The restoration of the Confucius Temple has undoubtedly brought huge business opportunities to local residents, and many discerning businessmen like Zhao Toad have moved their markets to Qinhuai.
He was going to invite me to the restaurant for a meal, which was considered to catch the wind and wash the dust, but I was anxious to see the water scenery of Qinhuai in the south of the Yangtze River in his mouth, and I didn't want to go to a big restaurant with many rules to eat, so the two of them made a meal with wonton noodles on the side of the road, and then chartered a small three-wheeler to go to the Confucius Temple.
When I first entered the Confucius Temple, I was first shocked by a 100-meter-long wall.
There are two five-clawed dragons flying on the red wall, and the top is covered with golden and transparent glazed tiles, which is majestic and incomprehensible.
According to legend, this photo wall was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and it should be said in feng shui that "the front is illuminated, and the back is leaning".
Before I had time to take a closer look, Zhao Toad suddenly pulled me, pointed to the big square in front of me and said, "Old Hu, look, we happened to go up." ” Before the words fell, it was covered by an earth-shattering loud noise, and I said in my heart that the international situation has not changed dramatically recently, why do you fire artillery in peacetime, and I saw a huge colorful banner dragon swimming in the square with the crowd, and the waist drum team of the hundred and ten people played the music loudly, and the people along the way were attracted to it.
I counted with my fingers for a long time, and then asked Zhao Toad: "What day is today, such a big movement?"
Zhao Toad looked at the colorful dragon dance, and said enviously: "Five big offerings, and another big shop has opened." ” Five Great Offerings, which in old Beijing is the standard offering of the God of Wealth to the big merchants.
Whole pigs, whole sheep, whole chickens, whole ducks, and red carp are used.
The first few things are easy to prepare, but the red carp is not easy to do, and this fish must be a "dragon carp".
The so-called "dragon carp" is the red carp with horns on the head, this kind of carp is red as blood, only there are two raised leukomes on the top of the head, just like the dragon horns that have just sprouted, the female fish only lays one egg in ten years, such a rare species, money may not be able to buy, not to mention it is to stew soup and sacrifice to the gods.
Therefore, ordinary businesses can only use lime paste to dot two horns on the head of the fish to fill the number, which is not a real five great offerings.
I have heard the older generation say that only the century-old Crane Year Hall, known as the "Five Cranes Chaotian", was able to worship the ancestors with authentic red carp for ten years.
But by the eleventh year, the tradition was gone.
Because there is really no dragon carp to be found, the preciousness of this fish can be seen.
Neither Zhao Toad nor I had ever seen the legendary dragon carp, and as soon as I thought about it, I followed the crowd to the door of the shop, wanting to see what kind of sacredness it was, daring to make such a big show
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