From time to time, people bowed and saluted, and Guo Dajing responded with a smile, and sometimes stopped his horse to ask a few questions.
Guo Dajing's approachability is not just a pretense now. He has been like this to ordinary people for more than half a year, and he will even take the initiative to say hello and come up to chat.
The same goes for the military. Apart from keeping a tight face during training and combat, he usually eats from the same pot as the soldiers and talks and chats in his free time without any airs.
Guo Dajing did not think it was necessary to use a poker face to show majesty. He had already used his own achievements to establish an image of being brave in killing enemies, and he was able to mingle with the soldiers and civilians without compromising the awe and respect others had for him.
Two familiar figures appeared on the road ahead. When they heard the sound of horse hooves, they consciously avoided the roadside. When they saw Guo Dajing, they all bowed and saluted.
"Mr. Zheng, Miss Zheng." Guo Dajing came closer and smiled, "Looking at the snowman!"
Zheng Sitong nodded and said: "We went to the grocery store to buy some daily necessities and took a look at this novel snow sculpture on the way."
Zheng Yan'er was dressed thickly, and she was obviously not used to the cold in the north. Her little face was blown red by the wind, as if she had applied blush.
Guo Dajing stretched out his hand and gestured, and said: "The winter in Liaodong is very cold. If you wear a scarf, you can better keep out the cold."
Zheng Yaner blinked her big eyes, pointed at the big snowman on the roadside, and asked, "Is that a scarf around the snowman's neck?"
After the snowman was built, Guo Dajing looked at it and felt that something was missing, so he asked the craftsman to add a scarf to the snowman with red paper.
Not to mention, with this addition, it immediately looks more cute and lively, attracting many people to stop and watch.
"Among the flowers, children are smiling. People add snow lions to make them." The most common thing that people in ancient times piled up was snow lions, but the shapes were complicated and not something ordinary people could make well or realistically.
The snow sculptures on the island are designed to be simple and easy to make, no matter what shape they are. As for the snowman, it is just two balls piled up, so the pile is naturally the largest.
Guo Dajing smiled and nodded, and said: "It can cover your face and keep your ears warm. Miss Zheng can try one."
Zheng Yan'er smiled and said: "Master Guo's fantastic ideas are admired by the people." As she said that, she stretched out her hand and said, "These gloves are very convenient and warm. They are not available in Jiangnan."
"Ms. Zheng's hands are very good, and these gloves are also exquisitely made and beautiful." Guo Dajing complimented casually, asked about the use, then cupped his hands, speeded up the horse, and continued to move forward.
Zheng Yaner's beautiful eyes were fixed on the retreating figure, and she didn't look away until her father called her.
"I don't want it to be so cold in Liaodong." Zheng Sitong tightened his collar, shrank down, and urged his daughter, "Let's go back quickly, it's still warm in the house."
Zheng Yaner smiled and held her father's arm, and said: "We are new here, so we must not be used to it. We won't be afraid next year. You see, those people are wearing thinner clothes than us, but they are not as afraid of the cold as we are."
"I am also getting older." Zheng Sitong shook his head and walked towards the house with his daughter.
"Dad, what do you think of General Guo?" Zheng Yaner suddenly asked confusedly.
Zheng Sitong slowed down for a moment, then returned to normal, and said slowly: "How can he be promoted from a soldier to a guerrilla in less than a year? How can he be a simple person? One of them is to be brave in killing the enemy, and to have a far-reaching plan.
That’s the second one.”
Turning to look at his daughter strangely, Zheng Sitong asked: "Yan'er, why do you ask this?"
Zheng Yan'er smiled lightly and said: "He is the chief official on the island. I know his temper and temperament. It will be easy to get along with him in the future and I will not offend him."
Zheng Sitong nodded and said: "Master Guo seems to be easy to get along with. We don't need to be too cautious while doing our work. Besides, we won't be staying here for a year or two at most."
Zheng Yaner pursed her lips and said nothing else. But when her eyes flickered, it seemed that it was not as simple as she thought, and it seemed that her father's answer was different from the answer she wanted.
………………..
The Chinese New Year atmosphere should have reached its peak today. There is no frying, no eight or ten dishes, but every family tries its best to bring out the best.
Every time you open the door, you can smell the smell of onions, garlic, or meat.
Children are the happiest. Playing and eating are what they care about and miss the most. The New Year’s Eve dinner is the most sumptuous and the most anticipated.
Guo Dajing's fingers deftly bent the bamboo strips, and the frame of a lantern was quickly formed.
Ronger giggled and took the red paper to paste on it. Guo Dajing took a small pottery bottle, filled it with oil, inserted a lamp and twisted it to make a small oil lamp.
