火桶：温暖与智慧的结晶

Lateautumn in the days I lived with my in-laws in rural Zhejiang meant the arrivalof one of the warmest companions I ever had at the dinner table — the huotong.

深秋时节我在浙江和公婆同住时，最温暖的同伴——火桶——登场了。

Imaginea wooden, thimble-shaped stool that's half-enclosed, with one side open like astage, cradling a metal receptacle built to hold burning embers, and you havean idea of what this traditional piece of dining room furniture looks like.

木制半开的凳子像个舞台一样，金属框架可以承受火烤。

Wheneverthe first chilling winds of the season would sweep through the village, myin-laws would fill one with a generous helping of warm cinders from theirfire-powered wok, and place it around the table, usually right where I used tosit.

当第一阵寒风刮过这个小村庄时，公婆就会从火炉里取出煤渣，放进火桶。他们一般都把火桶放在我常坐的位置。

Theywere no strangers to my aversion to the cold of winter in a province thatdidn't enjoy the steam heat typical of more northern parts of China, nor theheating vents I relished at home growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, where almostevery school year saw at least a handful of snow days or times that proved toofrigid for us to attend classes. As a child, I would rush home from school inJanuary and February and immediately ensconce myself in front of the heater.

中国南方不像北方一样有暖气，所以我很熟悉这种寒冷。我在美国俄亥俄州的克里夫兰长大，那里每年都会下雪。有时候因为太冷，我们都没法上学。一二月份的时候，我会从学校飞奔回家，赶紧抱住暖气。

Whowould have imagined I would marry into a family accustomed to winters ofwearing multiple layers of clothing and your jacket at all times, even at home.

谁能想到我会嫁给一个中国南方人，在冬天的家里都要全副武装地穿好多衣服呢。

Notsurprisingly, my winter strategy at their home involved heavy use of anelectric mattress pad and excessive layers of blankets. I felt loathe to leavethe cocoon of warmth I had built for myself in the bedroom, including whenmealtimes arrived. For me, that made the huotong such a welcome addition aroundthe table.

所以我在公婆家过冬就是依赖电热毯和毛毯。到了饭点我都舍不得离开屋里的温暖，所以餐桌旁的火桶就成了我的救星。

It'samazing how this simple invention could generate such a substantial amount ofheat. Being perched on top of the huotong during meals transported me back tothe comfort of those weekday afternoons following school when I leaned back onvents at home to soak up every bit of warmth in the house. But even better, thehuotong, with its open design, also allowed my legs to feel just as cozy as Itucked into a delicious meal at the table.

这个简单的凳子散发出的热量让人欣慰。坐在上面让我想起放学后在家里享受的温暖。火桶开放型的设计还能让我腿部也热乎起来。

Thehuotong appears to have had a long history among my husband's family in ruralZhejiang. My mother-in-law, once pointing to the piece with more small knicksand scratches among its lovely mahogany wood, revealed it was a familyheirloom, presented to her and my father-in-law on the occasion of theirwedding. And she proudly shared that it worked just as well, if not better,than the newer and more polished huotong they owned.

火桶在我丈夫家有着悠久历史。我婆婆曾说它就是传家宝，见证了她和我公公的婚礼。她还骄傲地表示，这个老古董比新火桶功能还好。

Myhusband Jun also has fond memories of the huotong, which he recalls serving asmore than just a warm seat at the table. During Chinese New Year, the familywould roast long, white sticks of niangao, or New Year cakes, over the embersin the huotong for a gooey holiday treat.

我的丈夫骏也有关于火桶的记忆，他觉得火桶不仅仅是桌子边温暖的凳子。春节期间，整个家族会在火桶的温暖下做年糕。

Nowthat Jun and I live in Beijing, where late autumn and winters offer the snugdelights of plentiful steam heating at our home, years have passed since welast sat on a huotong. But I will always cherish those days when I first cameto know this distinctive piece of furniture. It stands as a unique example ofthe many ingenious inventions people in south of the Yangtze River havedeveloped to survive and thrive during the coldest months of the year.

现在我们夫妻俩住在北京，家里有暖气。距离我上一次坐在火桶上已经过去了几年，但我会一直记得有火桶的日子。它代表了长江以南的人们为了度过寒冷的日子而发明的智慧。