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① "Plum fire" weather: In the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, plums are yellow and ripe in April and May every year, and it rains for several days, which is called the plum rain season. Because the sun and rain alternately force people, it is also called "fire plum" weather.
I have only been to my second aunt's house once, and it has been more than ten years. I have been imprisoned in a foreign country for many years, living a life in another world, with electric lights, movies, dresses, books and asphalt roads. Whenever I think of my hometown, it's like thinking of a legend long ago. My second aunt's house is even more vague now. A dark and spacious three-story building, a study littered with ancient books eroded by rain and eaten by insects, and a bamboo pond in the backyard all seem like a vague dream.
My second aunt's story is like a copy of an old legend. I have never seen her beauty, but from the look I saw later, her slender figure, thin and white face, long and narrow sad eyes and dark tone of silence and less laughter are all in line with her story.
The story goes without saying too much here. In fact, what I know is limited;
Because family and elders are afraid to say. What I know is a little, which was inadvertently revealed in family conversations over time and picked up in bits and pieces.
Many years ago, there was a clever young pupil in my uncle's school (2), who was an orphan for three generations. Because I saw curtains, pencil boxes and embroidery on a big brocade in my uncle's room, I envy the person who embroidered butterflies. The girl who embroidered butterflies naturally has this person in her heart because she is often praised by her uncle. I don't know how the owner of this story met each other in the future, and I'm afraid the elders know very little.
Among the bits and pieces of information I collected, this is the peak of this tragic story: at noon in March, in the cave of Taihu Lake in the deserted backyard, my grandmother caught a pair of naughty children, who tied their belts in a panic because of watching peony flowers.
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(1) taboo words: I didn't say it because I was jealous.
2 study: also known as private school. Private schools in the past.
3. Loose: In the old days, it refers to a person's demeanor: brilliant, not constrained by etiquette, noble character, and chic behavior.
This comedy of talented people and beautiful women broke out, and everyone boasted that the lady who embroidered butterflies would despise even the girl for a while. Although the great-uncle who released romantic love (3) tried his best to reach a deal, it was not successful at that time. A few years later, in mid-August, the Yangtze River became stormy. The teenager went to Nanjing to catch the exam and the boat capsized and died. The lady who embroidered butterflies was only nineteen years old. When she heard about it, she hanged herself under the osmanthus tree and was seen by the gardener. She was saved, but not dead. Yang Jiajue thinks this young lady is still a little windy. With the consent of the young family, she boasted that she would go to pick up the coffin. Hong Xiuxie wore linen and took the spirit tablet to the ancestral temple in Tang Jia, and then became a bride.
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① Hanging: commit suicide by hanging.
2 windy place: a place where you can educate.
If it weren't for my second aunt, this story wouldn't be very interesting; If my second aunt hadn't had this story, we wouldn't be in a hurry to leave this time.
Mother naturally encouraged us to go. Said we were newly married, and it was rare to go home once. My second aunt's family has been lonely all their lives, and now they miss us very much. This idea is endless. But Yuan is a little afraid of the old lady in our hometown. These old ladies-for example, just like my aunt, she likes to hold Ayuan, call the baby on her lap, kiss her face, bite her meat and rub her arm.
And asked me to kiss her for her dad. Whenever I have leisure, I will sit in our room with a hookah, stare at us, smile at us and say something embarrassing and flattering repeatedly. I don't care much about this cicada. But Ayuan always blushes with embarrassment and doesn't know where to hide. ——
So, Yuan doesn't want to go.
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1 Luo Wei: noisy and tangled. Use "nagging" here.
I know what the disadvantages are. I told Ayuan that my second aunt is not the kind of naive old lady who is good at expressing her happiness. And I will vote for the girl, according to the original story of my second aunt, I made up many touching episodes, which made Ah Yuan's eyes red and sighed. I heard that the second aunt would never give her that kind of old Luo, and the psychology of being reluctant to go was completely eliminated; After listening to my second aunt's story, it was as interesting as what I saw in the thread-bound book; I also thought that I could temporarily avoid the old lady at home; Besides, I know the scenery in Yanjing Village is very good, and the house in Zhushanwu is cool and carefree. So Yuan's unwillingness to go turned into an eagerness to go.
I said Yanjing Village is my second aunt's village. Zhulou is my second aunt's home. Walking along the stone embankment in the west of Beijing, seven or eight miles away, the mountains surrounded by circles are gradually crowded, the lush ancient locust willows on both sides are gradually dense, the dark ochre in the stream is gradually increasing, and the sound of water-excited rocks is getting closer and closer. This stream is gradually called Xiangtan, not Jingxi. On both sides of Xiangtan, there are more locust trees, willows and elms, which are older and greener. Both sides are stitched and covered with foam, and a ray of sunlight cannot shine. Along the Woods on both sides of Xiangtan, there are more than 20 chalk tile houses scattered. On the west bank, next to Xiangtan, the white house is particularly large; A clump of bamboo is exposed on the plum window wall; Half of the bamboo is green, and half of it has blossomed and turned into a color. This village is Yanjing Village, and this big house is my second aunt's home, Zhu Zhu Mountain House.
