portable space

"What do you want to ask?" Zhang Taiping said with a smile. He seemed to be very patient with this girl. I wonder if it was because of those two dimples.

"No more." Zhang Xiaoqing shook his head.

Zhang Taiping stood up: "Then let's get to work."

Zhang Xiaoqing and Ye Ling stood up together and said, "What to do? Let me help."

"It's nothing, you don't have to do anything, just watch from the side." Zhang Taiping shook his head and said.

"I'd better find something to help and experience it." Zhang Xiaoqing took off the bag and the camera hanging around his neck and hung them on the peach tree nearby.

Zhang Taiping pointed behind him and said: "Then you and Ye Ling can put the flower seeds together." So Zhang Taiping used the barking in front to punish Liang Jing, the two girls behind him, one big and one small.

Place the seeds inside and lightly cover with a layer of soil.

Near noon, Zhang Taiping finished his morning work and went down the mountain with the two girls. In the morning, he just cleared the land around the three wooden houses and planted flower and tree seeds.

"Have you been to the hot spring?" Zhang Taiping asked, taking a cigarette and lighting a cigarette.

Zhang Xiaoqing wrinkled her nose, and a freckle on the tip of her nose seemed to come to life, making her look even more playful and cute: "Not yet. I just walked around in the orchard, lavender field and pond in the morning. I'm waiting for lunch."

Let’s go to the hot spring for an exclusive interview.”

"If you need any help, just let me know." Zhang Taiping said.

"Yeah." Zhang Xiaoqing nodded, "There happens to be something I need your help with."

"What's going on?" Zhang Taiping put out the cigarette butt he had finished smoking.

Zhang Xiaoqing said: "I heard that Mr. Zhang is a well-known old master of traditional Chinese medicine. I want to do an exclusive interview with him. When the time comes, it will not only be a good topic, but also attract many patients to transfer a lot of money."

Zhang Taiping was a little embarrassed. He just said that if he had any problems with him, he couldn't solve the first problem he raised. He could only say shamelessly: "This may not help."

"Why?"

Zhang Taiping explained: "There are already a lot of people coming to see the doctor now. The old man is busy from morning to night and has no time to spare. He is already over ninety years old and he really doesn't dare to continue like this. If he continues to spread the word

If I go out and attract more people to see the doctor, I'm afraid that the old man's body won't be able to bear it."

Zhang Xiaoqing stuck out his tongue: "I'm so old, I really can't tell."

When we arrived at the foot of the mountain, we met two little girls who were preparing to go up the mountain with the lions.

"Daddy," "Goddaddy," "It's time to eat." The two little girls shouted together.

Zhang Taiping said with a smile: "I just came down from the mountain and I'm going home for dinner."

"Come on, stand together holding hands and take some photos of the two of you." Zhang Xiaoqing handed the basket in his hand to Zhang Taiping, picked up the camera and said.

The two little girls stood hand in hand under the shade of the tree, and the camera recorded the scene along with the big tree behind them. Zhang Taiping went over to take a look, and both Yaya and Tiantian were very photogenic, and they looked even more adorable standing together.

There was also a huge dog squatting with its mouth open and its tongue sticking out, looking silly.

Zhang Xiaoqing said: "This is the best photo I took today." Then he asked the two little girls to do some cute actions.

After taking the photos, Zhang Taiping asked: "Have the bride and groom finished taking photos?"

Yaya replied: "Not yet, but they are not filming now. They are all in our backyard. They said they would take a rest after eating and then take pictures in the afternoon."

Lunch is lazi machizi. The so-called "lazy" means rolling the dough into half a centimeter thick and cutting it into diamond shapes the size of machizi with a knife. This rice is easy to make and suitable for large pot rice with many people. Fried

Some stew is poured inside, which is also a novelty for these city girls and boys.

There were many people, so during dinner Zhang Taiping brought out two Eight Immortals tables and placed them under the osmanthus tree in the middle courtyard.

Zhang Xiaoqing said that she had not been to the backyard yet, so she volunteered to go to the backyard to ask those people to come to the front to eat. However, she was left behind when she asked people to come. Others came over, but she was still nowhere to be seen.

