Chapter two hundred and seventieth hard life sister and brother
After a round of inspection, when Mao Wenlong and others were about to go down to the city, they saw a group of people coming from the north and entering the Jinzhou Acropolis.
"They are the surveyors sent by Deputy Marshal Chen." Liu Xingzuo recognized the cavalry escort he sent and explained: "The setting of villages and the number of fields must be determined in advance and a map drawn."
Mao Wenlong smiled and chinned his head and said: "It's good to have confidence in winning even before the battle!"
This is not a pioneering work. A similar operation was carried out last year when the plan was to regain Jinzhou. The work was done in advance and planned in advance, so as to avoid the rush of immigrating and garrisoning and delaying spring plowing.
Mao Wenlong didn't think it was different either. Anyone who had seen the Nanguan Defense Line would have confidence, including him.
Moreover, he now feels very wise in mobilizing the Piedao Front Association to come to Jinzhou.
For nearly half a year, after Mao Wenlong watched the offensive and defensive drills of the left and right Hou Sanxie at the Nanguan defense line, he realized that the gap between the Hou Xie stationed in Pi Island had been widened.
Not only the weapons and equipment, but also the lagging behind in combat skills and tactics. Such a gap in such a short period of time shocked Mao Wenlong.
The left and right associations were nothing more than that. They were the main force in the battle to defend Port Arthur, had rich experience, and were first-come-first-served in terms of weapons and equipment.
But Hou Xie has only been here for a long time, and there is still more than a month to be busy with the autumn harvest, leaving only more than two months of training time.
But Mao Wenlong could see that the combat power of the rear association was already higher than that of the former association. Although the gap was not very big, the former association was his own troops, equivalent to his direct troops, and it actually became the one with the lowest combat power.
Mao Wenlong thought repeatedly and finally decided to stay in Jinzhou and avoid Fang Zhenghua, the eunuch who was in charge of the army. If Fang Zhenghua was in Lushun, he would be in Jinzhou Acropolis; otherwise, he would go to Lushun.
As long as Jinzhou is managed well, Dongjiang Town is not too afraid of the imperial court and Governor Yuan getting in trouble.
Especially with Guo Dajing, the God of Wealth, he made astonishing amounts of money and spent even more astonishingly. There was no shortage of food, grass, supplies, weapons, and ammunition.
What he saw during his inspection tour of Jinzhou gave Mao Wenlong some peace of mind. His resistance to moving to the town was no longer strong, but instead he denied the idea of staying on Pi Island.
In the past two years, Dongjiang Town has undergone great changes. Unknowingly, it has acquired the strength to rely on solid defense and can defend bases on land.
In other words, after leaving the island, Dongjiang Town also has the conditions to develop and grow on land. Who doesn't want to be strong, who doesn't want to occupy more territory and have more troops.
Mao Wenlong realized that he, the coach, must change his thinking so that the generals, officers and soldiers could more deeply understand the major strategic changes in Dongjiang Town.
Similarly, new tactics must be adapted as soon as possible. Harassment is still needed, but Mao Wenlong is obviously not satisfied with Dongjiang Town's mere containment role.
Everyone accompanied Mao Wenlong down to the city. They had originally arranged wine and dinner, but seeing that it was still early, Mao Wenlong did not stay at the Jinzhou Acropolis. He and Guo Dajing led a group of cavalry and rushed to Beisha Mountain City for inspection.
It is already early winter, but the cold weather is better than in previous years. It comes earlier and is colder.
Although it was judged that Jianlu would launch an attack in the middle of winter, that is, after the rivers were frozen, they could cross the ice without boats.
However, judging from the intelligence gathered, Jianlu's work of building the equipment has been basically completed, and it cannot be ruled out that he will act in advance.
Therefore, it is very necessary to inspect the preparation status of all strongholds as soon as possible and be confident.
At the same time, the deployment of defensive operations was also adjusted. The former general mobilized 6,000 troops to Jinzhou, and Guo Dajing added another 3,000 troops to Beishashan City and transported a batch of ammunition and supplies.
The clouds of war have once again shrouded, and the combat troops of the Dongjiang Army have ended their vacation and entered a state of readiness for combat.
After a heavy snowfall, it was already December, and both the original garrison and the former officers and soldiers who came for reinforcements were ready for the battle.
………………
Snowflakes were flying, falling on the roofs and streets, and also on He Guicai's head and body.
He tightened his collar, looked up at the city wall standing in the distance, moved the corners of his mouth slightly, and walked towards his shop with his hands in hand.
