Chapter Fifty-Six: Ai Kills Basil and Comes to This Land

Ah Mao hung himself from the treetops, and under the cover of the branches and leaves, he observed the group from a distance.

Although he knew that they had no malice and thought that they were a little stupid, Ah Mao was still very cautious, and the swords and axes in the hands of these people were extremely sharp, and Ah Mao saw them use the iron tools pulled by two people to cut down a large tree that could not be carried by one person (Note 2). Although their own tribe also has iron tools, few of them are as elaborate as these people.

The big ship carried most of the people away, leaving only a dozen of them, but these ten or so people had sharp weapons and were heavily guarded every day, and Ah Mao had the intention to steal one of their tools, but he couldn't find a chance. What's more, the natives are simple and have no concept of stealing at all, so the reason why Ah Mao always pays attention to these people is nothing more than curiosity.

On that day, the big ship sailed back with dozens of people, and they first found a place in the gentle part of the river and began to drive piles into the water. Ah Mao didn't know that they were building a dock, but were fascinated by the various tools in the hands of these outsiders who were called "Song people" by the patriarch.

It would be nice if your own tribe had these tools.

However, Ah Mao also knew that these tools were not those silk and porcelain, and they could not be exchanged for deerskin and antlers alone.

Hu Yichen pressed the nailed plank with his hand, and felt that it was not bad, so he said loudly: "Everyone, work harder, build the dock before sunset, and the Zhiyuan can dock and unload the goods, so that we can eat enough wine and meat tonight!" ”

"Needless to say, we will serve the dead, and we are all our own people." Those who came were all craftsmen from the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, and they were heavily funded by the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, so they were very concerned.

A simple wharf, and dozens of people went into battle together, so the progress was faster than Hu Yichen thought, and at three o'clock in the afternoon in the quarter of an hour, this wharf was completed. The "Zhiyuan" docked, and dozens of people came down, and everyone did not rest, and directly dismounted from the ship.

The "Zhiyuan" came this time with a full load of goods, including rice, flour and bacon for eating, some sawn wooden planks, and various tools. After everyone got off the boat, they began to use axes and saws to open the way, and according to the marks left by Fang Youcai, they carved out a clearing in the forest where the first left-behind people temporarily lived, and set up a wooden fence around the clearing.

Halfway through the work, night fell. Ah Mao saw that these people, as well as those left in the early stage, all got on the boat, and he boldly crossed the river in the night and came to the camp of these Song people, but he only approached, and the Song people got off the boat one after another.

"This soup after the meal is really unpalatable, and I don't know why, that Qiu Lang has to force us to drink it." A craftsman complained: "You still have to watch us swallow, and if you don't swallow, you will have to deduct wages, how can there be such a reason!" ”

"You don't know, mosquitoes are rampant in this place, Qiu Langzhong said, these mosquitoes are extremely poisonous, and you can detoxify them by drinking the decoction he prepared." The other person who had stayed behind before patted the craftsman on the shoulder and said, "Let's cross the ocean to earn this coolie money, if we are poisoned here, won't we complain!" ”

"It's just that the juice of Artemisia annua is mixed with raw water, which is also considered a decoction?" The craftsman still complained, "I almost threw up my dinner!" ”

"Hugh is noisy, if you don't want to eat, it's simple, follow the boat back to the hanging island tomorrow!" Fang Youcai himself was a person who liked to say strange things at the beginning, and he knew that these strange words were the most likely to dampen morale, so he glared at the man: "The bureau gives such a high salary, but please come here to nag?" ”

These people don't know, but Fang Youcai understands that the so-called medicinal soup in Qiu Lang is actually made by Zhao Heju. Among them, there are children from Yuzhang Mountain Zhuangyixue, and if they go back to Zhuangzi to file a complaint, it will be difficult for them, who are in charge.

The craftsman was drunk by him, and sure enough, he shut his mouth, and he couldn't go with anything, and he couldn't go with money. He rolled his eyes around, and just happened to see Ah Mao huddled behind a tree, and said "Huh", "There is a native man!" ”

"Hugh go and pay attention to them, we have a hundred and ten people here, and we are still afraid of a native?" Fang Youcai said as he hid in the crowd.

Seeing that these Song people still ignored them when they saw him, Ah Mao became a little more bold and followed everyone to the place where they had been opened. This is actually a gentle slope with a mountain at its back, which is not high and has deep forests and dense trees. The Song people lit a bonfire in the middle, and by the light of the fire, they began to work again. At this time, Ah Mao noticed that not all the Song people who came down, about a quarter of what went up.

Logging, sawing boards, the Song people did such things without stopping, and Ah Mao watched outside for a long time, still relishing. The nagging craftsman saw that he was stunned and looked at himself, and suddenly a thought suddenly arose in his heart, beckoned to him, and motioned him to carry away a log that had been felled, Ah Mao was a little flustered at first, and fled a few steps away, seeing that the craftsman just laughed, as if to laugh at his timidity, Ah Mao turned back angrily, picked up the fallen log, and placed it in the middle of a pile of wood.

Although he is shorter than the Song people, his strength is not small at all.

