"Stand up for me, line up in the yard and start morning exercises."

Xie Wu had a dark face, and he was holding a wide bamboo strip about three feet long in his hand.

"Uncle Xie, you can spare us for a while." Zhang Tao, who was half-lying on the steps of the gate, begged.

"You kid talk a lot of nonsense, you see that people are younger than you, and they are still a girl, so they don't shout tired." Xie Wu glared at Zhang Tao and scolded.

"Uncle Xie, I don't have the strength to speak." Gong Yu Wu put his hands on his knees, bent over and gasping for air.

Lao Xie was scolded by the little girl, and his face was confused. Before she could react, the little girl continued to complain.

"Brother Bird and Iron Egg are several years older than us, but they are tired and panicked every time they run so far. You don't look at how old I and Brother Tao and Brother Yun are. ”

"That can only show that Yu Wu and Brother Tao are very powerful!" I don't know when Gongsun Jian was already standing at the gate, looking at the group of children in front of him with a smile, and then said to Xie Wu: "Fifth brother, in the future, Yuwu and their younger ones will let them run slower, and they don't have to follow everyone, but the distance will not change." ”

"Well, I see." Xie Wu nodded in response.

"Okay, let's go into the yard and start eating after the morning exercise. Today it's big meat buns with millet porridge. It's fragrant! As he spoke, Gongsun Jian waved his hand at the children.

I have to say that Gongsun Jian is really good to these children, even Xie Wu, a newcomer, feels this. The average person has a maximum of two meals a day, and it is not necessarily all dry. As long as the child is studying in the small courtyard of Gongsun Jian, Gongsun Jian is responsible for taking care of breakfast and lunch every day, and there is fish and meat at every meal. There is even an egg and a glass of goat's milk or soy milk every morning. Even in the big families in the county, the children have never had such treatment. Therefore, the parents of the children do not care about the strange request of the children at home to go to the small courtyard before dawn to report and run. Who can't bear this kind of suffering from a poor family? Not only can I save two meals at home, but I can also read and write. A good thing that you can't ask for in the distance.

The mother with the child even found Gongsun Jian and kindly complained, don't give the baby so good food, otherwise she won't want to eat her own food when she gets home every evening. Gongsun Jian only smiled at this. It doesn't cost a few bucks, and it can't be sold in the store. The babies just eat happily and read well.

On this day, after the noodle shop closed, Gongsun Jian, Ma Teng, Lao Qi and others gathered together, drinking wine and eating dishes at will.

The little girl Gong Yuwu stood on the wooden bench, holding a booklet in her hand and said to Gongsun Jian: "Daddy, our family is running out of money." And he also owes the oil and rice money of 'Li Ji' in the east of the city, three taels and two dollars and seven yuan that have not been paid. ”

"Oh" Gongsun Jian didn't pick up the booklet in the little girl's hand, squinted and smiled: "Our little housekeeper, how much do we have in the account balance and cash now?" ”

Since he taught Gongyu Wu the four mixed operations and simple loan accounting, Gongsun Jian has consciously handed over all the accounts of his home and store to the little girl to manage, and he only occasionally checks whether there are any errors or omissions. I have to say that this girl is a genius, less than six years old, but she handles a thing that ordinary adults can't do well.

Gong Yuwu said with a small face: "There are still two taels of silver left in the account, and the current silver is in the hands of my father, and according to the account, there should be seven taels and two dollars." But a lot of Daddy's expenses are not recorded in the account, and it is estimated that there are no more. It looks like we're going to have to drink the northwest wind next month. ”

"Hahaha, it seems that I'm useless as a father!" Gongsun Jian laughed loudly.

The others laughed as well.

With a 'snap', Qi Shi took out a silver ingot weighing ten taels from his arms and slapped it on the table, and said to Gong Yu with a smile: "Take it, no one can starve our smart and beautiful aunt and grandmother if you are hungry." Isn't it true? ”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter.

