Druid's Country Retirement

As the saying goes: "Kudzu root in the south, ginseng in the north."

Pueraria lobata powder is a powder obtained by grinding the roots of Pueraria lobata. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Pueraria lobata is sweet in taste, cold in nature, and returns to the stomach meridian. It has many functions. Eating less is also good for pregnant women. It can relieve fever and relieve troubles. , produce fluid, quench thirst, detoxify, purge fire.

After breakfast, they learned that Li Hongbing was going to dig kudzu in the mountains. The two brothers-in-law immediately patted their chests and wanted to go. For no other reason than to offer their husbands' full love to their beloved wives.

Old licking dog! !

Li Hongbing gave a look of disdain.

He put on the camouflage clothes he wears in the mountains, picked up a hoe, sickle, and pickaxe and handed them to his two brothers-in-law.

"If you want to go into the mountains, you have to work. You are going into the mountains dressed like this. There are clothes and rubber shoes for you two in the warehouse. Please change them quickly."

"Okay!"

The two took the tools and hurriedly got into the warehouse. When they came out, they had transformed from successful people to farming uncles. They were still showing off and taking pictures of each other with their mobile phones.

"Let's go, don't go if I keep yelling." Li Hongbing couldn't stand it anymore, picked up the hoe, turned around and walked out of the yard, followed by Shi Yue.

"San'er, wait for me."

The two men quickly caught up with tools.

Looking at the backs of his son and son-in-law, the father cursed in a low voice, "The two of them are not doing their jobs properly. They don't know how to take me with them when they go out. How unfilial!"

My mother just walked out of the kitchen and heard my father complaining.

"Where are you going, old arms and legs? They went into the mountains to dig dong kudzu. They didn't dig a hole to bury you. They went to wash the grass carp that San'er killed and make a fish stew for lunch."

"..." Dad chirped a few times, really wanting to be tough, but years of oppression from his fierce wife made him only dare to think about it, and then walked into the kitchen dejectedly.

……

The three brothers carried bamboo baskets on their backs and carried tools as they walked on the mountain road. They breathed the free air and felt refreshed.

The two brothers-in-law were so happy that they almost flew into the air.

"San'er, where are you going to play tomorrow? I don't want to stay in my old house."

"No, it was a big headache with your sister in charge. Now my parents are here too. This insincerity will kill me."

Li Hongbing was also in a depressed group. They just shot themselves in the foot. Why did they make that call when they had nothing to do?

"Don't even say a few words, I'm annoyed too."

The three of them complained as they walked towards the village.

From a distance, I saw the four unlucky guys Li Hongqi, two apprentices and Fang Wanda.

The two parties come together.

The two apprentices obediently called them uncle.

"Lian Qian is still so well-behaved. Your master took advantage of her." The eldest brother-in-law praised happily.

A bargain?

You drank fake wine this morning. Who said you were a bit aggressive or had the demeanor of a woman from the Li family last night at the stadium.

Li Hongbing curled his lips, despising the eldest brother-in-law's useless behavior.

"What is this?" The second brother-in-law looked at Xiao Wuzi.

Hearing him call him uncle, could it be that his brother-in-law has accepted another apprentice?

"This is the third disciple. His first name is Xu Lianwu and his nickname is Xiao Wuzi." Li Hongbing introduced with a smile, and did not forget to introduce the two brothers-in-law to Xiao Wuzi. "Xiao Wuzi, these are my brothers-in-law, Uncle Qian and Uncle Cui."

Xiaowuzi said hello again obediently.

"Uncle Qian, Uncle Cui."

The two brothers-in-law were flattered by these two calls of "Master Uncle" and quickly scolded their brother-in-law. The new apprentice didn't even respond.

We walked into the mountains in such a hurry that we didn’t prepare any gifts.

"Let's see. I still have a small two-bedroom apartment in the city. I will take the fifth child to the city to complete the formalities later." The eldest brother-in-law was very generous and gave away a house with a wave of his hand.

Regardless of the eldest brother-in-law's arrogance, there is a reason for that. Recently, he has acquired several high-quality plots of land in the city, and various policies are frighteningly favorable. Of course Qian Youzhi knows that he is borrowing money from his brother-in-law, so he definitely doesn't want to give him a house, so he might as well reciprocate the favor. Send him as an apprentice.

"Uncle Qian, you are partial, you didn't even give me a gift when I became a disciple!" Sun Lianqian immediately pretended to be angry and shouted jealously.

The eldest brother-in-law slapped his forehead, forgetting about this little aunt, "Yes, you have a share, we can go back to the city and do it together."

When Sun Lianqian heard this, she immediately smiled and looked at her second brother-in-law, "Uncle Qian, what gift do you want to give to your third junior brother?"

The ghost girl, like her brother-in-law, cannot suffer the slightest loss.

The second brother-in-law shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Just in time, I bought a batch of storefronts from the supermarket, and then we can go back to the city and have one room per person. That's all right!"

Xiaowuzi had no idea about the house or its appearance, but Sun Lianqian knew it and quickly pulled her junior brother and two junior uncles to bow and thank them.

