Southerners

Song Zhi and Xiu Niang were startled by the sudden knock on the door in a heavy snow day. They looked at each other in blank dismay. On a day like this, who would visit them?

Xiu Niang: "Could it be the Man'er family?"

Song Zhi said, "I'll go and have a look."

Song Zhi got up and went to open the door. As soon as the door opened, Feng Xue forced in. Song Zhi took a sudden step back, and the people outside the door had already stepped in first, and bolted the door behind her back, Feng Xue was shut outside the door. It was finally getting warmer in the room.

"May I ask if you are..." Song Zhi looked at the strange man in front of her with some hesitation.

The man was over thirty years old, wrapped in a piece of sheepskin, tall and burly, with a two-inch long scar on his forehead, he looked like he was not a very friendly person.

The man said: "The villain Ang Ha is a Tang Wu who came to Beijing to seek refuge with his relatives. He happened to encounter wind and snow, and it was difficult to travel. He happened to pass by Mr. Your residence. Please, sir, let the villain escape the wind and snow here."

Song Zhi looked at him suspiciously, at this moment Xiu Niang came out from the room and raised her voice and asked, "Master, are these Man'er mother and daughter?"

As soon as Xiu Niang finished speaking, she saw the strange man at the door, and her eyes became alert.

Song Zhi frowned, pulled Xiu Niang over, and whispered Ang Ha's words to her. After listening to her, Xiu Niang looked Ang Ha a few times, nodded for a while, and said to Ang Ha: "The wind and snow are heavy, life is hard, Since the officials passed by here, it is also fate, but the humble house is small, and the officials have been wronged."

Ang Ha smiled innocently: "I'm not wronged, I'm not wronged, I'll stand here for a while, and leave when the wind and snow stop, thank you for taking me in."

Xiu Niang glanced at him, didn't speak, she dragged Song Zhi into the room, and asked in a low voice, "Why did the young master let him in?"

Song Zhi was helpless: "I just opened the door, and he came in by himself."

Xiu Niang didn't know what she was thinking, she touched Song Zhiliang's hand, and said: "Forget it, let him stay for a while, forgive him and don't dare to mess around."

Song Zhi patted the back of Xiuniang's hand: "That's the reason. Besides, don't you still have me?"

Ang Ha appeared strangely, Song Zhi's house was in Xingshun Hutong, even if Ang Ha really came to Beijing to seek refuge with relatives, and was blocked by the wind and snow, knocking on the door shouldn't have knocked on them.What's more, this person looked really not a good person, Song Zhi and Xiu Niang couldn't help being careless, so they could only secretly pray that the wind and snow would stop soon, so that Ang Ha could be driven away in a justifiable name.

However, the wind and snow seemed to be against them, and it never stopped.

From time to time, Xiu Niang sneaked a look at Ang Ha who was standing outside, and saw that this man just shrunk his neck and folded his arms. The snow on his hair and forehead had condensed, and even his eyebrows were covered with ice and snow. Embarrassed, shivering from the cold, but the others did nothing.

At noon, Song Zhi and Xiu Niang were eating lunch, and the steaming aroma wafted through the room. Ang Ha stood outside, feeling cold and hungry, and couldn't help but took two steps inward, without walking two steps. He took a few steps, and as soon as he raised his head, he met Shang Xiuniang's wary eyes.

Ang Ha smiled awkwardly and said, "It's cold, I want to ask for a drink, does my lady have any?"

Xiu Niang wanted to say no, but Song Zhi smiled slightly, and gave him a wine pouch:

"Drink and warm your body."

Unha thanked him, picked up the wine bag, raised his head and took a big mouthful, the spicy liquid flowed down the throat into his stomach, Unha felt a little warmth, and said: "Mr. There will be rewards."

Song Zhi stood beside him, beckoning Xiu Niang not to worry, and then asked Ang Ha: "It's the first time you see me, how do you know I'm Mr.?"

Because Song Zhi was at home and didn't wear any decent clothes, at first glance she looked like an ordinary servant.

Ang Ha scratched his head: "Aren't you? When I saw you, I felt that you were different from ordinary servants. You looked like a scholar who had studied."

Song Zhi: "Do you still know the face?"

Ang Ha smiled shyly: "I can't say I know it, but I understand a little bit."

Song Zhi didn't say yes or no, and waved to Ang Ha: "Come in and have some hot food, let's roast your hands."