The soft snow creaked under his footsteps, giving He Guizhong a slightly familiar feeling. He couldn't help but think of the ice-covered Liaodong and the orders sent from Jinzhou.
Is it a long-distance attack, landing across the sea, and fighting against Jianlu in the Gyeonggi area?
He Guizhong felt that this was a bit bold, but considering Guo Dajing's acting style, it was not too surprising.
Well, the task is not too difficult, you just need to store some food in the designated city. If you have money, it is easy.
Whether it is building a superficial shop or buying a house as a warehouse, He Guizhong believes that it is feasible. After all, even landlords and wealthy people have a hundred and eighty dan, or even a thousand dan of food, right?
The instructions issued by Guo Dajing were more trouble-free. They were to count the big households in the cities and towns, see how much grain they had in stock, and keep records.
This is the rhythm of grabbing food. He Guizhong smiled, but he looked more like Guo Dajing, who was surprisingly courageous.
The snowflakes became denser, and He Guizhong quickened his pace. In the distance, he could already see the lights of the store.
"Laishun" mutton-shabu-shabu and barbecue have already gained a reputation in the capital, but imitations followed.
There is no patent law or trademark protection law, and shabu-shabu has little technical content. It is normal for people to copy and plagiarize.
But one thing is that the two spices of chili and cumin give "Laishun" Shabu Shabu still a unique flavor.
Currently, only Jinzhou is the only one that grows peppers on a large scale. They are all dried and ground for good luck. Even if others can see what kind of crop they are, they will have to wait until next year if they want to plant them.
Thanks to this not-so-secret recipe, "Laishun" Shabu Shabu has loyal diners, and the number of people who like this taste is constantly increasing.
Therefore, He Guizhong not only established a firm foothold in the capital, he was also self-sufficient and did not need to divert funds.
Moreover, He Guizhong also opened another branch in Beijing, the one in the east is called Dong Laishun, and the one in the west is called Xilaishun.
These two taverns are not very big, with about ten tables and four private rooms, which are considered medium-sized. The waiters in the taverns are gradually being replaced by spies sent by Jinzhou.
Now, He Guizhong is on his way back to Donglaishun. He has just discussed with his right-hand man, Zhao Bin, who is in charge of Xilaishun, and sent him to Qinhuangdao to take charge.
Obviously, the work in Qinhuangdao is what Guo Dajing attaches most importance to. The task is also very clear. Send people to Qinhuangdao first to establish a stable intelligence point. After that, people from the Navy will be sent to survey the situation in the harbor.
The barbecue grill outside the store was still under the eaves, and no waiters were busy, but He Guizhong saw someone huddled there, seemingly using the residual heat to keep warm.
Even in the capital, at the feet of the emperor, beggars wandering the streets are not uncommon. He Guizhong has become accustomed to this.
There was a lot of noise in the tavern, and the aroma of meat and vegetables wafted out from the tin tube; outside, snowflakes were flying, and people were freezing to death on the streets from time to time.
Walking to the front of the store, He Guizhong casually glanced at the people huddled next to the barbecue grill. Looking at the thin appearance, there was a boy of twelve or thirteen years old, with his eyes closed, tightly wrapped in a ragged felt and huddled up, only showing his dirty appearance.
Xi's face.
Shaking his head slightly, He Guizhong wanted to take a few steps forward and enter the backyard through the small door next to the tavern.
Rapid footsteps sounded, and a thinly-clad figure ran over quickly, holding a broken bowl in his hand, with a trace of hot steam rising from the bowl.
"Little brother, little brother--" The voice sounded like a woman's, but what made He Guizhong stop was the woman's accent, which made him feel familiar and friendly.
Cui'er ran to her younger brother, regardless of the coldness on her body, and held the hot soup she finally got to her younger brother's mouth. She greeted him and wanted to feed him.
But the younger brother was sick, hungry, and cold, and was dying. Hearing his sister's voice, his eyelids seemed to move, but he could no longer open his mouth or speak.
Thinking of his father's death, the misery of the two siblings being separated, and the possibility that his only younger brother might have to leave him.
Cui'er felt sad, and swallowed even more, with tears streaming down her face. She was half-kneeling, supporting her little brother with one hand, and feeding her little brother with a trembling hand. The hot soup had become warm and flowed down the little brother's mouth, not even a little bit.
Didn't feed it.
He Guizhong watched quietly, slowly exhaled a mouthful of thick white mist, which seemed to have touched some emotion in his heart, and slowly took two steps.
A big hand stretched out and touched the little brother's face, which startled Cui'er.
His tentacles were cold, He Guizhong frowned, turned to look at Cui'er who was staring at him in surprise, and said in a deep voice: "Can you hear the accent? Because of this, I want to save your brother. But can I save him?
