Farmhouse Pastoral Notes

Chapter 46
As if hearing the aspirations of everyone in Yangjia Village, it was a rare good weather for several days in a row.

The Yang Weimin brothers would spread the bundled rice in the dustpan every night when they returned home, and let it dry in the sun. After harvesting all the rice in the field, their Yang family began to prepare the rice hulls. Warehouse storage.

Just like the white rice they eat every day in Spring and Autumn, it is all obtained by husking the rice.

The process of rice husking is called pounding rice. After the rice is husked, the farmers put the obtained brown rice (that is, the unhusked rice) in a stone mortar, and use wooden sticks or wood to install garden stones. One or two people When you beat hard, the bran and rice grains will be separated, and the brown rice will become white rice, which is called pounding rice.

The tool used for pounding rice is a stone mortar, which is slowly chiseled out of a large whole stone.Located not far from the open space at the east entrance of the village, there are two stone mortars at the entrance of Yangjia Village, and two of them can be removed at a time.

The mortar is shaped like a huge wine cup, and the diameter of the mouth is not less than 70-80 cm.There are gong patterns chiseled in the mortar, the body of the mortar must be buried in the ground, the mouth of the mortar is exposed to the ground, and the surroundings are pasted flat with broken ceramic cylinder pieces to facilitate cleaning.

Every July and October are the seasons for pounding rice. Because every household grows rice, stone mortars for shelling are in short supply at this time. In order to alleviate these problems, Grandpa Yang will give each household The notification date, such as who is going to go to so and so's house today, so that everyone will have a certain number in mind and will not be in a hurry.

Today it was the turn of their Yang family and the Daniu family at the east entrance of the village.Not long after the rooster crowed, all the Yang family got up, and everyone including Chunqiu went to the rice field at the entrance of the village.Several members of the Yang and Li family held the dustpan and sieve used to separate the bran and rice, and the old man Yang pulled the brown rice bag and drove the ox cart.Of course, children are there to play. After all, pounding rice, drying and sifting rice is the work of adults, and children are too weak to do it.

The family who used the stone mortar yesterday had already cleaned up the surroundings. Chunqiu stood in a corner with a broom in his hand, watching Yang Li and the others dump the ears of rice in the bag into the stone mortar.Only then did Chunqiu get interested in observing, she belonged to the north in her previous life, and she didn't know much about the rice in the south. There was a wooden or bamboo pole on top of the wine cup-like stone mortar. Chunqiu guessed that it should be used as a handrail for the rice pounder.

And looking at the indefinite amount of things, Chunqiu finally understood why pounding rice is the work of men, because it must be a strong man with great strength to be able to pound rice continuously.

After Yang and Li poured the brown rice into the stone mortar, he let the Chunqiu children who were standing aside to play. If they accidentally bumped into something, it would be a waste of work.

Chunqiu and the others were also happy and leisurely. After hearing what Yang and Li said, they ran away without a trace.

Mrs. Yang and Li didn't care about the children of Chunqiu, and then asked Yang Weimin and Yang Weibo to stand on the stone mortar, one on the left and one on the right. The two of them held the wooden pole with their hands, and then began to fight each other one after another.

Taking advantage of the time when the two were fighting each other, Yang and Li began to distribute tools to the people around them, and stretched out the tarpaulin that they brought earlier and threw them on the ground to prevent the smashed rice grains from flying around.

After everything was done, Yang Lishi was a little leisurely and said to the side, "Oh, the big cow is here!" Yang Lishi saw the young and strong man walking by not far away and waved with a smile. I wanted to find him, but I bumped into him directly.

"Hey, fifth grandma, come here." The young and strong man carried a large pannier on his back, which contained some tools. He looked as tall as an iron tower, with dark skin, and when he opened his mouth, he showed his neat and white teeth.

"Hey, work early and finish early, fifth grandma, are you all here?" Daniel spoke in a simple and honest manner, and he showed a straightforward and honest appearance to everyone, and the Gu family and the Yuan family also replied one by one.

"Oh, Daniel, why are you alone, your mother?" Yang Lishi looked at Daniel who came alone, and his tone was a little surprised, why was he the only one.

Upon hearing what Mrs. Yang and Li said, Daniel hurriedly explained, "No, no, my mother is picking up the rice ears at home, so let me come over and spread these things first, and she will come here with my two younger brothers in a while." Daniel finished. , and scratched his head foolishly.

