Composition: The beauty of my hometown

I sometimes chat with friends on MSN and say, as a northerner... my friend asked in surprise, are you a northerner? It’s not from the Northeast, right? I said I was from Fuyang, Anhui, and Fuyang is in the northwest of Anhui. My friend laughed. To them who are far away in Beijing, everything south of the Yellow River is the South. It’s a bit shameless for me to call myself a northerner.

But in my heart, Fuyang is a very northern city, and it is getting more and more northern.

Food: very chaotic, very rich

The beauty of Fuyang snacks lies in this chaotic richness. No matter how simple the snack is, there are many layers in the taste.

People in the south eat rice, and people in the north eat noodles. It would be biased to strictly select the words, but it is basically okay to say that this is a general trend. The food in Fuyang is mostly pasta. When I was a child, I loved going to the grain store most. I didn’t love the rice and white noodles, but I loved seeing the spectacular fried dumplings displayed there. The golden plates were piled up like hills. Yes, the aroma is overflowing with oil. Now when I see the word "rice rotten in the old warehouse", I will think of that scene unreasonably.

Later I learned that steamed buns were invented by ethnic minority brothers and are still the protagonist of Eid al-Fitr cuisine. They are so popular in Fuyang, probably because this is a city where many ethnic groups live together. A lot of food in Fuyang has an exotic flavor that seems to be found only in the northwest. When I was a child, I went to the night market with my parents, and every time I saw gas lanterns hanging on the snack baskets, there were also wooden signs saying "Muslim Gate". Later, the wooden sign gradually disappeared, which makes me sad to think about it. A few years ago, I went to Kaifeng and saw wooden signs like this again at the food stalls there. It was like childhood all over again, and the ecstasy of meeting old friends again.

Although the brand is rarely displayed, the food in Fuyang has a rough and richness that is not Han Chinese. For example, latiao is a kind of round and thick pasta that is rolled out by a machine and looks like noodles. When outsiders look at it, they don’t understand what’s so delicious about it. But when I miss the taste of my hometown, I remember it the most. , is this low-key and simple glatiao.

The style of glatiao can only be reflected after matching with various seasonings and ingredients. The main ingredients are chili oil and sesame paste. The spiciness of chili oil and the fragrance of sesame sauce, mixed together, are fragrant and spicy, and complement each other. There are no certain rules for the ingredients, which can determine the success or failure of a gratte shop. They are usually beans and bean sprouts. If you are more particular about it, you will add many unexpected things that are reasonable and unexpected. The restaurant I often visit in a small town has an extra piece of broken peanuts. It seems very common to say that, but the chewiness and texture of the glatiao itself, the different textures of beans and bean sprouts are all on the soft side, except for the peanuts. The pieces are fragrant and slightly hard, just the right amount. Because they are finely chopped, they don’t want to steal 10% of the limelight. Putting all the above together and chewing it is a kind of richness with all the beauty in the world between the lips and teeth. At least at that moment, I was satisfied with life.

The beauty of Fuyang’s snacks lies in this chaotic richness. Even the simplest snacks have many layers of taste. Sesame paste has a special ability to bring out flavors and is active in various snacks. I often feel bland when eating cold noodles in Hefei. This is because without the addition of sesame paste, the chili oil and soy sauce and vinegar do their own thing, and they cannot form a self-centered relationship. It has your sense of clay.

Fuyang always deliberately makes the simplest things, but not simple. When I was studying, the eight-treasure porridge sold at the school gate only cost a few cents a bowl, but it actually had lotus root powder, sesame seeds, wheat kernels, raisins, tangerine peel, roses, etc. There are several ingredients. The woman selling eight-treasure porridge patiently took out the bottles and jars in front of her, put them into a small porcelain bowl, and then slowly added the hot water from the long-mouthed copper kettle into the lotus root powder. It turns into a translucent paste, and the colorful ingredients sink into it, infiltrating each other, losing themselves, and becoming a beautiful scenery in our mouths and tongues.

Generally speaking, cities are becoming less and less stylish. When I returned to Fuyang in the past two years, I saw that its northern characteristics became more and more intense. My friend took me to eat snacks in the Fuwang Road area, and it turned out to be sheep. The head and sheep's trotters are boiled in a large piece in the iron pot. The steam is steaming. It's served right away if you want to eat.

