Thirteen flowers, flowing water mat

(1)

Tomorrow is Laba. It was supposed to be a sacrifice to various gods such as the door god, household god, house god, kitchen god, well god, etc. Because after a busy year, the crops It has been crushed and returned to the warehouse, and people can free up their hands to reward and take care of these gods who have also been busy for a year. The word "cured" means "meat", which shows that many things are related to meat when entering this month. When offering sacrifices to the gods, you can also bring some meat to let them share the fruits of the harvest. As soon as we enter the twelfth lunar month, all the chickens, rabbits, sheep, etc. have become fatter, and the New Year pig has also gained fat. People seem to be busier than usual, especially all kinds of happy events are coming one by one during the twelfth lunar month.

Celebrating a happy event in the countryside is not like in the city. You can reserve dozens of tables in a big hotel, and guests will flock in. After the wedding is over, it only takes two or three hours. In rural areas, happy events usually last three days. The first day is at the mother's house, which is called "Tianxiang". The girl was dressed up and sat with her mother on the Kang. The two red-lacquered wooden boxes customized by her mother-in-law were placed on the eaves table in the west wing. People who came one after another to congratulate them put their gifts in those two boxes. In the box, there are sheets, quilt covers, pillow covers, clothes, pants, shoes and socks. It won’t be long before the two big boxes will be filled to the brim. Large items such as blankets, quilts, and gift boxes were hung on wires stretched out in the courtyard. They were red and looked particularly festive. As soon as evening comes, the bed in the upper room is filled with people, discussing the "honored guests" who will accompany the bride to her husband's house the next day. Zunke is the closest and most respected person to the bride in her natal family, usually a male, such as uncle, adoptive father, uncle, elder brother, younger brother, uncle, uncle, uncle, brother-in-law, cousin, as well as Ama boys, clan chiefs of various surnames, and villagers. The old man, etc.; it must be an even number, such as six, eight, twelve, sixteen, etc. Sometimes the mother-in-law's family considers the difficulty of hosting the in-laws' family. Most of the guests send eight or twelve people. Of course, there are also twenty-four people. I think this may have the meaning of a demonstration. With such a lineup, they tell the in-laws' family that My mother's family is very big, so be nice to my girl!

Weddings are mainly celebrated at the husband’s house, and they last for two days. On the night when the mother's family adds a box, all the relatives from the mother-in-law's family will also come to listen to the housekeeper's assignment of tasks, such as carrying the box to welcome the bride, looking at the table and toasting, carrying plates and food, welcoming and delivering food, making wine and tea, and cooking. It requires a large number of people. Of course, the main labor force before and after running is my children, son-in-law and nephew. After the arrangements were made, the upper room table was cleared, the fragrant horse tray was brought, and the ancestors were invited. Marriage is a major event for the family, and when a child is about to be born, the ancestors must be invited to witness this great moment. I remember that when my cousin got married, I followed a large group of people and held lanterns to invite the ancestors in the dark night. My cousin ordered the paper money and poured the libations and said, Master, are you busy at home? The money is also burned for you. This is considered a discount, so you have to come.

Ancestors generally invite three generations to the throne. On an arrow-shaped tablet made of red paper, write the word "enshrine" on the left and right, and in the middle line write "God of the three generations of relatives of the × family". "bit" eleven words. The number of characters in Liang records, memorial tablets, inscriptions, etc. in rural areas is particular about the number of characters. They should probably be counted down using the five characters "birth, old age, illness, death and suffering", usually counting to the character "生". The ancients used these five words to sum up people's lives. Maybe they also believed that nine out of ten people in life are unsatisfactory. After the memorial tablet was placed on the table, there were incense tubes, yellow watches, gold squares, paper money, libation wine, libation tea, white steamed buns, fruit trees, rice offerings, etc. on the left and right. An old man from the village sat on the chair next to him to take care of the incense and set it up. Those who are in love can burn incense to express their congratulations.

