Chapter 313 "Farewell My Concubine"

Liu Zhiye was scolded by his aunt, but he did not take it as an offense.

He just smiled, put on his waders, wore a bamboo hat, and held a bamboo basket in his hand. Then he walked away, his figure gradually fading away in the morning light.

Behind him, his aunt and uncle exchanged glances, revealing the same deep worry.

"Perhaps, we should ask father to check Zhiye again." The eldest aunt whispered, revealing deep worry between her brows, "I always feel that Zhiye seems to be not fully recovered yet, and he looks a little listless..."

The uncle frowned and said in a deep voice, "Do you need to tell me that? The old man is more anxious than any of us. I have seen him get up in the middle of the night several times to check the pulse of Zhiyezhen who was sleeping soundly."

"I guess his problem is not physical, but mentally damaged. Haven't you noticed that the prescriptions that the old man has been brewing recently are all for nourishing the mind?"

The aunt was even more worried when she heard this. Physical illnesses can be cured, but mental problems are the most difficult to deal with. She couldn't help but mutter to herself: "What should I do? God bless me, please don't let anything happen..."

The uncle pondered for a moment and ordered in a deep voice: "Go tell the people in the village not to disturb him recently. Let him have a quiet space."

"Oh! I got it!" replied the aunt.

Liu Zhiye came to the river leisurely, and the clear water came into view. The summer heat made him take off his clothes without hesitation and dive into the cool river water.

He has been familiar with this area of ​​water since he was a child and has developed good swimming skills.

When he was a child, Liu Zhiye was very naughty. He dared to play anything, such as climbing up the roof to remove tiles and going to the river to catch fish. Of course, it was quite dangerous if we look at it now.

Take wild swimming for example!
One is that swimming in the city’s swimming pools costs money, and the other is that the swimming pools are too small. It is much more fun to swim in rivers and lakes.

Some guests may ask, does indoor swimming cost money? Then why not go swimming in a lake? There is no shortage of outdoor water in Beijing.

Don't worry, and listen to me slowly.

It is often said that people in the south are good at water sports, while people in the north are often poor at these skills because there is less water in the north.

However, the capital city has unique advantages. From the beginning of urban planning, the capital city has had a large water system.

After the Yuan Dynasty established its capital, grain was transported from the south to the north, and a large number of people from the south came to the capital. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, most of the officials in the capital came from the south.

It can be said that the capital at that time had already merged the north and the south, and the people of the capital had the strengths of both northern and southern cultures.

Therefore, in the old capital, swimming became a sport deeply loved by the common people, but the royal family and the nobles rarely participated in it.

Until the 30s, there were only three standard swimming pools in the capital, and only the swimming pool at Tsinghua University was indoor, which was planned and built by Mr. Ma Youhan.

Therefore, every summer people would spontaneously come to Shichahai, Yuyuantan, Jishuitan and other waters for swimming, and there are many records of this throughout the ages.

However, since the Republic of China until the eve of the peaceful liberation of Beijing, many of the capital's water systems have become filthy and smelly ditches.

Shichahai, including its front and back seas and Jishuitan, has fallen into an almost primitive "wild water" state.

Due to the lack of water supply from the upper reaches, the riverbed of Shichahai is seriously silted up and almost buried by garbage, and the water flow is almost cut off. The rippling blue water scene of the past is no longer there, leaving only a filthy and desolate scene.

During this period, the wild water in the capital was no longer clear and could no longer be used by people to swim. If people wanted to enjoy swimming, they could only go to the swimming pool, which had complete facilities but was prohibitively expensive.

For most ordinary people, such expenses are undoubtedly a considerable burden.

Liu Zhiye spent his childhood in Liujiazhuang, on the upper reaches of the Yongding River. The river water here was crystal clear, like a mirror, reflecting his carefree childhood.

He didn't have a standard swimming posture since he was a child, and he has never received any serious swimming training until now. Unlike children in later generations, who all have a standard swimming posture and end up swimming very beautifully.

Although children these days are not good at swimming, they can and do know how to have fun.

Unlike today's children, whose play is too monotonous. Apart from buying ready-made toys and playing electronic games on mobile phones and computers, they have nothing else to play.

