Chapter 101 Big Red Cowhide War Drum
During lunch, Li Xiang specially prepared a sumptuous lunch for the little fox.
After all, it was the first time for someone to come to my home. This "marriage" came in a hurry, with no ceremony or betrothal gifts prepared.
A large pot of elixir snake porridge, not only added one large "spicy stick", but also an extra first-level elixir, and a variety of seasonings (chicken essence, salt, thirteen spices, soy sauce, etc.) Sugar, pepper, vinegar, star anise, fennel), there is no lack of "harsh work" developed by human technology for taste buds. After all, dogs and foxes are larger and have stronger tolerance to seasonings than cats. .
The one for the mother cat and the five cubs is relatively "lighter", with only a little salt and thirteen spices added. Serve it to the mother cat and the five cubs first, then increase the amount of seasonings and other ingredients.
This fox ate the elixir snake porridge for the first time. Not to mention the elixir, the little fire fox was so spiritual that he knew it was good food as soon as he ate it. What made him even more excited was that the food in this pot was extremely rich in taste. I have never eaten something so fragrant and delicious, and it was still steaming hot. I couldn't help but chirp while eating, and my fox eyes looked at Li Xiang gratefully several times.
"Eat slowly, and you'll have it every day from now on." Li Xiang recorded on the side with his mobile phone, laughing secretly in his heart, so what, after tasting this pot of delicious elixir porridge, this little vixen probably wanted to leave but was reluctant to leave.
Erhuang also shook his head and tail when he saw the little fox eating so happily. Ever since this dog got a "wife", he has had a "cheesy" expression on his face, looking like a "licking dog".
The little fox had a round belly after eating, and couldn't help but burp, with a satisfied look on his face.
It was also the first time that Li Xiang saw an animal burping, and he couldn't help but be surprised.
After this video was posted online, fans left messages one after another: "Here, brother Xiang, why do you still have a fox?"
Li Xiang replied: "It came home early in the morning."
"The fox took the initiative to vote, so awesome."
"This fox is very lucky. Look at the little eyes and expressions. They are so expressive. Could this be a vixen?"
"You can't raise foxes, right? Is this to protect animals?" Some fans questioned.
A fan replied: "Ordinary foxes can be raised, but... I see that Brother Xiang's fox is red all over. It should be a rare red fox species, so it's almost a punishment!"
Damn it, Li Xiang was shocked. He thought about it and quickly deleted the video.
It only took about twenty minutes to upload.
Although it didn't take long to upload, there is no guarantee that someone has already clicked "report". After all, there are all kinds of people on the Internet, especially those who don't like to see others' good things at all, and like to do "report" the most.
In the WeChat fan group, some fans are also asking: "Why was that fox video deleted so quickly?"
"Everything passed the review, so what are you afraid of?"
In fact, Li Xiang only has more than 1.6 million fans after all. In terms of the entire network, he is still a "little Karami". He is also a pastoral blogger and is not interested in military or politics, so the review of him is not very strict. Basically, There were no major problems and it was reviewed quickly. Sometimes I don’t even know whether there is an audit or not.
Li Xiang just explained a few words to avoid unnecessary trouble.
He now has several WeChat fan groups. At first, there were not many people, so there was only one. Aunt Bang and the coffee merchant from Dian Province were all in the first group. Later, the number of people increased, and the upper limit of 500 people was reached, so there were more Opened several groups.
Later, it was still not enough, so he applied for Enterprise WeChat, which can accommodate 2,000 people in a group. Well, he has officially registered a studio. He is considered a small and micro enterprise and can enjoy some preferential tax policies.
Some people suggested that he use QQ group, which can have 3,000 people, but Li Xiang's fans are basically adults, and there are relatively few who use QQ.
When Luo Feifei saw the news, she curled up her lips and refrained from speaking, because she really had QQ. She used it a lot when she was not famous, but she didn't use it much after she became famous. Even if it is used, it is still a small size.
Some people from the village came to visit and saw the little fox in Li Xiang's house. They were also surprised when grandma Li Xiang told her why.
"Aren't you afraid that it will steal the chicken?" the villager asked very worriedly.
Grandma laughed: "This little fox is very spiritual and smart. There is not a single chicken missing in the house."
The villagers laughed: "You should know the difference between a full meal and a full meal."
After stealing the chicken, the village can no longer tolerate it. If you don't steal the chicken, you can eat here every day without any worries. In this winter, the climate is very cold and food is hard to find outside. Wouldn’t it be delicious to have a warm meal in a human home?
When the news spread, many people came to see it. Li Xiang said to everyone: "It came home on its own, and maybe it will leave on its own in a few days."
Anyway, I didn’t take the initiative to raise it. Although a high-walled compound was built, a dog hole was left and no iron chains were used to tie it up. It has the freedom of a fox body.
Fortunately, most of the people in the village were relatively simple, and they all benefited from Li Xiang, so no one reported him.
So what, in the future we will still have to rely on Li Xiang to carry goods and sell agricultural products. If anyone blocks Li Xiang's account, or if anyone has trouble with Li Xiang or targets him, everyone will poke his spine.
