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舊俗二月初二回娘家

Married Daughters' Return on the Second of the Second Lunar Month

紀毓鼎遺著

               Author: Chi, Yu-Ting (1915-2015)

    Translator: Crystal Tai (the author's granddaughter)

故鄉泰州的兒歌唱著：“二月二，家家撐船帶女兒。不帶女兒窮鬼兒。”可知女兒回娘家是在二月初二，不是現今說的一月初二。如前文所言，正月初二在所謂的三天大新年內，媳婦們不會有空回娘家。

A ballad in my hometown Taizhou goes, “When the second of the second lunar month comes/ Every family rows a boat taking married daughters back to their moms/ Those not taking married daughters home are bums”. So, we know married daughters in my hometown visited their parents on the second of the second lunar month, not on the second of the first lunar month, as people say today. I have stated in a previous article that the second of the first lunar month is within the first three days of the Chinese New Year's celebration. Married women in my hometown wouldn't have had time to visit their own parents then.

小時每次進城去外婆家，總是由父母帶著我們和僕婦們從後門的碼頭坐雇來的大官船去。九十華裡（四十五公里）路程，由於河道寬狹不同，轉轉折折，要兩天才能到。船上有房艙，客艙，廚房。船頭廣闊，足夠玩耍。苦的是僕婦們要時刻看牢我們，以防我們失足落水。一路碧波紅杏，柳線鶯歌的美景，可惜我們小孩子不懂得欣賞。

In my childhood, every time my parents took me and my siblings to visit my maternal grandparents, some housemaids followed along. We went through the back door to board a large rental boat on the canal behind our mansion. The journey was only 45 kilometers long but went through waterways in different widths, so it was a winding path that took two days. On the boat were bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. The bow of the boat was wide enough for us kids to play around. However, our housemaids had a hard time watching us. They needed to pay attention to us every minute to prevent us from falling into water. Along the way, teal currents reflected pink apricot blossoms while birds sang through slender willow leaves, though we were too young to appreciate the serene scenery.

進了城，我們最喜歡去城隍廟集會。那邊攤販很多，所賣大半是小孩吃的玩的。每次都滿載而歸。

Once we arrived downtown, our favorite place was the fair in front of the Town Guardian's Temple. There were many vendors at the plaza, selling mostly snacks and toys for children. Every time we went, we left with a full load of things.

泰州城風行的茶市是鄉下沒有的。泰州茶市以嫩薑嫩蒜拌幹絲，最出名的還有炸脆鱔，蟹黃包，魚湯麪，肴肉，風雞。另外在護城河東北段，河面廣闊，非常甯靜，每當春日桃花開放，即有成群野鳥來棲息。到秋冬之際，又有過境的野鴨。此等鳥鴨是野味中最鮮美的。

The City of Taizhou had tea markets, which we didn't have in our village. In the tea markets, they served tofu noodles with fresh ginger and fresh garlic as an dim sum item. Other popular dishes included deep-fried eels, crab buns, fish noodle soup, cured pork cubes, and air-dried chicken. In addition, along the northeastern section of the moat, where it was wide and quiet, wild birds came during the blooming season of peach trees. Later in the fall and winter, some migrating wild ducks would pass by. These wild birds and ducks were the most superb game meats.

泰州的小磨香油馳名全國，過去是由芝麻在小石磨中以小毛驢牽引細研，所以製油的作坊甚至磨豆腐的店都養有毛驢。賣燒臘的攤上時有熟驢肉出售，鮮嫩爽口，別處吃不到的。

Sesame oil from Taizhou is famous nationwide. In the past, it was made from sesame in a small stone mill pulled by a little donkey. For the refine grinding job, sesame oil workshops and tofu stores raised donkeys. Cooked donkey meat was often seen at deli vending stalls. It was fresh, tender and tasty. You couldn't get it anywhere else.

芝麻油除了食用，還有幫助食品保鮮的作用。我們東鄉的鮮蝦殼軟，白色，通體透明，其嫩其鮮，為蝦中之最。昔時無冷藏技術，於是洗淨之後，整隻置於玻璃瓶內，浸以芝麻油固封。可帶往揚州舅公家，泰州城外婆家。經月蝦頭不落，鮮嫩不減！

Sesame oil is more than a cooking oil. It can work as a natural preservative. In our east village, there were white fresh water shrimp which looked entirely clear. They were the best of the best, SO tender and delicious! In the past, there were no refrigerators. So, after cleaning the shrimp, we placed their entire bodies in a glass jar and soaked them in sesame oil. Then we sealed the jar and brought it to my great uncle in Yangzhou or my maternal grandmother in the City of Taizhou. Months later, the shrimp heads would still be intact. Their freshness and tenderness would remain as well!

關於鄉人當年如何自製食品，還有更多可說，將在以後的篇幅中陸續談到。

About how my village people used to produce food, there is a lot more to say. I will talk more about my memories of country life later.

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【法奶日報www.lulijen.com2015.3.20.出刊，第9-1354號】