Yipin Farmer

The warm autumn sun is shining in the yard of the farmhouse. Several cows are resting or lying down or standing on the grass, and large pear trees are showing golden fruits in the rich green.The Sweet Water River winds its way, with green meadows full of wildflowers and clusters of willows on both banks, where children play and play in the river.

Ting Zhi and Shen Qinshu walked slowly by the river.

"I like walking by the river the most, listening to the singing of birds and smelling the fragrance of flowers, and sometimes I can pick up wild duck eggs. When I am bored, I can forget all my troubles by walking around here."

"Hmm." Shen Qinshu asked: "Do you also have troubles? I think you are heartless."

Ting Zhi pinched him.

"I'm optimistic about facing all difficulties, you don't understand." Ting Zhi pulled him into the river, "Go step on the mussels."

"Stepping on mussels?" Shen Qinshu found it very novel.

"You follow me." Tingzhi took off her shoes and socks, went to the river barefoot, and beckoned to him, "Come down."

"No." Shen Qinshu refused, it was so dirty, what if he was bitten by a snake?

Ting Zhi ignored him, and stepped on the river with her trousers legs up. The river was very wide, more like a small pond, and she splashed water on the people on the bank while stepping on it.Shen Qinshu picked up small stones on the ground and fought back.

"Oh..." Ting Zhi yelled, Shen Qinshu thought he had been hit by a stone, but saw him bent down, lifted a round clam from the river, and dangled it in his hand.

Shen Qinshu's heart started to itch, and he took off his shoes and socks like him, and went down the river with his trousers legs up. There was soft mud under his feet, and small fish and shrimps swam gently between his legs, which was very itchy.

Stepping on a round object under his feet, Shen Qinshu bent down in surprise, it turned out to be a river clam the size of a washbasin.There are circles of dense patterns on the shell, which are dark black.

"Ah... really..." Shen Qinshu said happily, but he couldn't say it well. It turned out that this was stepping on river mussels. He had never played it when he grew up. No wonder Tao Youjun resigned from office and went back to the countryside. Drilling is even more memorable.

Tingzhi yelled again: "Hey, I bumped into a round thing."

This round thing is not a river clam, but a little turtle. It was frightened, and it shrank its head into its shell and refused to come out.Shen Qinshu took the little turtle to tease it.

"Today I'll make mussel soup for you." Ting Zhi happily carried the mussel home.Qin Shu followed behind him, and Lai Fu saw the young master's bare feet and wet corners as if he was crossing the river, his face turned pale with fright, and begged: "Please, young master, don't worry about it, be careful to catch a cold, in case you There is a good or bad, the little one can't live."

Ting Zhi laughed at him: "Don't be too nervous. My elder brother said that Qin Shu's health is getting worse because he is too delicate. You should get more sun exposure and go out for a walk, so that your health will get better."

As Ting Zhi said, she carried the mussel to the kitchen. After splitting it, the meat was red and thick.It is very simple to cook mussels in the countryside. First cut the mussels, stir-fry them in hot oil, add ginger rice wine, then add tofu, and stew until the tofu has holes.

Qin Shu regarded eating as a burden since he was a child. This is the first time he is looking forward to eating. Seeing Tingzhi busy in the kitchen, he also helps peel two garlics. After a while, the clam soup is cooked, white as milk, Then sprinkle minced garlic and pepper, put it in a basin and serve it on the table. Qinshu is the first to put down the chopsticks, eat a mouthful of clam meat tofu and drink soup. It is thick, fresh and slightly spicy, which cannot be described in words.After eating it hot, the stomach feels very comfortable and the whole body feels comfortable.There are also dandelion scrambled eggs, chrysanthemum and chrysanthemum vegetables. During the season when the crops are green and yellow, the farmers eat more wild vegetables. The skillful housewives insist on making delicious food for both humans and animals. The Meng family makes wild vegetables because they are willing to put oil and meat. It's even more unique.Qin Shu had never eaten anything like this, and it was the first time he ate a whole bowl of rice. Lai Fu looked at him worriedly, fearing that he would accumulate food, and dragged him around the yard.