The team that welcomes the bride leaves before dawn and arrives before dawn. Her parents’ family also prepares simple food and wine to entertain the guests, but the bride has already burst into tears. The general situation is to just cry and then leave. There is absolutely no way of messing things up by sticking around, but you can also encounter more complicated situations. Many years ago, a young man in the village went to get married. The bride hugged her husband and cried, unable to get off the kang. Perhaps the young man was angry because he had spent a lot of gift money, or he was anxious to get a wife, so he stepped onto the kang, carried his wife on his back, turned around and left, cursing "Cry the hell out of me." Egg"! The daughter-in-law fought hard on her back, but the stubborn donkey broke down in tears and laughed. The old gelding donkey who was welcoming the bride fell into the air and followed behind. Those who are welcoming the bride should scatter bright red road stickers along the way. Some of them write "It is a good luck for Jiang Taigong to avoid all evil spirits here", and some write "It is a good luck for all evil spirits to avoid the white tiger." Houses, wells, and cellar entrances must be covered with red paper.

The new daughter-in-law cannot touch her feet on the road, and she cannot get off the kang when she gets home.

As usual, the window panes of the new house are covered with festive red window grilles, the Kang is covered with red felt and red carpets, and bright red curtains may be hung on the edge of the Kang. With the bride dressed in red, in this red world Here, you can only vaguely see the bride’s fair face and slender hands. Both the bridesmaids and the bride-to-be have zodiac requirements, and they must be "used zodiac signs". It is said to be based on the zodiac sign of the new daughter-in-law. There is a yin-yang theory of "159 in front of the bride's door". For example, the zodiac sign of the newlywed is Snake. It must be "tiger, horse, dog", and so on, "pig, sheep, rabbit", "dragon, rat, monkey", "rooster, snake, ox" and so on.

People who want to express their love and congratulations come one after another. When there is enough table, they will arrange a seat. After eating, they will give up their seats and take another seat. This is called flowing water table. After the guests are seated, eight cold plates and a plate of wine glasses are placed first. Watch the toasters fill the table with wine, hold the plates with both hands, and toast everyone respectfully. After you take the wine and drink it, you can put the cup back. Grab a few mouthfuls of cold dishes and exchange a few words. When the host brings dishes and wine again, it means it's time to close the stall. The cold dishes and wine plates are removed instantly, and the hot dishes are already lined up at the door.

The hot dishes are served in one big bowl per person, which is called "bowl of rice". People from well-off families who can put together thirteen dishes in each big bowl are called "thirteen flowers". Usually shredded radish is placed at the bottom, with large meatballs, sauced pork ribs, braised chicken legs, red meat cubes, white meat cubes, fried crispy pork, fried tofu, braised eggs, etc. placed on top of it in order to make a big bowl full. Then pour in the thick broth, and arrange the bowls one by one neatly in the big basket. When the guests come to the table to drink, they will be steamed over high heat. After a few minutes, they will be served steaming to the table, and then prepared. Next seat.

The thirteen flowers are indeed delicious. The meat is steamed until it is soft, delicious and not greasy. Especially the shredded radish soaked in the gravy at the bottom of the bowl is chewy and meaty.

(2)

The most frightening thing about a bowl of Sanhua is the two thick chunks of oily red and white meat. The red meat is braised and the white meat is white. Steamed. In the era when food was scarce, everyone might not feel satisfied after swallowing a few mouthfuls, but now, almost no one can eat it. Usually, an empty plate will be placed between the banquets, and everyone will eat the fat in their bowls. Take it out and pile it in there. However, sometimes you will meet a person who is particularly good at eating fat meat. Everyone will put all the fat meat in their bowls into his bowl and pile it up high, and he will feast on it, making his mouth full of oil. , which made people stunned. In rural areas, this kind of person is called "Rou Qian", which probably means something similar to a rice bucket. My favorite thing to eat is the egg-sized lean meatballs. Some things are not clear. For example, the pigs raised by rural people are more delicious than the pork sold in the city, and the meat minced by hand is more delicious than the meatballs made from machine-ground meat. To make meatballs, lean meat from the hind leg of a pig is usually chopped into a filling with a sharp knife, mixed with powder, refined salt, egg liquid, flour, onion, ginger, and garlic sprouts, then rolled into balls and steamed over high heat in a large basket. This kind of meatballs is soft and chewy, and tastes salty and delicious. I once praised the meatballs profusely during the dinner, and several fellow villagers put their own meatballs into my bowl. The fellow villagers sat on the same kang to eat, and sometimes there was an indescribable feeling of intimacy. There is one more skillful dish in Shisanhua, which is the egg roll. First spread out a stack of egg pancakes, spread a layer of meat paste evenly on each pancake, roll it up carefully, then stack it neatly in the basket, steam it over fire, let it cool and then cut it into small pieces with a sharp knife. Sauced pork ribs and braised chicken legs are easier to make, but because they are native pigs and native chicken, they are delicious no matter how they are cooked. The shredded radish on the bottom of the bowl is not considered a dish, but some people just like to eat it. Once I saw someone at the banquet push away a bowl full of thirteen flowers in front of me and said, "Everyone take it away, and here comes a bowl of shredded radish!" When the shredded radish was brought, he chewed it with his cheeks moving, making the sound of a donkey eating night grass. Everyone looked at him in disbelief, but he was just so good, so what could be done. When everyone has finished eating, the meal is over, and the butler will start arranging people for the next table.

