Chapter 15 Chapter Twelve

Since Mannia entered the Tseng's house, Mulan visited the Tseng's house more and more often, and she no longer considered herself a guest.She often stayed until dinner, and after getting her mother's permission, she often stayed at Zeng's house at night.As for which son of the Zeng family she will be engaged to in the future, if she is formally engaged, she must not stick to the custom, and then she cannot go to the Zeng family again, let alone she is still young.The Zeng family thought that Mulan's parents would marry her to another son without first telling them.So Mannia had entered the Tseng's house with two feet, and Mulan had entered with one foot.As long as she wanted to escape, the Zeng family would always grab her back.

Mulan's parents still don't know how to arrange her future, and her father is even more uncertain.Taoism is always more open-minded than Confucianism.Confucianists always think that they are right, while Taoism thinks that other schools are right, and they may be wrong.Therefore, the unorthodox Zeng Wenpu had no prejudice against Western thought, and even mentioned free marriage in his daughter's marriage, which was decided by the parties themselves.He believes that the Western idea of ​​putting the marriage of young men and women on the blind impulse of young people who do not think carefully is very subtle and profound, just like the principles of Taoism.He believed that the marriage was decided by God's will, and that his son was his eldest child, and he was not engaged yet.

At the same time, Mulan called Mrs. Zeng's father and mother to Mrs. Zeng's son, and Sunya was one year older than her, and she was her eldest brother. It’s a bitter winter now, and the winter in Beijing is really unparalleled. Maybe other months in this blessed land can be compared with it, because in Beijing, the four seasons are very distinct, and each season has its extreme beauty, and its extreme beauty is different from each other. features.In Beijing, people live in culture, but at the same time they live in nature. The extremely high comfort of city life and the beauty of garden life are integrated into one, preserved but not lost. Stimulates, calms the mind and emotions.What is the hand of the gods that constitutes this way of life, so that the most ideal life in the world can be realized here?It is true that Beijing is naturally beautiful, with lakes and parks dotted within the city, the clear Yuquan River surrounding the city, and the purple West Mountain towering above the clouds in the distance.The color of the sky also contributes a lot.If the sky were not so crystal clear and deep blue, the water of the Yuquan River would not be so clear and emerald green, and the mountainside of the West Mountain would not be so rich in lavender.The man who designed this city is a master of ingenuity, and the city he created is unmatched by any other city in the world or on the earth.It is not only full of humanistic spirit, but also full of noble and majestic temperament and the comfort of home life.On earth, is there any other place that can compete with it?The creation of Beijing City by human beings is not the work of one person, but the joint creation of several generations of people who are born with a deep understanding of the beauty of life.Weather, geography, history, folk customs, architecture, art, all beauties are available, and the combination makes it the beauty of today.In the life of Beijing, the human factor is the most important.The tone of speech of men, women and children in Beijing is obviously calm and peaceful, which is enough to prove this kind of humanism and the comfort and joy of life.Because the tone of speech is the spiritual voice of the whole people.

After Pingya's death, Mannia stayed in deep mourning and did not step out of the yard for half a year.The atmosphere of Beijing can be said to be experienced with the senses, rather than viewed with the eyes.She also felt the magic of winter in Beijing, the dry and cold air, the bright crystal blue sky, and the comfortable equipment in the house to keep out the cold, which was very different from the bleak and bleak winter in Tai'an.When heavy snow falls from the sky, she can still make the begonias bloom in the house, because the thick cotton curtains, the paper windows, the thick carpet, and the blazing coal stove make the house warm and comfortable, giving people a sense of comfort. The spirit is happy, and I would rather work until late at night.Mrs. Zeng taught Pingya to change the sable fur gown that Pingya left behind into a mink cheongsam to wear by herself. In fact, she didn’t need such winter clothes to keep out the cold.She embroidered at most eight pairs of shoes, which she was supposed to dedicate to her mother-in-law on the morning after her wedding, when she formally visited her mother-in-law.But because of Pingya's illness, there was no time.This kind of gift for the mother-in-law should be made by the bride herself, so as to show off the exquisiteness and filial piety of the bride's handwork, so the handwork should not be sloppy.Women are very happy to wear this kind of shoes, because it is enough to show their daughter-in-law's respect for their status, and it also shows that they have a virtuous and thrifty daughter-in-law.

