The morning sun is shining brightly.
It was dawn in the spring, and the tribesmen in the village, as well as the tired and sleepy visitors from yesterday, all seemed to be still sleeping soundly, and there was no movement.
Grandma Wen, who got up early to patrol the village, looked up and saw her granddaughter Ah Kun climbing the mountain with Zheng Haizhu.
Grandma Wen then took two guards and went there.
When they met them on the mountainside, they saw Zheng Haizhu hunched over in the green bushes.
"Mrs. Zheng, why do you come to see these wild teas?"
Grandma Wen asked kindly and curiously, still using the naming convention of the Song Dynasty.
Zheng Haizhu hurriedly came over to salute and asked respectfully: "Grandma, are there many tea trees like this nearby?"
Grandma Wen picked out a few green and tender leaves, put them under her nose and smelled them. Shi Shiran said: "Go to the top of the mountain, there are many more. In the next few days, we should be able to pick new leaves. Yesterday, we can pick new leaves. The food I serve you is still last year’s tea, you’re being negligent.”
Zheng Haizhu said seriously: "Grandma, yesterday's tea was steamed with fire and then dried?"
"Well, Madam is right. This is a method passed down by our great ancestor Wen, but what's wrong with it?"
Zheng Haizhu looked at the old lady's eyes sincerely asking for advice, smiled and said: "Grandma, don't misunderstand, there is nothing wrong. This is an ancient method from the Tang and Song Dynasties. Now on land, people in the Ming Dynasty mostly use the stir-frying method."
Grandma Wen's white eyebrows slightly raised: "Madam, can you tell me more carefully?"
Zheng Haizhu observed the female chief's movements while drinking tea yesterday. From the slight frown on her face when sipping the soup, she guessed that she was actually particular about tea matters.
At this moment, seeing that she was really interested in new knowledge, he gestured and said: "Grandma, buying iron woks and charcoal fires are much cheaper and more sophisticated than before. We will put the new leaves on the iron In the wok, light the fire and stir-fry directly with the palm of your hand."
"Won't this hurt your hand?"
"No. The iron wok is as big as a bamboo plaque, and the heat spreads evenly. The palm of your hand touches the tea first, and then the tea is stirred. The tea does not fall, and it turns over and over again. The leaves soon lose their green air, which is better than steaming. The leaves are more fragrant and the soup is clearer and more beautiful."
"Oh, so."
Grandma Wen couldn't help but look fascinated, and soon the bright color dimmed again.
"Ms. Zheng, the Ming Dynasty was rich, so ordinary people must be able to afford such an iron wok. On our small island, ironware is very rare, and we all use earthenware pots for cooking. Where can we find a big iron wok for making tea?"
Hearing this, Zheng Haizhu raised his eyes and caught the old man's complicated gaze.
But she did not respond with a sentimental expression such as sympathy, regret, or apologies. Instead, she said with encouragement and boldness: "Grandma, don't belittle yourself. Although your big island is isolated overseas, it is obvious that This is a place visited by the Pot God. The mountains and forests are fertile and lush, and it is suitable for fishing, hunting and farming. Even wild tea has a fragrant fragrance, which shows that the land and climate are suitable for the growth of tea trees. In this case, when I go back to collect some capital, I will plant tea seeds, iron woks and know how to grow. How about bringing all the tea-making craftsmen to the island?"
"ah?……"
Although Grandma Wen heard every word of this woman from her motherland clearly, she didn't know how to respond.
The female chief has experienced years of hard work, and her eyesight is extremely sharp. Yesterday, it was obvious that this young woman can be a talker in a group of people.
I didn't expect that she would express such thoughts so quickly.
Zheng Haizhu did not interrupt his thoughts because of Grandma Wen's pause.
"Grandma, it will take at most one day and one night to sail to you from the seaport in Fujian. Sea ships have to be ballasted with heavy objects, and there is a kind of ore in Fujian that is suitable for ballast. That mine was mined by Apeng in Manlajia. Those that have been beaten or beaten are called tin or pewter in the Ming Dynasty. Tin cans can preserve tea leaves and transport them to far away places for sale. Therefore, on the island of Grandma, you can definitely grow tea, make tea, and make tin cans. In exchange for porcelain bottles, cattle, silk cloth, iron tools, as well as the books, inkstones, and all kinds of good things in Akun's room. Well, in fact, there are many things that can be traded on the island, such as deer skins, antlers, Beans, fruits... your land is so vast, you can dig canals, grow the rice we eat, and transport it back to Fujian to sell."
The old chiefess listened quietly.
When she was a child, her mother told her about the land beyond the vast sea.
When she became a young girl and fell passionately into the arms of the foreign man, the man also described to her a world of gorgeous houses and novel characters.
