This "overpass" is not the overpass of the past, it is just an ordinary bridge. It was only called the overpass because only the emperor was allowed to walk here.
The overpass in Beijing was built in the early Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, the overpass was called Zhengyang Bridge. Later, with the development of the economy, it slowly turned into a market.
In the early Ming Dynasty, people began to build overpasses for sightseeing. The scenery on both sides of the bridge is amazing and beautiful. Especially the lotus pond, boats and fish swimming under the bridge are the favorites of writers and poets.
Paradise is also a place where boys and girls go on dates. This kind of overpass reflects the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.
Later, with the demise of the Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty, no one took care of the overpass anymore. Gradually, the scenery beside the bridge became eclipsed and faded from its former glory. The lotus has dried, the fish have died, and the river has receded. What remains
A desolate and populated scene. Gradually, both sides of the overpass began to be filled with soil, and houses and restaurants were formed on both sides. This change also marked the change of the times. From then on, the overpass began to take on a different scenery.
It was not until the Qianlong period that the scene on both sides of the overpass became prosperous, with bustling crowds, shouting sounds, and children running happily, and it gradually developed into a bustling market.
Later, at the end of the Qing Dynasty, the overpass became closer to life and became more friendly. The number of small merchants and hawkers and houses gradually increased, and it transformed from a busy city into a market, highlighting the prosperous scene of the Qing Dynasty.
If you count on your fingers in history, the peak period must be the Republic of China, because the bridge underwent a major reform.
Due to the demise of the feudal dynasty, the vendors and houses on both sides of the original overpass underwent large-scale renovations. The requirement was to be more in line with the characteristics of the time. In particular, things that represented feudalism had to be demolished.
At the same time, schools, factories, dance halls and other buildings suitable for people's lives were added. The overpass can be said to have reached its peak, integrating markets, entertainment and tourism.
The development of overpass today is no longer as simple as a building, it has become a symbol of historical evolution.
Zhou Wenzhong and Ma Erbao didn't hear any cries, only large wooden boxes standing on the benches. The craftsmen hid behind the boxes with two puppets in their hands, attracting the children who were watching the excitement.
More slaps came from adults, hitting the child's buttocks one after another.
"You have to pay 2 cents to see the puppets? A movie ticket only costs 2 cents! Grandma will take you to the cinema later."
"Er Bao, what's going on with the long benches in some open spaces? Are they enclosed?"
"That's an owner's land. It's probably a swordsman. He was afraid of hurting people, so he surrounded a piece of land with benches."
"It's very hard for them. They have to bring stools from home."
"What! This is a bench I borrowed from someone. Look over there."
Zhou Wenzhong looked in the direction Ma Erbao pointed and saw broken tables and benches piled up to a height of more than 3 meters.
"This is the street office's way. Isn't it busy these two days? Let the craftsmen who set up the stalls use it as they please. Anyway, these tables and chairs are not theirs. They will be given to those who have made meritorious service after coming off the battlefield."
"Oh, I don't think there are many people here. Where are the monkey tricks?"
"We came too early today, and the stalls haven't opened yet. When I came here yesterday afternoon, there were more than 30 stalls."
"Then I won't go shopping. We have been together at work for so long, and I have nothing to give you. It just so happens that I haven't finished my coal book yet, and I haven't bothered to collect this month's coal supply. Let's go on.
Okay, I’ll give you 20 kilograms of coal, but you have to pay for it yourself.”
"I...I don't even know what to say. Brother Zhong, look at this..."
"Okay, let's go, let's go."
"This thing about you...look...I won't go to dinner tomorrow. I don't have the nerve to go."
"We brothers won't talk about this, let's just walk around..."
Zhou Wenzhong put his hand on Ma Erbao's shoulder, and the two of them walked for 25 minutes before arriving at the Dongcheng District Coal Purchasing Station.
"It's such a big...yard, dear. It must have 10 acres of land, right?"
"Brother Zhong, please stop lamenting. Those piles of coal are coking coal, and the coal mountains to the west are made of carbon. They are all used in factories and restaurants. They are not the same thing as the coal cakes and briquettes we want to buy.
"
"Can I not tell the difference?"
The two of them turned around and walked out of the coal station and came to a shop facing the street. There were coal stoves and sections of tin chimney pipes in the house. There were also fired furnaces piled in the corners, arranged according to size and model.
