"For this kind of cassava, you first have to choose a piece of land... We don't want to compete with the good fields opened by the river. For cassava, we don't pick the land, we just find a piece of land that is slightly higher, loose and sandy... Hmm
?This land is good and the soil is not bad..."
The sun is very high in the summer of July. Even in the early morning, people are still sweating. The river not far away flows quietly, and the small moorings formed during the rainy season are floating with waves.
Chihuaco, an old militiaman, wore a turban to protect him from the sun, carried a digging stick, and carried a basket of cassava stalks on his back. He was looking for high ground while poking probingly into the soil. Behind him,
They were three children, Chipawa, Dark Snake and Didi, who were also wearing turbans and carrying digging sticks. Mecat, the divine priest, also followed behind and came to help.
"Well...the soil is very loose, and the roots of these weeds are also shallow, so they are easy to pull out..."
The old militiaman explored all the way until he came to a small flat slope and dug three inches into the soil. Then he squatted down, pulled out two weeds, and grabbed a handful of sand on the ground before saying with satisfaction.
"Let's go here! The ground where cassava is planted must be deep, thick and loose! The roots it takes are so deep!... Come, just dig up and pull out the roots of all the weeds in a radius of forty steps from here to here.
!」
"Uh?...Okay, Dad!"
The wasteland warrior Chippawa looked confused and stared at the soil under his feet. He couldn't tell whether the soil was good or bad, but he was very strong. Everyone worked together for a long time before roughly cleaning up this small piece of sandy soil.
.Then, the old militiaman was full of energy, with a smile on his face. He squatted on the ground and began to teach Chippawa how to grow cassava.
"Dig a small pit, about half an arm deep. Then, put the end of the cassava stem down, straight to the bottom, and cover it with soil... Yes, that's it, don't press it too hard... The soil is a bit dry
, I’ll fetch some water later and pour it on again..."
"Grow cassava in the stems..."
The wilderness warrior Chippawa squatted on the ground, holding the soil with his hands, and carefully inserted the cassava stalk. At this moment, he looked at his palms covered with soil, feeling inexplicably in a trance, and there was something absurd in the trance like a dream. Last time,
It was more than seven years ago that he and his father went to the fields together. Before yesterday, he had never thought that these hands that were used to holding spears and copper axes, these hands that were used to killing and hunting, could still
Will grow crops again…
"You kid! What are you thinking about!"
Chihuaco, an old militiaman, stretched out his hand and grabbed his son's ears habitually. It felt very good, very good.
"Did you listen to me carefully? You have to memorize it! When I leave, you will have to grow it yourself! This cassava will grow in seven or eight months, and then you can separate the stalks again.
Quadrupling the area for expansion..."
"Ah? Dad! It hurts, it hurts!..."
The wasteland warrior Chippawa subconsciously avoided, and then stopped abruptly, which made his father realize it. He scratched his hair and made up a question casually.
"Dad...I just thought...Why is this cassava planted vertically? Can't I plant it diagonally? Can't I bury it sideways in the soil? Why does it have to be planted vertically?..."
Hearing such a question that hit his soul, the old militiaman was startled and let go of his hand.
"Hey! You kid! That's a good question...let me think about it..."
"On Snake Island in Cuba, most of the Taíno tribes grow cassava in vertical rows...but I remember there is a tribe in the Heilongjiang River who grow cassava in a diagonal position. I also asked them out of curiosity.
It is said that if you insert the roots straight up, the roots will be very deep. They can withstand strong winds, have a lot of water, and are not afraid of drought... But there is one disadvantage, that is, the roots grow too deep and it is too troublesome to dig!…"
"Later, they tried planting them diagonally...and found that the roots of cassava were tilted to one side and became much shallower, making it much easier to dig..."
"As for what you said about planting the seeds flat... I think it might work! I just don't know, if you plant them like this, what will the cassava look like? Will it grow on one end, or will it have roots on both ends?..."
The old militiaman squatted on the ground, thinking seriously and mumbling to himself. Chippawa stood close to him, looking at his thinking father with a look of reverence and ignorance, just like when he was a child.
Behind them, everyone smiled knowingly when they saw this heartwarming scene. Dark Snake was happy for Father Qi for a moment, then suddenly lowered his voice.
