It has been more than half a month since Yue Haohan went to work in the Heiyazi management area. The 8th of August is the beginning of autumn of the 24th solar term, the 18th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar; In the morning, before dawn, there was a light rain with a few thunders; At breakfast, the weather became unusually sunny again.

The thunder and light rain in the morning reminded Yue Haohan of the agricultural proverb about the beginning of autumn: "Thunder strikes autumn, winter half harvest, beginning autumn is sunny for a day, farmers don't use force." ”

This means that if you hear thunder at the beginning of autumn, the crops will fail in winter. If the weather is sunny in the beginning of autumn, you will definitely be able to live a smooth life, and there will be no worries about drought and flood in farming, and you can sit and wait for a bumper harvest.

In addition, there are "July and autumn harvest, June and autumn are lost", "north wind before autumn and rain after autumn; After autumn, the north wind will dry the bottom of the river". That is to say, at the beginning of autumn in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the five grains can be expected to be harvested, and if the beginning of autumn is in the sixth month of the lunar calendar, the five grains are not ripe and will lead to a poor harvest; If a north wind blows before the beginning of autumn, it will rain after the beginning of autumn, and if a north wind blows after the beginning of autumn, there may be a drought in the winter of that year.

The beginning of autumn is particularly important to farmers, and the beginning of autumn is also known as the July Festival. The time begins on August 7 or 8 of each year in the Gregorian calendar. On the day of the beginning of autumn in the Zhou Dynasty, the Son of Heaven will personally lead the three princes and six princes and doctors to the western suburbs to welcome the autumn, and hold the ceremony of sacrificing the young snort and harvesting. The Han Dynasty still inherited this custom; In the Tang Dynasty, every autumn day, the five emperors were also sacrificed. In the Song Dynasty, on the day of the beginning of autumn, both men and women wore catalpa leaves to respond to the timing. There is the custom of cutting the petal hairpin and inserting the sideburns with the red leaves of heather, and there is also the custom of swallowing seven small red beans with autumn water, which is the custom of the Ming Dynasty and the Song Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, on the day of the beginning of the autumn festival, the hanging scales weighed people, compared with the number of scales in the beginning of summer, in order to test the fat and thin in the summer. Since the Republic of China, in the vast countryside, there is a custom of predicting the cold and hot weather during the day or night on the day of the beginning of autumn. There is also the custom of tasting new watermelons and green beans and laying ancestors. There are also customs such as the day before the beginning of autumn, Chen ice melon, steamed eggplant, fried fragrant herb drink, etc.

After the beginning of autumn, the autumn rush begins, in the countryside of Jiangyang, there is a general custom of 'autumn harvest mutual assistance', you help me and I help you, three or five groups go to the field, harvest the corn that has matured. A grain of corn should be moved four times: the first stubble, the second stubble, the third stubble, and the empty stubble. Women, the elderly, and children in their teens carried bamboo baskets in their hands, one row after another, one after another, and carried them one by one. Carry one and put it in a basket, and when the basket is full, it will be poured into a pile of ears of corn on the ground, and finally pulled home by a cart. The first stubble moves the ripe ears of corn first, and the unripe ears of corn are left for the second stubble to move. The second and third stubble are moved in the same way. Finally, the stubble is emptied, and the remaining ears of corn, whether old or young, are brought home. See whose corn matures early, and move it to whom's family first, which does not violate the agricultural time, and can return the grains to the warehouse.

In the Jiangyang area, there is also a legend about the beginning of autumn. Legend has it that during the period from the beginning of autumn to the autumn equinox, the Jade Emperor would send the autumn god to inspect the world, and the autumn god was called Bei Harvest. He had a snake coiled around his left ear and a giant axe on his right shoulder. The "Classic of Mountains and Seas" says that he lived in Sishan Mountain, where he could see the sunset.

The snake on the ear symbolizes reproduction and endless growth. In the "Book of Songs: Sigan", it is said: "Wei Yu Wei Snake, the auspiciousness of women." "If you dream of snakes, you will give birth to a beautiful daughter. The legendary Nuwa is a "human-headed snake body". "Snake body" not only means some kind of totem worship, but also refers to a slender, curvaceous, and graceful figure.

The giant axe on his shoulder shows that he is still a god of punishment. In ancient times, the execution of prisoners was after the beginning of autumn, and it was called after the autumn queen. Autumn has a murderous atmosphere. "It's sad that the autumn is angry, and the grass and trees are shaking and decaying." So when I received it, there was always a coolness.

The most sensitive to the coolness of autumn are the plane trees. As soon as autumn arrives, it begins to shed its leaves. "When a leaf falls on the sycamore, the world knows autumn". "Flower Glass" says: This wood can know the age. It has twelve leaves per branch, symbolizing the twelve months of the year. If there is a leap month, there will be an extra piece. Sycamore blooms during the Qingming Festival, and if it doesn't, the winter will be very cold this year.