Others hold the torch and Rong'er carries the lantern, not to mention it's more respectable!
Axiu, Mrs. Zheng, and Aqiao sent by Fujino Hide were busy in and out of the kitchen. Tonight's New Year's Eve dinner, Guo Dajing invited the Fujinos, Lin Waner, and the Zhengs.
They can all be regarded as guests on the island. Guo Dajing felt that it was a bit cold and not polite enough to let them spend the New Year alone in a foreign land.
There is no need to eat too much, and no one is short of food and water. The key is the atmosphere and the intention. Guo Dajing believes that this is the way to treat guests.
Liu Xingzuo and Liu Qishi were originally invited, but they declined politely and celebrated the New Year with the officers and soldiers left behind in the military camp.
Guo Dajing did not force himself, and Er Liu took the initiative and shared his work. In order to let the soldiers have a good year, he also took out a hundred taels of silver and asked Er Liu to buy more food and wine.
After a brief lunch and a short rest, Fujino and his daughter arrived.
While drinking tea, eating melon seeds and candied fruits, Fujino Hide took out the chessboard pieces he had brought and asked Guo Dajing to play chess with his father for fun.
"I heard from Aying that General Guo knows Go, and I was very surprised!" Fujino was feeling itchy, and he smiled and extended the invitation, "My level is not high, so please show mercy to General Guo."
Guo Dajing glanced at Fujinohide and smiled helplessly.
When they were walking together in Shandong, they passed the time and played two games with Fujino Hide. Unexpectedly, she had the intention to bring him and Fujino Masa closer.
Guo Dajing's Go level is just average. But Fujino Hide's level is even worse.
"A certain player is very good at chess." Guo Dajing first belittled himself so that he would not be ashamed when he lost later. "Why don't we play something new and play free chess?"
Fujino Masaaki knew that Guo Dajing's characteristic was his originality, but he was extremely surprised that he could still play Go in various ways.
Guo Dajing reached out and took away the seat placed by Hide Fujino. The chessboard was empty. He smiled and said: "It's better to play one hand per person. You can play anywhere."
Fujino was blinking his eyes and tentatively placed the chess piece on the upper left star position.
Guo Dajing played a piece on the opposite corner, which was also a star.
Fujino Masa's eyes flashed, and after only two bets were placed, he could see that this was already very different from the original seat.
In ancient times, the seat was a four-pointed star. The layout of the diagonal stars was conducive to entanglement and attack. But Guo Dajing changed it so casually and it became a double star.
But Guo Dajing's fourth piece was not a star, but a small eye. Fujino opened his eyes wide and stared at the chessboard speechless for a long time.
Hey, haven’t you seen the star Xiaomu? You don’t know the formula of Xiaomu, right?
Guo Dajing secretly laughed in his heart and decided to take advantage while Fujino was trying to trick him.
Fujino Hide rolled his eyes beside him and saw his father's solemn and confused look, thinking for a long time. He wanted to laugh but didn't dare, so he turned around and went out to help Axiu with his work.
Fujino was thinking hard and making careful moves. In the middle of the game, he finally gained the upper hand with his calculation ability.
"Mr. Fujino's chess skills far exceed those of Guo." Guo Dajing rushed left and right. Seeing that there was no hope of surviving the chess game, he readily admitted defeat and said with a smile: "I admire you, I admire you."
Fujino just collected the chess pieces, waved his hands and said: "General Guo's chess was played very quickly, and a few moves ruined the whole game."
Guo Dajing laughed and said, "It's because of my personality that sometimes it's hard to get rid of your irritability."
As he said this, Guo Dajing made a move, relying on his advantage of being the first mover to make a Chinese flow layout. This time, his moves were slower and his calculations were not deep enough, but he rarely played casual moves anymore.
Chirping sounds came in from outside, and the arrival of Lin Wan'er and others made the atmosphere lively. Well, she alone was enough. The Zheng family and his daughter were still so cautious.
"The guests have arrived!" Guo Dajing looked at the chessboard. He was not yet able to accurately judge the situation, but in his opinion, he could at least play for some more time.
Fujino smiled and nodded, and said, "I lost this game of chess." He pointed with his finger, "It must have been a mistake in this move, and I just managed to hold on after that."
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "It's someone who is opportunistic. Mr. Fujino has not studied this new method. This response is indeed wrong. It should be done like this, which is two points..."
After briefly talking about the set patterns, Guo Dajing and Fujino Masa packed up the chess pieces and returned to the hall.
