No. 2 Shan'er Hutong may appear to be just a small courtyard housing four families, but its structure is quite complex.
In the courtyard, apart from a towering toon tree and a running faucet with a pool, each household has its own small room.
This courtyard is not spacious at all, and it looks like a big pancake dropped to the ground.
Pick it up, you can still eat the ashes, but the layers and content inside are all messed up.
The reason for this is, of course, thanks to the Tangshan earthquake in 1976.
As an area that can feel strong earthquakes, it is precisely because it has experienced a period of panic.
Everyone would build an earthquake shelter in the yard, and then turn it into their own kitchen and utility room.
If an outsider walks in for the first time, he will definitely feel like entering a maze because of the chaotic terrain.
Or maybe inadvertently, the height difference on the ground hurts your feet.
At 6:15 in the evening, when Ning Weimin walked into this "big pancake".
As usual, we were in time for lunch.
Every household is busy preparing dinner, and the whole courtyard is filled with the aroma of frying.
I have to say that going home at the same time has always been a bit uncomfortable for Ning Weimin.
Because people in this era are very polite and polite.
Ning Weimin walked into the courtyard with one foot high and one foot low. He often encountered neighbors bringing food from the kitchen to the house.
If they met, he would have to call someone.
Grandpa, aunt, uncle, aunt, etc., we can chat for a few words before we can continue walking inside.
Secondly, because of the delicious food, Ning Weimin still had to endure the temptation because of the greedy food in his stomach.
With his deficient intestines and stomach, he will naturally be even more hungry and thirsty.
And no one is rich these days, so even if they give in, he can't take it seriously.
Hey, you can smell it, but you can't eat it.
After thanking him in person, he still had to go back to his room with the crab in his mouth, and hold the steamed bun with Old Man Kang to eat it.
How big is the gap in my heart?
However, today is a little different from usual.
If you have made such a big fortune, no matter what happens, you must celebrate it.
So he didn't come back empty-handed.
Except for the things I bought for the blind people, they were all stuffed into big bags.
In his other hand, he was carrying a bottle of liquor bought for Old Man Kang and four substantial oil paper bags.
Anyone who takes a look at it will know that there must be something delicious in the oil paper bag!
So the scene that made him sad in the past turned into a ceremony to welcome him home.
The temptation that troubled him in the past has become a prelude to increasing appetite.
The first thing I passed when I entered the courtyard was Uncle Luo's house of the pastry factory.
Ning Weimin walked to the Luo family's small kitchen and met Aunt Luo carrying a plate of scrambled eggs. She opened the door and was about to take it into the house.
Without asking, Ning Weimin knew that this was prepared for the eldest daughter-in-law of the Luo family.
This is a happy event destined to happen to the Luo family this year.
The eldest daughter-in-law is already pregnant and is expected to give birth in September.
"Weimin, you're back..." Aunt Luo turned to greet her.
"Hey, Aunt Luo. As I said, your craftsmanship is amazing. I smelled it right outside the courtyard, and the fragrance spreads far and wide."
"Hey, a plate of scrambled eggs. See what you said..."
"It's better to arrive early than in time. You smell delicious, so you can eat at my place."
Another voice came from the open door. It was Uncle Luo who was drinking in the house.
The eldest son and daughter-in-law of the Luo family were also sitting at the dinner table, holding their rice bowls and enjoying the music of Ning Wei.
But Ning Weimin was embarrassed, so he quickly declined.
"Uncle Luo, thank you. I will also give you a dental beating today. You see..."
Ning Weimin's movement of lifting the handle is particularly critical.
The expressions on the Luo family's face at this time, if I write a book, it will definitely be titled "Ten Thousand Unexpected Things".
"Hey, this wine is pretty good, from Hua Deng. You have a conscience, so I bought it for you, Uncle Kang, right?"
"Uncle Luo, I bought it for you too. You can go have a drink at my place."
"Haha, you're too polite. But I understand, I've eaten all this. Let's go back and wait for the toon crops in our yard to come down, and we will have scrambled eggs with toon."
Hey, this was the first time that Ning Weimin changed from passive to active and dared to invite others.
It’s full of face and dignity!
When you turn a corner, you will find Uncle Bian and Aunt Bian's home.
Ning Weimin saw the old lady holding a steamer on the stove inside and outside the kitchen.
Even though the lid of the pot was tightly sealed, he could still smell what was inside with just one nose.
