Chapter 111: The Folk Artist Strikes the Ice Drum

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The two of them brought their belongings into the space and began organizing. Zhou Sinian helped by emptying the contents of the sacks onto the ground.

In these times, most families were reluctant to trade their grains, but they had been eating wild mountain produce since childhood—gathered freely from the mountains—so they were less protective of those and mostly exchanged the mountain goods.

Hazelnuts, pine nuts, and hickory nuts were the most abundant. There was only a small bag of red dates, which were considered precious and usually reserved for the daughters-in-law who joined the family. Peanuts were also traded but not in large quantities. There was a small half-bag of soybeans, which were mainly used for oil, so they were sparingly exchanged.

The bulk of the rest consisted of various mushrooms, strung together and neatly categorized with straw stems for drying. They were clean and free from insect damage, certainly having been sifted by Aunt Huang.

There were also large sacks of wood ear fungus of varying sizes—once soaked, they would amount to a considerable quantity.

Unexpectedly, there was a small bag of dried schisandra berries, which Ming Dai placed on the medicinal herb shelf inside the space warehouse.

She planned to organize these items into gift baskets and sell them for money around the New Year.

As for the hazelnuts, she kept those. They had yet to find hazelnuts on the mountain, and Ming Dai intended to develop a hazelnut candy business.

While Ming Dai was calculating this, Zhou Sinian was examining some baskets that Aunt Huang had brought along.

They were mainly passed around during mushroom trades, and a few looked particularly exquisite. Zhou Sinian seemed to like them a great deal.

By the time Ming Dai finished her thoughts, she saw Zhou Sinian had already dismantled all the baskets and was busily trying to weave them back together, but without success.

Ming Dai squatted down to take a closer look. The baskets appeared to be specially woven for children, with somewhat complex patterns. Zhou Sinian, dismantling them, had forgotten the steps.

Seeing his stubborn expression, Ming Dai knew if he couldn’t fix them, he would be annoyed all day. Since she needed baskets for the gift baskets as well, she called out for Zhou Sinian to bring the broken baskets with her to visit Liu Dazheng’s house.

Ming Dai packed some homemade spicy pickled cabbage and freshly made cornmeal cakes into a basket and set off.

Zhou Sinian followed with a back basket, holding the dismantled baskets in his hands.

Passing by the entrance of the youth brigade’s compound, they saw two others leaving as well—Qi Zhijun and Liu Yan.

Amid the recent busyness, Ming Dai had nearly forgotten about the troublesome people in the front yard.

Unlike Liu Yan’s radiant face, Qi Zhijun looked as if his spine had been removed—he was utterly listless.

When Liu Yan saw Ming Dai, she touched the red headscarf on Ming Dai’s head and said, “Ming, what do you think of my headscarf? Jun Ge bought it for me.”

Jun Ge?

Ming Dai raised an eyebrow—it seemed they were together now.

Qi Zhijun heard Liu Yan’s boasting but said nothing, staring blankly at the snow piled in the corner.

Before Ming Dai could say anything, Zhou Sinian frowned at her and muttered, “It’s really ugly!”

Liu Yan’s proud expression instantly stiffened; her eyes reddened, and she looked at Qi Zhijun with hurt.

Qi Zhijun was so intimidated that he avoided Zhou Sinian’s gaze and turned away from Liu Yan’s pitiful look, still seeming as though his soul had departed.

Ming Dai quickly grabbed Zhou Sinian, who was about to speak again, and said, “Don’t say such blunt things, sorry, Liu Ming, we have to go.”

She tugged on Zhou Sinian’s sleeve and pulled him away.

Zhou Sinian followed her lead but shot a sharp glare at Liu Yan before turning to Ming Dai with a pout.

“Ming Dai, she looks terrible in that red scarf—not as good-looking as me!”

Ming Dai gave a perfunctory reply, “Yeah, yeah! You look the best!”

Satisfied, Zhou Sinian adjusted his own headscarf, fixed the bow, and strode ahead carrying the baskets.