Destroying someone's wealth is like killing one's parents.
Li Xiang was working on his cowhide drum in the backyard.
The cowhide was soaked in clean water for three days, and then he threw it into lime water and soaked it for a few more days. By this time, it had become soft and tough. Li Xiang took the cowhide out, spread it flat on a wooden board, and removed the hair and grease.
This process actually tests the control of force. If you use too much force, the cowhide will be damaged. If you use too little force, it will not be scraped clean. However, for a second-level transcendent, this is not a problem.
He didn't even use a knife, he just used a 30-kilogram wood chopping knife. With a light weight, the effect of removing hair and grease was better than many professional tools from small workshops.
After scraping, wash them again with clean water. The three pieces of yellow cowhide will become even in thickness, and then hang in the yard to dry.
"Is it better to use fir, birch, or oak to make a drum, or just use red eucalyptus?"
Because of different wood materials, the sounds of the drums produced are different. For example, some will be deep and heavy, some will be bright and prominent, and some will be soft and even have a nostalgic sound quality. Li Xiang pondered for a moment and decided to use red oak wood. Try it.
Because he had so much red eucalyptus wood on hand, he even chopped down every tree. As for other wood, you have to go up the mountain to find it, and the wood is far inferior to the red oak wood.
Moreover, other woods need to be dried in the shade, but red oak wood has a relatively high density, is heavy and strong, has less water content and is strong in toughness, so it can be used directly.
"Try it first. If it doesn't work well, then change it."
This is Li Xiang's first time making drums. Although he has learned a lot from the experience of his predecessors, there has been no successful case before, so this time he is crossing the river by feeling for the stones.
However, he likes to try new things.
Put up the phone holder, turn on the recording mode, and start recording with the wooden camera.
This is a relatively complicated process, requiring more than ten processes such as cutting, sawing, sorting, polishing, coating, and coloring. For example, when cutting, the board needs to be planed to the same angle of plane and arc before it can be finished. The "perfect fit" combined into a "drum barrel", but Li Xiang's ingenuity and dexterity were not a problem for him.
After two days of busy work, a drum with a height of 80 cm, a drum head diameter of 120 cm, and a total diameter of 140 cm was formed.
The process of hooping the drum is also a technical job. Li Xiang used cowhide glue to brush on the cut surface to ensure the sealing of the drum cavity. When hooping, it is tight and very strong.
Then use a plane to trim the drum body and the upper and lower planes more perfectly. At this time, the cowhide is also half-dry. Spread the cowhide on the big table, draw a picture with a pencil, and punch a circle of small holes around it. The next step is to "cover the face with the skin."
As the saying goes, "Drum-making is the apprentice, leather-making is the master." Making cowhide is a very critical link in drum-making. The cowhide Li Xiang bought is better than the buffalohide. It is very fine, tough, smooth and flat, and the cowhide has been soaked before. It is now in a semi-dry state, which is conducive to pulling.
He fixed the cowhide with lines and holes on the drum and performed the cowhide covering process. Thick hemp rope was passed through the small holes in the previous circle, and six small "capstans" were used around the drum. It was pulled three times and wedged multiple times.
There was a gap of three hours between the first and second time, and a night between the second and third time. Because it was too late, I left it outside overnight.
The skinning process lasts for a long time until the cowhide is completely dry.
Finally, the cowhide that was pulled out was very tight. I hit it lightly with my fist a few times, and the sound was quite loud, "dong dong dong~", which was deafening.
Dogs and foxes came over to watch, and grandma also came over to see Li Xiang's results. Although grandma told Li Xiang to spend more time on dressing up and picking up girls, she was still very happy to see Li Xiang create such a big picture.
"My eldest grandson is really ingenious and can do anything."
Three hundred and sixty lines, and he is the number one scholar in every line. Grandma feels that her grandson is really excellent. No matter which line he is in, he is a thumbs up. With such skills, he will never starve to death in the future.
Li Xiang also jumped on the drum and "bounced" a lot. Even someone as heavy as him had no problem jumping on it. The cowhide of this drum was indeed covered in place.
Next is fixation. After marking, add two circles of copper nails. Every 60°, the number of copper nails increases, forming a "copper nail moire" at that place, with six moirés surrounding the drum cavity, which is very beautiful.
These "moire patterns" are like the "pillars" when building a house, which enhance tension and fixation.
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After the nailing is completed, use the tip of the high-density knife to gently draw along the bottom of the copper nail to cut off the excess cowhide, and throw away the leftovers.
Li Xiang mastered the strength very well and could just cut the cowhide without damaging the drum body.
The drum rings are made of tiger head rings, also made of copper.
These metal accessories were all handmade by Jiang Jianguo with materials provided by Li Xiang. Since pure copper was too soft, Jiang Jianguo mixed it with other metals to make it bronze.
Li Xiang didn't ask Uncle Jiang to work in vain. Uncle Jiang didn't ask for the money, so Li Xiang bought two good cigarettes and gave them to him.
