Fortune telling in Yanxiadong

Lin Yutang

In autumn dusk, sitting on the sofa, smoking a cigarette, watching the red light under the white ash of cigarette butts, slightly revealing the heating, the mood in my heart will follow the blue smoke, as relaxed and free. In an instant, the smoke turned into wisps of filaments and slowly disappeared, but at that moment, the mood in my heart was suppressed in the world, so I didn't say the mood at that time, only the mood at that time. I want to strike another match and light the cigar that has been lit three or four times, but I can't light it because of the accumulation of white ash. Another light shot, soot quietly fell on the copper stove. It's as silent as writing on China paper with a brush at this time, and there is no sound at all. Then I lit it again. I smoked one by one, and the aroma was fragrant, just like the warm fragrance leaning against red and green. So I thought of smoke, its warmth, the hazy mist in the room and the meaning of autumn. Only then did I remember that the meaning of autumn in poetry is not like this. Reminiscent of Sha Xiao, desolation, autumn fans, red leaves, barren forests and weeds. However, autumn does have another meaning. It is not as vigorous as spring, not as intense as summer, and not as withered and withered as winter. I like the fine weather in Lin Qiu. Some people swear in the same way, which shows that they don't know the taste of Lin Qiu antiques. Among the four seasons, I have a preference for autumn. Let's talk about it. Autumn represents maturity. It is not surprising that the beauty of spring and the depth of summer are all experienced people. So its color is light, its leaves are yellow, and it has an antique charm, which not only wins glory with lush green. This is what I call autumn. Maybe I love not late autumn, but early autumn. The air disappears, the moon is full, the crabs are plump, and the osmanthus is brilliant. I am not in a bleak state, but I enjoy it most. The tenderness at that time was like the red ash on my cigarette, just a mellow smell. In other words, the literati have lost their amazing writing style, and gradually become proficient and firm, and their words are meaningful to read. This is the solid meaning of Zhuangzi's so-called "Qiu Lai, everything will succeed". This is the most enjoyable thing in life. For example, alcohol is better than aging. Smoke can also be divided into fierce and fierce. Cigars are better than cigarettes because they taste better. If you burn it properly, smoke one slowly and look at the red light, which has infinite meaning. I don't know about opium, but I feel very poetic when I see people burning on smoke lamps and listening to the slight peeling sound. Probably all the old, exquisite, smoked and exquisite things give me the same pleasure. For example, when a black earthenware pot stews pork with slow fire on the stove, the tone of Xu Yin in the pot makes me feel as interesting as watching people burning huge smoke. Or like a dictionary that has been used for 20 years, or a desk that has been used for half a century, or an old-fashioned signboard that has been blackened in the street, or the vigorous handwriting of all calligraphers, people have the same happiness. Life is like four years, and you must go through this mature period. If a woman develops well and meets Anshun, she will also have the charm of being old for a while in Xu Niang, which is beyond the reach of 28 beauties. What I admire most is Duncan's famous sentence: "It is really unreasonable that the world only sings about spring and love. It should be noted that the scenery in autumn is more gorgeous and magnificent, while the happiness in autumn is ten thousand times as magnificent, amazing and beautiful. I pity those women's intolerance and let them miss the grand gift of love autumn. " If Duncan is a man, it can be said that he has a background.

Changde's boat

Shen Congwen

Changde is Wuling, and the hometown of fisherman mentioned in Tao Qian's Postscript of Searching for God and Peach Blossom Garden should be here. Deshan is in the lower reaches of the river, more than 20 miles away from the urban area, which can be said to be the only mountain in the area. The bus may stop at Deshan Station or another station across the river from the county seat. Cars don't have to cross the river, but people on the bus might as well cross the river and see everything in the city. Geography books tell people that this is a big pier in western Hunan, and it is a place to exchange export goods and import goods. Tung oil, wood, cowhide, pig's intestines bristles, tobacco mercury, Chinese gallnut and sliced duck cigarettes are loaded by various ships from eastern Sichuan, eastern Guizhou and western Hunan, and all of them should be re-exported from here and then transported to Changsha and Wuhan. Salt, yarn, cloth, foreign goods, kerosene, medicine, flour, sugar, as well as various consumer goods and light industry necessities, are also shipped from Xiajiang, and all of them have to be modified from here, and then transported by large and small ships to the large and small docks in the upper reaches of the Shui Yuan tributary for unloading. There are many kinds of village names in cities. In this case, people sitting on all kinds of Zhuang numbers are like a millstone, a kind of machinery, busy back and forth for their posts. At the parcel post office, such people come in and out the most. In the long-distance telephone business hall, such people are the biggest customers. The business of restaurants and prostitutes is maintained by such people.

