Siheyuan: Walking the Path of Qin Huairu

The last two times she came to Shawang Village, it was winter, the weather was cold, the wind was strong at the beach, and she was with her child, so it was not very convenient. Therefore, Xu Huizhen did not go to the beach to take a look.

This time, Xu Huizhen decided to stay here for a day or two to see the sea of ​​this era. Going to the sea, having a seafood feast, etc., could all be arranged.

It was 2:30 in the afternoon when they arrived at Shawang Village. Village Chief Feng called Xu Huizhen to the inner room and told her that they had to avoid the children when they were buying and selling seafood. He was afraid that the children were too young to keep their mouths shut and go out and talk nonsense.

Village Chief Feng asked eagerly, "Huizhen, what do you want to order this time? The most abundant fish in this season is mackerel."

Xu Huizhen said: "Village head, our tavern is now a joint venture between the public and private sectors, and there is a large canteen next door. I am the private manager, and the canteen needs kelp, dried fish, dried shrimp and other dried seafood all year round. As for other fresh seafood, I will take whatever is available, I am not picky."

Xu Huizhen brought 1000 kilograms of corn and 1000 kilograms of sorghum with her this time. Where did these grains come from? It was explained in the original plot. You don't need food coupons to buy food in the cafeteria.

It turned out that Xu Huizhen's brother was in charge of a wine-making workshop, and the wine that Cai Quanwu often brought in, such as Shaoguozi and Niulanshan Erguotou, were all imported from there.

Winemaking naturally requires grain, so wineries import grain from the Northeast all year round. For every kilogram of wine, 4 to 5 kilograms of grain are needed. There is a lot to be done here.

So no matter how strict the planned economy is, there are always loopholes. This is called "there are policies from above and countermeasures from below". In the original plot, Xu Huizhen and Cai Quanwu traded grain. Including Qiangzi, who was once caught for trading grain and his tricycle was confiscated, which was a small punishment and a big warning.

Besides, it is now 1956, the three-year difficult period has not yet arrived, the food gap is not that big, and the control is relatively loose.

Village chief Feng was very happy to hear that there was food. Now was the lean season and everyone was short of food. The two of them talked to each other and agreed on the price.

Xu Huizhen saw that it was still early for dinner, and she couldn't help yearning for the sea, so she suggested going to the beach to take a look. The village chief asked her daughter Feng Hui to accompany her.

Feng Hui has two older brothers, Dashuan and Ershuan, both of whom went to school. There was no school in Shawang Village, and going to school was very inconvenient because they had to go to the next village, which was four miles away. Therefore, many girls like Feng Hui, who were past school age, did not go to school, but helped with housework at home.

Xu Huizhen picked up a backpack. Feng Hui asked, "Cousin, what are you doing with the backpack?"

"Go to the beach! I want to see if I can pick up a conch from the coral reef or catch a prawn in the puddle?" Xu Huizhen had only been to the beach a few times in her two lives. At this moment, she was extremely excited.

Feng Hui smiled and said, "Hey! We have endless seafood in spring. We don't have to go to the sea to catch fish ourselves. The purchasing stations won't take in fish and shrimp that are too small. When the fishing boats come back in the evening, we have endless fish and shrimp. The very small ones are used to feed the chickens and ducks."

Xu Huizhen: "How can it be the same? Would it taste different if you caught it yourself and ate it?"

Feng Hui: "What's the difference? I've had enough. By the way, cousin, can I go to Sijiucheng to play when I grow up?"

Xu Huizhen: "Of course you can go now. But as a girl, you need an adult to accompany you, otherwise it's not safe to travel."

The two talked as they walked. From a distance, they could smell the salty smell in the air. The vast sea appeared in their sight.

The azure blue water merges with the blue sky in the distant horizon, and the sea and the sky are the same color. Seagulls fly proudly in the sky, diving down to the sea and soaring into the sky like arrows.

Nature is like a beautiful painting, showing people its beauty and magnificence.

There were several children playing on the beach. They chased the receding sea water and were chased by the rising waves. Their joyful laughter and the sound of the waves mixed together and flowed in the air.

