The weather on the seventh day of the first lunar month is particularly good.
Although it is only early spring, the sky is pleasantly clear and the sun is very warm.
The crowd led the two peach trees away at the right time, it was exactly three o'clock in the afternoon.
Everything under the sun shines brightly, as if translucent.
The little northwest wind is so refreshing. Instead of being cold, it makes people feel warm and comfortable.
Especially when they came to Ma's Garden and saw the scenery that was comparable to Hou Men's and like a garden palace, they felt that spring was infinitely better.
You know, the last time Ning Weimin went to Weijia Hutong, it was in early September last year.
At that time, the Majia Garden was still not visible.
Although at that time, the yard was no longer overgrown with weeds, devastated, desolate and decadent.
In addition, people from the power supply bureau and water company also dug trenches, buried pipelines, cleared water supply and drainage, and reinstalled electricity and water meters.
But after the people from the ancient construction team were stationed at the same time, they had to be busy for a month just cleaning the yard and transporting construction waste out of the house before they could buy building materials into the yard.
After purchasing the materials, the first thing to do is to remove the dangers of the dilapidated building. First, strengthen and renovate the structure of the dilapidated building.
Even because the buildings in Majia Garden are unusual, many have unique functions and architectural forms are also very special.
The Gu Jian team was reluctant to act hastily, for fear of making a mistake.
Often you have to consult experts while you are working, and ask for help before you can continue. Of course, the progress will not be accelerated.
So until Ning Weimin went abroad, most of the buildings in Majia Garden had just been laid.
The columns and beams that needed to be replaced were replaced, the green bricks that needed to be replaced were also replaced, the roof was re-paved with "tin quilts", the ground drains under the house were also cleared, and the garbage and silt that had been removed from the courtyard pond waterway were removed.
To put it bluntly, they have barely reshaped the skeletons of these buildings, and that’s it.
The ancient construction team has done all the hard and tiring basic work, and none of the truly outstanding work has been done.
But this time, when Ning Weimin returns to the capital, things will be different.
In fact, the appearance of almost all the buildings in Majia Garden was completed a few years ago.
Even the northernmost entrances, concierge, car room, accounting room, Buddhist hall, and warehouse.
The five-bay Xieshan Flower Hall on the top of the rockery, the Temple of Wealth on the west slope of the rockery, the three-volume hall and Xiyin Pavilion south of the rockery verandah.
In addition, there is a small courtyard in the north where Kang Shude and Mr. Song lived.
These places have already been renovated.
Now let’s talk about what’s missing. The only shortcomings are the open hall on the south side of the courtyard, the south study room, the auxiliary rooms, and the residence of the Ma family’s family members. The interior decoration has not been completed yet.
Then there is the garden landscaping aspect.
Because many of the original flowers, trees and lake stones were destroyed and transported away, the landscape was greatly damaged.
Although the ancient construction team has tried their best to restore it, they only repaired a rough part of the hardware, and the style of the scenery is far from what it used to be.
I'm afraid it will take someone to clean it up and add some things to restore the past style.
If we look at the overall project volume, it is actually about 70% completed.
If you want to live in someone else's house, get some furniture now and you can almost move it here.
Of course, what we are talking about here is only most of the Lama family garden that Ning Weimin got back with his own skills.
This does not include the other third that Director Huo helped get back from the Ancient and Modern Culture Association.
Those houses came back later, and in addition to a courtyard house that the Jiang family rented, they also included a theater and a flower cave.
So it's more complicated to repair.
Whether it needs to be repaired, how to repair it, and how much it will cost, the plan has not yet been finalized.
If you can't rush it yet, that's another matter.
No matter how you put it, it lived up to Ning Weimin’s hidden expectations.
When he arrived at the place, he took a look and found that, although to hide it from others, the outer walls of Ma's garden had not been renovated.
The chain-locked portals in the north are not decorated in the palace style with red and green paint. They are completely in accordance with the style of wealthy private households, using plain black paint and simple portals.
But when the iron chain and lock were opened, two tricycles entered Ma's garden from the entrance of the motor house one after another.
The scene you see again can make people immediately surprised and feel sincerely gratified.
Most of the restored buildings in the courtyard have front porches.
The roof is covered with gray tube tiles, the partitions are decorated with flowers, the finials, crests, door piers, column foundations, etc. are ornately carved with fine patterns.
