In the suburbs of the capital, there is a hill called Cao Mountain, and there is a small mountain village at the foot of the hill, which is called Cao Zhuang because it is under the mountain. This Caozhuang is one of the best Zhuangzi in Jiafu near the capital.

The Zhuang households in Xia Caozhuang were all the personal soldiers of two generations of Rongguo Gong at the beginning, but in the previous generation of Rongguo Gong Jia Daishan, after he was old and unarmed, he was arranged to retire in this small village. Over the years, people have been dying, and there are only a few veterans left who are still alive. On this day, these old people were still playing chess and chatting under the big tree at the entrance of the village as usual. The content of the chat is nothing more than nostalgia for the glory of the previous two generations of Rong Guogong.

"Back then, my lord and I were surrounded by the barbarians of the grassland on a hill outside Yanmen Pass, for five days, everything we could eat was eaten, and finally Grandpa Guo killed his own BMW. I thought that after eating the last stew, everyone fought with the barbarians, so I thought that Old Master Shi would bring troops to help? It was so miserable that there were only about 1,000 people left in the end of 5,000 soldiers and 300 soldiers. Even Grandpa Guo had three sores on his body. Look at the scar on my face, it was left at that time. The old man who spoke showed off the scars on his face.

The other old man couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Lao Liu, you can pull it down." As far as you are concerned, you have been talking about this for decades, and you look at the old people sitting there, which one is not full of injuries, and you have a scar on your face all over your body, which has made you blow for decades. ”

Lao Liu Tou was reluctant, and said: "There are no injuries on my body, that is my good ability, not like Xiao Qian, you will be injured when you fight, and you will be injured when you fight." I don't know how I got into the pro-soldier team back then. After speaking, he glanced at him disdainfully.

When the old man heard what he said, he stopped doing it, and said, "I can't do it, you forgot who trained you when you first joined the pro-army team." ”

When Lao Liu heard his words, he was scarred, and he stood up and his eyes were like bull's eyes: "If it weren't for you, an old boy, I would have fallen into your hands?" "As you speak, you have to do it.

Old Qian does not show weakness, and he has to fight when he stands up.

At this time, the old man with white hair sitting in the middle of the big tree spoke: "Stop me, I'm a lot old, and I'm still the same as a child." What is it like? All sit down. ”

As soon as they heard the old man speak, they both stopped and sat down again. Lao Liu sat and muttered: "Is he always poking people's lungs?" The old man glared at him, and Old Liu immediately shut up.

This old man with white hair is also surnamed Liu, he is the uncle of the old Liu Tou just now, and he is also the only one who is still alive among the old Rongguo Gong's soldiers, so he has the highest prestige in the village, and everyone else listens to him.

Just as the old man was laughing, a carriage came in the distance. The carriage came to a stop when it came near, and Lin Zhixiao, the steward of the outer courtyard, got out of the car.

Lin Zhixiao walked up to a few old people, and immediately saluted and said, "The old men are all right, the boy has said goodbye to the old ones." ”

Old man Liu, who was sitting in the center, saw that it was Lin Zhixiao, so he said: "I said Xiaolin, this is not a year, and it is not time to collect rent, what kind of wind blew you here." ”

Lin Zhixiao didn't dare to put up a fight in front of these old people, and said respectfully: "It's not that there is something in the house, I want a few old people to give me a palm." ”

That old Liu didn't look at Lin Zhixiao, but just lowered his head and said: "We old immortals, now we only have to eat, sleep, kick our legs and close our eyes." What's the use, I'm afraid that Lin Da is looking for the wrong person. ”

Lin Zhixiao is very familiar with several old people present, and Lin Zhixiao comes to collect rent every year in Caozhuang, in fact, it is to collect rent on behalf of Rongguo Mansion to visit these old soldiers who were born and died for two generations of Rongguo Gong, and the rent collected every year is returned to the Zhuang family in the name of pension and pension. This is to avoid the jealousy of other Zhuangzi and make trouble, and also to make other large landlords who have land nearby have nothing to say. And there are other rewards during the New Year's holidays, so Xiacaozhuang is a well-known wealthy village in the nearby four miles and eight townships. The villagers of the nearby villages are proud to marry Xiacaozhuang, although once they marry Xiacaozhuang, they have to sign a deed with Rongguofu, but the nearby villagers still flock to it. First, there is no tax and forced labor in Caozhuang, and second, the rent is equal to nothing? Life passed several times better than in nearby villages. In the third year, the reward was rewarded with half a year's harvest.

