[ Prose ]
Mid-Autumn Festival memoir
1
Frost came earlier than in previous years. When I woke up, the ground was covered with silvery white, like the remaining moonlight. The wheat has been harvested long ago, while the buckwheat and the marsh are still standing on their bows. They are only afraid of the strong wind and wet rain, not the cold and frost. Carrots, beets, are always the last to dig. They like to freeze, but this sweet taste is enough. Of course, this frozen floats on the ground, and you cannot wait until the land is broken. The potato seedlings are the least frozen. During the frozen period, the branches and leaves are wafting. After three or five days, they are half-dried. If you don't dig in time, it will be difficult to find traces. Without the concern of the seedlings, potatoes are naughty, often like playing hide-and-seek, drilling deeper and running farther. Even if they have a long plow, they can't catch them.
potatoes are planted on the edge of the Xiling beam. It was originally a rectangular field. Later, my father dug a few steps outside, but it was not so regular. Everyone wants to expand, even if the area of a table is treasured. As long as you don’t infringe on others’ homes, there is nothing wrong with it. The turret is the mound, which is the ruins of the Liao and Jin dynasties. There are fragments of porcelain tiles everywhere, and occasionally rusty copper coins can be picked up. The villagers dig soil to build houses, and they always get unexpected gains. A red horse in the production team was said to have a contagious disease and was buried alive. It was dug in the deep pit in the West Gate. When I saw that scene, I was both shocked and terrified. The beams are extremely large, and the potato fields are two or three miles away from the center. My parents picked them up several times, not to mention the tiles or stones, as if they were sifted.
The ground is shriveled and bumpy. A few days ago, the potatoes that grew there were poached. When I had no vegetables to put them in the pot, my mother sent me to Xiliang to dig a few potatoes. I usually walk around the ground, some potatoes grow upwards, holding up a large bag, and some exposed heads. The wind blows on the sun, and the side turns green when it sees light. Just stretch out your fingers and you can pick out these guys who seem to be born impatient. If I can't find it or try to save trouble, I will dig it in the field. However, when I was in the day of potatoes, my father still had to dig again in the potholes. It’s not that I thought I was lazy before, but that I was not professional enough, and the potatoes were hidden deep, so my shovel would definitely not reach it. What he didn't know was that I was almost like digging a well. I didn't stop my father and watched him dig. A father who has nothing to find will smile praisefully. If he happens to dig it out, his eyes will be heavier and he will not say anything. It’s Potato that is too cunning, and he may not be able to fight. After digging, you have to plow and turn it over. At that time, you will still find missing potatoes.
officially dig potatoes. My task is to pick them up, put them in the basket first, then pour them together, and finally put them in bags and transport them back. I was barefoot, squatting or standing, and the joy of harvest was as thin as frost and I couldn't find it soon. Boring, monotonous, and no fun. But I never deal with it, never thought about it. This is naturally so. Of course, there are also some reasons for temptation.
It was almost noon, and my parents went home for dinner, so I stayed in the field to guard the potatoes. My mother took out the half mooncake wrapped in paper and bags. She thought I didn't know, but I actually guessed it. The mooncakes were given by a relative yesterday, and there were two in total. This half was reserved by my mother. She didn't say it was for me, but she said she wanted to raise potatoes, so I knew it. After all, I have some talent in eating. Potatoes and mooncakes are connected in an extremely unique way. It is not a logical relationship, and it is difficult to find cause and effect, and it is quite close to marriage.
That half moon cake is my dry food. If you don’t dig potatoes or guard them, these half mooncakes may not belong to me. Of course, it may not be me. However, without this half moon cake, I have to stay and watch, but dry food will be something else. I was pleased to be ordered.
Potatoes are piled in the center of the ground, and are becoming more and more round in the mid-autumn sunlight. Although they are of different sizes, they look the same, rather than just dug out and have different shapes. Or I have been hiding underground for a long time and feel so stuffy that I have tried my best to breathe, so my cheeks are bulging.