The ridges are decorated with peonies, lotuses and other patterns, and the three-dimensional effect is also very strong.
On those houses and walls, the wall carvings and brick carvings that have experienced the erosion of time have all been repaired.
The window lattice of "Bu Bu Jin" and the door carvings of "Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum" are also newly made.
To be honest, the corridors of these buildings look even more elaborate than the restoration projects of the Northern and Southern Kitchens in the Temple of Heaven.
The most unique thing about this garden lies in its clever division of courtyard space.
There are almost no partition walls in the garden, and each courtyard is separated by rockeries and verandas, which are either wide, deep, or small, with different shapes. The overall layout is quite sparse, seemingly scattered, and the space has no sense of orderliness.
From the moment you enter the garden gate, the route continues to go back and forth between rockeries and corridors, with twists and turns, creating a scene-by-step effect.
To be honest, Ning Weimin really didn't expect this house to be so wonderfully renovated.
The old style has been restored almost perfectly, and it looks like a new house.
Although the main color tone of plain black paint is not as elegant and luxurious as red oil and green paint, it looks particularly simple and elegant.
In his eyes, this old house is like a twilight beauty.
Now it has been restored by skilled craftsmen, as if this old beauty had taken the elixir of youth.
She regained her youth and became graceful and beautiful.
I'm not bragging, this house and this courtyard are probably comparable to the most famous Prince Gong's Mansion in Beijing.
It is no exaggeration to say that if a TV series such as "The Gate of Mansion" were to be filmed here, the original version would be put to shame in terms of location.
Of course, this last sentence is pure nonsense.
As for Ma's Garden, he was the richest man in the capital at that time. Needless to say, he must be top-notch.
Even if Tongrentang Lejia's old house and garden are there, it can't compare with Ma's Garden. There is a difference in quality between them.
After all, Lejia, who owns a drug store, is not one of the top richest people in the capital, but is ranked below the "Eight Great Houses".
Well, let's imagine again. When we came this time, even Ning Weimin was surprised by the new look of Ma's Garden.
Not to mention Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao.
These two boys grew up in a poor place, in a large courtyard.
How could I have imagined the life of a truly rich man? How could I have seen such a large palace-like garden?
After all, the gatekeepers of a big house are gatekeepers of a big house, and their eyes have been opened today.
The size and shape of the house, which was no less than that of a royal family, exuded grandeur and nobility, suddenly pulling them into the unfamiliar situation of "no one in the palace".
In addition, the layers of courtyards are so lonely that the deeper you go, the more you go inside, as if there is no end. It is a realistic portrayal of "the depth is as deep as the sea once you enter the Houmen".
There is no doubt that whether it is the bluestone steps, the copper-clad threshold, the skyline outlined by the fish-scale tile roof, or the "scorpion tails" raised diagonally upward at both ends of the main ridge of the house, these two pedaled a tricycle.
The boy who wandered around the big garden was deeply impressed.
This inevitably gave them an unreal feeling as they thought they were on a movie set while watching the scenery.
The word "dream-like" may be a bit exaggerated, but excitement and surprise are inevitable.
In fact, Luo Guangliang is better off. After all, he is older and has a stable temperament.
It's okay to be dumbfounded, and I won't do anything out of the ordinary.
But Xiao Tao is a wild master. When he is uncontrollably excited, his behavior is often out of control and he needs a certain amount of emotional outlet.
So, facing the empty courtyard, facing those green tiles and white walls, and the upturned eaves, he unscrupulously opened his voice and sang.
"Beautiful flowers are blooming all over the boiler room. The steamed buns in the boiler room are really fragrant. I want to eat steamed buns, but I am afraid that they will be hot, so I have to sit next to the boiler room and wait for the steamed buns to cool down."
Although the content of this song is quite simple, there was no applause.
Instead, Luo Guangliang scolded him for being abrupt.
"Hey, what are you howling for? It's scary! In front of the old man, don't act nonsense!"
But who hasn’t been young yet?
Kang Shude didn't care, but said very understandingly, "Forget it, there are no outsiders anyway. If you don't bother anyone, just sing if you want."
Ning Weimin also said, "Third brother, please don't hold him tight. Who wants to live in a large courtyard? To be honest, when I suddenly encountered such a spacious place and there was no one else, I wanted to call him."
