Chapter 629 Living Place
Ning Weimin became more and more interested in the Ma family’s business history the more he thought about it.
However, just when he wanted to ask more details about the Ma family, Kang Shude unexpectedly patted him on the shoulder and changed the subject.
“Look, here it is, here it is. This is the small courtyard where Mr. Song and I lived. It was originally called Dongpian Courtyard, but because Mr. Song married a Japanese wife, it was later renamed the Majia Garden. Everyone from top to bottom calls this place Dongyangyuan..."
After saying these few words, the old man no longer bothered to greet him, and walked forward a few steps ahead, his eagerness beyond words.
Ning Weimin immediately understood.
I suddenly understood why Kang Shude just kept running eastward after coming in and had no intention of going deep into the garden.
The place where Kang Shude entered the courtyard was a hanging flower gate at the corner of the courtyard.
From the outside, it looks a bit inappropriate.
Because the door opens at the turning point between the north room and the west wing of the courtyard.
A long row of blue brick exterior walls facing west extends to the south. There are many withered and sick ivy on it, which makes the courtyard look a bit desolate.
But in front of the rear windows of the west wing that can see the garden view, there are extremely delicate iron railings.
After so many years, these railings are still strong and the scenery of the past can still be seen to some extent.
Ning Weimin followed closely and walked in.
There is no screen wall inside the door, but a screen door that connects to the corridor, and then directly to the main courtyard of the courtyard.
Although there were several small rooms built in the courtyard, making it difficult to have a clear view, he could still feel that the courtyard was very spacious.
At least it's bigger than Courtyard No. 2 in Shan'er Hutong, it can hold up one and a half of those there.
The main house on the north side has five large rooms, with a corridor in the front and a building in the back. There are three wing rooms and two wing rooms on the east and west sides.
Although it is old, its grace is still there, and you can imagine its grandeur back then.
Especially compared with the No. 5 Courtyard in Dongsisi Tiao, the difference is obvious.
An old-fashioned atmosphere from the Qing Dynasty, and a new style from the Republic of China.
This courtyard is indeed not as noble and gorgeous as the emperor's uncle's mansion, but it is more graceful and refined.
For example, the hand-painted corridor on the south wall is against the wall, has flower windows and paintings, and a hall in the middle leads to the outside of the courtyard.
For another example, the courtyard is complete with stone benches, stone tables, rocks, flowers and trees, which is very characteristic of Jiangnan garden landscaping.
I saw the old man standing alone in the square courtyard looking around.
Ning Weimin couldn't help but walk along the corridor to the south hall to take a look.
He thought that when the hanging flower door was opened on the north side, it would be unnecessary to have a main entrance on the south side of the yard.
I am somewhat curious and want to know what is outside the hanging flower door on the south wall.
Unfortunately, before he was allowed to walk over, Kang Shude stopped him and asked him to get the key and open the door.
Almost all the houses in this courtyard are locked. The old man can't see the house without opening it.
Of course, Ning Weimin came prepared and quickly opened his bag to find the key.
"Old man, which room do you want to see?"
"Open them all."
"Yes." Ning Weimin responded and scolded himself.
I wonder why I am so incapable of speaking today. This question sounds like nonsense.
"Old man, which room did you live in in the past? I want to see where you lived..." "Well, let's open the West Room first..."
Listen, change it The way is done, the old man nodded.
As a padlock was removed, the door was pushed open, and an old man and a young man walked in together.
The rooms inside are similar to those of the concierge and accounting room, and have been modified to meet the actual needs of life.
So almost everything from the past has disappeared.
There are light bulbs on the roof, the walls are painted with beige paint, and there is no longer the fire kang where Kang Shude used to sleep.
But fortunately, the plain lacquered columns are still there, and the tile floor from Germany is still there.
Kang Shude was even surprised to find the traces he had carved with a carving knife on the height of a pillar.
“It is the time for men to study when the lights are on at three o’clock and the chicken is on at five o’clock. A black-haired man does not know how to study diligently early, and a white-headed man regrets that he is late in studying.”
Faced with Ning Weimin's confused look after reading aloud, Kang Shude seemed to be free and easy.
“Don’t laugh at me, everyone has their youth. And for me, a little beggar was brought here, which is a blessing in itself. And I am lucky enough to be able to read. Studying. If I don’t cherish this opportunity, I can’t be a fool...”
