Return To 1977 Chapter 246: Buy firecrackers
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"New Year's goods" is a word with a wide range of meanings. Although food is the main focus, it also includes things to use, wear, wear, play with, and offer. Specifically, it can be divided into six categories: food, clothing, daily necessities, superstition, play, and decoration.
So Hong Yanwu and Chen Liquan didn't have lunch at home at all. In order to purchase other things, they went directly to Wangfujing.
Compared with the past eleven years, Wangfujing made a major breakthrough on the eve of the Spring Festival in 1978 and became full of New Year flavor. Because this year, New Year goods stalls have been set up in the square in front of the department store. This was the department store's first holiday marketing campaign since the "movement" period, and it attracted an unimaginable crowd of people who gathered here to buy the latest home appliances.
Hong Yanwu and Chen Liquan's shopping mood was suddenly aroused by the sight of colorful flags and crowds of people, and they dived in. When they came out again, they had a ten-dollar iron submachine gun and three pairs of men's new shoes in their hands. Cotton shoes. This is a gift they prepared for the other four men in the family, young and old.
After that, they rested their stomachs in a nearby restaurant and then went into the department store again. In total, I bought two "hero" pens, a knife of red paper, three nylon gauze scarves, a dozen handkerchiefs, a dozen men's socks, a dozen women's socks, three pounds of "Spring Bud Silver" good tea, and two boxes of snacks. , two bags of milk replacer powder, and two cans of pickled cucumbers exported to domestic sales. Just because I don’t have cloth tickets in my hand, I don’t need to think about clothes and fabrics.
And just when they were about to step out of the department store, they never expected that their character would explode again. The shopping mall's announcement suddenly conveyed a new instruction, announcing to everyone that today each person could buy two and a half kilograms of high-end candies without spending money.
So they promptly joined the long queue in front of the candy counter. In the end, not only was he very lucky to be received personally by Zhang Binggui, who is known as the "Ninth Scene of Yanjing", but he also witnessed his unique skills of "accurate hand" and "clear mouth" that have been spread all over the world, and also bought a rare " "Sorghum glutinous rice", "butter ball", "little man's cake" and "wine-filled chocolate".
It's a pity that the "White Rabbit Milk Candy", a Shanghai specialty that is said to be able to make a cup of milk with three candies, is still out of the question.
In the words of the 60-year-old Master Zhang, "I'm sorry, it's always out of stock. If you really want to buy it, you can only entrust an acquaintance who is on a business trip to Shanghai to buy it on your behalf."
But even so, Hong Yanwu, who was a little emotionally stirred by history, was deeply satisfied. Because in just one day, they bought far more than he originally expected. To be honest, the only essential item that is currently lacking is firecrackers.
Just like that, when I got home and saw that the clock was almost four in the afternoon, I put down the sundries I bought. Hong Yanwu and Chen Liquan went to the kindergarten of "Wanshou West Palace" with Hong Yanru to pick up their nephew. After taking Hong Jun with them, they went to Nan Cherry Orchard to buy firecrackers.
Back then, there weren’t as many firecracker sales outlets as there are now. Except for a few local product stores in the city. In other places, they find other shops on the main streets of an area to sell on their behalf.
As for the types of these consignment stores, there are no certain rules. The key lies in the geographical location. They are available in non-staple food stores, chemical stores, and even Wujin stores.
There are no special measures for storage and fire protection. They are just neatly stacked on the shelves behind the counter. Even in a room with a large coal stove, firecrackers can be left blatantly on the counter at close range, and no one is worried about catching fire, and no one is aware of the significant dangers involved.
It is strange to say that back then it was rare to hear of incidents of firecrackers setting off fires in agency stores. I don’t know if it was because of the high quality of the people or God’s blessing.
The sales point of South Cherry Orchard is in a large hardware store at the northwest intersection. Because the space is not small, the variety of firecrackers here was relatively comprehensive back then.
In fact, when comparing the popular varieties back then with today, the gap is quite large. The most striking feature is that it was dominated by firecrackers and there were no large-scale fireworks. There are only a dozen types in total, and almost all of them are relatively traditional categories.
Of course, this is also very particular. For example, firecrackers are called "whips" when they are small, and "cannon" when they are big.
The cheapest type of "whip" is the "little whip" produced in Liuyang, Hunan. Dark red wrapping paper, the "whip" is also red, the specifications are divided into 100, 200, 300, 500, 1,000 and 1,200 heads, the price is 20 cents per 100 heads Accumulate upwards in units.
Because this kind of cannon is small and has a small amount of powder, it makes little noise when fired. Even if you hold its **** between your fingernails and fire it directly in your hand, it will not hurt anyone. At the same time, because of its low price, it was the favorite of children in Beijing.
