Zhong Dabiao was talking and fell into deep thought, I saw that his face was full of homesickness, and I continued to ask; "Brother Zhong, do you know ginseng?"

When Zhong Dabiao heard this, he was excited, and he said: "I know this too well, our Nagada has three treasures, ginseng, deer antler, and Wula grass, do you know which Gada my family is?" ”

I shook my head, Zhong Dabiao said: "My home is Fusong County, leaning on Changbai Mountain, we grow this ginseng there, ginseng is a treasure, the mountain is called a mallet, ginseng can be magical, it is born of the aura between heaven and earth, the thousand-year-old ginseng can be transformed into a human type, it is even more magical, we this Gadda divides the ginseng into several grades, the annual ginseng is composed of three leaflets, commonly known as three flowers; The biennial is composed of five leaflets, shaped like a human hand, commonly known as a horseshoe; The two three-year-old branches, each with five leaves, are commonly known as Erjiazi; The three branches of the four-year-old, commonly known as the lampstand; The four-pronged five-year-old is commonly known as the four-pin (also known as batch and horse) leaves; The six-year-old five-pin leaf, commonly known as the five-pint leaf; There are also six palm-shaped compound leaves, commonly known as six-pint leaves, but it is rare, because ginseng no longer grows leaves when it grows to six-pint leaves, so six-pint leaves are the most precious.

I tell you, when I followed my father in Changbai Mountain to catch the mountain, I found a mallet, I remember that at that time, there were many rules, picking ginseng are the rules set by the ancestors, we are all in accordance with the rules of the ancestors, if the mountain people found ginseng, they should shout: mallet! , this shouts mountain. What kind of goods do you ask? When you find that people are accurate, you have to answer immediately, say a few pins of leaves, and then everyone goes on to say hurry! Hurry up! , this is called the mountain.

If you shout wrong, and you find a grass instead of ginseng, you have to dig it out and take it, which is a shout that blows up the mountain. Sometimes it is not a single ginseng tree, but a single leaf or a cluster, and the answer is based on the number of leaves that start with the first one. The ginseng should be dug by the head, and the red velvet rope tied to the copper coin is first put on the ginseng leaf, in order to bring the head of the ginseng, for fear that it will escape. There are also those who cover ginseng with straw hats.

Then the head should be drawn on the ground around the ginseng in a one-meter square frame, and the four corners of the rope pulling stick of four people are inserted, which is called Gubao. Others set fire to the worms in order to concentrate on digging ginseng. When digging ginseng, break the soil first, and then slowly dig the ginseng whiskers one by one with a smooth deer bone drill. After picking out the soil around the ginseng, pull out the ginseng with moss grass. Subsequently, the ginseng is wrapped with moss thatch, birch leaves, and some raw soil, and the ginseng is beaten into ginseng buns with straw rope. The big ginseng bun is held by the handle.

After digging ginseng, you should cut off the head, that is, choose a red pine tree near the head, peel off a piece of bark from the trunk in the direction of digging ginseng, and then carve a bar with a knife on the white stubble trunk. The number of people who put the mountain is engraved on the left, and a few people are carved with a few bars; On the right side is engraved a few pins of leaf ginseng, and a few pins of leaves are carved with a few bars, which is to let everyone know that ginseng has been dug in this place. ”

As soon as I heard that Zhong Dabiao was an expert, I continued to ask: "Brother Zhong, can you pick a century-old ginseng there?" ”

Zhong Dabiao smiled and said: "Brother, you are a layman, isn't it, I am the hometown of ginseng, where there are not only century-old ginseng, but also ginseng dolls. As long as the fate of the person is enough, you can dig up the treasure above eight taels. ”

I said, "Brother Zhong, what is a treasure above eight taels?" ”

Zhong Dabiao said: "This ginseng is different from other things, although it has a long lifespan, but it is extremely rare, and it has to go through countless natural and man-made disasters, insects and rat bites, and it can grow to eight taels, which is already very rare, so this is why there is a saying that seven taels are ginseng and eight taels are treasures." ”

I nodded, but here I want to explain, at that time, the measurement at that time, a catty was sixteen taels, eight taels of wild ginseng is half a catty, there is an idiom in ancient times half a catty and eight taels, in fact, this matter is said. After Zhong Dabiao said this, I said, "Brother Zhong, do you want to go back to your hometown in the Northeast?" ”

