姚桃娟
王升大的“升大量足”,看起來只是“多一點(diǎn)”而已,究其根本,體現(xiàn)的則是厚道、誠(chéng)信、慈悲、仁愛等最高級(jí)的經(jīng)商之道。
去寧波城西的高橋,按導(dǎo)航走,找王升大博物館相對(duì)還是容易的。停下車來,迎面是一座仿古風(fēng)格的建筑,粉墻黛瓦,檐角高翹,古色古香,這就是寧波王升大博物館的正樓。先在博物館外圍兜一圈,發(fā)現(xiàn)它地處四面環(huán)水的龍舌之地,往東過橋,還能看到后門一大片的菜地。往前走,有酒魂亭和雙魚池,還有王升大的米食、酒的加工作坊,這應(yīng)該是博物館文化功能的延伸。
在寧波,由大米制作的各式米食琳瑯滿目,可惜大多已淡出江湖。而王升大以米食起家,與大米有割舍不斷的情感,每個(gè)月按時(shí)令制作米食,持續(xù)進(jìn)行米食節(jié)活動(dòng)。
從米店到博物館
在王升大博物館,參觀者可以現(xiàn)場(chǎng)體驗(yàn)米食加工過程,在動(dòng)靜結(jié)合中,學(xué)習(xí)體驗(yàn)傳統(tǒng)米食文化:“正月元宵裹湯團(tuán);二月上學(xué)狀元糕;三月清明青團(tuán)和黑飯;四月立夏做粉蛋;五月端午堿水粽;六月消暑藕香水塔糕;七月早稻上市灰汁團(tuán);八月中秋太婆月餅;九月九九重陽(yáng)糕;十月小陽(yáng)春小黃糕;十一月冬至漿板湯果、擂沙尖;十二月搡餽搡年糕。”還有巧妙地結(jié)合時(shí)俗、典故、花令,流傳的古風(fēng)歌謠,“正月迎春賀歲朝,高橋湯團(tuán)鬧元宵。南宋趙構(gòu)小康王,只記湯團(tuán)忘姣姣。”“二月蘭花盆里香,古剎夜讀張孝祥。方廣老納送糕點(diǎn),殿試欽點(diǎn)狀元郎。”傳統(tǒng)米食、時(shí)節(jié)風(fēng)俗、歷史典故與時(shí)令花卉相結(jié)合,朗朗歌謠,鮮明的地方文化特色,讓人美不勝收。
王六寶是王升大這塊“浙江老字號(hào)”金字招牌的第四代傳承人,他大名王賢定,因家中排行第六,故有此昵稱。他是寧波陸寶食品有限公司的老總,也是王升大博物館的創(chuàng)辦人、館長(zhǎng)。他見我對(duì)傳統(tǒng)米食文化興致盎然,便自告奮勇地做起了導(dǎo)游。
一進(jìn)博物館,首先看到的是王升大米店糴米的模擬實(shí)景,柜臺(tái)中央一只結(jié)結(jié)實(shí)實(shí)的米升子特別搶眼,仔細(xì)一看,米升子上刻寫著“王升大記”字樣,令人奇怪的是“升”字一豎加了“一點(diǎn)”,成了一個(gè)別字。這又意味著什么呢?