In addition to this prosperous market, there are some small landlords who live in Hutian, young gentlemen who have worked as county magistrates, male and female middle school students in various counties, and shopkeepers, buddies and turtles who have come from other provinces to participate in this prosperous market. The population of the city exceeds100000, and the streets extend nearly ten miles. When a passer-by comes to this city, he will understand that the throat of Xiangxi is really not small, as rumors say. But I can't think of anything in this throat except swallowing goods and raw materials. Doing this kind of breathing work has great responsibility, busy work and mixed nature. Who are they? Without them, will the city suddenly become a ruin by the river? As usual, such people can see clearly and meet in Shuicheng, but they are most easily overlooked by travelers. What I want to say is that it really controls this throat and rules tens of thousands of boatmen in the Yuanshui River Basin.

Nothing in this dock is more amazing than the boatman and the water tools he controls. If you want to know Xiangxi, you must first know something about them. To appreciate the particularity of local nationalities in western Hunan, boatmen are one of the most valuable materials.

A traveler's ideal Wuling should have many fishing boats. Only when I got here did I know that the water was full of boats, but it was not easy to find fishing boats. At first glance, the large and small ships floating on both sides of the long river are only similar to the layman. In fact, their shapes are complex and diverse, each with its own personality, which represents the personality of each place. It may be convenient for us to know more about this.

The most striking ship is the three-masted big-headed ship. This is a foreigner who came from the Yangtze River and crossed the lake. Carrying salt is its main duty. Most of them just stop here and won't swim to Yuanshui. Ordinary people call it a "salt boat", which is worthy of the name. The boatman called it "the big loach fish head", and the story of Yue Fei catching Yang Yao in Dongting Lake was uploaded in Jin Tuo Nazi Party Compilation, which recorded the name. Although the name is vulgar, the source is very ancient. Most of these ships are painted in black, so the color is mostly black. This kind of ship sails every season because it can only move when there is strong current and strong wind. The description of "countless boats, shadows like Bai Hong" in Du Fu's poems may refer to this kind of water thing.

Slightly smaller than this salt boat, it has two masts or one mast. Its hull is extremely delicate, and its head and tail suddenly converge, which makes people feel extremely sharp. It is black all over and is called "Wujiang Zi". Its specialty is that it is not afraid of storms and transports grain across lakes. It is a runner on Dongting Lake. The physical structure is characterized by high mast, large sail, deep cabin and sharp head. Covered with a canopy smaller than the hull, because there are protective plates outside the ship's side. The boatman, like the boat itself, looks very clean and elegant. As the ship is sail before the wind, it is flying up and down, with neat sails and few sailors on board. Only sailors can pull umbrellas, paddles and poles, but not paddles. When emptying the boat, women can also steer for them. This kind of boat sometimes goes upstream along the river, and the number is very small. The hull material is thin, so it seems that it is not suitable for adventure. This kind of ship is also a foreign guest in the Yuanshui River Basin.

Sailing in the Yuanshui River basin, a ship with great momentum and extraordinary weather, which can be called a giant, should be regarded as a "Hongjiang oil tanker". This kind of bow has many high tails, bright colors, occasionally decorated with a little gold paint, and a rudder house at the tail, which can be used to place family members. The ship can hold three or four thousand barrels of tung oil, two thousand pieces of cotton, or a ticket of salt. Twenty-six to forty rowers, thirty to sixty or seventy rowers. They must drive up and down after the spring water comes, and the route is to and from Changde and Hongjiang. The water goes up and down three or five times a year at most, and most of the rest are resting. Rows are the owners of the river. Master Mayang as usual, surnamed Teng as usual. He is sociable and elegant. I often become sworn brothers with people in big firms, climb relatives' houses, stand by and put the sandalwood rudder behind the boat when sailing, with a little leisurely dignity, smoking while watching the water with a bamboo whip and a short pipe in my mouth. When a distinguished guest takes a boat and drinks a glass of wine, he will tell the guest the history of this oil tanker in detail. It carries too many soldiers with little influence, the rich, or prostitutes in the Chi Yuan Valley. In other words, how much does this ship have to do with the local "history"! Everything on this ship is huge and solid. When the owner was on board, he didn't see anything special, but when he came ashore, he was wearing a robe (three or four inches above the knee), a green feather brocade coat, a fedora hat or a small satin hat, calf leather with a belly and a thick silver chain, which was full of silver dollars. Wear raw cowhide boots and walk with heavy feet. Tall and thin. There are a pair of big hands, full of yellow hair and blue veins. He can drink and play cards, and he is generous. When he ate Hua San for entertainment, he took out a lot of silver dollar bills from his pocket and was not stingy at all. Sailors are strong and brave, with sharp eyes. They are good at singing, swimming, fighting and swearing. When entering the water, it is like a tail fish, and when landing, it is like a wild boar approaching a woman. Boating during the day and playing cards at night are also very interesting. Although there are many people on board, each has its own things, and it is never chaotic. The deck is always as clean as new. At the beginning of anchoring, gongs and drums will be beaten, paper and incense will be burned at the bow, white meat will be cooked to sacrifice to the gods, and thousands of firecrackers will be set off to show that people and gods are harmonious and happy, and they will help each other all the way. In the nautical ceremonies and songs, people are reminded of the reasons why the songs of the South China occurred two thousand years ago, and they are still well preserved and timeless.

