My hometown is the Yellow River Flood Area in the lower reaches of the Yellow River in southwestern Shandong. The yellow land used by my father's generation was often flooded by the Yellow River water. The soil quality was not good. It was all saline-alkali land with white flowers. The yield of food crops was also low, so Commonly grown is the cash crop "hemp" which is "annoying" to people. My impression of growing hemp in the plains of southwestern Shandong is also very vague. I just remember that every day before dawn, my parents would pull the cart and walk into the hemp field in the misty morning to start harvesting hemp for the day. Harvesting hemp is a cumbersome process. According to "Tiangong Kaiwu" records, when the ancients used paper mulberry and other materials to make paper, they had to go through 72 large and small processes such as collecting, drying, and cooking. There were many processing procedures, so people often Saying "trouble" is the origin of the word!
Nowadays, with the development of science and technology and the progress of the times, colorful, solid and durable nylon ropes have gradually replaced the hemp ropes made with traditional techniques. Hemp is used less and less in daily life. The reliance on hemp products is getting smaller and smaller, and the economic value of hemp is getting lower and lower. So many years ago, hemp was no longer grown in my hometown, and ancient traditional skills such as hemp rope making and hemp twisting have disappeared. , the past events of using hemp stalks to light fires and lights have long been sealed in the memory of history.
1. Cultivating hemp is the most tiring and is only suitable for strong laborers.
In the countryside of the Luyu Plain, the habit of cultivating hemp has been common for generations. Most of the hemp grown is amaranth.
A local proverb says: Before and after the Qingming Festival, plant pitted beans. Hemp likes water and humidity, so it is mostly planted in ditches with low terrain. The depressions collect water and fertilizer, and the soil is fertile, which is not only conducive to the growth of hemp, but also avoids the invasion of wind, allowing the luxuriance of life to continue in a corner that is blocked from all sides.
In the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the golden breeze blows up and the hemp leaves turn yellow. At this time, the hemp stalks grow taller and mature, and the farmers begin to harvest them, which is commonly known as "killing hemp". There are many ways to kill hemp, the most common of which are cutting with a sickle or directly pulling out the roots.
However, pulling hemp is laborious and tiring, and it is only suitable for strong laborers, not women and children. After all, the land is porcelain, and the hemp roots are well developed and deeply rooted in the ground. The farmers have no gloves to wear, so they often cut their palms red after picking up a few plants. Moreover, the roots of the hemp still have to be chopped off with a knife.
In comparison, cutting hemp with a sickle is much more labor-saving. It reduces the process of chopping hemp roots, which can save a lot of time and effort.
When the hemp grows to the top, it will naturally branch, and the hemp tips are slender and of little use. After the hemp is put to the ground, the branches and hemp tips must be cut off with a sickle.
After the hemp matures, the hemp leaves near the roots will naturally fall off, but there are still many leaves on them, which need to be brushed off by hand.
The work of brushing hemp leaves is not tiring, women and children can do it. As the arms are raised slightly, the leaves on the hemp poles fall one after another, and the straight hemp poles are gathered at the edge of the field, arranged according to their length. Thick and fine are sorted into piles.
When bundling, find two small hemp stalks that are too slender and useless and can be used as ropes by twisting them end-to-end. Then tie the two ends of the hemp poles together with the roots facing down and stand them up. After a few pauses on the ground, a linen bundle was completed.
The flax bales are usually not big, usually only two or three handfuls thick. One laborer can easily carry two bales of flax to a flat open area, then load them into a frame truck and take them home and stack them first. , wait for the right opportunity to "ret the hemp".
2. Retting hemp is an extremely tedious, dirty and tiring farm work
A local proverb says: It is easy to grow hemp, but difficult to retting it. Choosing a suitable pit and pond for retting may seem simple, but it is actually not easy.
Fortunately, there was abundant rain in the old days, and there were many large or small ponds in and outside the village, which were full of water all year round. However, not every pit and pond is suitable for retting. The water is too shallow, and the hemp bundles cannot be buried, and the hemp bundles cannot be soaked; the water is too deep, the sunlight cannot reach the bottom of the water, retting is too slow, and the water depth cannot wedge the wooden piles. , it is difficult to fix the hemp bundle in position, and it also brings a lot of inconvenience to the future fishing.
In fact, there are not many pits and ponds that fully meet the water level standards for retting. As long as the depth of the water is roughly at the same level as an adult's chest, farmers will just make do with it.
In addition to strict requirements on water depth, pits and ponds for retting must also meet other necessary conditions. For example, there must be a flat open space on the bank of the pit to facilitate the carriage and removal of hemp; it is best to have a pit beside the pond. Trees can be used to dry hemp bark by pulling ropes.
