Chapter 183 Meditate on the past and recall the setting sun!
Thanks to GZG1972, lorenzocix, Argentina 369 and other brothers for their support!
This chapter has 5,000 words, so I won’t publish it separately! Please support my brothers and sisters, please collect it, and ask for red votes!
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After the first lunar month, the weather did not ease at all, but became even colder!
Heavy snowfall for more than ten consecutive days has blocked the roads leading from Caishi Town to Laiwu and Xintai. Fortunately, the terrain in the north is slightly gentle, allowing the town to barely maintain its connection with Jinan City.
On this day, there was a break from the heavy snow, and some small businessmen could already be seen coming and going on the official road from Caishi Town to Jinan City. They usually bought some special snacks, jewelry and the like from Jinan City, and traveled over the mountains and ridges to Caishi Town.
Shizhen peddles and earns the price difference!
According to local customs in Shandong, it is not very auspicious to open the market in the first month, but in this current situation, in order to have a full stomach, who cares about many other things?
Most of these small businessmen are poor households in the Nancheng area. They have no land and only meager fields. On weekdays, they can only rely on doing odd jobs for wealthy families to make a living! After hearing about the salary of the veterans from the Nancheng camp,
After hearing the news, they gathered in small groups and tried to try their luck in Caishi Town!
For these small businessmen, Liu Ruyi adopted a more tolerant and supportive attitude, unlike the "big urban management" that later became world-famous. For this reason, Liu Ruyi opened a new business on the north side of the main street of Caishi Town.
A flat open space is used as the "big market" of Caishi Town. This will not only facilitate the lives of the military households in the town, but also allow these small businessmen to make profits and maintain their livelihood!
However, what Liu Ruyi did not expect was that just more than ten years later, the world-famous 'Chinese Shandong Alliance' would start from here, and Liu Ruyi would be regarded as the founding father by them, and he would burn incense every day.
Worship!
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Light snow fell from the sky one after another. On the official road not far away, a book boy about fourteen or fifteen years old was wrapped in a thick cotton jacket and holding the reins of a small donkey in his hand, trekking towards the south with difficulty.
"Sir, how far is it? If we can't make it again at noon, we're afraid we'll freeze to death here!" The little book boy twitched his red nose and said to the gentleman on the donkey with some dissatisfaction.
"Haha, You'er, you little devil, I'm afraid you're thinking about the dried meat in my pocket, sir! Just hold on for a while, and when we get to the town, sir, I'll take you to a restaurant, and you'll be full of big fish and meat!"
The gentleman said with a smile.
"Really?" The book boy's eyes lit up and he looked at the gentleman longingly. The cold wind whistling by was also pushed aside by him!
"Of course this is true! Sir, when have I lied to you?" The gentleman smiled softly, but his eyes were fixed on the pale mountain top not far away, and he did not recover for a long time!
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At noon, the master and servant finally arrived outside the north gate of Caishi Town. The book boy couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. There was finally a hint of warmth on his red face, and he cheered loudly: "Sir, look,
We are here! Oh~~! I want to eat big carp! I also want to drink mutton soup!"
The husband fondly touched the book boy's head and said, "Okay, okay! Let's go into the town to find a restaurant now!"
However, when the master and the servant walked outside the city gate, they saw that the people entering the city had already formed a long queue. The gentleman couldn't help being a little surprised, and asked a small businessman next to him what the hell was going on.
What's going on?
The young merchant was young, but he seemed to have experienced many hardships. He laughed and explained: "Old sir, is this your first time coming to this place? Just a few days ago, Mr. Liu from Caishi Town specially issued an order,
As long as anyone with an innocent identity can do business in Caishi Town! Hey! This Lord Liu is amazing! I heard that serving as a soldier under him is better than being a servant of the Commander-in-Chief.
There are two taels of silver! No, when the villagers heard that the military men here had money, they all came to the market to try their luck!"
After hearing this, the gentleman suddenly frowned and hurriedly asked: "Where does this Mr. Liu come from? How does he have so much money?"
