Chapter 509: Lively Under the Locust Tree
509 The Bustle Under the Poplar and Sophora Tree
Yike and Zhong Qixin strolled slowly along a country road filled with the fragrance of soil and green grass. The wheat seedlings and rapeseed on the roadside made cheerful rustling sounds, and the croaking of frogs and chirping of insects in the fields rose and fell, interweaving into a beautiful symphony.
It was not yet dark, but the moon had already eagerly pushed aside the clouds to reveal its bright white face. The old people and children in the village, holding short stools and fanning themselves with half-worn cattail leaves, came in groups of three or four to enjoy the cool air under the old locust tree, chatting idly among themselves, while the children played happily.
In the past, adults would definitely yell at them and not allow them to play, and would only allow them to sit or lie down quietly. They would put a straw mat on the ground, and the children would sleep on it, looking at the sky and counting the stars out of boredom. If the adults don't let the children play, the children themselves won't be able to play either, because they are hungry and they usually don't have a full dinner.
Now, since Li Haoran became the team leader and borrowed food from the Xingfu Xingnong Company, they have enough to eat every day, and they no longer lie still in the evening to enjoy the cool air. Instead, they show their playful nature as children.
Yike and Zhong Qixin took a walk under the Yanghuai tree and saw this scene:
The women gathered together, talking about something happy, and occasionally burst into laughter; the old people waved their old palm-leaf fans, and occasionally fanned their grandchildren who could not walk yet; the young girls gathered together with needles and thread, knitting insoles stitch by stitch; the half-grown boys were playing the shuttle game there. (The shuttle here is made of a small wooden stick the size of an egg, with both ends sharpened. Find a small wooden board about a foot long and five inches wide, and make it look like a table tennis racket. This is the shuttle board. The rules of playing are: first draw a circle on the ground, the size is optional, put the shuttle in the circle, hit the shuttle with the shuttle board, and at the moment the shuttle jumps up, aim at it and hit it hard. After hitting it, the opponent picks up the shuttle and throws it into the circle. This is called collecting the shuttle. If the opponent does not throw it into the circle, the opponent can continue to hit the shuttle. Each time, both parties must record the straight line data from the place where the shuttle falls to the circle. In the end, whoever fills the pre-determined data first wins. The loser must learn to bark like a dog or a frog, squatting and jumping and barking from the circle to the place where the shuttle falls, and then jumping and barking back to the circle.)
The girls played a game of catching stones. (Grab the stones. Two or three people can play. And the tools are free. Just pick up five small stones from the ground and start playing. Hold five stones in your palm and throw them all on the ground. Then pick up one and throw it into the air. Then immediately grab a stone on the ground and quickly catch the stone thrown into the air. It should be noted that when grabbing the stone on the ground, you cannot touch other stones on the ground. Repeat this operation until all the stones on the ground are picked up. If you fail to catch the stone thrown into the air while picking up the stones on the ground, you lose.)
The children who were not playing the game gathered around those who were playing to watch the fun, and cheered for the winners from time to time.
Yike and Zhong Qixin walked over. The adults under the locust tree greeted them warmly. A young girl generously handed a stool to Yike and his daughter to sit on.
After Zhong Qixin sat down, she started chatting animatedly with the women. There was no sense of strangeness at all. Moreover, Zhong Qixin understood and could chat about the rural work they were talking about. The women were all very surprised. How could someone from a big city know how to do farm work? Zhong Qixin talked about how she helped the people with farm work when she was in the army before liberation. All of a sudden, everyone admired Zhong Qixin.
Yike was originally discussing with the girls how to embroider insoles. Yike drew it on the ground with the tree, and some girls immediately started weaving according to the pattern.
When the child finished his round of games, he ran over and asked Yi Ke to teach him how to sing.
Yi Ke did not refuse. Seeing his mother chatting animatedly with the women, he called the child over to the other side and taught him to sing.
Yike went to teach the children to sing. The girls who were making insoles stopped making insoles and gathered around to watch the children sing.
"Come on, let's just sing "Two Tigers" and see if you have forgotten it." Yi Ke directed everyone to line up and sing and perform at the same time.
Two tigers, two tigers, running fast, running fast, one has no eyes, one has no tail, how strange, how strange.
The children's lively, vivid and interesting movements were performed under the locust tree along with the singing. The clear singing spread in all directions, making those who were talking and chatting stop talking, and their eyes all turned to the children.
Snap, snap, snap…
Yi Ke applauded and praised: "You sang really beautifully and performed really well."
"Yeah, sister Yike said we sang well."
"Wow, the Ichiko group praised me."
…
The children chattered and danced with joy.
"Sister Yike, what are you going to teach us to sing today? Is it nice?" Hu Zi shouted happily and then ran over to ask Yike.
All the children fell silent and looked at Yike with sparkling eyes.
Yi Ke asked: "Do you know how to play the handkerchief game?"
"No." The children all answered in unison. Yi Ke continued, "Then let's sing 'Drop the Handkerchief' today. Let's learn the lyrics first, then learn to sing, and finally play games, okay?"
"Okay, okay."
“Singing and playing games, yeah!”
The children cheered.
First, let the children spread out a little bit; it’s too hot when they’re crowded together.
Let me teach you the lyrics first:
Throw, throw, throw the handkerchief, and put it gently behind the child. Don't tell him, catch him quickly, catch him quickly, catch him quickly.
The children had a strong ability to learn new things. They quickly memorized the lyrics and learned to sing. Then we asked them to squat in a circle and play the handkerchief dropping game.
First, tell them the rules of throwing the handkerchief:
One can take out his handkerchief and let a child walk outside the circle holding the handkerchief. The children will sing the song "Drop the Handkerchief" together. The person who drops the handkerchief should unknowingly drop it behind one of the people during the singing. The person to whom the handkerchief is dropped should quickly find the handkerchief behind him, then quickly get up and chase the person who dropped the handkerchief. The person who drops the handkerchief runs along the circle and sits down at his own position. If he is caught, he has to perform a show, such as singing, dancing, etc.
After doing it a few times, the children understood how to play the game, and Yi Ke just sat beside them and watched them play.
It was getting dark, and the people under the locust trees were holding stools and shouting at their children to go back home. Yike and his mother Zhong Qixin also said goodbye to everyone and walked slowly back home.
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