When I really talk about the big willow tree, the knot in the heart of the children in Beijing is just like that.
It is not a place like Wangfujing, nor is it a place like Sanlitun. That area belongs to ordinary people.
I live in Nancheng. From the time I can remember, my grandfather has been riding his 28-inch bicycle with me on the back seat to "treasure hunt" in Daliu Shu. At that time, there was no such thing as Block B or Block A. It was just a large open land with wild grass growing there. People were next to each other, and everything they stepped on was yellow soil. My grandfather had a special preference and liked to stay for a long time at the stalls selling second-hand goods, carefully observing the vases with missing corners and rusted copper locks. The stall operator did not urge him, and the two of them just stood in a stalemate, like two motionless Buddha statues.
Later, the market was rebuilt, with sheds and rules. But the "flavor" hasn't changed.
Now you go in again, hey, it's ice and snow outside, but it's hot inside. The used goods stall outside still looks the same, as if time has stood still here. There are those old-fashioned radios on sale that are huge and lumpy, and they make a squeaking sound when you twist them open. Next to it is a pile of little human books. Each one costs one yuan? I flipped through it and found that half of "Journey to the West" was missing, and "Generals of the Yang Family" was full of water stains. However, as soon as my fingers touched the yellowed paper, the mushy smell from when I was reading on the floor of the bookstore when I was a child suddenly came to my mind.
I really don’t know what I’m going to buy it for, and I don’t have a place to put it at home. However, it is difficult to let go. The person setting up the stall was an older man, wrapped in a military coat. He ignored me and just squinted his eyes to bask in the sun. In his perception, all of us who come and go to browse but don't buy are just like him, we are all fools who linger on the past but don't spend money.
Turned around and entered Block B, it was another world.
There was a group of little girls, chattering around a pile of clothes like bees around a flower. Those were sweatpants that cost fifteen yuan a pair. I reached out and touched them. Hey, I found that they were quite thick. If it were in a shopping mall, I'm afraid it wouldn't be marked as one hundred and fifty. There was an elder sister next to her, holding three or four sweaters tightly in her hands, and shouted to her daughter: "How suitable this is! It's just like picking it up for free!" Her daughter, with a look of disgust on her face, turned around and dived into another crowd selling sweaters.
Thirty-one thin down jackets, can you believe it?
I used my hand to squeeze it and it felt soft. Regarding the so-called big name statement, it is clearly an unfounded lie. However, you mentioned whether it can hold up when worn, I think it is feasible. To shop here, you need to put your body down first, and be as focused as archeology, rummaging through the messy things that are like mountains of things. There is a pile of items that says "Ten dollars a piece" and another pile that says "One hundred and three items." Everyone lowered their heads, frowned tightly, and looked extremely serious, as if they were engaged in scientific research. Occasionally, I saw someone quickly pulling out an item from the pile of items, and his eyes suddenly lit up. The people next to him immediately rushed forward and asked: "Hey, the item you picked is really beautiful! Are there any others like it?" That kind of passionate atmosphere is something you will never encounter in a cold and cold fitting room in a shopping mall.
There is also the one who sells shoes, thirty and fifty, arranged like flowers. A young man tried on a pair of sneakers, stamped his feet on the ground twice, and said to his girlfriend: "Okay, just choose these shoes. It won't hurt if you break them while playing football."
Here, things are not valuable, but talents are.
While walking on the road, I saw a stall surrounded by so many people that it was tight. After finally squeezing in to take a look, I saw that they were selling woolen sweaters, and they actually weighed them by kilogram! Thirty-five yuan per catty. The boss kept shouting loudly with a loudspeaker: "Select carefully and try them on! They are all pure wool and weighed by the pound. It is a good deal!" One uncle actually took three pieces to weigh, a total of one hundred yuan. He was as happy as if he had picked up a priceless gold nugget, and left directly after holding it. I thought to myself that he might not really be short of sweaters, but the fun of buying things "pound by pound" was enough for him to chat with his old friends for a week.
Feeling tired after walking and your stomach starts to growl? Don't worry. There are things to eat in this market. I heard that there is a local shop that sells braised pork that performs well, and the smell it emits can spread to places far away. There is also a so-called Internet celebrity pastry shop, where young girls line up to buy. They held up the freshly baked pastries in their hands, white mist came out of their mouths, and in the other hand they held a large number of items they had just picked out. This is probably the most concrete form of happiness.
Having said that, taking the subway is the most convenient way. You can get there from Exit C of Zizhuang, South Building, Line 7. It is also possible to drive there, as there is a parking area inside. Just don't go there on a Tuesday night, because it's the so-called "ghost market" at that time. The scene is noisy and full of chaotic and indescribable crowds of people of all shapes and sizes. The items sold give people a weird and bizarre feeling. They are all ancient and obsolete items. It is enough for laymen like us to join in the fun. The usual business hours are from 9 am to 5 pm. If you go shopping all day, you may even feel pain in the soles of your feet.
In fact, think about it, what makes the big willow tree so popular?
Is it cheap? Yes, not entirely.
It's the kind of thought of "what if I can find a treasure".
It's the kind of equality where everyone is disgraced, shoulder to shoulder, and no one is nobler than anyone else.
In this era where everything has a price and is packaged airtight, there is still such a tiny bit of freedom that you can touch it with your own hands, bargain for it, and decide the outcome with your own eyesight and luck... wild freedom.
The weather is really cold, but the people inside are warm inside. When I was leaving, I turned around and took a look again. The man selling candied haws at the door was carrying a straw target. The hawthorns on the straw target were red and bright against the gray sky.
Come on, I'll come back next time.
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