憶山城“黃家巷”舊事

□ 文/本刊記者 楊艷 圖/馬巖巖

憶山城“黃家巷”舊事

□ 文/本刊記者 楊艷 圖/馬巖巖

黃錫滋之孫黃綱濟攝影：楊艷

1922年，黃錫滋在北碚代家溝開掘錫滋洞礦井。

在南岸南濱路黃家巷一帶，小街小巷縱橫交錯，長長短短、寬寬窄窄，這里曾是重慶20世紀20年代最繁華的市井街區(qū)，曾聚集各大洋行，船廠見證了那個時代的榮光。如今盡管大部分民居已是舊瓦破墻、危房閑置，但隨著南岸龍門浩歷史文化街區(qū)的改造，又將重新恢復昔日活力。

說到黃家巷就不能不提一個商業(yè)奇才—黃錫滋，黃家巷的名字也因他而取。事我們有幸找到了黃家的后人黃錫滋之孫—黃綱濟，曾經擁有顯赫家世背景，成長于家纏萬貫的家庭，陪伴在黃錫滋身邊數(shù)十年載，經歷過家族風云變幻的老先生。今年已經85歲高齡的他頭發(fā)花白，雖然說話已有些喘氣，但對于祖父黃錫滋的記憶，他依舊深刻。

黃氏經商之道 幕后謀生意

說起黃錫滋的發(fā)家史，黃老先生說他的祖父出生于清末光緒年間，從小過繼給曾祖父的二房兄長，因其過世，就獲得十余萬兩白銀的遺產。隨后娶了他的祖母，在都郵街（現(xiàn)為解放碑）購置地產，建了新宅。那時是1909年，他的祖父才26歲。

當時重慶作為重要的水陸口岸，又是川鹽的重要運銷地，來自自貢的川鹽都得經過重慶碼頭，銷往位于下游的湖北沙市。就在1911年，黃錫滋和友人一起創(chuàng)辦了“天錫生”。自古以來，食鹽是官辦，“天錫生”就憑借當時執(zhí)行的鹽稅制度，黃錫滋看出其中暗存商機，首先籌集大量資金，靠低買高賣的方法，從而獲得豐富的利潤。隨后，黃錫滋將所獲得的利潤繼續(xù)投入生意，擴大經營，開設了多家商貿流通字號。在鹽號生意之后，又經營了棉紗、布匹、鹽、糖、油、山貨等大宗批發(fā)業(yè)務，貨物通過川江運輸，為了讓自家生意在江上運輸更加便利，黃錫滋又籌集大量資金，購買了輪船參與川江運輸。

黃錫滋的資產最高時達到500萬兩白銀之多，可是他這一生卻不曾離開過重慶。黃老先生回憶說，他祖父去過最遠的地方就是江北唐家沱，而那一次還只是為了看一看自家新買的輪船?！爱敃r祖父準備去一趟上海，全家為他準備了日常物品，并且在福源輪上準備了大包間，可是臨到出發(fā)時，轎子已停在堂屋了，他卻臨時決定不去了。”至于什么原因，黃老先生也不記得了，他說祖父的脾氣一向讓人猜不透，他是一家之主，主要精力放在生意上，家里的孩子跟他總有些生分。

關于如何將生意做大，黃老先生說：“祖父總是呆在家里‘幕后遙控’，他的記性好得驚人，在他的腦子里存著一個活賬本，各條賬目他總能信手拈來。不常去店鋪，也很少在外應酬。每天晚上伙計關店后，到黃家匯報商議得失，他再出謀劃策，小事交由伙計處理，大事交由父親或叔父去處理?！辈粣蹝侇^露面的黃錫滋，不喜于結交官宦權貴，也從不去店鋪巡視，不善外交的他能成功地從鹽號生意起步，并在后來擁有從重慶到上海的兩艘最大的客輪，在外界看來就是一個傳奇。黃老先生說，雖然祖父不喜歡結交官宦軍閥，但他總是支持自己的好友去當商會會長，去結交達官貴人，以求自己的生意得到友人的庇護，這也是黃錫滋獨特的處世之道。

