The group walked and looked, and really found a few good gourds, Wu Shixiang took a fancy to a calamus sub-waist insect tool, the one-eyed dragon and the big black bull have been in the jar, and it is inconvenient to take them out. He's going to buy a few insect tools and go back, and it's good to take them with him if he's fine.

As a tool for raising songworms, in the long-term enjoyment process, through the continuous efforts of generations of players and artists, the gourd processing method has been continuously renovated, and there are more and more types, so that the gourd insect tool that originally belongs to nature has gradually developed into a kind of special handicrafts that are highly loved. As far as the method of making zuò is concerned, it can be divided into various types, such as this length, neck, fan system, fire painting, and calender.

"Benchang" is a jargon for northern insect players, which refers to the gourd insect tools that are naturally grown and do not add artificial bundles, mainly relative to fan products. Although this long gourd is natural, although the shape is limited, it has a natural cause, which is the first reason why this long gourd is valued by people.

The second reason is that there are very few people who meet the requirements of animals and insects in this long gourd, and it is extremely difficult to find.

The so-called rare length mainly refers to the sub-waist gourd, which is difficult in two points, one is that the waist is too thin and disproportionate; The second is that he doesn't look very good. The shape of the sub-waist gourd is characterized by a thin waist and abdomen, and if it is used as an ornament, the more disparity between the waist and the abdomen, the more chic it feels. However, as an insect tool, there are special requirements for the sub-waist gourd, which pays attention to the thick waist and slightly smaller abdomen.

The waist of the gourd, after being made into an insect tool, becomes the neck, which is not only the gateway for the insects to enter and exit, but also the key part of the sound. If it is too fine, the effect is not good; The optimal ratio is 6:5:6, that is, the diameter of the upper and lower abdomen of the gourd is 6 cm, and the diameter of the waist is 5 cm, so that the size is moderate, the proportion is symmetrical, and the sound transmission effect is very good.

The second difficulty is that the sub-waist gourd is generally difficult to grow very Zhouzheng, the so-called Zhouzheng, means that the gourd is not crooked, full and full, no matter from which angle to observe, the shape curve should be the same. In other words, the center point of the upper abdomen, waist and lower abdomen of the gourd should be in a straight line.

Due to the different light paths of each part of the gourd during the growth period, the sunny part often grows fuller, while the shade part does not grow enough, resulting in a slight difference in the curve of the two sides of the upper and lower abdomen, and forming a "crooked neck", which is regarded as a taboo by players.

Experienced people test whether the gourd is Zhouzheng, in addition to carefully observing with the eyes, placing it in the hand to rotate and feel it, it is still necessary to put the gourd on the table, if you can stand upright, it is generally Zhouzheng; If it is inclined to one side, it is not considerate. Therefore, the ancients said that when the gourd is tender, it should be "upright", which is very reasonable.

The gourd is made into an insect tool, mainly using the lower abdomen of the gourd, the waist and the upper abdomen, the lower abdomen is the "living room" of the songworm, the waist is the channel of the sound, and a part of the upper abdomen forms a "bell mouth", which plays a role in amplification.

This latter part is called "flipping" by the northern insect players. The bigger the "flip", the better the amplification effect. Therefore, the size of the upper abdomen of the sub-waist gourd is basically the same as that of the lower abdomen, or slightly larger.

There is also another situation where the waist of some gourds is too thin compared to the lower abdomen, but it is proportional to the upper abdomen. At this time, it can be cut off from the lower abdomen to make the "bell mouth" of the gourd, and from the upper abdomen to make the "living room" of the songworm, to make the "inverted gourd". In the south, it is called "upside down", such as the handle is very straight, and this "upside down" is very similar to the chicken heart gourd.

If the handle is crooked, it can be sawn off and glued to a mahogany base of comparable size, but the shape is also unique. In fact, in this long gourd insect tool, there are many "upside-down" plants. The reason is that the special shape of the sub-waist gourd with a small upper abdomen and a large lower abdomen determines that the thickness of the waist and the upper abdomen is closer, and it is easier to get the right proportion.