But even so, due to the low level of overall social consumption. When children buy this kind of "little whip" home, they rarely set it off. Usually they are carefully dismantled and burned one by one. Even if there is a squib, it will be broken open and the gunpowder in it will be ignited, euphemistically called "thorn flower".
There is another kind of "whip" in Beijing, which is the locally produced "steel whip", also known as "cha whip".
This kind of "whip" comes in two sizes. The smaller one can hold up to two of Liuyang's "little whips". The larger one is pencil-thick and is an earth-colored firecracker. It has a long fuse, a large amount of powder, and makes a loud noise when it explodes. Big, so the price is higher. One hundred "small whips" sell for three cents, and "big whips" cost four cents. The regulations and price calculation methods are similar to those of "little whips."
In addition to the above two kinds of "whips", the remaining "big two kicks", "junior kicks" and "mareizi" will be classified into the "cannon" category.
Due to their huge power, these three things are basically out of the scope of children’s entertainment and are exclusively loved by adults.
The price of the "sophomore kicker" is five cents a head. Although the size of the junior kicker is smaller than that of the sophomore kicker and the sound is not as loud as the "sophomore kicker", it is cheaper. The price in the store is seven cents per head.
However, the one with the loudest voice, the largest size, and the most expensive price is still "Mareko".
This kind of "cannon" sells for 50 cents, with ten blasts per "hang", commonly known as "ten blasts and one thunder". Its cartridge is bundled with a lot of hemp fiber. Because of the large amount of powder, it makes a very loud sound when it is set off. You can also see an obvious flash and feel obvious aftershocks.
Finally, I have to talk about several kinds of "fireworks". There is no "Didi Jiner" these days, but there is one of the smallest fireworks that is more suitable for girls, called "mouse shit".
The name is a bit inelegant, but it is very vivid and interesting. The small gray particles are really similar to mouse droppings. It made little noise when it was set off. After it was lit, it rolled around on the ground a few times, shooting out a few blue sparks. Finally it jumped into the air and disappeared like a firefly.
I don’t know if it was because they were more difficult to make and the price was only a penny each, so they didn’t make much money. Anyway, as soon as we entered the 1980s, this kind of fireworks quickly became extinct. For children born in the 1970s, listening to it now is probably as incredible as Tianbao's past.
Similar to the fate of "mouse shit", there is also a "monkey in the sky" that costs two cents. These cheap fireworks are also quite interesting. A small stick is wrapped with a medicine cartridge. After it is lit, it can fly into the sky with a long tail of fire and a sharp whistle.
Perhaps it is for this reason that the common people associate it with Sun Dasheng, who soared in the clouds and mist, and that is why it got its name.
As for the others, they are ordinary fireworks such as "Cannon Double Lanterns", "Night Pearl", "Nine Phoenix Chaoyang" and "Box Flowers" placed on the ground.
These varieties are simple to make and expensive, which should be the main reason why fireworks manufacturers have been keen on producing them. Everyone should have done it before, and there really isn’t much to introduce.
Needless to say, from Hong Yanwu's perspective, he has long passed the age when he is most interested in setting off firecrackers. He bought the cannon just for good luck, but he would be afraid of trouble if he let him set it off. So the one-thousand-ring "Big Cha Whip" was naturally my first choice, and I bought eight of them without further ado.
In addition, he also had a bit of nostalgic interest in "Rat Shit" and "Sky Monkey", so he also bought two hundred of them.
Finally, we have to take care of the interests of Chen Liquan, his nephew and Hong Yanru. So, Hong Yanwu bought another two thousand "small whips" for Hong Jun, and bought one hundred "two kicks" worth five cents for Chen Liquan. I also bought eight of the most expensive "box flowers" for Hong Yanru.
In short, Lao Hong's family wasted no time in exchanging firecrackers for firecrackers, spending eighty-six and a half yuan on fireworks.
At this point, the entire "Business Year" has come to a perfect end, and the arms of the three adults and one child are full. They happily drank a bowl of "lotus root starch" together in the snack bar next to them, and then returned home satisfied.
Unexpectedly, I was scolded not long after I entered the house.
Because just when they were dumping all kinds of new year's goods from Chen's house in the west courtyard to the east courtyard, and when Hong Jun was running around the courtyard with his newly purchased submachine gun, Hong Yanwu's eldest brother came home from get off work.
Hong Yanzheng had a bad temper. When he saw that he had bought so many things, and when he heard that Hong Yanwu paid for them, he became anxious when he stood in the courtyard. He immediately put aside the bicycle he was pushing, and angrily pulled Hong Yanwu into his east room.