"This grasshopper is not that interesting. I once caught a black-headed general. It was about four inches long and as long as a matchbox. It had the head of a longevity star. It was scary!"

The fighting nature of a grasshopper is displayed on its head. The shape of the head is very important, as is the grade, merit, and demerit.

Among them, the longevity star's head is the top quality. The star gate and head of the grasshopper protrude forward, resembling an old longevity star, hence the name.

Others, like the pearl head, are also considered to be top-notch head shapes.

If it's a small round head, a square head is just fine.

Further down, the pointed head, abacus bead head, and shallow head are all inferior head shapes.

Although Yu Bo has a rough temperament, he is very professional when it comes to Grasshopper, unlike classmate Chang Xian who is a charlatan.

At this time, Yu Bo had a look of enjoyment on his face, especially the melodious cries of the grasshoppers, which made him feel as if he was in the countryside.

"The Grasshopper Gourd looks small, but it requires a lot of attention to detail. A good gourd is not only exquisitely made, but also easy to use.

The first thing a grasshopper needs to be comfortable when living inside is that it can absorb the body's body temperature through the gourd in slightly cool weather. When it's hot, the gourd must be ventilated. The most important thing is that a good gourd must have a melodious and loud echo. Showing the "faction" of those who play with grasshoppers..."

After the phone call, and through Yu Bo's guidance, Chang Xian understood that what he had done before was not called playing with grasshoppers at all. Really good grasshoppers can survive the winter, and some have long lifespans and can even live up to a year. .

However, there are many things to pay attention to here. First of all, the grasshopper should pay special attention to the temperature in winter. When the temperature is low, try not to let it chirp. Put it in a gourd or carry it in your arms during the day, and the temperature will rise through the body temperature.

Furthermore, although the grasshopper is happy to chirp, it should not exceed half an hour at a time and no more than three times a day, otherwise the life span of the grasshopper will be shortened.

…

"One hundred thousand dollars?"

Uncle De flicked the belly of the gourd with his nails, then took out a thumb-sized magnifying glass from his pocket, and carefully observed the hollow core of the gourd. After five minutes, he put the magnifying glass away. Let out a long sigh.

"Xiao Chang, do you want to sell this item?"

Playing with the grasshopper gourd in his hand, he suddenly asked.

"Uncle De, I see that this gourd is exquisitely made. I heard that it belongs to Sanhe Liu, so I want to keep it for myself. Is there any other secrets in it?"

Uncle De nodded and said: "I didn't expect that there is this gourd in the Drum Tower area. You are right. This object is Sanheliu's gourd, and it is also a rare fire-painted cloud dragon. Although one hundred thousand yuan is not cheap, it is not a loss. You Keep it well."

As soon as Uncle De said these words, everyone in the room had different expressions.

Mou Duanming and Lao Guo naturally knew it well. Reporter Zheng's mouth was so open that he could hardly close it. Is love really worth a hundred thousand yuan?

Yu Bo was also slightly surprised. He put the grasshopper into the gourd and said, "Shopkeeper Lu, does this thing really belong to Sanhe Liu?"

Uncle De glanced at Yu Bo and said with a displeased look on his face: "The old man has been doing miscellaneous things for decades. I have seen a lot of weapons, including Sanhe Liu's stuff. How could he be wrong?"

…

Gourd ware, also called Pu ware, is a gourd ware.

In the past, gourds were closely related to us, and gourds were found everywhere.

In the mythical world, whether it is Taishang Laojun's purple gold gourd or Taoist Lu Ya's flying knife gourd, magic weapons made of gourds are flying all over the sky.

It is also an indispensable tool in life.

At first, people split the mature gourd into two parts and used it as a water scoop.

You can also make a gourd into a wine flask and tie it with a rope so that you can carry it with you and drink anytime and anywhere. It is a perfect standard equipment for heroes in martial arts novels.

Later, because the gourd was homophonic to "Fu and Lu", people used the gourd to pray for happiness and good fortune, and it became even more popular among literati.

As a unified aesthetic object for gods, emperors, literati, knights and common people, the gourd is also one of the best insect tools for raising song insects. Just like that, the gourd began its "literary and playful journey".

…

"Let me take a look at the old saying. When opening the gourd, you must hold the ring tightly with one hand and twist the lid with the other hand. Never hold the gourd to twist the lid, because the gourd body is thin and you will not be able to tighten the lid.

You can say goodbye at once!"

"Before you use a new Grasshopper gourd, wipe the surface of the gourd with a clean damp cloth, ventilate it and dry it in the shade before you start playing with it. Some people are careless and say nonsense like applying walnut oil or soaking in hydrogen peroxide.

Don’t believe it.”

"You must remember that anything you play with is made with time and patience."

Yu Bo picked up the grasshopper gourd, and like Uncle De, he first took out a magnifying glass and looked at it carefully for a long time. While looking at it, he murmured: "The carcass of Sanheliu's gourd is loose, but the skin is smooth and solid.

When processing the inside of the gourd, "Sanhe Liu" also has the unique skill of leaving the flesh of the skin, so his gourds have the characteristics of porcelain skin, chaff body, and hemp bag..."

He thought about it for a while, and then said to Chang Xian with some envy: "Brother Chang, you are really lucky. From the core to the reeds, as well as the workmanship, this gourd was indeed made by Mikawa Liu.

"

Turning his back, he said with an unfaithful smile: "If one day you see the fancy utensils from Fengzeyuan, don't think they are kitchen utensils from a restaurant. They might be official models from the Kangxi Dynasty...

…”

…

Grasshopper gourds are divided into two types: Fanzhi and Benchang. Fanzhi is cultivated with artificial molds, while Benchang grows naturally.

During the Kangxi period, gourds were planted in Fengze Garden in Yingtai, and dedicated personnel were assigned to manage them. Under the supervision of the palace, the molded gourds were all elegantly decorated and exquisitely crafted.

Later, in addition to the palace, princes also planted imitations in their residences. In later generations, these palace and royal palace-made gourds were collectively referred to as official models.

Well, by the way, Peter the Great, who was at the same time as Emperor Kangxi, was opening St. Petersburg State University, and their teachers were determining Lenz's law and the periodic table of the elements for the direction of induced current.

Those who are interested can put the two great emperors in the same frame and know what foam and moisture are.

When Kangxi filled the palace manufacturing office with the best craftsmen in the country and made gadgets for them, the prosperity of the grasshopper gourd slowly reached its peak.

Countless Eight Banners disciples take advantage of the protection of their ancestors to do nothing. Fighting with grasshoppers and boiling eagles has become a way for them to show off their status. For a good grasshopper, they can spend a year's salary, let alone a gourd.

.

Fan-made grasshopper gourds can be roughly divided into flower models and plain models. There are also beggar types and bare goods. The varieties are endless.

Among all gourds, the one made by Liu Xianting of Sanhe County, Hebei Province is the most popular and is known as "Sanhe Liu".

Because in the past, the carcass of official model gourds was generally very thick in order to make the patterns gorgeous. Although the appearance was good-looking, it was not comfortable for insects to live inside, and the sound was not very clear. It was just not useful, but the "Sanheliu"
Chapter completed!