"The oblate gourd can only be used to raise grasshoppers; The sub-waist gourd is mostly used to raise crickets, the oil gourd is slightly larger, and the Jin Zhong'er is a thick, short and broad-mouthed. ”

Cao Ming explained to the middle-aged woman that she wanted to celebrate the old man's birthday and wanted to have a set of insect tools. First of all, you must choose a songworm, and then choose a gourd according to the bug.

"Is there anything specific?" Since Lao Li came once, he has to ask a lot of questions clearly, and the opportunity is rare.

"I'll tell you!" Yu Hongfei explained: "Since gourd insects have both practical and ornamental value, the selection of gourds should also be considered from these two perspectives. The so-called "practical" is to contact the type of songworm you raise and choose the appropriate gourd to facilitate the growth and pronunciation of songworms. ”

"There are many types of gourds, and there are different types of gourds, and there are differences in internal structure, and these are all related to the species of songworms. For example, the stick gourd is a special insect tool for raising grasshoppers, and its thickness and length are related to the larger body size of the grasshopper, and its oblong barrel structure can make the sound of the grasshopper resonate strongly, making the sound more beautiful and beautiful. ”

"The lid and copper gall of the gourd are also designed and configured according to the characteristics of the gourd's singing. If you use cricket gourds to raise grasshoppers, you will not be able to give full play to their vocal characteristics. In the same way, if you use a gourd to raise crickets, you will be smiling and generous, and it will even be difficult for crickets to grow normally. This connection between the gourd and the songworm is not something that anyone imagined out of thin air, it is a summary of the actual experience of the past generations of insect players, and it has a strong scientific and inevitable nature. Therefore, the choice of hoist must first be "on the right road". ”

Wu Shixiang chose his own gourd on the side, he didn't like this kind of tongue-consuming thing the most, today he is not here to be in the limelight, and developing a new way is the right thing. Therefore, it mainly depends on whose gourd has a good overall level and is creative.

The second meaning of practicality is to be strong and durable, the ancients once put forward the four-character principle of selecting gourd insect tools: "purple, moist, strong, thick". The last two words refer to sturdy and durable. In general, the thicker the gourd, the stronger it is. When choosing, you should use your index finger to poke into the gourd to get stronger and stronger the more thoroughly ripened, and the gourd that is not fully ripe may be thicker after drying, but not firm. ”

"The method of inspection is that the gourd picked that year, the more yellow the color is, the more transparent it is, and the light or even whitish ones are not ripe. In addition, you can use your fingers to knock on the gourd, if the pronunciation is crisp and bright, and there seems to be a metallic sound, it is a gourd that is ripe and strong; If the pronunciation is dull, or even has the sound of "flutter, flutter", it will not be solid. ”

Yu Hongfei introduced knowledge while experimenting, he enjoyed the feeling of being a teacher, and he was happy every time.

"You can also use an intuitive method, if you find that the gourd skin is fine, the finish is high, and there is no trace with your nails, it is a good product; The epidermis has a loose structure, dull and dull, and there are depressions when pinched, which is inferior. Finally, if you hold the gourd tightly, if you use a little force, it will be deformed, and it will "crackle" on the inner wall, which will definitely not be strong; On the contrary, it is a well-cooked product. ”

Xiao Zhang is a senior player among the three people, and he has experience, so he chose a gourd and let Yu Hongfei palm his eyes.

"I'll see! If you choose a gourd from an aesthetic point of view, the requirements are higher. On the premise of being practical first, different kinds of gourd insects still have their own requirements, but roughly speaking, they don't care about the shape and color. The shape is the shape of the gourd, which requires a formal and symmetrical shape, giving people a sense of beauty. ”

"Whether it is a long gourd or a fan gourd, all parts must be upright and unbiased. If viewed from above, the mouth is very round; From the bottom, the abdomen should also be rounded; From the side, the shape curves on both sides of the gourd should be symmetrical; The neck should be positive, the bottom should be round or flat, and the umbilicus should be in the center of the bottom. ”

"Symmetry mainly refers to the thickness of the mouth, neck and abdomen of the gourd to be coordinated, and the proportion should be appropriate. In addition, the configuration of the mouth and cover, the size and thickness should match the gourd body. Generally speaking, it is easier to meet these requirements because of the manual arrival of the model hoist, and the long gourd can meet these requirements very rarely. ”

"This is a passing grade, but it's still a little crooked, you look at it from here, isn't it?"

