Don’t be greedy, kid, it’s the New Year after Laba.
Laba porridge, drink it for a few days, it will be twenty-three.
Twenty-three, the sugar melon is sticky.
Twenty-four, write a couplet.
Twenty-five, frozen tofu.
Twenty-six, go buy meat.
Twenty-seven, slaughter the New Year chicken.
Twenty-eight, hair the face.
Twenty-nine, steamed buns.
Staying up all night on the 30th, twisting and turning on New Year's Day...
This is a New Year ballad that is familiar to old Beijing residents.
But the scenes of people busy celebrating the New Year described in folk songs have actually begun to disappear since the late 1980s.
Because if you read it in detail, it is not difficult to find.
Among the many preparations for the New Year described in this ballad, except cleaning the house.
The rest, like frozen tofu, stewed pot meat, slaughtered roosters, and steamed buns, are all preparations for the New Year.
To put it bluntly, it is different from the era when materials were extremely abundant.
In the past, in addition to the expectation of family reunion, there was also a longing for a harmonious family life.
Being able to indulge your appetite and allow your family to eat as much as you want for a few days is the main content and real fun of the Chinese New Year.
Yes, people did focus more on material things when looking forward to the New Year.
But this is also human nature.
People who lived through that era would never be ashamed to admit this.
Because in those days when there was little food and clothing, if you could eat stewed meat once, you could eat dumplings as much as you wanted.
For most people, the Chinese New Year is probably the only time of the year.
This will inevitably become people’s eternal expectation.
Based on this principle, for ordinary people, the results of reform and opening up should naturally be reflected most significantly and intuitively in the supply of new year goods.
Like the Spring Festival supplies for Beijing residents in 1981.
People have obviously discovered that materials have been further enriched.
Eggs, white wine and semi-negotiated rapeseed oil are no longer limited, and rice, noodles and pork are quite abundant.
Among the limited supply of food, additional items include 2 taels of scented tea priced at 4 to 8 yuan per pound.
Aniseed, two liang each of yellow flowers and fungus, twenty catties of Chinese cabbage, one catty of tofu from food stamps, and soy products from one catty of food stamps, etc.
In addition, "Nan Laishun" in Caishikou has also added snacks such as "Mi San Dao" that are not usually available.
This makes the majority of Beijing citizens feel extremely relaxed and look forward to the New Year's Eve dinner even more.
As for Courtyard No. 2 of Shan'er Hutong, in terms of the standard of this year's New Year's goods, it far exceeds the overall level of the capital.
It can even be said that he is the leader in the entire alley.
Why?
Just because these neighbors have their own unique advantages.
Moreover, everyone has a good relationship, and is particularly united and friendly.
If those families keep in touch with each other, will they have a good time this year?
Don’t believe it? If you don’t believe it, come and take a look.
First let’s talk about Mijia.
Aunt Mi is the old man from the grocery store in the film.
No matter who is in the store, whether they are employees or leaders, they all have to be treated with some kindness.
With this internal response, no one will have to worry about purchasing limited supplies.
Although purchasing new year's goods is no longer as difficult as it was in the years before the reform, there is no need for anyone to queue up in the early morning.
But after all, you still have to line up, right?
And things are different from thing to thing, there must be a difference in texture.
With Aunt Mi taking care of things internally, that means one person is on duty and everyone gets the credit.
Their No. 2 courtyard in Shan'er Hutong is different from other places.
Several families gave their money and books to Aunt Mi in advance and asked her to take charge of the New Year's goods.
In this way, it is of course a good choice for selecting things.
The pork is all prime cuts like ribs, pork belly, and elbow.
The hairtail fish are all picked and tied up.
The eggs have also been shined in the box one by one, and there will never be any bad ones.
Dry goods such as vermicelli, yellow flowers and fungus will not be broken.
Soy products are all set aside, and each household can get 5 cents and 10 cents more than the ration for sesame paste.
And you don’t have to worry about how to buy it or how to get it back.
Aunt Mi had finished preparing the things and called directly to ask Bian Jianjun, Luo Guangsheng and Ning Weimin to come to the grocery store together.
Then I borrowed the tricycle in the store to load my things and took it back directly.
When the car is driven back to the courtyard, you can get one point per person, which saves a lot of trouble.
So even though the Mi family only has two daughters, they don't have to worry about physical work at all.
Sisters Mi Xiaoran and Mi Xiaohui only need to make room for their things at home.
Secondly, let’s talk about the Bian family.
In today's Bian family, except for the boss Bian Jianjun, who can provide convenience for everyone to take a clean and comfortable bath before the year is over.
There is also a second son who has made great contributions to the "Polar Bear".
Not only did this guy bring back several boxes of extremely cheap discounted cans, he also asked his neighbors to share them.
Moreover, you can also get "Polar Bear" flagship products that are hard to find on the market at ex-factory prices.
He can get everything like concentrated orange juice, concentrated bayberry juice, pineapple in syrup, lychee in syrup, canned mud sausage, canned quail eggs, canned duck with pickled vegetables, canned duck stewed with mushrooms, canned braised pork, and canned hot and sour vegetables.
Especially Ning Weimin, he wanted to go to Bian Jiangong to buy something. It was really easier than going to Xidan Food Building.
Because it not only saves money and worry, but also allows you to return or exchange it if it is no longer suitable.
Bian Jiangong also provided him with expedited door-to-door service.
Just say hello and it will arrive at the agreed time, and it will be delivered directly to your home.
It all made Ning Weimin feel a little bit like JD.com.
Then, it’s time to talk about the Luo family.
Both Master Luo and Luo Guangsheng work in the pastry factory in the district.
As a food outlet worker, there are no benefits.
Under normal circumstances, on normal days, there are always some overbaked pastries and some pastry residue in their factory, which will be disposed of at a low price to internal employees.
The Luo family and his son would often get it back, sharing the benefits with their neighbors.
Don't underestimate these defective items.
In the years when supplies were scarce, these things with oil and sugar were the most nourishing things for people's stomach.
Especially during those three years, to be serious, it could even save people's lives.
Therefore, any family in Courtyard No. 2 of Shan'er Hutong has received such benefits.
Over the years, I have always been grateful to have the Luo family as my neighbors.
As for the Chinese New Year, Master Luo has a special message for everyone.
That is to take his eldest son and take some time to bake a batch of snacks with enough ingredients using the things from the factory.
In addition to the ones given to the leaders, he would buy the others at ex-factory prices and distribute them to neighbors, relatives and friends in each household.
In Kang Shude's words, Master Luo is an authentic "Zhengmingzhai" craftsman.
In today's era where only mechanized pastries are produced, in this era where glutinous rice sticks and walnut cakes can be used as weapons.
Everyone can also have the opportunity to eat such freshly baked traditional pastries with real ingredients.
It is undoubtedly a rare blessing and a unique food enjoyment.