As the saying goes, the mountains eat the mountains, the sea eats the sea, around the small station, there are not many others, except for the reeds, which can not see the end at a glance, dense and dense, high and big.

Reeds are the best material for weaving mats, the most common is kang mats, which can also be used to dry grain, dates, and can also make grain hoards, store grain, even in later generations, you can also see grain hoards surrounded by reed mats, one is 20,000 tons.

The reed poles of the small station are tall and straight, the joints are small, the skin is thin and white, and the texture is tough, and the mats made of the weaving are quite popular.

Every time the snow falls, every household will weave reed mats, and wait until the root of the year to be sold in the city, and come back in exchange for a little silver to supplement the family.

The grain collected in the field has to pay taxes and rent, and the rest may not be enough to fill the stomach, and every household cannot see the silver, only at the end of the year, sell a little reed mat, and then have money for the New Year.

In the first few years, there were more and more people in Tianjin, every household used mats, and the price was high.

However, one hundred and ten mats can be exchanged for at least three or five taels of silver, which is enough for a family of five to buy seeds and farm tools at the beginning of spring.

Therefore, every family attaches great importance to it, and at this time, as long as the hands and feet can move, they must join the army of weaving reed mats, even children are no exception.

The lieutenant heard that Tang Yi was going to run a school, and the embarrassment was here, the time was not right, seeing that he was going to make mats, who was willing to send his children to study, and he would spend money if he didn't make money, isn't this a loss-making business.

With the help of face, the chief persuaded more than a dozen children, and when every household began to weave reed mats, they all called back and worked at home.

Tang Yi walked around from the outside, inquired about the matter clearly, and when he returned home, he saw Lu Ying standing at the door of the school, sulking!

"I've never seen such a shaft child, and I was stunned that I wouldn't be allowed to deal with my wounds, saying that if my injuries are healed, I won't be able to go to school. I don't know what the family thinks, the apprentices with the six heads of Kuiyuan are inappropriate, and they have to weave reed mats, and they all say that they lost watermelons and picked up sesame seeds, I think they lost the dog's head gold and picked up the donkey dung ball! ”

"Hehehe." Tang Yi smiled and took the small medicine box from Liuying's hand.

"Alas, don't blame them, in the end, they are still poor, and if they don't let them study, it's nothing, it's more than these ruthless parents."

Liuying suddenly remembered herself, yes, what is it if you can't study, there are many people who sell their children to Qinglou. After arriving in the capital, she also heard that some people cut a seven or eight-year-old child and sent it outside the palace, waiting to recruit eunuchs, so that they could mix in the palace.

That's my own flesh and blood, is my father and mother ruthless?

Yes and no.

I can't live if I stay around, so it's better to find another way out and fill my stomach.

Thinking of this, Liuying's face flushed slightly.

"Give me the medicine box, and I'll treat the little monkey's wounds."

"Don't be busy." Tang Yi walked in with a smile, there were only four children left in the house, Ping'an, Pingfan, Monkey, and the little fat man.

When the monkey saw the teacher coming in, he quickly stood up, lowered his head and did not speak.

"You guys come over to me."

Ping An ran over first, looked at Dad pitifully, grabbed his clothes, and kept shaking, "Dad, help the monkeys, Dad!" ”

"It's going to sell cute, this trick doesn't work." Tang Yi's face sank, "Monkey, Mr. went to the village to take a look, it is true that every household is weaving reed mats, and many of your classmates are also helping the family." Of course, it's a good thing that you're enthusiastic about studying, but as a member of the family, with your grandparents and younger siblings below, what will happen to them if you don't work? ”

"Me!"

The monkey lowered his head, grabbed the placket of his clothes hard, and after a while, raised his head, and said timidly: "Sir, I will have a chance in the future, and I will repay them again, won't I?" ”

Tang Yi shook his head with a smile, squatted down, and said with a smile: "This is a helpless way, many families can only afford one child to study, and those with poor other talents can only farm to earn money." But have you ever thought about it, just by a little performance when you were a child, you can decide the fate of your life, is it fair to your brothers? ”

The monkey didn't seem to understand, but the hand that grabbed the corner of the clothes was harder.

Liuying looked at a teenage child, distressed and distressed.

"Master, how old is he, can he understand? If you don't want to take care of it, I can't take care of it! ”

"Neither nor not!" Tang Yi smiled: "Can you manage one, can you manage a thousand, ten thousand?" In the end, we still have to cure this poor disease! ”

Tang Yi pulled the monkey and Ping'an, went outside, and pointed to the reeds in the distance.

"Believe it or not, the little reed seat also has a university question, and if he learns well, he will be able to let your brothers and the children of the whole village go to the school."

"Sir, can you really do it?" The monkey asked in surprise.

"Of course it's no problem, but the premise is that you have to deal with the injuries on your hands first, and after a while, you have to make a mat, and you have to contribute!"

"Hmm!"

The monkey nodded excitedly, and couldn't wait to go to Ryuying to treat his wounds.

As for Tang Yi, he found the sickle and killed directly at the reeds.