"Well, this little guy can't tell! Some people say that Mr. Liu is a wealthy businessman and has a huge fortune. Some people also say that Mr. Liu has found a rich wife, it seems to be Jining. Oh, no,
Is he a big landowner in Nanjing?" The small businessman patted his head, but couldn't remember where he was. He hurriedly said: "Old sir, you don't have to worry about any of this! Mr. Liu is the reincarnation of Buddha, with a bodhisattva heart.
With Mr. Lao’s ability, it’s not a problem to find a job to make a living here!”
The gentleman nodded and wanted to ask more questions, but saw that several tall soldiers in front of him had already walked over. It was his turn to enter the city with the small traders. The gentleman had no choice but to suppress his doubts and prepare to go to the town to take a look in person.
look.
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Unlike the gatekeepers in other places, these tall military men did not accept traditional membership fees overtly or covertly. They simply searched them to see if they were carrying weapons, and then let them into the city.
Entering inside, Mr. Li discovered that this small town is unique. The city wall outside looked tall enough. Unexpectedly, there was a double-layered urn city inside. Its scale was even greater than that of Jinan City!
The fortress at the top of the city was filled with soldiers holding sharp swords. The gentleman didn’t have much time to observe, so he followed the crowd and quickly walked into the town!
After walking along the broad road for a while, everyone came to a "big market" with a radius of several miles. It was already noon, and there were already people coming and going here, including those selling groceries, selling fried dough sticks, and selling beans.
, there are sellers of wild animal skins, and there are also monkey jugglers, it’s so bustling and bustling!
The book boy had already been dazzled by what he saw. He held his husband’s hand and kept pointing, extremely excited!
The gentleman was also a little surprised. He didn't expect that there was such a prosperous and prosperous place among these mountains!
The master and servant came to the center of the 'big market' and sat down at a stall selling mutton soup. They ordered two bowls of mutton soup, a few pancakes, and a few pickles!
The owner of the stall is a woman about forty years old. She works very smoothly. Soon, two bowls of hot mutton soup with fat mutton oil were brought to the two of them!
The gentleman picked it up and took a sip. The aroma was rich and mellow, and the taste was very delicious. The gentleman quickly picked up the chopsticks and moved it into the bowl a few times. He found that the portion of mutton was very heavy, almost half a bowl! The gentleman picked up a piece of mutton.
After tasting it, he smiled and said to the woman: "Sister-in-law, shopkeeper, how much does this bowl of mutton soup cost? Can I give you money first?"
The woman laughed and said hurriedly: "Old sir, two bowls of mutton soup and four pancakes are worth one penny in total! The pickles are free!"
"Oh?" The gentleman was stunned for a moment, rubbed his ears to make sure he heard correctly, and then said: "Sister-in-law of the shopkeeper, you, you have made a miscalculation, right? How come there is only one bowl in such a full bowl?
Qian Yinzi, aren't you afraid of losing money like this?"
Although the habit of drinking mutton soup has been passed down in Shandong for a long time, in this era, mutton can almost be said to be a luxury product. Even the big landowners and powerful people only eat it on August 15th or the Lunar New Year.
They would kill such a fat sheep to enjoy it, and they would probably be reluctant to part with it during an ordinary little festival!
The shopkeeper's wife laughed and explained: "Old sir, this is your first time coming to our place, isn't it? These transactions are not my own! These are all my family's! My family's grown-ups say, this comes and goes.
It’s not easy for a businessman to do business, so if you can help me, I’ll help you! It’s all the old man’s own money to build these stalls! The bun shop here, the steamed bun shop over there, these are all
My family, we are just here to help! In fact, these businesses can just keep their capital, but they are not profitable at all! My family is doing this purely so that these brothers and sisters who are doing business can have a bite.
Hot rice!”
The gentleman looked around in surprise, and sure enough, he saw a prosperous steamed bun shop not far away, and a busy steamed bun shop not far away, both with long queues!
"No wonder you are the only one who has a stall and no one else has one. You guys are such local snakes!" The gentleman took another sip of mutton soup and was obviously in a good mood. He started joking at the shopkeeper's wife!
"Haha! Old sir, please take it easy! I'll go greet the other guests!" The shopkeeper's wife chuckled and said nothing more, turning around to greet the other guests!
"Sir, these are delicious! I want another bowl!" The book boy touched his swollen belly and said to the gentleman next to him.