What toys did children have in those days? For example, they could play with square treasures, fan ingots, roll hoops, beat traitors, play with magnetic disks, play with pinballs, throw sandbags, and jump rubber bands. They could play with them everywhere.
Therefore, the concept of play that children established at this time is completely different from the concept of play that children in later generations established.

…………

Liu Zhiye stayed in the river for a whole morning, during which time he caught five big "turtles" weighing two or three kilograms, more than twenty "Shengfang crabs" with fat lids, and several big grass carps weighing four or five kilograms.

"Shengfang Crabs" were not originally found in the Yongding River. They were crabs farmed in the thousands of acres of paddy fields in Liujiazhuang and were washed into the river by floods.

Although Liujiazhuang suffered less losses from the flood a month ago due to early preparation, the fish, shrimps and crabs in the paddy fields were not spared.

Many fish, shrimps and crabs were washed away by the flood, and this year's harvest is doomed to be reduced.

But compared to other places, Liujiazhuang is a blessing in disguise.

In addition, this raging flood also caused landslides in many places in Liujia. The mud and rock flow ran like wild beasts, mercilessly burying some of the carefully planted herbs, fruit trees and crops under the ruins.

But there is a good side, that is the village’s road and sewer facilities, which have played a huge role after years of careful construction.

Even during the heaviest rainfall, the water on the streets did not reach above the ankles of pedestrians.

These facilities form an efficient drainage system that drains away most of the rainwater quickly and effectively, ensuring the safety and smooth flow of the village.

The villagers are deeply gratified that their efforts have not been in vain. These sewer facilities are a strong backing for their peaceful lives.

After the flood, the originally clean environment became a mess, with rubble, mud, rotten branches and even dead animals scattered everywhere, which was shocking.

The sun is scorching and the heat wave is rolling. In this hot weather, diseases are like lurking beasts and may break out at any time.

There is an old saying: "An old drought will inevitably be followed by a severe flood, and a severe flood will inevitably lead to a severe epidemic." In this late summer and early autumn season, epidemic prevention has once again become a top priority.

After the flood receded, the Chinese herbal medicines that the old man had stockpiled in advance played a huge role.

This not only met the needs of the village, but also, with the support of Liu Zhiye, generously donated about 20,000 kilograms of Chinese herbal medicine to the hardest-hit areas to prevent the spread of the disease.

With these herbs, they may become a solid barrier to protect the health of people in disaster areas at critical moments.

Along with these herbs, a prescription for treating plague called "Bai Du San" was also given. This prescription was praised by Yu Lin, a doctor in the Qing Dynasty as the best prescription for treating plague.

"Baidusan" is mainly used to induce sweating and relieve the symptoms, dispel wind and dampness. It is used for typhoid fever, aversion to cold and high fever, stiff neck and headache, sore limbs, dysentery with lockjaw, nasal congestion without sweating, and cough with phlegm.

It is a tonic and antipyretic agent, mainly composed of bupleurum, peucedanum, chuanxiong, fructus aurantii, notopterygium, duhuo, poria, platycodon, ginseng, licorice and other herbs.

In Liujiazhuang, not only a large number of urgently needed medicines were donated, but the villagers also generously raised funds and donated food, totaling more than 200,000 yuan in cash and food.

Their kind deeds warmed the disaster victims in need like a spring breeze. When one side is in trouble, all sides come to support it, showing the best side of human nature.

Therefore, the entire Liujiazhuang received high praise and recognition from the Party and the country.

As a representative of the village, Uncle San also had the honor to attend the "63.8" major flood control and disaster relief summary meeting. This experience undoubtedly added a highlight to the lives of his fellow villagers.

Today, Liujiazhuang is not only rich in material terms, but also outstanding in spiritual civilization. It is not only a symbol of economic prosperity, but also a model of cultural prosperity.

As a result, Liujiazhuang won numerous honors and became a rival to another village in the country.

"Industry should be learned from Daqing, agriculture should be learned from Dazhai, and spiritual civilization should be learned from Liujiazhuang."

…………

Liu Zhiye, carrying a bamboo basket, just stepped into the yard and saw the old man sitting under the shed leisurely enjoying the cool air. "Grandpa, you are finally back! How are the herbs growing on the mountain?" He asked impatiently, sitting on the stone bench, his face filled with an expectant and concerned smile.

