Walking up the hill from the foot of the mountain, climbing diagonally up about ten meters along a path, you will see a platform, about seventy or eighty square meters, which is considered a courtyard, and then there is a private house standing in front of it.

The houses are made of rammed earth in a unique local architectural style, and the houses are not too tall and have spires on top.

When I entered the house, it was very cool inside, but now it was winter, and Shi Tao seemed a little cold when I entered the house. The thin down jacket on his body didn't feel cold outside, but he felt a slight chill inside the room.

Chen Qian first poured a cup of tea for everyone, everyone held the water cup, and warmed their hands before drinking tea.

Chen Qian brought a brazier again, put charcoal on it to light it to keep everyone warm, and everyone sat on a small chair made of bamboo around the brazier to bake the fire. At this time, Shi Tao felt warm, and his body was not so cold.

Qin Feng said a few words in dialect to Chen Qian's brother, and Chen Qian's brother pinned a firewood knife to his waist and went out to the mountain.

Shi Tao lit up the room, this hall is a living room, and there is a partition on the roof, which is considered a farmhouse attic. To Shi Tao's surprise, there was a black lacquered coffin on top of the attic.

"What's going on, why is there a coffin on it?" Shi Tao asked Chen Qian curiously.

Chen Qian didn't have the slightest fear of putting a coffin here, "This is our custom here, almost every family will leave one or two coffins, which are prepared by the old man for himself." In order to prevent the coffin from wind and rain, it is placed in the house. ”

"Oh, there is still this custom. Shi Tao sighed, "One place and one custom!"

Shi Tao is actually very taboo about putting a coffin at home, and he has palpitations in his heart, and from time to time he subconsciously glances at the attic on his head.

This made him very uncomfortable, and even a little afraid, but after all, he was an adult, and the longer he spent in this house, this feeling slowly faded.

About 20 minutes later, Chen Qian's brother came down the mountain with a large bundle of bamboo. Hearing the voice, Qin Feng led everyone out of the house and came to the small courtyard outside.

"Hey, can you look at these bamboos to make brooms?" Qin Feng asked Shi Tao.

Shi Tao looked at the bamboo, which was different from the material he usually saw for making brooms, and reached out to break it and found that the bamboo was very brittle.

"Is this bamboo a little brittle, but a little tougher? If it's too brittle, the broom won't last long. Shi Tao said.

"No, this place is full of bamboo. Qin Feng replied.

Chen Qian's brother also said that there are no other varieties.

Shi Tao was a little hesitant, if the quality of the broom made was too inferior, he couldn't explain it to the company.

Qin Feng saw that Shi Tao didn't speak, so he pouted Shi Tao, "A broom can sweep the floor, what kind of bamboo can't? ”

Shi Tao thought about it, and it was the same thing, if he came out for a big day today, if he returned empty-handed, he didn't think it was appropriate.

"Then make do with it. Do you tie brooms?" Shi Tao asked Chen Qian's brother.

Chen Qian's brother said, "I'll try to tie it up, you can see if it works." ”

Chen Qian's brother worked very neatly, found thin wires and tools, tied them into a handful of three times and divided them by two, repaired them with a machete, picked them up and tried them first.

"Do you think this will work?" Chen Qian's brother wanted Shi Tao's affirmative answer.

Shi Tao saw that the shape of this broom was different from what he usually saw, the usual broom was flat, it was very labor-saving to sweep the ground, and the sweeping area was very large.

The broom made by Chen Qian's brother is round, and the area touching the ground is very small, and the efficiency of sweeping the ground is very low.

"You don't make it round, improve it, make it flat, it will be better. Shi Tao made suggestions for improvement while gesturing.

Chen Qian's brother immediately made another one according to Shi Tao's advice.

This one looks much more beautiful than the one just now, and Shi Tao tried the sweeping effect to be okay. It's just that the head in front of the broom is smaller, not as big as the brooms I saw before.

"Just make do with it, just do it. Shi Tao finally recognized it.

Not only Chen Qian's brother, but also Chen Qian and Qin Feng and the driver on the side were all happy.

Shi Tao was going to pull some brooms back today, so he asked, "How much can I do in a day?"

"It should be no problem to make 50 handfuls a day, if you want more, you can find someone to do it. Chen Qian's brother replied.

"That's okay, you make ten or twenty first, we're going to pull some back today, and the company is in a hurry." "Shi Tao is an order.

Chen Qian's brother didn't say anything, and immediately started to act and make a broom.

Qin Feng was very excited when he heard this, "Alas, what do you say about the price, you can't give too little money, too little to make money, don't let people work in vain." ”

"The price goes with the market. Like ours, this big broom is only two dollars a piece, and this little broom is about the same for a dollar. Shi Tao said.

"Isn't a dollar too little? We toss for half a day for such a small amount of money, it's not worth it. Hearing that the price given by Shi Tao was very low, Qin Feng was very disappointed.

Chen Qian on the side just listened silently, she didn't insert a word from beginning to end, as if this matter had nothing to do with her.

"The added value of this kind of thing is very low, and the price given is too high, and it is difficult for me to explain it to the leader. Shi Tao talked about his difficulties.

"You have to make some money anyway, if you hire someone, it's not enough money. Qin Feng didn't relent, and wanted Shi Tao to add money.

