The weather in Star City seems to lack the patience for the four seasons, as if there are only two seasons alternating, and it is always in a state of ups and downs, sometimes it is especially like the character of the people of Star City. The most in the wardrobe of the girls in Star City are all skirts, and when winter comes, they directly cover a long coat or down jacket. Living in such a city, it is difficult to understand the word "warm in winter and cool in summer", people who have just arrived here always feel a little unbearable, and when they wake up in the morning, it seems that they have gone straight from winter to summer, and then returned to winter overnight, either cold or hot to death.

The most painful thing in my childhood memories of winter was chilblains on my hands and feet, but summer was even better because of glowworms and ice cream popsicles. I remember most in the bamboo shop in Gudao Lane, my grandmother's Pu fan, for me to fan away one midsummer night after another, and now our main means of driving the summer night are bare shoulders and cold beer.

In the past few months, we have been gathering around the South Gate almost every night and night, mainly because everyone is familiar with it. I have lived at the South Gate since I was a child, and the primary school has been transferred to three schools, from Mopanwan to Xiaogudao Lane, and then to Dagudao Lane Primary School, all in the area of Nanmen. At that time, there were only three kinds of people in our eyes, one was the villagers; In addition, there are two kinds of people in the city, one is the people who live in the compound of the business or state-owned unit; If you don't have the opportunity to live in a large dormitory in a unit, then you are left with only one name: "on the street". Most of them were born and raised on Xingcheng Street, and there are no countrymen who can endure hardships and are not more disciplined than people with units, so they are rich in "second-rate people", that is, "ruffians". The south entrance has always been a place where people on the street are more concentrated, and it is a lively place. At that time, there was a nursery rhyme among the children in Star City: "At the south gate, it's really tasteful, a bicycle takes two people." The rooster takes the hen, the hen laughs, touches the security, and catches it tightly. ”

Now the south gate is more lively than before, and there is a popular saying in Star City on a summer night: "I'm not at home, it's at the south gate; Not at the south gate, on the way to the south gate. The vitality of the south gate is awakened every day with the arrival of night, and when the sun is waning in the middle of the day, one of the protagonists, the taste of shrimp, begins to appear, and its loyal fans come from all corners of the city to cheer. Before Qiu Qian was admitted to the hospital, for a while, she boasted that she was in good health, thinking that the unstable period of the first three months had passed anyway, and insisted on following Qian Cheng to join our gluttonous team from time to time, and became the absolute main force to eliminate the taste of shrimp.

Recently, we collectively felt that we had to change the taste, and if we kept staring at the taste of shrimp like this, we might grow tongs, so we changed to wandering around Shahe Street and Xueyuan Street, eating some lo-mei, roasted exams or cold dishes, for a while. But today we ordered a large portion of flavored shrimp, and it turned out that the brothers and sisters who were training together were basically all here, and we specially called out Qian Cheng, who was accompanying Qiu Qian in the hospital, because Huang Yuefei, a close friend who was floating in Shenzhen, came back.

Huang Yue wore a nice green shirt with a large pointed collar, with no buttons on it, and a dazzling white gold necklace around his neck could be seen where the collar was open; The lower body is a pair of crisp black tight trousers, shiny pointed scalp shoes; The hair is also very stylish, obviously carefully groomed by the hairdresser, and there are a few locks in front of it that have become the popular chestnut color.

Shi Nian made a joke of him: "Brother Huang Shuai, what are you doing when you come to see us to make such a grand event?" ”

Huang Yue said: "Excuse me, I came directly as soon as I got off the plane, and I didn't have to change my clothes in a hurry, Shenzhen was cool this night, but I didn't expect it to be so much hotter here than Shenzhen." ”

Qian Cheng was a little later than us because he had to wait for his mother-in-law to take over, and as soon as he came, he warmly hugged Huang Yue, "Brother Yue, I haven't seen you for a long time, I'm getting more and more stylish." ”