"Your mother is really amazing." Yang Li looked at Daniel and replied with some emotion.I admire this family of orphans and widows in my heart. A widow actually raised all three sons safely, and the family situation is not bad.

Daniu’s family is surnamed Wang. His father had an accident because he went to the town to do part-time work. Although he paid 5 taels of silver, but his life was at stake, he still left. At that time, Daniu was only 10 years old and Erniu was 7 years old. The youngest, Sanniu, is only 1 years old and has just been weaned. Daniu’s mother has not remarried, so she has pulled the three of them to adulthood by farming. This year, Daniu is already 16. Da Niu, who was working hard, thought that with such a strong and strong physique, he would be a good hand in getting married in the future.

"Daniu, don't worry, take a rest when you're done, don't get tired." While Mrs. Yang and Li were busy sifting rice with Gu and the others, she didn't forget to turn her head and tell Daniel twice.

"Hey, I know, fifth grandma, I'm young, and I'm fine." Daniel smiled indifferently, and then continued to work hard.

Yang Lishi on the side looked more and more delighted, this child will be considered a master in the future, and has a simple and honest temper, Yang Lishi wondered why her sister had changed her sex before?In the end, when she saw Daniel working, it might really be a good intention to take care of her daughter. Thinking of this, Yang Li didn't rush to refuse, and she thought about going back to Beicun to find out the situation in two days .

But before that, she still has to make a decision. Yang Li's eyes flashed, and she didn't blame her for attacking first. Daniu's family is considered outstanding in the entire Yangjia Village. The matchmaker should have stepped on the threshold of others long ago.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Yang and Li stopped working. She stuffed the winnow in her arms to the old man Yang who was standing aside, and then patted the dust on her body that was accidentally stained just now, and tidied up the messy clothes. Only then walked in the direction of Daniel.

Mrs. Gu paid attention to Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Li the whole time. She raised her eyes and watched Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Li go by. She stopped working and walked softly to Mrs. Yuan with a sieve. Mrs. Yuan felt something strange beside her. , raised his head and glanced sideways at Gu Shi, without stopping his hand, and said, "Sister-in-law, what are you doing here?"

Mrs. Gu stretched out her hand and pushed Yuan's arm, squinted at Mrs. Yang and Li who was talking to Daniel, turned her head and whispered into Mrs. Yuan's ear, "Look, mother, I'm leaving all the work to daddy." , actually ran to the opposite side, why is that?"

Yuan Shi looked at Gu Shi who looked motherly and worried, and felt a little puzzled. Her sister-in-law dared to gossip about her mother-in-law now. Is this a happy life recently and impatient life?
Mrs. Gu didn't hear what Mrs. Yuan was doing. Looking back, she saw Mrs. Yuan sifting the brown rice she had just brought out with her face down, and didn't reply to her.

"Hey, are you dumb? Asking you something? Why don't you talk?" Gu Shi was a little unhappy at the moment, and his tone was not as brisk as before, and he was a little rushed.

"Sister-in-law, you dare to talk about mother's affairs. You are not afraid that mother will scold you. Besides, sister-in-law, look back. Mother is looking at you." When Yuan Shi said this, she glanced at the opposite side. work.

When Mrs. Gu heard what Mrs. Yuan said, she turned her head reflexively, and saw Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Li's wrinkled old face staring at her viciously, while Daniel beside her was looking at Gu with an embarrassing expression on her face. Shi, only frightened Gu Shi, and almost threw the sieve in his hand to the ground.

"Why are you still standing there in a daze? Hurry up and get to work, don't you see that there is too much work? You bitch!" Yang and Li yelled at Gu with his hands on his hips.

"Hey, mother, I'm going to work now, I'm going to work now" Gu's face flushed with embarrassment when he was arrested, and retreated behind the big house like a partridge holding the sieve, without looking up, just lowered his head Quickly sift the rice in your hand.

Yuan Shi didn't look back, but she smiled in her heart, her sister-in-law did this every time, but she just didn't have a long memory.

"Fifth Grandma, why don't I go?" Daniu stood beside Yang and Li, and witnessed a big battle, his face flushed from holding back, and he didn't know whether to leave or stay.

"It's okay, don't worry about your Aunt Gu, you are just free every day." Yang Li waved his hands and said, then looked at Daniel with a smile like a chrysanthemum, "Daniu, tell Fifth Grandma, your mother told you Did you kiss?"