It is smaller than Hongjiang oil tanker and looks clumsy (ships are usually made of wooden boards, but this kind of ship is made of wooden columns). It has a flat head and a big tail. It is obvious that the hull is very strong and has the style of a fighter. Known as the "White River Ship". Baihe is another name for Youshui. This kind of ship goes from Changde to Yuanling, Shui Yuan, and from Yuanling to Youshui for peace protection. It is extremely dangerous to flow on the beach, and the ship will be able to withstand the collision. The ship needs to be loaded to suppress the waves, so the tail is like a hip, big and round. When you go down, tie one or two big wooden shoulders to the bow. The purpose of wooden spokes is to get off the beach, which is more practical than rudder when turning. As the saying goes, "three oars are not as good as one pole, and three oars are not as good as one shoulder." Reading is a skill. The water is shallow and urgent, so paddles are not commonly used. Therefore, the paddle is very big, and the paddle is thick and short. The awning is made of zongzi leaves and is not oiled. Most of the ship owners are from Yongshun Baojing, with Wang as the surname and Peng as the majority. Youshui river bed is narrow and there are many beach flows. In order to cope with nature, boatmen need more courage and ability. When sailing, we often curse each other instead of singing together. In order to be more limited by nature, we have a bad temper. Youshui is the legendary location of ancient collection caves, many of which are tall, spacious and full of mystery. From Yuanling to Youyang, there are always several caves in counties along the Youshui River Basin. However, books in Judas Cave, Yuanling Youer Cave, Baojing Lion Cave, Youyang Longdong Cave and even these caves are rotten. Up to now, the most books in this river should be Shi Yin Ben Li Shu, which is sold by Baoqing paper customers. As usual, every ship has an Imperial Calendar. The boatmen have many taboos, and the almanac is the treasure book of their actions. Rivers are prone to accidents, and individuals want to reduce their responsibilities. Therefore, everything seems to be decided by God, handled by God, and handled according to the rules, which makes them feel more at ease, less controversial, and has an excuse for the accident of the ship. The boats in the counties of Youshui River basin have different shapes, but they are inseparable from the Baihe River. The Baihe oil tankers that Changde can see are almost the same in appearance.

White lime and black coal are produced in Chenxi County, which swims in the Yuan River. The local ship carrying these two things is called "Dawn Ship", also called "Lightwave". Compared with the above two kinds of ships, it is characterized by brittle materials and lack of individuality. The hull is mostly light black, shaped like a shuttle on a homespun machine, and its style is not very smart. The downstream is full of some worthless goods, and the upstream is often emptied because there is no return. The hull is dirty, the cargo time is short, it is dangerous to sail with full load, and passengers are not welcome, so shipbuilders don't care much about cleanliness and time. As usual, the tent on this ship is not complete, and the cloth sails are tattered, giving people the feeling of a broken house. The boatmen are lazy because they are idle, and their spirits are mostly depressed.

Donghe (Luxi) originates from Longdong in Gancheng Miao Township and Wu Chao in Fenghuang Miao Township. Two small rivers meet in Suoli City, Gancheng County. To the east, to luxi county, with Yuanhe River. The boat in this river is called "East River Boat". The mainstream of Heyuan flows from two caves in Lilin, Miao township. The river bed is rocky, so the water is particularly clear and strong. The hull must struggle in the collision. The river is small and the hull is light. The ship's side is low and the bow is narrow. On this boat, we can find the water in the hands of the Miao people. But we won't be surprised by him when we meet him, and he won't be surprised by us. This kind of person is similar to other people on the water, but the difference is his simple and honest, honest, straightforward temperament-the temperament of primitive people, because he lives in the mountains, so he is better preserved than the city people. Gancheng people are extremely smart and elegant, with small hands and feet, and their voices are very pleasant when singing folk songs. When they arrive at the dock, they can be particularly silent and quiet. The boat is too small to dock at this big pier often. This kind of boat seems to be shy when it is moored on the river, just as sailors are shy when they go out on the street.