He also knew that if he bowed his head and passed by, the old lady would definitely be angry.
So he took the initiative to say hello to Aunt Bian through the small kitchen window.
"Auntie, you are eating stuffing again today, cabbage and pork, right?"
"Hey, Minzi is back. You have a really good nose. Your uncle loves stuffing. Don't leave. I'll get some for you too. Just take them out of the pot and eat them while they're hot."
"No, no, no, aunt, I bought it ready-made today, so I can eat it as soon as I enter the house."
"Oh, that's good. Then go back to the house quickly. Don't let Uncle Kang wait in a hurry."
Needless to say, the old lady also looked surprised when she saw the wine and oil paper buns.
This made Ning Weimin feel beautiful again.
This feeling in my heart is floating!
But this is not over yet, even the innermost east room of the small courtyard, the projectionist Master Mi and his family of the Daguanlou Cinema, have not been left.
It's time for Ning Weimin to be in the limelight today.
Just when he put down the big canvas bag and was about to open the door of his house.
Master Mi just came out of home with a toothpick in his mouth, clothes on his back and a handbag in his hand.
This man's eyes widened even more when he caught sight of what Ning Weimin was holding.
"Hey, what day is it today? It's out of season and we're going to eat meat!"
"Hey, my stomach has been really bad lately. Even farts don't taste good, so I just took some oil and water. Have you eaten? Let's drink some together."
"Haha, I've already eaten. You kid, you're teasing me again. Come and have a drink with your uncle Kang."
Just as Master Mi was about to pass by, he suddenly stopped and patted Ning Weimin on the shoulder.
"By the way, if you have eaten enough and have nothing to do, you can go watch a movie with me. Today there is a new movie in the Grand View Tower, "Homecoming"..."
"Thank you, Master Mi. If I don't get drunk later, I'll go there."
While talking and laughing, Master Mi was finally discharged from the hospital, and Ning Weimin was finally able to enter his home.
But at this time, for some reason, he was lost in thought, and his mood was quite complicated.
It seems that I have gained another layer of understanding about neighborhood relations in this era.
Yes, although these words cannot be taken seriously, everyone knows that they are just polite, but they cannot be simply defined as meaningless hypocrisy.
Because these polite words do contain true feelings, kindness and enthusiasm.
Only when he returned to this era did he clearly realize what the people of the capital were like in the past.
Gentleness, honesty and sincerity are the mainstream values of these older generations.
These neighbors and neighbors on the street are all acquaintances who have lived together for more than ten or decades.
Grandpa, aunt, uncle, aunt, these titles are not false.
As long as you live in the same courtyard, these neighbors are far more useful than relatives.
Not to mention the daily chores of looking after clothes, looking after children, lighting the stove, and guarding the door.
Even when it comes to major events such as childbirth, illness, weddings and funerals, and resolving family conflicts, you can still count on these people who are not related by blood to help.
No one cares about "meddling in other people's business".
Not like our neighbors in later generations, the camels yawned and twisted their necks, and no one paid attention to them.
To be honest, in this era, he has really eaten the food of every household.
Thinking about it now, he was afraid of being polite and annoyed by such scenes.
In fact, it is probably because he has never been able to repay this favor, and he feels inferior and guilty.
In other words, if he really agreed just now.
So whether it's scrambled eggs or big steamed buns stuffed with meat, he will definitely have a portion of them all.
Even if the eldest daughter-in-law of the Luo family is at fault, Aunt Bian's family will probably have two coworkers to make up for it.
The two families would not say anything and would still greet him in the same way next time.
It’s nothing to do with anything else, just because this is the folk custom of the capital and the generosity of Yan and Zhao.
Hey, it’s strange that old man Daokang often talks to him.
"...In the more than ten years since I returned to my hometown, I felt awkward no matter how I stayed. I never knew whether it was because of other people's awkwardness or my own awkwardness. It wasn't until I ran back again that I seemed to understand a little bit. What worries me is probably not the capital, but the capital.
It’s because of the sophistication of the people here…”
The moment he opened the door, Ning Weimin already had an idea.
He decided not to be left alone with the things he bought today.
As things come and go, reciprocate favors.
After entering the house, if you don't do anything else, you must first find a few empty bowls, divide the contents in these oil paper bags, and send some to each household.
This is a higher level of happiness than the trivial elation just now.