Qin Shu accidentally discovered a small corner of the vegetable garden, surrounded by some small moving things with shells on their backs.

"what is this?"

"It's a grass snail." Ting Zhi threw a vegetable inside and watched the snails eating with interest, "The soft and tender thing you ate that time was a snail."

"Ah..." Qin Shu was speechless in shock, can this kind of food be eaten?Well, the taste is okay, indescribably soft and smooth.

Ting Zhi saw the family hen squatting in the chicken coop and beat it violently with a stick.

"Why are you beating the hen while it's sleeping?" Qin Shu asked.

"The hen is cuddling, and it won't lay eggs once it cuddles." Ting Zhi drove the hen out of the nest with a stick, but just after driving it out, it came back clucking.Ting Zhi watched Ting Shuang sleeping under the tree for fear of disturbing him, so she had to let the hen go back to the nest, take out the eggs and pick them, shine them on the sun once, pick out the eggs with shadows, and put them back in the nest. Lie on the ground, An Sheng.

Watching him do all this, Qin Shu found it more and more interesting.

The afternoon sun shines on people, lazy, Ting Shuang lay on the bamboo chair under the pear tree after lunch, drooling in sleep, being clucked by the hens, he also woke up, and Xixi was shaking with something in her mouth. He ran over with his tail to offer treasures.

Xixi Chengcheng was trained to pick things up, and he also likes to pick up things randomly. Ting Shuang was very happy when he had a hare in his mouth. He fried the rabbit and rewarded the two meritorious ministers with meat and bones. He just picks things up, took the mouse to claim credit a few times, and was scolded by Ting Shuang, but they still like to pick things up.

Ting Shuang was stunned when she saw what Xixi was holding.

"Oh, will it be ginseng?" Ting Shuang excitedly snatched the thing from Xixi's mouth. It was a thick root with fibrous roots, it looked like ginseng no matter how you looked at it.

Just in time, Shenjian Zhang came to see it, and said with a smile: "Have you ever seen a ginseng growing in a vegetable field? I really want to make money and am fascinated."

Reluctantly, Ting Shuang leaned over to smell it, and it really smelled like radish, and she tried to justify: "As the saying goes, October radishes are better than ginseng."

It’s really depressing. Others go through it, and they have everything they want in the mountains. It’s more complete than that in the World Museum of Natural History. However, the place where he wears, there are many things on the mountain, but the variety is not complete. There are no leopards, golden monkeys, and panda cranes. The tiger only saw one or two, and the most annoying thing was that there was no ginseng, and he didn't have the important medicinal material - ephedra, so he had to go to other places to buy a species and try to plant it in his own field to see if it could be planted on a large scale.

Ting Shuang rubbed his sleepy eyes, and depressedly took a bite of the radish he regarded as ginseng.

Shenjian Zhang came to discuss the matter of taking Qinshu up the mountain. Tingshuang’s principles for health preservation are: eat more, sleep more, exercise more, moderate diet, sunshine, air, so he has been trying to make Qinshu move more, so that he can eat more He can only be strong if he can eat well, so he ignored Laifu's objection and decided to take the piano book for a walk up the mountain.

There are Baoqi, Laifu, and Tingzhi who are going up the mountain, ready to carry him when they are tired of the piano and books. In addition to humans, Huanhuan is also carrying a big bag, squatting empty on Tingshuang's shoulders, and Xixicheng is leading the way. , A group of human and animal teams marched forward to the mountain.

In early summer, the green hills are full of verdant eyes, and the mountain birds are singing softly on the branches. The fragrance of flowers and trees blows along the mountain wind. The wild flowers attract bees and butterflies to fly around.Xixi and Chengcheng opened the way ahead, and rushed over when they smelled the smell of pheasants and hares, and there were bursts of panic calls from the bushes.

The beautiful pheasant flew up in shock, and its gorgeous feathers shone golden in the sun. Qinshu saw that Baoqi and the others were carrying bows and arrows but did not intend to shoot them. He asked curiously, "Aren't we here to hunt?"

Zhang Daquan told him: "Spring and summer are the seasons for courtship and breeding of birds and beasts. Generally, hunting is not at this time. Hunting is usually in autumn and winter. The fur of wild animals is the best, and the meat is also thick. If you have to hunt, you should hunt big or small. , beat the male but not the female."

