Chapter 86 Water, Bamboo and Snowflake Paper Send Lamps to the Sky
“When did the shopkeeper become interested in lanterns?”
Hear this.
The kidnapper and the red girl looked at each other.
They all looked strange.
Although in previous years, the shopkeeper would sometimes fight cocks and play dogs.
But what’s so good about Kongming Lanterns?
Spring Society Autumn Festival, New Year Lantern Festival, when can I not see it?
"You will know when you go there."
Facing the doubts of the two people.
Chen Yulou just smiled faintly.
Lao Qitou was told to make Kongming lanterns from last time.
It has been a few days.
Of course, his trip was not to urge them, but simply because the three of them had not seen each other for a long time and it was time for them to chat and relax.
A group of three people strolled through Zhuangzi.
Usually, whenever I come back from an outing, I basically just ride on horseback.
Rarely do we set our sights on the outer city.
Compared with the blooming flowers in the inner city, although there are not many high-rise buildings and courtyards here, there is a lot more fireworks.
You can see it everywhere along the way.
Children are playing and playing.
Young people are full of energy and travel between streets.
The elderly man was sitting in the corner under the shade of a tree with his eyes closed and meditating. Every deep wrinkle between his eyebrows seemed to have past events written there.
It is completely different from the situation outside where people are dying of hunger everywhere.
The people I met along the way were rarely showy. Instead, they all had bright eyes and full of expectations for the future.
“The owner of the village.”
"Shopkeeper Chen."
"The young master is well."
Some people gradually recognized them.
Stop and greet him casually.
There are all kinds of names.
Chen Yulou was not surprised, but responded one by one.
"The autumn harvest is almost here."
"This year should be a little easier than in previous years."
It was social day a few days ago.
He specifically asked Uncle Yu.
It is said that although it has been a bit dry this year and it has not rained for a long time, there is enough water in the wells in the fields.
Farmers water every day.
The crop damage is not serious.
It may even be better than in previous years.
“Yes, I met many people on my way back and they all said thank you to the shopkeeper for giving me a bite of food.”
The kidnapper answered with a smile.
Although most of his thoughts are on the mountain.
But everyone in Chenjiazhuang has been watching.
After all, tens of thousands of people are waiting to eat.
The daily price of grain outside refers to the harvest of more than a thousand acres of fields.
"Just don't put gold on my face."
"The more you work, the more you get. Those who don't work don't get food. This has been true since ancient times."
Chen Yulou raised his eyebrows and said.
These bankers depend on luck, and he can only take them in at most.
Their survival is due to their hard work.
"Yes."
Hear what he meant.
Huamaguai nodded seriously.
The red girl on the side is mostly immersed in practice.
I don’t have much insight into this.
"Leave."
Chen Yulou waved his hand.
Follow the alley, turning left and right, and go straight to Lao Qitou's house.
Not long after.
A familiar small courtyard appeared in sight.
Lanterns of various colors are hung inside and outside the courtyard.
There are lanterns used for festivals and festivals, as well as bamboo lanterns used by ordinary people.
In a while, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival, and this is also preparation.
However.
In the past two days, Lao Qitou has put down all the work at hand.
Concentrate on the tasks assigned by the shopkeeper.
As soon as the three of them entered the door, they saw Lao Qitou and his son busy in the distance.
Piles of bamboo strips, lamps, wicks and tissue paper.
A few lamps have been placed around me.
However, it seemed that it did not meet the requirements and was discarded aside.
"Dad, I don't think we can just make it bigger. We have to start with the skeleton and the lights."
A man whose facial features are somewhat similar to Lao Qitou.
Half squatting on the ground, he said seriously.
As the eldest son in the family, he has also learned the craft for several years.
It’s just that after I fled here, I rented five or six acres of paddy fields and was busy in the fields all day long. I had no time to tie up paper. But my father couldn’t stop and wanted to pick it up to support the family.
"It's not big, how can it reach the sky?"
Lao Qitou frowned and held a dry tobacco stick in his mouth, but he didn't light it.
There are lanterns everywhere in the house.
In addition, the surrounding neighbors are all wooden buildings.
If you are not careful, a spark will splash out and something big will happen.
"It's okay, but it can't be too big."
The boss explained patiently.
As for the youngest, he is not very old, probably in his early twenties.
But he was simply captured by his father. He knew nothing about these things, so he came to beat him.
Now I see my father and eldest brother arguing again.
He couldn't help but feel a little irritable and kicked the bamboo leaves on the ground in boredom. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of several figures in the corner of his eye.
I thought someone came to place an order.
He subconsciously thought about declining.
In the next period of time, I will definitely be busy with the tasks ordered by the owner of the village first, and others will push them if they can. If I can't push them, I can only delay them as much as possible.
