Appreciation of Short Stories: Black Grass

Chi Yixin is a photographer. After retirement, he began to travel around and take photos. He likes to travel alone.

His first stop was Yunnan. He doesn't go to tourist attractions, but only likes running in underdeveloped rural areas with inconvenient transportation. He believes that only places that tourists rarely go to can have a real original ecology and can shoot good works with characteristics.

One day, Chi Yixin came to a mountainous area and happened to meet a crowded market.

As soon as I saw the opportunity, I picked up the camera to capture the lens.

Suddenly, a little boy came over and pulled a new dress and said, "Uncle, look at my black grass, the best wild black grass. Grandpa said, Tai Po."

Chi Yixin found that this is a teenage boy, thin and dark, with bright eyes. Chi Yixin thinks that this child is about the same age as his grandson. He can speak a few words of English, play video games and never even sweep the floor. Children of the same age in the mountains have been running for their lives and setting up stalls alone. Inevitably, they felt sour in their hearts, so they stopped and paid attention to what the children said. Chi Yixin was a biology teacher in middle school before she retired, and she still knew something about plants. He looks at the grass and feels like Dendrobium candidum, which is a Chinese medicine that can compete with ginseng blindly.

Chi Yixin quickly asked, "Where did this black grass come from?"

The boy said, "It was picked on the mountain, but it was not high." I picked it with grandpa. It's dangerous. "

Later, I remembered that Dendrobium candidum usually grows on the semi-humid rocks in the mountain area of 1600 meters, which is consistent with what the children said.

Chi Yixin asked again, "What disease does this black grass cure?"

The child corrected and said, "This is a tonic. Grandpa said to tonify the kidney and nourish the stomach. "

Chi Yixin remembers that the function of Dendrobium candidum is to promote fluid production, nourish stomach, nourish yin and clear heat, moisten lung and kidney, improve eyesight and strengthen waist, which is basically consistent with what the child said, so he said, "Is this Dendrobium candidum?" The child thought for a moment and replied, "I don't know that Dendrobium is not Dendrobium, but it is also called iron drum."

Chi Yixin became interested and asked, "Where is your grandfather? Why did you come alone? "

The child said, "Grandpa is sick and lying in bed. Mom and dad went to work in other places. I am the only man in my family. If I don't come, who will? "

"Well, I want all these black grasses. Can you go to your house and have a look? " Chi Yixin wants to know the real life of the mountain people. He gave the boy 300 yuan money.

The boy was so happy that he went to his house with Chi Yixin. On the way, the boy told Chi Yixin that his name was Tiepi, and his parents divorced and hadn't been home for several years. He can only live with his grandfather in the mountains collecting medicine and selling money.

Chi Yixin found the iron home with excellent feng shui. There is a pond in front of the house, but the house is too shabby and doesn't match the green mountains and green waters.

The room is empty, and two baskets and two small hoes are prominently placed in the room. Chi wholeheartedly guessed that this was a tool for father and daughter to collect Dendrobium candidum on the mountain. Grandpa Tietin was lying in bed coughing and panting loudly. It seems that this old chronic bronchitis is not a day or two.

Grandpa saw that there were guests at home, so he asked Tiepi to pick some vegetables in the field and entertain the guests for dinner. He also said that he would bring medicinal liquor that had been soaked for many years.

Chi Yixin stopped the iron sheet. He said, "I don't eat rice. I brought dry food. " Come, come to grandpa, and I'll take a picture of your grandparents and grandchildren as a souvenir. "

Chi Yixin asked Tiepi, "Is there a good scenery nearby?"

Tiepi volunteered and said, "I'll lead the way. I am familiar with this mountain. "

When I went out, I carried a basket on my iron back, saying that I could pick herbs by the way.

The scenery in the mountains is really good, and it is very rewarding to enter the camera late one by one.

When we broke up, Chi Yixin took out 1000 yuan and gave it to Tiepi, saying that he would treat your grandfather.

Tin handed Chi Yixin a bag of black grass in the basket and said, "You gave me too much, so I can't take your money any more."

Chi Yixin said, "I'm going to take pictures. This fresh Dendrobium candidum is not convenient to take. So, I'll leave it to you first and send it to me when I have a chance. "

Tiepi carefully said to Chi Yixin, "Uncle, leave an address and I promise to send it to you."

Chi Yixin thought about it, took out a business card and handed it to Tiepi, saying, "Call me or write if you encounter any difficulties in the future."

When I came back from my new tour, I was busy with photo post-processing and left everything else behind. About three months later, the school called Chi Yixin and said that there was a package list and asked him to get it.

I didn't expect it to be a big bag of Dendrobium candidum.

There are iron letters in it.

Uncle:

Hello!

Grandpa said that fresh Dendrobium candidum can't be sent, it should be bad. I'll dry it before sending it. Please forgive me for the delay of several months. I collected all these Dendrobium candidum from the mountains, and they are all wild.

Grandpa passed away last month. Grandpa said before closing his eyes, be sure to remember to send you dried black grass. Don't forget! ?

hope

Good people are rewarded!

iron sheet

(Original "Phoenix in the Woods")

Published in the campus edition of Short Story Monthly in May 2022.