It's just that what makes Lao Liu and the others dissatisfied is that the gentlemen in the Rongguo Mansion are now going to take the imperial examination to establish a career, and those who have not joined the army have never recruited the guards in Xia Caozhuang. Let their children learn martial arts, but they can only be farmers.

Lin Zhixiao comes several times a year, and he doesn't hear them complaining, of course, he knows their thoughts, so he said: "I'm afraid this time I really want a few old people to come out, the eldest son of the lord of the house, that is, the son born to Aunt Zhou in front of the old lady is now planning to join the army, but he has learned some martial arts blindly, and I don't know how to let the old people give me advice." ”

Then Old Man Liu thought for a while and said, "Aunt Zhou is the granddaughter of Old Zhou Tou in the west of the original village?" ”

Lin Zhixiao replied: "It's his home." ”

Old man Liu said: "A few years ago, I heard that his eldest daughter was elected to the mansion, and later the whole family moved to the city. ”

Lin Zhixiao said to him again: "Aunt Zhou's son is the eldest son of Master Jia Zheng, who is now in charge of the house, and I haven't heard of joining the army before, but I don't know where I learned martial arts, plus Mr. said that it was difficult to do business, so the master was relieved and let people try his skills first." ”

Old man Liu said: "Is there no one in the house, and they still call us a few old immortals." ”

"Originally, I called the head of the nursing home to ask, but the old man is not at ease, just because a few old men are well-informed and rolled out of the blood rain of the corpse mountain, so I came to ask you to come to the house. Let's see how the eldest young master's martial arts are. ”

The old man Xiao Liu couldn't help but say anymore when he heard Lin Zhixiao say this: "What are you waiting for, let's go to the house." ”

When Old Man Liu heard him say this, he was angry, and reprimanded loudly: "If you don't speak, no one will treat you as a dumb person, and if you can't speak, just shut up and listen honestly, what a mess." ”

Then he said to Lin Zhixiao: "I know Tao boy, and his martial arts have been passed on by his father." At that time, his father Lao Tao's martial arts were also counted in Beijing. What did the Tao boy say? ”

Lin Zhixiao replied to him: "Leader Tao said in front of the master that the eldest prince's martial arts are several times better than him. There is no rival in Kyochung. If he grows up, he can go to the world with a BMW halberd. ”

Old man Liu was unmoved and said: "How old is the eldest son, how can he have such martial arts, I never believe it." ”

Lin Zhixiao retorted with a serious face: "The old man is wrong, Mr. Li, who was teaching at that time, didn't believe it, and the eldest prince demonstrated it for him in the courtyard, when the eldest prince demonstrated martial arts, I and the Tao leader were also there, although I didn't know martial arts, but the basic good and bad still knew, at that time I only felt that the euphorbia was shining like the autumn wind sweeping the leaves, and the changes were innumerable, as fast as lightning and no shadow." I felt as if I had arrived on the battlefield, and the murderous aura was constantly wandering around me. After the eldest son's drill was closed, my clothes were soaked with cold sweat. Now that I think about it, I feel my hair stand on end. ”

Old man Liu heard that what Lin Zhixiao said was definitely not like lying, so he groaned for a while and said: "Since what you said is certain, then it will not be wrong, I still know what you are." In that case, I will go home with you. ”

Hearing Lao Liu's promise, Lin Zhixiao happily told him other requirements: "The master not only wants a few old people to go to the eldest prince to have a look, but also wants the old man to bring all the young men who are good at martial arts in Zhuang, so that he can have a competition with the eldest prince." I don't know what the old man thinks. ”