Arriving at Liu Dazheng’s home, they saw him weaving something at the door through the low fence.

Ming Dai called out, “Uncle Dazheng, may we come in?”

Hearing her, Liu Dazheng looked up and, seeing the two, smiled happily. “Come in, come in! The door’s not locked.”

Ming Dai led Zhou Sinian inside.

“Little Ming, Zhou, are you missing something again?”

Zhou Sinian remembered Liu Dazheng and had a good impression of him. Hearing the greeting, he nodded politely but said nothing.

Ming Dai looked at the basket Liu Dazheng was weaving—it was just the right size for her gift baskets.

“Uncle Dazheng, how many baskets like this do you have?”

Liu Dazheng didn’t stop weaving. “Maybe twenty or thirty. If you want some, just take them. I don’t make money from these.”

Ming Dai smiled. “Uncle Dazheng, I’ll take these baskets. Could you make another twenty for me?”

Liu Dazheng was surprised by the quantity. “When do you need them?”

Ming Dai thought for a moment. “About a week before the festival. These baskets were requested by someone else; their factory wants to use them for holiday gifts. They’re perfect—both dignified and practical.”

Liu Dazheng nodded in agreement. “The baskets I make last if you take good care of them. They can be passed down for three generations!”

Ming Dai beamed. “Exactly. Last time, I gave a holiday gift, and they liked the basket so much they asked me about it. Uncle Dazheng, take a look, and if there’s no problem, I’ll get back to them.”

Liu Dazheng considered the bamboo he had in stock. “No problem. I can definitely make them for you a week before the festival!”

Ming Dai nodded, lifted the basket Zhou Sinian was holding, and said, “Uncle Dazheng, I brought some cornmeal cakes and homemade spicy pickled cabbage for you to try. Here, take this as a deposit.”

Liu Dazheng gratefully accepted the cakes and the small crock of pickles but refused the money. “Little Ming, don’t worry about the money. Just give me some food. Even if I had money, I wouldn’t have anywhere to spend it.”

Ming Dai thought about it and agreed; any money he had would probably be pinched by his nephew.

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“All right, then hold out your hand; I’ll check you over and give you some tonic herbs if you need them.”

Liu Dazheng promptly nodded, set the food aside on a bench, brushed the bamboo shavings off his clothes, and extended his hand.

Ming Dai took his hand and then switched to the other after a moment.

“Are you still coughing at night?”

Liu Dazheng nodded. “A few coughs at night, but much better now.”

Ming Dai nodded. “No need for medicine. Just stew some pepper and pear water to drink. Do you have pepper and pears?”

Liu Dazheng brightened at not having to spend money on medicine. “We have frozen pears. The team leader brought me some a few days ago. Guoqiang said he’d bring more after they’re finished. As for pepper, we have wild mountain pepper at home.”

Ming Dai nodded. “Good. Melt the frozen pears, cut them into small pieces, boil with about four or five peppercorns for ten minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool before drinking. You can drink this all winter. Since you shouldn’t have cold drinks, replace the frozen pears with this, and you should be fine.”

Liu Dazheng carefully noted this down. “Thank you, Little Ming. I’ll do that.”

Ming Dai waved her hand. “We’re from the same village, no need to be so formal. I won’t take the baskets now; I’ll bring a cart to pick them up another day.”

Liu Dazheng nodded.

While they chatted, Zhou Sinian grew bored and looked at the baskets Liu Dazheng was weaving. They seemed simple, so he tried his hand at it.

After fiddling around, by the time Ming Dai and Liu Dazheng looked over, Zhou Sinian had dismantled one of the finished baskets.

Ming Dai felt a bit embarrassed. “Uncle Dazheng, sorry about this. We’ll buy these.”

Liu Dazheng waved it off, not bothered, but looked at Zhou Sinian’s hands. Although the basket was taken apart, Zhou Sinian’s weaving was quite good; he just didn’t know how to lock the weave, which caused it to fall apart.

