-A true legend about the pepper in Dahongpao, Hancheng.

Xia yang, a place surrounded by mountains and waters, has four distinct seasons, warm in winter and cool in summer. For thousands of years, people here have been farming and grazing for a living. Although chickens and dogs have heard about each other, they have lived in peace for generations.

According to legend, a long time ago, father and daughter lived in a broken cave in a remote mountain villa. Dad is illiterate, his wife died early, and his daughter has grown to fifteen or sixteen years old, and there is no formal name yet. The villagers call her father and son father and aunt. Father and daughter work at sunrise, rest at sunset, live together, and live a quiet and miserable life. Autumn has passed and spring has come. With the passage of time, my aunt grew up day by day and her appearance became natural and graceful. Clothes and shoes, short and decent, elegant and decent, can be ashamed of flowers and close the moon, without makeup. Gentle, well-behaved, shy smile makes peach face more rosy; Graceful charm, plump skin is enough to make people dump; The sweet voice like a silver bell will surely make you intoxicated; When walking, the cloud bun moves slightly and the steps are light, such as butterflies flying in the fog and violets at the head of the pool; Flowing clouds and flowing water, fluttering like a fairy; Her cherry has a small mouth, which opens and closes. If she smiles sweetly, her eyes look good, her nose moves slightly and her teeth show slightly, you will definitely forget what she said. Aunt also has a wonderful cooking skill: cooking, frying and seasoning are fine and skillful, and the meat is hot and cold, with good color, fragrance and shape. Friends, relatives and neighbors all smell the fragrance of their fingers, and know that the smell is amazing. This is also the mystery of menstruation's immortality. Not only that, her delicate little hands know everything about knitting and cutting. If you embroider one or several dazzling flowers or attractive herbs on the sleeve collar and chest, it will be icing on the cake. Occasionally, when you look from behind, you will feel fascinated. When you face her, you will feel that Jiang Lang is tired and ashamed. Nowadays, I don't know how many people will silently ask themselves: Who is the butterfly dancer?

Marrying a female university is common sense in the world. Most of the strong men in Shiliba village are staring and salivating, and they put their love, hope, yearning and envy on their aunts. So Yue Lao and the matchmaker kept running around day and night, reciprocating endlessly, and there were a sea of people. Recently, my father is far away from home, so busy, I don't know whether he is happy or worried. Why doesn't he want his daughter to have a peaceful and happy home? Aunt is raised by her father, who is considerate and has nothing to lose; Words and deeds, elegant and decent; There are several movements with moderate weight; Treat people with courtesy, treat people with courtesy. Although the proposer is full of heartfelt words, or kind words, or heartfelt entreaties, or countless exhortations, it is more than rejection. This can not help but make people feel embarrassed. Aunt is young, but her feelings are still very incomparable. She is not arrogant, but she is at a loss in the face of secular habits. When she mentioned that the boss was well-off, she dismissed it as "black"; It is said that Simon is a person who respects power, and she scoffs at this and thinks it is "risk"; When it comes to 100 pharmacists, she says they are "very stingy"; She replied that good craftsmanship is "short-minded." Aunt, heaven and earth are boundless, life is geometric, and years are short. You, you, you ... Don't you have a choice? So they are delivered one by one and often come back in pairs. It's really hard to welcome guests, and it's even harder to see them off.

I have to start with my aunt when she was six years old.

The previous winter, there was not a drop of snow and rain. Since the beginning of spring, drought and wind have not stopped, autumn crops have failed, summer harvest is hopeless, green and yellow crops have failed, and disaster has come. Poor families do not have enough to eat, and it is difficult to survive in famine. Rich family, romantic son, carefree housekeeper, domineering and arrogant. At this time, human feelings suddenly changed. For most ordinary people, it is very important to fill their stomachs, so there are people who help each other, people who borrow money by stealth, and people who beg along the street with their grandchildren. Aunt often grabs dad's skirt and keeps this in mind. However, when it comes to the only question that I don't understand, my father often only says one sentence, and you will understand when you grow up. This is an old saying.