For such an extra labor, the Song people did not pay attention at first, and only the lazy craftsman stole the fun, but soon the Song people discovered this. Fang Youcai kicked the craftsman in the past, trying to drive Ah Mao away, but he didn't dare to approach him when he looked like that, and finally pretended not to see it, so he let him follow to move the wood.

"At eleven o'clock in the evening, Steward Fang, the supper is delivered, let everyone rest and do it again."

When Ah Mao was doing his best, he heard someone shouting, and then the strong fragrance came, and the Song people who were working stopped and laughed with each other and gathered together. Ah Mao threw the wood he was carrying, and was about to dodge, but heard the man who seemed to be the leader say something to the craftsman.

The craftsman was with Ah Mao for a while, and he was very bold, and beckoned to Ah Mao again, and then Ah Mao saw that the craftsman had taken a clay pot and handed it over. Ah Mao took it puzzled, and saw that the Song people took the clay pot one after another, and then lifted the lid, and the tangy fragrance came again.

"Eat!" The craftsman said to Ah Mao.

"Eat!" Ah Mao immediately understood what this meant, and he said in the tone of the craftsman, and then grabbed the food in the clay pot with his hand.

There was laughter all around, Ah Mao raised his head, and found that the Song people were eating the food in the clay pot with two thin bamboo slices, he looked at his dirty hands, and his face couldn't help but redden.

For the first time in nearly twenty years, he felt that this was not the right way.

"This native is only a half-grown boy." When the craftsman saw him like this, he smiled and said, "It's a powerful person, Fang is in charge, so it's better to keep him here with us." ”

"It's up to him to chew on it anyway." Fang Youcai scratched his head, Zhao and Ju repeatedly explained that they should pay attention to the relationship with the natives, they have just arrived, and there are not many of them, if the relationship with the natives is stiff, and they come to make trouble in three days, then nothing can be built.

Ah Mao didn't know that the two Song people were talking about him, he was eating the best food in his life, and the taste almost made him swallow his tongue.

After eating, Ah Mao quietly crossed the river and returned to the public house, and after half a night's hard work, he felt very tired, so he lay down and fell asleep. In his dream, he was dressed like the Song people, holding their tools, and holding food between two bamboo sticks like they did.

"Eat!" In the dream, he said these two words over and over again.

When he got up the next day, he couldn't wait to run to the river and look at the opposite bank, where the bonfire was still burning and there were people working on the construction site. When he went to sleep last night, there were only a dozen wooden stakes laid there, and when he looked at it today, a wooden fence had already appeared. Ah Mao hesitated whether he should continue over, and it happened that the craftsman got off the boat again, smiled at him, and beckoned to him. Ah Mao immediately jumped up and rowed out the canoe he had hidden on the shore.

"This native knows the taste of marrow." Fang Youcai shook his head, and suddenly had an idea, although they were working day and night here, but the shortage of people still restricted the process, although these natives couldn't do fine work, they could always do some coolies.

It's just that although he has this heart, he can't communicate with the natives, and although the half-grown natives in front of him ran over, they can't speak Chinese.

Fang Youcai could only dispel this thought.

The area from which they had avoided was about ten acres square, and they had cut down all the trees last night, and today they had set fire to remove weeds and shrubs. Then the house was built. The beams and wooden pillars used to build the house were all brought in from the ship, and the size was already calculated, and the mortise and tenon were chiseled, and only the mortise and tenon were spliced, so the progress was also extremely fast (Note 3). In just one day's work, the framework of a large shed and six stilted buildings was erected. Naturally, the stilted buildings they built were not as simple as those of the natives, and all that was left was to nail the wooden planks on.

The hut was nailed first, and the people even laid half of it with tiles, which were also brought in by boat. After the wooden shed was able to shelter from the wind and rain, all the goods loaded on the "Zhiyuan" were transported down and sent into the big shed, and then the Zhiyuan set sail again and returned to the north of the hanging island.

As for the departure of the big boat, Ah Mao hardly noticed, he had enjoyed working among the Song people, although it was more tiring than in the tribe, but their food was excellent, and their tools were very convenient. He now has an idea, the hard work in his tribe is only to get a little food, compared with the food of the Song people, the taste is very different, it is better to call all the people in the tribe to help these Song people work, in exchange for their food and clothing.

It's just that thinking of the majesty of the patriarch, Ah Mao didn't dare to mention it.

He slipped in the morning and night every day to help, and worked in the tribe in the afternoon, so although the tribe was a little dissatisfied with his love to make up among the Song people, no one doubted anything.

There is always a lot of rain in the south, and in order to avoid rain, the more than 60 people left behind stopped the rest of their work and began to roof the wooden house with all their might. There is a lot of wood here, so the wooden roof is nailed with a layer of planks, and then the planks are covered with thick thatch. They had only built six houses when a torrential rain came, and for days they were confined to the huts, sawing the wood they had cut down into planks.

Ah Mao had not crossed the river for the past few days, and he was a little restless in the public house, and from time to time he would look out to see if the rain had stopped. When the clouds finally cleared, he immediately rushed to the river and rowed a canoe to the camp of the Song people.