, it’s hard to say. Are you willing?”
The familiar local accent made Cui'er feel relieved. No matter what, she had no other choice. Even if there was a fire pit in front of her, she would jump in without hesitation, just for that little bit of hope.
Cui'er knelt down on her knees and kowtowed to He Guizhong vigorously. Her actions expressed her decision without using too many words.
He Guizhong was a little surprised. He didn't expect this girl in thin clothes to be so decisive.
But he was just stunned for a moment, and then he slowly woke up. He reached out and picked up the boy wrapped in ragged felt, not caring about the dirt and snow on his body at all, and started walking in stride.
Cui'er followed this strange man closely, opened the small door and walked into the backyard. The broad shoulders and back inexplicably gave her some peace of mind.
There was only one boy in the backyard, who was burning charcoal. When he saw the shopkeeper coming in, he hurriedly stepped forward to say hello and gave Cui'er a strange look.
"Stir up the fire in the stove, and then go to the front to get a bowl of mutton soup." He Guizhong gave the order briefly, and without stopping, he carried the boy into the main room.
The waiter agreed and walked in immediately. He quickly opened the lid of the iron stove and added a few pieces of firewood. When the fire started, he added a small shovel of coal.
The temperature in the room was not high, but compared with the outside, it felt like spring and summer, which made Tweety feel comfortable and warm.
He Guizhong put the boy on the kang, untied the ragged felt he was wrapped in and threw it to the ground. He took off his ragged clothes and rubbed the boy's body vigorously with his big hands.
Cui'er stared at this middle-aged man who was busy in silence.
The rough and strong hands rubbed the little brother's skin. Slowly, the skin changed color, and the face changed from livid to a warm color.
From the body to the arms, then to the thighs and feet, and then to the face, small beads of sweat appeared on He Guizhong's forehead, and the boy's cold body gradually heated up, approaching the temperature of his hands.
The waiter brought the hot mutton soup and put it on the table. Seeing the boss looking tired, he hurriedly said: "Boss, let me do it!"
He Guizhong shook his head, did not speak, and did not stop holding his hands.
Well, well! The boy made an unconscious sound and moved his lips twice.
"Little brother——" Cui'er was overjoyed and took a step forward.
He Guizhong breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said, "You feed him hot soup and see if he can swallow it?"
Cui'er promised repeatedly, took the broth, scooped the soup with a small spoon, and tested the temperature with her mouth before feeding it to her little brother.
The boy drank the broth subconsciously. Although he spilled a lot, he still drank some of it. Gradually, he gained strength in swallowing and drank the broth more smoothly.
He Guizhong turned around and walked out, asking the waiter to invite the old doctor who was not far away. As soon as the waiter left, he remembered something again and walked to the front hall.
After Cui Er fed her little brother half a bowl of broth, he seemed to have fallen asleep and stopped drinking.
Cui'er tried again, and when she saw that her younger brother really stopped drinking, she picked up the bowl and drank the broth into her stomach.
It smells so delicious! After half a bowl of broth, Cui'er licked her lower lips. The hunger in her stomach that had been suppressed by emotions such as concern and nervousness was aroused again.
As soon as the door rang, He Guizhong walked in with a bowl of mutton noodle soup, put it on the table, and said, "Eat it, this is for you. The doctor will invite you here in a moment, and let your brother have a look."
Cui'er didn't know what to say, so she gathered her clothes and bowed down, and said with a sigh of relief: "Thank you so much, my benefactor, I will repay your great kindness even if I work as a cow or a horse."
He Guizhong waved his hand and said, "Let's eat first!" After saying that, he turned around and went outside.
Cui'er glanced at her little brother who seemed to be sleeping soundly. Listening to the even breathing, she relaxed a little, sat at the table, and started eating.
It had meat, noodles, chopped green onions and some chili oil. Cui Er ate it sweetly and thought it was the most delicious meal she had ever eaten.
That middle-aged man was also from Liao, was he just saving the siblings because of that? I don't know, and Cui'er didn't want to find out for the time being.
My little brother seems to be alive, and he has eaten enough. There is no need to think too much about what will happen next. It is useless to think about it.
The long-term wandering life has made Cui'er have a resigned mentality. If you have a bite of food today, why bother thinking about what will happen tomorrow?
Like the floating leaves in the water or the fallen leaves in the wind, she can't decide where they float or blow, whether they live or die.
Cui'er put the bowls and chopsticks on the table and sat next to her little brother. Looking at his face and listening to his breathing, it seemed that there was only this one person left in the world.