But Mulan grew up in Beijing, intoxicated by the rich life in Beijing. That kind of rich life is like a great loving mother to the local residents. She is gentle and kind to her children, and her wishes for her children are all Responding to every request, he is tolerant and tolerant to the willfulness of his children. It is also like a thousand-year-old tree. Insects make nests and live in each branch, and they live in peace. They are ignorant of the living conditions of the residents on other branches.From Beijing, Mulan learned tolerance, kindness, and gentleness, just like what we learned in our hometown when we were children.She grew up in the splendor of palaces with yellow glazed tiles and monasteries with purple and green glazed tiles.She grew up on wide tree-lined roads, long curved alleys, bustling streets, and peaceful rural areas.In that place, ordinary people's homes also have pomegranate trees and goldfish bowls, which are not inferior to rich people's mansion gardens.In that place, in summer, at the open-air teahouse, people sat comfortably on rattan chairs under the pine and cypress trees and sipped tea, spending two cents to spend a long afternoon.In that place, in the teahouse, eating hot scallion-stuffed mutton, drinking Baiganer wine, dignitaries, rich businessmen, and small people in the market, jostling shoulder to shoulder, there is an amazing theater , exquisite restaurants, markets, Lantern Street, and Antique Street; there are monthly temple fairs, and there are pastry shops where the poor pay money every month to get mooncakes and honey offerings on New Year’s Day. The poor have the happiness of the poor, and there are open-air There are the circus in Shichahai, the play sheds in Tianqiao, the melodious cries of all kinds of vendors in the streets and alleys, the melodious sound of the steel forks of the barbers strumming the streets and alleys, and so on. There is the crisp drumming sound of buying second-hand goods from all over the street, the vibrating sound of a pair of small copper plates selling iced sour plum soup, each sound has a beautiful rhythm.You can see the half-mile-long procession for the wedding and funeral ceremonies, as well as the official sedan chairs and attendants of the officials.You can see Manchurian women dressed in flags, camel teams from the desert outside the Great Wall, lamas from Lama Temple, Buddhist monks, sword-swallowing jugglers, street-callers, and beggars singing lotus flowers falling from Shulaibao. Each of them abides by hundreds of years of unwritten traditional rules, benevolence of beggars and heads of beggars, thieves and protectors of thieves, officials of the Qing Dynasty, retired scholars, monks and prostitutes, and brothel prostitutes who are loyal and heroic, A dissolute widow, a monk's niece, a eunuch's son, a Beijing opera fan, and honest, earnest, and humorous common people.

Mulan's imagination was deeply influenced by her childhood in Beijing.She learned the lullaby of Beijing, and the clever and subtle view of life in the lullaby also influenced her.When she was young, she pulled the beautiful Rabbit Lantern Car behind her, and she was engrossed in watching fireworks, revolving lanterns, and puppet shows.She has heard blind men sing songs about ancient heroes and men, about the romances of ancient wits and beauties, and listened to Dagu Shu which raised the rhyme and rhythm of Beijing dialect to the extreme.From the so-called reciting and singing, she realized the beauty of language, and from the daily speaking, she unconsciously learned the calm, natural, comfortable and pleasant accent of Beijing dialect.From the festivals of the year, she knows the characteristics of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The festivals of this year are like a calendar that regulates people's life from beginning to end, and makes people close to the rhythm of nature in life.The Forbidden City in Beijing, ancient schools, Buddhist, Taoist, Tibetan lamas, Muslim temples and their ceremonies, Confucian Temple, Temple of Heaven; social and wealthy family banquets, gifts; ancient pagodas, bridges, pavilions, archways, queens The tomb of the poet, the garden of the poet, every brick and every tile in these places is full of rumors, history, and mystery.The grotesque aura and majestic beauty of these places have penetrated into her heart and lungs.