Xu Huizhen was mesmerized by the scenery. She shouted loudly: "Seagulls are flying, the sea is blue, and the waves are running onto the beach!" The old soul in her 50s instantly turned into a naive child. She ran and played on the beach like other children.

It should be high tide now. The sea water has two ebbs and flows every day. During high tide, the sea water surges with greater force. Shellfish hiding on the beach will be washed out by the impact of the sea water.

Feng Hui is twelve years old this year. In her eyes, Xu Huizhen is a mature and steady adult. Seeing Xu Huizhen's crazy look, she didn't understand why her cousin suddenly changed so much.

She carried her backpack and went to the rocky beach to catch fish. After the excitement wore off, Xu Huizhen turned her attention to Feng Hui.

When it comes to catching oysters, Xu Hui really has no experience, not even as good as a child like Feng Hui. She walked over and saw that the reef was densely covered with oysters, but these things grew on the reef and could not be pried off without tools.

The aggressive little crabs were scurrying around in the reefs, and they were not slow to climb. The snails were in nests, and you could just pick them up with your hands. There were also a lot of seaweed and sea vegetables stranded on the beach, but Xu Hui really didn't know if they were edible. Of all the sea vegetables, she only knew kelp and laver.

Xu Huizhen secretly sighed that the sea resources in this era are really rich. People in later generations like to eat seafood, and they have eaten the sea to the point of exhaustion. In order to satisfy their appetite, they have to breed them artificially. Where can there be so many wild marine animals on the beach? Occasionally, you can catch one, but it is all fish roe and shrimp grandchildren, not yet grown up.

In the backpack, Feng Hui had already picked up a lot of oysters, crabs, and conches, all of which were large.

She asked curiously, "Feng Hui, you didn't bring any tools, how did you pry the oysters out?"

Feng Hui explained: "There are two types of oysters. One type grows on reefs. The other type is called rolling oysters, which are not attached to the reefs but roll with the water. The ones I picked up were rolling oysters."

Xu Huizhen almost drooled when she saw the oysters. She said, "I'll make oyster and tofu soup tonight. The taste will make your tongue drop."

Feng Hui: "Ah? I picked it up and planned to feed it to the chickens. My mother said that if you crush the oyster shells and feed them to the chickens, they will lay eggs."

Xu Huizhen: “…” I’m speechless. The two of them are never on the same channel. Isn’t it infuriating?

How come the two people's focus is so different? Can they still have fun together? Scarcity makes things valuable. People inland cannot eat seafood so they cherish it. I guess those who live by the sea are tired of it and have already turned a blind eye to seafood.

Xu Huizhen then joined the group of people who went fishing in the sea. She followed Feng Hui's example and picked up the big shellfish from the puddles, leaving the small ones to grow a little. She understood the principle of not exhausting all resources.

She turned over a rock, and a big crab appeared in her sight with its claws and teeth bared. She wanted to reach out to grab it, but she was afraid of getting her hand pinched by the crab's legs, so she was at a loss for what to do.

Feng Hui was quick to grab the crab by its buttocks and caught it. The crab waved its big claws in the air and struggled desperately. Feng Hui explained: "Cousin, grab the crab here so it won't get caught."

Xu Huizhen nodded humbly. There is nothing wrong with learning if you don’t understand.

The children who were playing saw the two of them catching the sea cucumbers and came over to join in the fun. "Sister Xiaohui, what do you want? I'll help you catch it."

Feng Hui: "Anything is fine as long as it's delicious."

The children in the village were all simple, kind, and hospitable. But Xu Hui was embarrassed to exploit their labor. She took out a handful of candy from her pocket and gave each of them two pieces. She said, "Thank you for your help. This is a reward for you."

Encouraged by the candies, the little friends instantly turned into experts in chasing away the sea. Their movements were skillful and swift, leaving Xu Huizhen feeling inferior.

After a while, the backpack was full and it was heavy, Feng Hui couldn't carry it alone. Of course, Xu Hui really smuggled some into the space.

If you have space you'd be a fool not to use it.