1928: The rise of giant merchants

In the twenty-third year of the Republic of China (1934), it was the Lantern Festival.

The cold spring weather couldn't stop people from watching the lanterns. Whether it was the old city or the foreign concession, there were huge crowds of people that night.

The streets and alleys are crowded with people, and there are various food stalls along the way. The lamp market has both traditional candle paper lamps and modern glass electric lamps.

Young students, white-collar employees, local tycoons, and ordinary people all walked out of their homes and came to the streets, and there were even many foreigners who followed the local customs.

Of course, thieves and gangsters are also indispensable. Taking advantage of the excitement of the festival, there are endless cases of pickpocketing and abduction.

Ye Zhuohua was riding on his father's neck, pointing to the distance and shouting excitedly: "Dad, Dad, look at the lights over there!"

"That's a revolving lantern." Ye Luo laughed.

Ye Zhuohua looked curious: "Why is it called a revolving lantern?"

Ye Luo explained: "Because this kind of lantern has a horse painted on each side, it turns like a horse running, so it is called a revolving lantern."

Ye Zhuohua added: "But the one I saw didn't have a horse. The painting was of Sun Wukong. It should be called the Sun Wukong lantern."

Ye Luo sweated and didn't bother to explain anymore: "You can also call me Sun Wukong Lantern."

Four girls, Bai Xiuzhu, Ruan Lingyu, Hu Die, and Lin Ruxian, walked together, each holding a lantern in their hands, and together with Fei Zhengqing and Fei Weimei, they used English to help two foreigners learn about the Lantern Festival.

While walking, Ye Luo talked to his son about the myth of the Lantern Festival: "A long time ago, wild beasts harmed people everywhere, so people organized to resist. One day, a sacred bird got lost and was shot to death by an unsuspecting hunter. When the Emperor of Heaven found out, he was very angry and ordered the Heavenly Soldiers to set fire to the human world on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to burn all the people and animals to death. The Emperor of Heaven's daughter was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see the people suffering, so she risked her life and secretly told the people the news. When people heard this story, they came up with a way to decorate every household with lights, light firecrackers, and set off fireworks during the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth days of the first lunar month. In this way, the Emperor of Heaven would think. People were burned to death."

"Oh," Ye Zhuohua said with a smile, "The Emperor of Heaven is so stupid."

Everyone soon gathered together to guess the lantern riddles, and the stall owner greeted enthusiastically: "Guess the lantern riddles. It costs only a dime to guess each time. If you guess right, you will get a prize. How about you, ladies and gentlemen, give it a try?"

Ye Luo took out a piece of ocean and said with a smile, "Everyone, let's try it."

Bai Xiuzhu walked to a lantern and saw the words on the lamp: Beside the sparse fence by the lake, there was a house in front of the flowers. Guess a plant.

She thought hard for a long time and said to the stall owner: "Is it a willow tree?"

The stall owner smiled and said, "My wife's guess was a little inaccurate. Do you want to try again?"

Bai Xiuzhu turned around and asked Ye Luo: "Brother Luo, can you guess it?"

Ye Luo smiled and said: "Gourd."

The stall owner immediately opened the note under the lamp, and sure enough, the answer was "gourd". He handed Ye Zhuohua a candied haws, and said respectfully: "This gentleman is very knowledgeable and he guessed right. You just gave me 1 yuan, and you also gave me 1 yuan." Can guess eight times.”

"I want it too, I want Tangdui'er (candied haws) too!" Ye Hao and Ye He, who were hugged by Hu Die and Ruan Lingyu, also shouted.

Ye Luo walked to the lamp next to him and saw the words on it: The Double Ninth Festival is approaching, the autumn waves are sweeping, I married in a foreign country and now I am returning to Ningxia. Guess a vegetable.

Ye Luo was a little unsure, and after thinking for a while he said, "Carrot?"

The stall owner gave a thumbs up: "Sir, you are really amazing, you can guess all these! This puzzle is particularly difficult, and the prize is two piles of candy."

