Legends and stories of Baishui County: Du Kang selling wine

Shaanxi
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Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a village called Jixian in Baishui County, Shaanxi. There was a spring at the head of the village, which was sweet, mellow and clean. There was a family next to the spring. The old man's surname was Du and his name was Kang. He was said to be a descendant of Xia Yu. The old man and his wife were just like the sweet spring, gentle and kind-hearted, and were well-known good people. The old couple had no land and lived on the spring water to make wine. They drew water in the morning and brewed carefully all day. They only brewed three jars of fine wine every month. The wine they brewed was better than the nectar at the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet. Legend has it that there are "Bamboo Leaf Green" and "Zhuangyuan Red". But the most mellow one is "Thousand Days Drunk". The "Thousand Days Drunk" is really: three families get drunk after opening the jar, and the fragrance spreads ten miles away. Those who drink this wine will get drunk after only three cups. One drunkenness is a thousand days. Good wine has to have a good price. The old man wrote a poem on the wall of the tavern: A pot of yellow wine costs three hundred taels; a pot of Shaoxing wine can be exchanged for the country. A gentleman only drinks three cups of wine, and he will not be drunk for three years without asking for money. On a March day when all the flowers are in full bloom, the old man had to go out for three days because of something. Before leaving, he said to his wife: "If anyone wants to drink wine, they must leave their names and addresses so that they can ask for the wine money." After giving instructions, he went out. About noon, a middle-aged man with a clean face and gentle manners came out of the door. His surname is Liu and his name is Ling. He was originally from Jiangnan. Because of his bumpy career, he came to Baishui County with his wife and children and bought a few acres of land to live. Liu Ling has a hobby and hobby. In his own words, that is: "Holding a cup to read classics, drinking wine to write articles." He makes friends with wine and enjoys wine every day. He also wrote an article "Ode to the Virtue of Wine". Today, he has nothing to do in his spare time, so he goes to the suburbs alone to enjoy the spring. When he was intoxicated by the spring scenery, he suddenly smelled the aroma of wine, which awakened the "wine bug" in his stomach. So he followed the aroma of wine all the way to the Quanbian Restaurant. As soon as Liu Ling stepped into the door, he saw the poem on the white wall that looked like a price list and a wine advertisement, and he couldn't help but sneer. He thought: What kind of high-quality wine is this boast? Then he sat down at the table and called out, "Winemaker, bring me some wine!" Old Du came out and saw that it was a stranger. She asked hurriedly, "Guest, would you like some wine?" Seeing that it was an old woman, Liu Ling smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm here to drink, but I want some high-quality wine." Old Du asked for her name and address, and then gave her a "Thousand Days Drunk". After Liu Ling received the wine, a strong aroma of wine hit his nose, and he liked it for a while. Old Du took a cup, and Liu Ling drank one. After the first cup of wine, he felt dizzy; after the second cup of wine, he felt weak all over; after the third cup of wine, he was drunk and could not eat anymore. Du Lao saw that Liu Ling was drunk, so she called the bartender to send Liu Ling home. When Liu Ling returned home, his wife knew that he was drunk again. As usual, she hurried to serve him. Liu Ling lay on the couch, feeling that this drunkenness was different from the past, so he told his wife: "Everyone has a day to end, as long as you die happily, you will be able to rest in peace. We have been husband and wife for a lifetime, and after I die, you bury me next to our wine jar. I love to drink when I am alive, and I want to be drunk in the underworld after I die." After saying this, he gradually died. Liu Ling died of drunkenness. How could his wife not be sad? She burst into tears and watched her husband being buried. But he was not buried next to the wine jar, but by a clear spring in the south of the city. Three days later, Old Man Du returned home and learned that on the day after he left, a man named Liu Ling from Ansu Village came to the tavern and got drunk for a thousand days. So he took the account book and wrote down the date, name and village name clearly. He also went to Ansu Village in person and learned that the man was "dead" and buried, so he put the matter aside. The moon waned and then became full again. Every time the moon was full, Old Man Du drew a circle shaped like a moon under Liu Ling's name. When