I saw that just after Yang and Li's words were finished, Daniu's suffocated flushed face flushed a little more, and then he stumbled and waved his hands while gesturing, "No... no, fifth grandma, no..., mother, no... here I said kiss." After finally finishing speaking, she kept shaking her head.

"Hey, don't be nervous. I'm just asking Grandma Fifth. There's nothing to be ashamed about. As the saying goes, a boy should be married when he's a college student, and a girl should be married if he's a college student. You're already 16. It's not a matter of time before you marry a daughter-in-law. Why be shy?" Yang Lishi smiled and patted Daniel who seemed embarrassed.He looked like someone who came over.

"No, no, fifth grandma, I really don't know." Daniel didn't know how to explain, seeing Yang and Li's obvious disbelief, he turned around in a hurry, and beads of sweat fell from his head one after another.

"Tell grandma, you really don't know? Didn't your mother tell you?" Mrs. Yang Li was a little surprised, and took a closer look at her face full of panic. She didn't look like a big cow who was hiding anything, and she frowned in her heart. , it seems that this child really doesn't know.

"I really don't know, fifth grandma, can I still lie to you? I can also be regarded as fifth grandma who watched her grow up, how can I lie?" Daniel shook his head vigorously.

"Then... okay, when will your mother come, I'll talk to your mother about it" Yang Li thought to herself, forget it, and tell her mother about it.As soon as Mrs. Yang and Li finished speaking, he heard Daniel pointing not far away and saying, "Fifth grandma, look, my mother is here, you should talk to my mother." Running in the direction, Yang Lishi saw that Daniel didn't know what to say to her mother, and her mother threw the things behind her directly to Daniel, and took a few steps at a speed that was different from her round body. He ran to Yang Li's side.

"Hey, Fifth Auntie, I heard what Da Niu meant. Do you want to introduce one to Da Niu? Hey, is it true that Auntie is thinking about my Da Niu?" Aunt Da Niu's family name is Zheng, and she can be regarded as one of them. Strange person, she was able to raise three sons with her own ability in ancient times. She also had some means. She also had difficulties in getting married for the eldest son before. Although her family is good and has a bit of money, she still has two younger sons behind her. Well, we can't rely on Daniel alone, not to mention that their family is an orphan and a widow. As far as this is concerned, ordinary people may not be able to take a fancy to it. Unexpectedly, she is not worried about any consequences. When it comes to Yang Li's, not to mention that Yang Li seems to really have this kind of meaning, why can't this make Auntie Da Niu happy.

Especially before Yang and Li also asked their sons to help their family because there were no men in their family, which also made Auntie Da Niu very grateful to him.

"Yeah, I think Daniel is so old and hasn't been engaged yet, and it's not easy for you, daughter-in-law Sheng. It's time to enjoy the blessings of bringing up all three sons." Wang Sheng is Auntie Daniel's dead husband. The name, Yang Li's and the older generation call it that.After all, Aunt Daniu and her daughter-in-law are of the same generation.Mrs. Yang and Li patted Aunt Da Niu on the side, sighing a little in her tone, it is not easy for Shengzi's daughter-in-law.

Auntie Da Niu is a fat woman in her 40s. Due to years of hard work, her hands are covered with dense calluses, and her face is full of ravines due to the wind and sun. If you don’t know her Age, unexpectedly, I thought she was the same age as Yang Lishi.

"Auntie, to tell you the truth, I've been really tired these past few years." After Auntie Da Niu finished speaking, tears flowed down her eyes, which frightened Yang Lishi into a daze. The other party wiped it, and found that it was wiped more and more, and then remembered the handkerchief in his arms. His tone was a little distressed, and he tried to persuade him while wiping, "Niece, you can't think like this. Look at Da Niu, what a good boy!" , I’m looking at you from the sidelines, you can’t cry, or I’ll be nothing like this old lady.” Yang Li said, and pointed to the person who was stretching her neck and looking over not far away. big cow.

Auntie Da Niu took Yang Li's handkerchief and smeared her face casually, and shouted in the direction of Daniu, "What are you looking at, go to work for my old lady"

Da Niu quickly answered "Hey hey" After Da Niu finished speaking, he turned his head and looked worriedly. When he saw Aunt Da Niu was staring at him with open eyes, he was so frightened that he quickly turned his head, not daring to look back.

"Fifth Aunt, I made you laugh." Auntie Niu turned her head and smiled a little embarrassedly.