Ang Ha hesitated and said, "Is it convenient, will it be too much trouble?"

Song Zhidao: "You rashly pushed open the door of my house and came in without even saying hello. Are you afraid of disturbing us?"

Ang Ha smiled sheepishly, and followed Song Zhi into the room.

After Xiuniang finished her meal, Song Zhi let her go back to her room, and she sat with Ang Ha.

Just listen to Ang Ha asking: "Listen to Xiuniang's accent, are you from the south?"

Song Zhi glanced at him: "Yes."

On Ha said, "What about you, sir?"

Song Zhi: "If the officials have any questions, you might as well just say it. It's not easy to come here on a snowy day, so you don't have to go around in circles."

Song Zhi thought it was Meng Huan who sent someone here, but when Meng Huan let him into the mansion, it is impossible that he did not get the information clearly.

Ang Hayomo also felt that his disguise was too clumsy. Hearing what he said, he said bluntly: "Mr.

"Sir, at the beginning of September this year, did you go to Lord Ahema Pingzhang's residence and painted portraits for some people?"

Song Zhi's heart skipped a beat when she heard the words, she glanced inside, and said in her heart, "Xiu Niang probably didn't hear it, did she?"

Unha saw that he didn't answer, so he asked again.

This kind of matter can be found out after a casual investigation, and Song Zhi didn't avoid anyone when she went, and said, "Yes."

On Ha said: "I would like to ask Mr., what special things happened when you painted those people?"

"The special thing means...?" Song Zhi asked.

Onha said, "For example, can someone ask Mr. to do something with the painting or something?"

When Ang Ha said this, Song Zhi immediately thought of Xitong, but Song Zhixin knew that this was not something glorious, if she said it, there might not be anything wrong with him, and it might not be the case for Xitong.

Song Zhi shook her head: "No."

Ang Ha raised his eyebrows: "Sir, please think about it carefully, really?"

"Really not." Song Zhi insisted.

Ang Ha squinted his eyes and looked at Song Zhi for a while, then smiled slightly: "Mr. is kind-hearted, so don't cover up anyone, otherwise it will be very difficult for us to act like servants."

Song Zhi raised her head and saw that the wind and snow outside the house seemed to have calmed down, and said, "Is there anything else the officer wants to ask? If not, the wind and snow will soon stop."

Angha asked: "Have you heard this sentence, sir?" Then he said something in Mongolian.

Song Zhi was taken aback: "What?"

After realizing that it was Mongolian, Song Zhicai said, "I don't understand Mongolian."

Seeing that the blankness on Song Zhi's face did not seem to be fake, Ang Ha frowned slightly, but he didn't know what he was thinking, stood up, and said: "Thank you sir and lady for taking in the villain today. Seeing that the snow is about to stop, it is inconvenient for the villain No more fuss, let's go."

After finishing speaking, the sheepskin he put on suddenly clicked, and strode out.

Song Zhi got up and followed him to the door, and waited for Ang Ha to go out, pull the latch and return to the fireside, and then called inside: "Xiu Niang, he's gone."

Xiu Niang came out from inside when she heard the sound, and said, "Who is this person? Why did you come to find the young master?"

Song Zhi smiled and said, "It's a servant of a customer's family I met outside, and I want to talk about something, so Xiu Niang doesn't have to worry."

Xiu Niang frowned, a little disbelieving, if that person had no ghosts in his heart, why was he sneaking around and pretending that he was passing by?

After Laba, most of the city has entered the New Year's atmosphere. Provincial and Taiwanese government offices, temples, road supervisors, and yamen have begun to prepare for the New Year's greetings.

At the end of the year, the palace has a series of activities to get rid of old disasters, welcome new blessings and exorcise evil spirits. The customs of the Mongolians are different from those of the Han people. The Mongolians have to wrap black and white woolen threads, and ask the witches to chant spells to eliminate disasters.

On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Han people will sacrifice stoves and eat bean porridge.According to the customs of Lin'an in the past, on this night, monks and Taoists should be invited to read scriptures, prepare wine and fruit as a gift to the gods, burn family members instead of money paper, stick stove horses on the stove, and smear the stove door with wine lees, which is called "drunken order". Therefore, lamps must be lit under the bed at night, which is called "wasteful lighting".Every household will also buy door gods, Zhongkui, peach boards, peach charms, as well as Caimen blunt donkeys, turning back deer and horses, etc., for New Year's Eve. (Note 1)

On New Year's Eve, they sit around the fire and sleepless, which is called "keeping the year".

