Chapter 78 79: Wild Sweet Potato
The whole plant of wild sweet potato can be used as medicine, which has the effects of removing rheumatism and unblocking meridians. It is also effective in treating injuries from falls, irregular menstruation, and snake bites.
These days, wild sweet potatoes can be seen everywhere on the edges of fields. The brown stems and vines are everywhere, and the leaves are evergreen. They look a bit like miniature banana fans.
The stems and vines of wild sweet potatoes are very flexible and mostly grow in a criss-cross pattern on the ridges and slopes of fields.
Country people sometimes pull them up, tie them up into bean stalks and carry them home. They can carry dozens of kilograms without any problem.
It is a deciduous, creeping woody vine with white latex. The fruits are round and flat in shape. When ripe, the wild sweet potatoes are light red. The large ones are as big as figs. When broken open, the flesh inside is very similar to that of a fig.
Wild sweet potatoes are divided into male and female fruits. Female wild sweet potatoes are brightly colored and plump, with plenty of moisture in the flesh. They smell fragrant and taste sweet.
The male fruit is relatively larger, but the color looks much darker. It tastes dry, hard and without moisture, and is also a bit bitter.
"Aunt, please wash it before eating." Yang Chunyan picked up the bamboo basket and walked towards the well.
There was some dirt on the surface of the wild sweet potatoes. Yang Chunyan washed them several times before putting them into a colander to filter the water. "Okay, take what you want to eat."
Zhou Xiaoqian picked up a wild sweet potato and slowly peeled it, stuffing half into Zhou Jiakang's mouth and the other half into her own mouth. "So sweet, better than plums!"
Zhou Jiaming picked up a wild sweet potato and said, "You guys are still peeling it, watch me."
As he spoke, he tore a little off the skin of the wild sweet potato, put it to his mouth, took a deep sip, and all the flesh went into his mouth.
Zhou Huaian was awakened by the chirping noises of several little creatures. He saw several people eating wild sweet potatoes and said, "Jia Ming, catch some for Daddy."
Zhou Jiaming looked back at him, was stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter, "Look, Daddy's eyes are squinting and his mouth is arched like a pig after being stung by a bee."
Zhou Xiaoqian walked up to him holding a basket and said, "Dad, you are so ugly!"
Several children ran up to him with smiles on their faces, looking at him curiously, "Dad, are you in pain?"
Zhou Huaian threatened them, "I'll catch a nest of them and sting you guys to see if I can!"
"No!" The younger ones were so scared that they quickly shook their heads. Zhou Jiaming curiously asked what kind of wild bee stung him.
"Want to listen?" Zhou Huaian glanced at him, "Go get a bowl, peel the sweet potato and put it in it, and I'll tell you!"
Zhou Jiaming hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay!" Then he ran to the kitchen, got out a bowl, sat next to him and peeled the sweet potato for him.
Zhou Huaian took a wild sweet potato and put it in his mouth, then lay back and began to talk slowly, "There are several kinds of wild bees on the mountain..."
Several children gathered around him, listening with great interest as he talked about wild bees.
Father Zhou carried a bundle of branches into the yard. Seeing Zhou Huaian lying on a recliner enjoying the services of several children, he was furious. "You are so young, but you enjoy life better than me!"
Zhou Huaian was speechless, "..."You just don't like me?
"Grandpa, Dad was stung by a bee!"
When Zhou's father saw Zhou Huaian's expression, he was stunned for a moment and couldn't help laughing. Zhou Huairong and others who came in later laughed again when they saw his expression.
After they put the firewood in the backyard, Zhou's father walked to the door of the kitchen and asked, "Is the meal ready? I'm watching the wood at the foot of the mountain. I'll go there and carry the wood back after dinner."
"Okay, we'll set the table right away." Mother Zhou thought about it and asked again, "Have you brought all the wood down the mountain?"
"Yiding and Liangye helped get it down. Let's treat them to a meal one day."