Zhong Dabiao said: "I want to go crazy, but you also know that I have something to do, besides, if we take the train north, we will be controlled by the Japanese all the way, which is very dangerous." ”

I said, "Isn't there a way to go back?" ”

Zhong Dabiao thought for a while, and then said: "Yes, there are two roads, one is to go to Inner Mongolia and cross the Great Khing'an Mountains, and the other is to go back by water, go to Dandong to find a place to get off the boat, and then take the dry road to Fusong, where the traffic is blocked, bandits are rampant, I think the Japanese power will not extend there, I think it is safest to take the waterway." ”

I said, "In this case, it's really good, I won't tell you, Brother Mao and Brother Luo and I want to go back to Fusong with you and find a wild mountain ginseng to save people." ”

Zhong Dabiao listened and looked at me, looked at Mao Qinglian and Luo Xihan, and said: "Just these two brothers, forget it, if it is Brother Yang, there will definitely be no problem, but these two little brothers, with fine skin and tender meat, go to the old forest of Black Mountain, you must not cry your nose, rush to the mountain to find a mallet, that job is to pin your head to the waistband of your trousers, if you don't get it right, you will die." ”

After Zhong Dabiao finished speaking, Luo Xihan was a little anxious and said: "Brother Zhong, don't look down on people, the two of us are not ordinary people, talking about fists and feet, three or four people are not necessarily our opponents, talking about marksmanship, our marksmanship is not vegetarian." ”

At this time, Mao Qinglian said: "Brother, you are playing a big knife in front of Guan Gong, Brother Zhong is not an ordinary person. Then he said to Zhong Dabiao: "Brother Zhong, we must go to the Northeast, because we want to use wild ginseng to save our lives, so we are willing to eat any hardship, as for losing our heads, we are not afraid, the so-called life and death have life and wealth in the sky, no matter what happens, it has nothing to do with Brother Zhong, as long as you lead us to the Northeast." ”

Zhong Dabiao thought for a while and said: "Then you can think about it, the old forest in the Northeast is not like here, there are all wild things in Nagada, and it is very dangerous, not only wild things, but also countless beards." ”

Hearing this, Mao Qinglian smiled and said: "Brother Zhong, don't worry, we have guns in our hands to deal with wild things, and as for beards, we have long been accustomed to walking the rivers and lakes since we were children." ”

Zhong Dabiao said: "Okay, since this is the case, I will promise you, I will not hide a few, I followed my father to the mountains in my early years, I was a bandit in my youth, I was a soldier in my prime, and I have seen countless strange things." In the northeast of Nagada, I am absolutely clear, as long as we work hard, we will definitely be able to find a century-old ginseng. ”

Mao Qinglian hurriedly said, "Great, then thank you, Brother Zhong." ”

This Zhong Dabiao said: "But I still have something to say, although I have committed a crime now, but I am still a soldier after all, in the territory of Shandong, with this military uniform, as long as you walk on some remote ground, it is still unimpeded, and no one will check the masturbation you bring, but once you arrive in the Northeast, it is not what I say, the Japanese in the Northeast are in charge, bandits are rampant, wild beasts are infested, and there are dangers everywhere, so once you get to the Northeast, you all have to listen to me, the order is forbidden, and the food and road must all be in accordance with the rules of the Northeast, Can you do it? ”

Mao Qinglian said: "Brother Zhong, don't worry, we can definitely do it." ”

At this time, Tianning said: "Brother, are you going to the Northeast?" ”

I said, "Yes, we are going to the Northeast, and you and Baoguo are at home to watch the house." ”

Tian Ning said loudly: "No, I want to go with you, Baoguo just died of his younger brother, and he was sad, just let him take care of the house." ”

I wanted to persuade Tianning not to go, but this kid had a temper, and he couldn't persuade him, so he had to let him go. ”

I said, "Brother Zhong, if you have any proposals, you can say it." ”

Zhong Dabiao said: "Everyone, let's go to the Northeast, not to other places, that place is in crisis everywhere, and it will be fatal at any time, so brothers must work together to save their lives, but as the saying goes, people's hearts are separated from their stomachs, and it is difficult for me to know whether we have two hearts, so I propose that we follow the example of the Three Kingdoms Taoyuan Three Alliances, form brothers with different surnames, and share blessings and hardships, so that we can work together to find wild ginseng." ”

As soon as I heard the proposal, I said, "Okay, let's be brothers." ”