Chapter 111 Folk Artist, Bingga

The two of them brought the things into the space and sorted them out. Zhou Sinian helped to pour the contents of the sack onto the ground.

These days, most people were reluctant to exchange their family food for other foods. However, they had been eating mountain products since childhood, and they were free from the mountains, so they were not too sad about it and mostly exchanged for mountain products.

There are the most hazelnuts, pine nuts and pecans, and only a small bag of red dates, which are good things and are usually saved for the daughter-in-law who adds to the family.

I also exchanged a lot of peanuts and half a bag of soybeans. These are oil crops, so I was willing to exchange less.

The rest are mostly various mushrooms, which are arranged in bunches, strung together with straw stems and hung out to dry. They are very clean and free of insects, which shows that they must have been selected by Aunt Huang.

There was also half a sack of black fungus, of all sizes, and it was a considerable number after being soaked.

Unexpectedly, there was also a small bag of dried Schisandra chinensis, which Mingdai placed on the medicinal materials shelf in the space warehouse.

She planned to organize these things, make them into gift baskets, and then sell them for money during the Chinese New Year.

As for the hazelnuts, she kept them. They had never found any in the mountains, and Mingdai planned to develop a hazelnut candy business.

While Mingdai was thinking, Zhou Sinian was studying the basket that Mrs. Huang brought with her.

Most of the time, they were brought back by each family when they exchanged mushrooms. Some of them looked very exquisite, and Zhou Sinian seemed to like them very much.

By the time Mingdai had finished calculating, she saw that Zhou Sinian had already taken apart all the baskets and was now busy trying to weave them back together, but unfortunately he had failed.

Mingdai squatted down to take a look. The basket should be specially made for children to play with. The patterns were quite complicated. Zhou Sinian forgot the steps while taking it apart.

Seeing his stubborn look, Ming Dai knew that if she couldn't weave it well, he would probably feel uncomfortable for the whole day. Thinking that she would also need a basket to make a gift basket, she called Zhou Sinian to take the basket that he had dismantled and go to Liu Dazheng's house together.

Mingdai took some of their pickled kimchi and cornmeal cakes, put them in a basket and carried them out.

Zhou Sinian followed with a backpack on his back and a broken basket in his hands.

When I passed by the gate of the educated youth center, I saw two people going out. They were Qi Zhijun and Liu Yan.

Mingdai was so busy during this period that she almost forgot about those annoying people in the front yard.

Different from Liu Yan's radiant face, Qi Zhijun looked as if his spine had been taken out and he was very depressed.

When Liu Yan saw Ming Dai, she stroked the red headscarf on her head and said, "Ming Zhiqing, do you think my headscarf looks good? Jun bought it for me."

Army brother?

Mingdai raised her eyebrows, they are together.

Qi Zhijun heard Liu Yan's boasting but didn't say anything in response. He just stared at the snow piled in the corner.

Before Ming Dai could say anything, Zhou Sinian frowned and looked at her, saying, "How ugly!"

Liu Yan's smug expression immediately froze, her eyes turned red, and she looked at Qi Zhijun with grievance.

Qi Zhijun was so frightened that he didn't dare to look at Zhou Sinian. He avoided Liu Yan's aggrieved gaze and still looked like a wandering soul.

Ming Dai quickly grabbed Zhou Sinian who was about to speak: "What nonsense are you talking about? Sorry, Liu Zhiqing, we have something to do and we'll leave first."

After saying that, he pulled Zhou Sinian's sleeve and pulled him away.

Zhou Sinian followed her force and walked away, but he glared at Liu Yan fiercely and turned to Mingdai to express his grievance.

"Ming Dai, she looks so ugly in a red headscarf, she's not as pretty as me!"

Ming Dai answered him perfunctorily: "Yes, yes, yes! You are the prettiest!"

Zhou Sinian straightened his headscarf with satisfaction, adjusted his bow tie, and strode forward with the basket in hand.

When they arrived at Liu Dazheng's house, Mingdai saw him knitting something at the door of the main hall through the low fence. She called out, "Uncle Dazheng, can you come in?"

