In late spring, at the invitation of a friend, I drove to a small mountain village about 50 kilometers east of the city to visit the "old house". This old house is called "Jinshi House".
Because there is no record in the local county annals, no one knows the historical origin and specific location of "Jinshi House", so we have to walk all the way to inquire. The car is driving on a dirt road that is not wide, sometimes bumping and sometimes being "kissed" by thorns on both sides of the road. Turning seven times and eight times through a bamboo forest, an ancient building with gray walls and gray tiles appeared in front of us, and colleagues cheered for a while.
Looking from a distance, the "Baofuzhai" mountain under the blue sky is surrounded by green trees and lush, and the gray "Jinshi House" on the east and west sides at the foot of the mountain is particularly bright in the midday spring sun. A gentleman who knows a little about feng shui can't help feeling: the feng shui here is really good!
Everybody get off at a distance and walk slowly. The breeze blew, and the terraces on the roadside were covered with layers of wheat waves; After the storm, a stone bridge connects Jinshi House with the outside world. Under the bridge, the stream is crystal clear, and small fish swim leisurely from time to time. This stream originates from Yuhuangquan at the foot of Yuhuangguan Mountain not far away and nourishes more than a thousand acres of fertile land in Jinshiwan. By the bridge, a stout "black willow" stands upright, with a cloud-like umbrella cover and dense shade, which rustles from time to time. Standing on the bridge, the breeze Xu Lai, gently brushed the cheek, cool and pleasant.
On the edge of the threshing floor in front of the old house, there are two cypress trees on the left and right. The accompanying person said that these two trees are about 200 years old; Others say that some cypress trees in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing are so thick. The cypress stands quietly, witnessing the rise and fall of the old house and the vicissitudes of the world.
Just as everyone was discussing taking pictures, a man in his fifties came out of the next room. The person whose surname is Ying is the owner of this house. At everyone's request, he readily agreed to let us visit the house. According to the owner, the original house has four floors, eight pillars and an attic. However, it is a great pity that there are only "pavilion houses" left at present. Judging from the existing structure of the three pavilions, the house is full of blue bricks and gray tiles, and the doorposts, purlins and rafters are all fine Chinese fir. The smooth long bluestone in the yard and the dragon and phoenix carvings on the doorposts all reflect the glory of the owner of the old house. According to local people, such houses can only be built by "good families".
Since the owner of the house has not read any books, he knows nothing when we ask about the origin of the "Jinshi House", which officials his ancestors worked in and which dynasty he took the exam. Really don't know, or "can't say"? We are deeply sorry, but we are also curious.
An elderly local villager said that there was indeed a scholar whose surname was supposed to be, and he was given a plaque by the emperor. It is said that this plaque was donated to the school by the older generation and made into a blackboard after painting. As for what words are engraved on the plaque, the villagers have long been unclear. However, it can be seen from the legible regular script characters on the only two boards left in the owner's attic that if the characters above were written by his ancestors, it shows that their ancestors' calligraphy skills are extraordinary; If it is given by others, it also means that none of the "circles" of their ancestors are "idle people".
It is said that the ancestor of the villager who should be surnamed studied hard for several years before he was admitted to the Jinshi, and was sealed by the emperor as a "big official" in a yamen on the edge of the imperial city (everyone can't tell what official it was, maybe it was a civil servant who compiled it), but the "official" heard that the emperor's concubine was ashamed of the appearance of falling flowers and falling moons, and wanted to see her day and night. He heard that the imperial concubine was going to make a pilgrimage to a nearby temple and made a wish, so he opened his joints and went to the temple to pretend to be a monk. When the imperial concubine's clothes were fluttering and the fragrance was bursting, she walked slowly to make incense. The official was fascinated and showed a satisfied and lewd smile on her face. Unexpectedly, this scene was clearly seen by the female officer next to it. This is not bad! How dare the young monk be so disrespectful to the imperial concubine and pretend to be a scholar? So the emperor made a secret order to cut Jinshi into an official for the people and never use it again. It is said that this scholar, who should be surnamed Jin, was "ashamed to meet his elders in Jiangdong" after being dismissed from office, and he was unhappy all day long, and soon died in a foreign country.
Knowing this story, it is not difficult to understand that there is no written record about this Jinshi in the local area, and future generations are all "afraid of illness and medicine" about their ancestors' life experience.
Recently, someone told me a story about a gentleman who invited a Feng Shui gentleman to the cemetery to see Feng Shui. When he walked not far from his graveyard, he found that the cemetery was flying around the island. Mr. Wang said to Mr. Feng Shui, "Go home, don't watch it today." Mr. Feng Shui was puzzled and asked why. Look at the birds flying in the direction of the cemetery, which means there are children stealing fruit in the cemetery. If we rush forward, we will definitely scare the children. If the child is frightened and falls from the tree, the lighter will be injured, and the heavier may be life-threatening. " Hearing this, Mr. Feng Shui shook his fist and said to Mr. Feng Shui, "Don't look at your feng shui." Mr. Wang was puzzled, and Mr. Feng Shui continued: "A family like you will encounter good Feng Shui everywhere." Because character is the best feng shui. "
The leisurely "Jade Emperor View" spring water, the vicissitudes of the "Jinshi House" old house and the towering "Baofuzhai" green hills all show people that keeping a clean heart means keeping the best Feng Shui!