Chapter 74
"Is this place okay?"
Following Shi Xing's advice, everyone returned to the earthen-walled granary they had seen by the roadside at the beginning.
Zhou Ying led everyone inside, where pale yellow grass stems were scattered everywhere, roughly arranged into different piles according to their length.
Surrounding the haystacks of varying sizes, there were also some wooden machines and some half-finished straw mats.
Looking at the messy room, Zhou Ying explained somewhat embarrassedly, "The villagers are gathered here now, weaving straw mats from rushes. There's plenty of space here, so everything is piled up here."
"Juncus?" Liu Si poked his head out and asked curiously.
Zhou Ying pulled a handful of grass from the pile beside her and handed it to everyone: "When we used oil lamps before, this grass could be used as a wick, so that's what it's called."
The thin, straight grass cores were very resilient, indeed suitable for weaving. Shi Xing looked around; in his opinion, this place actually had more potential for transformation than the coal mine.
Shi Xing walked around the granary and looked at Zhou Ying: "The transportation here is more convenient, and it's right on the way to the nearby scenic spots. After the renovation, it will be more suitable for everyone to stay and visit along the way. The process of weaving straw mats can also be included as part of the experience for tourists."
Zhou Ying looked around at the messy surroundings and hesitated, "Isn't this too rough?" The earthen walls, the old wooden roof, and the materials piled up haphazardly for the convenience of production were far from the tidy environment she had imagined for a visit.
Seeing Zhou Ying's hesitation, Shi Xing continued, "I've looked into the tourist attractions near you. They're mostly natural scenery, and there aren't any similar handicraft sites, which makes them more unique. If you're worried about whether they can develop in the future, you can make some simple renovations now and invest more when they can attract more people."
At this point, Shi Xing couldn't help but gesture in mid-air.
"The area right at the entrance is well-lit and spacious, so it can be used specifically for drying rushes. Using a fence to create a boundary makes it look neater. You can also wrap the fence with woven straw mats to show visitors directly. The key element here is rush handicrafts."
"Before weaving, the rushes need to be soaked to soften them. You can dig a pool in a shady area behind the house specifically for soaking the rushes to soften them. However, you should build a fence around it for safety when visiting."
The group nodded in agreement. Shi Xing, supporting the wooden machines inside the room, continued, "Let's rearrange these straw mat weaving machines and place them in a well-lit area near the window. Let the best craftsmen demonstrate the weaving process. Later, we can reserve some simple mat surfaces so that tourists can participate in the weaving."
"We can also make some small straw mat semi-finished products or fan surfaces, leave them for tourists to finish and shape, and take them home directly. I think they would be popular."
Seeing that Shi Xing had explained the necessary changes in just a few words, Wang Mian couldn't help but exclaim, "Boss, you're amazing! How can you think of almost everything right away?"
Shi Xing smiled and looked at Zhou Ying: "This is just my general idea. I see that the rushes you are using are still in their original color. If we could dye the rushes in various colors before weaving, and then use different colors to arrange them during weaving, we could make more complex designs, and sales would be better. At that time, the dyeing process could also be made into a part that tourists can participate in."
Liu Si nodded: "If you could customize the colors yourself, I'm sure someone would be willing to buy it. It makes me want to try it myself."
Zhou Ying couldn't help but agree: "Then let's start now."
"Huh?" Shi Xing hesitated for a moment: "Now? Without blueprints, without sufficient preparation, we're just starting like this?"
Zhou Ying smiled and said, "I misunderstood before. It's impossible for a small place like ours to become a popular tourist attraction overnight. Like you said, it's more realistic to make some changes within our capabilities first, and then adjust as it develops."
Seeing Zhou Ying's determination to get things done, Shi Xing lowered his head and thought for a moment. Although time was short, it wasn't impossible.
Shi walked outside, from the wall at the entrance to the open space and then to the inside of the granary, imagining how to make the visitor's route more reasonable, and planned a detailed tour route according to the production process.
They talked about it as they walked, and after a discussion, they decided there were no problems.
"But what about the materials we need?" Yoda asked.
