National Tide 1980

The more Ning Weimin thought about the Ma family's business history, the more interesting it became.

However, just when he wanted to ask more details about the Ma family, Kang Shude unexpectedly patted him on the shoulder and changed the subject.

"Look, here it is, here it is. This is the small courtyard where Mr. Song and I lived. It was originally called Dongpian Courtyard, but because Mr. Song married a Japanese wife, the entire Ma Family Garden was taken care of here. It’s called Dongyangyuaner…”

After saying these few words, the old man no longer bothered to greet him, and walked forward a few steps ahead, his eagerness palpable.

Ning Weimin immediately understood.

Suddenly I understood why Kang Shude just kept running eastward after coming in and had no intention of going deep into the garden.

The place where Kang Shude entered the courtyard was a hanging flower door at the corner of the courtyard.

From the outside, it looks a bit inappropriate.

Because the door opens at the turning point between the north room and the west wing of the courtyard.

A long row of blue brick exterior walls facing west extends to the south. There are many withered and sick ivy on it, which makes the courtyard look a bit desolate.

But in front of the rear windows of the west wing that can see the garden view, there are extremely delicate iron railings.

After so many years, these railings are still strong and the scenery of the past can still be seen to some extent.

Ning Weimin followed closely and walked in.

There is no screen wall inside the door, but a screen door that connects to the corridor, and then directly to the main courtyard of the courtyard.

Although there were several small rooms built in the courtyard, making it difficult to have a clear view, he could still feel that the courtyard was very spacious.

At least it's bigger than Courtyard No. 2 in Shan'er Hutong, and can hold up one and a half of those there.

The main house on the north side has five large rooms, with a corridor in the front and a building in the back. There are three wing rooms and two side rooms on the east and west sides.

Although it is old, its grace is still there, and you can imagine its grandeur back then.

Especially compared with the No. 5 courtyard in Dongsi Si Tiao, the difference is obvious.

An old-fashioned atmosphere from the Qing Dynasty, and a new style from the Republic of China.

This courtyard is indeed not as noble and gorgeous as the imperial uncle's residence, but it is more graceful and refined.

For example, the hand-painted corridor on the south wall is against the wall, has flower windows and paintings, and a hall in the middle leads to the outside of the courtyard.

For another example, the courtyard is complete with stone benches, stone tables, rocks, flowers and trees, which is very characteristic of Jiangnan garden landscaping.

I saw the old man standing alone in the square courtyard looking around.

Ning Weimin couldn't help but walk along the corridor to the south hall to take a look.

He thought that when the hanging flower door was opened on the north side, it would be unnecessary to have a main entrance on the south side of the yard.

I was somewhat curious and wanted to know what was outside the hanging flower door on the south wall.

Unfortunately, before he was allowed to walk over, Kang Shude stopped him and asked him to get the key and open the door.

I'm sorry to say that most of the houses in this courtyard are locked, and the old man can't look at the house without opening it.

Of course, Ning Weimin came prepared and quickly opened his bag to find the key.

"Old man, which house do you want to see?"

"Open them all."

"Yes." Ning Weimin responded and scolded himself.

I wonder why I am so incapable of talking today, this question sounds like nonsense.

"Old man, which house did you live in in the past? I want to see where you lived..."

"Well, let's open the Westinghouse first..."

Listen, if you try another way, the old man nodded.

As a padlock was removed, the door was pushed open, and an old man and a young man walked in together.

The interior is similar to the rooms of the concierge and accountant, and has been modified to meet the actual needs of life.

So almost everything from the past has disappeared.

There are light bulbs on the roof, the walls are painted with beige paint, and there is no longer the fire kang where Kang Shude used to sleep.

But fortunately, the plain lacquered columns are still there, and the tile floor from Germany is still there.

Kang Shude was even surprised to find the traces he had carved with a carving knife at the height of a pillar.

"The lights are on at three o'clock and the chicken is on at five o'clock. It's the time for men to study. Black-haired people don't know how to study early, and white-headed people regret that they study late."

Faced with Ning Weimin's confused look as he read aloud, Kang Shude seemed to be free and easy.

"Don't laugh at me, everyone has their youth. And for me, the fact that a little beggar was brought here is already a blessing. And I am lucky enough to be able to read and read. If I don't cherish it, Such an opportunity is unjustifiable. Don’t be a fool..."

This honest statement that did not shy away from his humble background gained Ning Weimin's deep recognition.

