There are still more than two months until the Spring Festival, and Nanjing people have already begun to prepare for the festival.
Stuffed sausages, cured meats, pickled fish...
Domestic prices are stable, and everyone has a little money in their pockets. Who doesn’t want to have a prosperous and comfortable New Year?
As soon as Meng Shaoyuan went out, he could already feel that the flavor of the New Year had quietly entered Nanjing.
Today’s Chinese New Year is much more lively than the Chinese New Year in his time.
How did Meng Shaoyuan celebrate the New Year in his own time?
The family gathered together to have a big meal. During the meal, everyone talked about their own things and played with their mobile phones. After the meal, they shook hands with each other: "Hahaha, thank you, thank you, I'll treat you to dinner on the second day of the new year."
Everyone goes back to their own homes, each looking for his own mother.
At most, it's just some lucky money from the elders or something like that.
At home, the older ones watch the Spring Festival Gala and wait for the famous actor of "I Miss You to Death" to appear every year.
Young?
Either play games or go out clubbing.
On the first day of the new year, I slept until dawn.
This is called no taste of the year.
But it's completely different in this era.
There are still about sixty days to go, and the strong New Year flavor has already appeared in the streets and alleys.
There is a stall on the roadside, where a handsome old man in his sixties and wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses is selling calligraphy.
At this time of year, Spring Festival couplets are mainly sold.
You know, in another month, the price of Spring Festival couplets will rise.
Most of the Spring Festival couplets of Meng Shaoyuan's time were machine-printed, and many of them were signed "So-and-so Bank".
The content of the Spring Festival couplets is nothing more than auspicious words such as "Be safe and prosperous, and may everything go well in the future."
Take a look at what was written in the Spring Festival couplets of the Republic of China in the 1930s:
"The sweet air welcomes the fragrant grass by the river, and the wind gathers flowers on the water's surface."
"The willow eyes are soothing on the grass, and the peach cheeks are shining brightly into the blue sky."
"The orioles are twittering in the green poplar shades, and the butterflies are about to fly on the red apricot branches."
This artistic conception is completely different.
In that font, what are Zhongzheng, Jinshi, Libian...
I'll give you whatever you like.
As for the price?
How much are you willing to give? If you give too much, the old gentleman will hand it over as a thank you. The old gentleman smiled slightly and didn't care that it was too little.
If by chance you have a hard time in your pocket today and forget to bring money, the old gentleman will wave his hand and ask you to take it back first and give it back when you have the chance.
Meng Shaoyuan looked interesting and asked the old gentleman for a couplet.
The old gentleman pondered for a moment and said with one wave:
"The hibiscus opens the sky mirror at night and the willow spring breeze draws pictures."
Meng Shaoyuan didn't know what was good about it, but he just thought it was good.
The words are good and the meaning is good.
I felt in my pocket and there seemed to be about twenty dollars, all of which I gave to the old gentleman.
There are some who are generous, but it is still rare for a guy to spend more than twenty yuan.
The old gentleman was slightly startled, but that was all. He still just cupped his hand, neither humble nor overbearing.
Next to the Spring Festival couplet stall was a stall selling tofu pudding, and Meng Shaoyuan ordered a bowl.
This tofu pudding is very different from the tofu pudding in the north.
Make tofu from soybeans, add special soy sauce, then seaweed, dried shrimps, minced mustard, sprinkle with a handful of chopped green onions, stir evenly, and enjoy a bowl of hot tofu curd on a cold day. I don’t know how delicious it is.
"Sell newspapers, sell newspapers! The Xi'an rebels have made major concessions, and the Chairman's return is imminent!"
Well, it's already the morning of the 24th. It's only been two days since the Double Twelve Incident ended and the Chairman came back.
There are many losers and few winners in this incident.
There is no doubt that Meng Shaoyuan and Dai Li are the winners.
"Here's a newspaper."
After eating the tofu cake, Meng Shaoyuan paid and bought a newspaper. He held it in his hand and walked slowly to the second place.
As soon as I walked in, I took a whiff. What did it smell like?
"Hey, who is this?" Meng Shaoyuan shouted.
Good guy, there are actually strings of sausages hanging in the yard, as well as a lot of cured meat and fish.
Do you think this is a vegetable market?
"It's mine." Feng Xiaocai, the chief of the general affairs section, passed by: "What's wrong, Xiao Meng? Ah, it's not all mine, there are others. Wait two days, and those two strings of sausages will go back. No, the whole city of Nanjing, The sausages made by my old Feng family are among the best."
"Ah, ah." Meng Shaoyuan was a little confused: "What if Director Dai comes back and sees..."
"Hey, it's what Director Dai allowed before." Feng Xiaocai was not worried at all: "In the past, we didn't dare. Before the Chinese New Year, whose family didn't prepare some New Year's goods? But some people have a small place and don't have time to dry them. Put them outside. Well, I have to go to work and I'm afraid of being stolen. No, there was a 'Sausage Robbery' the year before last, which caused a storm in the city...
Director Dai knew about it. At that time, he was still in Chicken, Duck and Goose Lane, so he said, our yard is big, and everyone who wants to pickle new year's products can be made directly to the unit. Who dares to break into our place and steal things, right? At this order, the local agents jumped for joy. "
OK, how can we say that Dai Li has means?
This seems to be a trivial matter, and it looks unsightly, but Dai Li's order is equivalent to solving many problems in the life of a spy.
Being a leader does not necessarily mean you have to be kind to you. Only by constantly promoting and rewarding you can you be grateful. Sometimes, a small thing can win the other person's loyalty.