The little girl jumped off the stool and ran over, held the silver ingots from the table with both hands, turned her head and said to Gongsun Jian: "Daddy, this silver has to be credited to the account, and I can't take care of it for you anymore." Otherwise, it will be inexplicably gone. ”

As he spoke, he looked at Wei Meng and said, "Uncle Wei, tomorrow you will help me find Uncle Zhao in our alley to order a box, which should be stronger, especially with a better lock." ”

Gongsun Jian pointed at the little girl with his finger and said with a smile:

"This is the beginning of the seizure of power? In a few years, Daddy will use money, it seems that it will depend on your face! Hahaha. ”

Wei Meng smiled and reached out to pick up Gong Yuwu and sit on his lap.

"What kind of wooden box do you want, tomorrow Uncle Wei will go to the blacksmith shop at the south gate to make an iron box for you, and no one can pry it open."

The little girl wrinkled her nose and looked up at Wei Meng.

"How expensive the iron box is, it costs a lot of money. If you look at Uncle Wei, you won't be able to live. ”

Wei Meng laughed even louder when he heard this.

"Yes, yes, what our family said is right, you Uncle Wei and I, I can't read and count. In the future, Uncle Wei will hand over all the money earned by you to help me take care of it, okay? ”

The little girl nodded very seriously, and then patted Wei Meng's chest and said, "Well, Uncle Wei, don't worry, I promise that I won't lose a penny of you." ”

"Nannan, how about helping you Uncle Ma and me take care of the money by the way?" Ma Teng also joined in on the side.

"And me, baby." Ding Feng also rushed to say.

Lao Qi and Xie Wu next to him also looked at Gong Yu Wu and nodded.

The little girl slipped down from Wei Meng's thigh, then climbed onto the wooden bench where she was originally sitting, stood on it and looked at everyone, waved her hand and bowed to everyone with a serious expression, and said loudly in her immature voice: "Daddy and uncles have saved the lives of the girls." I will never forget it in my life. You are not old and can make money. If you believe me, then hand over the money to you for safekeeping, and ensure that there will be no mistakes in the future. When you are old in the future, you don't have to spend your money, and you will be responsible for providing for your old age. ”

In a few simple words, the old horses looked embarrassed. After years of conquest, I am accustomed to seeing life and death. But there is a lot of warmth from the family missing. Except for Lao Qi, the others are all singles. An unintentional act of kindness saved such a lovely little girl. Now I solemnly say that I will give everyone a pension in the future. I couldn't help but make everyone's eyes moist.

Ma Teng nodded heavily, gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "Nannan, you Uncle Ma and I don't have much ability, but with your words today, I will fight hard to earn you a mountain of gold and silver." From this day forward, if anyone dares to bully you, he will not do so unless he walks past the corpse of my horse. If you dare to stop me from making money for our girl, then ask me if the steel knife in my hand agrees. Today's promise, heaven and earth can be learned! ”

After speaking, he picked up the wine bowl in front of him, stood up, drank it dry, and fell to the ground hard.

"Today's promise, heaven and earth can be learned." The rest of the crowd also stood up and followed the old horse's example.

Seeing this scene, Gongsun Jian muttered to himself in his heart, this little girl, with a few words of ease, actually made these fighting men willingly hand over their lives. This ability to attract people's hearts is better than mine! It is estimated that it can be compared to the Empress Wu of Zhou in her previous life.

Signaled Xie Wu to clean up the wine and food, and asked the others to transfer to the study in the backyard, and Gongsun Jian took care of the little girl to go to the second floor of the backyard to wash and rest first. After everything was done, everyone sat down in the study again.

Gongsun Jian was the first to ask Ma Teng.

"Old horse, is the date set?"

