by step, and burned the virtual "villain" to paper ashes... After watching "The Witch", the young woman worked hard to eliminate harm for herself, opened her handbag to take out money, her face was still the same as when she came, without any expression.I have been stationed in Hong Kong for nearly three years, and I know that life in Hong Kong is not easy. Young people have to work hard to save for work, marriage, family, house, and retirement. They are under great psychological pressure, and their sorrow and resentment cannot be expressed in words.Since ancient times, there has been a popular saying among the Chinese folks that "everyone blames others and dies without a disease". The ancient gooseneck bridge gave Hong Kong people a place to vent quietly, allowing them to have a place to stretch their always tight nerves - isn't that true? Is it the basic reason why Hong Kong is such a developed modern society that "beating villains" has been preserved to this day?

Standing under the Gooseneck Bridge that day, I seemed like an outsider.Although I watched a wonderful "performance" with my hands on the sidelines, and didn't intend to keep an eye on how much money the "subject" would spend out of his wallet, there was still a feeling of voyeurism in my heart.Fortunately, at this time, the other two "witches" who had been idle under the bridge once again asked me for business: "Well, are you hitting the villain?" Believe in this way of revenge), but still turned around, anyway, doing social research and watching the excitement, I picked a "fat" "witch" and approached her, pretending that I didn't understand anything, and asked the mother-in-law : "What are you doing here (what are you doing)?" The "witch" of "Fat Dudu" is about 60 years old, with a broad face, smooth skin and tender flesh, and it seems that the standard of living is not low. She said: " Hit the villain." I asked again, "Then what do you do when you beat the villain?" The face of the "witch" began to deform, and the original kindness in the eyes met me, a mainlander who didn't know anything about it, and the questions were not pleasant, and immediately got a little bored, and stared at me with big eyes in surprise, That energy is clearly asking: I don't know "what to do" what are you doing here?She never seemed to have thought about it herself.

I was embarrassed and didn't know whether to go or continue to "ask her for advice". Maybe the "witch" really didn't think about why modern people believe in "beating villains"?It has been a custom for hundreds of years, people don't need to ask "why", not to mention that she comes to the bridge every day, "beating villains" is already a kind of earning. I didn't dare to look "Fat Dudu" in the eye, and they didn't bother to talk to me anymore. This kind of situation is about to become embarrassing, thanks to the third "witch" who couldn't sit still, she leaned up from the small wooden stool graciously, and beckoned me to go to her, so I left with an excuse and moved to the third booth , but I still had something wrong in my mind, because I hadn’t had time to find out the price of "beating a villain", so I continued to ask: "Grandma, how much does it cost for you to hit a villain?" The third "witch" was very happy: "40 Wen (40 yuan)." Then she pulled me to squat down, and I instinctively stepped back, trying to avoid her fat hands full of confetti and possibly lard, and hurriedly said, "No, no , wait a while." At first, this "witch" thought that I thought her asking price was too high, so she slowed down and pulled me again: "Then type 40 Wen, if you type 3, it will be 100 Wen!"

I knew that now I had a chance to escape—I thought that "beating villains" under the Gooseneck Bridge was just a bit like "doing things", even a kind of "metaphysical" game—modern people live a modern life In the days and nights, if you have nothing to do, you can dig out the ancient customs and play with it jokingly.But the last "sorceress" hawked, which made me suddenly realize: one 40, three 100, this "witch" really doesn't understand that "beating villains" is first of all a kind of "culture"? "culture"!Small profits but quick turnover?It's not like selling side dishes in a pinch!No wonder the female staff member I saw just now was dressed in a decent dress and had no expression on her face. In her heart, she may not necessarily believe that "beating villains" really works. Distressed, but if the "witch" slaps her dozens of times, the "little people" around her will be completely wiped out, and they will no longer haunt her eyes or dreams 100%?