She had learned about Beijing's folklore, legends, superstitions, and its beauty and loveliness early on. There were two stories she loved and believed in, and she later told Mannia.One is the legend of the big bronze bell in the bell tower at the north end of Di'anmen Street, north of the imperial palace. The story is that the emperor asked a coppersmith to cast a bronze bell, but the casting failed repeatedly. The emperor was furious and was about to condemn him.In order to save her father's life, the bellsmith's daughter jumped into the copper pot when no one was watching.Sure enough, the big bell was cast without any cracks.From then on, on stormy nights, everyone could hear the sad tone when the big bell rang, which was the mourning song of the clockmaker's daughter's soul.Now there is a bell girl temple near the bell tower. The goddess is called the Bell Ringing Virgin, and people burn incense and kneel down to worship.Another story is about the Gaoliang bridge outside Xizhimen, Gaoliang was the name of an eunuch.In the past, Emperor Yongle newly built the city of Beijing. In the seventh year of Yongle, there was a severe drought, and the city of Beijing also lacked water.One night, the emperor dreamed that he met a gray-haired couple outside Xizhimen. The husband was pushing a wheelbarrow, and the wife was pulling it forward. There was a big oil basket on the cart.The emperor asked what was in the basket, and the old man said that there was water in the basket, which was destined for Beijing.The next day, after the emperor asked the minister to realize his dream, he sent the eunuch Gao Liang to go outside the Xizhimen Gate and told him that if he met an old couple who looked like the emperor's dream, he should puncture the oil basket, turn his horse's head and rush into the city. , but don't look back.Gao Liang followed the order and went out of the city to handle errands.Sure enough, he met an old couple pushing a wheelbarrow, Gao Liang punctured the oil basket on the wheelbarrow, and hurriedly turned the horse's head.Hearing the turbulent surge behind, it seemed that a flood was following.When he ran to Xizhimen, he couldn't help but look back, and was immediately overtaken by the flood and drowned in the water.The emperor built a bridge with many arches outside Xizhimen to commemorate him.To this day, there is still the Gaoliang Bridge on the Yuquan River, and the Empress Dowager Cixi sailed to the Summer Palace by boat on the Gaoliang Bridge.On both banks of the Yuquan River, willows and willows line each other, and the sun is thick and shaded. There are patches of fertile fields along the river, and village girls kneel by the water to wash their clothes.The common people wandered around, some sat on the bank to fish with poles, and some rowed on the water. The rural beauty of the western suburbs of Beijing has a Jiangnan flavor.When summer comes, Mulan loves this place very much and often comes to visit.

As mentioned earlier, Mannia did not go out for fun during the first six months of her widowhood.But she also has the sensitivity to hearing that a woman develops from living in a boudoir for a long time.The sounds heard are also novel and wonderful.In the early morning, she could hear the cries of vendors in the alleys of Beijing in the yard.You can hear the evening drum of the Drum Tower and the morning bell of the Bell Tower.Although the second floor of the bell and drum was one mile away from Zeng's house, the sound of the vibration could be heard in half the city.The sound of the drum is the sound of the bell at night. Xuehua told her the meaning of the bell, so when she was lying still at night, as soon as she heard the fourth watch, she knew that the courtiers had gathered at the Donghua Gate of the Forbidden City. Before dawn, they entered the palace and went to court.

Much of Mannia's experience was not entirely unfamiliar to her.It is better and more beautiful than what I experienced in my hometown Tai'an.Before she became a vegetarian, she knew that the sausage duck in Beijing was better than that in Shandong; the Lantern Festival in Beijing on the day of the winter solstice was more delicious than the glutinous rice balls in Shandong, and the steamed buns and sweets in Beijing were more varied than those in Shandong.Therefore, she has to try all kinds of snacks in Beijing, so as not to make mistakes because the names of different places are the same but the things are actually different.She thought that the cabbage in Shandong was very good, but later she found out that Beijing also has such good cabbage, and the colder the weather, the better it is.Now she still eats Yuanxiao and drinks Laba porridge.On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, they drink Laba porridge, which is boiled with yellow sticky rice, white rice, red dates, red beans, chestnuts, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and melon seeds, together with brown sugar or white sugar.This kind of Laba porridge is very different. She didn't mention the Laba porridge in Shandong anymore.

There is a story between Mulan and Sunya, which is related to Laba porridge. On the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, Imperial Physician Jiang invited the Zeng family to a banquet, and the Yao family and all the ladies were also invited.That day was the day of the seal, and the officials of the imperial court sealed it, stopped working, and prepared for the New Year.At the dinner table, Sister Gui praised Mulan and Mochou's exquisite embroidery in public, saying that she had never seen such meticulous work in terms of painting, color matching, and needlework.Usually the embroidered flowers on women's shoes are drawn in the same way as before, but Mulan painted the postures of flowers, insects and birds on the shoes, and the two sisters embroidered the shoes as a New Year's gift for their mother.Mochou embroidered a colorful duck, which really looked like it would stand out on the satin upper.

