Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 647 No Rain
Nowadays, whether it is restaurants or ordinary people, chicken is rarely eaten in different parts. Most of the time, it is cooked in one pot.

After the development of the breeding industry, different people had different needs, and gradually special snacks such as fried whole chicken, braised whole chicken, braised chicken feet, roasted chicken hearts, fried chicken gizzards, fried chicken legs, roasted chicken racks, chicken burgers, and chicken rolls appeared.

Among the many snacks made from chicken, fried chicken racks are the most special. In a place in Northeast China, there is a saying that "no chicken can walk out alive". It sounds playful, but there are actually tears behind it.

Before chicken racks became popular in the local area, almost no one cared about them. Later, due to the well-known unemployment, the workers had no money in their pockets, so this thing became popular in order to satisfy their cravings.

Except in extreme circumstances, few people in China would eat chicken butts, but there are exceptions. There is a famous snack on Frog Island called "Qilixiang", which is quite popular locally.

Even chicken butts are eaten by some people, but very few people would choose to eat chicken intestines, probably because they are too dirty and time-consuming and troublesome to prepare.

Tang Zhitong once heard that chicken intestines were not only used as feed and meat paste, but also taken back by small vendors, processed and minced to be used as stuffing for steamed buns...

The reason why chicken intestines are used is, firstly, because they are really cheap, and secondly, they contain fat and taste delicious.

So before Tang Zhitong came here, he rarely ate steamed buns outside, especially those soup dumplings sold in small shops.

However, due to the current conditions, Tang Zhitong plans to give it a try himself. If he does it himself, at least there won't be any digestive waste that the chicken has not had time to excrete.

Processing chicken intestines is different from processing pig intestines. Because chicken intestines are too thin, they have to be cut open, rinsed, and then carefully rubbed with flour or salt.

Tang Zhitong first stewed half a chicken with its gizzards and hearts in a pot. After it was half cooked, he poured a head of cabbage that Zhang Guifang had cut into the pot, added some water and salt, covered the pot, and started to process the chicken intestines.

Turning on the cheat device, Tang Zhitong recited to himself: Chicken intestines are sweet in nature, enter the kidney meridian, and can treat enuresis, nocturnal emission, leukorrhea, and hemorrhoids, while he pretended to prepare it with warm water in front of his family.

Strangely enough, Tang Zhitong can accept pig intestines and sheep intestines, but has never been interested in chicken intestines.

Without self-hypnosis, Tang Zhitong would need a lot of courage to put this thing in his mouth...

After washing it clean, put it on the chopping board and cut and chop it, then add a cabbage and it will become dumpling filling.

"Wait until after dinner to make them. When you go to pick up Jingying tomorrow, take two boxes with you." Zhang Guifang put the dumpling stuffing her son had prepared aside to make room for eating.

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Tang Zhitong was completely relieved when he saw that Zhang Guifang was not sad about the loss of a chicken at home.

Even though there was only half a chicken, Zhang Guifang did not forget to put half of it into the pressure cooker to give to her in-laws, and the remaining half was for her own consumption.

A quarter of a chicken, without the drumsticks, is in the pressure cooker.

Zhang Guifang first picked out the chicken and gave each person two pieces. She gave the meatier part to the children and ate the meatless part near the spine herself.

Tang Zhitong thought that there would be no shortage of food in the future, but he held back and decided to wait a little longer. When spring came and flowers bloomed, and everything revived, and there were more food to eat in the mountains and fields, he would go "hunting" and then provide better nutrition for his family.

Although each person only had two pieces of meat, no one thought it was too little. They chewed it very carefully, not leaving behind even a trace of meat stuck on the bone frame. They almost chewed the chicken bones into pieces and sipped them to taste them.

The chicken bones finally went to Beibei, who gave a thumbs up to the chicken from his friend's circle. Although there was no meat on it, the bones tasted good.

Watching Beibei gnawing on the chicken bones with relish, Tang Zhitong recalled the first time he ate Dezhou Braised Chicken, which was probably very similar to Beibei at this moment.

At that time, Dezhou Braised Chicken was cooked in a pressure cooker, and the bones inside were all crushed. Because he was poor, Tang Zhitong swallowed it all up, including the meat and bones, and supplemented his calcium...

February 2th, the 19rd day of the first lunar month, is Rain Water, one of the solar terms.

When the Rain Water period comes in the seventh and ninth lunar months, there are three signs: the first is when otters offer fish as sacrifices, the second is when wild geese arrive, and the third is when grass and trees begin to sprout. This can be said to be the beginning of spring.

There are quite a lot of poems describing rain by ancient people. Whether it is "A good rain knows the season, it happens in spring" or "The drizzle on the street is as soft as butter, the grass looks green from a distance but is not green when you get close", they all indicate that it is time for rain.

