Break a new willow to send sorrow

Qingming Festival every year, and now Qingming Festival.

The sky is filled with a moist and warm breath, and the frozen earth wakes up slowly. After the baptism of a spring rain, the whole earth becomes bright and vivid. Flowers and trees Fusu, colorful, the grass on the ground is sprouting, the branches on the tree begin to spit green. Looking out of the window at the weeping willows fluttering in the wind, I also feel that Qingming Festival is one of the 24 solar terms in our country. It is not only a symbol of meteorological knowledge drawn by our ancestors in their long-term struggle with nature and life practice, but also in slash-and-burn cultivation over the years. Summed up the scientific knowledge and understanding of the laws of nature. "Calendar" cloud: the Spring Equinox after 15 days, Dou finger Ding, for Qingming, when all things are clean and Qingming, cover when Qingjing Ming, all things are obvious, hence the name.

It is said that the origin of Ching Ming Festival began with the ceremony of sacrificing the tombs of emperors and generals in ancient times, and later the folk also followed suit by offering sacrifices to their ancestors and sweeping their graves on this day. Throughout the five thousand years of Chinese civilization, sacrifice has become a fixed custom of the Chinese nation, and the sacrifice culture has a long history. The green water is clear, the sun and the moon are bright. On this clear day, people come to the graves of their ancestors or relatives to offer sacrifices, burn incense, and kneel with their heads high, in order to express their sorrow for their ancestors and deceased loved ones.

When I first met Ching Ming Festival, when I was ignorant, I vaguely remember that early that morning, my father went to the Yellow River levee east of the village to fold a lot of willow branches, while my mother took out and cooked the eggs that had been accumulated for many days. At breakfast, my father had inserted the broken willow branches into all the door frames and windows in front and back of the house, while my mother distributed the boiled eggs to our sisters, saying, "you can't light a fire and cook today, so you have to save it!"

When I was seven or eight years old, I picked up my schoolbag and walked into the school, but the deep memory of Ching Ming Festival was a different scene. Every year, Ching Ming Festival on this day, I put on my mother's elaborate white cloth cloths and bright red scarves. Under the guidance of my teacher, I walked with my classmates to Wangzhuang Village, three or four miles away, to visit the tomb of the martyr Li Ziguang. According to the teacher, Li Ziguang is a great man and a famous anti-Japanese hero in the county. His heroic deeds that he would rather die than surrender are well known, and his spirit of ideal and firm belief inspires generations after generations.

Li Ziguang (formerly Li Huaiming) was born in 1911 in Wangzhuang Village, Donga County, a poor farmer's family. In 1938, Li Ziguang joined Communist Party of China as he wished. In 1940, New Year's Day, the anti-Japanese democratic government of Donga County, was established. He served as the civil affairs assistant of the newly divided five districts, and later became the deputy mayor of the sixth district. He used the preaching of local sages and Taoists as a cover to carry out the party's underground work. He soon recruited more than 20 party members in the surrounding villages, set up party groups and party branches, and mobilized dozens of young people to join the eighth Route Army. In March 1945, Li Ziguang, who was working, was unfortunately arrested because of a traitor snitch. The enemy used both hard and soft tactics, intimidated and seduced him, persuaded him to surrender and let him talk about the underground organization of the Party. Li Ziguang replied: the head can be broken, blood can be shed, but the will to resist Japan cannot be lost! Liu Xuan, the leader of the traitor who could not be persuaded, became angry and tortured him with pressure bars, tiger stools, pepper spray, and burning armpits. Li Ziguang was not afraid, but still burst out curses, and the angry enemy cut out his tongue. Li Ziguang still preferred to die rather than surrender. Finally, the helpless Liu Xuan was furious and cut off his head ferociously. Li Ziguang was only 34 years old when he died.

Martyr Li Ziguang was the father of my second aunt. My uncle was only twelve years old when Li Ziguang died. It is for this reason that when I mention the martyr Li Ziguang, especially when I visit the grave of the martyr, I feel a special light on my face and a strong sense of pride in the bottom of my heart, which remains the same to this day.

Why is Ching Ming Festival called Cold Food? Why do you have sacrifices? Why doesn't my mother cook for the fire on this day? In the face of this series of question marks, I didn't understand the reasons until I grew up.

