In the blink of an eye, more than a month has passed. Today is the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, and tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Chen Qing is still practicing riding and shooting on the school field as usual.
Twenty days ago, he broke through the shackles of shooting crossbows, found the feeling of riding and shooting, and entered the first level. The sign was getting Xu Ning's four drums. Xu Ning asked him to shoot the head, and he would not do it again.
Shooting in the chest, and reaching the point where the arrow hits the target,
He has been practicing hard on horseback and archery for twenty days, not only to consolidate his achievements, but also to break through to the second level as soon as possible.
If you are a novice, it would be impossible to practice horseback shooting in just one or two months.
But Chen Qing was different. He had excellent riding skills, sharp vision, steady archery, strong strength, and accurate shots. He had all the conditions to become an excellent mounted archer.
What Chen Qing has to do now is to assemble these excellent conditions, just like assembling a machine, and the most critical step is running-in.
After a lot of hard work, it will eventually work out.
Chen Qing galloped on his horse and fired his bow at an angle. The arrow was like lightning. A hundred steps away, a soldier ran in the trench holding a wooden target. "Click!" The arrow hit the wooden target. The powerful force made the soldiers in the trench almost escape.
Get rid of the target.
The soldier opened his mouth wide and said, "Hey, dear, this arrow is between the eyebrows again. This is the second arrow."
He didn't dare to raise his head, there was an arrow below, and the soldier continued running with the wooden target in hand.
At this time, Chen Qing changed his right hand to hold the bow, and used his left hand to pull the string. As he ran quickly, he shot out another arrow. This time, he failed to hit the center of the eyebrow and hit the left face of the wooden target.
The soldier waved his hand and shouted: "Third arrow to the left cheek!"
‘Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!’ Xu Ning went to the sidelines and beat the snare drum four times.
Chen Qingce immediately stepped forward and said with a smile: "Master, since the left and right bows have been completed, it should be counted as four and a half!"
Xu Ning shook his head, "It is precisely because the left and right bows are completed that it can be counted as four drums. If you want to get four and a half drums, you have to change the target. The wooden man is too big and the speed is too slow."
After a pause, Xu Ning said again: "It's been twenty days since you entered the Fourth Drum, but you still haven't broken through to the Fifth Drum. You should know where the gap is?"
Chen Qing nodded silently. He still couldn't keep the arrow in his heart. He always needed an aiming action. No matter how short the time was, he still needed to aim.
"How does the museum owner think I can break through?"
Xu Ning thought for a while and said: "I have thought about it these past few days, and I think it is still a problem with the target. This wooden target is too big and moves slowly, making it too comfortable for you to shoot arrows. I have asked my apprentice to prepare it.
I'll let you try a new target tomorrow, and I'll force you to break through."
...........
Not far away, 800 new soldiers were still practicing hard on horseback. Each soldier was naked from the waist up and wearing only a pair of shorts. He squatted motionless on the ground, with his body and thighs at a ninety-degree angle, and his fists clenched on his chest.
, and a stone weighing several kilograms hung on his leg.
After practicing hard for more than a month, each soldier has mastered the horse steps very solidly. Coupled with running at night, the soldiers' physical strength and balance have been greatly enhanced.
According to the plan, after the New Year, they will start practicing spears, solid horse steps, abundant physical strength, and superb spear skills, which will greatly improve the combat effectiveness of this army, and can even fight alone with the Jurchen cavalry.
At this time, Yang Yuanqing came over quickly and said with some embarrassment: "Commander, don't forget the banquet tonight!"
Chen Qing smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry! I will definitely not forget such a big happy event."
.........
Tonight is Yang Yuanqing's wedding. As his immediate boss, of course Chen Qing has to express something.
He was also rich himself, so Zhang Jun rewarded him with a thousand taels of silver. But Chen Qing was a little confused. The rule of marriage in the Song Dynasty was to give money directly or to give gifts?
He specifically consulted Zhao Xiaoyi.
Zhao Xiaoyi said with a smile: "You can give money or gifts. If you give gifts, if the other party doesn't know the value, they won't know how to repay the favor in the future. Therefore, it is more affordable for small families to give money, and everyone is happy."