Arranged neatly.
If you want to build a stove at home these days, you need to communicate with the master in advance whether it will be used for burning coal, firewood, or charcoal? Then follow the dimensions given by the master and come to the coal station to buy a furnace of that size.
"Comrade, let me apply for a coal purchase permit."
"Where's the household registration book?"
"Give."
A staff member in his 30s blew his nose on the ground twice, spit out the cinders in his mouth, and looked through his household registration book.
"It's quite new."
"Well, the street office only changed it."
"Click..."
"Okay, keep your coal purchase certificate. If you lose it, you need a letter of introduction to get a new one."
"I haven't bought my 20 kilograms of coal quota this month."
"We sent the coal to Nanluogu Lane a long time ago. You didn't want it at that time. Who can you blame? Now you want to come to me."
"Comrade, you have misunderstood. We will move it ourselves."
"If I had said so earlier, it would have been over."
The staff member opened the coal purchase book and wrote the word "received" with a pen. He also made a slash in the date column.
"How much coal should I buy?"
Ma Erbao came over and replied: "Wait a minute."
"Stab it..."
"Take my note and go to the station to buy it."
"thank you."
The staff member waved his hand, blew his nose again, wiped it on his legs, picked up the enamel basin and rinsed his mouth.
"That's it, I'm going home first. We'll meet directly in the hotel tomorrow. Remember to drag Zhang Xiufang over to me. Your brother is also leaving on the fourth day of the junior high school, so let him come and get together tomorrow."
"Stop it! It's already shameless for me to eat by myself. If I take my brother there again, wouldn't it be nonsense? Brother Zhong, please watch your steps."
"Haha~"
Along the way, I walked to the [Jiaodaokou Subdistrict Office] and looked for Director Wang from the desks of more than 10 staff members.
"The leader is tired, I want to ask you, is Director Wang here? Continue on."
Zhou Wenzhong handed a large door to the front door, pulled out a stool and sat down.
The staff member took the cigarette and smelled it, opened the drawer and threw it in. He turned his head and asked loudly: "Where is Lao Wang?"
"have no idea."
"I guess I went to the countryside to pick up someone."
"On what date are you going to pick someone up today? You went to Dashilar to deal with a couple fighting. You may not be able to make it back in the afternoon."
The staff member looked at Zhou Wenzhong and said, "You all heard it, right?"
"Yeah. It seems that my trip today was in vain."
"What do you want from Lao Wang? Tell me."
"Leader, let me tell you this. There are some things that I have to slap in the face before I speak."
"Snapped…"
Zhou Wenzhong raised his left hand and patted his cheek gently.
"Don't do this. If you have something to do, just talk about it. That's not the way to go now."
"Hey, boss, if you ask me to talk, I will tell you to mention someone. Zhou Deming, do you know? He is the one in No. 95 Siheyuan who had a family separation a few days ago."
"Ah! I know, I know. This matter has been widely spread."
"My name is Zhou Wenzhong. Do you need to say the rest? Come on, click on it."
Zhou Wenzhong took out a match, lit a cigarette for him, and sat back on the stool himself.
"Huh...what did your hospital liaison officer say?"
"I've tried all the tricks I should think of. It's useless! Leader, can you tell me where Director Wang lives? Even if it doesn't solve my problem, you can just give me a place to cry!"
The staff member glanced at Zhou Wenzhong sideways, as if he had seen through you.
"Looking at your age, you are here to go to the countryside, right?"
"Look! Leader, you have wronged me."
Zhou Wenzhong quickly took out his household registration book from his pocket, turned it over and pointed at the ethnic column.
"If I want to cause trouble, why don't I just go to Ma Imam and settle the matter? I asked the ethnic association to help me. I just don't want to make this matter a big deal. Otherwise, we will lose the face of our entire street. I have to
Taking into account the face of all leaders. Do you think this is true?"
The staff member took a deep breath from the cigarette, pursed his lips and asked, "Do you know the story of Wu Song's fight against the tiger?"
"Hey, I must have heard it."
"Do you know what day and month Wu Song killed the tiger?"
"Hey, I'm all ears. No wonder you can be a leader. I will definitely gain more knowledge by following you."
"Remember clearly, Wu Song killed the tiger on February 7th."
"Really? Then I have to go home and look through the books and check it out. You are busy, leader, so I will go home first."
"Go ahead."