Ma Teng nodded,

"On the night of the 30th, the dock was handed over on the second watch. However, there will be people from the county and the Chen family, the Chu family, and the Fan family. There will also be people present at the Yamen of the Water Division Duyun in the north. In addition, I heard that there will be many masters and elite soldiers on the Wu side who will come to hand over in the appearance of merchants. It's a hassle! ”

Gongsun Jian looked at Qi Shi again and asked, "Old Qi, how many people can listen to you now?" Can those ruffians be used? ”

Lao Qi frowned and took a sip of wine. With a smile on his face, he said: "My lord, my subordinates are incompetent. At present, there are only about ten officials who can listen to my command. The ruffians have recently punished a group, but many of them have the background of the four major families behind them, so it is difficult to use them. ”

As soon as Lao Qi's words were finished, Ding Feng interjected.

"My lord, during this time, Brother Ma and I have been hanging out near the dock and the west gate, but there are some poor people who can use it. As long as the price is good, I don't dare to say that I will help kill people, but it is okay to set a fire and make trouble. ”

"Well, my lord, Ding Feng's words are good. Some people from poor families are indeed bold. I'm afraid I'll ...... in the future."

Gongsun Jian pondered for a moment, raised his head and looked at everyone and couldn't help but sigh.

"There are still too few people who can use it!"

"My lord, the dozen or so brothers of the original Northern Army on the Loess Gang can please come down the mountain to help." Ma Teng answered.

"Oh." Gongsun Jian didn't continue, but held the wine glass in one hand and lowered his head as if talking to himself. After another moment, Gongsun Jian raised his head and stood up, his eyes flashing with determination.

"Brothers, when I was a child, I was studying in my hometown, and I read an old gentleman named Zhu Yuanzhang who said that 'either you don't do it, or you want to do it, you can't do it.'" Tens of thousands of taels of silver and 50,000 stones of salt, Lao Tzu asked for them all. ”

The five of them looked at this former Great Zhou Northern Army officer who was usually polite and spoke almost softly, and felt the majesty and solemn momentum released by the other party in an instant, and couldn't help but be shocked, but they quickly all stood up and hugged their fists and said: "Everything is subject to the arrangement of the adults, and the subordinates will follow to the death." ”

The small shop is still the same small shop, and the business is getting better and better. Almost everyone who sells coolies in the area near the West City Gate Wharf knows that there is such an affordable shop selling noodles in Shiwa Lane.

The small courtyard is still the same small courtyard, and the sound of reading is still heard every day. It made many people around the alley red-eyed and hot-hearted. I can't wait for my own bear children to join in that small courtyard to read and write.

On the 29th, in the evening, when the sun was about to set, a strange burning cloud hung in the western sky.

Liu Dayuan, the county commander of Linshui County, held a book in his hand, inadvertently looked up at the sky outside the window, lowered his head and said to himself: "There is no moon tonight, and there will be no clouds tomorrow." But it's all good weather! ”

"Sir!" At this time, the voice of the old slave interrupted the county master's thoughts.

"Outside the second gate, the county lieutenant brought a son and said that he had something important to see."

"Oh?" Liu Dayuan sat up straight and put down the book in his hand.

The Jiupin County Lieutenant, who has been in office for more than a month like himself, has almost no contact with him on weekdays, and he has no intersection even in official business. Today, he suddenly brought someone to his back house. had to make Liu Dayuan feel a little surprised.

"Bring them to the study to see me, and no one is allowed to come near the study in the backyard. Not even Madame and Miss. ”

Liu Dayuan faintly sensed a hint of conspiracy.

At the age of twenty-nine, he entered Hanlin for four years, but because he said the wrong thing at the beginning, he was reprimanded and became a county official for more than ten years, and he has not been promoted so far. Now that I'm almost fifty years old, it's almost hopeless. Liu Dayuan has long lost the spirit of striving when he was young. I have been in Linshui County for more than a year, and I say that it is a county order but it is not as good as bullshit, and almost no one below obeys his orders. It is nothing more than the mud bodhisattva in the temple who is tied up high.