"How much does it usually cost?"
"A small family will give a few hundred coins, and if the conditions are good, they will give a couple of coins. A big family will give a wedding gift starting from ten coins. A wealthy family will not be able to give a gift less than a hundred coins.
In addition, it also depends on the relationship with the other party. For example, it is enough for us to give three to five hundred yuan to Lieutenant General Yang. After all, we are not invited, so a casual payment is enough. But if you give an invitation, at least two or three hundred yuan will be required.
"
"Then how do you think I should send a congratulatory gift?"
Zhao Xiaoyi thought for a while and said: "I think it is best for the commander to give money as well as gifts. Money is a favor and gifts are feelings. As a favor, the commander should give gifts according to the rules. But as a private relationship, the commander should give another gift."
A gift, the meaning is different.”
"That makes sense!"
Chen Qing pondered for a moment and said: "It is indeed unlucky to give weapons to a wedding. It would be better to give them jade jewelry."
"The most famous jewelry shop in the county is called Shizhu Shop, which is the shop where Liu Wu's son works as a clerk."
Speaking of Liu Wu's son, Chen Qing was quite sad. He met the young man two days ago and told him about his father Liu Wu's deeds.
The boy didn't show any excitement, but that day he walked through the heavy snow and went to Fuping County to find his father's body. Zhao Xiaoyi specially drew a sketch for him and gave him a few taels of silver.
"That's it!"
Zhao Xiaoyi pointed to a small shop next to the Wazi gate. There was an ox cart parked at the door, blocking the door.
The door of the shop is very small, and there is no counter. There is a small sign, "Wang Ji Shi Zhu Shop", and the shop looks very low-key.
In times of war and chaos, failure to keep a low profile will lead to looting by the golden soldiers.
"Is Aunt Wang here?"
Zhao Xiaoyi smiled and pushed the door in, "I've brought you a big customer!"
Chen Qing suddenly understood something in his heart. This Zhao Xiaoyi was probably a rogue or a smooth-talking little broker in the past. He did not do his job all day long, so the family asked his uncle Liu Wu to take him to join the army.
The light in the lobby is slightly dim, and a middle-aged woman by the window is introducing jewelry to two young girls.
Zhao Xiaoyi opened the door without knocking and walked in, startling the three women.
The middle-aged woman recognized Zhao Xiaoyi, put her hands on her hips, and her face sank, "So it's you, little monkey, who wants to steal my beads again?"
"Aunt Wang is so underestimating! I am now a dignified deputy of the Song Army, and I have money in my pocket, so I don't care about your little pearls anymore."
Zhao Xiaoyi pointed at Chen Qing behind him, "This is our commander. Come to your place to buy something and bring out some good goods. You won't be short a penny."
When she heard that it was the commander, the middle-aged woman immediately changed her smile and said, "It turns out to be General Chen. Wait a minute, I'll go get some good goods!"
Of course, the good things are not displayed in the lobby, but are hidden in the back room!
The middle-aged woman turned and walked away.
Chen Qing walked to the window and noticed two girls. They should be a pair of sisters. One was fourteen or fifteen years old, and the other was very young, probably only eight or nine years old.
Perhaps because she is still growing, the older girl looks thinner. She wears a semi-old light blue mandarin gown, her hair is combed into a single-ring bun, and a copper hairpin is inserted diagonally.
With slender eyebrows, an oval face, and a slender mouth, she looks very delicate, but her body is a little thinner, her face looks pale, and her eyes are not bright enough.
Seeing Chen Qing standing not far from her, she felt a little panicked. She quickly squeezed the small brocade bag in her hand, her long eyelashes drooped, and she did not dare to look at Chen Qing.
Although she is thin, she has a good temperament, is quiet and elegant, and she looks like the daughter of a wealthy family or an official.
This was the first young woman Chen Qing had seen up close since he came to the Song Dynasty. It was obvious that she was a lady with beautiful appearance and wisdom, but it was a pity that her body was a little delicate.