There is no need to leave immediately after finishing the meal, because the fire is burning in the temporary tent set up in the yard, where you can smoke, make tea, boxing, drink and play cards. If you have nothing to do, you can also hold a stick of cigarette in your mouth, and a few people will gather together and squat on the stage to listen to the high-pitched and loud Qinqiang opera from the tweeter.

At this time, you can see the new son-in-law with a bright red satin quilt tied sideways on his chest, coming in and out, being polite, greeting people and sending them off, asking for tea and giving up cigarettes, but you will never see the bride and him appear at the same time. Because the bride cannot go to the ground before the "honored guest" who sent her away has been sent away.

On this day, there are always three groups of most distinguished guests, namely the uncle’s family, the uncle’s family and the distinguished guests who are sending the bride. They all have to bring firecrackers to receive them from a distance, and they are respectful. Since the guests are followed by the bride, they will show unprecedented reserve and seriousness. The receptionists will feel as if they are facing a formidable enemy, for fear that something will go wrong and they will not be able to afford it. Therefore, there must be someone who bows and leads the way, someone who offers cigarettes and lights to wait along the way, someone who shakes hands and pats the back and flatters, and even if the journey is far away, there must be a basin of towels ready at the door to hand over at any time. Of course, they would not lose etiquette because of their distinguished status. The old man who was to be honored first led a group of people to respectfully place incense and kowtow to the host's third generation tablet to show respect. After they sit down at the table, the oldest person in the village or the oldest person in the family should accompany them at the table to light the wine and light the cigarettes and tea. They can't just eat ordinary thirteen flowers, but have to eat the solemn and grand "four plates". The four plates are the signature dishes of the day, which directly determine the level of the wedding. Although it is called four plates, the host in a better situation may place six, eight or twelve dishes to show the grandness and solemnity of the wedding.

When sending distinguished guests away, a table should be set up in the courtyard. On the table, plates of melon seed candies, walnuts and peanuts, fruit cigarettes, steamed steamed buns with flower rolls, wine glasses and plates should be placed. The most important thing is to Place a plate of cash and banknotes in the center of the table, and the people who come to congratulate you - whether you are eating, drinking tea, drinking, playing cards, chatting, listening to the theater, cooking, etc. Those running errands before and after, those watching the table and toasting - all should immediately stop what they are doing, stand up and gather around the yard to witness this great ceremony together. At this time, the head old man and the chief steward among the distinguished guests would come to the table and ask what kind of wind it was today. Where is the God of Joy? The two dignitaries were both majestic and polite. As usual, the distinguished guests had to bring wine glasses and toast to relatives and villagers, saying thank you for the hospitality and see you later. The bride was from a small family and was not sensible, so I hope you will. Look at things like that. At this time, the chief steward will arrange for someone to stuff the items on the table into the pockets of each distinguished guest. They will be polite as usual, but they must put them in because this is the rule. As for the wad of banknotes, they took it to say goodbye to the bride, leaving part of it for the bride. The bride is not allowed to go to the ground, but when she sees her relatives about to leave and thinks that she has entered another family, she often bursts into tears or even bursts out in grief. Once I saw a bride kneeling on the edge of the Kang, sobbing softly and shouting: Daddy! uncle! uncle! Uncle! But the respected guest was so soft-hearted that he turned away with tears streaming down his face.

