Let's say that from the dragon king temple in Liuwan Nantou Lane to the west, that is, a few houses, there is a wide earth gate on the north wall on the right hand, and there is a cow courtyard inside.

Further west, on the north wall is an arched doorway, without a door, and inside is a mill, with a large masonry disc on which is a box of round stone mills, tied to a long grinding rod.

People in the neighborhood and even the whole alley grind noodles here. The animal, usually the donkey, is put on two round black blindfolds, which are put on the grinding rod, and the reins are tied to the rod that is pulled from the grinding cover. Spoon grains such as wheat, corn or sorghum onto the mills.

When the donkey revolves around the mill, the grain will slowly flow through the holes in the mill cover between the mill cover and the grinding seat, and in the grinding and squeezing of the grinding cover and the grinding seat, it will flow to the grinding disc, and some will become flour, and some will not be ground. Put the flour that is not floured on the mill cover and continue grinding. Grind this several times, and finally a little bran remains. The bran can be fed to pigs as well as to livestock.

As for the flour that is ground out of the first time, it is also called broken noodles, which is generally not white (take wheat as an example), but it is strong and can be used to make dumplings.

The noodles will be much whiter after the second time, and you can make dumplings or roll noodles. Three times the noodles are generally not very good to wrap dumplings, barely wrapped, the taste is not good, and it is easy to break, but rolling noodles croaking, you can also pinch good buns, such as flower buns or something.

Four times of noodles, five times of noodles can only pinch the general bun, and even five times of noodles are close to bran, rough, and not white.

Beyond the mill, there was a tall brick gatehouse. Although it is not as tall and wide as the tall gatehouse on the other side of the well, it is much better than the ordinary brick gatehouse.

Polished bricks, fine gray seams. There are brick carvings, stone carvings, wood carvings, and wooden ceilings with decorations. There are stone lions on both sides of the gatehouse, and there are also horse-tied stakes. I won't go into details.

Entering the high gatehouse, it is a small alley, both sides are also high brick walls, the ground is also paved with square bricks, and there are shallow drainage grooves on the ground on both sides of the alley. On the right side of the alley, from south to north, is the west gable of the mill and the west wall and back door of the cowyard.

In fact, as soon as you enter the high-rise gate, you can see that there is a courtyard gate on the north wall at the bottom of the alley, and there is a courtyard house inside.

Turn west from this courtyard gate, or an alley, walk a short section, facing the west wall there is also a courtyard gate, and there is still a courtyard courtyard inside.

The Xiangwa family in Liuwan Village lives here. Xiangwa, the big name Liu Jiaxiang. This person loves to watch dramas, has a good voice, and likes to sing a few words when he has nothing to do, because he has watched a lot of dramas, and people still have a good eye for singing. At the moment, this auspicious baby has three sons and two daughters under her knees, and the eldest baby is quite promising, but she is working in the provincial capital.

Coming out of the door of the high-rise building, you can see a thick and tall old locust tree at the west end of the alley. The locust tree grows very slowly, and no one can say exactly how many years this tree has grown. Anyway, at the moment, it is still leafy, and the canopy is large. In summer, under the shade of the trees, it becomes a good place for the villagers to cool off at noon.

One day after the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, that is, in the early morning of the 20th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the stones on the roadside at the entrance of Liuwan Village were covered with red blankets;

The high gate building and the courtyard gate of Xiangwa's house are pasted with happy couplets and big red flower seeds, and the courtyard is even more decorated with lights, which is joyful. The courtyard is covered with canopies from end to end, and there are rows of Eight Immortal Tables and chairs with backs, and even under the trees in the open space of the Cowyard, there are many small square tables and stools. There is a small troupe in each courtyard, and they also carry suona, which is so lively.

In the courtyard and alley, people come and go, bustling. The sound of singing, laughter, words, and firecrackers is full of joy.

It turned out that today was the day when Liu Yunsheng, the second son of Xiangwa's family, married his daughter-in-law. Liu Yunsheng, nicknamed Sheng'er.

Marrying a daughter-in-law is naturally lively. No, after eating early in the morning, a team of relatives carried the flower bridge, followed by a group of Wang Ba (the persimmon Bay area called suona Wang Ba), and went out of the village in a burst of firecrackers.

It is said that it is the first day, because since the day before yesterday, the Sheng'er family has begun to feast guests, almost every family in the village has taken turns to sit at the table, not to mention three times a day, at least every day at noon are full of guests and friends, good wine and good food, so far it is the third day, and they all eat the "968" banquet.

This "968" is a banquet in the area of Persimmon Bay. Generally, there are nine plates, including cold dishes and stir-fried vegetables, six bowls, all of which are hot dishes with heavy juices, and eight bowls (large bowls), which are basically soups. However, this banquet is no different, it is also "nine-six-eight", and the ingredients are different, and the grade is different.

The "ninety-six-eight" of the children's family is much thicker (much better) than the average family's, not to mention the amount of pork, not to mention the thickness of beef and mutton, people have fish, and squid. On the day of the first day, sea cucumbers and even soft-shelled turtles were also served. It can be said that the people in the village are not picky about eating.

As for the wine, they didn't serve the local self-brewed persimmon wine, but the wine from Xinghua Village in a jar of Shanxi's specialty.

