Our country's lunar calendar has the term "Nine-nine", which is used to calculate seasons. The calculation method is to count from the winter solstice in winter, and the first nine days are called "One Nine". The second nine days is called "Two Nine", and so on, until "Nine Nine". That is the ninth nine days, when winter is over and spring has arrived.
It is a custom in old Beijing to draw the "Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine-Water-Resisting-Cold-Resisting Pictures" from the winter solstice onwards. This custom has been recorded in the works of the Ming Dynasty. This picture is a plum blossom picture, with a branch of plum blossom drawn. There are 81 flower patterns on it (representing ninety-nine and eighty-one days). Every day I dye a pattern with a pen. After these 8 days, all 81 flower arrangements have been dyed. Spring has arrived, so it is called "Nine-Nine Cold Relief Picture". Moreover, in Beijing during the Ming Dynasty, there were also engraved "Nine-Nine Cold-repelling Pictures" for sale in the market, which was even more trouble-free, and there was also "Nine-Nine Songs" next to this picture.
This "Nine-Nine Songs" is based on people's feeling of cold and phenological phenomena (that is, changes in animals and plants caused by changes in weather and temperature, such as willow trees sprouting, peach trees blooming, and wild geese flying in). etc., are all related to the temperature at that time, and these are not necessarily related to the month and day) to reflect the coldness and warmth of the weather. The "Nine-Nine Song" popular in Beijing when the author was a child goes like this: "In 1929, don't take action; in 3949, walk on the ice; in 5969, look at the willows along the river; in 79th, the river opens, in 89th The geese come; nine-nine plus one-nine, the cattle are everywhere." It has a popular rhyme, which is catchy to read and easy to remember.
This is the theory of "nine-nine". It existed as early as the Northern and Southern Dynasties. At that time, people counted from the winter solstice to ninety-nine and eighty-one days, and the cold days were over. And this (Jiujiu Song) probably originated in the Song Dynasty. It was already very popular in the Ming Dynasty. When "Nine Nine Songs" became popular among the people, there were different versions with different contents and details. It is very interesting to look at the different versions of "Nine Nine Songs" in the Ming Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty's "Wuzazu" recorded a saying in "Nine-Nine Songs" at that time: "One thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine, no action will be taken when we meet; three-nine twenty-seven. The fence blows (referring to the strong wind) The fence makes a loud noise. This zhen is the name of the musical instrument of the ancient northern minority. Forty-five, the sun opens the door; sixty-nine, fifty-four, the poor strive for morale; seventy-nine, sixty-three, Buna carries the burden (it means taking off clothes when the weather is hot); eighty-nine, seventy-two, the cat The dog searches for the dark ground; the plows and rakes come out together at ninety-nine and eighty-one. According to the book, it was popular in Beigu Gongni District at that time (Ming Dynasty), but "Nine-Nine Songs" was far less popular. It’s so complicated, but it’s very simple and clear: “In 1929, we met without making a move; in 3949, we drank around the fire; in 5969, we visited relatives and friends; in 7989, we watched the willows along the river. "It is easy to remember.
The "Nine-Nine Songs" recorded in "The Scenery of the Imperial Capital", which is a special record of Beijing scenery in the Ming Dynasty, are different from the above: "In 1929, I couldn't call you. ; Three-nine-twenty-seven, the fence is blown; Four-nine-thirty-six, sleeping at night is like sleeping in the open; Five-nine-forty-five, every house piles up salt tigers (salt tiger originally refers to a kind of tiger-shaped salt in ancient times. This is a metaphor for people The snowman he made); Sixty-nine fifty-four, the heater comes out of the mouth; Seventy-nine sixty-three, the pedestrian puts on the clothes; Eighty-nine seventy-two, the cat and dog seek the shade; Nine-nine and eighty-one, the poor man has suffered all his suffering, When I sleep with my legs stretched out, mosquitoes and fleas come out. "These last few sentences give great sympathy to the poor people who are frozen in winter. These two complex versions of "Nine-Nine Songs" have similarities and differences with each other. The most noteworthy one is "Five Nine Forty-Five", the former statement It means "opening the door for the sun"; the latter is "every family piles up salt tigers". This may reflect the great difference in snowfall during the period when the two "Jiujiu Songs" were produced.
The above-mentioned simple version of "Nine-Nine Songs" popular in Beijing during the Ming Dynasty says: "In seven-nine and eight-nine, look at the willows along the river. "The song "Nine-Nine Songs" written in the last century all became "Nine-Nine and Six-Nine, watching the willows along the river." "This change cannot be ignored. It reflects that the weather in Beijing during the Ming Dynasty was colder than that in Beijing in the last century, so that according to the phenological phenomenon, it took a while for willow trees to sprout and grow leaves.
Winter "Nine-Nine Songs" is very popular, because the cold weather makes people feel very uncomfortable. In fact, there are also "Nine-Nine Songs" in summer, but summer is not like winter. There is no need to draw a "Nine-Nine Cooling Picture" in summer. Nine corresponds to winter. Counting from the summer solstice, there are ninety-nine and eighty-one days. According to the Ming Dynasty's "Wuzazu", it is recorded as follows: "One thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine, the fan never leaves the hand; three-nine twenty-seven, the ice water is as sweet as Honey (in ancient times, there were ice cellars, which stored ice in winter and took it out for use in summer); Four Nine Thirty Six. Sweating like taking a bath; 5945, it is difficult to wear autumn leaves to dance; 6954, enjoying the shade in a Buddhist temple; 7963, looking for sheets by the bedside; 8972, thinking about covering up with quilt; 9 Nine and eighty-one, the sound of promoting weaving in front of the steps (promoting weaving refers to crickets). "This summer's "Nine Nine Songs" is very lively and interesting, and it is mainly based on people's subjective feelings.
The above-mentioned winter and summer (Nine-Nine Songs) reflect people’s understanding and concern about climate change in the old Beijing area