Chapter 8: Servants
The sun rises and the moon sets, another week has passed.
Since they came back from the Spring Festival, Zhang Gouzi's family has returned to the peace of the past.
The twenty acres of land have been weeded and planted with the grain seeds carefully left over from last year.
The chickens at home were also killed one after another to keep Zhang Heizi healthy.
Zhang Chong got a little bit meaty, and because he was eating well and practicing these days, his body became much stronger.
When he came back that day, he began to become familiar with this master-level halberd throwing technique.
After trying several throwing objects, he found that they felt wrong and the accuracy of the throws was very low.
It seems that if you want to maximize the effectiveness of this skill, you still need to choose specific equipment to practice.
So Zhang Chong transferred 300 yuan to his family from the 500 yuan he received from Big Beard, and the rest went to tiehu's house in the countryside to buy a halberd.
Because the materials used were not good, and they were familiar with each other in the village, they also asked for a hundred dollars.
But even this made his mother scold him: "I can't survive."
Later, Zhang Chong bought some hens and chickens at home, and the mother gave up.
When someone takes advantage of him, Zhang Chong often runs to the hill.
He used trees as targets and his halberd throwing skills improved by leaps and bounds.
Within ten steps, you can see the halberd, and within twenty steps, you can already hit eight out of ten shots.
Zhang Heizi had been recuperating at Zhang Chong's house and knew that Shi Zaizi was going to practice martial arts.
He was taken care of by Zhang Gouer's family, and he wanted to repay his kindness and give him some guidance. As soon as he could get to the ground, he followed Zhang Chong into Qiu.
But Zhang Chong's halberd throwing technique really shocked him, and he never followed him again after that.
Later, Zhang Heizi recovered and wanted to return to Shigu Mountain.
Shigu Mountain is fifty miles away from Licheng, where Zhang Heizi's village is located.
Before leaving, he told Zhang Chong that there was only one person he knew in Shigu Mountain who had this skill.
Calling Mou Mingzong, he is the chosen leader in the village.
He was originally an Orion hunter. He had been throwing stones since he was a child. Later, he was taught by an old soldier in the clan and learned the art of throwing halberds. From then on, he was invincible in twenty steps.
Zhang Chong is the second person Zhang Heizi has seen with such ability.
Zhang Chong would definitely not tell Zhang Heizi that this was all the power of Gold Finger, so he could only smile shyly.
These days, he has also inherited the angle skill from Zhang Heizi, which is also a mastery level skill.
As for how to win, it’s better than eating corn ears!
Ha ha! Competing with a person who can't go to the ground to see who can eat more, absolutely!
After inheriting the proficient-level angular jutsu, Zhang Chong discovered that it was very similar to the jujitsu that became popular in his later generations. It focused on grabbing, grappling, and throwing techniques, as well as some joint techniques.
This martial arts is a typical military martial arts.
Imagine a melee between two armies, with everyone wearing helmets and holding knives. If you are thrown to the ground and the other person stabs you, will you survive?
Therefore, in the army, in addition to practicing the five soldiers and getting familiar with the military drums, the most common thing practiced in the army is the art of horns.
Also, with this angle skill as a reference, and combined with the several fights he observed, Zhang Chong found that the lethality of different skills varied greatly.
For example, Zhang Heizi is proficient in angle fighting and can knock down three people in a row without any fireworks.
But this is the result of division and attack.
If Liu Gong's three disciples had swarmed him before, and even held sticks and nets in their hands, Zhang Heizi would probably have been captured.
Jisun and Zhang Qiushi are proficient in the Huanshou Swordsmanship, and they can fight with weapons. One person can kill, three can block them, and five people will probably have to fight and leave.
But his halberd throwing technique is completely different.
It can be said that within twenty steps, no matter what means you have or how many layers of armor you have on, as long as you have enough halberds, you can kill instantly.
With this skill, one can imagine how old man Zhang was a coward in the countryside when he was young.
But now, this means of killing is his. With this by his side, and if he is more careful, the whole world can do it.
