Chapter 79 [New Guest Temporary Residence]
But there is no rush, because retting bamboo takes a lot of time and effort.
Fang Chang lives in the bamboo grove at the foot of the mountain. He selects those that come out in spring, have just changed from bamboo shoots to bamboo, and the branches and leaves are about to grow.
He also opened the bamboo tube to draw a thin stream of water from the Huanhua River beside it to prevent it from drying up.
Counting from the date of throwing in, it takes three months of retting to start pulping, rinsing, papermaking, pressing and drying.
Compared, the pen, ink and inkstone are simpler, especially the inkstone.
Yunzhongshan is rich in products, and naturally there are good stones suitable for making inkstones.
One good inkstone should be fine but not slippery, astringent but not rough, so that the ink can be applied well and the ink can be well distributed, which has some special requirements for the quality of the stone.
When the cold receded and the snow melted, and the spring was warm and the flowers were blooming, Fang Chang, carrying a thick rattan basket and carrying a bronze ax, walked slowly in the mountains for three days. On a collapsed slope, he found a kind of stone suitable for making inkstones.
The whole body of them is blue-brown, pure in color, hard and delicate, and can feel slightly moist when touched by hands.
Back half of the basket on his back, he chose one of the suitable size, and used the whetstones used to make the jade knives before, using the plan to draw a circle and using a rectangle to form a square. After careful consideration, he made a shallow flat inkstone.
Its outer circle is square inner, and its shape is stable.
Ink making is also simple. Anyway, Fang Chang didn't seek the best. He only burned pine wood to get smoke, smashed it through a fine sieve, added hide glue, pressed it, and made some ink sticks.
The pen is not in a hurry, although Fang Chang has no shortage of fine bamboo and glue, and no lack of animal hair, but anyway, there is no paper now, and it will not be too late to make the paper after it is finished.
It was getting late, and Fang Chang set up a bonfire in the open space to reorganize and eat.
Liu Aniu lay on the side obediently and waited, the huge bull head reflected by the firelight was uncertain.
"This sweet potato is a good thing, and it is not picky about where it grows. If there is an opportunity in the future, it can be promoted to the bottom of the mountain. In those corners that are difficult to cultivate, the common people can plant some. It can be used as a meal or as a preparation for waste. .”
Fang Chang fiddled with a wooden stick to roast potatoes on the fire, and smiled to A Niu beside him.
"The immortal has a good mind, this is a virtuous act."
Cultivating all year round, Liu Aniu has a good understanding of farming and food, and has experience.
Although his figure is not as dexterous as his friend Liu Ahuang, but compared to the yellow dog demon, Ah Niu is more intelligent. He has a deep understanding of what Fang Xianchang said casually, and speaks highly of it.
"Try it, it tastes better when it's hot."
A Niu opened his mouth wide, took the whole thing in his mouth, chewed it carefully and swallowed it, and said, "It's really delicious, and it's even better than the basket of sweet potatoes that the head of the fairy sent last time."
"Eat more if you like it." Fang Chang said, and then set aside another one and handed it over.
"Okay, Xianchang."
So Liu Aniu wiped out all the sweet potato stocks in Fang Chang's house, and there was nothing left.
"..."
A Niu wasn’t full yet, but seeing Fang Xianchang next to him had stopped roasting and started to carry fruit out of the house, he suddenly felt ashamed:
"The little demon is too good to eat, and he was confiscated for a while, but he ate all the accumulated treasures of immortals. It is really a crime."
"It's a blessing to be able to eat." Fang Chang shook his head to appease A Niu, and said with a smile: "It grows in the mountains, and it is collected for food. Since the sweet potato is gone, it's better to eat some fruit as a cushion."
A Niu kept silent, and nodded slightly.
However, he has secretly decided in his heart that tomorrow he will go to find forage to eat by himself, and he can no longer eat the fairy elder's reserve.
