Wu style

In the pronunciation of Changshu dialect, Wucheng means "Hong" city, and Wuta Changshu dialect in Xinzhuang also means "Hong" tower in Xinzhuang. I asked several colleagues who were born in Changshu around me, but I couldn't tell you why. I also asked several teachers of the Writers Association, but the answers were not consistent. I think teacher Jin Ye's statement is credible. Dialect contains dialects, which may be due to dialect inheritance.

Wushi, Changshu, a small town with a pillow in the water, has been carefree for decades, but the traces of history are disappearing bit by bit. In the old days, because there were two streams in the east and west, it was called "Shuangxi". Plum trees planted next to Dongxi are called "Meixi" and peach trees planted next to Xixi are called "Taoxi". After the formation of the market town in the Ming Dynasty, it was named "Wujiacheng" and also called "Laowucheng" because it was the home of the Wu family.

Wushi Town was founded in Sui and Tang Dynasties with a history of 1, more than 200 years. It is the hometown of Wu Ne, the left vice capital of Xuande in Ming Dynasty. According to "Old County Records", "Laowucheng crosses Jinjingtang, which was created by villager Wu Tianxian, 60 miles away from the city." By the Qing Dynasty, Wushi had become one of the commercial towns in Dongxiang, Changshu, with developed market trade, and was also called the four major towns in Yidong along with Xushi, Tang Zhi and Meili. According to the records of the town, there are seven bridges in the old house city, which is a real pillow water house.

In the memory of Lao Wu people, the whole Wucheng is almost connected by rivers, which can be seen from the "bridges" of all sizes. People come and go on the dock, ships flow in the river, and trade is prosperous. With the development of land transportation and the decline of waterway transportation, the wharf is gradually away from people's lives and abandoned like other docks. And a few decades ago, this river was called Jianxin pond, which was also the main traffic artery around Wucheng. Once landed, it will be as prosperous as the city.

Speaking of Urumqi, people always associate it with the word "old street". From Wushiqiao to Dongjie Street, the breath of the 1970s and 1980s came to my face. The road is asphalt pavement, and old and new houses alternate beside the street. Looking up casually, a little old wires crisscross. The typical Changshu baroque architecture still basically maintains its original appearance and is full of sense of the times. Walking on such an old street, it seems that the next moment is about to step into another time and space, infected by the picture in front of me, like crossing, as if returning to that youth.

The intersection of East Street and Jiexi Street is the place where Wu Shi became famous because of Han Han's movies. It was ignited by "braving the wind and waves" and entered everyone's field of vision in Changshu, letting people from far and near know Wu's old street. Those scenes in the movie do not fully represent Wucheng, the real old street of Wucheng, with simple folk customs and simple time.

Han Han was born in Lin Ting Town, Jinshan District. The protagonist in his works will always be the young people in the town, while the old streets in Urumqi are full of the small town customs of his youth. It is precisely because of its long history and well-preserved old streets that Han Han chose Urumqi as one of the locations for "Riding the Wind and Waves".

At that time, the temporary scenes of the film had been dismantled, and now all that can be seen are the gate of Lin Ting Department Store, the signboard of Chen Guang's old bookstore and the ticket office of Lin Ting Station. In the movie, the original site of the beloved ballroom is a hotel with deep feelings of Wu people. Now, due to the filming of "My People, My Home" directed by Ning Hao, the front door has been changed into People's Cinema, which is Dongfeng Hotel. It is said that when the film was filmed, all the actors outside were acting hard, but there were still people eating in Dongfeng Hotel. Now Dongfeng Hotel has closed down.

In the memory of Urumqi people, Dongfeng Hotel not only ate the same local dishes, but also steamed vegetables. Compared with Tianmen, Hubei and Liuyang, Hunan, the hometown of steamed vegetables in China, Changshu is more particular about the selection of steamed vegetables, and its knife work is more delicate. Wu, located in Gao Xiang, Changshu, inherits the tradition of steamed vegetables in Changshu, pays attention to the original flavor, and integrates freshness, fragrance and scalding. The taste comes from the juice, which is sandwiched in the middle of the dish and crisp and shapeless.

Eating banquets in Urumqi, running water seats are very particular. Most folk chefs use cauldrons and steamers to steam more than one dish at a time to ensure that the same dish can be enjoyed at multiple tables at the same time. Eight cold cuts, at least 20 large dishes, in the order of "steaming, frying, soup", should not be chaotic at all.

At the T-junction of East Street and West Street, there is a small department store, the facade is not obvious, but the word nine niang cake in the old street is more eye-catching. Now is not the season to make nine niang cakes, but the season to sell Mid-Autumn moon cakes. In addition to daily necessities, Soviet-style moon cakes are neatly placed on the wooden table near the door in the small old house.

From East Street to Northwest Street, the narrow streets have little commercial flavor, but the life flavor is still strong. Many old houses look old, but they still stand. Small red lanterns are hung now, which makes people feel love. Although the old street is no longer prosperous, it is basically inhabited by foreigners who speak Mandarin and local old people who stay behind. These old people are unwilling.

Far from home, there are still residents living in these old houses, guarding the old houses and their memories of life, but they also enjoy themselves. Almost all the people gathered at the door to speak were elders, and most of Wu's young people chose to work hard outside.

I don't count how many narrow lanes there are in the old street, but if passing by coincides with the rainy season, try to hold an oil-paper umbrella and wander alone in the long and lonely rain lane, stepping on the slate, and maybe you can meet a girl like cloves.

Not far from the west of Lin Ting Department Store, it used to be the facade of supply and marketing cooperatives. With the changes of the times, it has experienced ups and downs, and the once prosperous has been replaced by the cold and cheerless today. However, this store has become a private operation. The store is still the style of supply and marketing cooperatives in the past, and there are all kinds of daily necessities. A row of chicken pots hanging on the wire is still eye-catching, and the manual scales and raw iron pots in the store are hard to see in the city.

On the west street, there used to be a courtyard of the township government. When Wu was a township, the township government was stationed in this small courtyard, and township cadres rode in and out on old bicycles. But it was demolished last year, leaving only two cedars and 1 golden laurel trees on the empty construction site, silently telling the past history.

Not far to the west, there is Soochow School in Changshu, which is a private school. But for Lao Wu's people, this is their former Urumqi Middle School, and many people have studied here. Their youth and memories are cherished here.

Walking along Wushi Bridge is the center of Wushi New District. The brand-new Wu market is big and bright. The Star Kindergarten on the side of the road used to be an adult education school in Wu, which was very famous in Changshu that year. Many people come to Wu from the city just to study accounting courses. Now the primary schools and kindergartens in downtown Wu have been renovated, but this does not hinder their ancient and authoritative impression in the eyes of Wu people.

Now in Orfila, neat self-built houses are located on both sides of the road, and the road is neat and clean. Just looking around, it's hard to see that this used to be a remote town in Changshu.