But don't be arrogant. If you encounter someone using a bow on the other side, you can only be a target at such a distance.
Therefore, I will learn more archery skills in the future.
Also, there is only one halberd now, and it will be gone if you throw it. To achieve the effect of group battle, not to mention five, three are still needed.
But there is no money!
So poor! Gotta make money!
……
On this day, Zhang Chong was still practicing his halberd on the hill as usual.
An uninvited guest entered Zhang's house.
"Gouzi, this year the laborers assigned by the county to be transported to Caogu have come down. Originally, they were sent to serve as slaves, but the warehouse official reported that the slaves who went to Zhongshan to transport military rations to Liyang Camp last year have not returned yet. ”
Seeing Zhang Gouzi's surprise, this person hurriedly made amends:
"Don't think nonsense. They said they were recruited by the old revolutionaries from Liyang Camp to repair the barracks. So what the Cangguan said is that the county will collect two hundred Guizhou soldiers for this transfer to Caogu."
After taking a breath, the man showed his affection again:
"As you know, there are many people in our village, so we are divided into fifty people. Gouzi, you don't know. For these fifty people, Zheng Shifu and Liu Gong and the other officials are trying their best."
He complained to Gouzi:
"Because the only son in the family cannot be drafted, spring plowing is about to start now, and this farming work cannot be delayed. And those who have been sent to serve this year cannot be drafted. Therefore, I don’t know how long it took Lao Zheng to go through the household registration books of our township before he could collect them. There are fifty people. No, the second son of the Wei family is here.”
After saying that, an old man with a mountain beard, wearing a soap coat and a black ribbon with a copper stamp on his waist, took out a handful of bamboo slices from his sleeve, rummaged for a while, pulled out a piece and handed it to Zhang Gou son. This person is Zhang Gouzi's pavilion chief, Sun Xun, who specializes in traffic, civil complaints, and theft prevention.
He comes from a wealthy family in the neighboring town, and has been here as the director of the pavilion for twenty years.
Therefore, I have watched Zhang Chong grow up.
Zhang Gouzi, who had been leaning forward and silent, took the piece of bamboo.
He had also been educated in the countryside and knew some words.
This piece of bamboo has the words
written on it.
"Zhang Chong, a public servant in Dasangli, Guoli City, Jinan, is seventeen years old."
He knew that this was Shi Zaizi's identity. When going out to pass the customs, everyone must check the talisman. As for the title of Duke, it is given to the people when the country ascends the throne. Everyone has it, and it is not worth much.
Seeing that Zhang Gouzi didn't speak, Sun Xun spoke again:
"Gouzi, you have practiced hard labor and know the rules of this kind of labor. This is the first time for the second son of the Wen family. You must explain some things clearly. If you get sick on the way, you can come back, but if you escape, this matter will not only happen to our family. It's a serious crime. I, Lao Zheng and the others, as well as the county magistrates and governors, must be fined. Don't feel bad for running away, and things will be bad. Got it.”
The words were a bit harsh, so Zhang Xun, the director of the pavilion, adjusted his tone.
"Gouzi, this time we are doing a pretty good job. The son of the Wei family only has to paddle, eat and sleep on the boat. Isn't it more comfortable than pulling oxen on the road?"
"It takes us 40 days to go to Aocang. It will be more comfortable if we come back along the river. We can come back in less than 20 days. Also, we can bring some things to sell along the way and earn some copper coins."
"I'm asking you to eat millet and earn copper coins. Isn't this a good thing? I didn't see it. I'm the one who will lead the team this time. Are you feeling uncomfortable? Can I do this?"
Zhang Gouzi nodded, and then feared that Sun Xun would misunderstand, so he quickly added:
"I am a small family, so I don't have much capital to do business. I just hope that Shi Zaizi will be safe along the way."
Sun Xun also nodded in agreement:
"Yes, peace and quiet are blessings."
After saying this, Sun Xun said goodbye. He still wanted to inform a few others.