There are unexpected events in the sky. Just as my daughter's marriage was in full swing, the famine year came again. Dad is hardworking, kind, honest and straightforward. Although he suffered for a long time, he never flattered anyone and never felt inferior at any time. During the famine, he still didn't pray, beg or beg. He went down to the back sewer with webbed heads and sickles all day, peeling mulberry, digging reed roots and planing wild taro to satisfy his hunger. He is always unwilling to watch his daughter starve. My daughter knows that her father went out early and came home late, and he has come through thick and thin, saving every bite of food and drink for herself. Looking at her father's tired body and haggard and swollen face, her heart ached. Tears flow to the corners of the mouth like off-line rain and swallow into the stomach. She didn't want her father to see her sadness and increase her pain. Sometimes, the bitterness of a beautiful woman often adds icing on the cake to her beauty, and loving jade has become human nature. Dad also knows that his daughter's charming face and feminine taste are by no means spoiled. She grew up in poverty, and only after several tortures did she come of age. She has extraordinary wisdom and precocious natural beauty. Dad's simple, honest, industrious and simple personality affects his dearest daughter all the time, and cannot but deeply edify and infect the apple of his eye. He already knows that he has no ability to control his daughter's fate. He finally couldn't hold on. He really doesn't want to leave this poor and helpless daughter like this, but what can he do? These days, he has been bedridden and has not eaten soup. He had a premonition that he was about to leave this miserable world, but it occurred to him that there were some things he had not told his daughter, and some things he had to do. Let the daughter know clearly and have no regrets.

These days, he can't sleep day and night except eating and drinking. That night, the disease tortured and threatened him like a monster. He tossed and turned, full of thoughts, and still didn't sleep until after midnight. So I lit the oil lamp, got up and got off the kang, and held out a black and bright porcelain jar from a dark corner. A burst of hard thinking, strong spirits, by the way, wake up my daughter and say, "Aunt, when you grow up, it's time for dad to explain something to you." He coughed several times, and his breath was short and rapid. His daughter gave her father a hammer and hit him on the back. Then she boiled water in a pot and wanted to cook a bowl of boiled water for her father. Grandpa saw that his daughter was busy and said weakly, "It is unnecessary to be unfilial to her daughter. Listen to dad. " He struggled to continue the topic just now. Every word triggered a bitter and angry past.

"When you were two, your mother left us. She is so beautiful that everyone calls her Black Pearl. She is strong-willed, dignified and tidy. When I work for others, I always reason with others because I can't stand being bullied by my boss. For the last time, the owner refused to accept the claim and deducted her salary for half a year, which made her crazy. From then on, for a long time, I laughed and cried, intermittently and incoherently. In severe cases, it is uncertain to enter and leave, or even not to return day and night. I hugged you all day, looking for your mother. I don't know how long it took. Occasionally, one day, she seemed to get better and cooked a delicious dinner. I never knew that she had such a good craft. After dinner, she changed her clothes, freshened up a little, and then said, "I'm going out for a while." You have no idea how happy I am when I hold you and sit at the door waiting for you. You were still singing the folk song' This mountain is low, that mountain is high, and my dad will never bend over again ...'. Suddenly, not far away, people are quarreling and dogs are biting. I'm starting to wonder. I put you down to find out, only to know that your mother went to the owner to collect debts. Just after knocking on the door a few times, the lame man later released their German shepherd and chased her to bite, causing her to roll around and get black and blue. I helped her home, and she kept cursing:' Dogs are not as good as wolf poison, and people are not as good as dogs. After I got home, I was busy washing and dressing your mother for a long time. I clearly remember that you repeatedly said with tears,' Mom, when you go out tomorrow, be careful of dog bites, and remember to bring a stick …' and said,' When I grow up and kill it, no more dogs will bite you. This is a sleepless night. Your mother always repeats in her dreams that dogs are worse than wolfsbane and people are worse than dogs. "At this point, dad probably remembered the more worrying scene. He was very sad and angry. He's a little out of breath. Although the aunt was sad and angry, she still suppressed the fire in her heart and advised her to say, "Let's not talk about the past that was unbearable." Dad waved and motioned for his aunt to listen quietly, as if there were more painful things to come. He went on to say, "The next night, in the middle of the night, your mother went out again. I thought she wouldn't go to her boss, but it hasn't been half an hour. What do you want? "I don't know where she got so much firewood and put it at the door of her host's house and lit it under the eaves. Suddenly, the landlord's house caught fire, and the house collapsed and was in a mess. Still that loser, shovel your mother alive with a steel shovel! Heaven retribution, just when he turned around and didn't take two steps, a piece of wood collapsed and broke his leg. The next day, the owner also moved to a relative's house in the far town. They've been trying to force you to marry that cripple to pay off your debts, and they killed someone else. After a long time, things will pass. " Speaking of which, my father is very tired, breathless and panting, as if he has something more important to say.

