"I said, how many days has it been since you left?"
"Oh, you are so annoying. Why do you ask me this question every day? You don't know how to do it yourself?"
In the tent, after daily martial arts training, Wan Zao sat on the mat with a sore back and legs, and next to him was Liji, who was also very tired.
Liji called his wife Shino outside the tent, and Shino ran in in small steps.
"How many days has it been since the master left?"
Shino thought for a moment and twirled his fingers a few times: "Seventeen days." After saying that, he turned around and left.
"What will we do if you don't come back?" Wan Zao whispered to Li Ji.
"What nonsense are you talking about? The master promised everyone before he left that he would definitely come back. Moreover, he left this time to find a boat, and weren't you there when he said this?"
"Well, I'm worried that the master will come back too late. If this happens again like last time..."
"Last time? Can it be compared with last time? Now we have this." Liji said, holding the katana in front of him. "Let's see who dares to do it!"
While the two were talking, they heard shouts of surprise from people outside the tent.
"Master! Master Zhao! Master is back!"
When Li Ji and Wan Zao heard this, they quickly got up and ran outside the tent regardless of their tired bodies. Following everyone's gaze, they saw Zhao Xin walking from the depths of the dense forest together with the strong man they saw last time.
Everyone in the camp rushed forward. The fastest runner was Manzo's big-nosed son, followed by Katsuzaburo, Kuzo, Mosuke and others.
Li Ji ignored Wan Zao beside him, quickened his pace, and quickly rushed in front of Zhao Xin.
Everyone knelt on the ground and greeted him in unison.
"Master, master, you are back!" Li Ji knelt at Zhao Xin's feet and saluted respectfully.
Zhao Xin took out a tissue, moved Wan Zao's son with a big snot from his lap, wiped the little guy's nose first, and then said to everyone with a smile: "Get up, get up."
Everyone stood up. Zhao Xin was still very excited when he looked at these familiar faces in front of him.
"Yeah, I'm finally back. How have you been these days?"
At this time, Katsusaburo and other people in front noticed that Zhao Xin and the strong man he brought were wearing strange clothes and trousers mixed with gray and green, and the shoes on their feet were also different from those worn by Zhao Xin before.
The two men also wore a bulging vest outside their jackets. The vests were lined with small pockets. There were boxes inserted into the three pockets on the chest, and there were several pockets on the left and right.
They were wearing something they didn't recognize. There was a strange iron tool inserted on the left side of their chests, and both of them were carrying an iron tool that was slightly shorter than a samurai sword. It had a long tube and handle, and the shape was very strange.
.
After all, Katsuzaburo was a samurai and came from Omi, which during the Warring States Period was a famous "Kuniyou Iron Cannon" production area. He had seen iron cannons since he was a child and had practiced iron cannon shooting. He instinctively felt that those two items
The iron weapon I have never seen before is also a kind of iron cannon, but I don’t know how powerful it is.
"Master, please go to the tent and rest." Li Ji approached him and said respectfully.
Zhao Xin nodded, turned around, patted Liu Sheng on the shoulder, and said to everyone: "After Mr. Liu went back last time, he considered it and decided to help everyone together."
After hearing this, everyone bowed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Liu."
Liu Sheng didn't understand what everyone was saying to him, but bowing to him must be a sign of respect, which made him very embarrassed. So he raised his hand and said: "You're welcome, you're welcome."
Everyone walked towards the tent with Zhao Xin and Liu Sheng in their arms. Wan Zao's snot-nosed son was pulling Zhao Xin's pants tightly. This made Zhao Xin feel awkward when walking, so he bent down and picked up the boy and gave him a hug.
Got up.
After entering the tent, except for Katsuzaburo and the others, everyone else was still gathered outside. Zhao Xin had no choice but to tell Shino to let everyone go about their business, and then everyone outside the tent dispersed.
Zhao Xin put the child in his arms on the ground, and then he and Liu Sheng took off the assault rifles they were carrying, removed the magazines, checked the chambers, and placed them next to each other.
No one in the tent dared to interrupt and watched the two men operating. They just waited for Zhao Xin to finish his work and sit on the mat before they all sat down.
At this time, Shino came back with two cups of hot water on a tray made of wooden boards.