"Just get used to them!" Li Hongbing smiled, neither objecting nor rejecting. Two houses and two apartments were nothing to him, but he was very satisfied with the attitude of the two brothers-in-law.

The village boy next to him stared wide-eyed when he heard this.

Although Dongfeng City is a small city, there are still three points in a bad ship.

A house is worth three to four hundred thousand, and a facade is worth four to five hundred thousand.

Without blinking an eye, he sent it out.

This apprenticeship is so worth it!

Li Hongqi asked awkwardly, "Brother Hongbing, are you still accepting a disciple? I'm a bit older, but I'm sensible, obedient, and can make a bed."

The scholar said, "Brother, I can boil water for cooking and wash clothes. Why don't you take me in too?"

Victory, "Brother Red Soldier, as long as you agree to take me in, I will kowtow now, and when you are a hundred years old, I will wear sackcloth and hold a brazier."

Before Jianjun could say anything, Li Hongbing stepped forward and kicked him into the ditch on the roadside.

"A dog entered. With your virtues and your holding a brazier for me, believe it or not, I will burn the four of you right now."

Fortunately, it was late autumn and there was no water in the ditch, so Li Hongbing didn't exert much effort.

The unlucky foursome climbed back up the mountain trail with smiles on their faces, picking up tools and carrying baskets like no one else.

"I don't want to be a disciple, so go into the mountains."

The others laughed, took it as a show of excitement, and walked towards the back mountain.

The coolness of autumn is over and the coldness of winter is coming.

With the first frost, all the leaves in the mountains have withered away, and the forest is bright.

Autumn and winter are the seasons for digging kudzu. During this season, kudzu roots have stopped growing and kudzu powder has formed. Wild kudzu grows in the mountains. It is very difficult to find and dig. In particular, kudzu likes to grow in moist places and is mostly distributed on sunny slopes and valleys. , mountain.

It used to be found on the edges of farmland, but after the use of pesticides, it became less and less rare. Moreover, kudzu has strong vitality and a fast reproduction speed. If you are not careful, it can spread into large areas and seriously affect the growth of crops. So farmers saw kudzu. They will be removed as weeds.

However, when it grows in the mountains, no one cares about it. In addition, there are fewer and fewer mountain runners of the older generation, so few people go into the mountains to dig winter kudzu. Our destination this time is Tengshugou.

Tengshugou is located in a ravine more than ten kilometers east of Caogou Village. It is named after the large number of Tengshugou trees in the valley. However, the mountain road is rugged and is not included in the tourist route of Caogou Village.

In the early years, many villagers came to Tengshugou to dig kudzu and yams. Later, the mountain was closed to cultivate forests. Coupled with the loss of population, few people entered Tengshugou, resulting in dense trees and vines and thorns.

The group of people climbed over mountains and ridges, climbing on the side of overgrown mountains. If they were not careful, their hands and faces would get bloody cuts from thorns.

The two brothers-in-law and Sun Lianqian, who were originally in high spirits, started to feel tired after walking halfway. However, Xiao Wuzi picked herbs he encountered on the roadside while walking.

"Master, look at this isatis root, it's so lush." ​​Xiao Wuzi squatted in front of a herb, holding a digging knife made of bamboo slices in his hand.

Li Hongbing was determined to take the exam, "How do you explain Isatis root in the Compendium of Materia Medica?"

Xiao Wuzi thought carefully for a moment, "Isatis root is also known as: woad, mountain blue, big blue root, malan root; its nature and flavor are bitter and cold, and its appearance is not good. At the beginning of the disease, there will be swelling and pain in the throat, spots caused by warm poison, scabies, erysipelas, carbuncles and sores; dig them in early winter, remove the stems and leaves, wash them and dry them in the sun."

Li Hongbing nodded with satisfaction, very much approving of Xiao Wuzi's answer.

This is the successor of my Li family's medical skills, unlike that second apprentice who was seriously biased.

Ah sneeze! Ah sneeze! !

Sun Lianqian sneezed twice in a row for some reason.

One thought, two scoldings and three colds, someone is scolding themselves.

He immediately turned around to look for the potential target of scolding him.

"Lian Qian, have you caught a cold? Put on my clothes." Dog-licker Fang Wanda took off her coat diligently and handed it over.

Sun Lianqian looked at the sweat stains on her clothes and ran away in disgust, only to be laughed at by the four old bachelors.

"Brother Wanda, I'm so cold, please put some clothes on me!" Li Hongqi shouted while holding her voice.

Fang Wanda became so angry that she rushed forward and covered Li Hongqi's head with her clothes, "I'll let you wear it, I'll let you wear it, I'll smoke you to death, you bastard."

After all this fuss.

Everyone felt much more relaxed and continued on the road of digging winter kudzu.

The unlucky foursome wielded their scythes and carved a mountain path through the tangled trees.

Li Hongbing suddenly stopped, picked up a brown fruit as big as a duck egg from the thick layer of fallen leaves, and played with it in his hand.

