A few months ago, the "Bringing Novels to the People" series of activities sponsored by the "Selected Novels" magazine came to Xinghua Village in Fenyang, Shanxi. Famous writers and critics Liu Xinglong, Wang Yuewen, Su Su, Wang Shan, Wang Qian, Du Xuewen, Huang Yuehua, Wang Guoping, Mimi Qiyue, Yang Yao, Li Changpeng, Jiang Shu, Chen Peixiang, Li Xiaochen, etc. participated in the interview. Fenjiu Group's creative base for "Selected Novels" magazine was established. A delegation from the Fenjiu Group visited Fenjiu Group, cooked wine, discussed poetry, talked about the fragrance, and produced masterpieces one after another! Today, some of the articles are selected and published one after another for the enjoyment of all readers.
This article: "To create the fragrance of flowers..."
September is the time of falling mulberry trees. It is said that this is the best time to make wine. But the various flowers, grasses, and crops in Xinghua Village are still full of vitality, and they don't look like they are about to "fall" at all. After all, it is autumn in the north. In the evening, there is already a slight coolness here. The woman from Fujian, a southern country, was demonstrating the tea ceremony. She was silent, dignified and tranquil. Several tables, spoons, pots, cups, tea, and water were placed in place one by one, like a carved flower array. When the first tea came out, she raised the lid of the tea bowl and told everyone that it had the fragrance of Sophora japonica. However, the woman did not let people taste the scent of the tea. Instead, she poured out all the tea soup. She said, in the eyes of us tea people, this first cup of tea is to worship the land. The second tea was brewed. The aged Tieguanyin stretched slightly in the pot, and the tea soup showed a strange "yellow" - not a tacky golden yellow, not a bluish egg yolk, nor a careless light yellow. . It was an indescribable yellow. The woman said slowly, this is the color of the sun! There seemed to be some kind of pride hidden in her eyebrows, and it was the luster of the sun that illuminated her. The sun projects itself onto the human world from the high sky. Even if it is shrouded in darkness, it still shines with a different light. What kind of spiritual wisdom can you feel the poetry and nobility of this color? The third tea came out. Someone timidly asked, what does this smell like? The woman said, it is the smell of time! How does time grow in this aged tea and prove its existence in this way? What kind of spiritual wisdom can we feel how time ruthlessly leaves us, but it stays so affectionately, allowing people with a wise heart to appreciate her warmth?
In the Fenhe River Valley, among the endless green, there is an ancient tomb from the Jin Dynasty. When people discovered it, they also discovered the murals within it. On the murals of the ancient tomb soaked by eight hundred years of time, it is still clearly written: the smell of tea and wine, the fragrance of cooking. I don’t know how people in the Jin Dynasty used to drink alcohol. But in their view, the kitchen, which we regard as filling our hungry stomachs, means gathering "fragrance". This "fragrance" is the color of the sun and the taste of time reflected in tea and wine. This kind of "fragrance" can only be felt by very few people today. For example, she.
About 6,000 years ago, busy people lived in this basin formed by the impact of the Fen River. They farmed here and used loess to make various pottery. Compared with those people who are still nomadic in the mountains, time here seems to go much faster. Many years later, people accidentally discovered many utensils used by their ancestors in a land called Xinghua Village - urns with small mouths and pointed bottoms, as well as urns with large mouths, steamers, pots, pots, bottles, cans and cups, etc. We can simply call them earthenware vessels. Archaeologists named them "Xinghua Village Culture". It is difficult for us to explain how people at that time created these "containers" and how they brewed the fruits harvested from the land, including grains, into a fermented beverage - let's call it "wine". However, we can still judge that these containers can be used to soak wine materials, steam the grains used in wine making, and ferment the fruits of life formed on the land. All of this is inseparable from the land. Without land, people would have no place to put their souls; without land, people would not be able to harvest fruits. Of course, if there was no land, people would not be able to burn those vessels, and it would be impossible for humans to leave the river and go deep into the vast land. Land is the mother of mankind and the reservoir that breeds civilization. The fruits and grains used to make wine all grow on this generous land. Those wine-making utensils are all made from the silent loess of this earth. Wine, in this brewing process, poetically displays the essence of what nature has given to human beings, and gives it a sacred meaning.
When wine was first created by people, it was not used to satisfy hunger and pleasure. In ancient times, such creations must have been "high-end technology" that was difficult to popularize. It embodies all the essence of nature - not only fruits, but also water and sunshine, as well as temperature and humidity, time and soil, as well as human nature and piety. When all these things in nature are integrated and fermented, it becomes wine. Therefore, wine has become a kind of observation and concentration of natural essence. When people maintain respect for nature, wine will also have divinity. Although we can't rule it out yet, wine was originally meant for people to drink. However, there is no doubt that the original wine was used for sacrifice and blessing. The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs. Sacrifice requires various sacrifices, such as animal sacrifices, food and fruits. These things may be replaced. But the only thing that is indispensable is wine.
Not all days are good for brewing.