While it's relatively easy to come up with a simple solution, the manpower and materials required are not something that can be solved by a few people talking.
Zhou Ying smiled brightly: "That's easy."
He then made a phone call to someone, explaining in detail the materials needed. He also spoke briefly with a passerby in the village, asking him to go back and call for help.
Before long, people from the village began to arrive one after another.
Some people carried logs of varying lengths, while others carried saws and axes.
The old carpenter from the village, who used to work as a carpenter, was walking unsteadily and could no longer exert any strength, but he still specially brought his chalk line and plane.
A group of people gathered together, some standing and some squatting. The lively old lady took out freshly dried pumpkin seeds, and everyone got a share. Even Yoda and the others were enthusiastically given a handful.
After Zhou Ying explained the changes needed, everyone agreed. Without any further instructions, they quickly divided up their tasks.
After Zhou Ying finished speaking, she kept glancing towards the main entrance. Yoda followed her gaze and saw a familiar figure appear hastily.
Zhou Liu, carrying a large pile of tools, panted, "Luckily, I have everything I need, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to find anyone else so quickly."
Zhou Ying took some of the money to lighten Zhou Liu's burden: "Otherwise, I would ask you for help because I know only you can do it."
"Hey, it's not that amazing." Zhou Liu's cheeks, which were already flushed from running, turned even redder. He stammered, "Besides, I'm from the village too, so of course I have to lend a hand."
After Zhou Ying distributed the tools, Zhou Liu's gaze remained fixed on her. Yoda walked up to Zhou Liu and coldly asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Ah!" Zhou Liu was startled, only then noticing that there were other people around. He wasn't surprised to see Yoda. After all, he had known all along that Zhou Ying wanted to do something.
"Well, what's wrong with me going back to my hometown?" After saying that, Zhou Liu felt more and more justified and stood up to look at Yoda.
Yoda's suspicious gaze swept up and down. Zhou Liu had been so heartbroken before, and he had avoided talking about anything related to Zhou Ying. Now he had quietly returned. Judging from the way the two of them acted, they were so natural and familiar with each other. It must have been more than just a day or two.
Zhou Liu broke out in a cold sweat under Yoda's gaze, and forced himself to say, "What?" Before Yoda could press him further, he was interrupted by a strong, resonant voice.
"Alright, everything's ready, let's get started!" Zhou Ying shouted, and everyone got to work.
Caught up in the lively atmosphere, Liu Si and the others rolled up their sleeves, ready to join in. Seeing this, Yoda knew that getting down to business was more important, so he stopped looking at Zhou Liu and turned to help as well.
"Whoosh." Zhou Liu breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he wanted to hide it from Yoda, but he hadn't figured out the situation yet.
With people and tools, the rest became much simpler. Things that needed moving were moved, areas that needed cleaning were cleaned, and everyone chatted and laughed; it didn't feel like work, but more like a leisurely stroll.
Amidst laughter and conversation, a square-faced man, standing on a piece of wood, prepared to use a plane to smooth the surface for a fence, and then suddenly lunged forward.
Tsk, the wood isn't even cracked on the surface.
Upon closer inspection, the blades inside the plane were covered with layers of rust. How could this be used?
"Uncle Jiu, your plane is no good, the blade is all rusted."
The old man who had been sitting to the side watching everyone work suddenly stood up and said, "How could it not work? I used it perfectly fine last time. You're blaming my equipment for not having the strength."
The square-faced man frowned: "When was the last time?" In his memory, Uncle Jiu always walked unsteadily; how could he possibly use this?
The old man smacked his lips, lost in memories. After a long while, he slowly said, "It seems to be when I was making a large slab for your grandfather."
"My goodness, when did this happen?" the square-faced man exclaimed in surprise. The people around them, who had been listening to the conversation, burst into laughter.
Seeing that Yoda and the others didn't quite understand, Zhou Ying explained, "A big board is a coffin." Yoda and Shi Xing exchanged a glance: Was it impolite to just laugh along like that?
