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墨書 Inktalez
As the lunar calendar entered December of 1991, winter break was just around the corner.
In Annan County, there are many local specialties, some of which are renowned brands both domestically and internationally, such as the famous Daokou Roast Chicken.
Legend has it that Daokou Roast Chicken was founded in the eighteenth year of the Shunzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1661), boasting a history of over three hundred years. It shines brightly among national foods, much like Jinhua ham, Gaoyou duck eggs, and Peking duck.
In Lao Miao Township, beef is particularly famous. According to the county records, during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, a man named Zhang Guangmei from Old Temple made a living selling livestock. Noticing that many cattle often died or were injured, he began to slaughter them for meat. Gradually, he mastered the art of cooking beef and started a business selling boiled meat. Over time, he continuously improved his recipe and craftsmanship. His beef became so tender and flavorful that it was often sold out.
It is said that when Emperor Yongzheng traveled south and passed through Old Temple, he caught a whiff of an enticing aroma that lifted his spirits. Curious about the source of the fragrance, he asked his attendants, who informed him it was Lao Miao Beef. After tasting it, Yongzheng was delighted and praised the beef for its "exceptional color, aroma, and flavor," declaring it a "delicacy of the world." From then on, Lao Miao Beef became a tribute to the Qing court.
Later, it was approved for geographical indication product protection by the National Quality Inspection Bureau.
Another notable dish is the Mutton Hot Pot from Eternity Town, with its most famous establishment being Wensheng Pavilion. This hot pot also has a history of over three hundred years dating back to the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. The finished product has a bright yellow color and is neither gamey nor greasy; it is tender and easy to chew, with a fragrant taste that lingers long after eating. It has been described as having "the ability to invigorate one's entire being with just one bite."
The county records state: "Traveling all over east and west cannot compare to Eternity's Mutton Hot Pot."
On the last weekend before winter break, Hu Ruoyun returned home specifically to buy two pots of Mutton Hot Pot from Wensheng Pavilion in Liang Village.
For nearly half a year now, Mao Jie had often brought him delicious food from home—zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival, mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and seasonal fruits—which deeply touched Hu Ruoyun.
He had overheard Mao Jie mention that his father loved lamb, so he decided to send a pot of Mutton Hot Pot as a gift since New Year was approaching.
Upon finding this workshop in Liang Village, Hu Ruoyun felt nostalgic: who would have thought that years later, this Mutton Hot Pot would be listed as an intangible cultural heritage?
He spent fifty-eight yuan on two pots—one for his homeroom teacher Teacher Wang and one for Mao Jie to take home. After all, it was winter; he wasn't worried about spoilage.
Both Teacher Wang and Mayor Mao were deeply moved by his gesture.
Teacher Wang solemnly accepted it and patted Hu Ruoyun's shoulder without saying a word.
Mao Jie tried to decline it again, but Hu Ruoyun retorted, "What are you being modest about? I never said it was for you; I'm just asking you to take it back!"
Mayor Mao was someone who had seen much in life; still, he felt a tremor in his heart.
This boy who was about the same age as his son wasn't from Gaoqiao Town; there was no need for him as mayor to offer help or convenience. In fact, he and his brother-in-law had been influenced by this boy's kindness (albeit unknowingly). As for food and drink—did his family lack any? They had plenty at home; this was merely something his son brought along.
But this lamb was something thoughtfully prepared by someone else; that deserved gratitude.
It is often said that people in officialdom have hard hearts, yet this time Mayor Mao was touched.
The day before winter break began, Hu Ruoyun went to the town's Post Office to cash in his manuscript payment remittance slip. The duty officer was still Mao Na; she efficiently processed Hu Ruoyun's paperwork while jokingly saying, "Xiao Hu, your manuscript payment this month is almost higher than my salary!"
Hu Ruoyun awkwardly laughed and replied, "Sister Mona, it's not as exaggerated as you say."
After receiving more than fifty yuan from Mao Na along with several dozen stamps and a stack of envelopes, he was about to bid her farewell when she called out to him: "Xiao Hu, wait a moment."
Then he turned around and took out a small envelope from a drawer beneath the counter. "These are from my collection over the past few years. I have four in total, and I'll give you two."
Hu Ruoyun hesitated to accept it, but Mao Na stepped out from behind the counter, took his hand with her left hand, and pressed the envelope into his palm with her right. "Don't be so polite; they're just two stamps."
After saying that, she turned and went back behind the counter.
Hu Ruoyun gently opened the envelope to find two identical stamps, each valued at eight cents.
The design featured a golden monkey, depicted sitting on the ground and gazing ahead, its unique charm vividly captured in the illustration. On the left side of the monkey, the words "China Post" and "Year of the Monkey" were printed, while the lower left corner bore the number "T46," and the lower right corner displayed the value of "8 cents" along with the year "1980."
Even though Hu Ruoyun was not a stamp collector, he was familiar with this particular stamp. Not only would it become valuable in the future, but it had already appreciated significantly in value at present.
In 1980, China issued its first set of stamps themed around the zodiac animal of the monkey. The moment these stamps were released, they were met with frenzied enthusiasm from collectors, sparking a wave of philately across the country.
This stamp was none other than the famous "Monkey Stamp" in his hand!
Historically, every price fluctuation of the Monkey Stamp coincided with significant movements in the stamp market.
From 1984 to 1986, its price soared from around three yuan to thirty yuan, marking China's first major boom in stamp collecting, with long lines forming nationwide as people rushed to buy stamps.
By the end of 1990, the price of the Monkey Stamp had risen from seventy yuan to around two hundred forty yuan, igniting another wave of excitement in 1991.
In autumn 1996, a single Monkey Stamp's price skyrocketed from about three hundred yuan to eleven hundred yuan, leading to a spectacular surge in the stamp market in 1997.
However, starting in the second half of 1997, prices began to decline sharply, ushering in a decade-long slump for the stamp market.
By the end of 2005, prices for the Monkey Stamp rebounded to seventeen hundred yuan. Subsequently, they increased year by year to two thousand one hundred seventy-three yuan, three thousand one hundred eighty yuan, three thousand nine hundred seventy-five yuan, four thousand twenty-eight yuan, and six thousand six hundred seventy-eight yuan.
In April 2010, a single Monkey Stamp sold for eight thousand six hundred ninety-two yuan; by December, it reached nine thousand nine hundred sixty-four yuan. A complete sheet of Monkey Stamps (eighty stamps) fetched an astonishing nine hundred seventy-seven thousand yuan.
In February 2011, a single Monkey Stamp sold for ten thousand eight hundred twelve yuan and climbed to twelve thousand eighty-four yuan by March.
From its inception, this stamp became an unparalleled classic; many collectors dreamt of owning an eight-yuan Monkey Stamp as its value would soar into thousands over decades.
Hu Ruoyun stared at the stamp in his hand in disbelief. "Sister, this is too much..."
Mao Na waved her hand dismissively. "Come on, let’s head back to school. I need to go home for dinner anyway. I still have two more; you can keep those for fun."
She smiled and added as a reminder, "Just don’t stick them on an envelope and send them out."
Hu Ruoyun quickly promised he wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake; after all, these two small stamps could be worth over twenty thousand yuan in the future!
That night, Hu Ruoyun racked his brain trying to recall any memories related to these two stamps from his “foreseen future,” but he couldn’t remember anything at all.
——The future is quietly deviating from the “foreseeable” trajectory.
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