受戒
Page 6
The shops and stalls in this street knew well enough how business was going on in other shops and stalls. Business had been bad in the past few years. With some shops things fared better, but all they could do was just keep business going. In the grips of a recession, the shelves of other stores grew bare. Deliveries were halted and finally, the owners were compelled to sell their shengcai and close up shop. Wang Er's business, to the contrary, grew more and more prosperous. He expanded his stall and increased the number of boxes of peas, seeds and enamel trays of hot food. During the busy hours every evening, a crowd of people would stand in front of his stall. On rainy or snowy days an even greater number of people would come to buy his food. Seeing his customers standing outside under their umbrellas made him uneasy. Then, after he had someone throw in nice words to the shop owner and paid the rent, he moved his stall next door to the Yuanchang Tobacco Shop.
每天下午，在上学的孩子放学，人家淘晚饭米的时候，他就来摆他的摊子。他为什么选中保全堂来摆他的摊子呢？是因为这地点好，东街西街和附近几条巷子到这里都不远；因为保全堂的廊檐宽，柜台到铺门有相当的余地；还是因为这是一家药店，药店到晚上生意就比较清淡——很少人晚上上药铺抓药的，他摆个摊子碍不着人家的买卖，都说不清。当初还一定是请人向药店的东家说了好话，亲自登门叩谢过的。反正，有年头了。他的摊子的全副“生财”——这地方把做买卖的用具叫做“生财”，就寄放在药店店堂的后面过道里，挨墙放着，上面就是悬在二梁上的赵公元帅的神龛。这些“生财”包括两块长板，两条三条腿的高板凳（这种高凳一边两条腿，在两头；一边一条腿在当中），以及好几个一面装了玻璃的匣子。他把板凳支好，长板放平，玻璃匣子排开。这些玻璃匣子里装的是黑瓜子、白瓜子、盐炒豌豆、油炸豌豆、兰花豆、五香花生米。长板的一头摆开“熏烧”。“熏烧”除回卤豆腐干之外，主要是牛肉、蒲包肉和猪头肉。这地方一般人家是不大吃牛肉的。吃，也极少红烧、清炖，只是到熏烧摊子去买。这种牛肉是五香加盐煮好，外面染了通红的红曲，一大块一大块地堆在那里。买多少，现切，放在送过来的盘子里，抓一把青蒜，浇一勺辣椒糊。蒲包肉似乎是这个县里特有的。用一个三寸来长直径寸半的蒲包，里面衬上豆腐皮，塞满了加了粉子的碎肉，封了口，拦腰用一道麻绳系紧，成一个葫芦形。煮熟以后，倒出来，也是一个带有蒲包印迹的葫芦。切成片，很香。猪头肉则分门别类地卖，拱嘴、耳朵、脸子——脸子有个专门名词，叫“大肥”。要什么，切什么。到了上灯以后，王二的生意就到了高潮。只见他拿了刀不停地切，一面还忙着收钱，包油炸的、盐炒的豌豆、瓜子，很少有歇一歇的时候。一直忙到九点多钟，在他的两盏高罩的煤油灯里煤油已经点去了一多半，装熏烧的盘子和装豌豆的匣子都已经见了底的时候，他媳妇给他送饭来了，他才用热水擦一把脸，吃晚饭。吃完晚饭，总还有一些零零星星的生意，他不忙收摊子，就端了一杯热茶，坐到保全堂店堂里的椅子上，听人聊天，一面拿眼睛瞟着他的摊子，见有人走来，就起身切一盘，包两包。他的主顾都是熟人，谁什么时候来，买什么，他心里都是有数的。
这一条街上的店铺、摆摊的，生意如何，彼此都很清楚。近几年，景况都不大好。有几家好一些，但也只是能维持。有的是逐渐地败落下来了。先是货架上的东西越来越空，只出不进，最后就出让“生财”，关门歇业。只有王二的生意却越做越兴旺。他的摊子越摆越大，装炒货的匣子，装熏烧的洋瓷盘子，越来越多。每天晚上到了买卖高潮的时候，摊子外面有时会拥着好些人。好天气还好，遇上下雨下雪（下雨下雪买他的东西的比平常更多），叫主顾在当街打伞站着，实在很不过意。于是经人说合，出了租钱，他就把他的摊子搬到隔壁源昌烟店的店堂里去了。
The Yuanchang was an old retail and wholesale shop selling tobacco smoked exclusively in long-stemmed pipes. The tobacco from this area was all peeled in thin slices. The operator placed the tobacco leaves on a specially made wooden table clamped tight with ropes and wooden wedges. Then he stood with the table between his two legs and peeled the tobacco using a big knife whose edge was about five inches. The workers all wore white cloth trousers. During their work, the trousers would be stained yellow. Even after work. when they had shed the work clothes, the yellow colour could be seen all over their bodies. Even their hair was yellow. The handicraft workers usually had on them the colour characteristic of their occupations. Dye-house workers all had blue fingertips and grain-mill workers had white eyebrows. Before, the Yuanchang had employed four workers. Every day adults and children would come to see the four tobacco peelers working. By and by the number of workers was reduced to three, two, and then one. Even the last one was later dismissed. The shop owner made a living by selling cigarettes, matches and small packs of tea. He also bought at wholesale prices two kinds of tobacco to be smoked in water pipes and long-stemmed pipes, and resold them at retail prices. The previously bright shop somehow looked sombre, and the gold characters on the lintel appeared languid. Even the counter seemed bigger and emptier.