Eager to teach, Liu Dazheng immediately began instructing Zhou Sinian on weaving techniques. Zhou Sinian listened attentively and, under Liu Dazheng’s guidance, quickly repaired the broken part.

Thus, the elder and younger began an informal weaving class, while Ming Dai stood nearby, lost in the fog of their conversation and soon growing sleepy.

Zhou Sinian became increasingly excited and finished weaving all the baskets he had brought.

Liu Dazheng recognized the baskets—they were his own.

Zhou Sinian was very pleased and pulled a sweater from his back basket to show Liu Dazheng.

Liu Dazheng rarely left the village and had never seen such a sweater before. The vibrant, deep red color astonished him.

He gently touched the soft yarn ball and exclaimed, “This color is really beautiful!”

Zhou Sinian immediately agreed with enthusiasm, “Right? Right?”

He had finally found someone who appreciated his aesthetic—a kindred spirit.

The two then completely forgot about Ming Dai, one teaching basket weaving, the other teaching knitting.

Liu Dazheng’s hands were tougher and calloused. To avoid snagging the yarn, he made coarse yarn from strips of cloth, carved knitting needles from bamboo, and learned the basic knit stitch with Zhou Sinian.

Zhou Sinian’s teaching was more advanced than Ming Dai’s, and with Liu Dazheng’s skillful hands, they quickly produced a neat patchwork fabric.

Ming Dai looked at this and then at that, feeling somewhat confused.

By noon, Zhou Sinian still didn’t want to leave. He and Liu Dazheng were discussing how to incorporate knitting techniques into bamboo weaving crafts.

Liu Dazheng looked at Ming Dai longingly but said nothing, clearly reluctant to see Zhou Sinian go.

Ming Dai was speechless.

In the end, Zhou Sinian stayed behind to continue learning and exploring, while she went home to cook for the two folk artists.

When she returned with the food, Liu Dazheng was already calling Zhou Sinian “Brother Sinian,” and the two were holding a uniquely shaped basket.

Ming Dai thought: I call you Uncle, and you call him Brother—does that seem appropriate?

Ming Dai warmed some multigrain steamed buns and stir-fried “Grandma’s vegetables” with scrambled eggs. The simple meal nearly moved Liu Dazheng to tears; it had been so long since anyone had dined with him.

Zhou Sinian looked at him and, perhaps reminded of himself, patted Liu Dazheng on the shoulder with a bit too much force. If Ming Dai hadn’t steadied him, Liu Dazheng might have toppled onto the table.

“Good brother, I’ll come often from now on!”

Liu Dazheng grinned through the pain and nodded eagerly.

Ming Dai glanced at Liu Dazheng and then thought of Aunt Huang’s Iron Egg and Dog Egg.

She had to admit, Zhou Sinian had improved. He now had a good rapport with the old and the young, though he still found the middle-aged annoying at first glance.

After eating, the two chatted for a long time, and Ming Dai kept yawning one after another.

When Zhou Sinian finally got up, satisfied and ready to leave, Ming Dai was nearly asleep.

Under Liu Dazheng’s reluctant gaze, the two headed home.

On the way, Zhou Sinian carried his newly woven basket, admiring it as they walked.

At the village entrance, they saw many children playing in the snow, including Iron Egg and Dog Egg.

The other children, seeing them, stood at a distance, hesitant to approach.

Iron Egg and Dog Egg, already won over by Zhou Sinian’s fancy stone-skipping skills, eagerly ran over.

“Aunt Ming!” they called out loudly, then glanced at Zhou Sinian awkwardly, unsure what to call him.

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Ming Dai chatted with Iron Egg while Zhou Sinian eyed the item Dog Egg was holding, curious.

“What’s that for?”

Dog Egg lifted his whip and wooden top. “We’re playing with spinning tops. Want to try?”

Ming Dai and Iron Egg also turned to look.

Zhou Sinian put his basket in the back basket and reached for the wooden spinning top, examining it carefully. “How do you play this?”

