North and South groceries

In Mengmenguan in May, red and purple mulberries are hanging all over the branches. When women and children pick mulberry leaves, they often pick some mature mulberries and bring them home.

Silkworms eat mulberry leaves, and people eat mulberries. At this time, the winter wheat has not yet come down, and the spring beans have not yet matured. It is the time when food is scarce.

For many people who are hungry and have no oil or water, mulberry is actually not a good food. If you eat sour food when you are hungry, the taste will only be known to those who have really been hungry.

And because mulberry is a cold and cool thing, it can be used as medicine itself. People with hot body eat it, which can nourish yin and eliminate fire. People with weak and cold body eat too much, and naturally there is no benefit.

But even so, people still have to be grateful for the gift of nature. No matter how difficult the age is, when the mulberries mature every year, it is rare to hear of people starving to death.

"Grandma, you don't want to eat these mulberries anymore. There are still rice pancakes in the room. I'll go and get one for you to eat."

The teenage girl returned to the courtyard with a basket full of mulberry leaves, and saw her grandmother sitting there picking mulberries to eat again. The ripe purple-red fruit was reluctant to eat, and she only picked the light red and bright red ones to eat. It is said that if the pharmacy is willing to accept dried mulberry, it will like to pick this kind of good quality.

"It's all right, I'm just sitting here, eating and playing." The old woman in the yard waved her hand and said, "You just go in and feed the silkworms yourself, these spring silkworms are about to spin silk. They're hungry."

This year's silk has not been harvested yet sold, no one dares to chew and use it recklessly in this house, her old bones can't live much longer, and now she can't even pick a mulberry leaf, two days ago she came from outside Back with a basket of mulberry leaves on his back, he fainted halfway. Fortunately, he fell on the flat ground and was not injured. He was carried home and took a long time to recover. Ken asked her to go out to work again.

"Your mother has been outside for half a day, you can take some pancakes out for them later, and your brothers, young people, don't hurt yourself." The old woman put down the basket for drying mulberries, Step by step, she moved outside the silkworm room and watched her granddaughter feeding the silkworms.

"Aye asked me to cook some corn porridge for you at home." The girl neatly spread the newly picked mulberry leaves on the mulberry bed, and then carried the basket out of the silkworm room.

"At noon, the corn porridge that I eat is so delicate..." The old lady muttered, and moved to the kitchen step by step, only to see her granddaughter take out two eggs from her waist and put them on the stove. On the stove, I immediately asked, "Where do you get your eggs?"

These silkworm farmers’ homes are the least dirty. Spring silkworms are delicate. As long as there is a little bit of uncleanness, they will get sick. Therefore, most silkworm farmers do not raise chickens and geese in their homes, and naturally there are no eggs. Goose eggs are edible.

"Hey... You fool, did you move that money again? How many times have I told you that that money can't be moved. People like us can't help you in the first place. It's so easy to save it by yourself. A few dowries, a few pennies today, and a few pennies tomorrow, do you still want to live like this for the rest of your life..."

The old lady wiped away her tears while she was talking. She is half buried in the ground, and she even eats an egg. Looking at the granddaughter in front of her, she is as young as a green onion, filial and hardworking. Not born in a good family...

"What are you talking about? This alley is quiet, and I can hear you talking from a distance." At this time, two people came in from the gate of the courtyard. One was her son, and the other was tall and burly. He is also an acquaintance, and it is Wang Dang, who is known as the boss of Wang.

"Why is Wang Dalang here today?" The old lady was also very happy to see Wang Dang coming. She wiped the tears from her face and moved a bench out for him to sit on. She also watched Wang Dalang grow up. Every day is not as good as every day, it is good to see one more time, but once we meet this time, I don't know if there will be a next time.

"This time I bought a batch of soap and sold it. I just got rid of it before. I met Tu Er on the road, so I came with him." Wang Dang was also happy to show off in front of the other party. It is said that he is doing soap business these years, so that is also true. A bit of face, much more face than being a porter in the past.

"Okay, you are really promising now." The old lady was really happy for him.

"When I came back this time, Luo Sanlang asked me to collect some dried mulberries. I wonder if you still have any?" Since there is a business, it is natural to take care of the acquaintances.

"Yes, yes, how much does he want?" The old lady was very happy when she heard that someone wanted to buy dried mulberries.