源昌烟店是个老字号，专卖旱烟，做门市，也做批发。一边是柜台，一边是刨烟的作坊。这一带抽的旱烟是刨成丝的。刨烟师傅把烟叶子一张一张立着叠在一个特制的木床子上，用皮绳木楔卡紧，两腿夹着床子，用一个刨刃有半尺宽的大刨子刨。烟是黄的。他们都穿了白布套裤。这套裤也都变黄了。下了工，脱了套裤，他们身上也到处是黄的。头发也是黄的。——手艺人都带着他那个行业特有的颜色。染坊师傅的指甲缝里都是蓝的，碾米师傅的眉毛总是白蒙蒙的。原来，源昌号每天有四个师傅、四副床子刨烟。每天总有一些大人孩子站在旁边看。后来减成三个，两个，一个。最后连这一个也辞了。这家的东家就靠卖一点纸烟、火柴、零包的茶叶维持生活，也还卖一点趸来的旱烟、皮丝烟。不知道为什么，原来挺敞亮的店堂变得黑暗了，牌匾上的金字也都无精打采了。那座柜台显得特别的大。大，而空。
After Wang Er moved in, he occupied half of the shop, where the original tobacco-peeling tables once had been placed. He used to set up his stall from east to west at the Baoquantang. But now his stall at the Yuanchang was from north to south. What had once been a stall was now half a shop. With one wooden plank added to the two he already possessed, his present stall was now a terrific L-shaped counter There was more variety in the food he had for sale. In addition to the gravy-soaked dried beancurd, beef, pig's head meat and cattail bags, in spring he sold a wild bird called sandgrouse. This was a migratory bird with a long beak and long legs. As it arrived when the peach blossom bloomed, some scholar had named it"Peach Blossom Sand-grouse”. Wang sold quails, too. When winter set in. he put up a long glass frame with gilded characters on red written inside:"Delicious stewed mutton jelly and spiced rabbit's meat served today." In these residential quarters, mutton was not cooked in the home; it was all bought from stalls. The mutton was stewed with salt. Later it was frozen solid, sliced and mixed with bits of garlic leaves, hot pepper paste and the essential carrot shreds (said to be best for driving away the strong smell of mutton). Soya-bean sauce and vinegar were added at home. Rabbit's meat was cooked the same way as beef, with salt and spices, and later dyed with red leaven.
王二来了，就占了半边店堂，就是原来刨烟师傅刨烟的地方。他的摊子原来在保全堂廊檐是东西向横放着的，迁到源昌，就改成南北向，直放了。所以，已经不能算是一个摊子，而是半个店铺了。他在原有的板子之外增加了一块，摆成一个曲尺形，俨然也就是一个柜台。他所卖的东西的品种也增加了。即以熏烧而论，除了原有的回卤豆腐干、牛肉、�
��头肉、蒲包肉之外，春天，卖一种叫做“鵽”的野味——这是一种候鸟，长嘴长脚，因为是桃花开时来的，不知是哪位文人雅士给它起了一个名称叫“桃花鵽”；卖鹌鹑；入冬以后，他就挂起一个长条形的玻璃镜框，里面用大红腊笺写了泥金字：“即日起新添美味羊羔五香兔肉”。这地方人没有自己家里做羊肉的，都是从熏烧摊上买。只有一种吃法：带皮白煮，冻实，切片，加青蒜、辣椒糊，还有一把必不可少的胡萝卜丝（据说这是最能解膻气的）。酱油、醋，买回来自己加。兔肉，也像牛肉似的加盐和五香煮，染了通红的红曲。
When the New Year came, various spring couplets appeared in the street. Some were specially designed with the shop's name. The Baoquantang had the couplet "Heaven bless common people; may all live long!'’ designed by the shop owner, a bagong. [4] Some big shops, like the draper's, posted rather ambitious couplets:“We follow Zigong [5] in career and imitate Taozhu [6] in trade." The most popular was:"A thriving business miles and miles round; a large fortune all over the country." For shops which operated on a small margin of profit, the couplets would be modest. One of them read:"May our business thrive like grass in the blooming spring and our financial resources grow like mushrooms after the rain." The last one would be most appropriate for Wang Er's business, which was more than a stall and less than a shop. However, it had never occurred to Wang Er that he should put up a couplet like this. Besides where would he put it? The space where he had established his stall belonged to the Yuanchang. But his business was indeed like grass in the blooming spring and mushrooms after rain. The most conspicuous indication
of his prosperity was a puffing gas lamp which replaced his high-screened kerosene lamp. In those days gas lamps were used only in old-fashioned private banks and silk and satin shops. What a sight to see a gas lamp above Wang Er's delicatessen stall! By contrast, the kerosene lamp above the counter of Yuanchang Cigarette Shop looked all the dimmer.