The two brothers, Ye Hao and Ye He, took the two candied haws of apples and clapped their hands with joy: "Daddy is so awesome, daddy is so awesome!"

While everyone was having fun guessing lantern riddles, Fairbank asked: "Second Young Master, why is the Lantern Festival in the Republic of China more lively than the Spring Festival?"

Ye Luo sneered: "Maybe the government doesn't allow us to celebrate the Spring Festival."

The Lantern Festival during the Jinling National Government period was indeed surprisingly lively, and the atmosphere far surpassed that of the Spring Festival.

The main reason is that the government prohibits celebrating the Spring Festival, so people have to celebrate the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival together.

As a result, the annual Lantern Festival has become a carnival for ordinary people, often leading to all kinds of chaos. People can only go out on foot during the Lantern Festival night because it is so crowded that even rickshaws cannot pass.

How crazy was the Lantern Festival in the Republic of China?

There is a saying to prove it: Gentlemen are not allowed to play with dragon lanterns, so ordinary cubs can save themselves the trouble. I remember last year on Fanxi Street, all the bastards (Harmony) went crazy!

This is "Bamboo Branch Poetry" written by a good person in Hunan, "Gentlemen are not allowed to play with dragon lanterns". It tells the story of clam shell lanterns being introduced to Changsha with the Beiyang warlords and integrated with the local dragon lanterns.

"Clam shell spirits" are often dressed as prostitutes. Because their performances are provocative, they have been severely condemned by righteous people, and the government has firmly banned them, but they are banned again and again every year.

Speaking of the Lantern Festival in the Republic of China, the most ridiculous year is undoubtedly 1912.

At that time, the Republic of China had just been established, and the government announced the abolition of the lunar calendar and the adoption of the Western calendar, and actually designated January 15th of the Western calendar as the Lantern Festival.

The government widely publicized this and called on everyone to come out to celebrate the Lantern Festival. As a result, it was pitch dark and freezing, and not even a few ghosts could be seen on the streets.

Why?

Because January 15th in the Western calendar is more than a month away from the Spring Festival, and it is the end of the lunar calendar, there is no moon in the sky.

"Dong dong dong dong!"

There was the sound of gongs and drums in the distance, but it was the dragon lantern dance team coming over, and many people carrying lanterns ran after them, and the whole street was boiling.

"boom!"

Dots of light exploded in the sky, but some wealthy businessman was setting off fireworks. The children looked up at the sky and screamed with joy.

Ye Luo looked at the lively atmosphere around him and couldn't help but think of the July 7th Incident three years later.

The lively Republic of China at this moment will fall under the iron heel of the Japanese invaders, and there will no longer be such universal celebration.

Ye Luo took his wife and children to watch the dragon lantern dance performance, and then went to put up lanterns by the Haihe River. It was not until early in the morning that everyone went home with unsatisfied feelings.

The next afternoon, Ye Luo took Fairbank to the library.

As the car drove into the old city, we soon saw a huge policy propaganda poster posted on the wall of a house. The poster depicts a huge louse, with a hand holding a dagger and inserting it into the abdomen of the louse. There are also flies, mosquitoes and other pests hanging next to it.

There is also a text description on the poster. The top reads "Cut out the epidemic and its messengers" and the side reads "In response to the chairman's call, all the people will carry out a new life movement, pay attention to hygiene, clean frequently, and get healthy."

Immediately afterwards, officials from the city hall appeared on the street one by one in suits and ties, each holding a broom in their hand.

Bai Xiongqi, who is mainly responsible for taking the lead, said while sweeping the streets: "Everyone, listen, no matter you are an official or a worker, you must conscientiously implement the party's new life movement. What is a new life? The first thing is to love Clean it, I will lead the brothers to do it today, and you will have to do it yourself in the future. You must sweep it clean inside and out."

Dozens of officials in suits were sweeping the streets together. The scene was so beautiful that Ye Luo couldn't bear to watch it. (End of chapter)