Sichuandong Old Yard

People born in the 1960s and 1970s are all familiar with the old courtyard. Courtyards shaped like the word "pin" with a huge stone dam in the center are scattered throughout eastern Sichuan. People often name the courtyard after the surname of the largest number of people living there, such as Zhang Family Courtyard, Li Family Courtyard, etc.

The history of the old courtyard ranges from hundreds of years to decades. Through the ups and downs, the color of the earthen wall has become yellowish with gray, and it is covered with pits and dents, and even huge cracks; the rafters and purlins on the wall are so black that the true color of the wood can no longer be seen, just like smoky fire. Burnt old bacon; the green tiles on the house have turned white in the wind and sun, and some are even covered with a layer of dark moss. There are also windows on the walls, but the windows must be carved wooden windows; there are also bluestone slabs in the basement, but the bluestone slabs must be smooth.

Although the old courtyards vary in size (from seven or eight households to as many as a dozen households), their architectural patterns are generally the same. Usually, one enters the main room directly opposite the courtyard, which is used as the team's safekeeping room. The remaining Zhang family, Li family, Wang family, etc. are arranged in sequence until they form a relatively closed rectangular courtyard.

Outside the houses in the old courtyard, there are stone eaves of varying widths. Don't underestimate this eaves, it is really useful. Because it can provide shade and shelter from the sun and rain, villagers often use it to stack firewood and place farm tools on ordinary days, while children read and write there. During the off-farm season, it also becomes a place for adults to play dominoes and even record weddings and weddings. , the customers are also willing to place their stalls on it. More importantly, it is like a circular veranda, connecting various households together. Even if it is windy or rainy, people can easily go to the east house to borrow a needle and the west house to make a fire.

The most eye-catching thing in the old courtyard is undoubtedly Shidiba.

As a public place for everyone’s activities, Shidi Dam has many uses. In summer, villagers often use it to dry wheat and rapeseed; in autumn, they use it to dry rice and corn. Although there is no boundary line on Shidi Dam, when spreading grain, the villagers will always consciously choose the group in front of their own house, and will never step outside the boundary unless they obtain the consent of the other party. There are also some quarrels and quarrels over the sharing of grain, but it won't be long before they will be reconciled as before.

However, the most solemn and lively event held in Shidiba is the screening of Ba Ba movies.

At that time, cultural life was extremely scarce, and watching Baba movies became a dream for many people. But there are very few opportunities to show movies, and even if they do exist, they are mostly in primary schools with a relatively concentrated population. Being able to watch a movie in the old courtyard of my team is a once-in-a-lifetime happy event. Therefore, both adults and children will be as happy as New Year's Eve when they learn that the movie will be screened in the team's old courtyard. They will bring the news to their relatives and friends early and prepare stools and even melon seeds for them in advance; they will also thoroughly clean the old yard before the film team comes. As the "head of the family", the captain will certainly not be idle. He will promptly arrange for two strong men on the team to go to the commune to pick up the movie projector and take it home, and then arrange the projectionist's dinner according to the team's conditions. Those who are the best and have the best cooking skills will sometimes go to accompany the projectionist for a while, and they are close to each other.

As the last ray of sunset disappeared, the silent old courtyard began to gradually become noisy. First, nearby villagers came in twos and threes; then, those men, women, old and young who were far away from the yard also poured into the yard; soon, the yard became crowded and crowded. Some young people who couldn't find a suitable position simply climbed onto the stone pillars in front of the house or the wooden beams above the eaves. When the movie starts, the captain will seize the opportunity to squeeze in front of the projector and say a few words such as "pay attention to safety" and "pay attention to fire and theft prevention". There are also brave young guys who take advantage of the captain's unpreparedness and grab the loudspeaker. Trumpet, tell a few jokes, and make the whole yard laugh.

In fact, because there are very few opportunities to show movies in their own Shidiba, the children are looking forward to the New Year. At that time, not only could they wear beautiful new clothes, but they could also have fun with their friends in Shidiba.

During the Chinese New Year, especially the first day of the first lunar month, everyone stays at home. As soon as they eat glutinous rice balls in the morning, they all flock to Shidiba.

These villagers who have been immersed in farm work will naturally not miss this rare leisure. The older generation moved tables and chairs, chose a corner, and three or five people gathered around the stone dam to play dominoes or cards. The loser said, There must be long and long strips of paper, called Ba Beard; young wives and girls, dressed in colorful clothes, a bunch here, a bunch there, competing to play shuttlecock; the boys are not to be outdone, they wave The wooden board that looks like a table tennis racket hits the shuttlecock from one side of Shidi Dam to the other, causing the pickers to scramble for it. The winner happily runs over, takes the swinger's wooden board, and hits it again. As for the children, they rush into the old people playing dominoes, and get into the circle of girls playing shuttlecock. Some of them take advantage of the young men's negligence and snatch the shuttlecock from them. But as long as someone yells, the children will definitely throw the shuttlecock away. Throw it behind your butt and run away in despair.

Since dozens of families live in the same courtyard, everyone knows a lot about each other. The daughter-in-law of the host family respects her parents-in-law, and the daughter-in-law of the west family is good at cooking. Whichever family has a daughter-in-law, and which family has guests, they make wine and cut meat. The old courtyard has been operating harmoniously for decades.

Later, some young people with bulging pockets began to move out of the old yard. They built single-family brick houses, flat houses, and even small villas in the open space outside the old yard. The empty old courtyard began to collapse due to no one repairing and maintaining it. Today, there are very few that are well preserved, and the few that have become the protection objects of the cultural relics management department. Although the old courtyard is old-fashioned and riddled with holes, it still retains a memory.