After a few days of delay in the capital, Lu Changhua called home.

I hurried to Shandong.

When he was in the capital, Lu Changhua had already inquired that Cao County, Shandong Province was the distribution center of willow weaving.

And they also planted wolfberry willows.

Lu Changhua pondered, he was still closed to information.

If you knew that Cao County was so professional, you would have come directly.

Why are you still looking for it in Bac Ninh?

Sitting on the train, all the way from Tianjin through Cangzhou, straight to Jinan.

Then transfer to Jining and Heze.

Cao County is a subordinate county of the Kawasawa region.

Cao County is not large, with a total of more than 1,000 square kilometers.

The county government is in Cao Town.

After getting out of the car, Lu Changhua asked someone where to buy willow baskets.

"You're an outsider, aren't you?"

"Yes, from out of town."

"The willow basket is worthless now, there used to be a lot, who still has the time to make up that thing now?"

"I just heard that our Cao County willow weaving is very famous, so I came to take a look."

"Well, you'll have to wait for the market. There may be people selling it on the set, and it is usually invisible. ”

"Then we don't make willow baskets in Cao County, what are we doing now?"

"Let me tell you, Cao County is not famous for willow weaving now, how much is that thing worth?"

"We all grow asparagus now. There is also wood processing. ”

The man pointed to the shop on the side of the road and said, "Look at it, our canned asparagus is exported abroad, and there are one or two thousand plate factories. ”

"Oh, thank you. Is it still too late to catch the market? ”

"Today is the twenty-nineth, tomorrow is the first day of the new year, you go to the Qingqi set to see, they are on the first day of the new year, the third day of the new year, the sixth day of the first month, and the eighth day of the first month."

"There's an episode tomorrow? That's great. Where is this green gathering? ”

The man was very eager to tell him how to go.

Cao County dialect, who can understand Lu Changhua, but the pronunciation of this bite is not accurate, and he heard it as "Qinggu Collection".

When I arrived at the station, I bought a ticket only to find that I had made a mistake.

It turned out to be the "Qingqi Collection".

Qingqi is located in the southeast of Caocheng Town, nearly 30 kilometers apart.

Very early on the size of a town.

Now it belongs to the central town, and the economic development is among the best in Cao County.

When he came to Qingqi in a bus, he found that this place was as people said.

There is a dense flow of people and a lot of factories.

There are also large areas where asparagus is grown.

He walked around the street a few times, and then went to a house to ask people, where is the market tomorrow?

An enthusiastic person pointed to a large row of tin sheds on the side of the road in front of him, "That's it." ”

After Lu Changhua thanked him, he went to the market to have a look.

Although the market will start tomorrow, it does not mean that the market will not open.

There are still a lot of merchants in the market.

Many of the products sold here are daily necessities, vegetables and meat.

He turned around and didn't find anyone selling willow baskets.

"Boss, let me ask you, is there a willow basket sold in the market?"

"What? Basket sellers? No! ”

Lu Changhua: This is a disappointment.

Isn't this the right idea? How is it that in the legendary hometown of willow weaving, no one sells baskets.

Seeing Lu Changhua's disappointed face, the shopkeeper kindly added: "Look at tomorrow, there seem to be a few that sell that thing." ”

Seeing the boss say this, Lu Changhua rose hope again.

"Boss, why are there so few baskets sold now?"

"You're an outsider, you don't know the situation."

The local boss said, "Willow baskets used to be used by every family. ”

"But not everyone makes this thing up."

Seeing that the boss was willing to say more, Lu Changhua hurriedly handed over the cigarette and listened to what others were saying.

"In Cao County, we used to plant a lot of wolfberry willows, and every household planted a little bit of it."

"If you make it up by your own family, you make it up yourself; If you don't know how to make it, ask someone to come to your home to make it. ”

"I rarely go to the market to buy this stuff."

"Buying and selling willow baskets was three or four years ago, and more ten years ago."

"But now, the town is developing asparagus cultivation, who has the time to make up that thing and sell it."

"Even if there are few."

"Because it's worthless to us."

"There are very few sales in the local area."

"When I was in the market, there were a few of them that could be sold, and there weren't many of them. It's all the old people in the family who are idle and playing. ”

"Oh! I see. ”

It seems that he has been misled.

In the past, willow weaving was an indispensable tool and supplies for production and life in rural areas.

Therefore, it used to be a very common and prosperous industry.

But now?

Without baskets, there can be other alternatives.

This thing is gradually falling into loneliness.

It seems that since wicker weaving can rise to the height of handicrafts, it can now only be sold in big cities or exported abroad.

Let those rich people who look fresh buy this thing as a handicraft or a work of art, and they have to sell it at a high price.

If you treat it as an ordinary life utility, it is not too valuable.

The lowest product of willow weaving is the earthen basket, also called the "earthen basket".

This is a tool for labor.

Also practical things are less valuable.

The high-end wicker products are food blue, fruit baskets, flower baskets, and sundries baskets.

Although these are also utilitarian tools, they are worth a bit more.