Zhao Xin then said to Liu Sheng: "Ah, I forgot to buy tea."
Liu Sheng took a glass of water from the tray and said casually: "It's just a matter of course. This is good."
Zhao Xin took a few sips of water and said to Shengsaburo and others: "This is the helper I invited and a friend I have known for many years. Your Excellency Liu Sheng."
When Saburo Katsu and everyone else heard this, they quickly bowed to greet Liu Sheng.
Liu Sheng knew that Zhao Xin was introducing him, and when he saw everyone saluting him, he also bent down and nodded.
"Tell me what happened while I was away." Zhao Xin said calmly.
"Haha!" Katsusaburo was just like the samurai in the TV series, sitting cross-legged with his legs pierced in armor, his hands on his side, bowing his head and saluting.
Liu Sheng was startled by Shengsaburo's voice. He had never seen this before. In Liu Sheng's impression, the island warriors were the little Japanese soldiers during the Anti-Japanese War.
At this time, Zhao Xin pointed at Li Ji and introduced to Liu Sheng: "Let me introduce you formally. This is Li Ji. I first met them as husband and wife."
Liu Sheng then nodded slightly to Li Ji with an expressionless face, and Li Ji bowed in salute.
"This is Katsuzaburo, the only true samurai among us."
Katsusaburo felt that Liu Sheng looked at him as if he wanted to eat him, and he couldn't help but feel strange: "I have only met this Mr. Liu twice? Why does he look at me like an enemy?"
"This is Wan Zai."
"This is Jiuzang."
"This is Mosuke."
"This is Huji."
"This is Heita."
After everyone present was introduced, Zhao Xin said to Shengsaburo: "Okay, Shengsaburo, let's talk about it first."
"Haha!" Katsusaburo leaned over and saluted, then took out a stack of paper filled with words from his arms, opened it and said, "My lord, since you left last time, there have been a total of seventeen days. During this period, your subordinates and
Li Ji is in charge of all affairs in the camp. The situation is explained as follows..."
When Zhao Xin saw that Katsusaburo was using rice paper and the writing on it was in ink, he interrupted and asked, "Where did you get this paper and pen?"
Katsuzaburo said: "My subordinate went to the fishing village and exchanged it for a pound of rice from the head of the village (the village chief)."
"Oh. Then keep talking."
Good guy, Saburo Saburo's report lasted for a full hour. Zhao Xin was so focused that he started to yawn at the end. Liu Sheng was a newbie here and was too embarrassed to leave the meeting, so he felt sleepy after listening to it.
As for Toshiyoshi, Manzo, Jiuzou, Shiosuke and other six people, they were attentive throughout the whole process, sitting upright with their upper bodies upright and their eyes shining. In their view, it was an honor to participate in the review convened by the Lord for the first time.
The content of Katsuzaburo's report is generally as follows:
There are currently 171 people, men, women and children in the camp, of which women account for the majority, 120; 41 adult men, and 10 children and infants. Among these 171, excluding the original 120
Eight people, 43 new people.
The second is the consumption of materials in the camp. Basically, it is what Zhao Xin ordered before leaving. According to the quota of one kilogram of rice per day for adults and half a kilogram of rice per day for children, how many kilograms of rice are left as of this morning, even meat, pickles, and even salt?
, soy sauce, yellow sauce and how much more.
The third is the use and balance figures of clothes, shoes, hats, tents, and the damage caused by the use of various tools. What troubled Zhao Xin the most was that Katsusaburo even had the number of nails used and the remaining figures.
Zhao Xin didn't know how many nails he had, so how could he bother to think about it.
But what he didn't know was that the nails he purchased were all modern steel nails. In this era, who would be willing to use steel to make nails? They were all iron nails! Katsusaburo cherished these steel nails very much and did not dare to use them.
I have to pay extra attention every time I have to use it, for fear of damaging it.
Finally, Katsuzaburo reported on the training content of Rikichi and the other six people during this period and the progress of each person's training.
While listening, Zhao Xin looked very approving, expressing his recognition of the work of Katsusaburo and everyone else.