"It's okay, it's okay, let's talk about Da Niu, what are you thinking about before?" Yang Li waved his hand, and then said to Aunt Da Niu beside him, "I won't hide it from you, I really fell in love with you. You know that my daughter married early and my granddaughter is too young, but my natal family has a good niece. Let me tell you the truth. I know everything about this kid, Daniel, and I will definitely do my best." There is some art in Yang Li's words, which makes people unable to find faults, but also does not make people feel unreliable.

"Hey, sister-in-law, what are you talking about? I don't worry about what you say. I can't wait for Daniel to be your son-in-law. It's just that my family's fortune is not good, so I don't have such a good life." Mouth humble.But the smile on his face couldn't be faked.

"What are you talking about? That's not right. Da Niu is such a good kid. He's a good hand at work, and he doesn't steal or play tricks. I really like my wife." Hearing what Auntie Da Niu said If it is modest, Mrs. Yang Li is even more happy with a smile on her face.

"If my sister-in-law says that, then I won't be polite. I will thank my aunt for Daniel. Don't worry about my aunt. Being able to become Daniel is a blessing. If we can't, it means they don't have this fate." Yang Lishi was even more happy, Yang Lishi immediately promised, "These two days are busy with farm work, when I am free in a few days, I will go back to my mother's house and ask you."

"Hey, then I'll wait for the good news from Auntie." Auntie Da Niu was even more happy.He nodded and applauded again and again.

"Okay, I'll go back to work now, you can go to work too, I'll let you know if there's any news" Yang Li took Auntie Da Niu's hand and patted it, then turned and walked back after speaking.

"Auntie, go slowly," Auntie Da Niu greeted from behind.

"Hey, let's go back." Yang Li replied back.

"Oh, mother, you're back? I saw you staying opposite for a long time. What did you talk to Mrs. Daniu?" Mrs. Gu was tired of working, when she saw Mrs. Yang and Li came back, Hastily rushed out.

Li-shi Yang raised her eyelids and looked at Gu-shi, who was getting more and more unpleasant recently, her tone changed 180 degrees, and she directly turned Gu-shi back. "It's time to work and work, you are everywhere, so you don't have to worry about flashing your waist"

When Gu Shi heard Yang Li Shi's angry words, the corner of his mouth secretly curled his lips when Yang Li Shi was not paying attention, turned his head and left with the sieve in his arms.Hmph, she knows it even if you don't say it, it's just a family thing!
"All of you hurry up and work for me. You'll be fine after you're done. Don't act like a soft bone every day. You're not human." Yang Li continued to train. The two brothers, whose gowns were all wet, yelled at Old Man Yang beside him, "Old man, Songer, go change someone else, how tired are you?"

Seeing Yang Weibo being replaced by Yang Weisong, Yuan Shi walked to Yang Weibo's place with a sieve in his arms, and handed the handkerchief in his arms to Yang Weibo, "Go and wipe it, there is a water bottle at the tarpaulin, go drink some water." "

"Hey, I see." Yang Weibo looked at the place where Yuan Shi stretched out his finger, and nodded. After Yuan Shi saw it, he returned to the original place and continued to sift the rice.

When the crazy Chunqiu and the others came back, they saw a cart full of white rice.

"Qiu'er, Huzi, you two, go and sweep up the rice grains that fell out of the ground." When Yuan saw the child coming back, she handed the broom to Chunqiu and Huzi.She still needs to pack bags, so naturally there is no empty space.

"Hey, I got it," Chunqiu Huzi said in unison, then took Yuan's broom, bent down and started cleaning...

In this way, the Yang family took turns working in the morning and afternoon every day. It took two days to finally hustle the rice and put it in the warehouse. They only waited for the fourth-floor land tax to be paid, and the rest was their year's work. Because there have been many Yang family members in the past two years, even though this year is a bumper harvest year, Yang Li's family does not plan to sell grain. After all, no one knows when a natural disaster will come, and it is safe to store more grain.

　Thank you Meimei Yang for your reward~

　　The one below is from Baidu, I moved it down~~~
　　On the top of the stone mortar, there is a "piss body" made of a big tree section. There is a rod and pestle under the head of the "piss", and iron teeth are pressed on the mouth of the pestle. In the middle of the belly of the "piston", there are supporting rods on both sides. A deep pit is dug underground at the tail of the "piss". When the center of gravity is moved to the tail of the "piss" and pressed down into the pit, the head of the "piss" will be raised. Get it up, then pound it down, lift it up, then pound it down again, repeat mechanically like this, it is pounding rice.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)