I guarded the potatoes and slowly swallowed the mooncakes. The filling of the mooncake is made of brown sugar, of course it is mixed with noodles, but it can still be sweet to the bones. There are also some sesame , which is another fragrance, and you can only eat such delicacies in the Mid-Autumn Festival. My mooncakes have always been late, but in just a few days, my mother has bought back brown sugar.She didn't buy sesame seeds, and she would mix some shisha . There is no difference in this, and it has its own reasons for it. Eat slowly, but it was finished. I took a few sips of the water contained in a round bottle. The warm water poured in the morning is still hot at this time. The remaining cake crumbs in your mouth are completely in your stomach, and the one that will be put into your mouth is your own mooncake. The land is fat and the rain is good, so those bags are probably not enough. My parents are all happy, I know what this means. In a trance, the pile of potatoes turned into mooncakes, rounder and more bulging, shining with oil.
2
In our village, mooncakes are also called cold mass. Lengtuo was originally a joke about a certain type of man and woman, reckless, impulsive, unresponsive, and indifferent to the consequences. A woman who married into a neighboring village quarreled with her husband and was slapped by her husband. The woman went back to her parents' home to cry. When her brother saw that her sister was wronged, she wanted to come to teach her a lesson. The woman specifically told her that she was afraid that her brother would call her friends and beat her husband to a semi-disabled. She will eventually return to her husband and live a life. My brother said don’t worry, I won’t touch a hair of his hair. My younger brother did not touch my brother-in-law's hair, and he didn't even raise his hand, but just kicked it. But this kick happened to hit my brother-in-law in the crotch. The woman's younger brother has since been named Lengtuo. In addition to behavior, there is also a cold word in words. If you say what you should say and shut up if you shouldn't say, it may lead to disaster or even cause death. If your mouth is not firm, it means you are cold.
These have nothing to do with mooncakes, so I can't figure out why this nickname is. Perhaps because of the climate on the dam, frost appears during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the flowers are covered with flowers and grass wither. It is even colder in the early morning and you need to wear a cotton coat. It is far worse than the cold weather in the nine days, but after traveling through the middle of summer and early autumn, everyone is not cold-resistant. As the saying goes, the pores are still open. When the mooncakes come on stage, cold comes, or in other words, mooncakes arrive at the same time as cold. They have a causal relationship with each other and are symbols of each other. Perhaps it is because of the food process and uncontrollable condition. If you eat vegetarian food for a long time, you will suddenly eat meat. If you still have heavy meat, there may be problems. After the clear soup in the whole summer is poor, mooncakes are undoubtedly heavy on meat. A bachelor in the village worked for people. He got two mooncakes and ate them all, but he didn't get off the kang for three days. He is in good health and drinks cold water and eats cold rice all year round, but two mooncakes knock him to his side. In this way, it is indeed like a cold mass.
I don’t like this nickname. In my heart, mooncakes are always warm.
Moon cakes must be started in the yard first. You only need a large pot and a fire plate in your house. Even if you have free time, you borrow it and don’t have a master to watch the fire, it still won’t work. Therefore, it is not that every household starts up, but that is mostly shared by several companies. Of course, you have to make an appointment in advance, otherwise you will miss it. The stove is half dry and can be ignited. It is not simply a firewood. The fire king is on top, so there should be a ceremony. The fire broke out until the end, and it was all night long. It’s not that you can’t stop in the middle, but that it’s turned off and reignites, which consumes time and fireworks, and naturally there are still working hours. If you miss it, you can only rush to the next stove.