王六寶介紹說,升、斗是舊時(shí)糧米交易的一種計(jì)量工具,一升約為1.5斤,一斗約為15斤。當(dāng)初米店有行規(guī),賣米以升計(jì)量,掌柜以大拇指按住米升子,將高出米升子部分的米用米尺劃掉,這樣,老板每升子要多賺顧客一個(gè)大拇指的米量。
王升大的前身是一家米店,創(chuàng)辦于光緒年間,創(chuàng)建人是他的太公王興儒。王興儒以農(nóng)為本,農(nóng)閑時(shí)劃著小船,以鸕鶿捕魚為副業(yè)。在捕魚實(shí)踐中他竟有了一項(xiàng)與眾不同的技能,經(jīng)過他調(diào)教的鸕鶿還會(huì)捕捉甲魚,日積月累,讓他成為鸕鶿王村的富裕戶。大約在1889年,王興儒在當(dāng)?shù)亻_起米店,取名王興記米店。深知窮人生活艱難凄苦的王興儒在米店開張后再三囑咐店里的伙計(jì),凡是買一升、兩升的大多數(shù)都是買不起成斗米的窮人。如果遇到這樣的顧客,量米時(shí)一定要多留一角,讓利于人。這樣一來,王興記米店“升大量足,老少無欺”的口碑一傳十十傳百,近悅遠(yuǎn)來,生意越來越興隆,有此口碑,王興記米店自然而然地被稱為“王升大”了。
王六寶說著,又拉過模擬實(shí)景中那個(gè)糴米人的衣袖介紹道,當(dāng)時(shí)當(dāng)?shù)赜芯渌渍Z(yǔ)“十八大岙里山人,廣德湖邊種田漢,買米要買王升大,布衫袖子當(dāng)米袋”,說的就是王升大米店在當(dāng)?shù)氐挠绊懥Α!安忌佬渥赢?dāng)米袋”,說的是穿破舊衣衫的貧苦百姓到王升大店里來糴米時(shí),常常脫下衣衫,繩子將兩個(gè)袖口一扎用來裝米。經(jīng)他這么一解說,先人王興儒體恤百姓、宅心仁厚的樣子,窮苦人家生活艱難困苦的情景,生動(dòng)地呈現(xiàn)在眼前。
對(duì)糧食對(duì)土地的敬畏
王升大博物館開館于2013年,共有三層,以“實(shí)景式”展現(xiàn)稻米糧油傳統(tǒng)加工技藝和商品流通環(huán)節(jié)為主題,通過文物、文獻(xiàn)、模型、圖片、雕塑、繪畫、實(shí)物等多種方式,展示了王升大前世今生的歷史文化;同時(shí)展示原始制作器械,生產(chǎn)經(jīng)營(yíng)的大米、菜籽油、老酒、葡萄酒、味精、麻油、醬醋等產(chǎn)品的場(chǎng)景;還展示收藏、研究、陳列、生產(chǎn)的同為百年品牌的“雙魚貢酒”“老外公毛竹酒”。二樓主要展示與農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)密切相關(guān)的農(nóng)具,有木犁、木水車、石碾子、石磨、風(fēng)箱等,通過實(shí)物、圖片展示水稻從選種到育苗、插秧、耘田、施肥、灌溉、收割等整個(gè)生產(chǎn)過程及曬谷、脫殼、脫糠、過篩等加工程序,其中還展示寧波當(dāng)?shù)厮痉N植的農(nóng)諺,如耘田:“甲耘三遍,排水?dāng)R田。稻田耘三遍,谷殼薄如衣?!痹偃绻喔龋骸胺适翘锢锝?,水是大地命?!薄坝兴疀]肥一半谷,有肥沒水朝天哭。大暑不澆稻,到老沒好谷?!边@些展示具體而細(xì)微地體現(xiàn)了“一粥一飯當(dāng)思來之不易”的深刻含義,保留與傳承了農(nóng)業(yè)種植的民間智慧。
如果說這些具體的展示內(nèi)容是血肉的話,那么,王升大的靈魂則是“每升多一點(diǎn)”所包含的內(nèi)在意義,是勞動(dòng)者對(duì)于糧食,對(duì)于土地、對(duì)于自然萬(wàn)物侵入骨髓的愛惜、敬畏和感恩,并由此而滋生對(duì)民生的體恤、同情、慈悲、仁愛之心。
有兩件與糧食有關(guān)的故事,寫在博物館的墻上,刻在當(dāng)事人王六寶的心里。舉例說一個(gè)。幾十年前,父親帶著幼小的王六寶到寧波第二醫(yī)院看病,看完病已是中午時(shí)分,考慮到六寶那段時(shí)間胃口不好,父親一咬牙就帶他到一家飯店吃午飯。吃飯時(shí),父親恰好看到,同桌的一位女士喝完啤酒吃完飯后在抽煙,一邊還把煙灰彈在碗中,那碗里還有剩下的飯呀。性格溫和的父親看到這一情景,兩眼直瞪那女士,生氣地說:“女同志,你怎么能這樣糟蹋糧食?……你這樣太不應(yīng)該了?!睘榇烁赣H還與她激烈地爭(zhēng)吵起來。
“現(xiàn)在想來,父親看到那碗被糟蹋的米飯,一定是想到了農(nóng)民種田的艱辛和糧食的來之不易,才這么激動(dòng),由此可見,糧食在他心目中的位置是多么的至高無上?!蓖趿鶎殑?dòng)情地說著。
從樓下到樓上,在帶我參觀博物館的過程中,王六寶口中說的最多的是厚道、誠(chéng)信、珍惜、感恩、敬畏。我想,他個(gè)人投巨資創(chuàng)辦這家糧油博物館,既是為了懷念、告慰先人,更是為了警示現(xiàn)代人敬畏天地、尊重勞動(dòng)、愛惜糧食吧。王升大的“升大量足”,看起來只是“多一點(diǎn)”而已,究其根本,體現(xiàn)的則是厚道、誠(chéng)信、慈悲、仁愛等最高級(jí)的經(jīng)商之道。
走出博物館的時(shí)候,我又回頭看了看博物館外墻上的“王升大”商標(biāo),整個(gè)圖案方方正正,白底紅字,清清白白,碗內(nèi)盛放著三顆飽滿的大米,又像一條小船上停著三只鸕鶿?!巴跎蟆苯?jīng)過百年大浪淘沙,這塊金字招牌的確越來越亮了。
(本文圖片由程芝拍攝提供)
Museum Honors Tradition and Business Acumen
By Yao Taojuan
Museum in the west of Ningbo City honors a rice business that started four generations ago by a Wang family. A businessman who runs a food company in Ningbo, Wang Liubao had the museum built in 2013 to honor his great grandfather who founded and operated the rice shop and made it a great success.? is now a provincial old-time business brand. The museum not only honors the business but also presents an exhibition of rice products once popular in Ningbo. At the museum, visitors can see how, in good old days, rice grain was processed and how different cakes and dumplings were made for folk festivities all the year round.