在跌宕的歷史歲月里，如今的黃家巷子僅剩幾棟舊房，房屋雖已破敗不堪，但仍然透出高貴、優(yōu)雅的貴族氣息。

黃家大院 老宅記憶

黃老先生出生于上世紀30年代，他就在都郵街長大，那一帶曾經繁華無比。自從黃家做起了輪船生意之后，由于航運碼頭需要大量的倉庫，黃家專門在南岸區(qū)玄壇廟買下一大塊荒地，就地修建了聚福洋行輪船公司，旁邊還有幾棟住宅別墅，一大片房子、堆棧、煤場拔地而起，今天我們站在南岸龍門浩歷史老街還能隱約看到當年的輪廓。在當時有名的聚福堆棧旁，設立了幾棟花園別墅，其實是作為黃家避暑大院。其中，還有聚福巷、黃家巷，這兩個地名就在那時而得名。

年年夏天，祖父母就與家里大大小小的孩子渡江到南岸避暑。據(jù)黃老先生回憶說，他們一家老小加隨身傭人，出行隊伍浩浩蕩蕩，每次出發(fā)就在公館門口坐自家汽車到朝天門碼頭，然后再坐人力轎子，到達江邊坐海關的小汽船。那時他個子小，擠在祖母的轎子里。轎子也被抬上船，撂在船艙頂上，當船靠岸后，再放下轎子，黃家人就坐轎到聚福堆棧，離它不遠處便是黃家院子。

黃家巷曾見證了重慶的開埠文化。

黃老先生說：“那時老院子所在的那一帶的居民稀少，環(huán)境清靜又優(yōu)美，離城區(qū)又近，特別適合度假。那時的南岸沒有電，晚上就用柴油機發(fā)電。院子里有一個電話，是黑色的老式手搖電話，方便黃家與城里（現(xiàn)渝中區(qū)）保持聯(lián)系。”從每年端午開始，黃家兩老就和孩子們在南岸住上一兩個月的時間，他的父親和叔父因忙于公事，不能一同前往。待天氣涼快后，學校快開學了，他們就返回市區(qū)。

說起黃家大院，黃老先生更習慣稱之為“黃家花園”，隨著時移世易，城市建設發(fā)生了巨大的變化，1927年修建的黃家大院早已不是原來的模樣。黃家人在此一共住過24個年頭的黃家大院，在當年氣派不凡，是由一棟主樓和幾棟裙樓構成，面積寬敞，院內本來還有五六個小院兒，現(xiàn)在已找不到小院的痕跡，小院安排給親朋好友居住，而黃家人就住在主樓里，兩層樓的磚木結構，中西合璧式風格，面向長江，還可遠眺江北城。那時黃老先生和其他孩子一起住在主樓的二樓里，祖父和祖母就住在一樓，出入方便?？蛷d、飯廳設置在一樓，廚房安置在離主樓最近的裙樓里，保姆和傭人就住在裙樓，黃家有任何需要，能在最短時間得到回應。

據(jù)黃老先生回憶，祖父黃錫滋留給他最深的印象就是少有出門。即使是在南岸避暑的那兩個月，白天也總是呆在房間里，夜深了才入睡，直到次日中午才起身。在他的記憶里，祖父的身體一直欠佳，偶爾見到祖父走到庭前的草地上散一會兒步，然后就回房，不再出來。“住在城區(qū)的時候，大概每晚的9點左右，城中有名的中醫(yī)趙云甫就準時來到家里給祖父看病把脈，按慣例給祖父開藥單子，隨后就默默離開，傭人將煮好的中藥，一小碗一小碗地端進房，但是他好象都不怎么吃，偶爾喝一小口，傭人就進房端出來，大家也司空見慣了?！?/p>

黃家大院不僅是黃家的避暑之地，還曾是一家人的避難之所。當年日本肆意侵略山城，渝中區(qū)處在水深火熱的戰(zhàn)火之中，南岸則相對較安全。那時黃老先生跟隨祖父祖母，搬到南岸避難，至今他還清楚地記得，黃家大院的廚房后面有一個防空洞，當警報響起來，除了祖父，一家老小都躲進防空洞，黃家還特許附近的一些居民躲在里面。然而，祖父依舊呆在自己房間里，門窗緊閉，只有一個傭人陪著他。

后來，一個大家族漸漸隨著時代更迭而衰敗，具有傳奇色彩的黃氏大家如今已成過去，黃家巷也早已沒有顯赫的私家避暑別墅。1951年黃家將避暑別墅捐給了國家，后來作為茶葉公司。迄今，在黃家巷子還能找到刻有“黃錫滋產業(yè)”字樣的標志，現(xiàn)在黃錫滋別墅已列入龍門浩歷史文化街區(qū)文物保護單位，通過對歷史文化街區(qū)的打造，再現(xiàn)重慶自1891年開埠以來至抗戰(zhàn)時期的城市風貌。

