The heat gradually began to build, as if a small fire was simmering at the bottom of the cracked wooden floor. Looking back at the calendar, in mid-June, it’s the rainy season in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River again. People complain a lot, but that doesn't stop it from having a nice name "Huang Mei Tian", which is because it is the season when plums in the south of the Yangtze River are yellow and ripe.
There is a saying by He Zhu from the Song Dynasty, which he often recited repeatedly in middle school, "A river of tobacco, the city is full of wind, and the plums are yellow and rainy." These three situations are all used to answer the question he asked himself: "How much leisure and sorrow are there?" Among them, "Plum Yellow Shiyu" is listed in the finale. As the words were sung, Huang Meitian's characteristics seemed to become more and more distinct: sticky and disturbing, unable to be dispersed.
My impression of Huang Meitian first started with pairs of green rubber shoes, some with thin white edges. When I was a child, this kind of simple rain boots was very popular, and it was customary to call them "galoshes" in Shanghai dialect. As soon as Huangmeitian arrives, it rains continuously. The streets are full of pedestrians wearing galoshes, and cyclists also put on ponchos. Due to the wide mouth of the shoe, it is wobbly when walking, and the splashing water is isolated. Later, with the development of the times, the design of galoshes became more and more beautiful, but they became even rarer.
Another phenomenon that coexists with rainy days is the influx of termites. There are masters who specialize in termite control in Shanghai. They usually go to some old buildings with their tools after the thunderstorm dissipates. In a dark room, they use flashlights to find termite secretions and inject chemicals into the relevant locations. In this way, there will be a lot less frightening transparent wings beside the sink, on the floor, in cabinets and even on clothes.
However, most of the troubles caused by Huang Meitian cannot be eliminated, such as humidity, especially those who have lived in alleys. After the plum blossoms begin, the white walls begin to shed layer after layer, and no amount of painting will help. In the 1990s, Shanghainese people became popular with wallpaper decals on their walls. My home once had a pink pearlescent lily wallpaper, but it was not moisture-proof at all. It was raining outside the window, and water droplets quietly condensed in the room, sliding down the wallpaper. In those days everything smelt damp. I bought newspapers for my grandpa every evening. After a short period of time, they became saturated with water and became soft. I once heard an anecdote. Before the alley was demolished, several neighbors were enjoying the shade under a nearby pergola. When we talked about water seepage in the walls of Huang Meitian, one of them recommended an imported adhesive to his neighbor, which was said to be very effective. Neighbors looked at the dilapidated buildings and said, half seriously and half jokingly, that one more screen would make them move.
There have been some lucky years too, with the 1965 rainy season being recorded as only lasting two days. People invented an interesting term "empty plum" to describe this situation. Compared with "empty plum", a corresponding concept "violent plum" has emerged in recent years. As the name suggests, "violent plum" refers to the rainy season when the rain is extremely abundant. The rain pours impromptuly, just like a passionate classical musician.
In fact, as the living standards of Shanghai citizens improve day by day, more and more people move into brand-new high-rise buildings, and Huang Meitian has become a distant memory. Now when I think back to the walls that were stained by heavy rain, or the use of plastic buckets to catch water drops dripping from the eaves, it feels nostalgic. (Three three)
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