I haven't seen such big yam eggs for a long time. I used to pick up yam eggs as big as fingernails with my friends. We made a fire, threw the yam eggs into the fire and roasted them. After roasting, peel off the skin and sprinkle some salt and chili powder. Each bite is delicious.

Unexpectedly, yam eggs can grow so big now. They fall all over the ground and no one picks them up. There is really no one in the forest area.

He casually handed the yam eggs to Xiao Wuzi, "What do you mean by yam?"

Xiaowuzi, who seemed to be prepared, took the yam eggs and blurted out.

"Wild yam is used both as medicine and food. It is both a food and a medicinal material; "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" records: "Wild yam is used for a long time to make the ears and eyes brighter, to lighten the body, not to be hungry, and to prolong life. In addition, Li Shizhen recorded in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" written by Li Shizhen : “Wild yam nourishes kidney qi, strengthens the spleen and stomach, stops diarrhea, resolves phlegm and saliva, and moisturizes the fur. "

The eldest brother-in-law on the side complained impatiently, "Okay, I came out to relax today, not for you to come to class."

"No, I just listened to you asking questions all the way. I don't know how to read a book if I want to know." The second brother-in-law followed suit. He noticed that his brother-in-law was not happy with him since he entered the mountain, so he took the opportunity to say a few words.

Li Hongbing smiled with understanding and leaned over to look for yam eggs in the grass again. Those he picked up were thrown into the bamboo basket. He found a vine as thick as his thumb and used his original power to dig into the ground to check.

Three yams as thick as arms are deeply rooted in the soil. They are more than two meters long and must have been growing for ten years.

Yams are very common in the market and are now available all year round. Many people also like to buy them to make soup.

However, only yams that grow naturally in the mountains can be called wild yams, and they are truly good yams.

Dig it back, the wild yam stewed with ephedra chicken is a great nourishing soup, very suitable for pregnant women to drink.

Li Hongbing raised his head and said to Li Hongqi and the others, "You go find Dong Ge first, and I will dig out this yam."

The scholar curled his lips and said, "Why dig that thing? It's very difficult to dig. You have to build a chicken to dig it out."

"You know it, get out of here, don't delay my work!" Li Hongbing waved his hand in disgust, leaving only Xiaowuzi to help, and drove everyone else away.

For them, wild yams are really difficult to dig, because wild yams basically grow in the cracks of rocks, and their shapes are all kinds of weird and ugly. If you don’t have any experience, they will break them if you dig them accidentally. Only if they are in good condition and have no breaks can they be sold well. Price.

Usually family members go into the mountains to dig something when they need to replenish their health. Usually no one digs such troublesome things.

Li Hongbing is different. The growth and shape of the yam are all displayed in his mind.

From which direction to dig with the hoe, you already have a clue in your mind, so it will naturally not break.

"Brother, I successfully found a winter kudzu tree. Let's see who digs it out first. If you lose, please drink!" Xiucai emerged from the bushes and shouted provocatively.

Li Hongbing raised his eyebrows and competed with me. I really don’t know how many eyes Lord Ma has.

As the hoe dug rapidly, soil flew out like raindrops. The little boy next to him originally thought that the master was digging randomly, but suddenly his eyes widened.

Between the soil and the rock cracks, a long cylindrical underground tuber is exposed, which is the wild yam.

The master did not even dig out any of the yam skin. The hoe quickly moved around the yam without breaking any roots, as if he was feeling the pulse of the yam.

Next, in the eyes of Xiao Wuzi, the master was like a god descending to earth. The hoe kept going down, and soon he dug out a pit one meter deep. The yam hidden in the soil and stone crevices gradually revealed its true appearance.

There is one main rhizome, and there are three branch rhizomes below. Each wild yam root is as thick as an adult's arm.

What a thick yam.

Even though I was a kid who ran around in the mountains every day, I rarely saw such a big wild yam.

when!

The hoe made a bang, and Li Hongbing raised his head and eased his hands that were numb from the shock.

"Silly boy, stop looking and go get the pickaxe. There is a stone blocking the way."

"Here we come!" Xiaowuzi turned around, picked up the pickaxe, and handed it to Li Hongbing.

After taking the pickaxe, Li Hongbing spit into the palm of his hand, rubbed it and tightened the handle of the pickaxe, and started working again.

When the pit was dug to a depth of more than two meters, Li Hongbing dug out the wild yam.

It looks like a harpoon, with three branches that are strong and thick, weighing more than thirty kilograms.

"Yes, your wife can eat several meals when we go back." Li Hongbing couldn't hide the smile on his face even though he was covered in dirt.

"Master is so awesome. Even my second father dare not say that he can dig yams by himself." Xiao Wuzi looked admiring.

"That's right!" Li Hongbing smiled proudly, put the yam on the ground, and climbed out of the pit. "By the way, how long has it been since you went home to see your second father and grandfather."

"For more than half a month." Xiao Wuzi finally showed a homesick expression on his face. After all, he was only a 13-year-old child.

Li Hongbing raised his hand and pressed Xiao Wuzi's head.

"Go home tomorrow and ask Uncle Hongqi Santengzi to take you home!"

(End of this chapter)