Lowering his head, his face showed sadness.
"Father Qi... found his son..."
Priest Mecat next to him narrowed his eyes and keenly noticed the expression of the young Dark Snake. He pondered for a while, then silently walked to Dark Snake and patted the young man on the shoulder.
"God bless you! It's so good!"
"Well... God bless you!"
Dark Snake lowered his head and responded softly. There was obvious loss on his face, and he seemed to have remembered something, revealing an unconcealable sadness.
"Dark Snake, this time, we survived the storm because of the blessing of the Lord God! Captain Qi, we and you are all people who have been noticed and blessed by the Lord God!..."
Priest Mekat had a gentle smile and his words were persuasive, just like when he preached, they fell silently into his heart.
"The Lord God bless you!...Dark Snake, I remember that you were born in the Water Valley City area, from Tlaxcala, right? After experiencing this test from the gods, have you ever thought about your father...maybe he
He's still alive!..." Hearing this, Dark Snake trembled, but still lowered his head and said nothing. Priest Mecat took another step forward and rubbed Dark Snake's head, just like the old militiaman Chihuaco liked to do.
.And this familiar intimate action made the young man couldn't help but tremble.
"Dark snake!... I have gone through so many dangers and storms on this journey to the east... There are more than 200 people in the four longships returning, but there are only 20 of us left..."
Priest Mecat's voice was low, his eyes were gentle, and his words were full of sincerity.
"You are the youngest crew member in the fleet, and we all treat you like a child... No matter where your father goes, or whether Father Qi has found his son... you are all the children of our fleet!... From now on,
Just follow us! As long as we are here, your home will be..."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Home?..." cabin
Hearing these words, Dark Snake was shaken. He raised his head and stared blankly at the kind and kind Priest Mekart, and suddenly shed tears.
"Woo!...Father Mekart...Woo!...I don't have a father anymore...The day Shuigu City fell, my father left me and ran north...He doesn't want me anymore...Father Qi also has a son...Woo!
Woo!…”
Hearing this, Priest Mekart raised his brows, and a light flashed in his eyes. He lowered his head, hugged Dark Snake's shoulders, and led the other party to the field on the other side with soft but powerful steps.
"Hey! Dark Snake... don't cry... your father... it was a war time after all! But, it's different now! His Majesty said that the people of Tlaxcala are also subjects of the kingdom! In the lake
The Middle Kingdom even formed the Tlaxcala Serpent Corps and recruited thousands of Tlaxcala warriors! ...Both you and your father have now been pardoned by His Majesty and have become members of the kingdom.
!」
"Ah?...Really...really?"
Dark Snake's voice was a little trembling. After a long voyage and exploration, and experiencing so many lives and deaths, he had long had a strong sense of belonging to the fleet. And he also felt a sense of belonging to the always gentle Priest Mecat.
Trust. At this moment, with hope, he opened his eyes and looked at Priest Mecat.
"Has His Majesty really pardoned us? Even...the descendants of Tlaxcala..."
"Goddess? That's true!..."
Hearing this, Priest Mekart was shocked. His eyes were still gentle, his actions were still kind, and his tone was sincere.
"Of course! Even the descendants of Tlaxcala are accepted by the kingdom..."
"Dark Snake, believe me... If you are willing, tell me your father's name, and I can find out for you!... Maybe I can help you find him among the hundreds of thousands of migrating Tlaxcala tribe...
"
This time, Dark Snake was silent for a long time and did not speak for a long time. Priest Mecat's eyes flashed and he sighed secretly. It seemed that it was not yet time. But he still smiled gently and gave Dark Snake a warm hug.
"Forget it! Dark Snake, let bygones be bygones!...From now on, you are our child, and we are all your fathers..."
"His name is Black Snake..."
"Um?"
Dark Snake lowered his head and hugged Priest Mekart, his body trembling slightly.
His voice was very small, but it was clear enough for Mecat to hear.
"My father, his name is Black Snake... he is the lord of Shuigu City... "Black Snake" Turcotte..."
"Lord of Water Valley City? "Black Snake" Turcotte?!..."
On the other side of the embrace, Priest Mekart suddenly raised his head and smiled at the corner of his mouth.
"Good boy, I remember..."
This chapter has been completed!