Of course, it doesn't have to be a pomp and circumstance to set up a banquet in the village, but if the economic conditions in your family are good, you will gossip if you give people crooked food, don't you?

As for the salute, not to mention the relatives and friends, the people who came to sit in that village must also be saluted. When people in the village have affairs, they have set up a special account room, and use the gift list to record the amount of money or gifts that each household has gifts, one is to pay tribute with the same number of gifts when people have something to do in the future, and the other is also to facilitate the return of gifts. There are more publicized ones, and they will hang out or put out all the gifts given by others, so that the guests can see the popularity and dignity of the host's family.

As for the return gift, it is mostly a flower bun, that is, the big flower bun sent by people when the incident is cut into a tooth and a tooth, and the day back to the gift of the person in the box, the food stack, or after the special trip to send it to others, in order to return or thank the guests who gave the gift, the village people call this the gift of the exchange. If you just accept gifts and don't give them gifts in return, then you don't have to be rude, isn't it?

Liuwan is only six miles away from Qingping, and it will be there after walking for a while. Although it is said that marrying a daughter-in-law is a big matter, and marrying a daughter is a small matter, but the woman's family is also very grand, and the outside of the door and in the courtyard are also full of lights, blowing, playing and singing, and the guests and friends are full; and the banquet is not thin, it is also "968", the delicacies of the mountains and seas.

Relatives and friends, neighbors not to mention, several alleys have come parents or representatives, at noon, the banquet is held, the drum music, the pomp, the toast is no less lively than marrying a daughter-in-law.

After the luncheon, the mother-in-law told a few words, dropped a few reluctant tears, the bride touched up her makeup, put on a colorful crown, and put on a xia veil, even if she was ready. My brother picked up his sister from the window and gave her a sedan chair. In the crowd and the sound of drums and firecrackers, two large sedan chairs one after the other, followed by the carriages and horses that greeted and sent relatives, came out of Qingxi Village and went to Liuwan.

Half a day later, a lot of people gathered at the gate of Liuwan Village. "It's coming, it's coming!" shouted a group of children who had been waiting outside the village for a long time as they ran. Not long after, a mighty team of carriages and horses followed the big red sedan chair over.

Suddenly, the firecrackers rang out in unison, and the two teams of drummers blew vigorously on the left and right, and the crowds were crowded, smiling happily, and they couldn't stop appreciating, so they went all the way to the high gate building of Sheng'er's house, and the newcomer got off the sedan chair in a burst of firecrackers.

Seeing this scene, everyone couldn't help but discuss: "Hey, the bride's head is really beautiful." "Haven't you seen it? That's the phoenix crown." "Damn, the phoenix crown is worn in the palace, how can the common people wear the phoenix crown." "Oh, it's all in the Republic of China, and you can wear it whether it's in the palace or not." ”

"That can't be called a phoenix crown. "Hey, what do you mean by calling outside?" "Oh, the color crown. "What about the red eggs and the birds in your eyes, they look so good." "Damn, that's the phoenix. "Hehe, we don't understand. ”

"And the jacket that people are wearing, why does it look so good, hehe. "Bai'er's, called Xia Wei, how can it be said to be a jacket." "Hehe, I haven't seen it. "That's the big collared robe." "Hehe, you have split crotches on both sides of your family. "That's it. "Have you seen it?" "Damn, there's one singing on the stage." ”

"The one on your shoulders is really beautifully embroidered, and the sleeves are all beautiful. "People call it water sleeves. "Hehe, it's an eye-opener today. ”

In this way, a couple of newlyweds, accompanied by the best man, bridesmaids and relatives, in the surprise and embrace of everyone, jumped over the firebox (the firebox is a thing that the rich people in the persimmon bay area put on the kang or somewhere to warm up, it is made of red copper and made of hollow boxes with a lid larger than the telephone, and red-hot charcoal is placed in it, and it is okay), go to the door of the high-rise building, and walk into the yard.

Then, in a wave of congratulations and anticipation, one worships heaven and earth, two worships the high hall, husband and wife worship each other, the feast begins, the groom toasts, and is sent to the cave room, these will not be repeated.

Speaking of the daughter-in-law who gave birth to a child and married, that is a long story. This woman, whose big name is Ma Guixia, and her little name is Xia'er, with a melon seed face, red phoenix eyes, and small feet, neither white nor black, is only seventeen years old at this time, and her mother's home is in Majia Lane, Qingxi Village, six miles away.

Qingxi Village is the largest village in Qingxi Town and the location of the town office. I heard that Xia'er's father is the head of the thirteen Lu in Qingxi Village, and he may do it.

It was also heard that she had three older brothers and no younger siblings, which means that she was the youngest of the four sisters. Her eldest brother was an official in the provincial capital, the second brother was an official in the nearby Ronghe County, and the third brother died when he was a little young, that is, on two or three birthdays, which means that this Xia'er is actually three sisters. Needless to say, Xia'er is naturally her father's pearl.

From these alone, you can guess what the family background of the Qingxi Ma family is. Although it is said that it is just to marry a daughter, but people are doing big things and can afford it, of course, this is clearly to show the Liu family. Xia'er passed the door, if the Liu family couldn't treat it well, it would be difficult to explain it to the Qingxi Ma family.