Think about it, in those troubled times, it was very difficult for people to survive, let alone having enough to eat.

The old man's opportunity was nothing short of cheating.

Then Ning Weimin understood that this was the mark left by the master's mood back then.

He felt sad, touched her twice with feeling, and asked again.

"Old man, are you the only one who lives in such a big three-room room?"

Ning Weimin's question made Kang Shude laugh.

"How is that possible? When I first came here, there were already two people living here. One was quite old and was the caretaker of the home, Mr. Lan. The other was younger and was Mr. Song's former eldest follower, Zhao Yuliang."

He stroked his beard, looked at Ning Weimin, and continued to remember as if he had some warning.

"Zhao Yuliang is from Baoding Prefecture. He is literate. He is five years older than me. He is very smart and knows how to get things done. There was a future for him if he continued his work. At least he could help Mr. Song manage the antique shop and become a He was responsible for checking the cabinets. But later, because he often hung out with some servants with bad habits in Ma's garden, he gradually got into the bad habit of gambling. He ruined himself. "

"You may not think that the atmosphere in the mansion is very bad because of the large number of people. Especially the head servants, who are proficient in eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling. Zhao Yuliang lost all his savings gambling with them, and he learned how to make money in order to make up for it. Stealing. Once, he stole a dozen hanging beads that Mr. Song kept at home. Mr. Lan caught them, brought them to Mr. Song, and spent them. So I later took over his shortcomings and became Mr. Song. I have been living with Mr. Lan in the south room of the west wing."

"This Lan Ye is a banner man whose ancestral home is in the capital. He was once a good fighter in the fighting camp. He knows how to throw a wrestling. When he is not fighting with others, he is a very kind old man. His flag is Zhenglan Banner, and he is very strict in doing things. Seriously, he speaks in an old-fashioned manner. He is always very clean, and he taught me a lot of etiquette and the rules of the capital."

"As for how I knew his flag? It was all because I played chess with him. This old man has a habit of saying jingles. Just like when he eats noodles, he always likes to say, 'Eat noodles without jealousy. As if he was beating Xishiku with a cannon, when playing chess, he always likes to say, "Red comes first and blue comes later. It doesn't stink if you lose." One time, Mr. Song happened to hear it, and Mr. Song accosted him outside the house, saying that Mr. Lan used blue The chess match is appropriate. Not only is his surname Lan, but he also belongs to the Zhenglan flag. That’s how I know Mr. Lan’s flag status.”

"Lan Ye also likes to personify dim sum from time to time. He told me about the pastry formation in great detail. What if the trough cake is defeated and replaced with hard pastry pastry? When fighting against Saqima, it doesn't matter if the head meets the head. Especially Lan Ye has many stories in his belly about ghosts, monsters and immortals. But he is the only one who doesn’t talk about his family background and is completely silent.”

"Which family does he belong to, which branch, what is his surname, how he got into the Shanpu Camp, and what kind of job he was in the Qing Palace. No matter how I asked him, he would not tell me. I only know that he has no family members. He was killed by Mr. Song when he was extremely depressed. He was hired for 30 yuan a month. Thinking about it now, he probably felt that he had insulted his ancestors, or he didn't want to think about the past anymore. In the past, I only thought that he was a different person, but now at his age , I became a lonely old man and realized his state of mind."

At this time, Kang Shude walked slowly and slowly to the door of the north room of the west wing, pointed inside and said to Ning Weimin.

"This room was originally Mr. Song's warehouse. All the good things that Mr. Song took back from outside and didn't want to be displayed in the store were stored here. They were full, just like a treasure house. Sometimes, when he was short of money, he just took a few I'll sell it to the Ma family."

"In the past, there were two small cabinets with yellow palm trees on the west wall of this house. They contained small antiques and treasures that Mr. Song had collected over the years. These were not for sale. Mr. Song often locked the door so that no one would disturb them. He would enjoy and play with them alone. These beloved things. Later, after I entered the industry, I gradually gained his trust and was allowed to enter."

"I'm not exaggerating. The antique porcelain you collect now, many of which are high-quality products bought in cultural relics stores. But together they are not even worth half of those two small cabinets with yellow flower palms. What a pity. , all those good things went away with Mr. Song. Even I can hardly see them again..."

As soon as these words came out, not only Kang Shude looked at the empty room in trance.

Ning Weimin couldn't help but feel fascinated, imagining what this place looked like in the past.