(3)

When the distinguished guests finally gave way and went out, basically all relatives and friends came to see them off. Some held hands, some followed with smiling faces, some held cigarettes and handed them to each other, some kept talking politely, and of course some stood on the roadside watching the fun. Most of the people also said some polite words about asking for forgiveness for poor hospitality and disrespect of etiquette, and soothing words such as "if the girl marries here, she will be her own child, so you should be worried about it." Honorable guests also Naturally, everyone nodded frequently, smiled, and waved. The scene was extremely festive, peaceful, and lively.

After bidding farewell to the distinguished guest, the busy day is coming to an end, the sun has set, the sky has slowly darkened, and the next highlight is the wedding ceremony between the villagers. In fact, people in the city also make wedding noises, and sometimes even though they are more exaggerated, the programs always appear to be the same and boring. Basically, they use shoe polish, toothpaste, and other messy things to paint the groom into a ghost, strip off all his clothes, and All kinds of vegetables and fruits were hung up, and the troublemakers used sticks to hit the groom’s legs and make him and the bride do various difficult movements. If they couldn’t do the movements well, they would beat them to death. One of my colleagues got married My legs were still limping for several days afterwards. A common program is for the groom to kneel in front of the bride with an iron basin on his head. The bride knocks on the basin and asks questions. It is probably about who will do the laundry, cook, clean the floor, and pick up and drop off after the marriage. There are age-old questions like children. Since he is about to be crippled, the groom can only have one answer if he wants to continue living.

Sometimes it's quite bloody, such as burying pins in the quilt of the new house. Of course, there are also kind-hearted people. I received a call that night. He said, Mr. Ma, there are thirty-six penises in total...

Rural people do not require the groom to participate in the wedding ceremony. of. After all the distinguished guests have left, the young people in the village can instantly surround the bridal chamber. In order to prevent the bedding and curtains from being damaged during the commotion, everyone shouted and pulled down the curtains and removed the bedding, leaving only a bare bed. The timid bride was already trembling when she saw this situation. Of course, there are also stubborn brides who stare and threaten, which means if you dare to come over, I will fight you to the death! There are also brides who are good at trouble and chat with everyone politely, and their meaning is very clear, making everyone feel embarrassed to do anything. But everything is in vain. It is the rule to have a wedding ceremony. As long as you are willing to get married, it means that you agree with these rules. However, all programs have to be paid, and the price is clearly marked. In the village, this is the official price, and it cannot be higher or lower. One of the most civilized programs here is "Smoking across the Bridge". The bride lights up the cigarette and holds the middle part of it with her lips. The troublemaker then comes to her and takes away the cigarette with her mouth and takes a few puffs. After a few cigarettes, the bride was already choking on tears. I clearly remember that the price of cross-bridge cigarettes was 10 cents each. In the countryside at that time, 10 cents could buy two eggs. There is also a more civilized program, where you can kiss the bride on the cheek after paying 20 cents. This is a short and quick program. The bridesmaid collects the money while the young men pass by one by one, and you can collect a lot of change in a short time. I can’t remember whose family they were getting married in, but I just remember that the bride was not very pretty. A young man paid two cents first, hesitated for a moment, and then suddenly kissed the bridesmaid who was counting the money and quickly turned around and went out. Suddenly, this unprecedented change occurred, and the bridesmaid was stunned for a moment. When she came to her senses and rushed out of the door, the young man had already disappeared. After these paid items were completed, it was basically late at night, and the house-breaking programs were renovated and re-sequenced. The most terrible thing was that everyone captured the bride’s uncle and even her father-in-law, and pinned her on the kang and on her back. The horse is saddled and asked to kneel and circle on the kang. The bride is also asked to whip the bride repeatedly with a horse whip in her hand. On the night of the quarrel, seniority and size were not important. Many elder men had already anticipated the story that was going to happen that night, so after seeing off the distinguished guests, they immediately stopped smiling and ran away. Some of them hid in the firewood kiln. Some hid in donkey pens, some hid in potato cellars, and some even went down river ditches and went up Baozi Mountain. But no matter where they fled or where they hid, they were eventually escorted back one by one and left disgraced and at the mercy of others, who not only had to pretend to be a donkey, but also had to pay. I think this is the most embarrassing thing in the world, but it is said that the more violent the bridal chamber is, the happier the couple will be in the days to come, and the more auspicious and prosperous the family will be in the future. With such a grand excuse, young people in the whole village will let their hands and feet go wild on this night. Once, because there were too many people, the kang surface collapsed instantly. When the bride was pulled out of the kang hole, she was already smoky and covered in grass ash. Instead, everyone was filled with shame, and they all rushed to pat the bride. Dust on the body. The bride was very good-tempered and kept saying it was okay, it was okay. However, you can also meet a bride with a hot temper. I heard that a wealthy family in another village married a very beautiful bride. More and more troublemakers gathered and the show became more and more exaggerated. But how did they know that she came from a martial arts family and had good skills? , the over-the-top program touched the limit of her endurance, and she stood up and showed her palms, instantly beating the shit out of those people. But when everyone dispersed, they realized that they were in a cold mood, which was very unlucky.