Planting a sycamore tree in the yard can not only tell the age, but also may attract a phoenix. "The phoenix is singing, in the high hill. The sycamore is born, and the sun rises in the sun. "The phoenix is not a sycamore. Therefore, plane trees must be planted in the palace. On the day of the beginning of autumn, the imperial historian stayed outside the central hall of the palace early, his eyes firmly fixed on the plane tree in the courtyard. A gust of wind came, and a leaf left the branch, and the Taishi immediately shouted: "Autumn is coming." So one person after another, shouted loudly: "Autumn is coming", "Autumn is coming", and the sound of autumn instantly spread throughout the palace and beyond. Without waiting for the echo to disappear, soldiers in neat armor escorted the emperor and swarmed out. They were going to hunt in the hunting grounds in the suburbs.

On the day of the beginning of autumn, the emperor went to the suburbs to shoot and hunt with two meanings. The first is to indicate that from now on, the training of soldiers will begin; The second is to prepare sacrifices for the autumn gods. When they arrived at the outskirts, a trumpet sounded, and the soldiers threw themselves into the forest, driving out the elk, foxes, rabbits, and deer from far and near, and letting the emperor shoot them with arrows.

While the emperor was hunting, the people of the distant countryside were busy. Girls who love beauty will pick a few sycamore leaves, cut them into different patterns, and insert them in a bun. Naughty children would heckle around them, and their mothers would call them home. First wash their hands, then stretch them out, and their mother puts seven red beans in each of their palms, and then hands them a bowl of well water, so that they can "crumble" and bite the beans and swallow them with the well water. It is said that after eating, it does not cause dysentery. Dad, on this day, I have to put down my work and go to the street to catch the market. The most important thing is to buy chicken head vegetables. After buying it, mix it with some musk, wrap it with a large lotus leaf, tie it around your waist with a red rope, and go home humming a little song.

In the customs of Jiangyang, the beginning of autumn to eat chicken head vegetables, chicken head vegetables in Jiangyang area is also called chicken head lotus, the scientific name is Qian, stir-fried to eat, crisp and refreshing. "Shennong's Materia Medica" says that eating yam can make people smart and smart. In Yue Haohan's impression, from childhood to adulthood, every time the autumn day begins, his mother will buy back the chicken head lotus and cook for everyone to eat, saying that it is smart for children to eat it.

In the rural areas of Jiangyang, there are families with grandparents, and the grandparents are busy the day before the beginning of autumn, picking melons in the field, beating the fruits on the trees with bamboo poles, and steaming the eggplants and putting them in the yard to dry. On the evening of the beginning of autumn, when everyone had eaten, the grandparents smiled and brought it out in the same way, so that adults and children could eat while enjoying the coolness. Leftover peach pits should not be thrown away, but should be given to grandma. So the children gave her a handful of peach pits one by one. Grandma lifted the two corners of the apron with her hands and let the children put them in. Peach pits are to be left until the evening of Chinese New Year's Eve, when they are thrown into the fire on the stove and burned. In this way, you will not catch a cold and avoid the plague.

Thinking that today is the beginning of autumn, after breakfast, Yue Haohan asked Zhu Changyou and Deng Guoxing for two days off, so he went to Wulong Township to catch the market with the people who went to Wulong Township in the beginning of autumn, and boarded an old minibus from the Heiyazi Management Area to the market town of Wulong Township.

The car arrived at the market town of Wulong Township, stopped next to a restaurant in the center, Yue Haohan got off the car, bought a pack of cigarettes in the store next to him, put it on his body, and looked at the time, it was not half past nine.

The last bus from Wulong Township to Jiangyang County in the morning was half past ten, and seeing that the time was still early, Yue Haohan planned to go to the township government to say hello to Deng Xuanfa and Lin Ping.

As soon as he walked into the courtyard of the township government, Yue Haohan saw Wu Tao, director of the party and government office, and a young man, pushing Huang Wenfu from Longwanghe Village Primary School and villagers Wang Hongbin, Chen Xicai, and Li Ergou from the gate of the office building to the courtyard.