Zhang Taiping asked: "Why can't I see Zhang Xiaoqing?"

Gao Liwei smiled and replied: "She was fascinated when she entered the backyard. She suffered from an occupational disease. Where is her license now?"

Ye Ling next to him heard this and was about to call over when Zhang Xiaoqing came back by himself, looking at the photos taken in the camera while walking.

After seeing Zhang Taiping, he immediately said in surprise: "This back yard is really like a paradise in the book. There are even watermelons growing in the air."

"Zhang Taiping shook his head and said: "The watermelon is no different from the watermelon growing on the ground, it's just that the vines are led into the air by using a shelf."

"And that gourd." Zhang Xiaoqing continued, "When it grows up, give it to me. It can be used to hold water or wine. It can be pinned to the waist like the wine master in "Sword and Fairy"."

"Haha, I'll give you one as a gift." Zhang Taiping said with a smile.

A group of young people sat at almost two tables. Zhang Taiping did not sit with them. Instead, he squatted under the eaves of the front yard door with a bowl and a piece of pot helmet in his hand.

After a while, Zhang Xiaoqing also came out with a bowl. When he saw a bench next to him but squatting instead of sitting on it, he couldn't help but asked strangely: "Why don't you sit on the bench?"

Zhang Taiping asked: "Are you not from Shaanxi?"

Zhang Xiaoqing shook his head: "No, how did you know?"

Zhang Taiping smiled and said: "Most people in Shaanxi have a habit of squatting down to eat and not sitting down even if there is a bench. It is called one of the eight strange people in Shaanxi. Everyone who lives in Shaanxi knows this.

"

"The eight weirdos of Shaanxi?" Zhang Xiaoqing became interested. "Tell me what they are." He did not sit on the bench, but imitated Zhang Taiping and sat under the eaves with a bowl in his hands.

It is worth mentioning that although it is often called the "Eight Eccentrics of Shaanxi", this is not entirely reasonable. In fact, the customs in the "Eight Eccentrics of Shaanxi" only appear in the Guanzhong area, and this is not the case in most areas of Shaanxi.

.

Therefore, the people in Guanzhong themselves do not call them the "Eight Eccentrics of Shaanxi", but the "Eight Eccentrics of the Audience".

"Eight Weird People of Guanzhong" refers to eight peculiar customs and habits that appear in the Guanzhong area of ​​Shaanxi Province (roughly including Xi'an, Xianyang, Weinan, Baoji, Tongchuan, north of Qinling Mountains, and south of the Loess Plateau). Due to climate, economy, culture, etc.

Affected by various factors, the Guanzhong area has formed some unique ways in terms of clothing, food, housing, transportation, and transportation. The Guanzhong area of ​​Shaanxi Province, with its rich historical and cultural heritage, has followed the historical folk customs and formed the vivid and interesting "Eight Eccentrics".

With its unique charm of "ancient Chang'an with ancient customs and charm", it has become a hot spot for foreign tourists to explore.

As every survivor of the Three Qin Dynasty, he is proud of the folk customs left over from ancient Chang'an, and Zhang Taiping is no exception. Under Zhang Xiaoqing's eager eyes, he began to introduce it eloquently.

One strange thing is not to sit on the bench and squat up: because squatting is more convenient than sitting. Because the Guanzhong area is mainly based on agriculture, and there are many busy farming seasons, so people will squat unconsciously when they take time to rest.

On the ground, a unique habit has been formed, so rural people generally do not sit on benches, but will squat on them even if there is a bench.

"Is this what you and I are like now?"

Zhang Taiping nodded: "That's it, but it usually only appears in rural areas. It probably doesn't exist in Xi'an now."

The second strange thing is that the house is half-covered: the main reason is that people in Guanzhong are more particular about Feng Shui and believe that "rich water does not flow into other people's fields". Even if it rains, rainwater must flow into their own courtyards. The second reason is for the convenience of lighting. The third reason is that Guanzhong people

Local farmers like to "drop by" in their spare time (that is, neighbors often walk around and gossip), so they build up their belongings so that their neighbors will not see them.

