Chapter 72: The Fish Pond (1)

Yang's no longer sells vegetables, chrysanthemums are much lighter, and they are idle for a few days, so they are involved in the preparation activities for the New Year, killing pigs and marinating meat, making fried rice sugar, beating tofu, cleaning, washing quilts, etc., busy, until eating Chinese New Year's Eve.

But the busyness is inspiring and enjoyable. In previous years, it wasn't so busy, why? The poor have nothing to do, so naturally they are not busy. So, chrysanthemums don't hate this kind of hectic busyness means a good harvest!

It's not easy to talk about all the trivial things one by one, so I can only pick out two interesting things.

On this day, Meizi and Liu Xiaomei came to look for chrysanthemums in a hurry.

"Chrysanthemum, pack up, let's go see the fish pond later. The whole village went there. Meizi's eyes lit up excitedly, and she rushed straight into the yard, her big braid drawing an arc behind her back.

Liu Xiaomei also ran red.

Because she is about the same age as a chrysanthemum, since the last time she came to play, she feels that she is very compatible with chrysanthemums. The four above her are all brothers, and no one plays, so she often comes to Chrysanthemum to do needlework and talk. In the past few days, she has made several trips to Chrysanthemum's house, and she has also sent a lot of sun-dried loaches to her. No, as soon as I heard that the fish pond was going to start, I immediately ran to find the chrysanthemum to see the excitement, and met the plum on the road.

Seeing their happy appearance, Chrysanthemum also jumped up and bundled up this fish pond, she had long wanted to see it. She loves these country activities the most. After she left the countryside in her previous life, every time she came home from vacation, she would go fishing, prawns, go up the mountain to pinch bracken, and pick wild vegetables on the ridges, etc., and she was very busy. How could she miss such an event as catching fish?

This fish pond is that every Chinese New Year, the village drains those ponds, picks up the big fish, just in time for the New Year to add a bowl of vegetables, and by the way, clean up the silt at the bottom of the pond - keep the pond water clear, and the cleared silt can also fertilize the fields.

Farmers have their own set of measures to get along with nature, and they don't know what environmental protection is, but they just act with years of experience.

Of course, it is impossible to dry up a pond as large as Jing Lake, unless it is a time of great drought, when the water from Jing Lake is pumped up to irrigate the fields, and then it will be cleaned up.

Yang cooks sticky rice in the kitchen – used to dry hard rice to make fried rice candy. She heard Meizi's excited noise, and hurriedly walked out of the kitchen and said to Chrysanthemum with a smile on her face; "Go and see the fish pond, it's very lively. There is a mother at home to take care of. Put on a pair of old shoes and straw sandals - there will definitely be mud everywhere on the ridge; Also, you have to wear more, it's windy. Your brother is going to help out, too. ”

She wished her daughter was going out to play. Chrysanthemum's life is getting more and more normal, and she dares to go out to meet people, she only has joy in her heart.

Aoki walked out of the school with a smile, and from today onwards, he had a holiday on the chrysanthemum road; "Let's go together. Bring the basket with you, and when you are done, you will divide the fish. ”

In previous years, my sister wanted to go but was too timid to go, so she could only wait for him to come back with a basket of fish, and tell her some experience of catching fish, and every time she listened without blinking

Seeing their happy appearance, Chrysanthemum was finally driven to be full of encouragement, hurriedly changed her shoes, wrapped her neck, put on her hat, and carried a basket, and was about to set off, when Zhang Huai came to the gate of the courtyard.

He came to ask Aoki to work - this fish pond was for the whole village to be dispatched, and Zheng Changhe went early.

He glanced at the chrysanthemum, and saw that she was wearing only an old pair of shoes on her feet, so he said; "You can't finish catching fish for a while, and you have to stand for a long time to see the excitement. You're going to have to freeze your feet when you wear your shoes! ”

When Yang and Aoki heard this, they also woke up, and Yang said in a loud voice; "Quick change of cotton shoes. I'm also in a bad head—#丨你换鞋. Shoes can be washed if they are dirty; If you freeze out, what can you do for this big New Year? ”

Aoki Yamichi; "Let's change it. It doesn't matter if it's muddy, when it's dried and brushed with a brush, the ash will fall off. ”

Chrysanthemum thought about it, although there was a big sun today, but those ponds were all outside the village, and the wind was strong, so it must be very cold. So he changed his shoes back and put straw sandals on the outside.

Meizi laughed; "Let's wear it hard. It doesn't matter if it's worn out, the basket is helping you make cotton shoes! ”

Everyone laughed and set off.

On the way, Chrysanthemum asked them her own question, how did she dry the water in the pond.

Without waiting for others to answer, Meizi hurriedly said; "Ouch! Silly girl, of course she pumped up the water with a water wheel. Some ponds take several miles to pump. ”

Zhang Huai glanced at her, feeling sad, thinking that she had never seen this excitement, and she didn't know how the water was bundled. He listened to what Meizi said, and then added; "Not all of them can be pumped clean, and the water in the middle of the pond is deeper, so it can't be pumped. However, when the water was almost pumped, the laborers of the whole village went down to the pond and scooped the water shallowly with a basin, and dug the mud while catching fish. Your brother and I are going to go to the pond. ”

Chrysanthemum asked in surprise; "How cold is the water? What should I do if I get frostbite? ”

Aoki comforted her; "It doesn't matter. I've been busy all the time, where will it be cold, my body is sweating, and when I finish coming up, I wash my feet and put them on, and drink a bowl of ginger soup, and I will get sick. ”

Zhang Huai said again; "People who are not in good health are not allowed to go to the pond, like Uncle Zheng, they will definitely not be allowed to go to the pond this year." Zheng Changhe's legs are just right, so naturally he can't go into cold water.