Although Song Zhi hadn't won the championship yet, he was already an adult, and he didn't like to set off firecrackers anymore, but Bai Man'er next door was very excited, and pulled Song Zhi to set off firecrackers with her.

There is a curfew in most cities on weekdays, and it is rare to have such a lively time at night. The sound of firecrackers can be heard inside and outside the forbidden area.Song Zhi watched as Bai Man'er lit the firecrackers, and then ran away like a rabbit. The firecrackers crackled and exploded on the snow-swept ground, and Bai Man'er jumped up and down, laughing and clapping her hands.

Since her father passed away in August, Song Zhi hadn't seen Bai Maner smile so happily for a long time.

The second day is the first day of the first lunar month, the Yuanzheng Festival. The imperial court will hold a grand Yuanzheng Acceptance Ceremony. Hundreds of civil and military officials gather under the Chongtian Gate, waiting for the emperor to ascend to the palace. Foreign guests from all over the world will come here to congratulate.In addition to the central government, local governments will also hold "memory worship ceremony", set up incense tables, present congratulatory watches, and shout long live three times.

After receiving the pilgrimage ceremony and worshiping the watch, the private New Year's greetings officially began.

Bai Chongliu still had his brother and sister-in-law, so on the first day of the new year, Bai Azhu took Man'er to visit Bai Zhongfu.

Song Zhi took Xiu Niang to visit Zhang Hui on the seventh day of the lunar new year.Because counting, Zhang Hui is still half of his teacher.

Since Song Zhi and Bai Man'er's family didn't have many relatives and friends, the New Year's greetings ended early, and the two families closed their doors to live by themselves, paying New Year's greetings to each other and eating.

At the same time, Bai Man'er announced a big event: she was going to join the Jiaofang Division.

Song Zhi didn't want her to show up as a girl, but seeing Bai A'Zhu's expression, it seemed that the mother and daughter had already discussed it and insisted on doing this, so Song Zhi had no choice but to agree.

As for how to get into Jiaofang Division, that's another problem. Song Zhiben wanted to ask if he could introduce them, but Bai Man'er refused, saying that he could do it by himself.

Song Zhi then said, "If you need help, just ask, you're welcome."

Bai Azhu responded one by one with a smile, and the matter passed like this.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Shangyuan Festival, and the sixteenth day is the Lantern Festival, both of which are extremely lively and big days.

There is a big tree outside the Lizheng Gate, which was named "General Single Tree" by the ancestors. Every year during the Yuanzheng and Shangyuan Festivals, the tree is covered with various lanterns, shining high and low, and looks like a fire dragon from a distance. It has become a scene in the capital. .

Bai Man'er liked these, Xiu Niang and Bai A'Zhu were also willing to take a look at them, so the four of them went to Li's main gate together to see the General Single Tree.

Next to General Dushu, there are sweets such as rice cakes, jujube noodle cakes, and rice in wine and broth, which are very lively.

"Mother, I want to eat fragrant sweets." Bai Man'er tugged at Bai Azhu's sleeve, and pointed to a hawker selling fragrant sweets not far away.

Except for Song Zhi, the other three are all women, especially Bai Man'er who is only fourteen and still young.Song Zhi smiled and said, "Aunt Bai, let me go, you stay here and take care of Man'er, don't let her get lost."

Bai Man'er made a face at Song Zhi, and said in a crisp voice, "I won't get lost!"

Song Zhi smiled, patted Bai Man'er's head, then squeezed through the crowd, and walked towards the peddler Bai Man'er had mentioned.

When Song Zhi bought the fragrant candy and was about to walk back with it, suddenly a person grabbed Song Zhi's shoulder with one hand, making Song Zhi unable to move. At this moment, the man approached and whispered in Song Zhi's ear :

"Maybe it's Song Zilan, Mr. Song, right? My master has invited me, and I would like to invite you to come."

The author has something to say:

Note: ([-]) Regarding the customs of the New Year in this article, Lin'an refers to "Tokyo Menghualu", and most of them refer to "General History of Chinese Customs and Yuan Dynasty Volume".

⑵ Sheepskin is suddenly worn by the poor.

([-]) As mentioned before, Jiaofang Division is in charge of singing, dancing and opera.

I have written so much Chinese New Year nonsense, everyone can’t say that I’m a sucker, this is because a little cutie asked me to write it, I won’t take the blame for it.