Zhang Xiaoqing stood up, looked at the prescription behind him and said, "This prescription is not genuine."

Zhang Taiping smiled and said: "Not all prescriptions are like that. If you look at the side, the wings on both sides are half covered."

"It's true." Zhang Xiaoqing went to the side to take a look, and when he came back, he knelt down next to Zhang Taiping.

Three strange things - girls should not be exposed to outsiders: The emphasis on marriage in Guanzhong area is to "know the roots". The old custom is that if your daughter marries outside, you will be bullied, and if you marry a daughter-in-law from outside, you will be afraid of losing it, so under normal circumstances, girls are

Those who do not marry outside the country will basically marry within the county or village level. This is also related to the baby marriage at that time.

"Brother Zhang, is this true?"

Zhang Taiping smiled and nodded: "Yes, and we also booked a baby wedding. Your sister Cai's original home was the house opposite."

"Baby kiss?" Zhang Xiaoqing asked in surprise, "Then you accept it? Don't they all advocate free love now?"

"Not all baby marriages are tragedies, there are also happy ones. And even though we are in the 21st century, people in mountain villages still rely on matchmakers to find a partner. It is great to be with someone who you know and like.

It’s a very lucky thing.”

"That's true. I know that marriages in rural areas don't seem to have the opportunity for free love, but there are almost no divorces. Most couples stay together for good or bad," Zhang Xiaoqing also said.

One sentence.

Four strange things - wearing papa on the head: Wearing handkerchiefs in summer is to facilitate farming operations. Wearing handkerchiefs in winter is mainly to keep warm. Women in Guanzhong area do not have the habit of wearing hats. The second reason is because Guanzhong, especially in Shaanxi Wugong and Qian County

, Xingping, and Yangling areas still have the custom of giving handkerchiefs to brothers-in-law when they get married.

"I've seen this before. When I go to some rural areas, I can see some elderly grandmothers wearing handkerchiefs. I was wondering what this meant before, but I didn't expect it to be one of the eight monsters."

Zhang Taiping had finished his meal, put the bowl on the stool next to him and said: "The people who maintain this custom are basically the older generation. Who among the young people would do this? At that time, it was not just women who had hair on their heads.

Wearing a handkerchief, men sometimes also wear a towel on their head, but this seems to be no less exclusive than Guanzhong, Shaanxi. It is seen a lot in northern Shaanxi, and it is not on the banknotes."

"Indeed, indeed."

Five Strange Noodles - Noodles Like Belts: There are many kinds of pasta in Guanzhong area. Guanzhong is bold and likes to eat wide noodles and thick noodles. Most noodles are thicker and wider, but they are actually slightly thinner than belts.

"Is it trouser belt noodles?" Zhang Xiaoqing just listened to Zhang Taiping's words, half a bowl of rice or half a bowl of rice.

"Yeah." Zhang Taiping nodded, "It's just trousers noodles."

"I ate this near a school in the city. There were many people eating it, and I had to wait in line to eat it. I was given a bowl filled with juice, and then I put two feet of noodles that were like a belt in the basin and dipped them in to eat.

Very delicious!”

Zhang Taiping said: "There is a certain difference between the authentic trouser belt noodles made by Guanzhong people and the trouser belt noodles usually eaten by city people. For authentic trouser belt noodles, a noodle can be up to two or three inches wide and about 30 inches long.

At about 1 meter, the thickness is about the same as a coin when it is thick, and like a cicada wing when it is thin. One noodle is enough for a meal, and for the Guanzhong people with big appetites, they can eat two noodles in one meal.

You have to eat seven or eight pieces to be full."

"Seven or eight sticks?" Zhang Xiaoqing showed a scared expression. "When my classmates and I go to eat, we usually get full with two sticks. When we are really hungry, we only eat three sticks."

Zhang Taiping smiled and said: "Of course you can't eat that much. I'm talking about the food intake of rural laborers."

"Then biangbiang (I couldn't type this word, so I had to use pinyin instead) noodles, does it count as one of the eight monsters?" Zhang Xiaoqing asked again.

