What do you mean by "ceiling, fish tank, pomegranate tree, sir, Liu Li, fat girl"?

"Ceiling, fish tank, pomegranate tree, sir, Liu Li, fat girl." This is a proverb existing in the Qing Dynasty, which is used to describe the life scene of old Beijing quadrangles.

Maid: refers to maids, nannies, servants and other people.

Ceiling: used to cool down in summer. In an educated family, the ceiling can't be an open shelf. Traditionally, it is necessary to plant shade plants that look very old, such as grapes or old vines. At worst, there should be melon baskets (scientific name Trichosanthes) or gourds and loofahs. In the old society, it was not only used to enjoy the cool and keep out the cold, but also used to hold happy events in quadrangles, such as marrying a daughter-in-law, recruiting a daughter, celebrating the birthday of the elderly, having a full house of children and grandchildren, and having a full moon. It is a fashion to put up a ceiling in old Beijing, and it is also a gift for relatives and friends.

Goldfish tank: refers to fish tanks and fish tanks placed in quadrangles all year round. Goldfish are kept in these fish tanks all the year round, and some fish tanks also keep plants such as lotus flowers, water lilies, river willows and aquatic plants. It means fish every year and gold every day. Needless to say, fish, pay attention to a variety of objects, such as rich or expensive, can not stop the room!

Pomegranate tree: Pomegranate fruit is as red as fire, symbolizing the prosperity of a day, and the abundance of pomegranate symbolizes the prosperity of future generations. Some people in old Beijing often cut paper-cuts into the words "Fulu Xi Shou" and stick them on newly formed fruits. When the ripe pomegranate turns red, remove the pattern, and Flo Xi Shou will lay it on it and give it to the elders, which is very gratifying. The big red pomegranate hanging on the tree has become a beautiful landscape in the courtyard in summer and autumn.

Fat girl Liu Li: Servants and watchdog are doing well, which shows that the host family is rich.

Another way of saying it is "fat girl Liu Li". Among them, "Mr." is the teacher, that is, the tutor. In those days, only wealthy families could afford it.

According to people's common saying, "pomegranate trees in the ceiling fish tank and Liu Li and girls in the old days" is a vivid portrayal of well-off family life in Beijing. In summer, a sunshade is set up in the yard. There is a big goldfish bowl in the yard, and there are several pots of pomegranate in front of the screen. The family hired teachers to teach their children homework, raised fat dogs, and even the servants who used them ate fat for nothing. Life is carefree and enjoyable.

For hutong families with ordinary living conditions, although these objects are still indispensable, the conditions are a little lower: "The bench is a big locust tree, and grandma and grandson are aunts." This is a bit like describing a farmer's family as "a cow in 30 acres, and his wife and children are hot." Although the family is not well off, it is also happy.

It should be said that this is a compliment. It is really enviable that the wedding day is booming and the family is happy.

Later, looking through the relevant information, it turned out that this sentence was a complete curse and had obvious derogatory meaning.

The origin of this sentence is recorded in the book Notes on Old Beijing written by Mr. Xia, a native of Jiangning, Jiangsu Province. He used to be a juren in the Qing Dynasty, and he was an imperial adviser.