"Yes!" Mother Zhou carried the steamer and walked towards the main room, "Jiaming, go call your mother and aunt back for dinner."
"Okay!" Zhou Jiaming stood up and ran to the backyard.
Yang Chunyan and Zhou's mother set the table for dinner, and Zhao Huifang and the other two also came back.
Father Zhou said to Zhou Huaian who was leaning on the recliner, "Youngest one, come and carry the wood too."
Zhou Huaian pointed at his squinting eyes, "Me too..." Seeing his father's face darken, he quickly changed his words, "I'll go after I eat."
Father Zhou looked at Zhao Huifang and the others and said, "You guys go help carry those sawed branches."
"Got it!"
After the adults had finished their meal, they went out together and walked towards the foot of the mountain in the south.
When she arrived at the foot of the mountain, Yang Chunyan saw that the bamboo shoots had already sprouted out, and she would be able to dig bamboo shoots to eat in a while.
After passing through the bamboo forest and reaching the foot of the mountain, I saw an old man sitting on a piece of wood smoking leaf tobacco.
Father Zhou stepped forward and said, "Old man, go back and eat."
"Yes, I'll carry a bundle of firewood back."
Father Zhou and Zhou Huairong put a small bundle of firewood on his shoulders. The old man turned around and saw Zhou Huaian, and he was very happy. "You went to steal honey again?"
"Yes!" Zhou Huaian said, touching his nose.
Zhou's father and several others helped the women put the firewood on their shoulders before they started carrying the wood.
One day, Zhou Ding and his son helped, and within a few days, they had chopped down all the wood needed for the four houses. Most of the wood they chopped down from the mountain was fir.
Most houses in rural areas are built from fir trees, which have straight textures, are resistant to corrosion and insects, and are good for making beams, floor slabs, purlins, doors, windows, and furniture, and are not easily deformed.
Zhou Daqing also took his father and sons to cut down some Chinese toon trees. Zhou's father planned to give each of his brothers one tree, because Chinese toon wood is also known as "evil-repelling wood" and he thought having this kind of wood at home would bring prosperity to the family and business.
After Yang Chunyan and others carried the branches back, they came to help carry the wood. The four sisters-in-law carried the wood back in groups of two.
When they passed by Zhou Dachun's house, Aunt Zhou looked at them and said, "Xiuxiang, your family has become rich, are you going to build a new house?"
Zhang Xiuxiang turned around and looked at her, "Auntie, I heard my mother and the old man discuss that we should prepare the wood first, and then we can borrow some money from grandpa and grandma to start the construction."
"Where would my family get the money to lend you? Why repair the house if we don't have money?" Aunt Zhou turned and went into the yard and closed the gate.
Zhang Xiuxiang looked back at Yang Chunyan and said, "This method is best used for people like this."
Yang Chunyan nodded, "Second sister-in-law is wise!"
The family worked until dark, using flashlights to carry all the wood back home and pile it in the backyard.
Father Zhou said to Zhou Huairong, "Boss, peel off the bark tomorrow, and go to the river to pick up some stones before it rains in the next two days to build the foundation."
Zhou Huairong nodded, "These tree barks can be peeled in two days at most. Then we can go to the youngest father's house and the eldest father's house to borrow the chicken bus to use."
"Yes, I'll borrow it when the time comes!"
"Old man," Zhou Huaijun said as he came out of the toilet, "Next month we can hire someone to measure the land for the house. After the corn is harvested, we can level the ground and find a place to dig a kiln and make bricks and tiles."
Zhou Huairong remembered that the abandoned brick kiln of the brigade was not far from the corn field. "Old man, I think we can talk to Secretary Xu and borrow the brick kiln of the brigade. It can save some labor if we pay a little money."
Father Zhou thought for a moment and nodded, "The day after tomorrow, when the youngest son goes to the city to sell corn, ask him to buy two bags of Da Chongjiu and two bottles of good wine. I'll go find Secretary Xu!"
(End of this chapter)
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