When secular industrial production had not yet taken shape, the sacredness of wine always existed. "Book of Rites: Yue Ling" says, "In the middle of the third month of winter, the chief is ordered to have the rice seedlings grow, the tillers must be in season, the fire must be clean, the water springs must be fragrant, the pottery must be good, the fire must be available, and the six things must be used. , The great chief supervises it, and there is no difference in credit.” It can be seen how much the ancients paid attention to wine making. Not only do they have strict requirements on utensils and raw materials, but there can also be no mistakes in time and season. It is said that koji cannot be made in midsummer because the temperature at this time is too hot and the koji is prone to sourness. Such wine cannot be called wine. In autumn, when the mulberry leaves fall, the time sequence changes and the solar terms get colder, so people start brewing wine again.
It seems that wine is not a product of arbitrary actions. Wine making must keep pace with the changes in nature. To this day, Xinghua Village still retains the custom of starting wine making during the mulberry season between the ninth and tenth lunar calendar. "Shui Jing Zhu·He Shui Zhu" records the story of Liu Bai, a native of Hedong, who made wine in Luoyang, the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Among them, there is a saying that "it is arranged at the time when the mulberry leaves fall, so it gets its name". Jia Sixie believes that "the mulberries fall in October and the first freeze collects water, so the brewer is the best." These descriptions by predecessors are not random, but are in fact classic explanations of the relationship between natural timing and wine. The wine brewed at this moment is full of orchids and musk deer, and is naturally pleasant. At that time, Mr. Yang Deling of Yiquanyong Winery in Xinghua Village summarized the brewing method of Fenjiu in seven sentences. He said that people must get their essence, water must get its sweetness, music must get its time, sorghum must get its substance, utensils must get its purity, jars must get their moisture, and fire must get its slowness. It emphasizes the close agreement between wine and nature, and winemaking must be combined with natural characteristics. Making koji requires "getting it at the right time", and the best koji can be made at the most appropriate time. There is an old proverb: "Water is the blood of wine." Famous wines must have good springs. In terms of water used for wine making, the water in Xinghua Village is extremely unique. The ancient well next to Shenming Pavilion is particularly praised. This well water is not just any water, it is underground spring water from Zixia Mountain at the back of the village. Zixia was a direct disciple of Confucius and an important lineage of Confucianism. In his later years, he gave lectures in Xihe. This Xihe was Fenyang at that time. Fenyang was called Xihe in ancient times. The place where Zixia lectures is called Zixia Mountain, which belongs to the Luliang lineage. It is covered with forests and lush vegetation, which can fully penetrate seasonal rainwater into the loess, and then change the water through the action of underground minerals. When they flow out from Zixia Mountain, they are no longer ordinary water, but sweet springs "that taste like sweet wine" and are suitable for wine making. There is a local "Fenjiu Qu" praising this water, saying, "The divine product is really made into Jiuzangjiang, and it actually moved to Fengliang. A newly dug well beside Shenming Pavilion, the water is slightly heavier than crab roe." That is to say, use the same method to get other places. If you use water from elsewhere, you will never be able to make the same quality wine. The water from Shenmingting flowing out of Zixia Mountain is even better than the "crab roe" wine made by Qinzhou Xue Niang that people praise. Only this kind of water can brew wine that can be called "divine" wine.
Wine-making is also very particular about the selection of people. People must get their talents, and it doesn't just mean to use those who are smart and capable. Although they are not excluded, the emphasis here is on the "best" among people, those who have good character, are virtuous in nature and are skilled in brewing technology. For example, sorghum must be obtained, in fact, it does not only refer to the fruit of sorghum, it must be a full "fruit" that has fully grown and collected the essence of sunlight, rain, dew and nutrients from nature. Man is also a part of nature and a fruit of nature. Brewers must also be those who respect nature, strictly abide by the rules, avoid falsehood, and do their best. Otherwise, you won’t be able to make good wine by substituting inferior quality and making things out of order. For example, Yang Deling adheres to the creed of "never use inferior goods to deceive the world and steal the reputation." Yang Deling called himself the winemaker "Jiu Xiang Weng", and later generations also called him "Jiu Xiang Weng". Wine, if it is difficult to release its natural aroma, is not considered wine. The reason why Fenjiu has always maintained good quality is inseparable from the fact that it fully embodies the relationship between wine, people and nature. Winemaking is not just a technology, it is also human nature. The combination of human nature and nature sublimates into God, giving wine a divine meaning. And this meaning reflects and reflects the character of nature. Therefore, for thousands of years, people have always used the fruits of nature to describe the quality of wine, and considered drinking in nature as the most aesthetic state. The "Dadong" in "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya" writes, "There is a Big Dipper, so you can't drink wine." I really admire the imagination of the ancients. Such poems not only express the freedom of spiritual state that drinking brings to people, but also reflect people's respect for nature, unifying wine and heaven-nature very vividly. Sikong Tu of the Tang Dynasty wrote in his poem "Apricot Blossoms in My Hometown", "Send flowers and wine to celebrate the new blooms. Hold the flower branch on the left and the cup on the right. I want to ask, how can the flower branch and the cup of wine be different from old friends?" In Sikong Tu's poem, In my heart, drinking and holding flowers are the ultimate state of life. Flowers and wine together constitute a kind of scenery and an emotional sustenance. In such poems, nature, people, and wine are unified into an affectionate spring scene. The famous Bai Juyi sang with sadness in his "Wine Sending Off Guests in the South Hall": "The peaches have fallen, and the red ivy flowers are still fragrant. Slowly, the three months are over, and the evening orioles are heard in the city. Holding a glass of wine alone, the South Pavilion Farewell to the end of spring. "In late spring, facing the falling peach blossoms, I send friends off with wine and feel sad about farewell. Wine and flowers become symbols of the poet's melancholy.