Lao Yu put the gourd on the table, and from different angles, he really found a lot of shortcomings.

"The color of the gourd's skin is extremely important, and the "purple run" in the four-character principle is for this; In fact, the gourd ware is favored by people, and it is because the gourd has a unique color and luster, filled with a fresh natural atmosphere, giving people a simple and dignified aesthetic feeling. ”

Cao Ming went on to say: "The true color of the gourd is yellow, and with the passage of time, it gradually changes from light to deep, from yellow to red, and from red to purple. The gourd that truly achieves "purple run" is the result of decades or even hundreds of years of fun by good players. Therefore, the purple-colored gourd proves that the longer its history, the more it can give people an antique feeling, and the higher its value. ”

"Boss Wu's Mu Yuanju is the best literary play, I don't know if there is a real gourd that is decades old?"

Hearing Lao Li ask curiously, he really stopped Wu Shixiang, he really didn't have an old gourd in his hand. can only vaguely say: "For the time being, there really isn't, but next month we will officially celebrate the second branch of Muyuanju, and whether it is a walnut gourd or a Bodhi nuclear carving, there will be a lot of new products on the market, please look forward to it." ”

"Really, and the Bodhi nuclear carving? Great! Xiao Zhang looked excited: "Although your Mu Yuanju is a fine product, but the price is really expensive, we can only buy one or two strings of ordinary wages and gritted our teeth, and now there are Bodhi nuclear carvings, can we finally get a few more strings, right?" ”

"Not necessarily!" Cao Ming said with a smile: "Boss Wu only produces high-quality products and superlatives, even if it is a gourd, Bodhi and nuclear carving, I estimate that it is also a heavy weapon!" Isn't it? ”

"Bodhi should be more popular, and the gourd is about the same, but the nuclear carvings are all watching, in case it is a national master worker, I will sell you eight hundred and one strings of 108 Arhats? I'm not going to pay to my grandmother's house? ”

Everyone talked and laughed, the atmosphere was getting better and better, Zhang Yang was very satisfied, a few experts had something to say, and the experience was selflessly shared. Several players can also ask for ideas, and this show works well.

"By the way, many players on WeChat ask how to maintain and collect old gourds?" Zhang Yang suddenly remembered and hurriedly asked.

"The gourd insect is more delicate, pay attention to the maintenance of the collection, as long as the maintenance is proper, not only durable, but also will further increase its aesthetic value. The texture of the gourd is soft, but it becomes very brittle after drying, especially the old gourd that has been used for many years, the fiber is aging and it is very easy to break. Therefore, extra care should be taken when using and storing it. ”

"In order to protect the gourd, insect players like to sew a gourd cover and put the gourd into the cover. The gourd cover can protect the gourd skin from being bumped, and the hoist cover can be prevented from falling off. When using the gourd, it should be handled gently, do not touch with hard objects and sharp objects, and pay attention to whether it is placed in a solid place when carrying it into your arms, and do not place it in a high or smooth place when storing. ”

"It should be placed in a dry and ventilated place in normal times, and it should be taken out to bask in the sun often during the rainy season in summer. When you find that the gourd is damp and moldy, you should quickly expose it to the sun, wipe off the mildew on the gourd, smear it with walnut oil, and then put it in a dry place. In order to ensure ventilation, the lid of the gourd can be removed and stored separately from the gourd. ”

Yu Hongfei said with deep understanding: "I have seen many players who came out with an old gourd to show off, accidentally fell to the ground and fell apart!" My heart is about to break, so everyone should be careful. ”