Although I didn't dare to ask about it, in the cold weather, I sat in the small shop that was blackened by oil smoke, looking at the flow of people coming and going on the road outside, and the singing voice in Qinghe Square further away. Watching the Henan Opera stage, for a moment, I felt as if I was far away. Yes, living elsewhere, when we are far away from home and live in a foreign land, the hometown we look back on again and again becomes another place worth savoring.

Beauties: Strong and Stalwart Daughters

Among the women I know in Fuyang, there are many who are very capable of tossing and tossing.

Having said that about delicious food, it’s the turn of beauty. Once upon a time, I was as confident about the beauties in Fuyang as I was about the food in Fuyang. I thought that among the places I had been, I had seen the most beauties in Fuyang. Later, our director helped me popularize statistical knowledge. The reason why I saw the largest number of beauties in Fuyang was because I stayed in this city the longest. If you can accurately divide the number by time, you will find that it is not so Something happened.

But no matter what, you will not feel lonely walking on the streets of Fuyang. Perhaps it is relatively close to the Huaihe River, and refugees on both sides of the bank come and go. The advantage of combining the north and the south is reflected in its appearance. Generally speaking, girls from Fuyang have decent skin and facial features. On the other hand, although Fuyang is a small city, it is very particular about clothing. Half a year ago, the planner of the publishing company went with me to Fuyang for a book signing. When I looked up and saw a specialty store, I was very surprised. According to him, even in Beijing, this specialty store can only be seen in relatively high-end shopping malls. . As I write this, I think of one thing. Some people have always criticized me for being slovenly and getting worse after I got married and had children. In fact, the decline in my image index may not have anything to do with my family life. It is more likely that it is because I left Fuyang. As the years go by, its influence on me becomes less and less.

In any case, in terms of appearance alone and excluding personal feelings, Fuyang women are not much more special than women in other places. I personally think that the women in my hometown are better at character. Of course, there are people with various personalities in every place. What I am talking about is my personal experience, or in other words, a group that stands out in my field of vision.

In Fuyang, there are many women like my mother who are gentle, courteous and thrifty, perhaps even the majority. But, you know, people like my mother have nothing to write about. Their colors are too light, their lives are too straightforward, and their interests are completely different from my mother’s. How can I describe them? ? Let me use what people say about my male fellow countryman Cao Cao: A capable minister in times of trouble is a hero in troubled times.

The characteristics of this type of women are outstanding appearance, smart and capable. If they meet a kind person, they will definitely be an excellent housewife in the hall or in the kitchen, and they can handle big and small things with ease. However, because they have some excellent qualities, they have more expectations for life. If they meet someone unkind, the saying "Marry a chicken, follow a chicken, marry a dog, follow a dog" is simply ridiculous to them. The truth is, they will never follow the crowd and be willing to be at the mercy of fate. In the eyes of others, that kind of struggle becomes two words, called "tossing."

Among the women I know in Fuyang, there are many who are very capable of tossing and tossing. They must concentrate all their energy and see all their dreams shine. They are generally not willing to be trapped in a small town, and their goals are always far away. While accomplishing a great career, they often leave a lot of topics for others. Do you know Pan Wei, who frequently made entertainment headlines not long ago? When I saw the photo, I remembered, isn’t this the beauty we Fuyang women often take photos with my brother Dayu? We will not discuss her relationship issues here for the time being. Just look at the media reports. She loves golf, is good at cooking, likes to clean the house, and often has a book next to her bed. Her motivation to make progress shows the true nature of a Fuyang woman.

Beautiful scenery: Commander You’s garden

This garden of You’s family was built by Commander You, and this Commander You has some eight poles from my family that may be able to hit of kinship.

Next, it’s time to talk about the beautiful scenery. Although I really want to show off the beautiful scenery of our hometown, I thought about Baidu, and then used my good rhetoric to make those data and nouns beautiful. Huan, but the conscience of a writer prevents me from doing this. After thinking about it again and again, I have to admit that my hometown is not a place known for its scenery.

