Mengzi’s Miscellaneous Notes

I lived in Mengzi for five months, and my family lived there for two months. I think of this place often now, especially when it's busy.

Meng is better off when he is small, and better when he has fewer people. People who are used to big cities will feel like a toy when they see the city circle of Mengzi, just like people who are used to riding ordinary trains will feel like a toy when they first step on a small blue stone train. But after living there, it gradually became interesting. There is only one main street in the city, and you can get used to it in just a few trips. Bookstores, stationery stores, snack shops, flashlight shops, you can almost find the door with your eyes closed. The scenic spots outside the city, such as Nanhu Lake, Song Island in the lake, Junshan Mountain, and Sanshan Park, can be visited in one afternoon, which is very labor-saving. Whether in or out of town, walking on the road, sometimes you won't see anyone. The whole world seems to be one's own; oneself extends to infinity and infinity. This reminds me of Taizhou and Baima Lake. When I lived in those two places, I also had this kind of tranquility.

There is a sugar porridge seller on the street, and he sells fried cakes. Tables, stools and even bowls and spoons are very clean and cheap. Our teachers and students take great care of them. The shopkeeper is a Sichuanese, his surname is Lei, and he has gray hair. He always has a smile on his face, but he doesn't seem to be trying to please his customers. He likes antiques and so on. Bamboo and porcelain occupy half of each table; bran porridge and dada are placed on these tables to eat. He also has some "high-quality products" hidden in his home, and when he is happy, he will specially bring them out for customers to enjoy. The old man has a wife and a waiter, and he is quite happy living like this. We were in charge of this shop as "Thunder Porridge", and the shopkeeper was also called by this name; he was very popular.

The most noteworthy thing in the city is the right couple. There are many door pairs here that match other people's surnames. Of course, other places do this, but not as many as here. It's fun to watch and guess while walking. But the most popular ones are the anti-Japanese war couples. There are also some in Kunming, but proportionally speaking, I'm afraid they are not as many as Mengzi. If there are more, it will create an atmosphere that makes people walking on the street not forget this country in this era. This seems to be considered the use of old forms to promote the Anti-Japanese War and the founding of the nation, and is worthy of encouragement. The old calendar year is approaching, so we should promote this kind of Anti-Japanese Spring Festival couplets.

Mengzi’s official propaganda work, in addition to the slogans of the Party Headquarters, the efforts of the Education Bureau are also worth recording. They converted an old theater into a lecture platform and posted mimeographed broadcast messages every day. This is all beneficial to the people. They don't have much funding, so it's very promising if they can do it step by step. They also helped students from Peking University run a private night school. Registration was very enthusiastic, but due to the lack of teachers and seats, only 200 people were admitted. The night school has been running for two or three months. The students are very serious and the results are quite impressive. At that time, the United Nations General Assembly in Mengzi was about to move to Kunming, so it had to stop. The Director of Education expressed his regret to me; judging from his attitude, he was telling the truth. The people of Mengzi are quite willing to accept propaganda. Students from Lianda University once participated in a fly eradication campaign. There are so many flies in April and May. There was a friend who smiled on the street and opened his mouth and flew in. After the fly extermination campaign, many food shops on the streets were equipped with cold cloth covers. Although they were rudimentary, it could not but be said to be progress. The people at the shop often tell us, "This is what you get after you come here." This shows that they are very modest.

There is a Torch Festival in Mengzi. It is held on the 24th night of the 6th lunar month in Sixiang and on the 25th night in the city. That night, people in the city were burning reed poles or branches at their doorsteps. There were piles of blazing fires everywhere, surrounded by men, women, adults and children. The children were even holding fireballs dipped in rags and oil in their hands. , jumping and shouting, the calm city suddenly became lively. This fire is light, heat, strength, and youth. The vast space in Sixiang is burned with small trees; imagining balls of hot fire rising up in the vast darkness, the scene is majestic enough. Those barbarians in the four villages should enjoy this festival more, they should dance and shout more enthusiastically. This may be a purgative festival, but it implies the greatness of life and is a meaningful custom; in this period of the Anti-Japanese War, when the spirit needs to be inspired, its significance is even more profound.

Nanhu Lake has very little water in winter and spring, and half of it is almost dry to the last drop. But in the summer, the swelling is so rosy that it feels like rejuvenation. Rows of eucalyptus trees were planted on the bank of the lake; their tall and straight trunks looked "towering" despite everything, and their thin and long leaves were like weeping poplars accustomed to brushing the water. As soon as I stood on the bank, I couldn't help but think of Shichahai in Peiping.

Coupled with the lotus leaves and lotus flowers in the Songdao area, it looks more like Shichahai. Songdao is a good place, but I think it is not as winding and quiet as Sanshan Park. There are only three small mounds and a few simple pavilions here. However, it is winding and undulating, shaded by trees, and dotted here and there with some stone tables and stone piers; both looking at it and walking on it, it seems like there is some aftertaste to chew on. This must be thanked to Commander Li Song. The roads on Nanhu were all built by his sergeants, and Songdao and Junshan were also renovated by him; and this small park shows his ingenuity even more. He wrote many plaques in this area. Of course he is not a painter, but his brushstrokes are thin and firm, and he is quite heroic.

The General Assembly has rented the former site of the Customs and Credit Agricole Bank, which is the best place in Mengzi. The tall eucalyptus trees and a patch of soft green grass in the customs are the main accents. When you walk in, your mind will be widened and your whole body will feel moisturized. There are many egrets on the treetops, which are the same type as the "grey cranes" in the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Peking, and are called "Lao Wait" in the north. The pure white feathers and the smart posture are fascinating to watch, especially early in the morning. There is a path through the bushes in a corner. The moonlight filters through the gaps in the leaves at night, which must be very interesting. There are some mango trees and papaya trees growing in another corner. Unfortunately, the sun is not strong enough and the fruits are not fertile, but they have a bit of tropical flavor, which is also pleasant. There are many flowers in the bank, and the colors are everywhere. They are available at any time, so you are not lonely. The most beautiful ones are bougainvillea. The flowers are a turbid purple with distinct veins, like when they were blooming, they are in clumps and patches. It takes so long for the flowers to bloom. When we went in April, it was in full bloom. When we left in August, it was still in bloom.

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