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Many rural children in the 1970s and 1980s have seen their parents and their own experiences of shoveling pot ashes, but now they have become unforgettable memories.

When I was a child, rural people used earthen stoves. Generally, there are two or three large iron pots on the earthen stove. Because straw, wheat straw and firewood are burned, a large part of the smoke generated by the fire will float at the bottom of the iron pot except through the chimney, so it is necessary to remove the ash from the bottom of the pot frequently, otherwise it will consume more fuel and the time for cooking and frying will be lengthened.

Most people don't want to shovel pot dust. It takes time and effort to shovel a basin of ash, and it will be very gray and particularly dirty. I accidentally wiped my sweat and became a big singer.

When I was a child, I often saw my mother shoveling pot ash, usually once every half a month or so. When shoveling pot ash, first put the large iron pot on the earthen stove, carefully put it on the ground, put a straw on the ground, turn the iron pot upside down, press one side of the pot on the straw, then slowly squat down with the abandoned iron pot shovel and shovel it from the bottom of the pot to the side of the pot.

Every time you shovel, you can see the original color of the iron pot, and the trace of the shovel is like a runway. When the shovel goes down, the sound of "scraping-scraping-scraping" is a bit harsh and unpleasant. It takes at least thirty or fifty shovels to shovel a pot, which makes people sweat. The first time is a rough shovel, and the second time is a fine shovel. Only when the bottom of the shovel shines can the work of a pot be completed.

It takes a little skill to put the shoveled iron pot back. Turn the iron pot over along the edge of the rice straw, hold the two sides of the pot symmetrically with both hands, gently lift it and put it on the earthen stove, then turn the iron pot over until it fits completely, and burn the stove to check whether the smoke is exhausted, so you're done.

In rural areas, people who describe others as black generally say, "They are like the bottom of a pot!" " Although the bottom of the pot is gray and black, it is the best organic fertilizer. Every time my mother shovels the bottom of the pot, she sweeps it up with a dustpan and scatters it in the leek row on the private plot. Leek will grow well.

Rural people like lively jokes, especially those who marry their daughters-in-law, and their parents-in-law are the objects of relatives and friends. Father-in-law is carrying a rake to plane the fire, nicknamed "father-in-law rakes ash" Mother-in-law turned a blind eye, and the oncoming person would quietly touch the ash at the bottom of the pot and wipe it on his face while his father-in-law was not paying attention, which attracted people at the scene to burst into laughter. This is just a wedding custom in my hometown, and it is nothing more than a lively and festive occasion.

I have also done the work of shoveling boiler ash. Usually my second sister Xiufeng cooperates with me. The second sister did all the work of lifting and turning over the plate. I am mainly responsible for shoveling the bottom ash of the pot. Perhaps the strength is not enough, or perhaps it is irrelevant. When I shovel down, I only see a very shallow layer, a shovel-wide pot ash. I have to shovel at least three or five times, and it has become a big pot. At first glance, the second sister had to shovel again to be qualified.

I remember once, when I tried to hold the pot, I plopped down on the hard floor. Good thing I didn't break it. Looking closely at a crack, I cried. Second sister comforted me and put the pot on the earthen stove. At night, when my mother was cooking dinner, she found that there was water leaking from the bottom of the pot when the fire was lit, and then she found that the iron pot was leaking after a careful look. Mother asked about our brother and sister and told them in detail. I thought my mother would lose her temper, but I didn't expect her to comfort us.

Although it has been more than 30 years, it has always been fresh in my memory. I think my mother must know that we didn't mean it. Honesty makes her love us more.

The manuscript was completed at the foot of Yangshan Mountain on September 28th, 20021year.