这条街上过年时的春联是各式各样的。有的是特制嵌了字号的。比如保全堂，就是由该店拔贡出身的东家拟制的“保我黎民，全登寿域”；有些大字号，比如布店，口气很大，贴的是“生涯宗子贡，贸易效陶朱”，最常见的是“生意兴隆通四海，财源茂盛达三江”；小本经营的买卖的则很谦虚地写出：“生意三春草，财源雨后花。”这末一副春联，用于王二的超摊子准铺子，真是再贴切不过了，虽然王二并没有想到贴这样一副春联—他也没处贴呀，这铺面的字号还是“源昌”。他的生意真是三春草、雨后花一样地起来了。“起来”最显眼的标志是他把长罩煤油灯撤掉，挂起一盏呼呼作响的汽灯。须知，汽灯这东西只有钱庄、绸缎庄才用，而王二，居然在一个熏烧摊子的上面，挂起来了。这白亮白亮的汽灯，越显得源昌柜台里的一盏煤油灯十分地暗淡了。
Wang Er's rise to fortune could also be perceived from his other activities. He could now afford to listen to pingtan [7] whenever he liked. Listening to pingtan was his favourite pastime. Of all the notices and posters in the street. what attracted him most were those announcing pingtan events. They were usually written in thick Chinese ink on sheets of yellow paper measuring three inches by four feet, which read:"Romance of the Three Kingdoms or Outlaws of the Marsh or Anecdotes of General Yue Fei by special invitation of so-and-so from Yangzhou at a certain Teahouse: performances given every day rain or shine as from a certain date. "In those days going to a pingtan teahouse involved some consideration. Firstly it was an expensive pastime. Secondly it was also a time-consuming entertainment. Last but not least the pingtan audience generally enjoyed relatively high social status. People might talk if a deli vendor frequented the pingtan teahouse. But in recent years, Wang Er did not feel out of place sitting among the audience. He did not fear gossip anymore and went wherever it pleased him, either to the Little Fairyland or Five Willow Garden teahouses to listen to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Outlaws of the Marsh, or Anecdotes of General Yue Fei. In the summer when the days were long he went more often, dressed in a long gown made of thin cotton or linen, with a string of cash around him. The matinee started at one o'clock. At nearly four o'clock the story-teller or ballad-singer would stop, usually at a point which was a critical juncture of the plot. A waiter of the teahouse would shout:"Please come early tomorrow!" Then the audience gradually rose to leave. At this time of the day, Wang Er still had time to do his business. Wang Er was busy all day long except for the few hours in the afternoon. The second indication of his prosperity was that during the Chinese New Year he never hesitated to stake money playing paijiu [8] . Wang Er never gambled except for the first five days of the New Year. Gambling was not prohibited during that time. It could be seen in any store. So from the first day on, the shop gate was closed. It was rather dark inside. Behind the counter of the Baoquantang, there was a narrow passage where people offered sacrifices to Shennong [9] . As there was a skylight overhead, it was fairly bright there. After the table in front of the portrait of Shennong was pulled out, the tiles and dice were poured onto the table. Those who played mahjong were of similar social status, but the paijiu players might be from all walks of life. Except for Mr Tao and an apprentice named Chen, all clerks of the Baoquantang took part. So did the rent collector and the live-fish seller who had a scar on his left eye. Some pupils nicknamed him Bayan Har [10] Mountain. and the name stuck and spread. Everyone in the street called him Bayan Har Mountain, though some people, Wang Er for one, hardly knew the full story.