Sister Gui said to Mrs. Zeng: You won't believe it if you don't see her.When we go home, we must stop by their house to see those pairs of shoes. Mo Chou said humbly: Don't listen to her, but Aunt Zeng, you haven't been to our house for a long time, come and sit at our house after dinner. Mrs. Zeng wanted to look at the shoes, because she adored the two daughters of the Yao family.So they went to Yao's house to have a look at the shoes made by the two young ladies. On the black satin uppers, because the colors matched well, the duck really looked like it was about to stand out. Mrs. Zeng said: It's a waste to wear such good shoes on your feet.This should be presented to the palace.She said to Mrs. Yao again: What kind of belly are you?How could such a daughter be born?This reminds me of the Laba porridge made by Mulan. She gave it to us that day, which is really different.The old lady loved it and ate two bowls in a row.Nuts seem to melt as soon as they enter the mouth.The elderly have no teeth and like to eat soft ones. Mulan was very happy, she said: If her old man likes to eat, I will make it for her. Mrs. Zeng thought to herself: It is a blessing to marry a daughter-in-law who can cook. When they went home, Mulan went with them.She saw Mannia playing with a one-year-old child.The weather was fine that afternoon, and a few pots of chrysanthemums, which were about to wither, stood upright in the bright winter sunlight in the room, giving the room a serene and frosty beauty.The child was lying on the bed in Mannia's mother's room, and on the bed were some pairs of satin shoe tops, which Mannia had been embroidering before they came. Mulan asked: Have you finished? Mannia said: I have only made six pairs, and I have to make two pairs, but this year is almost over.I have to do it at night, but I have to take care of the child, and I have to stop after a few injections. Mulan saw a nine-nine-nine-nine cold-dispelling picture on the wall. There were nine lines on it, and each line had nine circles. It was counted from the winter solstice to the beginning of spring. When the eighty-one circles were painted, the severe winter was over and spring was coming. .Mulan went to the wall and drew two shoes on the remaining ten days before the New Year. She calculated with her fingers: You have ten days left, what should you do? Mannia said: If there were no children, this matter would be very easy. Mulan whispered, "I'll take this pair back and make them for you." Mannia was very proud of her needlework, and never thought of letting others do it for her, and never had the opportunity to see how ingenious Sister Mulan really was. Mannia said: If the stitches of the two are not the same, you will be able to tell.When embroidering, the stitches must be extremely even and smooth, the denser the better.If the edges of the petals are slightly uneven, the job is considered negligent.The difference between each stitch and another stitch cannot exceed one hundredth of an inch, so it is very eye-catching for girls to do it. Mulan picked up the flowers embroidered on the bed, looked at them carefully, and said: I think I can do it too.He said with a slight smile, feeling quite complacent.He also said: I dare not say that I can compare with you in beauty, and I won't embarrass you. The maid Fenghuang came to the door and said that the wife said that Miss Mulan was not serious about making Laba porridge, but the old lady would like to drink some peanut soup that Mulan made last time. Mannia said: We all love the Laba porridge you make.how do you do it Mulan said: There is no fairy prescription.I just learned it from medicine books, and I put a little medicine in it to make the nuts rot faster.If grandma agrees, I can do it now. Fenghuang went to report to Mrs. Zeng, and came back later, saying that his wife wanted her to help. Mulan asked: Where is the snowflake? Mannia said: She has caught a cold and feels a little uncomfortable, and she is in that room. Fenghuang said: This stove is not big enough, let's bring another one from the kitchen. She asked someone to bring a big stove and began to help Mulan prepare things.Snow Flower heard that they were doing something and got up to help, but neither Mannia nor her mother would let her do it. Snow Flower said: This is my job, I can't trouble Sister Fenghuang. Mannia said: She was also sent by my wife. Now Phoenix is ​​more arrogant than before, and he only serves whoever he wants to serve.Calm and emotionless, straightforward and frank, unlike Xuehua who goes out of her way to please others.Xuehua is tactful, while Fenghuang is upright. She is not particularly polite to Mannia and Mannia's mother, which makes Mannia mother and daughter feel uncomfortable. That's why Xuehua reluctantly got up to help. After Fenghuang walked away, she said: I just have a little cold. I lay in bed all day yesterday, and now I feel fine.I don't want people to think that I'm lazy, avoiding the things I'm supposed to do. Mannia asked: Who would think so? Snowflake replied: I know you won't, others will. Mulan said: You don't want to do it yet.If you must do it, we will bring the peanuts to your house, you peel the peanuts, and then do it after the fire is ready. A stove was brought up and placed in the middle of the room, and Xiao Xier looked at the fire.When the people in the kitchen heard that Miss Yao's family was going to cook something for the old lady, everyone was very excited. Fenghuang seemed to be happy to do this, and Mannia said to Mulan