I remember when I was in elementary school, the teacher took us on spring outings. In the first year, it was Qingying Park, in the second year, it was Kuixing Tower—we called it the three-story tower, and in the third year, it was Wenchang Pavilion— —We called it the seven-story pagoda, and in the third year we went to Yingzhou West Lake—these are all very popular sights. Local literati may be able to carefully collect the history and compile a gorgeous article, but In every county-level city in China, you can find similar scenery.

Back when I was in elementary school, wasn’t it the fourth year? There was nowhere else to go in the local area. The teacher thought about it again and decided to take the risk and take us on a long trip to a nearby county. , Yingshang County, where I was born, visited the Youjia Garden there.

Yingshang County belonged to the Fuyang area at that time and is now Fuyang City. I think it is not too far-fetched to include the scenery there in this article. It is a land of plenty, close to the Huaihe River, with crisscrossing rivers. My dad even wrote a poem about it. I forgot the specific sentences, but it is more descriptive than the urban area of ??Fuyang.

Today's Yingshang County is like a tourist attraction. Xiaozhangzhuang and Bali River are advertised in major newspapers during the tourist season, but these were built later. In my distant childhood, when it came to visiting Yingshang, Youjia Garden was the first choice.

Youjia Garden is located a few kilometers west of Yingshang County. It has lush flowers and leaves and lush vegetation. When I was a child, I didn’t understand its benefits. I just saw many rare plants and collected some uncommon fruits. , go back and give it to your friends, it is also a lovely gift.

Later, I heard from my grandma that this You family garden was built by a Beiyang Commander named You, and this Commander You had some relatives in my family who might be able to hit it with eight poles. I felt very proud after hearing this. I asked my grandma to explain it in detail, but she couldn’t explain clearly because she was a relative on my grandpa’s side. I asked my grandpa and he said that they were not relatives at all, but they were indeed somewhat related. When he was working at the Yingshang County Public Security Bureau, Commander You, as a prisoner in custody, often helped them tend to their flowers and plants.

I heard from my grandfather that after liberation, You Yinxuan, who served as the "bandit-suppression commander" in seven counties in western Henan, was arrested and sentenced for imaginable reasons. But fortunately, he had a son who took a different path from him and held an important position in the Ministry of Water Resources or somewhere else. Therefore, he did not have to suffer the pain of detention and could just prune flowers and plants in the courtyard of the Public Security Bureau.

Commander You is a bit like Qiu Weng, who loves flowers as much as his life. It seems that before liberation, he has already retired to seclusion, leaving his military life behind. Only the flowers and plants in that garden are the source of his life. Tie. Because of this, the change of situation did not cause him much pain. He was at ease in the courtyard of the Public Security Bureau, guarding the flowers and plants wholeheartedly, as if he had found a safe place for his soul.

My grandpa also grew flowers in his office, but they were not so careful. Sometimes he would go to the countryside to handle a case and would not come back for ten days and a half, and the delicate flowers and plants would be half dead. My grandfather and others sent him to Commander You to ask him to save her life. Every time they went, Commander You would angrily say: You are not raising flowers. If any flowers follow you, you will be unlucky.

When I heard my grandfather retelling this, I thought, no matter what, Commander You was still a guilty person at that time, and he dared to talk to my police officer like this, except for his relationship with his son. , probably more because of his love for flowers and plants, which made him unable to care about anything else.

I asked my grandfather what Commander You looked like. He said that he was just a little old man, but he looked very clean and energetic. So I saw a very clean and energetic man in that huge garden. The little old man looked at his little flowers and plants with distant eyes and deep love.

Why did such a person join the army, and what made him put down his weapon and pick up a hoe? There should be a very special story behind it.

Maybe one day I'll be able to understand the story and write it down.

One more thing is that Yingshang, as the background of this story, apart from the natural scenery, also left me with a complete impression of the county town. In my early years, I walked with my grandma on the street, and within three steps I would meet an acquaintance, saying hello and exchanging family stories.

In the narrow alleys, there are always clanging stone roads, and what makes me feel even more poetic is those mornings in the county town. Under the steps of the department store, there is an old farmer squatting there selling things, whether it is a few green onions or a wisp of tobacco leaves, all sold for only a few cents. It is such a small business that when I think about it now, I can’t help but One sentence comes to mind, what they sell is not something, but loneliness.