Dog Egg looked a bit shy and glanced at his older brother. He was too small to spin the top by himself and had to wait for his brother to get it spinning. Sometimes, because of his mischief, the top would stop spinning, and his brother would have to come to the rescue.

Iron Egg bravely pointed to the whip in Zhou Sinian’s hands. “This is the whip. You use it to strike the top to make it spin.”

Zhou Sinian placed the wooden top on the ground and struck it a few times with the whip. The top wobbled but didn’t spin.

He frowned and handed the whip to Iron Egg. “You try.”

Iron Egg took it, swallowed nervously, wrapped the whip around the top, and with force, threw it down. He cracked the whip, and the top spun on the snow. He whipped it a few more times, and the top spun faster.

Zhou Sinian’s eyes lit up. Iron Egg, sensing the moment, handed the whip back.

Zhou Sinian gave it a vigorous crack, and the top shot forward over ten meters.

Iron Egg and Dog Egg were stunned.

Ming Dai laughed heartily at Zhou Sinian’s incredulous expression.

Feeling his pride wounded, Zhou Sinian gripped the whip unhappily and looked at Ming Dai.

Instantly, Iron Egg and Dog Egg activated their “puppy legs” and scampered off to retrieve the spinning top.

Ming Dai stopped laughing at Zhou Sinian’s accusing look and softly cleared her throat. “You’re too strong. Try striking gently. Let Iron Egg teach you.”

Iron Egg, returning with the spinning top, overheard this and nervously glanced at Zhou Sinian.

Zhou Sinian hesitated but handed the whip back. “Teach me.”

Iron Egg took it with a dreamy expression, wrapped the whip around the top again, lowered it, and explained how to apply force, his voice growing louder and face redder.

Oh my, I’ve ended up being a small teacher to a madman!

Iron Egg was excited, feeling redeemed from the humiliation of being scared silly before.

Under Iron Egg’s guidance, Zhou Sinian slowly mastered the technique and took the whip himself.

Soon, the wooden top spun rapidly under his whip, faster and faster, occasionally even jumping.

Gradually, the other children gathered around, watching Zhou Sinian’s fancy spinning top tricks.

Ming Dai also watched and couldn’t help but admire Zhou Sinian’s impressive manual skills.

Later, Zhou Sinian, feeling one top was insufficient, commandeered all the children’s tops and whipped eight at once!

One by one, the wooden tops spun in place, colliding with each other. Just as they seemed about to topple, Zhou Sinian’s whip saved them.

The watching children gasped in amazement, their admiring eyes nearly overwhelming Zhou Sinian.

He played happily until parents called their children home for dinner. Still reluctant, he returned the tops and followed Ming Dai home.

Ming Dai comforted him, “We’ll make our own at home. You can make as many as you want!”

Zhou Sinian’s joy instantly returned. His big, bright eyes looked at Ming Dai like a big, loyal dog. “Ming Dai, you’re really great!”

Ming Dai turned her head awkwardly and quickened her pace. “Of course I am! Let’s hurry home! It’s freezing!”

Back home, they rummaged through the firewood pile for suitable pieces and brought them into the space.

Ming Dai explained the key points of making the tops and encouraged him to carve the wood himself.

She then went to Zhou Sinian’s small warehouse to find the steel balls from the bicycle he had dismantled.

She also grabbed some colored chalk from the warehouse.

Outside, Zhou Sinian had already carved one top.

Ming Dai hammered the steel ball into the bottom of the wooden top and painted colorful rings on the top.

Zhou Sinian made a whip from an old bicycle tire and began whipping the newly made top in the living room.

The top spun rapidly and steadily with his force, and the colorful rings made it even more beautiful spinning.

“Ming Dai, look! I whipped out a rainbow!”

Ming Dai, wanting to try, took the whip from him while Zhou Sinian worked on making more tops.

In the end, they made ten spinning tops of various sizes and colors.

From then on, besides watching the little lambs fight, they had a new pastime in the space—spinning top whipping competitions!

Zhou Sinian declared this had been a truly happy day!