The old man poured him a cup of tea and said, "Drink some water. You are sweating a lot. The heat of autumn is the most severe..."

"Alas! The herbs on the mountain finally escaped this time, and the loss was not great."

"In the future, we can just replant the lost ones..."

Liu Zhiye's worries were slightly relieved after hearing this. Compared with rice farming, he put more effort and attention into the cultivation of Chinese herbal medicine.

Because he knows very well that Chinese herbal medicine cultivation is a billion-dollar market in the future and there must be no room for carelessness.

When he was in a good mood, he picked up the basket and showed it off to the old man like a child, "Grandpa, can you tell me what this is?"

The old man took a quick glance and saw a basket filled with crabs and grass carp, with a few large turtles cowering their heads and tails.

"Hey, here are some soft-shelled turtles. They're great stuff. I'll stew them for you to nourish your body. I'll get an old mountain ginseng and put it in there. It will be more effective."

The eldest aunt came running over upon hearing the noise. When she saw it, her eyes flashed with surprise: "I was just thinking about how to nourish your body, and I didn't expect this thing to be delivered to my door. Why not kill another little rooster and stew a nourishing soup together."

The old man smiled and nodded, "This turtle's blood is also precious, don't waste it. When stewing, remember to add wolfberry, yam, red dates, and ginger. I'll get you an old mountain ginseng now."

At lunch time, Liu Jingzhai came back from school. As soon as he entered the house, he first greeted the old man, and then went straight to hug his precious granddaughter.

The weather was hot, so the family chose to eat under the shed, enjoying the cool breeze. The lunch was very rich, with steamed grass carp, steamed crab, stewed beans with potatoes, fried fish with cucumbers, and the staple food was full-grained rice. There was everything you could think of.

The old man smiled and said to Zhiye: "You have just recovered, so don't touch other wines for now. You can try the medicinal wine I brewed in moderation. It has the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis."

Liu Zhiye was a drunkard. Not drinking would make him feel worse than being killed. Medicinal wine is also wine, so it is better than having nothing to drink. So he readily said, "Okay! Then I'll drink two glasses of medicinal wine!"

Deng Ru muttered to the side: "Take it easy. You can't control your mouth just after you recover from your illness."

When Liu Zhiye met with misfortune, Deng Ru's mentality almost collapsed. She witnessed Liu Zhiye's unconsciousness and coma for two whole days. She was heartbroken and worried about his safety every moment.

Liu Zhiye smiled and comforted her, "Mom, I'm fine. How could I not know my health?"

"Mom, I plan to return to work in two days..." After nearly a month of rest, he planned to return to work.

There were a lot of matters waiting for him to deal with at the Red Star Factory and the Public Security Detachment, and he knew he couldn't delay any longer.

Deng Ru frowned and retorted in dissatisfaction: "Why are you in such a hurry to go to work? Your family has enough food and clothes, and your boss has already approved you for three months of vacation."

Liu Zhiye sighed and stated succinctly: "Although I have a three-month long vacation, as a core leader, my long-term absence from the workplace will eventually cause unnecessary trouble."

Upon hearing this, Deng Ru said angrily, "It's such a big unit, you can't transfer without you, right? If you want to leave, just leave. If you have health problems in the future, it's your own fault!!!" After saying that, she stood up angrily and left without even eating.

Liu Zhiye stared at her back, then turned to Liu Jingzhai and said helplessly: "Dad, this..."

Liu Jingzhai comforted him softly: "Your mother is worried about you. She almost collapsed during the days when you were in a coma."

"You guys eat first, I'll go and comfort her. Haha, she's so old, her temper is like a child's now..."

…………

By the time the turtle and chicken soup carefully prepared by my aunt was served, we were almost done eating. In order to ensure the best effect of the medicine, the soup was simmered in a casserole over low heat for nearly two hours.

It has to be said that after the introduction of biogas in the village, the quality of life of the villagers has been significantly improved, which is undoubtedly a huge progress.

Things like stewing chicken soup, boiling medicine, boiling water, and even cooking now need to be done on a gas stove, which is much simpler and more convenient.