However, it doesn't look like it's raining in Sijiu City today.

Zhang Guifang was packing up the dumplings that had just been made this morning, while muttering: "When the rain drops at dusk, pedestrians should not be sad; when the rain drops at the rooster's mouth, pedestrians should not walk. Oh, God, please give us some rain. It hasn't snowed much this winter."

Tang Zhitong heard it, but said nothing, because he obviously couldn't control God.

When Grandma Tang was alive, Tang Zhitong also heard her tell some proverbs. Rainwater marks the beginning of a year's precipitation and is also a sign of a year's harvest. There is a saying that "when the pond is full of water, the granary is full of grain; when there is no water in the pond, there is no grain in the granary."

After sending their two younger sisters off, Tang Zhitong and Xiao Wang parted ways at the west entrance of Xi'anmen Street, one heading east to Beijing National Library and the other heading north to Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.

On the way, Tang Zhitong started thinking about the rain again.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially the Qing dynasty, local officials would often mention the rainfall conditions in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Some officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, such as the weaving factory, would regularly record the local rainfall and grain prices and report them.

To put it bluntly, in the Qing Dynasty when water conservancy projects were not well developed, the people depended on the weather for their livelihood.

If we collect three or five dou more, the people will have a hard time. If we collect three or five dou less, the people will have an even harder time.

The difficulties in people's livelihood can easily lead to social unrest, so Kang Mazi had to pay attention to it. The reason behind paying attention to people's livelihood was actually because he was worried that the people would rebel.

Tang Zhitong didn't know whether there was a similar system nowadays with advanced communications. He just hoped that the vegetable substitution could be promoted earlier so that he could harvest some during the farming season, instead of waiting until the middle of winter, when it would be too late.

There is nothing major happening at the Post and Telecommunications College today except for the announcement of the selection results for the wired manufacturing major.

No one from Class 593 of the Cable Department was selected, which did not surprise Tang Zhitong at all.

"The college goes the same way. Since they don't want freshmen like us, why do they still allow freshmen to sign up?" After seeing the posted results, Luo Zhiping couldn't help but speak up for his classmate.

"Perhaps the seniors are too enthusiastic. The college must select the best, so they rejected us freshmen. Study hard, and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future." Several students who were not selected looked a little disappointed, and Tang Zhitong comforted them. This is not only an opportunity to earn more wages in advance, but also an opportunity to obtain a permanent residence in Beijing. It is reasonable for the students to rush to apply.

In Tang Zhitong's view, people of this generation face three challenges that determine their entire life. The first is reincarnation, which does not necessarily mean being rich, but at least having a good background. The second is the college entrance examination, which can get a ticket to upward mobility. The third is job assignment.

There are always limited job opportunities in good cities, and some people will always go to remote places, and most likely stay there for life.

Although many people say "go to where the motherland needs you most" and "obey the assignment", how many of them are really willing to do so?

There was a physical education class in the afternoon. The slogan "Work for the health of the motherland for 50 years" was painted on the wall behind the playground. However, since the requirements for physical education were relaxed last year, they have not been stricter this year.

Many things are like this, like a gust of wind, they are booming when the wind blows, but when the wind stops, there is no trace left, only some gossip.

After some basic exercises, the physical education teacher let the students move freely.

Some choose to squat on the roadside and read books, while others choose less intense exercises such as horizontal bar and long jump to show themselves off and try to attract the favor of girls.

Tang Zhitong did not read or exercise. Instead, he chose to squat aside and watch this group of young men and women.

I have been in college for more than half a year, and the boys have already figured out the situation in various universities.

Among the universities in this area, the ratio of female students in the Post and Telecommunications College is relatively high, about 3:1. The ratio of female students in other universities is only a few percent, and the competition is fierce. Therefore, occasionally students from other universities come to the Post and Telecommunications College in the name of organizing a "fellowship" to meet girls.

Although this is also a means of expanding interpersonal relationships, Tang Zhitong never participates in it. He thinks it is enough to maintain the current interpersonal relationships. There is no need to deliberately expand them. Anyway, he has no ambition.

Tang Zhitong slipped away before the get out of class was over. Instead of watching others exuding hormones in the playground, he might as well go and chat with classmate Xiao Wang.

After riding his bike into Xinjiekou, Tang Zhitong heard a slightly tingling "buzzing" sound, so he stopped the bike.

This buzzing sound is the sound made by the barber's special instrument called "calling head" to attract customers. Since the cooperation, this buzzing sound has become much less.

"Master, how much for a haircut?" Tang Zhitong stopped beside the barber and asked in a friendly manner.