As the saying goes, if you are a young man, you will eat me to death. This is not wrong at all!
Although Xiao Shutong is young, he is still growing taller, so his appetite will naturally increase a lot!
The gentleman chuckled, looked at the book boy dotingly, and then said to the shopkeeper's wife: "Shopkeeper, please have another bowl of mutton soup and two pancakes!"
"Hey~! Come on, come right away!"
At this time, there was a sudden noise not far away, and someone in the crowd cheered loudly! Then, the cheers became louder and louder, as if even the snow on the roadside was about to melt!
The shopkeeper's wife had just put down the mutton soup, and the husband hurriedly asked, "What happened over there?"
The shopkeeper's wife glanced over there, as if she was no longer surprised, and said with a smile: "Old sir, this is our adult coming to inspect! He comes here once a day to have a taste.
I made the mutton soup! Old sir, please use it slowly! I'll prepare it for my family!"
The gentleman frowned slightly, quickly ate all the food in the bowl, and said to the little book boy next to him: "You'er, are you done eating? Let's go somewhere else!"
The mutton soup that had just been served was very hot, and the little book boy was blowing hard to get ready to enjoy the delicacy. He didn't hear the husband's words at all. In the blink of an eye, he saw a large group of people walking towards him!
"Sir, sir, it looks like a high-ranking official is coming over there!" The book boy glanced into the distance, then lowered his head, confronting the delicious food in the bowl!
The gentleman sighed softly, but quietly turned his back!
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"Sister-in-law, as usual, a bowl of broth, five pancakes! And a few plates of pickles!" Liu Ruyi had just returned from school, dusty and dusty, sitting on a table with a big golden knife, and said loudly.
More than a dozen soldiers also found places to sit down, each calling for his own meal!
"Come on, sir, I've prepared it for you a long time ago!" The shopkeeper's wife hurriedly put a bowl of hot broth in front of Liu Ruyi, and said with some expectancy: "Sir, I heard what you said yesterday.
As ordered, I added another piece of aniseed and a spoonful of pepper to the old soup. Please try it. How does it taste compared to yesterday?"
Liu Ruyi picked up some fresh onion and ginger from the table, put it into a bowl, stirred it gently with chopsticks, picked up the bowl and took a sip, and couldn't help but give a thumbs up to the shopkeeper's wife, "Sister-in-law
, your skills are getting better and better! Haha! In a few days, I'm afraid I can catch up with Chef Wang! Brother Da Zhuang, you are really lucky!"
Chef Wang is the cook in Liu Ruyi's house. It is said that she is a descendant of the imperial chef and is the best at cooking authentic Shandong cuisine. Liu Ruyi will go over to learn from him and occasionally teach the secret recipes he sees to these people.
The woman at the fair!
This shopkeeper's wife is the wife of Jia Dazhuang, the deputy Qianhu in charge of defense in Caishi Town. She has known Liu Ruyi for a long time. Originally, she worked in the canteen in the school ground. Now that the big gathering is open, Liu Ruyi will
She was transferred here. Firstly, she is experienced and loyal to herself. Secondly, she can also use her big mouth to promote her reputation!
Don't underestimate these women. They may not be able to lead troops in war, but they are great at gathering people's hearts. The Women's Federation guerrillas of later generations have long been famous!
Sister-in-law Jia was obviously very satisfied with Liu Ruyi's attitude and she couldn't stop laughing!
But at this moment, Liu Ruyi suddenly discovered that the figure in front of him looked familiar!
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"This old gentleman, have we, have we met somewhere?" Liu Ruyi walked slowly behind the old gentleman and stood up straight, like a primary school student waiting for the teacher's test!
The old gentleman trembled and turned his head slightly, "Ruyi, are you okay?"
Although he had already noticed it in his heart, when he suddenly heard this familiar voice, Liu Ruyi couldn't help but knelt down on the ground and kowtowed several times, "Mr. Yuan Ming, you, how come you, the old man, are here! Hey!
, you sir, why didn’t you inform me in advance so that I could pick you up! Is this really true? Hey! The student is guilty, please ask Mr. Yuan Ming to punish him!"
Although he has been in battle for a long time, Liu Ruyi was a little incoherent at this moment. This old gentleman is none other than Liu Ruyi's mentor, Mr. Yuanming Zhang Guangqi!