Qin Shu nodded in conviction. This is what Mencius said, "The ax enters the forest with time", the most primitive way for ordinary people to protect the ecological balance.

"Look quickly." Ting Zhi pointed to the mountain ridge in front of her. The hillside was almost a sea of ​​flowers, red and pink mixed with a little yellow and white flowers in clusters, and the flowers were like a gorgeous blanket.

"This is rhododendron, also called azalea."

He could hardly breathe after reading the piano book, he had seen rhododendrons before, there were a few in the garden of Shen's mansion, they were taken care of by the gardener, and they bloomed very well every year, but they bloomed all over the mountains like this.

"Looking back, the peaches and plums are colorless, but the hibiscus is not a flower when it is reflected." Qin Shu recited a poem by Bai Juyi, "No wonder the azalea is known as the best flower among flowers. I didn't think it was any good before, but looking at the mountains, I can see it. Knowing that this statement is true, the eyes are full of flowers, the beauty is indescribable."

Ting Shuang suddenly thought of a modern word "scale effect". What's so good about planting one or two rhododendrons in the garden, but if it forms a large scale and blooms a mountain, the beauty is absolutely shocking.It's a pity that there is no camera to take pictures as a souvenir. The modern environment is seriously damaged, and there are very few flowers that bloom on the entire mountain. I have read an article by Wang Zengqi about the peonies that bloomed on the entire mountain. He absolutely can't imagine the scenery. Look at it If you don't go to Shaoyao Mountain, it's not bad to see Rhododendron Mountain.

The group was tired from walking, so they chose a good place to watch the rhododendron mountain scenery to rest. The mountain wind blows, sending bursts of flowers, and the little monkey climbs up the tree to pick the fruit. The wild fruit in the mountain is sweet and delicious. , take a bite, a refreshing coolness.

Seeing Tingzhi eating unknown wild fruits, Qin Shu worried: "Be careful, it's poisonous."

Ting Zhi pointed at Kong Kong and smiled: "It's the fruit it picked, it's fine."

Zhang Daquan also said with a smile: "The wild animals in the mountains are spirited, and they will not eat poisonous things. Wild boars can eat poisons, and their stomachs can detoxify all poisons, so they cannot die."

Ting Shuang also said: "That's right, any fruit that has insect eyes or has been picked up by birds is absolutely fine. There are animal hoof marks where the mushrooms grow, and these mushrooms are not poisonous. This is the law of natural survival. Only humans will be stupid." Can't distinguish poisonous mushrooms and poisonous fruits."

Bao Qi joked: "It's like someone confused about ginseng and radish."

Ting Shuang pinched him hard and dragged him to the stream to fish for fish, and they split up to find food.

Qinshu and Laifu sat under the tree and waited. The tall and straight old fir tree stretched out its branches like a big tent. People sitting under the tree seemed to be in the forest.

There are a lot of small fish in the river, most of them don’t grow big, but the taste is very delicious, because the small fish eat the moss on the stone, there is no earthy smell, no oil is put in the pot, only the fish’s own oil is cooked slowly over a low heat. Fry slowly, and after a while, the sound and aroma of "zizi" will come out. When the small fish is fried until golden on both sides, stir-fry with the toon sprouts collected in spring. The locals call the toon sprouts spring, so this dish is called spring fried small fish. .

Qin Shu couldn't help but tasted one first, and suddenly felt that the taste should only be found in the sky, and it tasted different from other fish.

Baoqi killed two wild rabbits. It is very simple to cook and eat in the wild. The rabbits are dehaired and internally roasted, but the pine and cypress branches are used. The aroma of the roast meat is mixed with rosin, which is different.

Tingzhi cooks fire-roasted ground pork. The ground pig is a hedgehog, which looks like a baby pig after peeling, so it is called ground pig. It is put on the mud paste and burned in the fire ash. After it is cooked, the mud and skin are peeled off and torn by hand. Eat with soy sauce.