Meng Shaoyuan was interested in what Feng Xiaocai said just now: "Chief Feng, what is the 'Sausage Robbery'?"
"Want to know?"
"Yes I do."
"There's still half an hour until the meeting. Xiao Meng, bring me a stool, make some hot tea, and wait for the cigarettes. Section Chief Feng will read a paragraph for you."
"Hey, hey, just wait."
Meng Shaoyuan fumbled for what Feng Xiaocai asked for. Those little spies with little information all gathered together when they heard that there was a book to listen to.
After a while, a circle of people surrounded Feng Xiaocai.
Meng Shaoyuan diligently made a cigarette and lit it for him. Feng Xiaocai took another sip of tea, cleared his throat and said:
"In other words, it was the 22nd year of the Republic of China. At that time, there was a captain of the action team. This person's surname was Tian and his name was Kaiyi. He was a general of our Lixing Society. He had repeatedly performed extraordinary feats and was famous in Nanjing. Xiaoxiao heard about his name and became famous in Nanjing. Frightened.
That year, it was also the eve of the Chinese New Year. Mrs. Tian Kaiyi filled a lot of sausages and dried them outside. It happened that her parents came to him for something, so she asked Tian Kaiyi to help look after it. It was also unfortunate that as soon as Madam left, the mission suddenly arrived.
Tian Kaiyi looked at the sausages and came up with a plan. He found a pen and paper, and wrote a line of words. 'Who dares to steal Tian Kaiyi's sausages! 'After writing, hang on those sausages and walk away.
Whoever dares to touch Captain Tian’s sausage is not seeking death? After a busy day and the task was completed, Tian Kaiyi went back excitedly. When he saw it, he was dumbfounded. The sausages were all gone, and there was an extra note on the scene..."
Having said this, Feng Xiaocai paused for a moment:
"Only three words were written on the note, 'I dare to steal!'"
When the people around heard this, they burst into laughter.
"Tian Kaiyi was so angry. Isn't this a move on Tai Sui's head? Where can he put Captain Tian's face? At that time, he ordered all the best soldiers and generals to search the city, vowing to solve the case. For a time, there was a lot of noise. The city is in a state of ups and downs. Someone asked a familiar spy, who are you arresting for making such a big fuss?"
Feng Xiaocai took another sip of tea:
"People were embarrassed to say that our captain lost his sausage. They could only vaguely say that it was an 'important case, a big sausage case'. The rest refused to say another word. So, word spread in Nanjing. It is said that there is a certain giant bandit who cast the property looted over the years into many golden sausages and hid them somewhere in Nanjing city.
Others say that foreigners have invented a new sausage bomb. One bomb is enough to blow up half of Nanjing. This makes people panic. When Director Dai found out, he called Tian Kaiyi over and reprimanded him severely, telling him not to do anything wrong while borrowing public resources. This matter is finally over.
After Tian Kaiyi returned home, he suddenly saw a large number of sausages piled up at home. After asking, I found out that Director Dai sent someone to deliver it to him during the day..."
Good means.
Meng Shaoyuan had this thought in his mind again.
Tian Kaiyi has been loyal to Dai Li from then on. Who dares to say a bad word about Dai Li? Tian Kaiyi really dares to risk his life with him.
People give nicknames:
Sausage Guard!
Less than half a year later, for some unknown reason, Tian Kaiyi was suddenly transferred away and his whereabouts are unknown.
When asked, it was said that he had been promoted, but no one knew where he had gone.
"Chief Feng, was the person who stole the sausages later caught?" Zhu Yanni couldn't help but ask the question that everyone wanted to ask.
"Catch? Where can we catch the person who dares to steal Captain Tian's sausage?" Feng Xiaocai said with a smile: "Let's just say that in our Lixingshe, we can catch traitors and Japanese special forces, but there is such a little thief, how can we catch him?" I can't even catch him. This thief is really a capable person."
It’s not that I can’t catch it, it’s that I don’t want to catch it.
It’s just a few sausages. There are so many things to do in Lixingshe all day long. Who has the spare time to do it?
"Okay, okay." Feng Xiaocai looked at the time: "It's almost time, go and do whatever you have to do. Xiao Meng, get ready, we have a morning meeting."
After everyone else had been dispersed, Feng Xiao lowered his voice and said, "There's a call from Xi'an. The matter will be resolved peacefully soon."
"It's all in the newspapers." Meng Shaoyuan took out the newspaper he just bought: "Look, it's all on the front page."
Feng Xiaocai was startled: "I just found out about it too... Ah, show me the newspaper... By the way, by the way, it's him again, Aban, the New York Times reporter in Shanghai... Hey, this guy has great powers. , we and most of the government officials didn’t know about the Double Twelve Incident, but he, a foreign reporter, took the lead to expose it.”
"Is this awesome?"
"Of course, Abban called Song Ziwen that day, and the servant said that he went to Kong Xiangxi's house. He called Duanna again, and the servant also said that he went to Kong Xiangxi's house. As soon as Abban heard that, he knew something was wrong, and immediately went to Mrs. Jiang He made a phone call there, and as he expected, Mrs. Jiang also went to Kong Xiangxi's house. As a result, he called Kong Xiangxi directly, and after questioning, Kong Xiangxi admitted the incident. "
This is incredible, this American reporter. Did you know something was going on just by making a few phone calls?
Meng Shaoyuan firmly remembered two names in his mind today:
Tian Kaiyi and Aban!