Although due to various reasons, Liu Ruyi was not able to study poetry and books under Zhang Guangqi, it was precisely because of Zhang Guangqi that Liu Ruyi was brought back from the edge of death. It was also because of Zhang Guangqi's help that Liu Ruyi's mother and son
, I was lucky enough to escape from the hands of my eldest mother Qi that day!
Therefore, for Zhang Guangqi, Liu Ruyi instantly turned into a primary school student at this moment, and they have an indescribable and instinctive respect!
Zhang Guangqi hurriedly stood up and helped Liu Ruyi up. He looked at Liu Ruyi's sharp-edged face and nodded gently, "Ruyi, you don't have to be so reserved! I wanted to walk around casually, but unexpectedly, I actually wandered up to you.
Our territory is here! Haha, you won’t blame me for being rude, right?”
"How dare you, disciple! It is a great blessing for you that your husband can come to visit you! Sir, my mother has mentioned you many times, but Ruyi is so busy with worldly affairs that she has not been able to go to Baiyun Lake to visit you. Please give me permission."
Sir, make atonement!" Looking at Zhang Guangqi's originally handsome face, which was already covered with the wind and frost of the years, Liu Ruyi felt a little emotional in her heart!
The two exchanged pleasantries, and Liu Ruyi hurriedly said: "Sir, since you are here! You must stay longer. The student still has many questions that I would like to ask sir!"
Zhang Guangqi sighed and nodded slightly!
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In the evening, the Liu family held a grand banquet to welcome Zhang Guangqi!
In addition to recounting their parting feelings, Liu Ruyi and Zou also learned about Zhang Guangqi’s experience over the past year!
Back then, after Liu Ruyi and her son escaped from the Liu Mansion in Zhangqiu, Zhang Guangqi also moved out of Qiuchi Villa and returned to his home in Baiyun Lake!
Zhang Guangqi has two sons. The eldest son died young and the youngest son is 32 years old this year. He currently has experience in Liaodong and can be considered young and promising!
At the beginning of last year, Zhang Guangqi received invitations from his son and old friends at the same time and set off for Liaodong. Firstly, he could visit his son and young grandson, and secondly, he could talk to old friends and discuss the current situation together!
At first, things went smoothly. Zhang Guangqi even went to the front line of Ningyuan in person to personally investigate the real situation on the front line of the Qing Dynasty!
After all, in this era, there are still many mainstream literati who believe that "the Eastern slaves are just a mustard leprosy, and the rogue bandits are the core enemies of the Ming Dynasty!"
But after personally seeing the combat effectiveness of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Guangqi's impression changed greatly. He and his old friends made up their minds to go to the front-line Huolu Dun to inspect the situation, hoping to see the current situation with their own eyes and find a suitable solution.
!
As one of the few sober-minded doers at this time, they traveled across mountains and rivers and traveled almost everywhere they could reach. However, when they returned to Jinzhou, they suddenly encountered the sentries of the Eight Banners Army.
How could his combat power compete with those wolf-like and tiger-like Manchu Eight Banners soldiers? The property of his entourage was quickly plundered!
The old friend couldn't bear the humiliation and immediately committed suicide by hitting the wall!
Zhang Guangqi, on the other hand, was considered dead by the Eight Banners soldiers because he was old, weak, and unconscious. He was thrown into the wilderness. Fortunately, he met a hunter who was out hunting, and he was lucky enough to save his life!
That young scholar was the only grandson and only relative of his old friend. Zhang Guangqi always kept him by his side and regarded him as his own!
After returning to the pass, Zhang Guangqi couldn't help feeling that in his life, he was a useless scholar! When he really wanted to do something, he found that he really couldn't do anything!
Thinking about the past, he suddenly remembered the young man who seemed to be a bit stubborn back then!
"Join the army~~~? Ruyi, why do you want to join the army? But are you dissatisfied with your father's arrangements? Or do you feel that my knowledge is not worthy of teaching you?"
"Sir, the world is in chaos now. There are powerful enemies outside and bandits inside! Although Ruyi is young, you can't let the enemy put a knife to your neck! With a knife in hand, this is the capital you can fight for!"