In the past, although not every household grew sesame seeds, when it was time for hemp retting, the crowds around the pits and ponds would be as crowded as if there was a war. Sometimes the ponds in the village were full, and a cart of hemp seeds had to be dragged there. Find another place in another village.
In the countryside, retting hemp is an extremely tedious, dirty and tiring farm work. Strong laborers only wear underpants and stand in the cold pits for several hours. The intensity of labor is huge. The harsh working environment tests and tempers the farmers' physical strength and endurance.
When I was a child, I witnessed the whole process of my grandfather’s retting with my own eyes. That unforgettable memory still remains with me.
One late autumn afternoon, my grandfather pulled a cart of hemp to a puddle not far to the west of my house.
There is a pool of stagnant water in the puddle, with several bluestones scattered around the water. It is usually a place where village women do their laundry.
After my grandfather stopped the carriage, my grandparents and I carried the hemp bundles one by one to the pond. Grandfather looked around, pointed to a place in the middle of the pond and said, let's retting there.
Immediately, my grandfather took off his cloth shoes and trousers, held a few hemp bundles in his hand, and stepped forward on the soft mud. When my grandfather almost reached the center of the pond, the water was already waist deep. At this time, he threw the linen bundle into the water.
After going back and forth for several times, my grandfather finally brought all the hemp bundles in the car to the center of the pond, stacked them one by one horizontally and vertically, tied them firmly with hemp ropes, and moved a few large rocks to press the hemp bundles above.
The last time he went into the water, my grandfather held a wooden prong and hammer in his hand. He bent down and groped in the water to wedge the long wooden prong into the hemp bundle to prevent the hemp bundle from floating and swimming in the water. .
After such a busy work, the elderly grandfather was a little overwhelmed, and his skinny body began to tremble.
Grandma asked with concern if it was a problem. Grandpa said nonchalantly, "It's nothing. It's just too cold to eat. You go back and cook first, and I'll put these rocks on top and leave."
Because hemp stalks are light, loose in texture, and have a small specific gravity, they float easily after sinking to the bottom of the water. Sometimes even pressing rocks and wedges with wooden prongs will not help.
To be sure, experienced farmers will use shovels to scoop out mud from the bottom of pits and cover the hemp bundles. This can keep the hemp stalks at the bottom of the water, even if the water level in the pits drops. Some don't even come out of the water.
After some time, those empty hemp stalks drank enough water and suddenly gained weight, and they would naturally lie motionless at the bottom of the water.
3. During the retting season, the whole village is filled with an unpleasant odor
In the countryside of the past, farmers used this ancient traditional craft from generation to generation. Retting completely relies on natural fermentation without any auxiliary means.
Of course, the pollution brought by this original ecological retting method to the water quality of pits and ponds is also obvious.
In my memory, after the hemp bundle sank to the bottom of the water, within three to five days, the clear water in the pond began to change. First, it bubbled outward, and then a layer of water floated on the surface. The green foam and water quality also changed from clear to turbid. As time went by, the hemp stalks were fully fermented in the depths of the pond, and then emitted a strong rotten smell, mixed with the unique smell of fishy mud, which was blown by the wind. Once blown, it fills the air in the streets and alleys, enters the nostrils, gets into the clothes, and lingers for a long time.
During the period of retting, not only the pungent stench made the villagers unbearable and suffering, but also caused a disaster to the creatures in the pits and ponds. The ducks and geese all took shelter. The village women, who were accustomed to washing clothes in the pond, also moved their position to the clear river in front of the village.
If the weather is fine, the retting time can only be half a month and twenty days at most.
However, the last few days are often critical to the success or failure of retting. The farmers are preoccupied with things and cannot sit still at home. They have to go into the water to check almost every day, not daring to be careless at all.
Farmers know very well that if the retting of the hemp is raw, it will not be easy to peel off; if it is over-retting, it will also affect the quality of the hemp.
However, experienced farmers have also summed up many "indigenous methods" to judge whether the hemp is retting. For example, if you touch the hemp skin with your hands under the water, you can see that the hemp skin has softened, or you can gently touch it with your hands. Tear it off and the hemp skin will fall off, indicating that the hemp is retting.
After experiencing short-term suffocation with their noses covered again and again, the farmers finally looked forward to the day of hemp production.
The hemp stalks that had been soaked in the water were much heavier than before. The villagers ignored the pungent stench and jumped into the turbid puddle. They bent down and lifted the stones that were pressing on the hemp stalks. They moved the pieces away, pulled out the wooden prongs, cleaned up the mud attached to the hemp bales, and then pushed the hemp bales from the water to the shore.
At this time, those family members who were waiting eagerly by the pond were pulling and pulling, dragging the wet hemp bundles to the nearby open space.
