The reconstruction of Confucius Temple has undoubtedly brought huge business opportunities to local residents.
Many discerning businessmen like Zhao Toad have moved their business to Qinhuai.
He originally wanted to invite me to a restaurant to have a meal, which would be a welcome refreshment.
However, I was anxious to see the water scenery of Qinhuai River in the south of the Yangtze River that he mentioned, and I didn’t want to eat in a big restaurant with many rules, so the two of us had wonton noodles on the roadside.
After a makeshift meal, we chartered a tricycle to go to Confucius Temple.
When I first entered Confucius Temple, I was shocked by a large screen wall that was 100 meters long.
Two five-clawed giant dragons are flying on the red wall, and the top is covered with golden and transparent glazed tiles, which is majestic and majestic.
According to legend, this screen wall was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and it corresponds to the Feng Shui saying of "the front is illuminated and the back is leaning".
Before I had time to take a closer look, Zhao Toad suddenly pulled me and pointed at the big square in front of me and said, "Look, Old Hu, we happened to go up there."
Before I could finish my words, I was drowned out by an earth-shaking loud noise.
I thought to myself that the international situation has not undergone any drastic changes recently.
Why shoot off cannons during peacetime?
I followed the movement and saw a huge colorful dragon.
As the crowd was swimming in the square, the waist drum team of No. 100 played the music so loudly that all the people along the way were attracted.
I counted on my fingers for a long time, and then asked Zhao Toad: "What day is it today?
There is such a big movement."
Zhao Toad looked at the colorful dancing dragon and said with envy: "Five great offerings, and another big shop has opened."
The five major offerings were the standard offerings for large merchants in old Beijing to worship the God of Wealth.
Whole pigs, whole sheep, whole chickens, whole ducks and red carp are used.
The first few are easy to prepare, but the red carp is difficult to prepare.
This fish must be a "dragon carp".
The so-called "dragon carp" is a red carp with horns on its head.
This kind of carp is as red as blood, except for two raised white tumors on its head, which look like newly sprouted dragon horns.
Female fish only give birth to one baby every ten years.
Eggs are such a rare species that even if you have money, you may not be able to buy them, let alone stew them in soup to worship the gods.
Therefore, ordinary shops can only use lime paste to light two horns on the fish head to make up the number, which cannot be regarded as a true five-song offering.
I heard people from the older generation say that in those days, only the century-old He Niantang, known as the "Five Cranes Chaotian" in Sijiu City, could offer authentic red carp as a sacrifice to gods and ancestors for ten years.
But by the eleventh year, this tradition was abolished.
Because there is really no dragon carp to be found, the preciousness of this fish is evident.
Neither Zhao Toad nor I had seen the legendary dragon carp.
As soon as we thought about it, we followed the crowd to the door of the shop, wanting to see who it was that dared to create such a grand display
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