Lu Xun's original text "Kong Yiji"

The layout of hotels in Luzhen is different from other places: there is a large square-shaped counter on the street, with hot water prepared in the cabinet, so that wine can be warmed at any time. Workers, after taking a break from work in the afternoon and evening, spent four copper coins each to buy a bowl of wine - this happened more than 20 years ago, but now each bowl costs up to ten copper coins - and stood outside the counter. , have a hot drink and rest; if you are willing to spend an extra penny, you can buy a plate of salted bamboo shoots or fennel beans to drink with you. If you spend more than ten pence, you can buy a meat dish, but these customers , mostly from the short-clothes gang (2), probably not so luxurious (3). Only those wearing long gowns walked into the house next to the store, asked for wine and food, and sat down to drink slowly.

I have been working as a waiter in the Xianheng Hotel at the entrance of the town since I was twelve years old. The shopkeeper said that I looked too stupid and was afraid that I would not be able to serve the long-gown customers, so I just did something outside. Although the short-coated patrons outside are easy to talk to, there are also many who are nagging and confused. They often have to watch the rice wine being scooped out from the jar, check whether there is water at the bottom of the pot, and watch the pot being placed in hot water. Then they can rest assured: under this strict supervision, the water is also very good. Difficult. So a few days later, the shopkeeper said again that I couldn't do it. Fortunately, the person who recommended me (5) was very kind and I couldn't fire him, so I was assigned to the boring job of warming wine.

From then on, I stood at the counter all day long, focusing on my duties. Although there is no dereliction of duty, it always feels a bit monotonous and boring. The shopkeeper had a fierce face, and the patrons were not nice either (6), and he was not lively. Only when Kong Yiji came to the shop could he laugh a few times, so he still remembers it to this day.

Kong Yiji was the only person wearing a long gown while drinking while standing. He is tall and tall, with a pale complexion and often scars between his wrinkles, and a shaggy gray beard. Although he was wearing a long gown, it was dirty and torn. It seemed that it had not been mended or washed in more than ten years. When he talks to people, he always talks a lot (7), teaching people half-understood things. Because his surname was Kong, others nicknamed him Kong Yiji from the semi-intelligible words "Master Kong Yiji (8)" written on the red paper. As soon as Kong Yiji arrived at the shop, all the drinkers looked at him and smiled, and some shouted, "Kong Yiji, you have a new scar on your face!" He did not answer, but said to the cabinet, "Warm two bowls of wine. "I asked for a plate of fennel beans." They shouted loudly and deliberately, "You must have stolen someone else's thing again!" Kong Yiji opened his eyes and said, "Why do you accuse someone of innocence out of thin air..." "What innocence? I saw you steal it with my own eyes the day before yesterday. The books from the He family were hung and beaten." Kong Yiji blushed, and the veins on his forehead popped out, and argued, "Stealing books cannot be considered stealing... stealing books can be considered stealing! "What?" followed by a series of difficult words, such as "A gentleman is poor (9)" and "Zhehu", etc., which caused everyone to burst into laughter: the atmosphere inside and outside the store was filled with joy.

I heard people talking behind the scenes that Kong Yiji had also studied in the past, but in the end he did not go to school (10) and could not make a living (11). So he became poorer and poorer, and was about to beg for food. Fortunately, I wrote a good calligraphy, so I paid (12) money for someone else's book in exchange for a bowl of rice. It's a pity that he has another bad temper, that is, he is lazy and lazy. Within a few days, people, books, papers, pens, and inkstones all disappeared. This happened several times, and no one asked him to copy the book. Kong Yiji had no choice but to steal from time to time. But in our store, his conduct was better than others, that is, he never defaulted on arrears. Although he occasionally did not have cash, he temporarily recorded it on the pink board, but within a month, he would definitely pay it off, and Kong Yiji was wiped off the pink board. name.

Kong Yiji drank half a bowl of wine, and his flushed face gradually recovered. Someone else asked again, "Kong Yiji, do you really know how to read?" Kong Yiji looked at the person who asked him, obviously Showing disdain to argue. They then said, "How come you can't even catch half a scholar?" Kong Yiji immediately looked depressed and uneasy, his face was covered with a layer of gray, and he said something; this time it was all nonsense. Something like that, some people don’t understand. At this time, everyone burst into laughter: the atmosphere inside and outside the store was full of joy.

At these times, I can laugh along, and the shopkeeper will never blame me.

(17)

Article Notes

(1) Selected from "The Scream" [1] (Volume 1 of "The Complete Works of Lu Xun", People's Literature Publishing House, 1981 edition). "Kong Yiji" is Lu Xun's second vernacular novel after "Diary of a Madman" written on the eve of the May Fourth Movement. This novel describes a scholar who failed to pass the examination as a scholar. He lost his dignity and was reduced to living in a small hotel. The object of ridicule, thus exposing the social problems of the time.

(2) Short clothes gang: refers to the working people.

(3) Chuò: lavish.

(4) 羼 (chàn): mixing, doping.

(5) Recommendation: A person who introduced servants as a profession in the old society also generally refers to a person who introduces occupations.

(6) Voice: This refers to attitude.

(7) A mouthful of words: It means a mouthful of classical Chinese words. This is used to express Kong Yiji's nerdy spirit.

(8) Shang Da Ren Kong Yiji: The popular red tracing paper in the old days was printed with "Shang Da Ren Kong Yiji" which contains a variety of strokes and is relatively simple, with three characters and one sentence.

(9) A gentleman can live in poverty: The phrase comes from "The Analects", which means that a "gentleman" can be content with poverty. Solid, secure.

(10) Entering school: Imperial examination, children's voices taking the annual examination, admission to the county school, called "entering school", that is, becoming a scholar. Scholars went to the provincial capital to take the unified examination every three years, and those who passed the examination were awarded the title of "Juren"!