Poor family mother and son

Chapter 146 Sheep Shearing Festival ([-])

"Hu Aiqing, why are your hands shaking?" The emperor was in a good mood, seeing Hu Hengqiu's hand holding the letter trembling slightly, he knew that this fellow was concerned about money.

"Chen...Chen is happy!" Hu Hengqiu gritted his teeth "happily".

"Hahahaha!" The emperor laughed heartily, "What is this?" The emperor saw the words on the back of the letter.

Hu Hengqiu quickly turned the letter over, leaned to the emperor to read it, and saw that there was indeed a word on the back:
Lucky for a horse,
Please accept it carefully.

If you ask where the tax money comes from,
All about wool and cotton!
"Wool? Cotton? Shouldn't it be iron and salt?" The emperor looked at Hu Hengqiu suspiciously, and Hu Hengqiu shrugged: How would I know!
Hubu Shangshu didn't see the content of the letter, but he saw the emperor's face, and he stepped forward to ask: "Your Majesty, can I still get a horse?"

Minister of the Ministry of War had an expression of "asking the same question, asking the same question".

The emperor was at a loss for words, he didn't know, who knew what Chu Qing was doing.Logically speaking, if Chu Qing got the franchise, then salt and iron should be the main source of income.

But this doggerel showed that Chu Qing didn't want to rely on these two things to make a fortune.What a cautious man!

The emperor was quite relieved. If Chu Qing really went to Voss to sell salt and iron products, he would be a "royal chartered smuggler".The emperor will keep the court ministries and the aristocratic families under control.

Voss Meadows.

The Sheep Shearing Festival of the herdsmen has been carried on to the second day.

On the first day, the herdsmen drove the sheep down the river to take a bath.The long song of the shepherd boy sounded:

"It's shearing time again,
We are reunited again.

In this happy holiday,
Can my sister make me a new dress?

I will treat you well,

Always keep it in my heart! "

Driving the sheep to take a bath is not only to wash away the dust, but also an important moment related to the fate of the whole flock.

A flock of sheep sometimes has no leader. Crossing the river is a test. Which sheep is fearless, then it may be the leader in the future.

It is dangerous to become a new leader without enough experience. There was a legend that a leader led thousands of sheep into the abyss.

Therefore, the leader of the flock is very important.

After the flock has finished taking a bath, they have to adapt to the temperature on the shore, and observe that the flock has no discomfort before the herdsmen drive them home.

Today is the second day, wearing a thick mask, Chu Qing enthusiastically visited the grand scene of the herdsmen shearing sheep.Herdsmen from several villages got together and started scissors.

After the flock took a bath yesterday, the wool on their bodies was clean and smooth, so that when the herdsmen cut the scissors, they would not be entangled in the wool, nor would they hurt the sheep.

The men tied the hooves of the sheep one by one and put them on the ground.The women squatted on the ground clutching the scissors, just waiting to start.

This is a competition for several villages, and they have to compete every year.Chu Qing didn't know what to compare in shearing sheep, was it compared to speed?That should be done by the men.

The veterinarian Antuta took out a "Dangre" and put it to his mouth. A sharp and high-pitched flute sounded, and the women immediately began to shear the sheep.

"Dangre" is an eagle bone flute with five holes and a very nice sound.Antuta is used as a "starting gun".As soon as the flute sounded, only the clicking sound of scissors was heard, and piles of wool were cut off.

The women's hands are fast, and the big scissors seem to have souls in their hands. They walk in the thick wool, almost disappearing, but the wool is falling off one after another.

The outer layer of wool is a little yellow, especially the wool on the tail of the sheep is still in a lock, which looks dirty.Some women do not cut off the tail hair; some women leave the head and chest hair on the sheep, and a good sheep looks more like a lion with big spiral horns; some leave the hair on the four hooves without cutting off .

Chu Qing was wearing a thick mask and couldn't help covering her mouth.Although the wool on the inner layer is very white, the place is full of the stinky sheep smell, it really stinks!
"Antuta, why did they leave so much hair for the sheep?" Chu Yuan asked Chu Qing's doubts.

"They mark the sheep of their own family. The sheep of each family are cut in different shapes so that there will be no confusion. The ones that keep wool are also rams. The rams are the most beautiful." Antuta said while saying laugh.

Now it became clear why the women were the ones who sheared the sheep. The shapes they made for the sheep were very distinctive, and the wool was cut very neatly.

It is also a technical job to be able to cut neatly with scissors.This is not as smooth as an electric fader, which is pushed down one after another.

The place where the scissors have cut will naturally leave a series of "edges" and "pits".

People with skillful hands will turn the cut marks into a sweater with "pit strips", each pit is aligned, and each edge is also aligned.If it is not skilled enough, it will be uneven and the pits will be mottled.

There was an eight or nine-year-old boy participating in a sheep-shearing competition. He didn't seem to have a mother, and his grandmother was ill, so he came to participate.

The kid sheared it very quickly, but the sheep looked ridiculous after being sheared, with the wool on its body pitted and wrapped, which made the adults laugh.

Elderly women moved out of the yurt to play the fluffy wool, and sat together, twisting wool and watching the competition.

Chu Qing leaned over to watch them spinning carefully.They use the hook at one end of the spindle made of sheep bone sticks to catch a bit of wool fiber, and the other hand holding the wool twists the wool a little bit, twisting the wool evenly into a length of thread, and then loosens the spindle, letting the spindle Its own weight pulls the wool little by little to grow into a long yarn.

Twist the wool with one hand, and turn the spindle while stroking the thread with the other. The fluffy wool turns into wool as it turns from the left hand to the right hand.

It was an interesting process, but Chu Qing was not envious.Wool has not been degreased, it smells very strong, and it is very hard. If you wear it on your body, it will prick your skin even through underwear.

Also, only one spindle is used, so the speed of wool production is too slow.It is estimated that the wood here is scarce, and the poor cannot make spinning wheels.In Voss, it is illegal to cut down trees without a permit.

Probably due to being in it for a long time and not smelling the smell, Chu Qing now doesn't feel how smelly it is, but he still refuses to take off the mask, fearing that floating fibers will get into his nose and mouth.

Chu Qing walked around and looked around, and finally returned to the sheep.The sheared sheep seem much more relaxed. The weather is getting hotter and the sheep seem to be very comfortable, walking around lightly looking for grass to eat.

Chu Qing was happy to see the big spiral horn, which is the symbol of Tan sheep.Beach wool is the best wool.

Wool, the thick one is wool, and the thin one is velvet.If the thread is thick, the thread will be too prickly to the skin, and if it is thin, it will have no elasticity.

Only this kind of beach wool has no difference between wool and velvet. The fibers are long and soft, and the clothes made of it are not sticky and elastic.

What a gift from God!It seemed that beautiful sweaters and scarves appeared in front of Chu Qing's eyes!

　Emperor Qingde: Come on, Chu Aiqing!I like you!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)