So, he patted the black jar in his arms and struggled to say, "This jar was taken out by your mother from the landlord's house at the beginning, and it contains some black pearl-like seeds, which are very hemp and delicious." She didn't tell anyone. I planted these seeds in a vacant lot on the back of the mountain where no one went. A few years later, they really blossomed. An unusually fragrant smell. Later, I learned that the delicious meal your mother cooked was for treasure. Since then, people have come to the door many times for this matter. Finally, your mother's arson made a big deal, and the landlord's house was abandoned. I collect some seeds and put them in this jar every year. I want to give them to big shots in peacetime when people feel warm. Good stuff! It grows when it sees the wind, loves the sun, bears drought, blooms in April, bears fruit in May and bears fruit in June. Bonus is like fire, extremely delicate and charming, and smells like Wan Li. At that time, it was often said that only the rich had this kind of flower, and the poor had to smell it several times. "At this point, he breathed a long sigh of relief. He must have finished what he had to say. He had a dry cough for a while and didn't let his aunt stop him. He suddenly changed the subject: "Dad has no tomorrow, you have grown up. Dad wants to send you a word, please do one thing: remember, no matter you are rich or poor, you must follow good advice; Sprinkle this pot of seeds on the poor mountain, let it take root and sprout, let it last forever ... "These are the last two words my father said. Then the old man slowly closed his eyes. No matter how his daughter cried, he passed away forever with a bitter smile.

At the moment, it is almost dawn. Aunt's crying alarmed her neighbors, and everyone helped her take care of her father's affairs. The next day, my aunt wore a white gauze and a bunch of white flowers, holding the shiny black jar filled with black pearl seeds. According to her father's wishes, she set out from his grave and walked to the sunrise, facing the mountain wind and traveled to every corner of this place. She scattered, scattered ... She didn't know that she was tired, thirsty, and seemed to be scattered all the time, day and night. In Shiliba village, from time to time, someone sees a person coming and going without a trace, like a demon. After a while, he went to this hill and suddenly went to that hill. Her footprints are everywhere on the ridge and on the ground. There are good people who want to see the truth However, whenever people approach, there is no trace in front of them. In the distance, there will be a sad song: "This mountain is low, that mountain is high, and Dad will not bend over until he dies ..."

On this day, she has been exhausted and struggling. Finally, she fell into a ravine full of flowers, and the jar was smashed to pieces with a seed in her hand. She didn't breathe, and there were sad tears in her eyes. She exudes a strange fragrance, which makes everyone curious, and the villagers are also puzzled by the trace of this beautiful and charming girl's fate these days. So a kind-hearted man wrapped her whole body in a fiery red quilt cover and buried the body on the spot. A few years later, the seeds she planted grew spontaneously and became a forest. Every year, flowers bloom like fire, and fragrance wafts in Wan Li. In front of the girl's grave, there is a towering tree with deep roots and luxuriant leaves. The smell is intoxicating, and the thorns are all over. So an insider sang a jingle and said, "A flower is very fragrant and beautiful, but it is difficult to get close to you." . Pearl Dahongpao, each one is a kind.

Later, a teacher wrote an inscription for the inscription, traced the source of the book, and wrote "The Female Tomb of Zanthoxylum bungeanum". Later, he explained: jiao, describing people as delicate and difficult to climb, enchanting and extraordinary; Pepper is hard to get close to, and its fragrance is attractive. The voice agreed to approach, that's all. Since then, no one has corrected it and no one cares.

This is a true story. When I was a child, I often heard old people talk about it under my old locust tree. I don't know how many times I have heard it. The stone tablet is still there. In the 1960s, someone saw it with his own eyes. It's at the bottom of the manger in the cowshed. I wonder if I can find it after many years.