Chapter 11 loofah

The loofah is the best kind of melon to grow.In Zhangmuxi, my grandma planted loofahs on the corner of the vegetable garden. The loofahs climbed along the fence, and the melons were long and short, slightly curved, with flowers hanging from the ends of the melons.The loofah flower is very ordinary, no one picks it, the loofah flower always likes to bloom at the highest point, holding the leaves high, from a distance, the loofah vine is full of golden flowers.The scene I saw was particularly spectacular in Daye, Hubei. The vehicles of the geological team passed Daye Lake every morning. There were endless loofah sheds beside the lake. The loofah flowers were in full bloom and the lake water was like a mirror.A round of wet sun was red, and the bottom string was still connected to the water, and the water was soaked red.A few small fishing boats were floating in the lake, and someone on the boat cast a net. The net was a bunch of red waves. The red waves rippled to the shore, and the reeds were also colored.

Zhangmuxi eats loofah and distinguishes fried, scrambled eggs and beaten egg soup.Eating loofah in summer has a refreshing feeling, especially if you use loofah soup to wash rice, it is very refreshing.Loofah is as delicious as snacks. When the loofah grows to have a network, it is not completely old. Take it off and cut into half-inch thick slices, wrap it in rice flour, steam it, then dry it, fry it in tea oil, it is very crispy, and it has the aroma of rice flour. The dry incense is also used for tea.The tea in Zhangmuxi is not very particular, but the refreshments are very particular. On weekdays, visitors must serve refreshments.There is a tin pot for making tea in my house. I don’t know how many years it has been. The two handles are flat brass. When the tin pot is put down, it will fall to both sides naturally. There are two small round platforms on the tin pot, which were knocked down by the handle. How many years will it take to go on?Loofah is something light.

Every year, a few old loofahs have to be kept as seeds, and the loofahs are taken. The old loofahs are picked off, dried in the sun, and the outer skin and inner loofah seeds are knocked off. The loofah seeds are not delicious and have a fishy smell.The loofah is white and slightly yellow. Use it to wash dishes and pots, wipe the lid of the pot, and use it to take a bath.I use a loofah to take a bath. The new loofah is too sticky. When I rub it on my body, my skin turns red, like a soft file, and I need to put some soap on it to lubricate it.I usually choose a small loofah, which feels softer.

I also grew loofahs in Hubei, and I chose fatter loofahs. The loofahs were fat and fat, with a white layer of frost on the skin, so tender that you could scrape the skin with a glass sheet.One year, the broad-leaved pagoda tree covered with loofah vines in the corner of the vegetable garden grew to the point of the telephone line. Soon the tree was cut down by the telephone crew. The loofah continued to grow, and the loofah borne more fruit.I thought I hadn’t picked it all the time, so I climbed up to pick it with a fishing basket on my back. When I picked half of the loofah, the wind blew up, shook it, and the tree fell down. I hugged the trunk tightly, and the huge branches first fell The ground, I did not fall, but attracted many people to see.I experienced the feeling of free falling from the air, which was a bit thrilling. The muscles in my calves were sore, and the soreness reached my tailbone, which was so sore that I was frightened.It was that year that Sanmao and I tore the dried loofah vines from the vegetable garden, hid behind the fence of the vegetable garden and lit a fire for smoking. The smoke from the loofah vines was extremely spicy and made people cough loudly, cough Tears came out, and I still had to hold them in my hand to twitch.Playing as a traitor for a while, and a female spy for a while, we think that all traitors and female spies look good when they smoke.I also folded the long loofah vines into cigarette-length ones, put them in my pockets, and then hid behind the fence in the vegetable garden to smoke at three or four o'clock in the afternoon.Later, we didn’t know who really reported on the traitors, so we quickly threw away the loofah vine cigarettes and stopped smoking for a long time.

When I moved to a building, I only planted loofah once on the balcony, and never again.This year, I wanted to open a plot of land in the parking lot of the community to grow loofahs. Seeing the strong winds blowing every day, I couldn’t bear to dig the soil loose, so I had to give up. Next year, I still want to buy a water tank and come back to grow loofahs.When I'm not shopping for vegetables, I just pick a loofah and drink it with egg soup. It's a bit pleasant, I think.