When her husband died of the plague, she changed her husband's two shirts into undershirts for herself and her daughter Akun to wear. They are the only two pieces of clothing in the tribe that are not made of kudzu animal skin. They are a reminder of family members and a symbol of authority.
Unexpectedly, in her twilight years, this woman from her motherland who suddenly broke in and wore a softer cloth opened the door to her imagination again with simple and straightforward language.
But soon, the old female chief seemed to suddenly realize something, and her expression became serious.
"Mrs. Zheng, you just said that today's big ships only take one day and one night to travel from the motherland to our island. When Apeng escaped, he said that he saw eight sunrises on the ship. Therefore, the world of heaven, earth and sea is no longer what it was when my great ancestor Is that so?"
Zheng Haizhu sighed, found a branch, and simply drew the Ming Dynasty, Taiwan, Manchuria, European countries, and the American continent on the ground.
"Yes, grandma," Zheng Haizhu pointed to the ground, "Since large ships have been docked at Bengang in the north to draw water recently, I'm afraid that all kinds of Frankies will soon break into the entire island. .”
The female chief and her daughter Kun, who was about to inherit the mantle, stared blankly at the pattern on the ground that looked like deer spots.
"Catch, catch." A Kun raised his head and said to Zheng Haizhu.
Grandma Wen fell into silence.
…
It was night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and the evening breeze from the South China Sea, even in early spring, was still as warm as a loving mother's hands.
Although most of the members of this Siraya tribe, which has the blood of survivors of the Southern Song Dynasty, cannot speak Chinese, they generously offer the most simple celebrations to comfort the mainland visitors who meet by chance.
Zheng Haizhu stood in the corner of the training ground, watching the men of his compatriots who had survived the disaster. They were drunk with local wine brewed from wild millet, and they jumped into the field one after another and joined the local people dancing around the bonfire. Men and girls.
Yan Siqi was also among them.
Zheng Haizhu knew his drinking capacity, and it was not an exaggeration to say there was a bottomless pit.
But at this moment, he seemed to be completely drunk, and his usual sophistication was gone.
Laughing and dancing at the same time, like a hard-working actor or a funny bear.
The more Zheng Haizhu looked, the more uncomfortable he felt, and his brows knitted together involuntarily.
"Azhu, if you are worried about your fellow countryman, how about I drag him out and send him to rest?"
Ma Xianglin stepped on the shadow of the banana tree and walked over and asked softly.
Zheng Haizhu waved his hand: "As long as he is happy, he is tired from repairing the ship these days, so let him take it easy."
Then he asked: "Why don't you go and have fun?"
Ma Xianglin said: "I just poured wine on the three brothers on the shore and paid homage to them for a while. I'm really not in the mood."
As soon as the words came out, Ma Xianglin felt that they were sarcastic to Yan Siqi, who also had his subordinates die in the naval battle.
He quickly changed his sarcastic tone and said: "Besides, I can handle guns and sticks just fine, but I can't stand dancing like this. My mother just laughed at me. Shili people, regardless of gender, are all good at singing and dancing, but I was the one who played and played. The sound makes people stiff."
Zheng Haizhu pursed her lips: "Oh, by the way, General Ma..."
"I said, just call me Xianglin."
"Xiang Lin, to tell you the truth, when I first learned about your identity in the bandit village, I really wanted to meet General Qin."
Ma Xianglin did not hide his pride and said openly: "I often hear people say this. My mother is indeed powerful. Her reputation is not built by any disciples or old officials, but by battles. . Unfortunately, my marksmanship is still not as good as hers. She has experienced hundreds of battles and has never been injured. The first time I mounted my horse to kill the enemy, I made the enemy earn a piece of meat."
When the young general said this, he touched the scar on his face and looked up at the bright moon in the sky.
Zheng Haizhu knew that he was homesick for his family, and waited for him to look at the moon and express his feelings. After a while, he spoke again: "When I saw Grandma Wen today, I couldn't help but think about how the Siraya people have been rooted on the island for generations. If there are Han people who share the same blood, in fact, the imperial court can do the same to you, the Shitu Chieftain, by conferring titles, rewards, and recruiting into a state and a prefecture of the Ming Dynasty, and then migrate people from Fujian to teach farming and train standing soldiers. , isn't it a good thing for the court and the natives to resist the enemies who invade the sea areas?"
Ma Xianglin withdrew his gaze from the blue sky and focused on the woman's shining eyes.
"Azhu, when you think about it like this, you are actually planning a way out for someone, right?"
Zheng Haizhu lowered his eyes: "I am so lucky to meet all smart people."
Ma Xianglin sighed softly and said, "I'll take you to see your father-in-law. He has something to tell you."
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