(4)

The bridal chamber cannot be noisy until dawn, and the newlyweds must set up their beds. At this time, although the people who were making trouble in the house still had unfinished thoughts, they could only let the bride retreat from the kang and stay on the ground to watch the bed laying ceremony hosted by Xiniang. And the disgraced elders who paid for it, pretended to be a donkey, and were spanked by their new wives finally got through this ordeal, heaved a sigh of relief, tightened the flesh on their faces, and regained their former dignity. We put on our clothes and went back to the upper room to make tea and chat, waiting for Xi Niang to set up the bed. Xi Niang must be a married woman with a harmonious and united family, and a mother-in-law with both children. Her zodiac sign must also be a functional sign. Among the twelve zodiac signs, there are only three functional signs each year. Due to these many restrictions, it is actually quite troublesome to find a bed-sitter for Xiniang every time. Since the bed is being set up, the groom is naturally indispensable. At this point, he can finally meet his wife.

I remember one time, a new daughter-in-law, who had been exhausted by the troublemakers, covered her face and sobbed when the groom was finally let in. After being comforted by everyone, she gradually stopped crying and looked at him sadly. The groom burst into tears and smiled. In full view of the public, the newlyweds drank wine and ate noodles. Xiniang arranged for them to sit down and took out several bags, which contained peanuts, jujubes, walnuts, buckwheat, millet, millet and other grains. Just sprinkle grains on the kang in handfuls, and say a word after each handful. The words are simple, popular and rhyming, very interesting. They are probably some filial old people's instructions for unity and harmony, as well as their wishes for a child early and many children and good fortune. I always thought about this when I was playing house when I was a kid, but unfortunately, I can’t remember a word of it now. I only remember that after the hustle and bustle of the wedding, the atmosphere in the bridal chamber suddenly seemed peaceful and sentimental. Under the swaying lights, the bride Seeing the groom smile, everyone realized that it was time to retreat.

