Write prose before the meeting.

In the early 1980s, when the land was just released, every time Xiaoman, one of the 24 solar terms, held a meeting in the village (then called the commune). I remember it was called "material exchange meeting". However, the villagers are still used to calling it "Xiaomanhui". First, the time is when the wheat tip turns yellow, just before and after Xiaoman solar terms; Second, starting a meeting at this time is essentially to prepare for the wheat harvest. Villagers can take the opportunity to buy some wheat goods such as sickles, mulberry forks, shovels and broom ropes. And watch the theatre for fun and save money happily, because they will soon be involved in the all-round wheat harvest campaign.

At that time, the country had just implemented reform and opening up, and the market had not been fully liberalized. Some major means of production and production tools are still operated by state-owned stores. Although there are a considerable number of agricultural and sideline products and handmade products, there are also private businesses such as catering, clothing and entertainment services, but generally speaking, the market economy is still not sufficient. However, the land reform of "fixing production quotas to households" has aroused the infinite passion of workers and people's mental outlook has taken on a new look. On the one hand, the congress invigorated the rural market economy and made full preparations for the wheat harvest; On the other hand, it was also a concentrated display of the national reform and opening-up policy in rural areas at that time.

My hometown, Dongwangying Township, is far from the county seat. It belongs to a newly-built township and is a remote small township. Township location, the venue is not large, only east, west, north and south streets, the main government departments are on both sides of the street. Around the center of the street, the north and south sides of the east-west street are Grain Management Institute and Supply and Marketing Cooperative respectively. There is a newly-built cinema in the east of the Grain Management Institute, a health center in the east of the supply and marketing cooperative, and a locust tree forest in the east. On both sides of the west, the township government is in the north, a clearing is in the south, and rows of poplars are planted, and the agricultural extension station is in the south. On the east and west sides of Nanbei Street, there are coal stations and timber shops respectively, and the post office seems to be there. To the south, the east is mainly the warehouse of the Grain Management Institute, the west is the local product company, and further south is the township middle school.

In order to build momentum and expand its influence, the village attached great importance to the conference and thought of many ways. Every time there is a meeting, the village will pay for two big plays, stipulating that the local acrobatic troupe and the suona team must perform; Relevant township units are required to publicize, delimit areas and manage by sections. In addition, a special duty team was set up at the venue. Every manager must wear a red armband and go to work with a fire and water stick (short wooden stick with red head and blue head), patrol and maintain order. I remember that there were two big plays at that time, the stage was located in Nanbei Street, and the other one was near the wooden line at the northern end of the street, facing south. One is near the township middle school at the southern end of the street, facing south. The two plays echo each other at a distance.

According to the regulations at that time, there were goods or commodities related to their own categories in front of grain management offices, supply and marketing cooperatives and local products companies. In front of the township government compound, various farm tools are sold. Under the poplar trees in Lunan clearing, a temporary livestock trading market has been formed. The acrobatic troupe suona team and entertainment toys are all concentrated in a field in front of the hospital, and only a few people sell sugarcane seeds and fruit candy in front of the cinema. The most lively place is the center of the street, with different booths on both sides. Some goods are piled on the ground, some are put on their own cars, some are temporarily put on shelves, some are planted with poles, tied with ropes and hung up. In the middle of the two plays, soup makers, rice sellers, wheelbarrows, fortune tellers, and some free-flowing vendors shuttled between them, and the cries and shouts merged into a sea of people. It's really lively.

The duration at that time was usually two or three days. When people hear that they will have a meeting, they usually make preparations in advance. In addition to those who have business, they should seize the favorable territory in advance. Even ordinary people will plan ahead, what to wear, what to add, and even who to invite to the theatre, all of which have been achieved. I remember that on the day of the meeting, our family was often divided into several classes. My brother is an advance team. He pushed his rice bowl and said he was called, so he ran away in a hurry. Then my sister finished washing and dressing, and the sisters in the village left happily; Then father packed the cart and let grandma sit on it. Dad and I pulled one by one and slowly got on the road. Mother doesn't want to go to the theatre or have fun. She always stays at home.

I remember that the dramas sung at that time were generally the same every year. Although the two operas sing different operas, usually Abao Palace Opera and Yangjia Opera, it seems that there is only one Great Song Dynasty, great literature and great martial arts in the whole history of China. To come to the song dynasty, you are weak and have many things to do. A series of touching stories, such as "Civet cats for princes", Zhou, Liang Fang, "Bao Gong Qi Chen Shi Mei" and so on. There are also Yang's operas, such as the beheading of Yuanmen, Mu's command in the town, Shiro's visit to his mother, Yangmen Women's General, Twelve Widows' Western Expedition and so on. But every scene is clear about loyalty and treachery, mixed with love and hate, and the plot is touching. The people love it and never tire of seeing it.

I didn't like drama at that time. I thought that men and women are colorful, there is not much difference, black face and white face, too white and too black, purely for fun; Especially when the rhythm is slow, the drummer beats for a long time, and the characters "sigh" for a long time without knowing what to sing. Sometimes I sing all afternoon without holding traitors, and then I sing in the afternoon, but I can't finish singing in the afternoon, and then I sing in the evening, and a drama manager sings all day. So, I sent my grandmother to the theater, found a better position, took my father two yuan, and went for fun.