Chrysanthemum is relieved.

Aoki asked Zhang Huaidao again; "Which pond will you start today?"

Zhang Huai raised his hand and pointed forward to the south of the village, and said; "Start the small round pond first, and then start the tiaozi pond when it's over. The rest of the Ming Er can get up and the water is still deep and deep. ”

After walking a section of the village road, I turned to the ridge. Aoki looked back at the chrysanthemum and told her to be careful, there are some places on this ridge that are still frozen and slippery.

Meizi laughed; "This ridge is wide and easy to walk. If you're near that pond, be careful—the ridges are very narrow. Look, there's a lot of people! She exclaimed.

Chrysanthemum and Liu Xiaomei walked and talked in the back, listened to the cry of Meizi, looked up and looked forward, under the winter sun, there was a dense circle of people in the empty and bleak fields, shouting and laughing constantly, and the noise spread far and wide.

When I came to this pond, I looked at it at a glance, and obediently, all men, women, and children came out, and the people were boiling, and surrounded the round pond; The pond is full of people, some splashing water, some picking mud, and some moving grass and adobe, this scene is really in full swing!

From time to time, people shouted, scolded, called, and talked and laughed.

"Bian baby, what are you squeezing? Squeeze out of the pond and see you cry. ”

"Sister-in-law Yu, we're here, come here."

"Brother Lao Cheng, pick up a few of the old water chestnuts and give them to me, and I'll take them home and plant them in the ditch at the door."

"Xiaoyan, you dead girl, you came out with so little wear? New Year's Day, frostbite hurt me? Go get a big jacket. ”

Chrysanthemum listened to all kinds of voices one after another, and couldn't help but purse her lips and laugh.

Suddenly, I saw a seven or eight-year-old girl, combing two slippery buns, wearing a rough velvet flower on one side, wearing a new green jacket, looking extremely pleasing, running towards her.

Meizi said to her with a smile; "Xiaoyan, I'm afraid that wearing a big jacket will cover this new jacket, right? You can't just look good, it's not fun to be cold.

The little girl's little face turned red, and it seemed that she was told by Meizi. She looked at the chrysanthemum and was amazed, attracted by her red jacket, silver-red scarf, and silver-red hat; Look at her face covered with a scarf and only show her eyebrows, which is lined with silver and red, she stood up for a while, opened her mouth wide and just looked at the chrysanthemum.

Liu Xiaomei saw her envious eyes, and smiled; "Xiaoyan, if you want to make hats and scarves like chrysanthemums, go to her to learn."

Xiao Yan smiled shyly, staggered past them, and ran as fast as she could.

Liu Xiaomei pulled Chrysanthemum's arm and smiled at her; "This is the little daughter of Second Uncle Li's family, and she is Changxing's cousin. Don't look at her small, cute and beautiful, don't get bored every day, comb all kinds of hairstyles. Unlike us, it's hard work to comb a big braid. But she's also cute. Look, she's going to look for you, learn how to make that hat. ”

Chrysanthemum smiled and thought, isn't it normal to love beauty? Who doesn't love Meili with little girls? However, this country girl is only seven or eight years old and loves beauty so much, and it is really rare that most people only know how to play at this age.

A few people found a slightly empty place and stopped.

Chrysanthemum looked at the pond. The waterwheel had pumped a lot of water, and near the shore, the silt at the bottom of the pond and the roots of the withered penny melon grass were exposed; But there is still a lot of water in the middle of the pond.

And the men poured water vigorously with their basins, and poured the water in the middle into the newly built ditch near the shore; The water in the middle is getting shallower and shallower, revealing the uneven bottom of the pond.

Li Gengtian, the head of the village, instructed the people to move the grass and adobe down, and further raised the high places, separating the puddles one by one, and then cleaning them one by one - catching fish and digging up the silt!

He stood in the mud in the middle of the pond with his trousers pulled up high, and his legs were covered with mud, shouting loudly; "Big mouth, Changxing, you come here and splash this puddle first; plough the land, and you take a few of them to clear the mud; Fat Liu, what are you doing? It's rubbing, come and help, the water over there is still very deep, and you have to step up your splashing. ”

was shouting loudly, and when he turned around, he saw Aoki and Zhang Huai shudging, and hurriedly said loudly; "Aoki and Sowko come down quickly, and clean up this puddle with Big Mouth. When the water is shallow, catch fish. Remember, the little one was caught and put here, and I'll put it back later. ”

Aoki and Zhang Huai hurriedly took off their shoes and socks, changed into straw sandals with wooden soles, and tied their shoes tightly This is for fear that there will be fallen water chestnuts in the pond mud or something, and other things are rare, anyway, they have to be cleaned up every year. The foot had been in the warm shoe, and it was suddenly stripped naked and exposed in the cold air, and the two of them couldn't help but shiver together.