What Zhang Daquan cooks is fried bee pupae with wild leeks. Its nest is built on a tall tree in the forest, and it looks like a big gourd from a distance, so it is also called gourd bee. It looks scary, but it can't help the experienced old hunter. Zhang Daquan drove the bees away with fire, put the gourd back in a cloth bag, took out the bee kidneys and fried leeks, the taste was indescribable.

Qin Shu didn't dare to eat it, Ting Shuang encouraged him: "This food is very nourishing. Eating it is good for your health. It is known as the ginseng in the sky. The local people also eat it as lettuce with bee pupa sauce. It is very fragrant."

This court cream is not fooling anyone. Bee pupae can indeed be used as a nutritional health product. The content of vitamin A exceeds that of beef, vitamin D exceeds that of cod liver oil, and there are many trace elements and enzymes that are beneficial to the body.

Qin Shu took a bite with his eyes closed, and then kept his chopsticks, until Ting Shuang ordered them to stop, and then reluctantly stopped.In addition to a few meat dishes, there are also some unknown wild vegetables washed and eaten with marinated sauce, such as fish sauce, shrimp sauce, and soy sauce. They are all different when eaten with marinated meat. The combination of meat and vegetables will whet your appetite.

Ting Shuang tempted him: "There are new things to eat at night, so keep your stomach."

Qin Shu swallowed and looked forward to dinner.In addition to the novel and delicious food, there is also this restaurant that is hard to buy. Looking at the cuckoos all over the mountain, smelling the fragrance, and enjoying the breeze and birdsong, this kind of artistic conception cannot be enjoyed in a restaurant.

Qinshu's life in Sanhua Village is very comfortable, unexpectedly, his body is getting stronger gradually. Before walking a few steps, it was difficult, but now he can walk freely without being followed. He used to eat like a chicken, but now he is in a good mood With more food and novel food, he can eat a bowl of rice in one meal, and take a walk for half an hour every morning and evening according to Ting Shuang's request. Ting Zhi accompanied him, discussing poems while watching the scenery, enjoying himself.

Ting Shuang will not let them be happy, because this year is the year of the township examination every three years, usually in August, so it is called "Qiuwei". Qualifications, and then the palace examination, the emperor himself presided over the examination, and those who passed the examination were called Jinshi, which was the most coveted rank of advancement for ancient intellectuals.Although the imperial examination system had many drawbacks and was criticized at that time and later generations, it has always adhered to the principle of "free registration, unified examination, equal competition, and merit-based admission" to break the hereditary monopoly. It is much more advanced than the Jiupin Zhongzheng System of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.Doesn’t the modern college entrance examination also follow the four principles of the ancient imperial examination system?Compared with the red five-category recommendation system during the Cultural Revolution, it can inspire people's self-motivation.

The ancient scientific examinations were much more difficult than the modern college entrance examinations. Only [-] Jinshi were admitted in the general examination every three years, and only one champion was awarded every three years.Lianzhong Sanyuan is a well-known story in the imperial court. Only two people can do it in the entire Ming Dynasty, which shows the difficulty.

Ting Shuang understands Tingzhi's ideal, which is to ascend the imperial court to pay homage to the chancellor, to pray for the living people, and to bring peace to all generations, but he doesn't know what his level is. The test scores are very good, and he is a high-achieving student in the eyes of the teacher, and a high-performance potential stock in the eyes of old man Meng.

He showed Qi Chongyu the Tingzhi papers and asked him for advice. Qi Chongyu said that if Tingzhi performed normally in the examination room, he could still win the exam, and the ranking is hard to say.Ting Shuang is a little nervous, what if Ting Zhi does not perform normally?He didn't know what the ancient examination room was like, but the modern college entrance examination really made him sad, because he didn't perform well so he didn't pass the exam.

"Please, stop playing, you two. There are still a few months until Qiu Wei, and there are really not a few days left." Ting Shuang took the two guys who were playing by the stream home and urged them to study. Then they pasted a large white paper on the wall of the room where the two lived, and wrote in big characters: "There are still XX days before the big exam."

Every morning, he would change the number of days, and the eye-catching big characters made the whole family tense up. He didn't dare to speak loudly, for fear of disturbing them, and the villagers consciously didn't visit the house to chat.