4. Peeling hemp by hand is not tiring, but it is very dirty
Next, I started to work hard to peel hemp.
The hemp skin has been soaked in water for many days and has become soft and soft. It is not tiring to peel off by hand, but it is very dirty. The smell alone can overwhelm people.
Despite the overwhelming stench, the hemp naturally ferments in the sludge of the pits and ponds, and the whole body is covered in black mud and stains, which can easily stain clothes.
The village women had all put on tattered clothes that they rarely wear in ordinary times. Although the weather in late autumn was a bit cool, it was not yet cold. The male laborers simply went into battle shirtless, wearing big trousers and bare backs. It also saves you the trouble of washing clothes afterwards.
Farmers’ wisdom is always endless. Even in an uncomplicated process like peeling off hemp bark, they can come up with good ideas cleverly.
For example, a wooden prong about a foot long is often wedged in front of the hemp peeler within arm's reach. Don't underestimate this ugly guy. Its appearance increases the efficiency of peeling hemp several times.
The village woman peeling hemp sat down on the wooden pier, and the men randomly found a brick to put under their buttocks, or squatted directly on the ground, picked up a hemp pole, and skillfully moved the hemp. Tear a gap at the root, then hold the hemp pole with one hand, and grab the hemp bark with the other hand. Put the connection between the hemp bark and the hemp pole on the wooden prong, pull it hard with both hands, and there will be a sharp tingling sound. There was a sound, and the hemp skin quickly peeled off the hemp stem.
With the help of a small wooden prong, the whole process of peeling hemp is neat and smooth, and the hemp skin peeled off by this method is relatively complete and in good quality.
After the soft hemp skin was peeled off from the hemp pole, it became a messy mess. After being straightened, it was tied into handfuls, piled up and put aside, waiting for a while to rinse.
5. Washing hemp is also an out-and-out strenuous job
Washing hemp is also an out-and-out strenuous job. Not only does it take a lot of effort, but it also takes place in a cold pond. One stop lasts half a day, and is not something women or children can do. It is basically the exclusive preserve of male laborers.
There are also things to pay attention to when washing hemp. The freshly peeled hemp is messy, so you can't just wash your eyebrows and beard all at once.
Facing a mess, the man standing in the pond first untied the rope, shook it open, picked out the dirt and debris wrapped in it, and then grabbed one end, like a raccoon Like washing clothes, rinse it vigorously back and forth in the water, washing this end and that end until all the dirt attached to the surface of the hemp leather is removed, and then tie it up again as usual.
After all, there are few pits and ponds in and outside the village, and there are many families growing hemp. People often go to wash hemp before dawn, and each of them occupies a piece of water, just like rushing to the water market. He always arrives early. There were no interruptions at night, stirring up a pond of stagnant water.
The handfuls of originally dirty hemp skin were rubbed by pairs of rough hands of the farmers, and then washed over and over again in the water, losing their ugly camouflage, revealing a snow-white and clean appearance. Its true nature makes people fall in love with it and love it deeply.
Under the white sunshine, the farmers pulled up the hemp ropes between the trees, untied the washed hemp skins one by one, and hung them on the ropes to dry. With wind and sun, it took three or two days to tan the pockmarks into fluffy and white pimples.
6. Hemp is a treasure for farmers all over its body
Hemp may seem weak and unattractive, but it is full of treasures and has many uses. It is closely related to the production and life of farmers and is inseparable from it. .
After being washed and dried, the hemp skin is white in color, soft and tough, and exudes a light fragrance. After simple processing, the hemp skin becomes hemp fiber, which is hemp fiber. It can be made with simple tools or It can be twisted directly by hand to make a rope.
These thick or thin hemp ropes have low elasticity, heavy load-bearing, toughness and wear resistance, are insect-proof and mildew-proof, and are not afraid of being soaked in water and sun. Once they enter every corner of farm life, they will carry the years. The hardships connect the hope of survival, and it will not break after being used for several years, giving full play to the quality of soft yet strong and the character of forbearance and restraint.
The hemp stalks with the hemp skin peeled off are very brittle and break easily when broken, but they are also something that farmers can't put down.
In the countryside, hemp stalks are excellent firewood and an ideal ignition material. They burn without smoke, are not easy to extinguish when ignited, are not choking, have a strong fire, and are hard-headed, making them ideal for cooking. A good fuel for steamed buns.
More than twenty years later, hemp has long since disappeared from the fields of his hometown. Hemp rope has gradually faded away in production and life, and hemp products have been replaced by more items. However, the lush hemp fields outside the village in the past, as well as the difficult years when the villagers got up early to retting and wash hemp, have not been blurred and forgotten with the passage of time, but have become more and more clear and vivid. It broke into my dream unexpectedly and transformed into a lifetime of memories and lingering nostalgia.