“The so-called trouser belt noodles are biangbiang noodles and trouser belt noodles.”

Six strange things - the pot helmet is like a pot lid: because Guanzhong people like to use straw to cook, and the fire of straw is just right, more "gentle", and it is not easy to burn the food in the pot, and they like to have a big family together

When cooking and eating, to avoid waste, the basic diameter of the pots used is more than 80 centimeters, and the pot helmets will naturally be as big as the pot lids.

Zhang Xiaoqing placed the bowl on the stool, gestured with his hand to measure the size of eighty centimeters, and exclaimed: "Oh my God, how long does it take to finish eating such a big bowl?"

"The family will not last long." Zhang Taiping said, "Guanzhong people like to eat pot helmets very much. Such a big pot helmet can be eaten in one day."

"What you just ate was Guokui?"

"Yes!" Zhang Taiping nodded, "Generally, except when eating sticky noodles, when eating other meals, especially rice with soup like today, one or two pieces of Guokui will be added, otherwise you will feel not full.

I don’t feel comfortable at all.”

Zhang Xiaoqing had a new question: "What are sticky noodles?"

Zhang Taiping thought for a while and replied: "It's almost like the fried noodles you eat in a restaurant, but there's not so much oil, just a little bit of oil flavor on top. People in the village eat a big bowl of it."

, a bowl like mine." He pointed to the old bowl on the stool, and said, "Some people have big appetites and think the old bowl is too small, so they just put the basin on it."

Zhang Xiaoqing shrank his neck: "The old bowl is still small? If you eat from the bowls in the restaurant, you will probably eat more than a dozen bowls." The bowls in the restaurant are almost the size of a fist.

Seven strange things - Youpo spicy food is a dish: People in the Guanzhong area of ​​Shaanxi Province love to eat chili peppers, and their love for chili peppers is no less than that of people in Chengdu, Sichuan. Chili peppers are included in all pasta, and there is no meal without spicy food.

"Spicy food is a dish, how do you make it?"

"Have you seen the spicy bowl in the house?" Zhang Taiping asked.

"I've seen it." Zhang Xiaoqing picked up his rice bowl and said, "Look, I also put some spicy food in it."

Zhang Taiping continued: "Here in Guanzhong, we will always take a piece of Guokui to hold the oily spicy seeds in the bowl, and then lightly sprinkle a layer of salt on top. It tastes very good."

"It's very refreshing." Zhang Xiaoqing swallowed, "It sounds very generous."

"Do you want to try it later?" Zhang Taiping asked jokingly.

"I'd better forget it." Zhang Xiaoqing quickly shook his head: "I'm not a big fan of spicy food. It's dispensable. If I treat spicy food as a dish like you said, it will be spicy to death."

Eight strange things - inseparable from bowls and basins: Shaanxi people often eat noodles, so the bowls are as big as basins, and sometimes they just use basins.

Zhang Xiaoqing looked at the old bowl that Zhang Taiping put on the bench. This bowl was indeed not small. If it were placed in the city, it would be a smaller basin.

"There is also a 'Qin Opera roar'. Sometimes it is also one of the eight monsters, replacing the last one of the eight I just told you."

"Qin Opera, I know this." Zhang Xiaoqing said a lot, "Qin Opera originated from ancient Shaanxi and folk songs and dances in Gansu. It grew up in Chang'an, the political, economic, and cultural center of ancient China, and has experienced generations of people.

It was created and gradually took shape. Since the Zhou Dynasty, the Guanzhong area has been called "Qin", and Qin Opera got its name from this. It is a quite ancient opera type. Because it uses jujube wooden bangzi as a percussion instrument, it is also called "Bangzi Opera".

When hitting the knot with a bang, it will make a "wandering" sound, commonly known as "桄桄子"..."

Zhang Taiping was surprised and asked: "Do you have any research on this?"

"No, my family is in Gansu, and the old man in my family likes Qin Opera very much. He was influenced by his big voice since he was a child. Although he can't sing, he knows a little about the origin of Qin Opera." Zhang Xiaoqing said with a smile.

