Chapter 182: Skating on Tongzi River (55)

Hearing He Yuzhu say this, Lin Zheng smiled and shook his head.

“Other things are trivial.
But our Daxia's industry is already weak, and I don't think the higher-ups will allow these physical industries and businesses to fall into the hands of foreigners.

As for how the above will work, I just can’t figure it out!

Okay, Zhuzi, these are not what we should worry about. If there are any tasks assigned to us, we just need to complete them conscientiously!
If not, let’s just watch carefully!”

"I understand, Brother Lin."

After being busy for more than 20 days, I finally had some free time.
He Yuzhu would stroll around the police station from time to time, but more often he would stay on his kang at home, keeping warm while writing, reading, and using an abacus.

Sunday morning,
He Yuzhu was reading a book on the kang when Xu Damao, Yan Jiecheng and Liu Guangqi rushed in.

"Zhu Zi, I say you can really sit still. As long as you don't go to the police station, you either read or write every day. Don't you feel bored?
Many neighbors have been skating in Tongzi River these past two days.

Let’s go and have a look together!”

"Yes, Zhuzi, why don't you come with us? We can also take Yushui, Zhaodi and the other kids out to play.

I’m so bored being stuck at home every day! ”

Seeing the three people looking at him with hope,

He Yuzhu put down the book in his hand, then raised his head and asked with a smile,

"I wonder if you three got into trouble in Tongzi River! You didn't call me when you were playing in the courtyard before!"

Just as he finished speaking, he heard Xu Damao and others refute,

"So we didn't call you?
We called you many times before, but every time you said that making snowmen and having snowball fights were things that only children played with.

Don't go!

We didn’t bother to call you anymore!
When the flood hit this summer, all the garbage in Shichahai and the Forbidden City moat was washed away.

The ice has been frozen solid these past two days, and the surface is clean and smooth.

Many neighbors are playing on it.

If you don't join us in making snowmen and having snowball fights, you can't say that ice skating is for children only.
Are you going or not? If you are not going, we will leave!"

"Go, go, go. I'm bored of being cooped up at home these days, so I'd like to go out and get some fresh air.

By the way, do you have any work?"

When He Yuzhu asked this, Xu Damao and the other two stared at him with wide eyes.
"I say, Zhuzi, you have really become stupid from reading so much.
We have always had ice skates and ice sleds in our courtyard. We can just go to the utility room and find the things and clean them up.”

I heard them mention that there were these things in the utility room of the Siheyuan.
He Yuzhu then remembered that ice skates and ice sleds were actually quite common in Beijing nowadays.
This is because the Manchus were a fishing and hunting nation.

Living in the bitter cold of Northeast China all year round, ice skating is a very basic hunting and war skill.
If you can’t learn, you will either starve to death or die in battle.

Although the military color faded after entering the Pass, it gradually became popular in the city of Beiping, and even the common people also had the tradition of skating.

Not just a courtyard house,

Other families in Peking also have some such tools to a greater or lesser extent.

In recent decades, more and more garbage has accumulated in the city of Peking, and Shichahai, Beihai and the moat are no longer clean, so gradually no one plays there anymore.

He Yuzhu got off the kang and went to the utility room with Xu Damao and the others.

Soon they found several ice sleds and ice carts.

Then start cleaning up.

At this time, He Yushui, Xu Zhaodi and other children from the neighborhood who were making snowmen in the yard came over. "Brother, do you want to go ice skating? I want to ride a sled."

"Brother, I want to smoke ice balls!"

Seeing He Yushui and Li Qingshan looking at him excitedly, He Yuzhu nodded while packing up the ice sled.
"Okay, let's go together later!"

"Brother, I'll go back and get the spinning top now, and I'll be right out!"

"Oh, bro, you're so nice!"

Watching Li Qingshan rushing home, He Yuzhu turned to look at Xu Zhaodi and the others.
"What do you guys want to play? Get ready now."

When everyone was almost ready, He Yuzhu called on everyone to run towards Di'anmen.

The moat of the Forbidden City is 52 meters wide.
He Yuzhu didn’t know why it was called Tongzi River, but such a wide river was enough for everyone to have fun.

Walk south from Maoer Hutong for a few hundred meters, cross Di'anmennei Street and you will arrive at Tongzi River.
At this time, Tongzi River is just as Xu Damao and his friends said.
There are quite a lot of neighbors playing in it.

Seeing this lively scene, He Yushui couldn't help but open his eyes wide, pulled He Yuzhu's clothes with his hands, and urged excitedly,

"Brother, let's go down quickly, it's so lively!"

Seeing my sister staring intently at the lively scene on the river,

He Yuzhu put the ice sled on the shore, then sat on a rock on the shore and began to put on the simple ice skates made of wood and iron sheets.
Go down the steps to the river.
Then after putting the ice sled on the ice, he turned around and said to his sister,

"Come on Yushui, I'll carry you down, be careful not to fall!"

"it is good!"

Soon Xu Damao and his companions also came down from the shore one after another.

Then they dispersed.

We had fun in Tongzi River.

He Yuzhu was skating while dragging the ice sled, carrying He Yushui and running around on the ice.

"Brother! You are so strong and run so fast!

Brother Damao and Brother Guangqi, bring Zhaodi and Guangtian over here, let's compete together!"

"Come on, come on!"

Looking back at his sister who was shouting excitedly, He Yuzhu said happily,
"That's right, I'm your brother and I'm really awesome!"

At this time, Xu Damao and Liu Guangqi ran over with a sled and an ice cart, shouting at him,
"Zhu Zi, how about we just slide all the way to Shichahai?
That place is much wider than Tongzi River!"

"Okay, it's only a mile or two away, so let's compete. There are more and more people on the Tongzi River side, so let's go to Shichahai to have a look."

"Then let's compete!"

After saying that, He Yuzhu stopped and called out to Li Qingshan and the others who were playing spinning tops on the ice.

Then he dragged He Yushui along the river towards Shichahai.

Crossing several stone bridges in succession,
He Yuzhu and his sister soon arrived at the river surface of Shichahai.

Then I found that there were many more people here than in Tongzi River.

There are many people wearing ice skates and dragging ice sleds to skate on the ice.

In some places on the shore, some residents even broke some ice holes on the river surface and used fishing rods to fish.
But they were basically wrapped up tightly, with only one eye exposed.
If you don't get closer and look carefully, you won't know who is who.

(End of this chapter)