The layout of Guo Dajing's house is quite simple. There is a relatively large hall in the front yard and a small suite next to it. It is rarely used and the furnishings are also simple.
But the weather was getting colder and guests could not be entertained in the courtyard, so Guo Dajing added tables and chairs in the hall and a small suite with a fire pit.
There were two braziers lit in the hall, and the temperature could not be compared with rooms with heating and air conditioning in later generations. But in the homes of ordinary people at that time, it was already warm and cozy.
Fujino Hide, Lin Wan'er, and Zheng Yan'er were sitting at the table, cracking melon seeds, drinking tea, and chatting.
"I've seen you, sir. I've seen Mr. Fujino." Seeing Guo Dajing and Fujino walking out, everyone stood up and saluted.
Guo Dajing and Fujino returned the favor, smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries, then invited Zheng Sitong to sit down at another table and started chatting casually.
Fujino Hide was a discerning man, so he went out to invite Axiu in, and sat down together to chat and laugh.
He could go to the hall and go to the kitchen. In fact, Guo Dajing didn't have too high requirements for Axiu. It was enough that he could have the warmth and comfort of home.
But he also hopes that Axiu can be more confident and happy, and not feel inferior because of her arms and not dare to interact with others normally.
This kind of thing is not easy to teach. You can only slowly adapt to it mentally and verbally in actual interactions.
Of course, Guo Dajing was not unprepared. At least, he asked the carpenter to make a few gadgets and taught them to Axiu.
For example, the Huarong Road carved out of wood is also a game of Go, but it is played in the form of backgammon.
Axiu has already learned Huarong Tao and backgammon. She is not stupid, as Guo Dajing can tell from her learning to read and read.
Axiu was a little awkward at first, but after sitting down and chatting for a while, she took out the gadgets to demonstrate to Lin Wan'er and Zheng Yan'er, and she became more and more natural.
Lin Wan'er also prided herself on being smart. After playing with Huarong Dao for a long time, she couldn't move Cao Cao out. But she didn't blush, because Fujino Ying and Zheng Yan'er were the same as her.
"This -" Zheng Yan'er looked suspicious and said to Axiu: "Mrs. Guo, can Cao Cao really come out of here?"
"Really." Axiu took the Huarong Dao, moved it with her fingers, and said, "I didn't really believe it at first. I only learned it after my husband taught me."
Step by step, his slightly rough fingers moved Cao Cao out. Axiu smiled and said, "Look, that's it."
Fujino Hide blinked his eyes and glanced at Guo Dajing at the table next to him, feeling a little disgusted.
"There must be a trick." Lin Wan'er took the toy and started playing with it again, but she didn't remember the order in which Axiu moved it.
Zheng Yan'er was thoughtful, guessing that the key was how to move Guan Yu who was lying sideways.
Guo Dajing didn't care about the chatting and playing of the female guests, and only talked casually with Fujino Masaru and Zheng Sitong.
"You can grow two crops of rice in the south of the Yangtze River, but the taxes are also heavy." Zheng Sitong shook his head slightly and said, "In addition, there is less land and more people, and the people's life is not easy."
"There is no idle land in the world, and farmers are still starving to death." Every dynasty will inevitably perish due to accumulated abuses and enter the next cycle.
Zheng Sitong continued: "The grain shipped from Annam, Champa, and Siam has pushed down the price of grain. Many farmers have switched to planting mulberry trees to raise silkworms, or growing cotton to weave cloth."
After the "Longqing Switch", the private overseas trade of the Ming Dynasty entered a new stage of development. There was an almost unlimited demand for tea, raw silk, and cotton produced in the Ming Dynasty from all over the world.
Therefore, you can get a lot of profits from selling mulberry leaves and cotton. People in Jiangnan no longer plant food or plant less food, but instead plant mulberry trees and cotton. The problem of food shortage can only be solved through overseas imports.
Regarding these, Guo Dajing also learned a lot from Lin Tiansheng and Lin Tianyou, and did not show too much surprise.
"The bustle of the world is all for profit; the bustle of the world is for profit." Fujino Tadashi expressed emotion about this.
Guo Dajing smiled slightly and said: "Planting cash crops and agricultural crops will always produce similar conflicts. In Guo's view, the key lies in the guidance of the court. Low price of grain harms farmers, and high price of rice harms the people. Intervention by means of rows is needed.
, to achieve balance.”
After a pause, he continued: "Just like in Liaodong, there is little land, and eating is the most important and urgent issue. Of course, growing food is the main thing."
Then, he added, "As for making money from farming, we have to wait until we are self-sufficient before we can implement it in a planned way."
Fujino looked at Guo Dajing and asked, "Have you already made a plan?"