Old things in the south

Chapter 20 Yingzi's Hometown Love

autumn smell
Autumn is here, and it is natural to think of that street - Xidan Archway.

No matter which direction you come from, when you arrive at Xidan Archway, in autumn and dusk, the first thing you will smell is the smell of the street.The aroma of roasted chestnuts permeated the bustling pedestrians, and he hurriedly looked towards the familiar place, and the guy of Helan was frying chestnuts in front of the door.Helan Hao sells pastries, and fried chestnuts are not well-known, but because it is on the corner of the street and bears the brunt of it, I can't help but buy it nearby.

Come on a catty!The hot chestnuts have just been fried, so they have to wait a while before pouring them into a basket and sifting to remove the sand coated with sugar juice.While waiting for the scale bag, there is another kind of fragrance drifting by. It turns out that there are several fruit stalls on the corner of the street in front of me, ah!Jujubes, grapes, crabapple, persimmons, pears, pomegranates...all are on the market.The aroma is mostly pear and grape.The grapes in Shaying are yellow and transparent, with two pieces sticking out, and the water does not flow, so it has the nickname of "rock sugar bag".Jingbai pears are thin and tender, without any residue. "Yaker Guang" is as soft as tofu.Jujube is the most common fruit, and Langjiayuan is the most famous place of origin, so there is no jujube without Langjiayuan.Tiger eye, gourd jujube, wild jujube, each has its own shape and taste. "Honeyed persimmons" have to wait until winter, and crisp persimmons with green skins are on the market in autumn, and crisp persimmons are sweeter only when they are tall.Haitang's face was half red, and Pomegranate's smile showed a row of pink teeth.These are the fruits of autumn.

Carrying a bag of hot chestnuts and some fruits, I walked from Xidan to Xuanwumen, thinking about going back home on the square table in front of the window, with a little light in the twilight, my family sat around peeling and eating these delicious things Happy, the pace couldn't help but quicken.Behind him was the sound of a Dangdang tram, and the No. [-] bus was almost at the end of Xuanwumen.After passing the Rongxian Alley, the smell of barbecue came in the air again. It was at the entrance of An'er Alley, and the low and narrow barbecue room was like a real person.

There is a halal sign in front of the door. They are one of the many famous Islamic halls in Beiping. Since autumn, Beiping has become the world of Muslim halls.The short and fat fifth child cuts beef and mutton on the table. His elder brother, the eldest, greeted the seats at the door. His two healthy, bright-eyed sons, who fully demonstrated the spirit of Muslim youth, were helping and learning from the side. Techniques for trimming and cutting meat.The smog filled the sunburnt, which made the originally unknown lights even darker, but in this low, smoky hut, there was a warm and friendly feeling, which made people want to go in and stand beside the sunburnt. Lift up those two big chopsticks.

The fifth child is fair, so it feels extra cordial.It turned out to be just a steamed stuffed bun shop, selling some mutton steamed stuffed buns for nearby residents and passing laborers.Gradually, barbecue became famous, but it did not change its attitude towards customers.For example, they only have two broilers, and they can only surround 20 people in total. But at dusk, groups of guests come, and there is no place to sit, and there is no time to eat for a while, the fifth will tell Guests, wait for another [-] or [-] guests, then the guests will go to Xidan Pailou and make a detour, and then come back.There was no register, but they memorized the order of coming and going.There is no scrambling to be the first, and it is impossible to jump in line. Everything is at the discretion of the boss. He does not make any difference because the visitor is a car or a rickshaw. This is his fairness and kindness.

Cutting the meat with the hands while settling accounts with the mouth is the skill and art of the fifth child.A bowl of meat, a plate of green onions, and a cucumber, he sang and added the money one by one. There was no false report, and the price was fair.There, although the house is small, it is comfortable to eat.The fifth child doesn't have many smiles, but what he gives you is a sense of sincerity, and there will be no such thing as getting angry over eating.

In the old capital of the north in autumn, the smell of beef and mutton and the aroma of roasted chestnuts are enough to represent the smell of changing seasons!

(End of this chapter)