1, the author from different historical periods, elm money in the life of Ya aunt and "I" different role in the comparison. The article opens with: "I have often eaten elm rice since childhood", "At that time, I was six or seven years old", "year after year, the spring and March", "often follow the I was six or seven years old", "every year in spring and March", "often follow me eight or nine years older than the girl aunt" stroking elm money, "stroking full of a big basket, back home, a meal on the way down".

2, ten years of civil strife, "policy year by year 'left', food production year by year," the warehouse "starved to death rats". People and only "look forward to the old elm tree more elm money". At Ya Gu's house, "I have a set of chopsticks on the table, and every year I can eat rice with elm money". In a few words, it is outlined that during this period, Yagou's mother and daughter and "I" had a relationship with elm coins, and elm coins were indispensable in our lives again. Not a few strokes, and image of the extreme left policy to expose the disaster brought to the people.