Before going out, Sun Xun was worried and mentioned Zhang Gouzi again:
"Tell me clearly, don't be a coward! Remember to meet me at my place in two days. After loading the grain, we will sail away. Don't be late. The second son's order book for this time will be placed at my place first. Let's go ”
After saying that, he picked up an old hen and dragged his clogs away.
This old hen was a thank-you gift from Zhang Gouzi to Sun Xun, asking him to take care of some stone cubs on the way.
There is also an ultimatum, which records Zhang Chong's identity, place of origin, age and height, the time of this deployment and the period of return. At that time, all customs clearance must be verified together.
The director of the pavilion left. Zhang Gouzi was upset, so he went back to the back room to talk to his wife about the matter.
In fact, Erzi's mother put down her loom when the pavilion chief came. After listening to half a sentence, she felt bad in her heart. When the old man really said that the second son was going to practice the watch, he still cried. It wasn't until the old man comforted me and said he would be back in three months, and that he would go to Xingyang, that things got a little better.
After Zhang Gouer comforted his wife, he went to the fields to find his eldest son and asked him to go to the mountains to call his two uncles home.
When Zhang Zhong and his two uncles rushed home sweating. The desk had been set up in the yard. Zhang Gouzi went to Duman's house to buy some wine, cooked a chicken, and started eating and drinking with his two brothers.
He told his two younger brothers about this incident, and then said to his third younger brother Zhang Bingnan:
"Third brother, this is what I'm thinking about. This bondage seems a bit strange. We just hated the old man, and the second son was drafted into bondage. Although the second son is also old, I always feel that something is wrong. So, I I just want you to carry the grain with Erzi.”
Seeing that his younger brother was listening, Zhang Gouzi continued:
"Xie is used to traveling around the world. Even if something is wrong, he can bring his second son back. The second son is knowledgeable and can prosper our Zhang family in the future."
Zhang Bingnan wiped the corners of his mouth:
"No problem, brother, I will go to Xingyang with Erzi this time. I am familiar with this waterway, and I also recognize the heroes along the river. If Zhang Tiehu really wants to do something bad, I will bring Erzi back. . No, my uncle and nephew are here to take care of me.”
After saying that, he still laughed:
"Let me tell you, this is probably a good thing. When we go out, we can see the world."
Hearing what his brother said, Zhang Gouzi nodded.
The three brothers agreed and had some more wine.
Zhang Gouzi asked Erzi's mother to make dry food, rice balls and fish for two people. Although there is food on the ship, the food at home is different after all.
When Zhang Chong finished practicing his halberd and came back in the dark, the whole family was awake.
The mother and mother were busy working on the stove, while the younger sister and younger brother looked at the stove eagerly and drooled. Dad and the eldest brother left the bamboo baskets, and even the two uncles did not go back to the mountain. They spread straw mats at home.
He guessed something was wrong.
……
When his family members talked about what happened during the day, Zhang Chong didn’t take it seriously:
"Going to Xingyang? Okay, I just wanted to take a look outside."
Hearing his father say that he was going to send grain to Xingyang, Zhang Chong didn't panic at all except for the accident.
Just kidding, he's not really an ancient person.
The peasants of the Han Dynasty might have been living within a hundred miles throughout their lives, had it not been for natural or man-made disasters or forced labor. Therefore, traveling far away is a big deal for them.
But Zhang Chong was a travel expert in his previous life and had visited countless mountains and rivers in his motherland. Just talking about the high speed in Xingyang, he didn't know how many times he went back and forth.
Therefore, he was quite excited to meet the big man Xingyang this time.
……
Two days later, the mediocre men from several nearby villages who had been drafted went together to worship the Taoist gods.
It is said to be a god, but in fact it is quite inconspicuous, just a shrine built with a few stones on the side of the road.
When they go on a long trip, they not only want to count the auspicious days, but also come here to worship the road god and bless them all for a safe and smooth trip.
After worshiping the gods, Zhang Chong and his little dad each carried a bamboo basket and went to report to the pavilion chief with everyone.
Also present were Duman and Zhang Dan, who turned out to be among the conscripts.
(End of chapter)