Liu Dazheng looked up when he heard that. Seeing that there were two people, he was somewhat happy: "Come in! The door is not locked."

Mingdai took Zhou Sinian in.

"Xiaoming Zhiqing, Zhou Zhiqing, are you missing something again?"

Zhou Sinian still remembered Liu Dazheng and had a good impression of him. When he heard Liu Dazheng greeting him, although he didn't say anything, he nodded politely.

Mingdai looked at the basket he was weaving and found it was just the right size for her to make a gift basket.

"Uncle Dazheng, how many baskets like this do you have?"

Liu Dazheng's hands did not stop: "There must be 20 or 30 of these. If you want a basket, just use it to play. This doesn't make money."

Ming Dai smiled and said, "Uncle Da Zheng, I want these baskets. Can you make 20 more for me?"

Liu Dazheng didn't expect that she would want so much: "When do you want it?"

Ming Dai thought for a moment and said, "About a week before the holiday. These baskets were found by someone else. They were going to give out holiday gifts, and these baskets were perfect for them. They were both presentable and practical."

Liu Dazheng nodded in agreement: "If you take good care of the baskets I made, they can be passed down for three generations!"

Ming Dai smiled and nodded: "Indeed, I gave someone a holiday gift last time and they took a fancy to the gift basket, so they asked. Uncle Da Zheng, please take a look and I will reply if there is no problem."

Liu Dazheng thought about the bamboo he had saved and said, "No problem. I will definitely be able to make it for you a week before the festival!"

Ming Dai nodded and opened the basket in Zhou Sinian's hand: "Uncle Da Zheng, I brought some cornmeal cakes and some pickled kimchi, try them. Here's one dollar as a deposit."

Liu Dazheng gratefully accepted the cake and the small earthenware jar of pickled vegetables, but did not take the money: "Xiaoming, I don't want the money. Just give me some food. I have no place to spend the money."

Mingdai thought about it and realized that any money he had would be taken away by his nephew.

"Okay, stretch out your hand and I'll take another look at it. If you need any, I'll prescribe some medicine to replenish your body."

Liu Dazheng nodded quickly, put the things on the bench beside him, brushed off the bamboo chips on his body, and stretched out his hand.

Mingdai put her hand on it, and then changed her hand.

"Do you still cough at night?"

Liu Dazheng nodded: "I coughed a few times during the night, but I'm much better now."

Ming Dai nodded: "You don't need to take the medicine. Just stew some pepper and pear water. Do you have pepper and pear?"

Liu Dazheng was very happy when he heard that he didn't have to spend money on medicine. "We have frozen pears. The captain sent me some two days ago. Guoqiang said he would send more after I finish eating. We also have Sichuan peppercorns at home. They are wild Sichuan peppercorns from the mountains."

Ming Dai nodded: "Okay, melt the frozen pear, cut it into small pieces, and cook it with four or five peppercorns for ten minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool before drinking. This can be drunk all winter. You are not suitable for eating cold food, so it is good to replace the frozen pear with this."

Liu Dazheng took note of it carefully: "Okay, Xiaoming, I know, thank you very much."

Ming Dai waved her hands and said, "We are from the same village. You are too polite. I won't take the basket away for now. I will bring a cart over someday to take it together."

Liu Dazheng nodded.

The two of them were chatting. Zhou Sinian was bored, so he looked at the basket that Liu Dazheng was weaving. It looked very simple, so he tried it.

He was taking things apart and editing them, and by the time Mingdai and Liu Dazheng saw it, he had already taken apart someone else's basket.

Ming Dai was a little embarrassed: "Uncle Da Zheng, I'm sorry, we'll buy this."

Liu Dazheng waved his hands and ignored it, but looked at Zhou Sinian's hands. Although the basket was torn apart, Zhou Sinian had woven it well, but he didn't know how to fasten the buckle, so it fell apart.

Liu Dazheng, who was itching for skills, immediately taught Zhou Sinian the weaving techniques. Zhou Sinian listened carefully, followed Liu Dazheng's instructions, and quickly weaved the scattered parts back together.