privately: It's a bit strange that you can assign her to do things.My mother and I were both afraid of asking her to do things. Mulan said: People are different, it's how they use them.I think Phoenix will be a big help here sooner or later. Strange to say, half an hour later, the soup was ready.The peanuts almost melted in your mouth.The soup became viscous and semi-fluid, and the throat felt very comfortable after drinking it. The peanut soup and almond soup are not only nutritious, but also good for coughing and hoarse throat.Fenghuang and Xiaoxi'er were busy delivering bowl after bowl to each courtyard.The old lady was so happy that she joked that she would hire Mulan as a maid to make peanut soup for her every day. The boys go to the temple fair to do New Year's goods on this day.Mulan asked Sunya to buy a kaleidoscope for her little brother Afei.At that time, the kaleidoscope was considered a novelty. She had seen it at Jiang Taiyi's house and liked it very much.She seemed fascinated by the pattern of symmetrical changes in color.After the boys returned, Sunya went all the way to Mannia's yard.He bought two and Mulan liked them very much.But asked him the price, he did not say. Mannia said: You don't have to give him money, he won't take it.You'd better give him a bowl of peanut soup. There is only one bowl of peanut soup left.Originally, Mulan and Mannia wanted to share the drink, but Mulan gave the bowl to Sunya. He just came back from the cold outside, and he thought that bowl of peanut soup was even more delicious. Sunya asked: Where did it come from, I never tasted it at home.Did it come from someone? Mulan smiled but did not answer. Mannia asked: If I find a way to let you drink this kind of food every day, what will you give me? Sunya said: I will kowtow to you. Mannia pointed to Mulan and said: Good!It's not difficult.The guy who made this peanut soup is standing right in front of you.You ask her if she would like to change her surname to Zeng. If she is willing, you will enjoy more blessings than drinking peanut soup. But Mulan suddenly disappeared.But her voice came from the room over there: "If you have something, you may not be satisfied."This is a cash transaction with no credit.A kaleidoscope for a bowl of peanut soup.You enjoy your food, I feast my eyes.If you want another bowl of peanut soup, it depends on whether I want another kaleidoscope. When Sunya went to his mother's room, he found that Zinya had finished his bowl of peanut soup, and his mother asked for the bowl left for Sunya to be brought to him.Sunya didn't dare mention that he had already drank it, so he took it up and drank it.Mother asked him if it was good, and he said it was not bad, seeming indifferent. Fenghuang was there, overheard it, and said: Not bad!In the yard over there, he said he wanted to drink it every day! His mother was surprised and said, "Then you've already had it!"Sunya was ashamed to say it.He didn't know why he felt embarrassed, but he was really embarrassed. When Mulan was saying goodbye to her grandmother, Mannia went with her and saw Mrs. Tseng and Sister Gui talking with the old lady. The old lady said: Son, why are you so smart!I have lived such an old age, and I have never tasted such a good peanut soup! Mulan replied: "It's nothing. I honor you. If you want to drink it, I'll tell Shizhu how to make it. You can drink it every day."Shizhu is the maid who serves the old lady. The old lady said: People like us have everything.It should not be overly particular.If you know how to cherish miscellaneous grains, radishes and vegetables, and don't waste these things, you will suffer less crimes.I'm afraid we maids can afford a poor family a good meal even if we throw away things.This peanut soup is also eaten by the poor, and it also grows out of the soil.I love to eat at such an age, because there is no need to chew, how do you make it? Mulan replied: This is not a fairy recipe.Just put a little alkali on it.I learned it from books. Mrs. Zeng said: I really have the ability.Anyone can open the book before their eyes.But our children didn't learn wow from books.We, Sunya, cannot compare with Mulan when it comes to books, nor can we compare with Mulan when it comes to being sensible and polite.Old lady, you haven't seen the flowers embroidered by their sisters yet. Mrs. Zeng said what they saw that afternoon, and Mulan went out to teach Dianthus how to make peanut soup.She took the pair of shoes from Mannia's room to embroider, and wrapped them in a silk handkerchief so that no one would see them. Then Mrs. Zeng mentioned peanut soup again.Said that Fenghuang revealed that Mulan had given Sunya a bowl, and said that Sunya was embarrassed.This made Sister Gui, Mannia, and the old lady very happy and surprised.When Mulan came back into the house, everyone was laughing. She asked: What are you laughing at? Mannia said, "Sunya drank a bowl in our room first, and then drank another bowl in his wife's room." Mulan understood immediately and blushed. She had never been so shy before. In order to avoid Mulan's embarrassment, the grandmother immediately said: I am very happy that the young people are getting along well. Mulan quickly said: That's not a gift, it's a cash transaction.He bought my younger brother Ah Fei a kaleidoscope, and that bowl of peanut soup was considered a repayment. Mulan took home the kaleidoscope and the pair of shoes to be embroidered in the silk handkerchief. She thought the episode was very interesting, but she didn't know why.