When did Xinghua Village begin to have apricot flowers? It has probably become a historical mystery. Some people say it originated in the Han Dynasty, while others say that at least in the Tang Dynasty, apricot flowers were planted all over this area for the purpose of making wine. At that time, wine making was flourishing in Fenzhou area.
Especially Fenqing, as well as the related brewing of lamb wine, almond milk, etc., requires a large amount of almonds. Therefore, there are many apricot trees around Xinghua Village. "Beishan Wine Classic" records that "almond koji, one hundred pounds per side will make twelve taels of almonds." It can be seen that making wine requires a lot of almonds. It is precisely because of this that apricot flowers bloom everywhere in Xinghua Village, and the fragrance of the flowers is overwhelming. Many poets in the Tang Dynasty mentioned Xinghua Village in their poems, the most famous of which is Du Mu's "Qingming": "It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival, and passersby on the road want to die. May I ask where the restaurant is? The shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village. "Apricot blossom has become the image of wine in the writings of many poets. It can be said that apricot blossoms are like wine. Jia Dao wrote in his poem, "After the rain, the trees are nourished, and the wind can't lift the dust... It can give you long bends, and you can enjoy the apricot blossoms in the spring." Another example is Zhu Yizun's poem, "When the sun rises, the apricot blossoms are all over the building, and the wine is in the canopy." It tastes bitter and mulberry-like." Wine is no longer a "drink" but an emotion, a symbol of the God of Nature.
Fu Shan, a thinker in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, once stayed in Xinghua Village. Today, it is difficult for us to explain clearly what he encountered, what he thought, and what he thought in this drunken and flowery Xinghua Village. But what is certain is that Fu Shan must have tasted the apricot blossom Fenqing for thousands of years. He wrote the four words "De Zao Hua Xiang" on the ancient well next to Shenming Pavilion. Although people are accustomed to saying this inscription is "De Zao Hua Xiang", some people think that it should be read "Xiang Hua De". However, no matter how you recite it, it cannot change its meaning. Fu Shan seems to be saying that this pure Fenqing has the same character as the fragrance of flowers. Only when the spring water in Zixia Mountain gathers in ancient wells can people brew Fenqing, which is as pure as flowers, has an astonishing flavor and refreshes the heart, and can restore people's natural character. Floral aroma is the highest state of wine. Fenjiu is the essence of nature that creates the fragrance of flowers.
If we say that more than 6,000 years ago, our ancestors were already able to make wine. Then, Fenqing, which is at least 1,500 years old, is the history and life of wine. Fenqing is not only an elf created by man in nature, but also the person who created this elf - the embodiment of a national spirit. It was not until hundreds of years later that this spirit was once again typically displayed. When people finally knew that tea was nature's gift to mankind, they gave the green leaves a more vivid soul of nature. Although this leaf is soft and thin, it has a gradually rising charm. As long as people come into contact with her and use her, they cannot do without her and are changed by her delicate charm. It is said that when tea leaves traveled across the ocean and arrived in foreign lands, they were immediately loved by people who had never drank tea before and improved their character. Tea, this mysterious thing born in the inland of the East, has entered the lives of people in foreign lands like conquering a city. What makes her so soft yet powerful? Maybe it's some practical function of her nature. But I think it is the kind of care and nostalgia she has for nature. She is a kind of plant in itself, with the fragrance, taste and character of flowers. In fact, she is also proving that the reason why seemingly stronger and more powerful existences such as wine are loved by people is because of their respect for nature. The smell of tea and wine, the fragrance of kitchen products. They are the fruits of nature. So, what is the soul of wine? It's not a gathering of relatives and friends, four people making a lot of noise; it's not a banquet with a cloud of attendants; it's not a singing song with red sleeves and soft jade hands warming; it's not a harsh and strict government that shocks everyone's attention. Wine is blended in the wind and sang to the moon. Wine absorbs the essence of nature to appear holy, is compatible with nature, and releases emotions. It is the mystery and generosity of nature that creates wine and gives it divinity; and because it faces nature, wine shows abundant charm, making people forget about nature and indulge in it in the world. Respect for nature, which nurtures all things, is the soul of wine.
Introduction to the author
Du Xuewen, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of Shanxi Provincial Writers Association, member of the 9th National Committee of the Chinese Writers Association, former deputy director of the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Party Committee of Shanxi Province, and a famous literary critic.