Then the old and the young began to learn weaving in a small classroom. Mingdai was confused as she listened and soon fell asleep.

Zhou Sinian became more and more excited and finished weaving all the baskets he brought.

Liu Dazheng recognized these baskets; they were the ones he had made.

Zhou Sinian was very happy and took out the sweater from his backpack to show Liu Dazheng.

Liu Dazheng seldom left the village and had never seen such a sweater before. He was immediately struck by the purple-red color.

He carefully touched the soft ball of yarn and couldn't help but exclaim: "This color is so beautiful!"

Zhou Sinian immediately agreed happily: "Right! Right!"

This is the only person who recognizes his aesthetic sense, a close friend!

Then they both forgot about Mingdai. One taught how to weave baskets, and the other taught how to weave sweaters.

Liu Dazheng had more coils in his hands. He was afraid that the wool would be damaged, so he found strips of cloth and cut them into thick threads, sharpened bamboo to make knitting needles, and learned flat stitch from Zhou Sinian.

Zhou Sinian's teaching level was better than Mingdai's, and Liu Dazheng was deft, so soon a piece of smooth patchwork cloth was woven.

Mingdai looked here, then there, and always felt confused.

At noon, Zhou Sinian still didn't want to leave. He and Liu Dazheng studied how to incorporate sweater knitting techniques into the weaving process of bamboo products.

Liu Dazheng also looked at Mingdai eagerly without saying anything, but it was obvious that he didn't want Zhou Sinian to leave.

Mingdai was speechless.

In the end, Zhou Sinian was the only one left to continue studying and discussing, while she went home to cook for the two folk artists.

By the time she brought the food over, Liu Dazheng had already called them "Brother Si Nian" one by one, and both of them had a peculiarly shaped basket in their hands.

Ming Dai: I call you uncle and you call him brother. Do you think it’s appropriate?

Mingdai heated up some mixed-grain noodle dumplings and stir-fried some grandma’s vegetables with chopped eggs. Liu Dazheng was almost crying over the simple meal, as it had been a long time since he had anyone to eat with.

Zhou Sinian looked at him, and perhaps thought of himself, so he patted Liu Dazheng's shoulder, but the force was a little too strong. If Mingdai hadn't supported him, Liu Dazheng would have fallen headfirst onto the dining table.

"Good brother, I will come often in the future!"

Liu Dazheng gritted his teeth in pain and nodded happily.

Mingdai looked at Liu Dazheng, and then thought about Tiedan and Goudan from Aunt Huang's family.

I have to say that Zhou Sinian has made progress. He now has a good impression of both the old and the young, but the one in the middle is still annoying to him.

After dinner, the two of them chatted for a long time, and Mingdai yawned one after another.

By the time Zhou Sinian got up to leave with satisfaction, Mingdai was almost asleep.

With Liu Dazheng's reluctant farewell gaze, the two went home.

On the way, Zhou Sinian carried the newly woven basket and admired it as he walked.

When we reached the village entrance, we saw many children playing in the snow, including Tiedan and Goudan.

When the other children saw the two of them, they stood far away and didn't dare to come over.

Tiedan and Goudan had been conquered by Zhou Sinian's fancy stone-catching skills, and they ran over happily when they saw them.

"Auntie Xiao Ming!"

The two of them called out loudly, then looked at Zhou Sinian and shook their heads embarrassedly, not knowing what to call him.

Mingdai was talking to Tiedan, while Zhou Sinian was looking at what Goudan was holding with some curiosity.

"What is this for?"

Goudan waved the whip and wood in his hand and said, "We are playing ice hockey, do you want to play?"

Mingdai and Tiedan also heard it and turned to look.

Zhou Sinian put the basket in his hand into the backpack, reached out to take the wooden top, and looked at it carefully: "How do I play this?"

Goudan felt a little embarrassed and looked at his brother. He was too young to spin the top, so he could only wait for his brother to spin it. He would go up and spin it a few times to satisfy his own desire. Often, the top would stop spinning because of his mischief and his brother would have to come up to rescue it.