This honest statement about his humble background won Ning Weimin’s deep recognition. .
Think about it, in those troubled times, it was very difficult for people to survive, let alone having enough to eat.
This opportunity for the old man is nothing short of cheating.
Then Ning Weimin understood that this was the mark left by the master's mood back then.
He felt sad, touched her twice with feeling, and asked again.
"Old man, are you the only one who lives in such a big three-room room?"
Ning Weimin's question made Kang Shude laugh.
"How is that possible? When I first came here, there were already two people living here. One was quite old and was the caretaker of the home, Mr. Lan. The other was young and was Mr. Song's original The elder follows Zhao Yuliang.”
He stroked his beard, looked at Ning Weimin, and continued to remember as if he had some warning.
"Zhao Yuliang is from Baoding Prefecture and is literate. He is five years older than me. He is very smart and knows how to solve problems. There is a future in this job. At least he can help Mr. Song. He was in charge of an antique shop and worked as a counter-checker, but later he gradually got into the bad habit of gambling because he often hung out with some servants in Ma's garden."
< br>"You may not think that the atmosphere in the mansion is very bad because of the large number of people. Especially the head servants, who are proficient in eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling. Zhao Yuliang lost all his savings in gambling with them, just to make money. I learned how to steal. Once, he stole a dozen hanging beads that Mr. Song kept at home. Mr. Lan caught him and took them to Mr. Song, so he spent them. So I later took advantage of him. Mr. Song's eldest follower has been living with Mr. Lan in the south room of the west wing."
"This Mr. Lan is a banner man whose ancestral home is in the capital. He was once a squatter in the Shanpu camp and knows how to throw a wrestling ball. . When he is not interacting with others, he is a very kind old man. His banner is Zhenglan Banner, and he is very serious when doing things. He is always very clean and polite. He taught me a lot of etiquette. And the rules of the capital."
"As for how I know his flag status? It's all because of playing chess with him. This old man has a habit of talking while eating noodles. He likes to say, "Eat noodles without jealousy, cannons against Xishiku." When playing chess, he also likes to say, "Red goes first and blue comes last. If you lose, you won't stink." One time, Mr. Song happened to hear, Mr. Song chatted outside the house and said that Lan Ye was suitable for Lan Qi. Not only was his surname Lan, but he was also from Zhenglan Banner. That’s how I knew Lan Ye’s flag status.”
"Lan Ye also likes to personify dim sum from time to time. He told me about the pastry formation in great detail. What if the trough cake is defeated and replaced with hard pastry pastry? When fighting against Saqima, it doesn't matter if the head meets the head. Especially Lan Ye has many stories about ghosts and gods, but he doesn’t talk about his family background at all.”
“Which family he is from, which branch he belongs to, and his last name. Why, how did he get into Shanpu Camp, and what was he like as a servant in the Qing Dynasty? No matter how I asked him, he would not tell me. I only know that he had no family and was hired by Mr. Song for thirty yuan a month. Thinking about it, he probably felt that he had insulted his ancestors, or he didn't want to think about the past anymore. In the past, I only thought that he was a different person, but now that I have become a lonely old man, I realize it. His state of mind. "
At this time, Kang Shude walked slowly to the door of the north room of the west wing, pointed inside and said to Ning Weimin.
“This room was originally Mr. Song’s warehouse. The good things that Mr. Song took back from outside and didn’t want to be displayed in the store would be stored here. It’s full of stuff, like a treasure house. Sometimes, there’s a shortage of money. I just took a few items and sold them to the Ma family.”
“There are two small cabinets with yellow palm trees on the west wall of this house, which contain small antiques and treasures that Mr. Song has collected over the years. Those are not for sale. Mr. Song often locks the door so that no one can disturb him. Later, after I got into the business, I gradually gained his trust and was allowed in. ”
"I'm not exaggerating. The antique porcelain you collect now, many of which are high-quality products bought in cultural relics stores. But together they are not even worth half of those two small cabinets with yellow flower palms. What a pity. , all those good things left with Mr. Song. Even I can hardly see them anymore..."
When these words came out, not only Kang Shude looked at the empty room in a daze.
Ning Weimin couldn't help but feel fascinated, imagining what this place looked like in the past.
(End of this chapter)