黃家巷歷經百年滄桑，仍保持著獨特的魅力。

There are many crisscrossed streets and alleys, long or short and wide or narrow, at Huangjia Alley, Nanbin Road, Nan’an District in Chongqing, which was the most prosperous place in 1920s. Many foreign banks and shipyards, which witnessed the prosperity at that time, once gathered here. Although most of the current houses along Huangjia Alley are dilapidated buildings lying idle with old tiles and broken walls, this place will revive with the reform of the historical and cultural blocks of Longmenhao, which is surely the best way to honor the past.

Speaking of Huangjia Alley, we have to mention the genius business man, Huang Xizi, who was the reason to name the alley as Huangjia Alley. In several famous families in Chongqing, he was a legend in the field of business. Fortunately, after a century we have found Huang Gangji, the grandson of Huang Xizi, a senior man who grew up in a famous and rich family, accompanying his grandfather more than ten years and experiencing the changes of his family. The journalist has met him once four years ago. He is 85 years old now with gray hair and panting talk, but his grandfather still impresses him.

Do Business Behind-the-Screen

The Huangs’ Way for Business

As for the history of Huang Xizi, Mr. Huang said that his grandfather was born in the reign of Guangxu in the late Qing Dynasty and adopted by the elder brother of the great-grandfather, then he inherited more than 100,000 silver dollars (about 20 million yuan) after his foster father died. After his grandfather’s marriage, his grandfather bought real estate in the Duyou street of Jiefanfbei and built the new house. That was in 1909, and his grandfather was only 26 years old.

At that time, Chongqing was not only the important water and land port, but also the core place of transport and sale of Sichuan salt. The Sichuan salt from Zigong via the Chongqing wharf, was sold to Shashi in Hubei Province in the downstream. In 1911, Mr. Huang’s grandfather and his friends established “Tian Xi Sheng”. Salt was governed by the officials since the ancient time, and the Tian Xi Sheng, relying on the present salt tax system, collected investments and got a high profit by buying salt in a lower price and sold in a much higher price. His grandfather invested all the profi ts to enlarge his business and opened many chain stores. After the business of salt, Tian Zi Hao ran the great wholesale business, including cotton yarn, cloth, oil, salt, sugar and products from mountains. All goods were transported through the Chuanjiang River. Then Huang Xizi bought ships by himself to join in the transport of Chuanjiang River.

“The top amount of my grandfather’s property reached 5 million silver dollar, but he never left Chongqing”. Mr. Huang said, the farthest place his grandfather reached was Tangjiatuo, which was to check the new ship. “My grandfather wanted to take a trip to Shanghai then, and we prepared the everyday objects including smoking set and so on, and prepared a room for him on Fuyuan ship, but he decided not to go when it was close to set off, and the sedan chair just stopped in the front of the central room”. Mr. Huang couldn’t remember the specific reason why his grandfather quit, and he said that the temper of his grandfather was uncertain, so there was a distance between the children and his grandfather.

About how to expand one’s business, Mr. Huang said,“ my grandfather always stayed at home to handle everything, and he had a good memory. There was an account book in his mind, and he could handle every account very well. He rarely went to stores or had social engagements. Every night, the employees closed the door and report the gain and loss to his grandfather. Then they discussed it, and he gave advice. The employees dealt with trifl es and my father and uncles dealt with big ones”. Huang Xizi, who did not like to appear in public or socialize with the power as well as tour his stores. He was a legend in other people’s eyes because he was bad at diplomacy but he still started his business in salt successfully and later owned the two biggest passenger ships from Chongqing to Shanghai. Mr. Huang said, although his grandfather did not like to socialize with the power, he supported his friends to be the chairman of the chamber of commerce and made friends with the high offi cials and noble lords who could shield his business. It was Huang Xizi’s unique philosophy of life.