However, there is another more mysterious ritual, which is bed listening. I still don’t know what the profound meaning is in this, and what’s even more strange is that the first people who crept under the windows and at the door to listen to the bed were aunts, aunts, aunts, nieces and other elders. However, they only listened symbolically and then returned to the upper room to resume their duties. However, it was the young men in the village who really fought the protracted battle. They can squat under the door silently and will not stop until they hear something, leaving some evidence for teasing the bride and groom when they meet in the future. But the groom already knows these tricks, because he may have heard them many times with others. One time, a groom quietly opened the windshield and poured a basin of cold water over his head in order to get rid of the bed-goers outside the door as early as possible. It was a 39-day weather, and the dripping water turned into ice. All the small fires outside the door were caught. After a while of wailing, everyone outside started to scold me, while the groom laughed inside and settled down in bed with peace of mind. He knew that these guys If you don't leave, you will freeze into ice pimples. But there is always a miscalculation in everything. The reason why these guys were reluctant to leave was because they had hidden traps in their new house, so they continued to squat quietly and let their clothes freeze. The groom thought that everyone had left, so he dared to talk loudly to the bride and prepared to sleep. It turns out that the bride wore four layers of trousers and tied four trouser strings in order to avoid accidental embarrassment during the house quarrel, all of which were tied in tight knots - this was the biggest gain from this house listening session. But when they heard the groom boasting proudly that I had already prepared a basin of water to freeze the bad pines, everyone gritted their teeth and thought, don't get too proud too early, the fun will come later. It turned out that they had ambush a cannon stick under the edge of the kang, and tied a burning incense head to the twist of the cannon stick. This was basically a simple time bomb. Just hearing a loud noise in the room, the groom jumped up from the kang in shock, and yelled angrily with a cry, what kind of bastard did this, ah? Then someone opened the window and said, "I did it, let's see who can outplay who!" Everyone got up and shook off the ice stubble on their bodies, laughing and meeting to go out.

This is even harder to understand, but just because of this, this wedding is even more unforgettable. For years to come, people would mention this joke and make fun of the groom. For example, one time a grain sack was knotted and couldn't be untied. Everyone yelled at the groom to come and untie it, saying that he was an expert in untying the rope, so we shouldn't show off.

As soon as the bed is set up, it’s time to go to sleep, but sometimes it’s not always the case. In that era, people in rural areas basically did not speak to each other when they were with each other. Before the marriage, the two families treated each other as relatives and often visited each other during holidays and festivals. However, the two young people had very few opportunities to communicate. When they met, they only looked at each other without speaking. I can clearly remember that my cousin and his fiancée looked at each other and smiled when they met. His fiancée bit her lip and blushed. When my cousin was about to leave, she stood far away to see him off. When she came home, she found his Stuffed in the bag was a pair of insoles with a pair of mandarin ducks embroidered with colorful threads. If a girl from a certain family is very happy when she sees her son-in-law coming, her parents may feel that the child is not reserved enough or even dignified enough, which will bring shame on her own face. If two young people sit together in the fields for a while, or chat for a while together, they will definitely be spotted by someone's aunt, which will become a big news in the village. This must have been the general environment at that time, but such a marriage is not necessarily an arranged marriage, because adults will definitely seek the opinions of the children. Only if the two children agree can the two families become relatives.

This kind of marriage has proven to be quite stable. Her mother once said that she and her father never said a word before the marriage, but they never blushed once after the marriage. Her father also taught her the Phoenix Piano.

But there is also a problem. Without communication before marriage, it may take a longer time for two people to get along. Some people have unpleasant or even violent conflicts with their wives on their wedding night. Now there are several things that are hilarious, and some have been passed down as jokes in the village for many years.

(5)

I can’t remember whose poem it is, and I only remember one sentence: “When I woke up, she was sleeping next to me.”