he drew thirty-four circles, Old Man Du counted with his fingers and found that Liu Ling had sobered up, so he prepared to dig up the grave and collect the debt. Old Man Du came to Liu Ling's house and said to Liu's wife: "Mr. Liu has been drinking for a thousand days, and it's time for him to sober up." Liu's wife didn't finish listening, and said sadly: "Husband, why do you say that? How can a dead person come back to life?" Old Man Du hurriedly explained: "Mr. Liu drank 'a thousand days of drunkenness'. It's drunkenness, not death." Liu's wife said with a little resentment: "The wine made by husband is not the fairy wine of the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet. How can one be drunk for a thousand days and sober up? A tree dies and only decays day by day. How can it be reborn?" Old Man Du couldn't persuade Liu's wife to wake up, so he walked out depressed. He thought about Liu Ling's wife all the way. Not knowing the secret of wine, she didn't want to dig the tomb. If I go to dig it, it will inevitably cause misunderstanding. If I can't dig the tomb, I will also be labeled as a stealer digging other people's graves. If I don't dig it, Liu Ling will definitely die of depression after he wakes up. What should I do? He thought as he walked? As he thought, his brows gradually opened. The head also raised his head and hurried back to the tavern. It was dark and quiet. After the first watch, Old Man Du and the bartender carried a hoe and a shovel, left the tavern, and walked to Liu Ling's tomb. The two came to Liu Ling's tomb and started digging. They dug and dug until after three o'clock in the morning, and then they revealed the flower coffin. When the two saw the flower coffin, they were very happy and hurried to pry open the coffin lid. After the coffin lid was opened, a strong smell of alcohol rushed up and immediately knocked the bartender down. When Old Man Du saw it, he said to the bartender: "You will be drunk for a thousand days." Then he sent the bartender to the tomb. When Old Man Du returned to the coffin, he saw Liu Ling sitting up and couldn't help saying, "Ah, Mr. Liu has woken up!" Liu Ling heard someone talking, opened his sleepy eyes, and looked carefully in the moonlight. Alas! Why was he sitting in a coffin in the earth pit? Could he be dead? Looking again, he saw a husband he had never met standing in front of him. So he asked confusedly, "Am I dead? Or am I dreaming?" Old Man Du laughed and said, "Mr. Liu drank 'Thousand Days of Drunk' and revived after drinking." Liu Ling hurriedly asked, "Who is my husband?" "My name is Du Kang, and I'm here to ask for the wine money." This sentence made Liu Ling suddenly realize, and he hurriedly stood up and bowed. When the east was white and the morning light flew up, Liu Ling and Old Man Du returned to the door of their home. When he knocked on the door, his wife staggered back a few steps when she saw him. She stared at her husband, whom she hadn't seen for three years, in surprise and doubt, and couldn't speak. Liu Ling and Old Man Du smiled at each other. Liu Ling hurriedly said to his wife, "It was Brother Du who saved me. Come over and thank Brother Du." When his wife heard this, she was so surprised that tears streamed down her face. She hurriedly bowed deeply to Old Man Du and said, "Mr. Du is a great benefactor." Liu Ling walked into the house with Old Man Du and let him sit in the main seat. Liu's wife hurriedly fetched tea and personally served it to Old Man Du. Then, the two talked about wine and brewing, and talked for three days and three nights, but still couldn't bear to part. Later, Liu Ling searched for the family property and collected enough money for the wine. He handed the cup to Old Man Du with both hands. Du Kang took the silver in his hand, stroked it again and again, and sighed, saying: "Silver can connect heaven and earth and benefit everything; it can also blacken people's hearts, cut off relatives and friends, and hurt flesh and blood. Today I am not here to ask for money. I am here to find a good friend. Brother, just follow me!" So the two of them left Liu Ling's house, hand in hand, and went south, talking and laughing. From that day on, no one in the local area saw Du Kang and Liu Ling again. After many years, the image of two people appeared on the stone wall of the Water Curtain Cave in Huashan. People called it "The Two Immortals of Harmony and Unity". Anyone who has traveled to Huashan has seen it. Later, the people of Baishui County. In order to commemorate the immortal winemaker Du Kang, they called the village where he lived "Du Kang Village". The spring that draws water for winemaking was called "Du Kang Spring". Although the county no longer brews the "Thousand Days of Drunk" of the year, "Du Kang Wine" is still famous.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

China tourist attractions related to the heritage