Just.
Wait until he looks up.
The person at the head was wearing a blue gown, with clear eyes and a gentle smile on his face.
I seem to have seen it somewhere.
There is an indescribable feeling of familiarity.
"Wait...owner?"
An idea flashed in his mind, and he suddenly thought of it.
Isn’t that person in the distance the one I saw outside the stage on Social Day?
As for the people following him, they were all big shots in Zhuangzi.
"Dad...Dad, stop fighting."
"The owner of the village is here."
He suddenly became nervous and pulled the corner of his father's clothes to remind him.
"If you have nothing to do, go chop bamboo...Who? Who is coming?"
Lao Qitou has been too worried about the Kongming Lantern these days.
After all, it was shopkeeper Chen who personally told the matter. Before leaving, he directly put a piece of ocean as a deposit.
How dare he despise it?
But, one or two kilograms of stuff is fine.
But once you pass three pounds, it’s like a hurdle to get over.
After trying several times, I woke up this morning and the Kongming Lantern was almost as big as a millstone. It finally reached the sky, but it was less than two meters before it fell down with a bang.
Lao Qitou is really puzzled.
I have been working as a Kongming lantern all my life, but it can still fall down. It is like seeing a ghost.
He and the boss went back and forth.
I didn’t come to a conclusion either.
Now was the time when he was worried. Seeing that the youngest was unable to help and was still tugging on his clothes, he was so angry that he couldn't help but curse.
But...
I haven’t finished the sentence yet.
He noticed something.
The expression on his face changed, and he subconsciously turned around to look.
Who else is standing in the yard if it’s not shopkeeper Chen?
"Shopkeeper Chen..."
"When did you come and why didn't you say hello?"
Lao Qi glared at Yao'er before greeting him anxiously.
It’s been several days.
The lantern hasn't been made yet, and to be honest, he feels really sorry.
Not only did I feel that the craftsmanship passed down from my ancestors had been buried, but I also felt that I could not maintain the trust of shopkeeper Chen.
“Just arrived.”
"No need to be busy, I just stopped by to take a look."
Seeing Lao Qi greeting his two sons to bring tea and water, Chen Yulou waved his hand.
"Is it not going well?"
"Yes..."
When he heard this, Lao Qitou felt even worse.
"Who is this?"
Chen Yulou didn't take it seriously. He just pointed at the man standing next to him, whose facial features were somewhat similar to his.
"Oh, this is my eldest son, his name is Qi Hu."
"What are you doing standing there, you don't know how to call someone." As he said that, Lao Qi slapped him on the back of the head and scolded him. road.
Qi Hu then cupped his hands and said with a chuckle, "I've met shopkeeper Chen."
"I just listened in the courtyard for a while, and I think what Qi Hu said makes sense. Old Uncle Qi Why don't you give it a try?"
Seeing this, Chen Yulou couldn't help but smile.
When he entered the door just now, he saw the father and son arguing. He stopped and listened for a moment.
Qi Husheng has a sharp mind when he is young and often runs around, so his horizons are much higher.
Compared to him, although Lao Qitou has more experience, his thinking is rigid.
And.
The most important point.
Although Qi Hu could not accurately express what he was thinking.
But these few sentences hit the nail on the head and clarify the focus.
That is mastering buoyancy.
"Listen to the shopkeeper."
Everyone told him to give it a try, but Lao Qitou dared to delay.
He immediately called his two sons to get started.
Choosing a few of the best bamboo strips, he tied the bamboo himself and made lanterns for the rest of his life. Even if he was blindfolded, he could tie them beautifully.
Not a few minutes.
A skeleton about two feet square appeared in his hand.
In the past, when he made lanterns, because he didn’t have many requirements, he basically used moso bamboo or Xiang bamboo, which are common here.
They are everywhere in the mountains and plains.
You can find it by going up the mountain.
But this time is different from the past, in order to meet the requirements of shopkeeper Chen.
He specially brought his two sons into the mountains.
He chopped down several kinds of bamboo and tested them one by one. In the end, the one that performed best was the water bamboo he had.
Here in western Hunan, it has been used to make paper since ancient times.
Bamboo is light, tough and hard enough.
It is perfect to use as the skeleton of the Kongming Lantern.
As for the choice of paper, there are a little less.
The lanterns he usually makes are made of the simplest paper.
And paper is expensive these days, so I can’t afford it.
Lao Qitou asked Qi Hu to go to the county town and buy back three kinds of paper, but the effect was average.
Seeing that he has not chosen paper for a long time.
Chen Yulou understood immediately.
"Guaizi, take Qi Hu to the warehouse and select a batch of paper."
"Yes, from the shopkeeper."
How could Huamaguai not understand him? thought.
Take the order immediately.