The night was getting darker and the moon climbed into the sky. After A Niu said good night to Fang Chang, he found a stone ring on the edge of the cliff and lay down beside it to rest. Fang Chang went back to the bamboo and wooden hut without mentioning it.
But now that there is descaling operation, there is no need to think about washing and washing, and the stone ring is naturally left idle.
...
On the cliff in the early morning, Fang Chang and A Niu set up a plow and were plowing the field.
Both sides are neither ordinary people nor oxen, but they are full of supernatural power. They plowed into the ground nearly two feet deep, but they walked fast and plowed the acre of land several times. They didn't stop until the soil was very soft.
The efficiency of plowing and plowing is much higher than that of shovel, but it needs to be controlled together. Therefore, Fang Chang asked A Niu to be his helper, but this is not his main purpose.
"Xianchang, the space on this cliff is so vast, why don't you open up dozens of acres of land? If there is not enough manpower, I have enough strength, little demon, and it is easy to cultivate another hundred acres of land."
Fang Chang supported the plow and said leisurely:
"It's not necessary, I'm not a farmer, and things like fields can be developed as you like, as long as you have enough."
A Niu seemed to understand, lowered his head, and continued to walk vigorously with his horns facing forward. The soil behind him seemed to be splashed, and was turned to both sides by the plow, leaving plow marks in the field.
After everything was over, Fang Chang put the plow on his shoulders and said with a smile, "A Niu, do you have any thoughts about this work?"
"The little demon is dull, and he hasn't realized it yet." A Niu stood beside Fang Chang, and looked sideways at Fang Chang.
"Don't rush, don't rush, although your opportunity is here, you still have to look at the aura in your heart and grasp it before you can take this step and start to transform. How can this step be so easy?"
Fang Chang said calmly.
Leading Ah Niu back, he put the plowshare with the bronze head and wooden pole on his shoulders, and prepared to put it back into the work shed.
Liu Aniu thought for a while, then suddenly asked:
"Immortal Elder, the little demon has a merciless request. Can you allow me to live on this cliff? I don't need to be in the Immortal Elder's courtyard, I just need to spend the night next to the woods. I can take care of the fields and forage for food on my own. There is no need for fairy elders to feed them."
Fang Chang turned his head, glanced at the bull demon, smiled, nodded and said:
"Can."
"Thank you for your permission, the little demon will go back and move here!" After finishing speaking, the bull demon happily spread his hooves and ran down.
Fang Chang smiled and shook his head, went back to the house and took out a few packets of seeds, ready to sow them in the fields.
Among them, corn is the main one, followed by sorghum that was harvested last year. Without a columbine, everything depends on the feel. He feels that he can't provide better care for these seedlings, and can only rely on God's will.
Look at fate.
Watering is simple, next to the branch of Huanhua Creek, Fang Chang just dug a shallow ditch to connect it to the ground, digging the ridge soil, and the flowing water flooded into the field, leaving traces of moisture on the newly plowed soft land.
A Niu quickly moved his belongings here.
After he entered the mountain, he has been living in the cave, safe and sheltered from wind and rain.
There are no natural enemies of cow demons in the mountains, and the plants on each mountain peak, he can eat whatever he wants in the past few months, and he is very happy all day long!
The cow demon has few long things all over his body, and it is even simpler than Fang Chang when he first went up the mountain. All his belongings are nothing but a basket and a brass nose ring given by Fang Chang before.
Looking for a place to live on the cliff, Ah Niu is indeed fulfilling his promise. He first forages for food by himself every day, and then goes to Fang Chang's acre of land to stay all day long. thinking.
A Niu was wondering what the relationship between the field in front of him and what Fang Xianchang said had anything to do with his transformation.
He was very convinced by Fang Chang's words.
And I am sure that the immortal chief has deep meaning in it, but I am too dull to realize it.
Thank you Yuangu Tianzun, Crazy Moxiao, and Yu Nian for your rewards.
(end of this chapter)