Chapter 31 Chicken Bus
When Yang Chunyan walked to the door of the room, she saw Zhou Huaian sitting on the bed, looking at her sleepily, "Yan'er, hurry up and wash, I'm going to the toilet."
Yang Chunyan put down the porcelain basin and said, "I'll go with you first and wash it when I come back."
"Thank you, my wife." Zhou Huaian got out of bed with a smile, put on his cloth shoes, picked up the oil lamp, and tried to hug Yang Chunyan, but she pinched him and said, "Get out!"
"Don't be like this, we are a couple, and I will accompany you if you are scared in the future!"
Yang Chunyan rolled her eyes at him, "You think everyone is like you, afraid even in your own home!"
Zhou Huaian smiled apologetically, "I'm born timid, there's nothing I can do about it, hehe!"
The two went to the toilet together and came back. Yang Chunyan washed herself and went to bed to rest.
Zhou Huaian looked at Yang Chunyan who was lying at his feet again. He felt itchy inside. He couldn't sleep so he made small talk. "Wife, what time do you want to get up tomorrow morning to sell herbs in Ning'an?"
Yang Chunyan was so tired that she could not open her eyes. She whispered, "I'll go at daybreak," and fell asleep.
Zhou Huaian sat up and looked at the sleeping Yang Chunyan. He picked up the pillow and lay down beside her. Thinking of the bet for tomorrow, he touched her face and whispered, "Let you go first, I'll deal with you tomorrow night!"
"Damn mosquito..." Yang Chunyan slapped it, turned over, muttered a few words, and then fell silent.
Zhou Huaian: “…”
The next morning, Yang Chunyan woke up when she heard Zhou's mother's shouting outside the window. She quickly turned over and sat up, "Hey~ wake up."
She rubbed her face and thought it was great to be young! In the past, she would wake up and stay awake until dawn, but now she would oversleep if she was not careful.
Zhou Huaian half-supported himself and looked at her sleepily, "Yan'er, is it dawn?"
Yang Chunyan put on her clothes and said, "Mom is calling me. Hurry up and pack the herbs in the backpack. After we eat, we will set off."
"I'm so tired!" Zhou Huaian rolled over, "I still want to sleep."
"Go to sleep! If you don't want the money, just stay home and sleep in."
"Yes, of course!" Zhou Huaian suddenly came to his senses, turned over and got up.
Yang Chunyan laughed to herself, got out of bed, put on her pants and jacket, took out her cloth shoes and put them on, opened the door and walked out.
It was just daybreak, and Zhou's father and the old man were already up. The old man was sitting at the door of the main room smoking leaf tobacco, while Zhou's father was weaving baskets.
Seeing her coming out, Zhou's father said, "I'll help you collect the herbs in bamboo baskets and put them on the chicken bus. Let Huai'an push it later. Your mother has also prepared the meal. Go eat quickly and leave early, so as not to be too hot if you are late."
"Okay, I'll wash my face and go."
Yang Chunyan saw a chicken bus in the yard that she hadn't seen for a long time, with two large bamboo baskets tied on both sides.
The rooster bus probably got its name because its shape resembles a rooster with its wings spread: a huge wheel that looks like a rooster's comb, and two wings that are sturdy wooden frames for stacking goods.
On the axle is a wooden wheel supported by eight wooden beams like umbrella ribs. The outer wheel is covered with a thick layer of iron sheet, and a layer of rubber is nailed on the outside of the iron sheet. This can reduce the wear of the wheel and extend the life of the wheel.
There is a tripod at the rear of the vehicle for easy parking, and two dovetail-shaped handlebars with long wooden handles, each of which is tied with a linen strap woven with hemp rope.
The wood used to make the chicken bus is very particular, mostly made of hardwoods such as locust trees, chestnut trees, sandalwood trees, etc. These trees are strong and tough, have good elasticity, are not easy to crack, and are durable.
When transporting heavy objects, the cart pusher puts the belt on his shoulders and uses his hands and legs to balance the cart, which requires a lot of physical strength. When transporting particularly heavy objects uphill, another person is needed to pull the cart in front.
When going downhill, someone is needed in front to hold the car back to prevent it from sliding down too fast and overturning.