This clean energy not only provides villagers with a convenient and efficient cooking method, but also greatly improves their living environment.

The eldest aunt handed him a bowl of hot broth with a smile on her face, "Come, try it and see how it tastes."

Liu Zhiye first scooped up a spoonful of soft-shelled turtle and chicken soup with a spoon. The soup was clear, not greasy or turbid.

Because it was the aunt who kept skimming off the excess chicken fat. After he took a sip, he felt it was very delicious, "Mm, delicious, not greasy at all, not strong, just fresh."

"Aunt, your cooking skills are amazing, hey!"

After hearing this, the aunt was immediately delighted and greeted enthusiastically: "This soup is delicious, drink more, there is still more in the pot!"

Liu Zhiye chewed the tender soft-shelled turtle meat with a satisfied look in his eyes. He gestured to his grandfather and uncle, and said, "Grandpa, uncle, come and try this. It's really delicious."

This thing is really good. Turtle and chicken soup is a medicinal food. It has the effects of nourishing yin and yang, nourishing the liver and kidneys or improving immunity.

If you experience symptoms of bone steaming and hot flashes such as hyperactivity of liver yang, liver and kidney yin deficiency, or true yang deficiency, eating soft-shelled turtle and chicken soup can also help replenish qi and blood, warm the middle and tonify the spleen, and nourish the kidney and benefit the essence.

Moreover, soft-shelled turtle contains more protein and vitamins, and has the delicious taste of five kinds of meat: chicken, deer, beef, pork, and fish. It is known as the "five-flavor meat of gourmet food".

Eating it in moderation can also enhance the body's immunity.

Everyone in the Liu family knows something about medicine. Under the influence of the old man, basically everyone knows some common sense of Chinese medicine.

Of course, they also knew the benefits of soft-shelled turtle and chicken soup, so after eating and drinking, they all started to eat medicinal food.

After eating the bowl of turtle and chicken soup, Liu Zhiye felt a warm current flowing in his waist and felt refreshed, as if he had tasted ginseng fruit and was full of strength.

The ancient "Daily Materia Medica" of the Xia Dynasty stated that "turtle can replenish fatigue, strengthen yang energy, and greatly replenish yin deficiency." This shows that the ancients regarded turtle as a good tonic and called it "a treasure of aquatic products and a delicacy for banquets."

Soft-shelled turtle, commonly known as turtle, round fish and tortoise, is a delicious delicacy on the table and a widely used tonic and Chinese medicinal material.

Its whole body is a treasure. Its meat, turtle shell, turtle blood, turtle head and turtle internal organs all have different medicinal and food effects.

According to incomplete statistics from ancient medical books of the Xia Dynasty, soft-shelled turtles can be used to treat more than 40 diseases.

However, although soft-shelled turtle is good, ordinary people do not know its benefits.

Nowadays people generally don't like to eat soft-shelled turtles because they live in poverty and don't have the conditions to cook soft-shelled turtles. It's relatively sour.

In addition, most people do not like to eat seafood without scales, such as soft-shelled turtles, eels, and crayfish. This is because people at that time were lucky enough to have enough food and clothing, and they did not have diverse cooking techniques, unlike later generations who use a variety of seasonings to make seafood delicious.

Speaking of crayfish, which became popular all over the country in later generations, now almost no one is interested in it, just like turtles.

The reason is that crayfish eats rotten food, and no one wants to eat it. It was introduced into China thirty years ago and has now become rampant.

And it's not tasty at all, there's no meat at all, just shells. The reason why crayfish is so popular in later generations is that people are willing to use oil and various ingredients.

During those years, the average monthly edible oil supply per agricultural population was 1.5 taels, and the average monthly edible oil supply per urban resident was 3.6 taels.

What is this amount of oil for? It is not even enough for basic daily cooking. You have to use it sparingly, not to mention frying fish and shrimp.

The uncle sighed and said, "Hey! There are so many good things in the valley, but it's a pity that no one eats them."

"But if I really want to eat it, I really can't afford it. Let alone this old mountain ginseng, even the young hen used as an ingredient, who would be willing to stew it?"

"Haha, our life is still good. In the past, even the landlords wouldn't dare to live like us."

(End of this chapter)