The arrival of five thousand new troops immediately put the Jiaozhou Bay area firmly under the control of the new army.
Zuo Mengeng also met Cheng Xiaoer.
"Thank you so much for saving my life, General. I'll kowtow to you, little one."
Cheng Xiaoer was not so sincere in worshiping the Bodhisattva, because the Bodhisattva could not keep military households like them alive, but the general in front of him could.
Zuo Mengeng pulled him up and asked kindly: "Now that there are no corrupt officials, you don't have to worry about being bullied anymore. Have you ever thought about how you will make a living in the future?"
Cheng Xiaoer asked cautiously: "General, are we allowed to plant the fields in Wei?"
Zuo Mengeng asked again: "If I farm, can I support you?"
Cheng Xiaoer shook his head with a sad face.
"No. There isn't much good land left. Sea water floods every year and the land is ruined."
Zuo Mengeng knew that under the invasion of sea water, this place would inevitably turn into a saline-alkali land.
Their location is right by the sea.
After arriving at Lingshan Guard, Zuo Mengeng liked to see the sea very much and couldn't get enough of it.
"You can't make a living in your place by farming. I'll show you two ways out, one is to go to the sea, and the other is to go to the salt fields. If you can't grow crops on the land, then you have to go to the sea to make a living, or go to the salt fields to work in exchange for money.
"
I heard that going into the sea made Xiaoer instinctively afraid.
"You don't dare to go into the sea. The court won't let you. If you catch him, it will be a death penalty."
He was almost killed by an official because he secretly went into the sea to fish.
Zuo Mengeng smiled.
"Xiao Er, you see clearly. I have the final say in this place now. If I say you can go to the sea, you can go to the sea. What do you think? Do you dare?"
Cheng Xiaoer was overjoyed and jumped up.
"Of course you dare to say this, General. Now that's good, everyone will be happy when they know about it when we get back."
If you still go hungry while living by the sea, it is certainly not due to natural conditions.
Because the sea is rich in products, as long as you go to the sea and catch some fish, you can fill your stomach. Only because of the Ming Dynasty's ban on the sea and the exploitation of officials, people on the seaside will not be able to survive.
Now that Zuo Menggeng has relaxed the restrictions, these military households can at least not starve to death.
But this is not what Zuo Mengeng wants.
He asked again: "If you go to the sea to fish, what will be the harvest?"
Chen Xiaoer clapped his fingers and counted his family treasures.
"There are so many interesting things in the sea. Every time we go out in the boat, we can catch dozens of kilograms of fish in just one day's work."
Hearing this, Zuo Mengeng was quite dissatisfied.
At the same time, he also saw fishing boats parked on the beach. Not surprisingly, they were all small boats that could only carry a few people.
"This won't work. We can only catch so much fish, and it's not even enough for you. You have to think of a way to build a big boat, go to the depths of the sea, and use a big net. In this case, how many fish can be caught in one boat?
The catch of a thousand catties of fish will not only be enough for you to eat, but it can also be sold for money, so that you can live a good life."
Cheng Xiaoer was dumbfounded when he heard that thousands of kilograms of fish were caught.
"We... we have never been to the sea, so we don't know what it is like. We don't even have a big boat..."
He couldn't even imagine what it would be like to catch a thousand catties of fish in one boat.
Also, can it really be sold for money?
He didn't understand, but Zuo Mengeng knew it all too well.
Zuo Mengeng's mouth watered when he thought of king crab, tuna, etc.
"Don't be anxious. You guys should just fish offshore first. Explore the sea little by little and get a clear picture of the terrain, waterways and so on. In the future, I will get a big boat for you, and let's go to the depths of the sea to fish for gold and silver.
.”
Cheng Xiaoer admired Zuo Mengeng infinitely.
"We all listen to the general."
Simple people, they will be kind to anyone who treats them well.
Cheng Xiaoer took the initiative to tell Zuo Mengeng a situation.
"General, there is something fishy about the salt field in the north. The people in the government only collect money, and the salt produced is secretly sold by private salt dealers. They kill people and steal goods, and they have occupied the salt field for a long time."
Zuo Mengeng's eyebrows narrowed, he really didn't know this situation.
If Cheng Xiaoer hadn't mentioned it and rashly took over the salt farm, there might have been a lot of trouble.
However, Zuo Mengeng did not have a deep hatred for private salt dealers.
Most private salt dealers are poor and have no food to eat, so they have to take risks. After the new army takes over the salt fields, they will naturally not exploit the salt workers so much.
He felt that it was best to understand clearly on the spot and eliminate the vigilance of the salt workers.
"You are responsible for this matter yourself and do it well."
Fu Yusun went immediately.
From now on, he is the mayor of Jiaozhou Town, and his status is equal to that of Qu Shichun, Huang Daozhou and Chen Zhi.
