I Got Rich in Period Fiction
Chapter 226 The Use of Corn Leaves

Chapter 226: Chapter 226 The Use of Corn Leaves

Qiao Shengbao didn’t know what Qiao Qingyu was up to, so he slowed down the bike. Qiao Qingyu hopped off, looked around, and sure enough, they had taken the wrong path—this road led to Hejia Village. Not far off, the water shimmered in the light; wasn’t that the big river?

Qiao Qingyu pointed ahead, laughing, "Brother Shengbao, look where you’ve taken me?"

Qiao Shengbao squinted and took a good look, then his face turned red all of a sudden, and he scratched his head, "I didn’t remember it wrong, this is the road."

"A road can indeed be taken the wrong way."

Because it also has two directions!

Qiao Qingyu didn’t say much, because that’s just how he was—a person who truly had no sense of direction.

Today’s temperature was much higher than usual, and the autumn sunlight was particularly warm. The sky was a deep, clear blue. Since they had cycled here, she pointed to the river ahead and told Qiao Shengbao she wanted to walk along the riverbank.

That was doable.

Qiao Shengbao, with the heart of a child, happily took Qiao Qingyu to the riverbank, where he then parked the bike in a drainage ditch by the road.

The river was tens of meters wide and a tributary of Longjiang, nurturing hundreds of thousands of people in the area.

The river was deep, and although it was autumn and the water level should have dropped, a heavy rain a few days prior had raised it again.

However, the water was no longer as warm as in summer, especially during the busy farming season, so there were only one or two people washing clothes by the river, while several figures could be made out on the opposite bank.

Qiao Qingyu went to the riverbank.

She stood next to the large rock where she was said to have fallen into the water; the rock was big, with a bit of a slope.

At the age of twelve, she had fallen into the water from that very rock.

The water in the north differed from that in the south; in the south, the large and small rivers flowed gently, whereas in the north, the currents were swift and even the sound of the water could be heard.

The water near the bank was clear to the bottom, but looking further out, it turned black. It wasn’t that the water was dirty, but rather that it was very deep in that spot.

The river also had a name—Black Water River.

After circling around and finding no memories, she looked up to see an old lady on the opposite bank staring at her.

On closer inspection, it turned out to be Granny He.

Her body was still robust, even though her hair had gone completely white.

He Xiuyu had mentioned that He Shan planned to take them to Beijing for care during the winter.

After all, they were elderly, and He Shan was their only son.

Behind her, Qiao Shengbao said that when they weren’t so busy, he’d come to catch some fish, as the carp were the fattest during this season.

They could also catch some Mai Suiyu to make fish sauce.

At that moment, a grasshopper’s chirping noise came from the distant grass, and Qiao Shengbao’s eyes lit up before he darted towards it.

Qiao Qingyu glanced at Granny He and walked up towards the riverbank.

This greeting couldn’t be made; it was too awkward.

By the time she turned back around, Granny He had already left.

She had no idea what Granny He was doing by the river.

Qiao Qingyu stood beside the grass, watching Qiao Shengbao jump like a toad.

And wouldn’t you know it, he actually caught a grasshopper.

Grasshoppers were scarce at this time of year. This one was a shiny, oily green and kept chirping incessantly even after being caught.

Qiao Shengbao carelessly handed the grasshopper to Qiao Qingyu, "Qingyu, hold this for a moment while I make a grasshopper cage."

Qiao Qingyu rolled her eyes inwardly.

Qiao Shengbao didn’t look at Qiao Qingyu’s expression and placed the grasshopper in her hand, Qiao Qingyu hurriedly gripped it, but shivered all over. Though she wasn’t afraid of the creature, she couldn’t stand the grasshopper thumping vigorously in the palm of her hand, causing goosebumps all over her body. She quickly took out a handkerchief to wrap it.

At that time, Qiao Shengbao had already picked a few willow branches by the river and sat down to start weaving.

Qiao Shengbao was skilled with his hands, and had learned how to make grasshopper cages from a young age.

The cages he made had several layers and even a small door.

But those types of grasshopper cages were woven from sorghum stalks, whose outer skin was similar to bamboo, and the inner core could be used as a support; willow branches were somewhat inferior in comparison.

Qiao Qingyu sat beside him, then watched with interest as Qiao Shengbao’s nimble hands flew up and down.

Suddenly, she had a thought, "Brother Shengbao, do you plan to farm forever?"

"What else can I do if I don’t farm? I don’t want to study either."

"Have you ever tried weaving with corn leaves?"

"What can you weave with corn leaves? Are they not just for burning?"

"Who said that? If processed properly, corn leaves can be weaved into anything."

"How do you know?" Qiao Shengbao stopped his movements and his eyes lit up, "Ah, you saw it in Xichuan, right?" His interest piqued, he asked Qiao Qingyu to tell him what kinds of things could be made with corn leaves and how they would look.

"...Hats, shoes, sugar jars, tote bags, vases..."

"You can weave hats and shoes? Really?" Qiao Shengbao stopped his work in surprise.

"Why not? How do you think straw shoes are made?" Qiao Qingyu gave him a look.

Qiao Shengbao continued weaving the grasshopper cage, but there was a new glint in his eyes.

Soon, the cage was finished.

Qiao Qingyu hurriedly placed the grasshopper wrapped in the handkerchief inside, but didn’t expect the handkerchief to get soiled by the grasshopper, so she had no choice but to take it to the river to clean.

Qiao Shengbao, carrying the grasshopper cage, followed Qiao Qingyu closely, inquiring whether the things woven from corn leaves looked good, if they were prone to deformation.

Qiao Qingyu had seen the process on the internet, so she roughly described it to him.

Qiao Shengbao’s eyes twinkled, and he handed the grasshopper cage to Qiao Qingyu before mounting his bicycle with her and pedaling off in the opposite direction—they would just ride backward if forward wasn’t right.

By the time they got home, the dumplings were already wrapped, just waiting for Qiao Qingyu to come and cook them. Han Xianglan and the others were also there. Her uncle had returned home early, and one could tell he must have ridden in the wrong direction. Upon arrival, he received a kick and a scolding, "It’s just one road; how can you get it wrong? Are your eyes just for show?"

Qiao Shengbao wasn’t upset; he rubbed his bottom and dashed into the firewood shed at home, soon rustling up a large bundle of corn leaves.

These too were prepared for fuel, some still green, but others had already dried.

Qiao Qingyu didn’t expect such creativity and dexterity from Qiao Shengbao.

After cooking the dumplings, he had already finished half of the sugar jar.

Of course, Qiao Zhicai was also deft with his hands and wasn’t stingy with helpful comments.

The donkey meat dumplings were served, bitten into with a dip in garlic sauce, bursting with fresh flavor.

The room was small, so everyone ate outside. Two tables still weren’t enough, so they placed the dumplings in large bowls and sat on stools to enjoy them.

A total of five large pots were boiled, and by the time the last pot was cooked, those who ate first were already full.

Qiao Shengbao was preoccupied, not even taking the time to savor his favorite meat-filled dumplings. He finished a large bowl in a hurry and then sat cross-legged in the cool shade near the house roof, continuing to weave the sugar jar. He placed a porcelain sugar jar in front of him as a model.

Although only half-finished, it was easy to imagine that the final product would certainly be attractive.

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