Take Qi Hu all the way out.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the two of them brought back a thick pile of paper, as white as snowflakes, all of which were first-class.
From thick to thin.
There are more than ten kinds.
Lao Qitou has never seen this battle before. It was all paper that could be used to write on and publish books.
When you rub it with your fingers, your lips are trembling slightly.
After choosing for several minutes, I finally settled on one.
Originally, things like papering were left to Qi Hu, but he was worried that something might happen to him because of his rough hands, so he decided to do it himself, doing everything right down to the smallest detail.
Chen Yulou is not in a hurry either.
Standing aside with his hands behind his hands, he waited slowly.
Almost half an hour later.
A sky lantern half a man tall and two feet square finally took shape.
Even though I have been doing this all my life, I am still full of surprises when I look at it.
The specifications of this lantern are almost as good as those of palace lanterns.
That is, thanks to shopkeeper Chen.
How else could he use those materials?
The more Lao Qitou looked, the more satisfied he became. Without any further delay, he led a group of people out of Zhuangzi and found an open space that was not covered by big trees or eaves.
A brick weighing five or six kilograms was tied under the Kongming Lantern.
Qi Hu and the youngest were holding the lamp stand carefully on the side.
Then he stepped forward, took out the fire sickle and lit the lamp underneath.
Crash——
There was a fire.
Not long after, a sound like a blower came from inside the Kongming Lantern.
Chen Yulou and the others watched from a distance.
At this moment, Huamaguai and Miss Hong gradually understood what was going on.
How can the shopkeeper please cats and dogs?
He is clearly trying something.
Although I don’t know exactly what it is, it must not be easy to make him pay so much attention to it.
Thinking of this, a trace of nervousness flashed across both of their faces.
Hold your breath subconsciously.
Looking attentively at the Kongming Lantern surrounded by the Qi family’s father and son.
“Okay, let go slowly.”
Seeing the Kongming Lantern paper bulging up little by little.
Like an air bag.
The experienced Lao Qitou immediately reminded him.
Qi Hu actually felt the rising feeling and couldn't suppress it. He didn't dare to delay at this moment and glanced at his younger brother.
The two of them chanted one, two, three silently.
Then let go at the same time.
In an instant.
The sky lantern rises slowly.
The three hemp ropes holding the bricks tightened rustlingly, and then jumped into the air with a thud.
See this scene.
The father and son still didn't dare to breathe.
They all raised their heads and stared at the Kongming Lantern.
Especially Lao Qitou, his heart was clenched at this moment.
He has tried many times these days.
Although it is flying now, I can't guarantee whether it will fall down.
Thinking of this, he patted the heads of his two sons and said, "Gua Wa Zi, stay away. If you fall down, your heads will be smashed."
Three The people retreated all the way.
"Dad... seems to have risen?"
The youngest has a restless temper, so he took two steps and turned around to take a look.
Not even a few steps away.
He was suddenly startled.
Although the Kongming Lantern looked shaky, it was rising steadily.
"What?"
Lao Qitou couldn't care about anything else at the moment.
I was holding my walking stick and looked up.
In just a few moments.
The Kongming lantern with blue bricks has flown at least six or seven meters high.
"It's true."
"It's done...it's really done."
Lao Qi grinned and muttered repeatedly.
Qi Hu and the youngest on the side were chasing the direction of the Kongming Lantern and shouting loudly.
See this scene.
Lao Qitou did not stop him.
I just took out the dry tobacco stick attached to my waist, knocked it, and then started smoking on my own.
I have been busy for so long.
Finally, I didn’t live up to shopkeeper Chen’s trust.
He is just old. If he were younger, he would be crazier than his two sons.
Not far away.
Watching the Kongming Lantern, it flew all the way out of the village, floated in the wind and disappeared high into the mountains.
Chen Yulou then withdrew his gaze.
Heaved a long sigh of relief.
A major issue hanging in my heart has finally been resolved.
He walked towards Lao Qi with a relaxed expression.
"Shopkeeper Chen, do you think it's okay?"
Lao Qi held the tobacco pole in his head and cupped his fists in his hands.
The sadness in my eyebrows has dissipated a lot.
This will be in front of him.
My confidence in speaking has become much greater.
Not as anxious as before.
“It’s done, it’s done.”
Chen Yulou looked satisfied.
Tell the truth.
This efficiency was beyond his expectation.
"But Uncle Qi, I have to trouble you in the next few days. Keep working harder to see if you can make the lamp more solid. It is best to be able to withstand ten or eight pounds."
“Don’t worry, shopkeeper Chen, I know it well.”
Lao Qitou agreed immediately.
It is difficult to finish the work but to start.
Now that we have the mold, it’s easy to go on.
"Okay, then I'll leave it to Uncle Qi."
(End of this chapter)