I usually like to look at other people's rings. Sometimes I see the bamboo ring shaking on the smooth porcelain bowl at close range, and I almost succeeded. I can't help but feel itchy. But I will soon tell myself that the money in my hand is used for eating. What's the use of that bowl? So he left and went to the booth of the fortune teller to see the mysterious and pious face of the fortune teller. This is ridiculous and doesn't make much sense. There are men and women in and out of the cinema. I heard it's a mess, too. More importantly, I don't want to go even if it's only two or three cents. Acrobatics are mostly planted upside down, and I think it is dangerous how high the chair is. After a while, I quietly avoided it.

The place where I went the most and stayed the longest was the chicken farm in front of the hospital. At that time, cockfighting seemed to be voluntary, and everyone was holding himself. Although housekeeping is not too much, it is sparsely surrounded by two or three floors. Because my hometown is located at the junction of Huaiyang, Zhoukou and Xihua, it often attracts people from many places when it comes to meetings. I remember a young man in Zhoukou, holding a vulture-like cockfighting in his hand, with long legs and little hair. At first glance, he seems to be naked, with only a little hair on his tail and back. One of them is an extra-long flag hanging obliquely on his tail and fluttering with rubber roots. The man didn't go into battle first, but just watched with a chicken in his arms.

After several rounds of fighting, some chickens have been defeated despondently, leaving only the last two chickens, and there is still no movement from him. Finally, the winner decided to win. The winner held his proud head high and sang to his host twice as if it were good news. The host walked by, rubbed the chicken's neck a few times and looked at the crowd. That seems to mean, what's there to argue about? At this time, many people turned their attention to the "vultures" in the arms of young people. The owner of the chicken still didn't speak. At this time, the winner took a contemptuous look at the young man and said proudly, "Dare to try?" The young man bit his long hair gently with his mouth and whispered, "Try it!" " "Say that finish, he threw the chicken into the stadium.

It's a stadium, but it's actually a small circle pulled up with a net. The winner didn't think of a word, and won another game. He looked at his beloved chicken, an "old friend" who earned himself enough face today, and felt a little contradictory in his heart, but "a word from a gentleman is a promise that cannot be recalled." Besides, people have already released chickens, so let's fight. Anyway, this is the only battle left. So he let go and the two chickens went to war. At first, "vulture" just dodged, and Desheng chicken pursued the victory, jumping up again and again and pouncing on "vulture"; "Vultures" only care about self-protection, covered in injuries and bleeding. The owner of Desheng chicken took a look at the young man, who was as cool as a cucumber and surprised all the spectators. Seeing that the defeat was set, I saw the vulture suddenly jump, take off and hold on to its claws. Before Desheng's chicken could turn its head, it was knocked to the ground and could no longer stand up. Everyone was shocked, and then thunderous applause broke out.

By the time I got back to my grandma after watching the cockfighting, the play had already finished, and grandma was still intoxicated by Mu Guiying's singing. When I talked about watching cockfighting, she was shocked at first, and then she became angry. He said angrily, "We haven't played enough! what are you reading? I am really dizzy! " It's true, grandma's words really made me dizzy, like falling into clouds and fog, and I didn't know how to make her angry. Just then, my father came back from buying rice, weighing a bundle of fried dough sticks in one hand and a bowl of soup in the other, and said, "I won't go back at noon, just buy something to eat." I'll weigh you some fried dough sticks and drink some bean foam. See what you eat? "I said," I have money in my pocket, don't worry about me! " "Speaking of cockfighting, I learned it from what my grandmother said to my father. Father sighed and said, "You don't know that in the past years, people were as crazy as chickens with dark circles under their eyes. Your grandmother is afraid. " I understood something, so I nodded.

We didn't go back until the play was over in the afternoon. Father bought a broom and two sickles; I bought a small dictionary from the bookstall for fifty cents and liked it very much. My brother said that they didn't see anything and played poker in the poplar forest all day, which was very strange. My sister said that she and her little sister went to the movies. That's great! When I came back, only my father brought my mother a bag of fried dumplings, which were still hot. Mom smiled and said, "Eat!" Said to grandma put a few in the bowl. We all said, "Everyone watched, ate, played, and got something, only you." "Who said I didn't get anything?" Then my mother took out a new pair of elastic black striped velvet shoes. "Look, this is my harvest! I'll make a pair for each of you after the play is over. I have all my shoes ready! " The whole family gave her an admiring look together, and then they all laughed.

......

In recent years, rural development has changed rapidly. Few young people are at home at ordinary times, and most of them go out to work to earn money. During the busy farming season, I just came back for a few days. The harvesting of seeds is mechanized and there is no need for those so-called wheat goods. The exchange of materials need not be in the form of a meeting. Now the market is relatively free, and the countryside is also a small supermarket. The goods were delivered home by the supplier's car. However, the grand, warm and exciting Xiaoman market is a bright spot in the history of rural development. I will never forget those years that I can't stay, and the small full meeting that I can't stay!