In autumn, when the water dried up, it was very easy to cut the reeds, Tang Yi brought Ben'er here, cut a large bundle, tied it to the rope, and let Ben'er drag it home, and when Ben'er came back, the other bundle was ready, which was very simple.

In one afternoon, Tang's house was filled with reeds.

Taking advantage of the evening, Tang Yi found the lieutenant chief, and the old man was very embarrassed. He felt that Tang Yi's willingness to teach children to read was a great kindness, and those people didn't know the rarity, and they had failed Mr. Tang's good intentions.

"It's all a bunch of things with long hair and short knowledge, my family has two boys, the older one is fifteen, and the younger one is thirteen, if Mr. Tang doesn't dislike their age, he will go back to study with you!"

"From tomorrow, the school will no longer teach, and the practical class will be changed to a practical class, if you are willing, you might as well let the two children come over, and my piece of teaching and weaving reed mat."

"Ahh

The long eyeballs almost fell off, and he said that the old man has been weaving reed mats for most of his life, do you still need to learn how to make them from you?

"Mr. Tang, I'm not welcome, you can read, but this mat may not be successful."

Tang Yi smiled heartily, "It's a mule or a horse, take it out for a walk." Why don't we try it tomorrow? ”

"Compare to compare!"

Tang Yi's next sentence almost made the chief vomit blood, Tang Yi said shyly: "You see I don't know how to make it up, why don't you give me some advice first?" ”

……

A total of eleven processes are required to weave the reed mat, Tang Yi inquired clearly from the lieutenant chief, and the lieutenant chief was worried that he had forgotten it, so he demonstrated it again in person, and Tang Yi naturally remembered it clearly.

I got up early, took two breaths of fresh air, and started weaving mats.

First of all, it is necessary to select materials, fragments, round reed rods, thick broken into four pieces, thin three pieces, finer two pieces, must be uniform in size, appropriate width and narrowness, and sufficient length.

The broken reeds should be cleared with bamboo chips, then sprinkled with water to moisten, and then rolled and smoothed with a squill before they can officially start weaving.

Due to the cumbersome process, it often takes the concerted efforts of the family and rich experience to weave the reed mats. Near noon, the chief of the house has already made up six mats, he was curious, secretly went to the outside of the Tang family, looked inside, almost laughed, there were only three crooked mats on the wall, placed at random, the size was not appropriate, a bunch of burrs, that's it, and the competition, no one wanted to give it away for nothing.

Li Chang was proud, and said that the bet was a win, and the tuition fees of the two children were saved.

After another busy afternoon, when it was time to eat dinner, he made up fifteen mats, he was bamboo in his chest, his hands behind his back, swaying, to the outside of Tang's house, standing on tiptoe, looking inside, and suddenly frightened stupid.

I saw that Tang Yi's courtyard was full of reed mats, covering the ground, it seemed that there were more than 30 sheets, obediently, is this a trick?

Li Chang rubbed his eyes, looked, rubbed again, looked again...... That's right, it's all just made up reed mats, someone must be helping them work, cheating, don't count!

There are a lot of flamboyant intestines for readers, and it is guaranteed to be a trick.

He was shaking his head, Tang Yi saw it at a glance, and beckoned with a smile.

"Check it out and see how we've made it up!"

Li Chang calmly faced, entered the yard, he looked at it three times from the beginning to the end, there were a few mats that were indeed not good, but there were many of them that were not worse than theirs, well-proportioned and strong, the size was appropriate, and they looked like veterans for many years.

"What about people? Where are they all hidden? The lieutenant asked unconvinced.

"What kind of people, just a few of us!"

The lieutenant looked at it in surprise, a Tang Yi, two delicate women, and a few children, can make dozens of mats, just kidding? I didn't believe him if I killed him.

Tang Yi smiled: "Otherwise, I'll tell you the secret, and you can do what I say when you go back and see if you can weave so many mats?" ”

"Okay, if it's really good, I'll take it!"

On the second day, just in the evening, the chief took the family, carrying wine and meat, and was making a gesture and thanking him, as if he was excited, and when he asked, he knew that according to Tang Yi's method, the seven members of their family made up more than 80 mats in one day, which was almost as large as the amount of the past ten days.

The chief was puzzled, and Tang Yi broke the mystery.

Two words: division of labor!

Take Tang Yi's house as an example, the fragments need strength, Tang Yi is responsible, as for watering and wetting, it will be handed over to the monkeys, the stone is crushed, there is a stupid child in charge, and Ping An will watch it from the side.

The preparation is done, and then the mat is officially made, the most difficult thing is to start, as long as the head is up, the rest is to renew the reed slices inside, and the little fat man can do it.

It took about a morning to get familiar with the process, and by the afternoon, the speed was very fast, and it didn't take long for a mat to come out.

The monkey and the little fat man weave reed mats every year, and they have never seen such a fast one, you must know that Mr. and Mrs. did not know how to weave reed mats before.

It's the turn of the Li Chang's family, they are all veterans, and they have been doing ten days of work in a day!

Although his shoulders and backs were sore and cracked, he opened his mouth wide one by one and smiled from ear to ear.

"I've made a fortune, I'm going to be rich now!" (To be continued.) )