Just a few sentences. Unfortunately, our voice is not open enough, and we are not as ugly as Xiao Tao."
In this way, Xiao Tao, who was originally taught a lesson by Luo Guangliang, received encouragement in disguise.
So he immediately changed the allegro and deliberately opened up the Jinmen accent in a playful way.
"When I came to Tianjin Wei, I didn't learn anything. I learned how to drive a car and killed more than two hundred people. When the police came to arrest me, I was so scared that I crawled with the wheel and hid in the women's restroom!"
To be honest, that voice, which sounded like a howling ghost or a wolf, was incompatible with the ancient and huge courtyard.
But the all-powerful momentum and the reckless heroism caused an immediate resonance in this magnificent old house.
"Women's restroom... toilet... place... place..."
The echo was crisp, loud, and distant. It only made the sparrows fly away in fright.
It also made several people in the group laugh.
"You brat, just howl! If there is a master who is looking for a hut outside the wall, you must lure him away..."
Even Luo Guangliang was both irritated and amused, and made a rare joke about him.
In this way, under the guidance of Kang Shude, the two tricycles finally stopped under the verandah on the western slope of the rockery.
The two pots of the Queen Mother's flat peach trees were later moved into the flower hall on the top of the rockery by Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao "Hey Hey Hey".
It must be said that it is thanks to these two boys that they are strong and in their prime.
Otherwise, most people would not be able to carry it up this stretch of road.
This room located on the top of the rockery is a continuous hall with five bays. The room is so big that it seems that you can't see the end at a glance.
And the lighting is excellent, because there are wooden partitions on both sides of the room, which can be completely opened.
The partitions between each room are also connected by partitions that can be pushed and pulled, which effectively divides and utilizes the space.
There is also a floor-to-ceiling partition with eight carved panels above and below in the entire five rooms. The wood is of high quality and the carving is first-rate.
This is an extremely elegant thing, and it creates a gorgeous style for this hall.
Together with two pots of the Queen Mother's peach trees, place them on both sides of the door...
Drink! This is called grandeur!
Even Ning Weimin felt that it was a bit like the Summer Palace.
"Uncle Kang, what was such a big house used for? Who lived here in the past?"
After putting away his things, Luo Guangliang looked at such a big house, the more novel it became, and he couldn't help but ask Kang Shude.
"This is not a place for people to live, it is an entertainment venue."
Kang Shude said very patiently, "This was originally a billiards hall. The original owner's family liked to play billiards and put several billiard tables here. You see, the three rooms with wooden floors are all for billiards.
A place for the table.”
Kang Shude said, "There are also rooms on both sides, with floors paved with diamond-shaped tiles, which have different functions. One side is used for eating and drinking, and the other side is used for resting and entertaining guests. A corner of the reception area
There are also bookcases and writing desks for reading, painting, and writing.”
"Oh my god!" After hearing a few words, Xiao Tao, who had experienced the life of a rich man for the first time, couldn't help but exclaimed, "Isn't the life of the rich so comfortable? How can he still live like this! In comparison, the road
The pool table next to it is too rustic.”
Luo Guangliang also felt that it was beyond imagination and nodded in agreement. "Yes, when I watched movies in the past, I thought that landlords and rich people just eat stewed chicken every day and have more houses at home. Now when I look at this, I realize that my thinking is too simple.
.Isn’t this the same as living in a park? If you eat, drink and have fun like this every day, why do you have to go out? You can get everything you want here, it’s not like a fairy life.”
But even so, they couldn't get a full picture.
Because Kang Shude then said, "This is nothing. There can also be dancing and cocktail parties here. You see, those living glass partitions can move. The moving position depends on the number of visitors.
.And these rooms have ground dragons in the winter, so it’s not cold at all.”
Then he added, "What you see now are just houses on the mountain. There is a larger open space at the bottom of the mountain. In the past winter, we could pour water and freeze the ice to create an ice rink. Then we would pull out the wires and install lights, and put them there at night."
Playing a gramophone and skating under the moonlight and stars, that’s what beauty is.”
Well, the scene described in these few words completely shocked the two poor boys.
No matter it was Luo Guangliang or Xiao Tao, their eyes were filled with fascination and they were speechless.