< p> It's really strange that two people who have never spoken to each other sleep together like this. How do they talk? How to communicate? But I think it's all simple as long as two people are in love. However, there were still arranged marriages in the past few years, especially those that were arranged for children when they were young. The adults of the two families have been good relatives for many years, but the children did not agree when they grew up. How could this be possible? As a result, adults sacrificed their family laws to show their dignity, which also caused many marriage tragedies. There was a family in Nanshan who arranged a wedding for their children when they were young. When the boy grew up, he was admitted to a normal school, and the girl also had her own partner. However, for the sake of their own dignity, the adults of both parties forced the wedding. As a result, there was an unpleasant quarrel that night, and the groom died. Not entering the bridal chamber. The groom's father was so angry that he picked up a whip and beat the groom all over his head and face. The groom was as unmoved as an ox. Relatives also gathered around him to persuade him, and they all said it was okay and they were understanding each other and just living their lives. Let's go to the bridal chamber first, okay? Seeing that he couldn't get rid of everyone, the groom said harsh words, saying that whoever feels better can go in! After saying that, he took a roll of bedding and went to sleep in the donkey thatched cottage. Later I heard that they broke up peacefully and started their own families. In addition to arranged marriages, there are also weddings held before the legal age, which is relatively common in rural areas. There is an old lady in our village who is thirteen years older than her eldest daughter. When I was a child, I saw her daughter coming to see her mother on crutches. The two of them had bound feet, and they looked like biological sisters. Two children with naughty personalities suddenly get married and become a couple. Sometimes there will be unexpected troubles. For example, someone got into a fight on the wedding night. The boy complained to his mother at dawn the next day, crying, "Mom!" Look! Here, here, and here! When his mother saw it, she was shocked. The boy was bruised and bruised, and there were a lot of blood marks on his face. This is not a fight, this is simply abuse! However, as they grew older, their relationship became better and better, and they were inseparable. I later saw the two of them. The boy was riding a motorcycle with the girl, and the girl buried her head on the boy's back, like the wind. The ground passed by on the road. There was also a couple whose wedding was going smoothly, but things went awry at night. The distinguished guests were sent away, there was a commotion in the bridal chamber, the bed was set up smoothly, and all the people attending the wedding left. But somehow, the bride flew out and kicked the groom to the ground. The heated kang where one slept in those days was made of polished stone and was very smooth. It is said that the groom flew far away before he stopped. This matter has been told as a joke in the village for many years. Everyone is more concerned about the specific conflict that occurred at that time, but both of them are tight-lipped and have never told everyone. The bride was beautiful and capable. Later, it was said that she even became a militiaman, organizing women in the village to work, and she was a good worker. I don’t know why, but when we kids were quarreling and scolding each other, we would always call her name and scold her.

In those years, rural people didn’t seem to have any vigorous love. The only people who could sleep together were couples. Heavy labor, a tight life, and trivial daily matters must be faced and borne by two people. After a long period of running-in, even two people with different personalities have gradually become the closest friends. Relatives.

On the third day of the wedding, after all the other guests have left, the groom’s relatives will all stay to taste the thin hand noodles made by the bride, usually until the afternoon, and the whole morning will be spent in the morning. The flowing seats continued to be arranged on the Kang in the room, but at this time, most of the people taking the seats were relatives of the same family. Everyone sat down according to their seniority, and the bridegroom and bride, accompanied by the best man and bride, stood under the edge of the Kang to toast. There are two purposes for toasting, one is to change one's words, and the other is to ask for money. The groom introduced that this was his uncle, and the bride called her uncle. At this time, the person who was called uncle had to put his hand into his pocket, take out a few dollars, and put them on the plate held by the best man. If the bride thinks the money is short, she will call her uncle again until he takes out all the change he has prepared.

Relatives who want to make a joke will exchange a lot of dimes in advance and give them 10 or 20 cents if they call. Of course, if the bride can't stand it anymore and makes a fuss, the best man will jump on the kang himself, hold the man down and search for all his money. Rural people have many relatives. The bride will have a considerable income in the morning, especially after she changes her name and calls her parents. search. In this way, relatives are talking, laughing and noisy together, which is really festive.

After drinking the wine, it’s time to eat thin hand noodles in the afternoon. This is a huge challenge and test for the bride. First, pour the gray water evenly, and then roll the dough into wadding. This process is not easy to master. If you pour too much water, it will easily damage the water. If you mix it with dry noodles, the rolled out noodles will not be chewy. If there is too little water, the dough will not be kneaded together and it will easily crack. The dough needs to be kneaded repeatedly, and the stiff dough must be kneaded down until it becomes soft and flexible. Generally, you lift the dough with your left hand and knead it out with your right hand. When the dough is long, fold it in half and continue to knead it. Repeat dozens of times to get the toughness of the dough. The most demanding part is not kneading the dough but cutting it. Stack the rolled noodles up and fold them in half twice to form a fan. Then press the noodles with your left hand and use the knife with your right hand to cut out long noodles. The bride, who is skilled in craftsmanship, cuts the noodles evenly and slenderly, lays them in a bowl, and then pours the hot meat sauce into them. Even though it is an ordinary bowl of noodles, it is also a delicacy in the world. Of course, relatives will praise it after eating it.