Tiedan plucked up his courage and pointed at what Zhou Sinian was holding: "This is Bingga. If you whip it, it will spin."

Zhou Sinian put the wooden top on the ground and whipped it a few times. The top moved a little, but it didn't spin.

He frowned and thrust the whip at Tiedan: "You do it!"

Tiedan took it, swallowed his saliva, wrapped the whip around the wooden top, and threw it down according to the force. He whipped the whip and the top began to spin on the snow. Tiedan whipped the whip a few more times and the top spun a little faster.

Zhou Sinian looked at him with shining eyes, and Tiedan handed the whip over with interest.

He took the whip and whipped it hard. With a whoosh, the gyroscope flew more than ten meters away.

Tiedan and Goudan were both stunned.

Mingdai burst into laughter at Zhou Sinian's incredulous look.

Zhou Sinian, feeling that he had lost face, clutched the whip unhappily and looked at Mingdai.

Tiedan and Goudan instantly activated their Little Dog Legs skills, ran over and picked up the wooden top.

Ming Dai stopped laughing at Zhou Sinian's accusing eyes and coughed softly: "You are too strong, try it gently, let Tiedan teach you."

Tiedan, who had just picked up the wooden spinning top, happened to hear this and looked at Zhou Sinian nervously.

Zhou Sinian hesitated for a moment, then passed the whip over again: "Teach me!"

Tiedan took it with a dreamy look on his face, wrapped the whip around the wooden top again, and while putting it down, he told Zhou Sinian how to use more force. His voice became louder and louder, and his face became redder and redder.

Oh my god, there will be a day when I will be a little teacher to a madman!

Tiedan was very excited, feeling that he had avenged himself from the humiliation of being scared to death by a madman!

Under his guidance, Zhou Sinian gradually mastered the technique and took the whip to whip himself.

Soon, the wooden top was spinning rapidly under his whip, spinning faster and faster, and even jumping from time to time.

Gradually, other children gathered around and watched Zhou Sinian spinning the top in a fancy way.

Mingdai also watched and couldn't help but sigh that Zhou Sinian's ability to fight was really strong!

Later, Zhou Sinian felt that he was not satisfied with just one spinning top, so he requisitioned all the children's spinning tops at the scene and drew 8 at the same time!

The wooden tops were spinning in place and colliding with each other. They were about to fall to the ground, but were saved by Zhou Sinian's whip.

The children watching around burst into exclamations, and their admiring gazes almost drowned Zhou Sinian!

Zhou Sinian had a lot of fun, and he still felt like he hadn't had enough even when families started calling their children home for dinner.

He returned the things reluctantly and followed Mingdai home.

Ming Dai comforted him: "We can make them ourselves when we get home. You can make as many as you want!"

Zhou Sinian's happiness returned instantly, and he looked at Mingdai with eyes as bright as a big wolfdog: "Mingdai, you are so nice!"

Ming Dai turned her head awkwardly and quickened her pace: "Of course I'm fine! Let's go home! It's freezing!"

When I got home, I picked out suitable wood from the firewood pile and brought it into the space.

Mingdai explained to him the key points of production and let him carve the wood himself.

She went to Zhou Sinian's small warehouse and found the steel balls from his dismantled bicycle.

I went to the warehouse and got some colored chalk.

Outside, Zhou Sinian had already peeled one.

Mingdai used a hammer to smash the steel ball into the bottom of the wooden top, and then painted colorful rings on it.

Zhou Sinian made a whip out of a discarded bicycle tire and started whipping the newly made top in the living room.

The gyroscope spun with his strength, not only fast and steady, but the colorful gyroscope also looked more beautiful.

"Ming Dai, look! I drew the rainbow!!"

Mingdai also wanted to play with it, so Zhou Sinian handed her the whip and went back to work on the spinning top.

In the end, the two of them made 10 spinning tops of various sizes and colors.

At this point, the two of them had one more activity to do in the space, besides watching the lambs fight: a spinning top competition!

Zhou Sinian said, today is a really happy day!