Zhang Taiping nodded and asked with a smile: "These are the eight monsters of Shaanxi. How do you feel?"

"It's indeed weird." Zhang Xiaoqing nodded.

Zhang Taiping continued: "These monsters all have their reasons. They are based on customs and culture that have accumulated over the years, and each one has its own historical roots and allusions."

Zhang Xiaoqing's eyes lit up: "Tell me, tell me."

"I won't go into details. This information is available online. If you are interested, you can check it online." Zhang Taiping stood up and took the bowl, preparing to go into the house to fill another bowl.

"It's boring to read online, it's so boring! It's not interesting to listen to people say it."

Zhang Taiping laughed and said, "We'll talk about it later when we have time. You'd better finish your meal first. It's already cold."

Zhang Xiaoqing looked at his still half bowl of rice and said, "Okay."

After Zhang Taiping went in, he added a bowl of lazy rice seeds and a piece of pot helmet.

"Hey, is this the pot helmet?" Zhang Xiaoqing pointed to the pot helmet in Zhang Taiping's hand and asked.

"Absolutely." Zhang Taiping looked at the pot helmet in his hand and said, "This is not an authentic pot helmet. Now we have an electric baking pan at home. Generally, if it is convenient, we will use the electric baking pan as shown above. It is only the size of a plate.

The size is only about the thickness of a finger. Even the pot helmets sold in many places now are not authentic. Authentic pot helmets can only be baked in a large cooking pot, and when they come out, they will have a crust with oily spots on both sides."

"Is that a counterfeit Guokui made with an electric baking pan? Can you still eat it? Or is it the authentic one that tastes better?"

"It depends on whether it's freshly baked or after cooling." Mrs. Zhang replied, "If it's just taken out, it will be authentic and delicious, but if it's been cooled, it's better if it's baked in an electric pan."

Eat it. Because the authentic Guokui will turn porcelain solid after being eaten in large quantities, and it is more than an inch thick, making it inconvenient to bite."

"I really learned a lot today."

Zhang Taiping was a little surprised: "You also go to school in Xi'an, haven't you heard your classmates talk about it?"

"No." Zhang Xiaoqing shook his head, "No, I am surrounded by people who talk about where they have traveled and what photos they have taken. I have never heard of these things."

Zhang Taiping was a little speechless, and then he felt a little emotional. This is part of the essence of Guanzhong culture, but most people in the city today don't know it. It's not heartbreaking, but it's a bit regretful. It's a pity that people have forgotten or even abandoned the customary culture.

After finishing the meal, Zhang Xiaoqing put down the bowl and said, "I ate too much today. I could only eat this bowl at school." After finishing speaking, he patted his stomach with his hand sheepishly.

"I went up and down the mountain today and helped plant flowers for half the morning. It's normal to eat more." Zhang Taiping said with a slight smile.

Zhang Xiaoqing went into the house, took out the camera from the house and said, "I'll put my bag here first and pick it up when I leave."

"It's up to you," Zhang Taiping nodded and asked, "You just had dinner, why don't you take a rest?"

"No." Zhang Xiaoqing shook his braid and said, "They don't have much work left in the afternoon. I still have a lot of things to do. Not only do I want to go to the hot springs to take pictures, but I also want to go to the village to take pictures.

I’m filming, so I can’t take a break at noon.”

"That's it, then you wait a while." After Zhang Taiping said this, he called Ye Ling out of the house and asked her to be a little guide.

After the two figures disappeared into the trees, Zhang Taiping's eyes were still a little dazed. He saw the shadow of another person in this girl with big braids and two dimples that could make people feel good.

Scenes of familiar scenes flashed through my mind, as if they were yesterday and yet another world away!

Lying on the wicker chair under the big banyan tree by the pool, I sighed softly. I wonder if everything was okay for that person in the past?

ps: This chapter is written with more feeling, and it is written in one go, so it is not broken in the middle, and the two chapters are posted together. I hope you can support me and give me lots of flowers, which will blow the mind of the previous person!