When Wu Tao saw Yue Haohan enter the township government compound, he shouted with a cold face: "Yue Haohan, how did you do it in the Heiyazi Management Area?" The nail household actually came to Secretary Wu to discuss the law, I really don't know how thick the sky is! ”

Wu Tao's rough words aroused the dissatisfaction of Huang Wenfu and the others. Huang Wenfu was emotional, angrily called Wu Tao's name, and said, "Wu Tao, who is the nail household?" You have to make it clear to us, as the people of Wulong Township, why can't we meet Wu Youde? Could it be that he Wu Youde has done something bad to be afraid of seeing the people? ”

As he spoke, Huang Wenfu, together with Wang Hongbin, Chen Xicai, and Li Ergou, rushed towards the township government office building, and Wu Tao, who had been blocking the door, angrily reprimanded: "What's wrong? Do you want to rebel? ”

At this time, Wang Hongbin, who had not spoken and had a bit of scheming, said calmly to Wu Tao: "Director Wu, we are looking for Secretary Wu Youde, which is to ask the township party committee to implement the policy of 'reducing the burden' of the central government!" ”

"Whoever implements it for you, you will go to whomever it is!" Wu Tao scolded loudly.

"Let's find Secretary Wu Youde!" Although Wang Hongbin's voice was not loud, he spoke very firmly.

Wu Tao said loudly: "No! ”

Wang Hongbin also raised his voice and said, "Why not? ”

"If I say no, I can't! If you are messing around here again and affecting the normal work of the township government, I will immediately notify the people from the police station and detain you all! Wu Tao finally said it to death.

Wang Hongbin was obviously unwilling, endured the anger in his heart, and still asked Wu Tao calmly: "Is this your attitude towards the common people?" ”

Wu Tao snorted and sneered: "Get out!" Otherwise, there will be no more such attitudes! ”

Yue Haohan looked at the expressions of Huang Wenfu and the others, afraid that if they continued to stalemate with Wu Tao like this, Wu Tao would really call Wu Tian and the others from the police station; In this way, several people will not only not be able to solve the problem today, but will definitely suffer losses.

Just when Wu Tao turned around and arranged for the young man behind him to call Wu Tian at the police station, Yue Haohan hurriedly took out the cigarette on his body, took out one, stepped forward and handed it to Wu Tao, and said, "Director Wu, don't call the police station first, and then I will persuade them; It's because we didn't do a good job in the management area. As he spoke, he turned his head and gave Huang Wenfu a look.

Seeing Wu Tao's cold face and taking the cigarette, Yue Haohan hurriedly took out another one and handed it to the young man who was still standing behind Wu Tao, the young man also took the cigarette, took out a lighter from his body, stepped forward, and after playing, lit the cigarette for Wu Tao, and then lit his cigarette and smoked.

Wu Tao took a puff of cigarette, looked at Yue Haohan, pointed to the young man standing next to him, lighting a cigarette for himself, and said: "Xiaoyue, they are all young people, you have to learn from Huang Shengjie, Shengjie is very good!" After speaking, he turned around and took Huang Shengjie and walked towards the office building.

Seeing Wu Tao leaving, Yue Haohan pulled Huang Wenfu and took a few people to a corner of the courtyard of the township government; analyzed today's situation for a few people, and let everyone think about it in the long run; Don't be impulsive, and in the end, the problem cannot be solved, and people will suffer. Huang Wenfu and the four of them knew very well that Yue Haohan was for their good, and under Yue Haohan's persuasion, they didn't say anything more.

When the four of them walked out of the township government compound with Yue Haohan, their faces were very ugly. Wang Hongbin later told Yue Haohan that the moment he walked out of the township government compound, he felt strongly in his heart that he had always believed in the party and the government, but the most holy emotion in his heart was suddenly rudely tainted by Wu Tao's behavior, and he was extremely painful.

persuaded Wang Hongbin and the four of them, Yue Haohan was not in the mood to return to the township government, and saw that it was still early for the shuttle bus to depart, so Yue Haohan went to the farmers' market in Wulong Township and bought a few catties of chicken head lotus and a native chicken that had been killed and cleaned up; Then at the place where you boarded the bus, wait for the shuttle bus to depart.

Sitting on the dilapidated bus back to the county seat, Yue Haohan was always thinking about what happened in the township government compound today; Huang Wenfu's idea is too naïve; The levy class was originally established in accordance with the intentions of Wu Youde and others, and looking for Wu Youde to discuss the law, isn't that equivalent to directly calling Wu Youde? Can Wu Youde put it down easily? This matter is definitely not over yet, and it is estimated that Heiyazi will manage and several cadres from Longwanghe Village will also be involved.

Yue Haohan thought of Wang Hongbin's calm and calm appearance at that time. It seems that Wang Hongbin has a very thorough understanding of the above-mentioned rural policy and the 'burden reduction' policy; Wang Hongbin is a thoughtful and thoughtful person, and this expropriation team has taken away his family's belongings, which is completely contrary to the policy; he will certainly not stop there; the contradictions between the cadres and the masses in Wulong Township will gather and break out in a concentrated manner after they have gathered to a certain extent.