Huang’s Grand Courtyard

The Memory of Old House

Born in 1930s, Mr. Huang grew up in the Duyou Street (now called Jiefangbei), which was prosperous in the old days. Ever since the Huangs started to do the ship business, there was a need for warehouse in the shipping dock. So the Huangs bought a stretch of wasteland to build Jufu Shipping Company andvillas in Xuantan Temple in Nan’an District. A large fi eld of houses, warehouses and coal yards then sprung up. Several garden villas were built beside the then famous Jufu warehouse as Huang’s summer courtyards. The Jufu Alley and Huangjia Alley were named at that time.

Every summer, Huang Xizi and his wife would take children of the whole family, elder or younger, to cross the river and escape from the summer heat. As Mr. Huang recalled, the whole family and servants made up a vast and mighty travel team, which was very lively. They would set out from their residence to Chaotianmen dock by their own cars. Then they would get to the riverside by manual sedan chair and take little steamers owned by the customs. At that time, his small body crowded into his grandmother’s sedan chair, which would board the ship as well. This sedan chair was put on the top of cabin. After crossing the river, they would come to Jufu warehouse by sedan chair again. The Huangs’ courtyard was around the corner then.

Few people lived in the area of the Huangs’ old house, making a beautiful and quiet place to spend holidays. Back then, Nan’an District didn’t have power system, so diesel engines were used to produce electricity in the evening. The phone in the old house was an traditional hand phone, through which they could keep in touch with the downtown (Yuzhong District). Mr. Huang said, every year, starting from Dragon Boat Festival, his grandparents would stay in Nan’an District for a month or two, together with their children. Huang’s father and uncle couldn’t make the trip due to their busy business. After the weather became cooler, schools were about to start a new term, so they would come back to Duyou street in Yuzhong District.

Speaking of Huang’s courtyard, Mr. Huang would rather call it“Huang’s garden”. With the development of city’s construction, the present courtyard can’t compare with what it used to be. It is said that Huang’s courtyard was built in 1927, in which the Huangs lived for 24 years. With large area, Huang’s family courtyard is made up by a main building and several podiums. Within the courtyard, there are 5 or 6 small courtyards for their friends and relatives to live in. And the Huangs lived in the main building, which was twostory with brick-wood structure. Designed with a combination of Chinese and Western elements, this building faces the Yangtze River, from where they can have a distant view of Jiangbei. At that time, Mr. Huang and other children lived in the second fl oor, while his grandparents in the ground fl oor. The ground fl oor was equipped with the living and dining rooms. And the kitchen is located in the podium that is nearest to the main building. The nannies and servants lived in the podium.

According to Mr. Huang’s memory, what his grandfather Huang Xizi impressed him most is that he seldom came out and killed his time by lying on opium spring couch. In his memory, grandfather was in low spirits all the time. Once in a while, Mr. Huang could see his grandfather walked on the grassland before the yard. Even in the two summer months spent in Nan’an District, his grandfather would stay in the room by day and fell asleep when nights were deep. His grandfather would get up till next noon. “When we still live in Yuzhong District, around 9 o’clock every night, Zhao Yunfu, the famous doctor of traditional Chinese medicine in the city, would come to our home and do diagnosis for grandfather. Zhao would make a prescription and then leave in silence. Servants would place the traditional Chinese medicine on the table, one bowl after another. However, he seldom took the medicine or just took a little, which became a common occurrence.”

Huang’s courtyard was then not only a good summer place to escape from the heat, but also a refuge once. In those years when Japan aggressively invaded China, Chongqing suffered painly in the warfi re. Nan’an District was a relatively safe place. At that time, Mr. Huang, following his grandparents, moved to Nan’an District to hide from the war. Till today, he could clearly remember that there was a bomb shelter behind the kitchen. When the alarm rang, they would get into that shelter except his grandfather. Besides, nearby residents were permitted to hide in it as well. However, his grandfather lied on the opium couch as before, with doors and windows closed. Only a servant kept him company.

Afterwards, a big family was falling down with the time change. The legendary Huang’s Family were gone, and there is no more private summer villa in Huangjia Alley. In 1951, the Huang’s family donated their summer villa to the nation, and which was used for the tea company. Until now, you can fi nd the symbol of“Huang Xizi Property”, which seems to quietly remind the walking people of the past.Currently, the Huang Xizi's house is listed on protection unit of Longmen Hao hitstorical street, it represents Chongqing city scene between the period of port opening and the war of Resistance Against Japan by building the historical cultural district.

To Recall the Past of Huangjia Alley in Chongqing

□ Article/Journalist Yang Yan Pictures / Ma Yanyan