Gancheng regards the research institute as a water wharf for the county to suck in goods. Although the place is not big, Xiaoshi Town is clean and tidy, and there are several celebrities in the history of nearly 30 years. Fu, the general of Duan Dynasty, grew up in this small county. General of the Northeast Army, General Yang Anming, who is known as the tactical authority among the active servicemen in China, is also from here.

On the river, it is very active and lively, and there are a large number of ordinary medium-sized "Mayang boats". This kind of bow tail is held high, graceful and flexible. The origin of this kind of ship is Mayang River (Chenxi). Women, children and child brides can be seen on every ship. Whether it is the business entrusted by businessmen or the work assigned by God, boatmen are extremely competent. Most of the transshipment business in the Yuanshui River Basin is mainly local people, which is the result of the prosperous population, and therefore Mayang Street outside Changde City has been established. "All success requires struggle", which can also be explained as Mayang Street. According to legend, this street was opened by a sailor named Teng Laojiu. If we are interested in visiting that street, we can know that all the people who run small shops, barbershops, boatmen and the oldest occupations without capital are villagers in Mayang, and we will understand that everyone has a share in this struggle. Mayang people's energy is incomparable, or related to local production. Mayang produces all kinds of oranges and glutinous rice, which is especially suitable for brewing sweet wine. With the increase of population, there are more and more ships, so more than half of the world on the Yuanshui River is occupied by Mayang people. Where the ships docked, there were Mayang people called villagers, and the villagers got a lot of convenience. Ordinary foreigners call Mayang people "folks" by boat. The villagers, especially the clever and happy ones, can eat, do, drink, fight and be sailors. When the ship owner goes ashore, he must dress up as a small country squire, wearing a robe like the big boss who drives the Hongjiang oil tanker, wearing a felt hat or doctor's hat with raw cowhide, long nails and leather ears, a heavy gold ring on his finger, and a lot of ocean money in his stomach. A Tiger Claw is hung on the short pipe, and a carved silver skin is embedded in one end. Ask everyone where Xianxiang is and what's her name. Most of my surname is Teng, and my first name is Heyi Ghost. In the past 30 years, the politics of this province is more familiar and concerned than that of shipowners anywhere. I am happy to talk about ethics, I don't hide any characters, and I am good at quoting classic proverbs and local proverbs as chapters when talking about heaven. When praising guests, you must increase your income from praise. When you are praised by a guest, you will call the guest a "confidant" and invite the guest to drink a bag of rice wine with a smile. The woman on the ship is not particularly harmful to navigation, but often a good helper. Women are strong, capable, extravagant and good at bearing children.

Mayang people also have a pair of commendable hands, which are unparalleled in Xiangxi for nearly a hundred years. They are also rare artists in China. They are the hands of the sculptor Zhang Qiutan. Small pieces of art are mostly made of tobacco rods under the lamp beside the cigarette tray, all of which are lifelike, and some are still in the private hands of Xiangxi. The big ones are gods like Guanyin, the king of temples in various counties. After the Revolution of 1911, superstitions were broken and many superstitions were destroyed.

In Changde Waterfront Wharf, the boats are very small, floating on the water like a leaf, and the number is as large as dried fish, which is a "Taoyuan rowing boat" specially for passengers. Timber merchants and cigarette sellers, merchants carrying goods up and down, passing civil servants, male and female students on vacation are all customers of this kind of ship. The hull is light and the speed of going up and down is twice as fast as that of other ships. When you get off the beach, you can walk over the edge of the small rapids and nothing will happen. In Pingtan, you can drive day and night without being blocked by checkpoints. So before the expressway, this boat was really a traffic weapon in the Yuanshui River Basin. Shipbuilders don't need to work hard, with less expenses and more income. They are full of guests and rich people, and people in Taoyuan County are particularly easygoing (the Yuanshui River will become Pingtan as soon as it arrives in Taoyuan, and there will be no rotten beaches and rapids, which will naturally affect the temperament of house boat), so the boatmen are much more sloppy, and many of them are addicts. They build ships by day and rely on lights at night. Some family members may still stay in the county town, running occupations that do not require capital, working together and not being idle. And you can be a guest guide, taking guests who visit Taoyuan Cave to the novel places they want.