A more advanced wicker product is an ornament.

For example, various animals made of willow, figures, bookshelves, desks, chairs, lampshades, bedside tables and so on.

Most of these are mainly decorative, and the practical value is not high.

But the more such a thing, the higher its price, and the more people pay for it.

Lu Changhua lay on the bed in the hostel and pondered.

After thinking about all this, I gradually had an idea.

The positioning and design of wicker products are crucial.

Using wicker weaving as a material and craft to make ornaments and furniture products can have unexpected results.

Thinking of this, he took out a pen and paper and jotted down his thoughts.

Sometimes inspiration is fleeting.

On this day, Lu Changhua did not go out again, but sorted out his thoughts in the hostel, waiting for tomorrow's market.

In the evening, he found a restaurant nearby.

I ordered two dishes and drank a cup of Cao County small roast.

The hostel is close to the market.

This is also what he wants to save some effort.

As soon as it was dawn the next day, Lu Changhua was woken up.

Outside there was a lot of noise.

He scrambled to his feet and hurried to get dressed.

He didn't expect that the meeting would be so early.

Lu Changhua didn't have time to eat breakfast next year, so he hurriedly ran to the market.

At this time, the market was full of people inside and out, and the people who set up the stalls stretched far along the road.

He saw that the stall was not in sight, and he didn't know where to start.

Let's look for it.

Walk all the way down the road and see all the way.

I've been out for more than a mile, but I still haven't seen it.

At this time, his heart sank all at once.

Came to an end, still nothing.

Turn your head and walk back.

Arriving at the entrance of the market, he paused briefly and continued walking.

There were not as many stalls on the top as there were on the bottom, so I walked out more than 100 meters and found a small stall selling baskets in an inconspicuous place.

An old man with white hair squatted on the ground, with a cloth in front of him and several square baskets on it.

The people who walked back and forth didn't look at it.

The old man held a copper-mouthed dry tobacco pouch in his mouth and took two puffs unhurriedly.

When he saw that someone was standing still in front of him, he looked up.

"Do you want a basket?"

"Old man, how do you sell this basket?"

Lu Changhua also squatted in front of the stall.

"Fifteen one."

Lu Changhua picked up Fang Lan and looked at it.

The weaving is exquisite, the wicker thickness is consistent, and importantly, the pattern is woven on it.

"Uncle, did you make this up?"

"yes, I'm idle, I'm making it up myself."

The old man knocked the bags under his eyes and blew the copper mouth again.

A puff of smoke smacks came out of the cigarette pouch pot.

"Uncle, I want all of your baskets, do you still have them at home?"

"It's gone. If you want more, I'll make it up for you. ”

"Uncle, close the stall, I want all these baskets."

Ten baskets, one hundred and fifty pieces.

The old man's asking price is really not high.

"Can you take it?"

"Uncle, take a hand and send me to the hotel in front."

"Okay."

After giving the money, the old man folded up the cloth.

He took five baskets, Lu Changhua took five, and the two went to the hostel together.

When he entered the room, Lu Changhua made tea for the old man and handed him a cigarette.

"Uncle, aren't you in a hurry to go back? What are we chatting about? ”

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm interested in weaving this basket, can you tell me about it?"

"Basket weaving?"

The old man took the cigarette, knocked it on his hand, and put it in his mouth.

Lu Changhua hurriedly took out the lighter, clicked, and lit it for the old man.

"What do you mean by this?"

He exhaled a puff of cigarette.

Then he coughed up a mouthful of thick phlegm.

Lu Changhua hurriedly handed over a tissue.

The old man spit the phlegm into the paper and wiped the corners of his mouth.

"Uncle, what do you call it? How long will you be this year? ”

"Me? My surname is Liu, and I'm 70 years old this year. ”

"Uncle Liu."

"It's not Liu, it's Liu, the willow of the willow!"

"Oh, Uncle Liu!"

"Are there many basket weavers like you in your village?"

"Not much. There are not many old people who can make up it, and young people are not willing to do it now. ”

The old man sighed.

I took a few sips of tea.

"Do you know anything else besides basket weaving?"

"Something else? What? ”

"Deer ponies or something, will you?"

"Yes, yes, it's just too much work."

"Uncle, it's okay to spend work, I'll pay more."

As soon as he heard that the old man would make up this thing, Lu Changhua's eyes lit up.

"That's okay, as long as the labor fee is high, I'm still willing."

"Uncle, who else is in your family?"

"My sons and grandchildren are here."

"That's a good feeling, you're blessed."

"Hey, life is better now, and I'm fine. Make up things, scatter your mind. ”

"So, can I go to the house and have a look?"

"Okay, how many do you want to order?"

The old man is still thinking about it.

"I'll do the same, and I'll ask for whatever you will."

"I'll give you a hundred and fifteen, what's the matter?"

"Okay. Let's go, go home. ”

The old man couldn't sit still.

got up and took Lu Changhua home.

Lu Changhua's heart blossomed.

A home video camera was taken out of the suitcase.

"Let's go, uncle."

The two left the inn and headed out of town.