A Yuan was born in a foreign country, and Jingzi, who had only seen the landscape paintings in China before, suddenly experienced the surrounding environment personally, and the feeling of joy was beyond words. In an instant, I recalled those common western-style houses, asphalt roads, chimneys, factories and so on. And I also feel that I have re-entered the dream and made many ethereal ideas.
My second aunt hasn't seen you for years, and she is obviously old.
"Last night, there were three big lanterns. Magpies called three or four times on the roof today. I knew someone was coming. "
That pale wrinkled face has no expression. Her tone and gait are the same as her old man's face: dark, miserable and dull. She led us into the back room, staggered into the room and made a bowl of fruit, and told the maid to fetch water for us. -This girl's name is Orchid. She is my girl, in her thirties. After my second aunt's dowry girl died, my grandfather called this girl around him to serve my aunt and accompany her. For more than twenty years, she has been living in this big house with her aunt, reading poems and chanting with her aunt, and learning to embroider butterflies with her aunt. She said she didn't want to get married.
My second aunt said she didn't expect us to come so soon and didn't clean the house. Show us around the whole house and let us choose a suitable room by the way. Four people walk in three rows, menstruation is in the front, we are in the second, and orchids are in the last. A Yuan walked in her aunt's footsteps, obviously uncomfortable, and looked up at me from time to time, revealing an interesting knowing smile. We all have nothing to say.
The house is tall and gloomy and harmonious with my aunt's people. Stone steps, floor tiles, column bases and even board walls are stained with a deep and shallow dark green, which is moss dust. A musty smell mixed with stale civil air filled the nose. Pale yellow bird's nest is hung on every beam that enters the house, and some have peeled off, leaving only traces;
Some are hatching their young, and they cry loudly.
Every time I walk into the house, orchids come forward to unlock the lock first; Because every door in every room is locked except the main room where my aunt lives. After seeing the main room, walk into the garden from an alley. There is an elegant room next to the garden, and the word "invite the moon" is written on the forehead. Shutters, ancient bottle doors, small leaves of Mingwa paper on the doors. I love this place near the garden, which is much cleaner and fresher than other places. I told my aunt that we would live in this room. My aunt asked Lan Hua to open the door. As soon as two doors opened, three things fell: two geckos and a bat. We are all at a loss. The gecko crawled away leisurely; Orchid picked up the big bat, gently put it in the corner, and muttered a set of strange words:
"Fu Gonggong, you give up the room, there are guests to live here."
Ayuan, in a state of panic and anxiety, tugged at my skirt, meaning that he was afraid to live in this room in the face of these scenes. My second aunt is old and sensitive, but somehow her old man's house saw through Ah Yuan's heart at a glance:
"Never mind. These houses are cleaned once a year when your uncle comes home. Stop and let the orchids tidy up again. Fu Gonggong and Hu Grandpa will be released. "
Say it again:
"This is your uncle's favorite place; Your uncle came back last year and asked me to fix it. You see, they are all brand new. "
I leaned over and saw that I was covered in cobwebs. It's really brand-new. The calligraphy and painting on the wall and the furnishings on the table are all neat. Just covered with a thin layer of dust.
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(1) repair (qi): generally refers to the repair of houses.
We watched orchids stick to bamboo leaves and cleaned them with brooms. Second aunt goes back and forth. O round with a mysterious surprised expression like a child asked me:
"Uncle, what do you say? ……"
Orchid put down the bamboo leaves, staring at two gloomy eyes, and whispered to Ah Yuan:
"Grandpa is very effective! Give grandma a dream in three dynasties and two days. I often see it, too. I often walk in this garden. "
O round twisted my cuff, just staring at the orchid's eyes. Orchid cleaned the house, busy cleaning up bedding, blankets, mats, and arranging beds for us. There is an ebony couch near the inner wall, on which there is a set of Go and a large flat peach made of porcelain. Take the chess piece flat peach and the couch together and put it on the quilt, which is our bed. My second aunt came stumbling and showed us a mosquito net, saying it was my uncle's account and made of glass gauze. Ask us if we are afraid of the cold. I naturally want this cool curtain; But Ah Yuan stared at me as if even this beautiful curtain was terrible.
The room is beautifully furnished, just look at the decoration on the wall. The east wall is surrounded by a large brocade screen embroidered with "Chorus Poems of the Bamboo House", and the side is densely embroidered with small butterflies of various colors, which is dazzling at first glance. On the west wall hung a colorful "Ghosting through the Door" (1), and on both sides hung a pair of "Xue Meisong clears a few couches, and Tianyun protects the piano" written by Hong Beijiang (2). There are shutters on the south wall opposite the bed to see the garden. There is a desk under the window. There is an ancient cinnabar bottle on the table with a ponytail cloud in it.