The year when potatoes increased their yields, their parents decided to make moon cakes at home. I suspected that I missed the big stove and then came up with this strategy. Of course, it may also be a good harvest to celebrate. If you don’t have a new stove, just use your own pot. I don’t know where my father borrowed the hole-shaped iron plate, which was hung from the beam of the house, and acted as a fire plate. The process is easy but not easy, and it is not difficult to say it is difficult. It was smoked and fired, but it was done. Although some of the bottom skin is black due to uneven fire, and some of them are similar to Bao Gong's face, and some are bumped when they are knocked out of the mold, so they are not particularly round, but they taste sweet. If there are regrets, it means that giving away people cannot fully demonstrate its beauty. There is a saying that
is given, but at that time it was just a commendation. My mother first picked out the moon offerings and was in awe. She has always been like this. Then it was sent to the relatives. Relatives in half of the village are not given to each family, but only to direct families. The quality of the mooncakes is not as good as in previous years. My mother was worried and looked at them repeatedly. I was impatient when I served as a courier. Then my mother said, "Let's just do it." Such a major decision, it takes time and effort. In fact, I understand that this is about face, just like going out and you have to change your body and clean your clothes.
is given to relatives, and my father suggested giving two to someone. He was probably afraid that his mother would disagree and said that he had helped us build a cellar last year. The mother did not hesitate.This man, the bachelor mentioned above, also gave him mooncakes last year, and was given to him by his father. This year, my father assigned me to go there.
Three or five minutes away from his house, I passed through the dilapidated yard several times, but it was the first time I stepped in. I was a little curious about him. How did he step on these days? There is more than one bachelor in the village, and there are many rumors about men and women, but he does not. He is not stupid, but his personality is stubborn. My family was originally in Team 2, and they suffered a lot every year, and even the counter was taken away for auction. The three teams are much better, and they really pay in . My father had the idea of changing the team. It is not easy to be the same village. Just like a country joining an international organization now, it requires rounds of negotiations. Half a year passed, the three teams voted together, and the bachelor did not raise his hand. He did not abstain and clearly objected. That night, my mother and I were guarding the bean-like oil lamp, waiting for the good news. However, my father returned sadly. The bachelor either deliberately acts bad or is open and open. My father did not give up and searched again and again. How to communicate with the bachelor? I don't know the specific process, but he agreed to vote anyway. After changing the team's status, some aspects are indeed different. It's not big or small. From then on, when I saw a bachelor, I would look at him more, without any clear purpose, it was a vague desire to explore.
The courtyard gate has no fence or horizontal bars, and there is no need to push and pull. I am not worried that the evil dog will rush out, and he will not raise pigs and dogs. There are no chickens and ducks foraging for food. Working tools are placed near the door of the house. He is very strong and willing to help others, so he can go to anyone who wants to do so. Naturally, you also get a thin reward. When his father was there, he was alone inside and outside.
He probably saw me, but he didn't go out, but stood two steps away. Other people's windows were replaced with glass, but their house was still covered with plastic cloth. Although the room was dark, I still saw the confusion in his eyes. I explained my purpose, but he didn't have any politeness and took the plate and placed it on the pot. I poured the mooncakes into the diagonally and exited.
Walking in the nearly empty yard, I became more and more curious. On Mid-Autumn Night, he is the same as usual, or is it a little different? Others think he is lonely, but maybe that is exactly what he enjoys. Thinking randomly, people have arrived on the street.
3
I straightened my waist from the potato field, the moon had risen, and the shadow on the ground had grown a lot. This is the potato field in the team. After digging, it is plowed again. The potato fields in the team are not like personal private areas, and they are almost gone. The team fields are like treasure pots, and you will get rewards every time you dig them. By the spring of the following year, you can still pick up the frozen potatoes that have been dried by the wind. It is black inside and outside, also known as black yam. Grind black yam , and the flour can be rubbed with fish and pancakes. I really don’t like to eat black yam noodle fish. I always feel that I can’t eat enough and I will be hungry if I fall into chopsticks. Still still.
The basket is almost full, and I used three forks to dig out the potatoes one by one. Some have holes that are pierced from the fork. They were rushing to dig. A quarter of an hour ago, there were still figures of bows everywhere on the ground, but now it is much empty. After all, it was Mid-Autumn Festival, and the full moon was intriguing and walked backwards. Someone was still digging like a treasure not far away, so I decided to stop.
