1
Jinzhai is a small town in the south of Xunyang, about 3 kilometers away from the county seat.
The so-called Jiuzhai is Hongyan Village, Shijiazhai Village, Wujiazhai Village, Jinling Village, Wuhu Village, Taiping Village, Qinglong Village, Thrushcross Village and Sihe Village. Among the nine well-known cottages, the largest one is Hongyan Village, which ranks first among the nine cottages. It is a majestic village, and the towering Lingxiao Rock turns into a pearl red. Fiona Fang is ten miles away, the rock is high in Wan Ren, and it is surrounded by cliffs. It is shaped like a bell and resembles a seal. It stands like an isolated island at the mouth of Kucaigou, surrounded by an unfathomable pool. Above Kucaigoukou, there is a village called Liujiahe.
It is said that on the first day of the last county magistrate's appointment, a villager from Liujiahe came to complain. The magistrate asked where the newcomer was from. The accuser said that the grass people came from Liujiahe. The magistrate was surprised to hear that I was new here and knew that there were many rivers here, such as Dajinhe, Xiaojinhe, Shenhe, Luhe, Pingding River, Guihua River, Xiaohe River, Xunhe and so on. Although I dare not say that I know all the rivers in China like the back of my hand, I can also say that I know the Liujiahe! Tell me, how big is the water in Liujiahe, and where does it eventually flow? The accuser said that the water in Liujia River was neither too big nor too small, and finally it flowed into Kucaigou. The magistrate felt even more magical when he heard it. Only the water in the ditch flows into the river, how can the water in the river flow into the ditch? Then I asked, where did the water in the bitter vegetable ditch go? The wrongdoer said that the water from Kucaigou had flowed to Hongyan Village. When the magistrate heard this, he flew into a rage, saying that the right people were simply lawless and dared to tease the official and pull down the important forty boards! Although the wrongdoer has suffered a lot, he still wants to find out the matter. The magistrate said, where have you seen the water in the river flow into the ditch and the water in the ditch go to the village? This is not teasing the official. What is it? Those who express their grievances shout injustice and say that you can go to the field to see if you don't believe it. These place names are like this!
After this unjust case, Hongyan Village gained a great reputation, and everyone in Fiona Fang knows it. Now the temple on the village is the top, and the cypress shadow is soaring; On holidays, or the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, there are cigarettes and bells ringing, and two verdant cypresses are covered with silks and satins; Under the village, there are colorful lights and deep pools of rocks; Surrounded by three peaks and two dragons, there is only one winding path to the top of the mountain, and below it is an unfathomable pool.
2
There are many caves in Jinzhai, and there are 18 caves of all sizes. Each cave has its own unique characteristics, and each cave has a magical legend.
among these caves, Shenxian Cave is the most magical. One legend is that there was a yellow dragon and a black dragon fighting here. The two sides fought for 7749 days, and it was a tie. At last, they each squeezed a big hole in this mountain to practice, eyeing each other to restrain each other. Indeed, opposite Shenxian Cave, there is a big hole called "Huanglong Cave", from which a clear spring gurgles. Because the opposite mountain peaks are towering into the sky, and the four sides are like axes and knives, few people go in to have a look.
Shenxian Cave is set at the top of the Mid-Levels. The mouth of the cave is about one foot high and two feet wide. The cave is spacious and bright, and two trains can pass at the same time. There is a stone lion, about two meters high, doing a semi-squat shape, which is vivid with the sleeping lion. It is made up of stalactites gathered over the years. Above the lion, there is a stone dragon flying in the sky, with its faucet clinging to the rock wall, its tail caught in a crack in the stone, and it keeps spitting crystal water drops from its mouth, which just drops on the stone lion's head impartially. In the past, whenever there was a drought, people would come in droves to pray for rain, blowing suona, banging gongs and drums, and coming towards Shenxian Cave in a mighty way.
The water droplets from the dragon's mouth converge into a pool at the foot of the lion. The area of the pool is about ten feet square, and the depth is unknown. It is said that some people used several bamboo poles to connect together, but they did not find out how deep the pool was. Reach out and touch the pool, and a chill will instantly spread from your fingers to the nerve endings, and your skin will be covered with goose bumps instantly. Of course, this is the weather in June. In the middle of winter, the water will emit hot air, like a hot spring. On the left side of the pool, there is a stalactite stone more than 2 meters high, which looks like lotus flowers piled up one after another. In the middle of the pool, there is a single-plank bridge. Although it has a long history, it is still as strong as ever.
how long is Shenxian Cave? It is still a mystery, because there are many bifurcation holes in it, and no one has ever gone out. It is said that one end leads to Hubei, and there is also a saying that the end of the cave is Sichuan, but no one has ever verified it. The deeper you go, the more bifurcation holes there are; The deeper you go, the darker the hole becomes, and the huge torch or flashlight becomes more and more like a firefly. After each scenic spot is finished, there is a small hole at the end that can only be used by one person. You have to bend down, crawl forward, climb in and be suddenly enlightened. It also shows the wonders of nature and makes you feel glad you came.