"Thank you. Six cents." When the barber saw Tang Zhitong asking, he smiled and was very polite.

"Full set?" Sixty cents is not cheap. Nowadays, the price of a haircut for an adult in a street barber shop is no more than forty cents, and they also provide hair washing. The Silian brand is so strong, but it's only eighty cents.

"I can tell from the looks of it that you're an expert on this business. You'll get the full package." Although the barber is old, his back is slightly bent and he always addresses you when he speaks.

"Okay, thank you for your help." Tang Zhitong thought the price was okay and since it was still early, he decided to give it a try.

Barber is the name given to barbers in the old city. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was called "comb workers". At that time, comb workers did not shave heads, but mainly did hairstyles and shaved faces, which was a bit like a hairdresser.

Barbers in the Song Dynasty were renamed "tweezers" or "tweezers". Their main job was to pluck the cheek hair for customers. According to "Gui'er Ji", Qin Hui once asked how much it cost after having his hair cut. The tweezers worker said two cents. Qin Hui was very satisfied and "rewarded him with five thousand as two cents".

The custom of shaving heads was popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and barbers became barbers. Some wealthy families had fixed barbers who would come to their homes regularly every month to provide service.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, some barbers participated in the joint venture. Due to changes in aesthetic factors, although the craftsmanship is still there, it is not worth much.

However, one must never underestimate barbers. Some barbers with good skills can even cure orthopedic diseases such as sprained ankles, stiff necks, and dislocations. They are truly multi-talented people.

When Tang Zhitong was young, he saw barbers going in and out of Lao Wan's house, and also saw barbers carrying a load on their shoulders and walking around the streets. Since each barber's skills varied and their prices varied, some barbers could only do haircuts, while others dared to take on the full service.

Haircut means exactly what it says. The full service includes not only haircut but also ear cleaning, nose hair trimming, eye cleaning, beard trimming and massage of the head, face, neck and shoulders.

"Okay! Please sit down." The barber was quite old, with old-fashioned manners ingrained in his bones. He put down his shaving pole, took off the small stool, and let Tang Zhitong sit down first.

There is an old saying that "one end of the barber's pole is hot", that's because one end of the barber's pole is a red lacquered rectangular stool, which is the cool end; the other end is a long round cage with a small stove inside, which is the hot end.

There are three drawers between the legs of the red lacquered rectangular stool: the top one is for money, which is put in through a small rectangular hole in the stool surface; the second and third drawers are for tools such as aprons, knives, and scissors.

A large brass basin is placed on the small stove, and the water is always kept at a certain temperature. Generally speaking, it is not used for washing hair outdoors, but for heating towels. Covering the customer's beard with a hot towel can provide a better shaving experience.

"Master, can I see the tools you use to eat?" Tang Zhitong did not sit down immediately. Instead, he wanted to play with the "head-calling tool" while the barber was cleaning the stove.

Haircutting is one of the "Eight Don'ts". Barbers never speak when walking around the streets, and they use "calling heads" to attract customers.

The call head is very simple, consisting of a tuning fork and an iron rod.

"As you please." The barber seemed very easy to talk to. He tidied up the stove and took out tools from the drawer under the stool leg.

After getting the barber's permission, Tang Zhitong took the "fork" in his hand, held the bottom of the iron fork with one hand, inserted the iron stick into the middle of the iron fork with the other hand, and picked it up from bottom to top!
The hair-raising "buzzing" sound came again, making the hand holding the iron fork itchy.

Tang Zhitong tried it out and put down the "haircut" with satisfaction. He sat on the stool and prepared to receive the haircut service.

The last time Tang Zhitong had his hair cut was by Gu Mancang, whose skills were just so-so. His hair has grown a bit long now, but Gu Mancang has no intention of setting up his stall. Maybe he wants to wait until February 2nd.

The whole set of treatment took about an hour, and Tang Zhitong felt so comfortable. The 60 cents was well worth it!
Tang Zhitong looked in the mirror and was very satisfied. He really wanted to leave his contact information with the master so that he could come to his house regularly, but after thinking about it, he decided not to.

Nowadays, in addition to some wealthy old people, many senior leaders also enjoy door-to-door service from barbers. As ordinary people, it is better not to be so high-profile.

But it will be fine after the reform. The number of Tony teachers providing door-to-door services has increased significantly, but the fees are really high. Most of them are in the thousands. Ordinary people can't afford it, and most of those who can afford it don't spend their own money...

On the way to pick up Xiao Wang, Tang Zhitong looked up at the sky. It was a clear sky with no sign of rain. It is said that spring rain is as expensive as oil. It seems that the price of oil will skyrocket this year!
(End of this chapter)