At this time, Liu Sheng was bored in every possible way because he didn't understand. He looked at the "Seven Samurai" in front of him, including Katsuzaburo, looking at this, then at that, trying hard to keep his face expressionless, but he was quacking in his heart.
laughing out loud.
"Look, look, look, the seven dwarfs of 'Master Zhao'."
"This guy has a bad smile on his face, what are you thinking about?" Zhao Xin turned his head and glanced at Liu Sheng as if he was feeling something, and muttered in his heart.
After Katsusaburo finished his report, Zhao Xin nodded with satisfaction and praised the other six people. He then announced that the meeting would continue after half an hour.
"Fuck, wait for me."
Zhao Xin walked quickly in front, and Liu Sheng hurriedly followed behind. After the two walked out of the camp dozens of meters away, they turned to a tree.
"It's so suffocating me. I don't even dare to yawn if I don't understand a word. I said, if I keep holding meetings like this in the future, I will have to hold it in for cystitis." Amidst the sound of running water.
, Liu Sheng was full of complaints.
After watering the tree, Zhao Xin also smiled bitterly and said: "Who says it's not the case? I'm suffocating too much. Let's wait until we get to Bear Island to make new rules. Don't suffocate yourself to death before the enemy is eliminated."
Liu Sheng, who had also finished pouring the water, took out a cigarette and handed it to Zhao Xin. He lit it himself and took a deep breath. The air was so fresh.
After Zhao Xin took two puffs, he suddenly asked curiously: "What were you laughing at when Katsusaburo reported just now?"
"Pfft~" After Liu Sheng heard this, he puffed out the cigarette without holding it back, and couldn't help but laugh evilly.
"What's so funny? Tell it and laugh together." Zhao Xin looked at the evil smile on Liu Sheng's face and teased.
"Seven dwarfs. Hahahaha~" Liu Sheng finally couldn't hold it in anymore and pointed at Zhao Xin and laughed.
"Go to hell!" Zhao Xin reacted immediately, dumbfounded, and kicked Liu Sheng in the butt.
It's so disappointing that someone's "Seven Samurai" project, which he thought he was very proud of, was ridiculed like this.
After returning to the tent to continue the meeting, Zhao Xin asked: "How is the situation over there in the fishing village?"
The fishing village Zhao Xin mentioned here is the Aomori fishing port in later generations. In the late 19th century, the island country implemented the policy of "abolition of feudal lords and establishment of prefectures", and the five counties near Aomori were merged into Hirosaki Prefecture. The county government was established in Aomori, which was later renamed Aomori Prefecture.
.
Katsuzaburo said: "People have been arranged to check the fishing village, and I also went there myself. Oh, it was the time I mentioned changing paper and pen. There are more than a dozen fishermen living in the fishing village, and the Tsugaru family
Apart from collecting fishing taxes every spring and autumn, there is no other management there.
In addition, when the Tsugaru family pays tribute to Edo every year, the tribute boats sent out will depart from the fishing village and go south. Since the famine, dozens of families have fled to the fishing village to live. These people live in structures in the nearby forest.
In his shack, he only made a living by picking up various seaweeds and shellfish at the beach every day. This is what I learned."
Zhao Xin said nothing after hearing this. After a while, he asked: "Where are the tribute ships of the Tsugaru family docked at this time?"
Heita, who was listening on the side, suddenly said: "These ships will sail to Sendai before winter every year. Mainly because the sea on the Mutsu side will have strong winds in winter and the waves will be too big."
Zhao Xin asked curiously: "Where did you learn about these things?"
Heitasho bowed like a cat and a tiger, imitating Katsuzaburo, and then said: "I used to work as a shop assistant in Hirosaki Castle Town. I heard all this from the conversations between shop owners and customers."
Zhao Xin nodded with satisfaction. Pingtai immediately felt very proud and grinned.
"We only have one boat." Zhao Xin looked at the crowd and said.
"One? I wonder how big it is?"
"No matter how big it is, we have to leave." Zhao Xin said decisively. "If you squeeze it, you can pull a boat away."
A ship that can carry more than a hundred people must be a big ship.
"Excuse me, sir, where is the boat docked now?" Katsusaburo asked.
"Hmm~" Zhao Xin glanced at Liu Sheng, and then said: "You can see it the day we go to sea."