3
In addition to the scenic Qiaotou Mountain, the Hongyan Village with abrupt peaks, and the fantastic Shenxian Cave, Jinzhai also has ten miles of fragrant lotus flowers and endless rice fields. Here, you can not only hear the legendary story of Zhou Lazy King cutting off Long Mai and digging off the hillock, but also watch the remains of Mao Daxian's cultivation here. You can enjoy the lotus flowers in summer and the red leaves in autumn. Of course, these may not have much temptation for you, but the food in Jinzhai can also be regarded as a must in southern Shaanxi.
In Jinzhai, whether you are strolling in a wide street or staying at a local family with a small bridge and flowing water, there is an open space in front of and behind every house, and the owner carves it carefully like embroidery in his spare time. They surround it with bamboo poles or wicker, plant several ridges of cabbage and order several nests of cucumbers; Plant a few beds of green onions and a week of ginger. Then plant a season of radish in July and August, and full of green and melons will be fragrant all year round. Occasionally, when a guest comes, the host will unhurriedly open the garden gate, carefully select the freshest vegetables and enjoy the gift of nature.
After the garden was cleaned up, the hardworking Jinzhai people worked hard in the fields. Spring has just arrived, and the earth has not yet recovered. People buckle the eggshells on the branches of Toona sinensis in the mountains and plains, so that the spring buds grow in the eggshells. When the eggshells are filled, people pick them and fry them with eggs. They are delicious and nutritious, and they are rare and excellent dishes. When the spring buds grow up slowly, people will pick them in bundles, cook them in boiling water, dry them in the sun, and stir them with smoked bacon, which is even more delicious! They are all Toona sinensis buds, and the picking time is different, and the method is different, so the taste is very different.
Bamboo shoots are the most familiar. After a spring rain, women and children sneaked into the bamboo garden in droves, frantically picked these fresh bamboo shoots home, peeled off their shells, cooked them in a pot, and then soaked them in water to enjoy them slowly. After being tired of eating it again and again, people think about how to change the pattern: some of them put it in a closed container and soak it in salt water and pepper, put pepper on it, and store it until next spring, and it tastes no different from fresh ones; Some also sun-dried bamboo shoots. After the pig was killed in 28, they were stewed in cook the meat oil pan for half an hour, cut some spicy shreds, chopped some Jiang Mo, put a few cloves of garlic, and stir-fried with sliced meat, which made it even more delicious.
the best thing is rainy days! People who have been busy for many days are as happy as children when they meet the New Year. Tell his wife to fry some delicious side dishes and simmer a pot of old wine. Call on your neighbors, call on your friends, and talk about it all over the world to relax your nervous endings. When I am happy, I will bang the table and shout a few wild folk songs.
You have to drink wine, and people here are also very particular about drinking. They plant a few acres of sugarcane every spring, and in autumn, they chop the sugarcane, mix it with soil starter and ferment it in the cellar for half a month. Wait until the fermentation is finished, then put it in a wine retort for distillation. The wine should be packed hard and the fire should be burned beautifully. When the first cup of wine slowly flows out of the distillate, the host will respectfully fill the cup and sprinkle it into the air, which is a sacrifice to heaven and pray for good weather. Then pick up another cup and sprinkle it on the earth devoutly, which is regarded as a sacrifice to pray for a bumper harvest of the earth; The third cup of wine poured into the stove chamber is to worship the kitchen god and pray for him to speak well in heaven and keep peace on the ground. After everything is finished, the host can enjoy it.
Strong wine will happily call a bunch of friends to share together; The wine was weak and not discouraged, so he distilled it again until he was satisfied. Every time there is a war in the wine field, there is a set of rules: first drink six wine cups, then meet each other, then make a guess, and when you are in high spirits, you have to "clear the customs" and "release your horse" and finally have a full house reunion. Once someone is coy, they will be attacked by others, not drunk, not drunk!
the "eight big pieces" are the highest specifications. The so-called "eight big pieces" are eight cool and eight hot, eight meat and eight vegetarian dishes, plus four soup pots. Among the eight hot dishes, chicken, mutton, fish and rice are essential. Name it Ji (chicken) Xiang (sheep) Ru (fish) Yi (rice). Weddings and funerals, wedding banquets and the presence of distinguished guests are essential. If you come across such hospitality specifications in Jinzhai, you should cherish this friendship.
I sometimes think: The ancients often said that "an official is a thousand miles away, in order to eat and wear", which may be the best interpretation of food by Jinzhai people.
Sometimes I also think: There is no decent restaurant on the ten-mile long street in Jinzhai, which may be a true portrayal of the cooking skills of a clever woman in Jinzhai!
I think, what kind of artistic conception would it be to invite some friends to stew a pot of old wine and climb a yellow dog under the table in a farmhouse?
(About the author: Wu Youchen, a member of Shaanxi Writers' Association, published a novella collection "Loud Horn". )