Suddenly, the square-faced man remembered something, picked up the ink line that Uncle Jiu had brought, and pulled it. Sure enough, all the ink was gone. He looked up at Uncle Jiu and said, "This ink line is useless now."
Uncle Jiu stepped forward in a fit of anger: "Who's useless? If it weren't for Yingzi's sake and for the sake of the village's affairs, I wouldn't have been willing to let you waste this."
His steps were unsteady and shaky, making everyone's hearts tremble as they stared at the square-faced man. An old woman nearby, who was tidying up rushes, quickly advised, "Zhou Ping, speak properly."
Zhou Ping shrank back. His Ninth Uncle was old; if he really angered him, the whole village would spit on him. Besides, it was his Ninth Uncle who gave him his name, so he had no choice but to back down.
"It works, it works! I'll continue using it right away."
He lowered his head and couldn't help but mutter, "Using something meant for making large boards like this is not very auspicious."
The old lady next to me, who was standing close by, heard this and laughed: "When you were little, you never thought it was unlucky. When your grandfather's big wooden board was finished, you insisted on going in and lying down. You couldn't be pulled out, and you insisted that it was cool inside."
Zhou Ping blushed. He was so old, yet people were still bringing up his childhood; he couldn't help but feel embarrassed and annoyed. But those around him had either watched him grow up or grown up with him, so he didn't dare say much, only muttering a rebuttal: "No way."
The old woman laughed and scolded loudly, "You almost got beaten up for this, and you had to cling to my leg to escape." Although the old woman only reached Zhou Ping's chest, her imposing manner was much stronger than Zhou Ping's, which made the tall man shrink smaller and smaller, and he continued to work feeling wronged.
Everyone around burst into laughter. Yoda and Shixing were infected by the cheerful atmosphere and couldn't help but laugh along as well.
With everyone working together, it was almost done in no time.
The house is still the same house, and the things are still the same things, but after being put away, it looks like it's taking shape.
Zhou Ying walked over and said to Yoda, "Come on, come on, we've been through so much, it's time to go eat."
Liu Si was a little taken aback; everyone was talking and working, and time flew by. Now that this was suddenly mentioned, she realized she was a bit hungry.
Zhou Ying led everyone to the village square, where a bonfire was burning brightly in the middle. A chef stood with his hands on his hips in front of the stove, tossing a wok, surrounded by square tables and chairs.
Zhou Ying arranged for Yoda and the others to sit at the dining table that had been prepared in advance at the very back, and said with a smile, "These are pigs fed with pigweed mixed with cornmeal. The meat is very different from that of pigs fed with feed. You should try it."
The table was laden with three plates and four bowls, and more people were bringing dishes to serve. The old woman who had been stuffing pumpkin seeds earlier was now carrying a large round platter, beckoning to Yoda: "Eat up, eat up, there's plenty for you."
After all that fuss, everyone was starving. Each bowl in front of them smelled delicious and was very generously portioned. At first, everyone was still somewhat reserved, but after the first bite, everyone's eyes lit up: Delicious!
Liu Si picked up a small piece of sausage that was arranged on a plate. Unlike the sausages she had eaten before, this one looked pink and chewy in the middle. She asked curiously, "What's inside this?"
Zhou Ying said, "This is the small intestine, the part where the large and small intestines connect. There aren't many in a pig, so they're all here."
"What kind of filling is inside?" Liu Si couldn't help but ask.
Zhou Ying answered honestly, "No, it's like this when it's taken out, exactly as it is."
"Huh?" Liu Si was shocked. This was pig intestines, the original flavor, wasn't it?
For a moment, I didn't know where to put the chopsticks holding the sausage.
From the moment he sat down, Wang Mian kept glancing at the master chef on the stove, who was wielding the large iron wok, which was half a person's width wide, with great skill. Only when the chef finished cooking and went to rest did Wang Mian turn his head away, still feeling unsatisfied.
Just then, I saw Liu Si pick up a piece of meat, place it beside her, and subconsciously take it and eat a few bites. After finishing, she reminisced, "This sausage is quite chewy. What's wrapped in the middle?"
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