Old blacksmith Jiang Jianguo's craftsmanship is still very good, and the tiger head copper rings he makes are quite ancient.
After the double-sided covering is completed, the drum is almost ready, only the final painting process and the making of the drumsticks are left.
The drum body is painted with bright red vermilion paint.
There are also other colors available online, such as yellow paint and mahogany paint. If you like, you can also add some paintings, but Li Xiang feels that the classic bright red is more festive.
As for the drumsticks, they are also "carved" from red eucalyptus wood. Li Xiang made a "heavy hammer", which is relatively thick, about 60 centimeters long, and the handle is about three centimeters in diameter. The "mallet head" at the top is in the shape of a round bullet. The thick part is six centimeters in diameter and is formed in one piece, and the hammer head is also wrapped in red silk.
I tried the sound quality and found it to be loud and crisp. It also has a built-in reverberation "stereo sound" effect using a special attack method, which is simply a masterpiece.
Li Xiang tried to play a piece of "General's Order" and another "Qin King's Breaking Formation Music". The big drum "dong dong", the exciting and exciting drum beats resounded throughout Lijia Village, attracting many villagers to come and watch.
"This drum is so good, it makes me happy when I look at it."
"Xiangya, when the New Year sacrifices are held, take this drum to the ancestral hall and beat it." Village chief Li Jinyu also came and was full of praise.
Everyone liked such a good drum, but the paint was not dry yet, so no one dared to touch the drum body, but the drum head had nothing to do with the tiger-head brass ring, and everyone touched it several times.
Lijia Village has the custom of worshiping ancestors every year, and there is also the tradition of "drinking Dingjiu". The locations are all in the large open space in front of the clan ancestral hall.
It's just that Lijiacun is poor, and the ancestral hall has been in disrepair for a long time and is dilapidated. But this does not hinder its status in the hearts of the entire village.
"Drinking Dingjiu" is quite different in Lijia Village. It does not specifically refer to the treat after a family has a new baby. It refers to a day during the Chinese New Year when all the villagers in the village gather together to have a banquet.
This "Ding" refers to an adult male, the kind who is over 16 years old. However, with the evolution of the times, the entire village is not limited to men. Everyone, including the elderly, weak, women and children, are eligible to participate.
It is not limited to Li surname, other surnames, well, mainly the Jiang family now, can also participate.
In short, the whole village gathers together to have a meal and exchange feelings.
Especially in modern society, it is particularly rare.
Because most young people go out to work and are away from home throughout the year, they only come back during the Chinese New Year.
Because there is a relatively large number of people, the time when the whole village gathers to "drink Dingjiu" is often a big day for village elections. Li Jinyu's five-year term expired. He was old and couldn't do the job anymore, so he wanted to find a successor.
If Li Xiang didn't come back, he would still be worried and might have to worry about it for a few more years, but he didn't have to worry about that now.
Lijia Village is relatively poor and is located in a remote location. The government provides few subsidies, so there is little money to be made, and young people cannot stay in the village.
The people in Lijiacun are not native Shu people from Cuba, but immigrants from other places when Huguang reclaimed Sichuan.
It was a large-scale immigration during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, involving as many as a dozen provinces. Mainly due to successive years of war, the population of Sichuan Province has decreased sharply. According to the "General Chronicles of Sichuan Province", "Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, Shu has a large population, with fireworks facing each other. After the war in the late Ming Dynasty, the population was as rare as the morning stars."
That's why there was this massive immigration. Among them, Huguang Province has the largest population, and Hakka immigrants are the second largest immigrant group after Huguang people.
Taking Rongcheng as an example, the "Rongcheng General Survey" in the late Qing Dynasty described: "Today's Rongcheng people are all originally from other provinces."
Because there are many immigrants from other places and there are many ethnic minorities, the various customs that have been preserved are also diverse.
The villagers took turns to play the drums, and some children wanted to try it. However, the pair of drumsticks made by Li Xiang were too heavy. Some preschool children could not lift them, so they could only pat them lightly with their little hands.
Some children, with the help of adults, climbed directly onto the drum and stood on it and stepped on it with their feet.
Of course Li Xiang didn't mind. The drum was strong and children couldn't break it. Let alone children, several adults could withstand it.
Everyone praised the quality.
Li Xiang thought about it for a while, and then made several pairs of drumsticks, some big and small, in various shapes, such as elbow drumsticks, big-bellied fish drumsticks, cartoon round-head drumsticks, straight stick drumsticks, etc. These come in different sizes to suit all types of people.
The reason why Li Xiang wanted to make a drum was not just for making videos or for fun, but because if this drum was replaced with a drumstick made of monster skin or monster bone in the future, and then engraved with unique inscriptions, the drum would be Sheng Zhenyang can exorcise evil spirits when some evil demons invade.
In addition, the drum has played the role of "battlefield cheer" since ancient times. When conducting base defense operations, the deafening drum sound can boost morale and make the soldiers' fighting spirit even higher.
In the apocalyptic era, demons invade and extraordinary particles emerge. Guns are often useless, and close combat is often required.
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(End of chapter)