Huang Yue said: "Brother Cheng, I heard that you have a happy event, and you will soon be a father, I can't come back to participate in your wedding and wine, I'm sorry, I'll make up a glass of wine now." ”

Qian Cheng took advantage of the situation and said to everyone: "Where, I'm embarrassed, I'm late today, I'll punish myself for a drink." ”

Li Xun first made a tone: "That's not good, this cup is your Jingyue brother, how many people are you going to toast with a glass of wine?" ”

Don Juan followed the arch: "I won't drink with you, I want to drink until you finish drinking this cup, and then make a drink with me alone." ”

Qian Cheng couldn't help it, so he smiled, "Okay, okay, I'll wait for the next one to respect, according to the old rules, and clear the customs." ”

I asked Huang Yue: "Brother Yue, you didn't go back to Star City during the Chinese New Year, how did you come back when it was hot to death in summer?" ”

He smiled and said, "One is to taste shrimp, and the other is to miss all of you." Ha ha. ”

The moment the flavor shrimp is served, the aroma wafts up, and the real taste shrimp enthusiast knows how to enjoy it with his nose first, and his saliva begins to flow. The hands and mouth moved together, the ten fingers were oily, and the sweat was drenched, and it was addictive.

Some lazy people only eat shrimp butts and do not eat shrimp heads, so that there is a store that specializes in selling "shrimp balls" or shrimp tails, but I think an authentic crayfish, lobster head is indispensable, one is very imposing, and secondly, there are still many people who like to eat the "yellow" inside. Huang Yue not only likes to eat "yellow", even the scum is very clean, and he has to suck his fingers when he is finished.

Tang Juan said to Huang Yue: "You slow down, risk someone to rob you, and when you leave, I will help you pack a few large portions and take them back." ”

For us, the taste of shrimp is eaten every month, every day, after a long time, you may feel that it is nothing more than that, but for Huang Yue, the taste of shrimp actually pins on the "homesickness of the perch" of many wandering Star City people.

If the highlight of the night snack at the south gate is compared to a two-person turn, the flavor shrimp is of course one of the protagonists, and the snail is the indispensable partner, and each table in the night market stalls is indispensable to order a portion. The finger-sized snail mainly grows in the edge of the field, ponds, and streams, and it is stir-fried in a wok, and is eaten after being boiled in a bone soup pot with ginger, chili, soy sauce, onion and garlic, monosodium glutamate and other condiments. Because when eating, you need to use your mouth to "instigate" the snail meat, so it is called a snail figuratively. Its meat is delicious and elastic, and it is chewy in the mouth, making it the best snack to accompany wine.

Qian Cheng's father was infected with schistosomiasis when he was sent to Yueyang Lake District, so he has always had a psychological shadow since he was a child, and he stayed away from all snails. He said that this thing is not clean to eat outside, and occasionally wants to try it, so he only makes it at home. Generally, after buying it back, it should be raised in clean water for a few days, and then the tail of the snail should be removed, and a little salt should be added to scrub it clean repeatedly, so that he can rest assured. I've also learned to do it at home, but maybe our craftsmanship is not good, or maybe we still don't have that atmosphere when eating at home, and I always feel that I don't have the charm in the stalls. So a few of us still like to sit on the food stall and eat snails, especially those girls can't give up this thing, every time we ask as usual: "Boss, are you clean of snails?" The boss also replied loudly as usual: "Don't worry, it's absolutely clean, and I guarantee that you don't eat any sand women." So we recited the mantra "If you don't do it, you won't be clean, you will get sick," and then we started eating.

Peng Feng carefully used a toothpick to eat the snails one by one, the rhythm was relatively slow, but it was also very in line with the character of "Cadre Peng", he spoke and acted slowly and logically.

Shi Nian said to him: "You don't look authentic like this, what is the name of the snail if you don't "instigate"? ”

I saw Shi Nian's slender fingertips in the shape of orchids, twisting a snail, pursing her lips, and gently "instigating", the snail meat entered her mouth, and the empty snail shell rolled on the table.