"It is said that it will cost ten loads." Wang Dang said.

"Why does he want so many mulberries?" The old lady was also a little surprised, then Luo Sanlang had heard people say that his family didn't run a pharmacy, so why did he need so many mulberries?

"Yan is going to buy it to make soap." Wang Dang said to several people in the courtyard: "If this soap is made by him, he should buy more dried mulberries in the future."

"Really?" The three people in the yard were all overjoyed.

"If you guys have time recently, you can post more. I think this business is probably okay." Wang Dang is very optimistic about Luo Yong, but the little man doesn't know if he is blessed by a Bodhisattva or something. Whatever he does, nothing is impossible.

"I listen to Da Lang." Even when the dried mulberries can't be sold, his family will dry as much as they can, and now they hear that someone wants to buy them, so it's hard to dry them.

"As for the price, I heard that the pharmacy is charging half a bucket of corn for a bucket of dried mulberry, so I will also accept it at this price, and I can make it." Wang Dang asked.

"Make it, make it." In terms of food, how can dried mulberry be better than grain.

Several people said, that grandma should even ask her son and granddaughter to take out the dried mulberries that have just been dried today from the house.

"This mulberry is not easy to dry. If it is not done properly, it will become moldy and corrupt. It is better this year. With the help of the kang, it is placed in the sun during the day and baked on the kang at night. These mulberries that have been dried recently It looks better than last year.”

The old woman's son quickly measured the dried mulberries with rice buckets. There were more than ten buckets in total, and the remaining ones seemed to be not enough for a bucket, so he simply poured them into the basket Put it together with the measured dried mulberries as a topping.

"Next time Na Luo Sanlang wants to buy mulberries again, don't forget about our family." Na Tu Er said to Wang Dang.

"Don't worry, I will never forget your side." Wang Dang promised.

More than ten buckets of dried mulberry, that is, a little more than one load. According to the measurement unit at this time, ten buckets are one stone, and one stone is one load. Two baskets are packed in one load, and it is just right to pick it up. The dried mulberry does not weigh much. , that is, it is too full, so be careful not to spill it.

"It's not easy to be so full, Erlang, take another bamboo basket and go with Wang Dalang." The old lady said.

"Okay." His son agreed.

"It just so happens that this pair of bamboo baskets will be brought back by you later." Wang Dang said, together with Tu Er, he took out some dried mulberries from the basket and put them in a bamboo basket, and then picked up the burden. One after the other out of the yard.

Luo Yong asked them to help collect ten or so loads of dried mulberries, while Wang Dang collected more than one load. In addition, his brothers also went to find people they knew each other at this time, and they would meet later. Find someone else to collect some.

"Wang Da, look at Lishi County, is there a good young gentleman?" On the way, Tu Er asked Wang Dao.

"But it's for your second mother?" Wang Dang asked.

"Exactly." As parents, they naturally want to try their best to find a good home for their children. His second wife is of good character, and people nearby asked him, but he was not very satisfied. Either her character was not good, or her family was too wealthy. Thin.

It can't be blamed that he hates the poor and loves the rich, people go to high places, where there are elders who are willing to watch their children suffer, the son is fine, born in such a family, it is destined to be such a fate, the daughter will always have a chance to dance Going out, with the character and appearance of his daughter, no one will be able to lose by marrying her back.

"Indeed, there are young gentlemen who are about the same age, but I don't know what kind of regulations they have. I'll help you find out when I go back this time." Wang Dang thought for a while, and indeed he remembered a few good young people.

"If you can help my second mother find a good family, I will definitely thank you very much in the future." Tu Er said solemnly.

"Say something out of the ordinary, brother for how many years."

I think they also grew up naked together back then, but later Wang Dang went out to wander around, and his friend rented a mulberry field to raise silkworms in the local area. His living habits and circles were different, and his contacts gradually decreased.

Now because of this mulberry deal, the two have come together again.

Time flies, time flies, and 20 years have passed in a blink of an eye. The bluestone alleys are still the same as before, but the two little dolls who played carelessly in the alleys are now Now they are all parents, and they bear the weight of a family on their shoulders. The immature face in the past has also been stained with wind and frost over the years.

The author has something to say:

Mulberry: Synonymous with mulberry.

One load: One stone is synonymous.