Potato field is on the west side of the village. After crossing the ditches, it is a grass beach, and the other end of the beach is the village. I carried a basket and returned to the moon. When the moon showed up, her face was blushing as shy as she was, and she rose from the ground, still as pink as makeup. Now, it crosses the treetops and chimneys, and it is full of golden color. The grass was shaved off, the stubble was dry and hard, and it was touching and stomping. It is hard to hear the sound of insects, and occasionally a night bird flies by, eager to return to the nest, and it flashes in a flash. The fields were silent, and the soles of feet were getting louder, as if their hearts were already anxious. Actually enjoyable. The moon and the moon are full, but it is a round form, as empty as a stage. The Mid-Autumn Night is different. The curtain opens and the performance is like a magnet.
The agricultural proverb says that on the fifteenth day of August, the clouds cover the moon, and when the lights are turned on on the lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the snow is turned on. All harvest signs. When this happens, I always think about the rolling waves of wheat, and the regrets fade away. But to be honest, I like the bright moon even more. At this moment, I am full of my mind Chang'e , Jade Rabbit , Wu Gang , and osmanthus tree. My mother pointed at the bright moon more than once and asked me to identify it. After staring at it for a while, she really saw the hazy image of the fairy and the fairy rabbit.On the way home, I ignored my feet and looked around while walking, as if I was closer to the moon, and I felt that the Chang'e Jade Rabbit was within reach.
I have heard another legend that on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, if a basin filled with clear water is placed in the courtyard, a secret or even terrifying scene will appear in the basin. Therefore, it is impossible to do it. I thoughts flashed through my mind, but it was pressed down in one flash, and it has not yet been tested. I believe more about Chang'e's saying.
Mother was standing at the gate of the yard. If I didn’t come back, she would go out to find her. One day, I picked leek flowers and ran a long way. When I returned, it was already time to take the lights. When I entered the village, I heard her call, calling her nickname. Not a three-year-old child, he responded with shame. I'll come back in time, otherwise she'll shout again. This is Mid-Autumn Festival, and the jade rabbit is also pricking his ears.
The plate for moon has been placed on the windowsill, one plate is cut and uncut moon cakes, and the other half is pears, small sand fruits and gourd ice. Gourd ice is also called ice zi, and it tastes extremely fragrant for a long time. My mother likes to use gourd ice to dye the smell, put one in the bag, two at the bottom of the cabinet, and sometimes hidden in the cotton coat in winter. A few days later, the fragrance took root, and as soon as the cabinet was opened, the fragrance of fruit wafted out. The fragrance remains all winter.
When I was having a meal, my mother said to keep some belly and eat mooncakes. I naturally remember that my mother emphasized that it is not that mooncakes are better than food, but that they are of different meaning and are shared with Chang'e Jade Rabbit. No, it should be later. Only those who have tasted it can eat it, and it must be eaten. My mother's piety deeply influenced me, not only that.
month-end, and the whole family sits together. There is no joy of eating dumplings in the New Year, and it is quiet, and the gods are still watching us in the air. That scene was like visiting a wealthy house in Houmen, with a dreamy trance.
At that time, I had not read a few words, and I had not read Su Shi 's " Water Melody Song Head·Mid-Autumn ", nor did I read Du Fu 's "Bright Moon". We celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival, enjoying delicious food, and obsessed with legends related to it.
I was admitted to Zhangbei Normal University and was greedy for reading. I didn’t go home very much during holidays, and the same was true for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The school distributes mooncakes and fruits, everything is available. When I went back during the winter vacation, my sister quietly told me that on the night of August 15th, when my parents mentioned me, they burst into tears. I was hit and it was difficult to calm down for a long time. More precisely, from then on, the sound was like an ice sank in my heart, and it would be louder every festival, and even more Mid-Autumn Festival. Leave day by day, and reminisce every day. It is by no means considered as wealth pretentiously, but it is just an individual mark that belongs to me alone, hidden in my heart, that's all.
…《Beijing Literature 》 (Excellent Reading) 2022 Issue 11
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