The stakes they laid were neither high nor low, about ten strings of cash for one game. Ten strings of cash equalled three silver dollars. For higher stakes, one string of cash was divided into three parts ; 300 wen[11] , 300 wen, and 400 wen. If he got eight spots, he won double, or 600 wen; if he got nine spots, heaven spots,[12] or earth spots,[13] he won the whole string of 1,000 wen. Wang Er often played this game. When he staked five strings of cash on One throw, his heart did not race, and his hands did not tremble. But when the rent collector staked as much as 500 wen, his hands trembled uncontrollably. When Wang Er had won quite a lot of money, he offered to be the dealer. Strangely enough, with paijiu players, the more money one had, the more arrogant one became. More often than not. Wang Er was the winner.
王二的发达，是从他的生活也看得出来的。第一，他可以自由地去听书。王二最爱听书。走到街上，在形形色色招贴告示中间，他最注意的是说书的报条。那是三寸宽，四尺来长的一条黄颜色的纸，浓墨写道：“特聘维扬×××先生在×××（茶馆）开讲××（三国、水浒、岳传……）是月×日起风雨无阻。”以前去听书都要经过考虑。一是花钱，二是费时间，更主要的是考虑这于他的身份不大相称：一个卖熏烧的，常常听书，怕人议论。近年来，他觉得可以了，想听就去。小蓬莱、五柳园（这都是说书的茶馆），都去，三国、水浒、岳传，都听。尤其是夏天，天长，穿了竹布的或夏布的长衫，拿了一吊钱，就去了。下午的书一点开书，不到四点钟就“明日请早”了（这里说书的规矩是在说书先生说到预定的地方，留下一个扣子，跑堂的茶房高喝一声“明日请早——！”听客们就纷纷起身散场），这耽误不了他的生意。他一天忙到晚，只有这一段时间得空。第二，过年推牌九，他在下注时不犹豫。王二平常绝不赌钱，只有过年赌五天。过年赌钱不犯禁，家家店铺里可赌钱。初一起，不做生意，铺门关起来，里面黑洞洞的。保全堂柜台里身，有一个小穿堂，是供神农祖师的地方，上面有个天窗，比较亮堂。拉开神农画像前的一张方桌，哗啦一声，骨牌和骰子就倒出来了。打麻将多是社会地位相近的，推牌九则不论。谁都可以来。保全堂的“同仁”（除了陶先生和陈相公），替人家收房钱的抡元，卖活鱼的疤眼——他曾得外症，治愈后左眼留一大疤，小学生给他起了个外号叫“巴颜喀拉�
��”，这外号竟传开了，一街人都叫他巴颜喀拉山，虽然有人不知道这是什么意思——王二输赢说大不大，说小可也不小。十吊钱推一庄。十吊钱相当于三块洋钱。下注稍大的是一吊钱三三四。一吊钱分三道：三百、三百、四百。七点赢一道，八点赢两道，若是抓到一副九点或是天地杠，庄家赔一吊钱。王二下“三三四”是常事。有时竟会下到五吊钱一注孤丁，把五吊钱稳稳地推出去，心不跳，手不抖。（收房钱的抡元下到五百钱一注时手就抖个不住。）
赢得多了，他也能上去推两庄。推牌九这玩意，财越大，气越粗，王二输的时候竟不多。
After Wang Er had moved his stall to the Yuanchang Tobacco Shop next door, at nine o'clock every evening he would still go to the Baoquantang with a cup of tea in his hands and sit for an hour or so. His son had grown up and could alone manage to serve the small number of customers who might turn up in the evening.
The Baoquantang was an apothecary with a moderate shop front. For some reason, the shop owner never employed local people. All his employees from manager to water carrier came from Huaicheng. Every year they took a one-month vacation in turn during which time they were allowed to go home to be with their families. For the other eleven months they lived in the shop and their wives were "widowed" for the same period of time. All the clerks in the shop were addressed as"Mr.". Among them, the guanshi, manager, had the highest position, and also a lifelong position. The dismissal of a guanshi was rare. Only when the old guanshi had died could a new one be hired. A guanshi was entitled to"person shares", also known as "labour shares". [14] He had the right to draw dividends at the end of the year like a shareholder. Consequently he was industrious and loyal to the business. He shouldered all the responsibilities in the shop as the shop owner hardly made an appearance. As was the usual practice, he lived alone in a room behind the portrait of Shennong. The general accounts book, money and precious medicines such as rhinoceros horn, antelope and musk were all locked in this room, and the key was kept in his pocket. Ginseng and pilose antler were not regarded as precious. At mealtimes the manager would sit in the last seat, the seat for the host, indicating that he played host to everyone present on behalf of the shop owner. Few people were able to rise to the post of manager. There were just a few apothecaries in the whole county. The manager of the Baoquantang was surnamed Lu.