When traveling up and down the Yuanshui River basin and berthing at Changde Wharf, there are several kinds of ships that should be called "guests", some from Yuping in eastern Guizhou in the upper reaches of Zhijiang, some from Tongren in eastern Guizhou in the upper reaches of Mayang River, and some from Longtan in eastern Sichuan in the upper reaches of Baihe River. Yuping ships are mostly re-exported to Hongjiang, and there are not many downstream ships. Longtan ships mostly exchange goods from Yuanling, and there are not many descendants. Tongren ships are loaded with oil and alkali, and some Zhuang numbers are in Changde, so they are often placed directly in Changde. The most striking thing about the boat is the color Huang Ming, which is light in style, such as rowing. The bow is narrow and lifted up, the bilge is flat and shallow, and the materials are crisp and thin, which gives people a sense of agility and pleasure visually, and can be described as unparalleled beauty and elegance in modeling. The boatman's language is simple and his clothes are simple. Some sailors also wear knee-length dresses and white headscarves, and behave neatly, commensurate with the hull. The boat is small and heavy, so when you go down, you must tie clusters of grass to keep out the water. This kind of boat is moored in the river, which seems extremely modest, a kind of modesty that guests should have. However, it is neater than a ship of the same size, a neatness that guests can't help but pay attention to.

In addition, there is a large number of boats on the Changde River, some of which are constantly moving, while others are moored for a long time. These ships are square-headed, square-tailed, mastless and rudderless. Use boards as bulkheads, open small windows and use boards as roofs. Some are golden houses for ship owners and some are caves for fugitives. There are local prostitutes recruiting, as well as businessmen selling cigarettes, sweets, snacks, pig's trotters and noodles. In addition, fortune tellers, fortune tellers and fortune tellers can all be found on this ship. This floating house is also convenient for boatmen to celebrate their birthdays and get married. Therefore, on auspicious days, there are always lanterns, bells, strings, firecrackers and fists to decorate the water.

Changde township itself is like a dry boat. Ding Ling, a female writer, Dai Xiuzan, a lawyer, and Yu Jiaxi, a scholar from China, all grew up on this dry ship. The riverbank upstream is much higher than that in the city. When the water rises, it will reach the edge of the city, and when the dam breaks, the city will be surrounded by water. There are thousands of shops along the Yangtze River in Changde, all of which are directly related to sailors. The grocery store specializes in selling ship parts and small things, which can be said to be for sailors. Such as oil and salt, yarn, cowhide, tobacco and so on, it can be said that sailors are prepared for them. In addition, for example, tea houses, pubs and accountants, which are the simplest occupations, are indispensable to sailors, and they are also inseparable from water.

There is a long street in Changde City. The doors of the shops are very high (similar to those in Changsha, almost exaggerated), and the wood is worthless, which has a lot to do with the local buildings. The local lakeside, on the other side of the river bank, is flat and produces fish and shrimp lotus roots, so the fish lotus root stack has been extended for several miles. There are many pure religions, so beef is particularly fat and fresh.

Changde goes 90 miles up Shui Yuan to Taoyuan County, and then 25 miles up to Taoyuan Cave. How did Wuling fishermen walk along the stream to the Peach Blossom Garden thousands of years ago? There are no good archaeologists to talk about this route. Most of the "elegant people" who want to visit Taoyuan now have to go by car. In Taoyuan County, it is not easy to see people with yellow hair and enjoying themselves. However, because of historical tradition, the local people are very kind and keep a little antique. I also know how to welcome guests, kill chickens and make millet, and stay in hotels. Although it cost a little money, the quantity is not much. However, a traveler should know that the gifts these people give to tourists are sometimes a little heavier unconsciously. It's best not to be careless and curious, let alone to recall the Goddess of Gaotang endowed by Song Yu and the fairy zhongruan met in Six Dusts, trying to confirm the story from experience. It's better to learn from the Jianghu and make less trouble! There are many fairy goddesses in the local area, but they are not for foreign scholars and tourists. Only raft and bamboo raft merchants in Yuanshui River Basin are popular. Many huge rafts and bamboo rafts disappeared without a trace soon after they arrived in Taoyuan.

Politician Song and revolutionary Qin Gui are both from Taoyuan County. There is a provincial second normal school for women in Taoyuan County. When the May Fourth Movement talked about the liberation and equality of men and women, it was the female students in this school who first asked for coeducation and realized it.