Shi Tao thought about it, if he only makes fifty handfuls a day, and no one will do it if he hires a worker, this is also the truth, "Then press two yuan, so that you can earn money, and he is willing to hire someone." ”

Hearing that Shi Tao had raised the price, Qin Feng became more and more excited, Chen Qian also had a smile on his face, and Master Yan spoke, "Two yuan is not much, if it goes up a little, your relationship is so good, let them make more money, can't you?"

"Yes, this is you, and if others come and don't bring them, I won't give them this price. ”

Chen Qian smiled and continued to say to Shi Tao, "The price will always rise a little more, you don't look at the monk's face to see the Buddha's face, you don't look at the fish and the water, you don't look at their face, you have to look at my face." Besides, this money is not what we want, but for my brother, it will be considered poverty alleviation. ”

Shi Tao was really sympathetic when he heard it, seeing that Chen Qian's brother was still busy on the ground, this real person did not participate in the discussion of the price at all, but kept keeping his head down and working.

Chen Qian spoke, he didn't want to embarrass his beloved woman.

"Okay, two pieces of fifty-one, and that also includes sending to the factory. If you think it's appropriate, do it, and if you don't think it's suitable, I really can't do it. If the price is high, the money will not be paid at all, and the leaders will not approve it. I hope you can understand my difficulties, we have such a good relationship, and I want you to make more money, but I don't have that permission. ”

Shi Tao has already said that the price is dead, and everyone is not good at raising the price again.

Qin Feng was very happy considering that there was still money to be made at this price, and said a few words of dialect to Chen Qian's brother, and Chen Qian's brother worked harder.

The matter had been discussed, and standing outside couldn't help much, so Chen Qian invited everyone back to the house.

At this time, it was already noon, Chen Qian asked everyone to drink tea first, and then went to the kitchen to help her sister-in-law arrange lunch.

Until now, Shi Tao has not seen Chen Qian's parents and her sister-in-law.

Later, I heard Qin Feng say that they were in the house inside, because there was a language barrier in talking to each other, and they didn't want to see guests, so they didn't come out.

Shi Tao expressed understanding.

Qin Feng went to the kitchen, then returned to the living room and chatted with Shi Tao and Master Yan. Shi Tao learned about some of the local customs from the conversation.

When lunch was cooked, Chen Qian brought a small table and put it away, and went to the kitchen to serve the dishes.

The meal is very rich, there are seven or eight kinds of dishes, and the taste is similar to that made by Chen Qian, with a unique taste, Shi Tao is still very good at eating.

During the banquet, Chen Qian's brother accompanied Shi Tao and his party, and Chen Qian's parents and sister-in-law never showed up.

When Shi Tao politely asked them to come to eat together, Chen Qian refused, saying that they would eat in the back room by themselves. Shi Tao didn't be polite anymore when he saw this.

Chen Qian's brother brought a bottle of wine. According to Chen Qian, this is their own rice wine, and every family here makes wine and keeps it for themselves.

Shi Tao finally understood why Chen Qian's alcohol consumption was so good, it turned out to be a family heirloom, and he had practiced it since he was a child.

Except for Master Yan, they all drank some wine. Shi Tao found that although he didn't know how many degrees there was, he felt that the alcohol was very high.

After drinking less than three taels of Shi Tao's alcohol, he was already very dizzy. No matter how much Chen Qian and the others persuaded him, Shi Tao said that he would not drink anything, he was afraid that he would be uncomfortable after drinking too much.

Seeing Shi Tao's insistence, the others stopped drinking and quickly ate a full meal. Chen Qian poured tea for everyone again and chatted around the charcoal brazier. And Chen Qian's brother returned to the yard and tied up a broom again.

About two hours later, Chen Qian's brother tied a batch of brooms, came into the house, and asked Shi Tao to take a look.

When everyone came to the courtyard, the scattered bamboos that had been piled up had now been turned into broom stacks.

"How much is this?" Shi Tao cared about quantity.

"Twenty in all. Qin Feng was very active and quickly counted the numbers.

"Okay, pull these back first. You continue to do it at home, and when there is enough for a car, we will contact you, and it is best if you can send it over. Shi Tao said.

Chen Qian's brother nodded. Chen Qian and Qin Feng spoke a few words of dialect to his brother, and his brother went down the mountain.

Shi Tao and the others waited for a while, only to see her brother find a flatbed truck, and everyone moved the broom to the car.

After a while, someone came to help Chen Qian's brother pull the broom to the river. Two more motorcycles came to take Shi Tao and the others back to the river.

When the flatbed truck arrived at the river, each person carried a few brooms across the river and loaded them on the tool cart, and then the driver, Master Yan, drove back to the factory.

When I got back to town, it was already the beginning of the lights.

Qin Feng insisted on inviting everyone to dinner, but Shi Tao felt that the noon wine had not gone down, so he politely declined.

Seeing Shi Tao's insistence, Qin Feng and Chen Qian were no longer polite, so they went back to their rental house.

When he arrived at the factory, the driver went home, and Shi Tao went back to the dormitory.

Shi Tao has been to Chen Qian's mother's house, and next time he will go to Chen Qian's mother-in-law's house.