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① The picture of Zhong Kui catching ghosts: Zhong Kui is a legendary ghost hunter. In the old days, there was a custom of hanging bells to catch ghosts and exorcise evil spirits. According to legend, the earliest Zhong Kui was painted by Wu Daozi, a painter in the Tang Dynasty.
② Hong Beijiang: namely Hong, a scholar during the reign of Qing Qianlong, studied classics, history and geography, and was good at poetry and prose. His works include The Complete Works of Hong Beijiang.
I think this place is nice. The furnishings are antique, but a cluster of semi-green and semi-yellow bamboos outside the window and the faintly audible pool water outside the wall make it more leisurely and quiet.
Soon after dinner, we were all silent. Ayuan and I don't know what to say in front of my aunt. Aunt herself refused to talk much. The big house is like a big grave, without a trace of human voice; Only swallows are chirping in the hall.
Orchid to patio eaves, soliloquize ground to say:
"The girl hasn't come back yet!"
My second aunt didn't answer and nodded her head. Yuan stole a look at me. -actually, I'm surprised, too. After dinner and washing face, a swallow flew out of the patio, circled the house and got into the nest under the eaves. Orchid stopped the bowl, put chopsticks on her mouth and whispered:
"Miss Qing, you won't come back until then." Take a long sigh.
I was relieved and smiled at Ayuan; Yuan didn't laugh, just staring at the orchid.
When I say the invitation to the Moon Palace is fresh and clear, I mean during the day. Who knows that night, the heavy rain resumed, the soybean oil of three rushes wobbled, and the second aunt and orchid in the room were quietly reading the evening classics in a low voice, which sounded like "autumn grave ghosts singing Bao family poems." Coupled with the sound of rain, insects and bamboo outside, a sad symphony is played, which shows that there are indeed many ghosts around here. I don't know what clue to follow, so I naturally chatted with Ah Yuan about the story of serial. After a talk, the closer she got to me, the more she stared at the "map of the gate of hell" on the Western Wall, and sweat gradually appeared on her forehead and nose. Zhong Kui's ghost, covered with hair, tore open its maw, revealing two big fangs, lifelike. I accidentally took a look and was surprised. At this moment, I think Zhong Kui, evil spirits, menstruation and orchids, together with ourselves, have become characters in ghost stories.
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(1) "Poems on Bows by Ghosts at Autumn Graves": a poem written by Li He, a poet in the Tang Dynasty. Bao's Poems is a collection of poems by Bao Zhao, a Korean poet.
② Liaozhai: Strange Tales from Liaozhai, a collection of short stories in classical Chinese in the early Qing Dynasty, written by Pu Songling.
A yuan said timidly, "I want to sleep."
She clings to me, I take a step, she takes a step. When you sleep in bed, it is naturally difficult to fall asleep. I don't know how long it took, but the rain stopped and the moonlight shone through the shutters, making the room desolate. After a rustling wind moved the bamboo, I suddenly heard footsteps outside the window. Although the voice is slight, it is clear.
"Really ... listen ... isn't it?" Ah Yuan buried her head under my armpit and gasped in a low voice.
I can't help but feel creepy.
The sound is getting closer and closer, and there is no more; Instead, it was a low voice of sorrow, like a ghost whispering. Yuan is sweating all over. I coughed and my voice suddenly stopped; Hearing this sudden silence and remembering what orchids said during the day, I can't help but be afraid.
There was no sound for a long time, and the tension was a little flat, but both of them were too nervous. I want to sleep and hide, but I can't In order to alleviate Ah Yuan's terror, I found some happy words to chat with her. Ah Yuan gradually dared to stick his head out from my armpit. I said:
"Are you homesick?"
"think."
"Are you afraid?"
"I'm still a little scared."
Just as she was talking, she suddenly screamed, put her arms around me, cried and shook, and was forced to remain silent:
"You ... look at that door! ……"
I looked at the door-the lobular window on the door showed a face and looked at us; The moonlight is reflected obliquely, and you can see clearly through the glass gauze. It's too late to say now, but it's too soon. The grimace flashed and disappeared. I don't know where I felt a surge of courage. I pushed Ayuan away and opened the door in three steps.
Outside the door are two female ghosts!
Escaped from an alley in TongZhengWu; One is squatting in front of me because I can't escape.
"Is it an aunt?"
"Well," took a deep breath.
I wiped the cold sweat on my forehead and couldn't help laughing easily. I said:
"Ah Yuan, don't be afraid, it's my aunt."
A friend of mine provided me with the material of this essay, saying it was boring, but quite interesting; Ask me to write it down. I don't know, it won't be good, so it's a waste.
1932. 1 1.26.