According to legend, these customs originated in the Spring and Autumn period, when Wang Ji, the concubine of Jin Xiangong, murdered Prince Shensheng, and Shensheng's brother Chong'er fled the world in order to escape persecution. Having suffered many humiliations and tribulations during his exile, he never lost his ambition to make a comeback. On this day, Chong'er and his party came to an inaccessible mountain, tired for a long time, tired and hungry, no longer able to stand up and walk, and gradually fainted to death. The courtiers who went around looking for food also returned without success one by one. In the face of the desperate prince of Jin, an entourage named Jie Ziti silently came to a quiet place. he cut a piece of meat from his thigh and boiled a bowl of soup with severe pain. After drinking the broth, Chong er slowly woke up and burst into tears when he learned that what he had eaten was the meat cut from his leg by Jie Zitui.

Nineteen years later, Chonger finally became a king, that is, Jin Wen, one of the five hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period in history. After ascending the throne, the Duke of Wen rewarded the heroes who accompanied him in exile one by one, but forgot Jie Zitui. Many people complain about the grievances of Jie Zi Tui and persuade him to admire him face to face. However, what Jie Zi Tui despises most is those who strive for merit. He packed his bags and quietly carried his mother to Mianshan (now southeast of Jiexiu County, Shanxi Province) to live in seclusion. Later, when he recalled the old events of the Jin Dynasty, he was ashamed that the policeman invited Jiezi to be pushed into the palace to be sealed, but he refused several times, so he had to condescend to invite him.

The high road of Mianshan Mountain is dangerous, the grass is deep and the forest is abundant, so it is not easy to find Jie Zitui. At this time, someone offered a plan to burn Mianshan from three sides and force Jie Zitui out. The fire for three days and three nights burned all over Mianshan, but at last there was no sign of Jie Zitui. The Duke of Jin Wen had to go up the mountain to have a look, but under an old willow tree, he found that the mother and son cuddled together had been burned alive. The Duke of Wen of Jin also found Jie Zitui from the tree hole with the title of blood poem lapel: cut flesh and serve you with all your heart, I hope the master will always be clear and clear. It is better to be a ghost under Liu than to be a remonstrant with you. If the Lord has me in his heart, he will remember me from time to time. The minister has a clear conscience in Jiuquan, diligent administration, Qingming Festival and Qingming Festival.

The Duke of Wen in Jin Dynasty was heartbroken, mourning and crying. He buried Jie Zi later and ordered Mianshan to be renamed Jieshan, and Shaoshan was designated as the Cold Food Festival, which told the whole country. On this day, fireworks are taboo and only eat cold food. The following year, the Duke of Wen of Jin led his ministers to climb the mountain for a memorial ceremony and found that the burned old willow was resurrected and spit green again. He gave the old willow as Qingming willow and designated Ching Ming Festival on the first day after the Cold Food Festival.

During the nine years of the reign of the Duke of Wen in Jin Dynasty, he often used meson to push blood poems to spur self-reflection and make great efforts to make the Qin and Jin dynasties repair. The people of Jin Dynasty had plenty of food and clothing and lived and worked in peace and contentment. He finally achieved some hegemony and became famous in history.

I was thinking that the monarch of feudal times still knew the truth of gratitude, self-alarm and self-examination, and rewarded kindness with kindness. As more than 2640 years later, we should always have a heart of gratitude and be grateful to those who are beneficial to mankind, the country, the nation and society. Thanksgiving to our parents, children, old friends, relatives and friends, those who helped criticize and vilify themselves, and everyone who met right and wrong in the journey of life. Even grateful to those who regard me as the enemy of an opponent, a person who knows how to be grateful and always has a grateful heart, he will always have endless happiness and happiness, a person who knows how to be grateful will become stronger and unyielding, in the battlefield of life, always be an invincible general!

Guest thoughts are like willows, with thousands of spring breezes. Even more cold to eat tears, want to rise the tide of the city. The wind of Qingming Festival is gentle and gentle, and the rain of Qingming Festival is affectionate and sensitive. Living in a foreign country, I want to fold a new willow and insert it at the door, burn a dozen paper money at the ten intersections, and offer remote sacrifices to my ancestors and my dear parents who rest in their native land with the breeze and bright moon and the spring rain.

(written at the mouth of the Yellow River on March 12, 2015) author / Ding Shangming