Zhou Wenzhong stood up, put away his stool, and nodded to the staff.
"Your cigarette!"
"I picked it up from under your table. I don't know who left it. I handed it over to my father-in-law and left."
The staff quickly put most of the pack of cigarettes on the table in the drawer.
"This staff member has quite a bad taste. Is it because he cannot reveal Director Wang's home address?"
After Zhou Wenzhong finished singing 5 songs, he finally reached the door of No. 27 Jingyang Hutong, held the iron ring on the door and smashed the door.
"Boom! Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
"Here we come."
Hearing the sound, it was about 20 meters tall, and a newspaper appeared in Zhou Wenzhong's hand, with 6 pure white steamed buns wrapped inside.
A woman in her 30s opened the door and asked, "Comrade, who are you looking for?"
"Hello, is this Mr. Wang's house?"
"What do you want to see him for? He's not at home right now. He went to work and hasn't come back yet. Leave a message and I'll tell him when he comes back."
Zhou Wenzhong looked back from where the woman was. There were three rooms in this small courtyard. The yard was about 20 square meters, and there were children's clothes hanging on the clothes rack.
"Then I won't trouble you. I'm here to thank Director Wang. I'm blessed to have met leading cadres who do practical things for the people. I'm a stupid person and don't know what to say. I'm a member of the family.
I asked you to bring some steamed buns. You must accept them."
Zhou Wenzhong handed over the newspaper bag, and the middle-aged woman quickly pushed it over.
"It can't be accepted or accepted. This is his job in itself, and his achievements should be deserved."
"Look, we have to say that we are the family members of cadres. This is a very high level of awareness! I also said the same thing at home, saying that Mr. Wang does not accept gifts. But my mother only said a few steamed buns. Can this be considered a gift? It has to be.
I'll bring it to you. You see, it's such a cold day that I brought everything. If you ask me to take it back, my mother will complain. She says that I don't know how to do things, and I won't be able to pay the job when I get home. You
But you can’t let me get scolded. You must accept it, this is my mission.”
Zhou Wenzhong opened a corner of the newspaper, revealing the fat and white shadow inside, and pushed it over.
The middle-aged woman took a look and pushed her over again.
"No, my wife's workplace has regulations and we really can't accept it."
"Look, you still treat me like an outsider! Have I begged Director Wang to do something? Tell me yourself, since you opened the door, have I begged Director Wang to do something? No?"
The middle-aged woman nodded.
"Isn't this the end? I'm not asking for anything at all, so is this a gift? Think about it again, today is the 27th of the lunar calendar, which is also the end of the year. But if you look all over the capital, there are a lot of people.
Is it a habit to go to other people’s homes empty-handed during the Chinese New Year?”
"Little comrade, if you say that, I have nothing to say. But you just said that you want me to treat you as one of my own. How can one of your own bring gifts home? Are you right? You really can't accept it.
You take it back."
"This is what you said yourself, saying that I am your own family member. Since I am your own family member, these steamed buns are what I bring for the children. Is it okay to give them to the children? If you refuse again, then I will
He is no longer human inside and out."
"Little comrade, you..."
"Look, it's Chinese New Year and you're going to scold me for not being human inside and out? You can't do that, accept it."
Seeing that Mr. Wang's wife could no longer find any reason to refuse, Zhou Wenzhong quickly put the newspaper bag into her hand.
"Then let's put it this way. If you continue to give in to me and refuse like this, you will inevitably be misunderstood by the neighbors passing by. I won't bother you, I won't bother you."
"You haven't said what the reason is yet."
Zhou Wenzhong slapped his forehead and replied: "Hey, I almost forgot about the separation. My name is Zhou Wenzhong. I live in the yard at No. 95 Nanluogu Lane. You just mentioned it casually, and Director Wang can think of it."
stand up."
"Okay, I'll tell him when he comes back. If you have something else to say, please come back before 8 o'clock tonight. He will have to take the train at night and go out of town to pick someone up."
"Look at how troublesome this is. I have to come over in the evening. There are some things that haven't been sorted out yet. I originally wanted to go to the street office to solve it tomorrow, but don't you think it's a coincidence! I deserve to be met when I go out today.
Sir, I will go back first, you are busy."
The middle-aged woman nodded, Zhou Wenzhong rubbed his hands that were already red from the cold, stamped his feet and returned home.