The girl next to her is completely different, with a pair of big eyes and a rosy face like an apple. She wears a double-ringed moon bun and a green mink coat. She has a vitality that cannot be concealed. She must have been very naughty when she was a child.
She looked Chen Qing up and down. Her bright black eyes were as beautiful as gems. She blinked her big eyes and asked, "Brother, are you here to buy jewelry?"
The girl next to her shivered in fright and quickly grabbed her sister, "Little sister, don't talk nonsense!"
"Sister, the price Aunt Wang gave us is too low. Let's show it to my elder brother. Maybe we can get a better price."
"Azhu, you... let's come back tomorrow!"
The girl couldn't sit still anymore and pulled her sister to leave. Unexpectedly, she was so panicked that the small brocade bag in her hand fell to the ground, and a gold hairpin rolled out from it.
The younger sister picked up the gold hairpin and handed it to Chen Qing, smiling and saying, "If big brother likes it, the price can be negotiated!"
The girl next to her failed to grab her sister, which made her legs weak and she sat down again.
The little girl's innocence and liveliness made Chen Qing laugh. Chen Qing took the golden hairpin and looked at it carefully. It was a phoenix hairpin made of pure gold. It had a slender body and had the charm of the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Every feather was lifelike, especially a pair of phoenixes.
The eyes are inlaid with rubies, which is even more vivid. It can be seen that they are not new, but are quite old.
It was made very delicately. Even though Chen Qing didn't know much about jewelry, he could tell that it was something extraordinary and something that could be passed down to his family.
At this time, footsteps came from the corridor, and the middle-aged woman came back.
The girl mustered up her courage and said to Chen Qing: "General, Aunt Wang is back, can you return the golden hairpin to me?"
Chen Qing smiled and said: "I like this Fengchai very much. How much do you plan to sell it for?"
"General, it's not about money."
The girl bit her lips. She didn't know what to say. But selling things in other people's stores would offend people. Didn't he understand?
The little girl rolled her eyes and said, "My sister wants to sell it for 30 guan. If my elder brother likes it, 29 guan will be fine."
The girl stamped her feet anxiously, "Azhu, please stop talking, Aunt Wang will be angry!"
The middle-aged woman laughed and said, "Miss Xiao, I won't be angry. It's not that Aunt Wang deliberately lowered your price. Nowadays, jewelry is sold as pure gold. No one buys jewelry. If I charge it at the market price, I will make nothing."
, if you go to a money shop, they will only give you fifteen guan at most."
Only then did Chen Qing understand that the girl was worried about offending Aunt Wang. Seeing that she was young, she was quite understanding of the world.
"Girl, don't get me wrong. I bought Shopkeeper Wang's things as gifts. I like your golden hairpin very much. I want to keep it for myself. I'll pay the price my little sister asked. How about twenty-nine guan?"
"OK!"
The little girl clapped her hands with joy, shook her sister's hand and begged: "Sister, just agree! No one else is willing to buy it."
The girl also knew that this opportunity was rare. Her gold hairpin weighed exactly one tael. The market price was one tael of gold for twenty guan. But ordinary people who could get 20 guan of money could only sell it to money shops or quality warehouses. But
These stores are so shady that the warehouse even only gives ten dollars.
Aunt Wang is a nice person, and she promised to receive twenty guan at the market price of gold. This is a family heirloom jewelry given by her grandmother! It has been passed down from generation to generation in the Southern Dynasty palace. Dad said that it could be sold for 500 guan during the Xuanhe period.
But these are troubled times, and my father is eager to collect money to leave Linyou County. This general is willing to accept twenty-nine yuan, which is indeed very good.
The girl sighed in her heart and glanced at Jin Chai reluctantly, "Then...thank you, General."
Chen Qing took out an ingot of silver and handed it to her, "This ingot of silver is just over six taels. There's no need to give change. Just take it!"
The little girl stretched out her little hand and took the silver with a smile, "Thank you, brother, oh! Sister, the silver is so heavy!"
The girl quickly gave Chen Qing a blessing gift and took her sister away in a panic.