was founded by Wang Xingru in 1889. He was a farmer by trade. When farming was not busy, he worked as a fisherman and found a way to catch turtles. This gave him an edge on the fish market. Gradually he accumulated a capital fund and started a rice shop. Wang Xingru knew the customers who bought just a small quantity of rice were usually from poverty-stricken families and he gave these customers an extra quantity just like a bakers dozen. The rice shops policy attracted a large group of customers. The business flourished.
in the name of the business refers to a very basic weight unit in measuring rice.? in Chinese means bigness.? indicates that Wangs shop gives a bakers dozen. Wang Xingru adopted the description given by his customers. The name became a brand and a legend.
The three-story museum gives a vivid presentation on rice-related matters such as rice farming, rice products and tradition. Exhibits come in various kinds: documents, models, photos, sculpture, paintings, and objects. The exhibits on the first floor combine to show the history of the Wang familys rice business. Also on the display on the first floor are other products? sold after it expanded its business: cooking oil, sesame oil, rice wine and grape wine, kitchen seasonings such as MSG, vinegar and soybean sauce.
On the second floor are tools used in rice farming such as wooden plough, wooden waterwheel, millstone, and bellows. The pictures and objects demonstrate every step of rice farming. Also on display are a lot of rhymes about rice farming and rice products. One rhyme names all the special rice cakes and dumplings for festivities month by month from January to December.
As a member of the Wangs that run rice business, Wang Liubao holds fast to a set of values which has been carried on in the family: generosity, honesty, sincerity, care and frugality, gratitude, respect. The museum exists to highlight these values and gives an education on the importance of food.
The museum even displays a story about rice on a wall of the museum. In the story of several decades ago, Wang Liubao was still a kid. His father brought him to see a doctor at hospital. After the visit to the outpatient department, the father and the son had lunch at a roadside restaurant. After seeing a woman flicked cigarette ash into a bowl of rice she didnt finish eating, the father felt offended by the waste and said so. The woman flared up and a quarrel broke out. Now Wang Liubao understands his father better. The moral of the story is simple enough: a lot of hard work goes into rice farming before a bowl of rice can be served. It is everybodys obligation to cherish food.
The museum has a workshop that doubles as a winery and food processing workroom.