When a new official takes office, the salt farm is the first thing to fire.
Zuo Mengeng called the book-checking soldiers again.
"I plan to transfer you from the Second Regiment and take over these five thousand recruits. In addition to helping Minister Zhou train, you will also form the Fourth Regiment of the Second Division."
Zha Shubing scratched his head and ears happily, but still asked: "Who will partner with me?"
In order to prevent generals from becoming warlords, the chief officers at all levels of the New Army have always been three-person partners. The regiment leader does not always stick to his word. Major matters must be voted on jointly by the regiment leader, deputy regiment commander and political commissar.
Zuo Mengeng still recognized Zha Shubing's consciousness.
"This is Zhu Dingyan, who will serve as the political commissar of the Fourth Regiment from now on. You two will be partners from now on. Cooperate well and guard Jiaozhou Bay. This will be the base of our navy in the future."
Among the younger generation in Dongchang Mansion, Fu Yijian became Zuo Menggeng's new secretary. Ren Kepu was still a little kid, but now he was studying behind Hou Fangyu and Zhang Lingxi.
After Zhu Dingyan joined, he thought carefully and chose to join the army instead of politics.
I just graduated from the junior class of the military academy not long ago, and my evaluations in all subjects were excellent.
Originally, those who graduated from the junior class could only serve as battalion-level officers at most. But now that the new army is about to expand its force, an outstanding talent like him can only be promoted through rocket promotion.
Suddenly becoming the political commissar of the regiment, Zhu Dingyan was also in a daze.
He had only fully understood the military system of the New Army not long ago. He knew that regiment-level officers had the same political status as county magistrates and were already considered the upper echelons of the New Army.
However, he came from a poor family and suffered a lot, so he knew not to be proud and complacent.
"Captain, you are a veteran and I am a newcomer. I will learn more from you in the future."
Zha Shubing liked this humble young man very much.
"My job will be easier when someone with education comes here. Oh my, when I partnered with Ai Wenkun before, we were both half-skilled, and it was really tiring for me."
Everyone laughed, but it also reflected the New Army's emphasis on culture.
The task proposed by Zuo Menggeng to Zha Shubing and Zhu Dingyan was to recruit 10,000 troops near Jiaozhou Bay to complete preliminary military training in conjunction with the tour and at the same time consolidate the security of the surrounding areas.
After the training of these 10,000 recruits is completed, they will be mixed with the First Division and the Second Division to form the Third Division.
After making these arrangements, Zuo Mengeng and Mao Yuanyi continued their journey to Yishui County.
Here, Huang Sanhu and Jian Zongan have completed the sweep of Qingzhou Prefecture and are preparing to march into Yimeng Mountain.
Also coming over at the same time was the Second Division and the Third Regiment.
This is a new unit that has just been mixed. The regiment leader Sui Zhizhong and the political commissar Wei Qiyou are both from the original division and regiment, and are Zuo Rong's old subordinates.
Zuo Menggen asked Sui Zhizhong and Wei Qiyou to take command, and two experienced men, Huang Sanhu and Jian Zong'an, helped them raid the formation and began to advance along the eastern foot of Yimeng Mountain.
In just one month, they swept through the mountainous area north of Mengyin and successfully advanced to Mengyin City.
Here, we are still on friendly terms with the First Division, Second Regiment and the Party who came from Jinan.
"Hey, I, the magistrate of Mengyin County, can finally take office now."
The crowd burst into laughter and expressed sympathy for Dang Huanchun's plight.
It's a pity that you can see from the mountain that the entire Mengyin County has been severely damaged by the White Lotus Sect. The city walls are dilapidated and there are only a few smokes. Even with a telescope, you can't see many people walking around.
As for the White Lotus Sect...
"Take a seat, the scouts report that the White Lotus Sect in Mengyin County has long since escaped and is now hiding on Menglianggu in the southeast."
Zuo Mengeng was stunned.
"Where?"
Sui Zhizhong thought he didn't hear clearly, so he repeated it again.
"The White Lotus Sect is all on Menglianggu."
Zuo Mengeng let out a long breath, his mind boiling with excitement from the magnificent revolutionary history.
"Fight well."
Sui Zhizhong didn't understand his mood and said casually: "Don't worry, Shenzu. The White Lotus Sect and these rabble-rousers can't stop our army at all."
Zuo Mengeng stared at him and said word by word: "This battle must be fought with the most pious and respectful attitude, and you must use all your abilities."
Sui Zhizhong was in a daze, wondering why Zuo Mengeng was so cautious.
He thought this was because Zuo Mengeng wanted to test the combat effectiveness of their regiment, so he quickly kept it in mind.
"yes."
How did he know that Zuo Mengeng was more like a student preparing to take an exam?
"Ancestors, please rest assured that I will reshape China with full enthusiasm. I only hope that you in the future can live a carefree and happy life."