Don’t underestimate the small size of the chicken bus. These days, when it comes to heavy work like paying taxes and transporting heavy objects, only the chicken bus can carry hundreds of kilograms of loads and climb up and down mountain paths with ease.
Two sacks of herbs weighed more than 100 kilograms. Two people had to carry the baskets on their backs and walk for several hours. Using a chicken cart to push them, they could take turns to rest, which was much easier.
Mr. Zhou laughed and said, "The youngest one is a lazy guy. He can't do anything else, but he can push the chicken bus steadily."
Father Zhou nodded, "It's still somewhat useful."
Yang Chunyan went back to the house to get a bamboo cup and toothbrush, took a face washcloth hanging on the bamboo pole at the door, and walked to the well to start washing.
There is not much toothpaste left, it has been squeezed to the bottle cap.
Nowadays, toothpaste tubes are made of aluminum, so after using up the toothpaste, it is still useful to keep the tube.
If the porcelain basin or porcelain pot at home is leaking, you can just cut a piece of toothpaste tube and heat it to fix it.
Zhou's mother did not allow the people in the several rooms to hand in the money they earned from selling mushrooms or doing odd jobs, but each room had to buy their own daily necessities.
Zhou Huaian used to be alone and could live with his parents, but after they got married, he should buy something for himself.
Zhou Huaian also came out in his slippers, holding a bamboo cup. He called out to the old man and Father Zhou, then went to the well to wash.
Yang Chunyan pointed at the toothpaste and said, "Look, the toothpaste is gone again. Luckily we went to dig herbs yesterday, otherwise we would have to brush our teeth with salt."
Zhou Huaian then remembered that in the past six months after marriage, Yang Chunyan had been the one who paid for toothpaste and toilet paper. He smiled and said, "When the herbs are sold, use my money to buy them."
Yang Chunyan rolled her eyes at him and said, "Give me back your money. You should give me clothes and food when you marry a man. Your money should be spent on me. Besides, you need toothpaste too!"
"Yes, yes, I was wrong. From now on, you have to ask me for money when you buy things." Zhou Huaian thought that as long as he had cigarettes to smoke and some money to play poker with a few friends, he would be fine.
Yang Chunyan didn't say anything else. After washing up, they went to the kitchen. Breakfast was dried sweet potato shreds and mixed grain rice, as well as kimchi fried taro stalks and boiled taro slices.
Sweet potato shreds are made by peeling the sweet potatoes, cutting them into shreds and drying them. The resulting multi-grain rice is also sweet.
Mother Zhou looked at the two of them and said, "You eat first, we'll eat later. When you're done, put the bowl on the table and I'll wash it."
"Okay." Yang Chunyan took out two bowls, scooped out the rice and brought it to the table, then handed a bowl to Zhou Huaian to start eating.
The soaked sorghum rice tastes less rough, and with the sweet sweet potato shreds, the taste is much better.
Mother Zhou put two eggs and a pancake made of whole grain flour into a lunch box, poured some rice soup into a tin kettle, and put it in the small backpack:
"Youngest, your old man has tied the chickens in a bamboo basket and put them on the bus. You will push it to Ning'an later. I'm telling you, as a man, don't rely on Chunyan to push the cart."
Zhou Huaian nodded, thought about it and said, "Mom, I think Chun Yan'er is your biological daughter."
Mother Zhou glared at him and said, "I gave birth to five children. Your brother and sister are both diligent and sensible, but you are the least capable. If I replaced you with Chunyan, I would live at least ten years longer!"
"You dislike me so much!" Zhou Huaian curled his lips, scooped a bowl of rice and continued eating.
"What do you think?" Zhou's mother glanced at him, opened the back door and left.
The two put down their bowls, and Yang Chunyan carried a small backpack containing dry food and water out of the kitchen. She took two pieces of Chuanxiong from the bamboo basket and put them on the windowsill to dry, then went into the house to take out a straw hat and a satchel and put them in the backpack.
Zhou Huaian lifted the handlebars of the rickshaw and put the belt on his shoulders. Yang Chunyan carried the backpack and said to Zhou's father and grandfather, "Grandpa, old man, we are leaving."
Mr. Zhou nodded and said to Zhou Huaian, "Push the cart properly and don't cheat. Chunyan is weak, so don't embarrass a man."
(End of this chapter)
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