He studied with the Song people and knew that the camp was called "Tamsui". By the time he appeared outside the camp, the Song had already begun to work, some cleaning up the few wooden huts that had been built, and most digging ditches to drain the water that had accumulated in the camp.

This is what Zhao Youju did not think of in advance, Fang Youcai has learned to be obedient this time, if it is not a wooden house on stilts, they are only afraid that they will be blistered by the water flowing down the hillside for a few days.

Because everyone was busy, no one greeted him for the time being, Ah Mao dangled beside him for a while, and was about to find the craftsman he knew the most to do when a shout suddenly came from behind him: "Ah Mao! ”

Ah Mao turned around, but it was the patriarch who led the young men of the clan and followed him in full armor.

If it is in terms of the equipment of the Song people, the javelins in the hands of these natives are too shabby, but Ah Mao was taken aback, this is a battle that only appears when they fight with neighboring tribes, could it be that the patriarch is jealous of the property of the Song people and wants to start a war with the Song people?

Ah Mao didn't dare to imagine what weapons these Song people, who had extremely delicate tools and came on huge ships, would come up with.

"Patriarch, don't, don't!" He shouted to the patriarch and ran quickly. The patriarch glared at him suspiciously, and when he ran in front of him, he asked, "Did the Song people cast some kind of magic on you to make you fidgeting for the past few days?" ”

"No, it's not ......" Ah Mao then understood that the patriarch was here to save himself, he blushed, lowered his head, and rubbed his foot on the ground twice: "I'll help them, they will give me food." ”

"Help them?" The patriarch looked inside through the fence, and because they were running in full armor, the stockade was also on guard, and most of the craftsmen were gathered at the door with crossbows and swords, and a few even pushed out a small bed crossbow in their hands.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Ah Mao waved to the Song people, and then said to the patriarch: "Go back, let's go back." ”

Seeing that these murderous natives retreated again, Fang Youcai breathed a sigh of relief, and complained about the craftsman who provoked Ah Mao: "You are troublesome, look, you almost got into trouble!" ”

The craftsman stalked his neck to refute, but when he remembered the resounding copper coin, he changed his smile again: "Steward Fang said that he was joking, but you ordered that local boy to eat and drink in those days, and you brought him here." ”

"Go, get to work!" Fang Youcai was not annoyed, and reprimanded with a smile. was able to avoid some trouble, let his hanging heart relax, the sky was sunny again, and his mood was naturally good.

Glancing at the place where the natives had left, he thought to himself: "That native-boy won't come again—it's a pity that a laborer who doesn't need money!" ”

However, a quarter of an hour (half an hour) later, Ah Mao ran over again panting, he mustered up the courage to come to Fang Youcai, stretched out his hand and gestured: "Work, work!" ”

This is also one of the Song words he learned, "fresh water", "eating", and "working", which are all the Song words that Ah Mao currently has mastered. Fang Youcai saw him go and return, thinking that he should have persuaded the rest of the natives, so he didn't care, and waved his hand to call the craftsman who did a good thing: "Old Chen, this kid is still yours!" ”

Ah Mao stomped his feet and shouted a few more words to the outside of the village, but no one could understand his native language, and after a while, four other native boys appeared in front of everyone, their expressions were restrained, Ah Mao ran to grab them, and they came over. Ah Tu pointed to himself and his companions, said "work" to Fang Youcai, and then pointed to Fang Youcai and said "eat", Fang Youcai understood, first stunned, and then nodded one after another.

In exchange for work, this is a matter of course?

Note 1: From the modern Huang Zunxian's "Taiwan Tour", the poem was written after the defeat of the First Sino-Japanese War and ceded Taiwan. The full poem is as follows: "Every time the city beats the big drum, the sky and the earth are like tears. The Japanese actually cut off Taiwan, and the original territory entered Tianfu, and the sky was far away and the sunrise. I am taller than my great-grandfather, who came here to kill basil. Frosting tea and snow 100 billion trees, there are thousands of dollars in the year! Heaven forsake me, heaven is angry, take my fat for revenge. The people are insatiable, why should the people suffer from this? Who died in Qin has three households in Chu, not to mention millions of households in Fujian and Guangdong! Success or failure is unseeable, everyone swears to the death and refuses, who dares to insult with one heart? Draw your sword and hit the pillar, there is no other thing to say about today's affairs, and there are those who do not follow you. The dignified blue flag stands on the yellow tiger, and the city embraces the empty alley dance. The gold bucket seal group directly called the president governor. Today's government and the people are the mainstay, Tainan and Taipei are solid, and Lei Chi is not allowed to go one step further. Haicheng May Wind Fury, 300 golden-winged ships flew in, chasing giant ships like a tide. The former went ashore to the male tiger biao, and the latter captured the flying ape. Murata's gun is prepared for the front knife, and he is invincible and bloody. The gods are scorched and the city gates are burning, who can escape with the war guards? A round of red sun is high in the sky, and thousands of white flags are floating in the wind. The gentlemen and the elderly invited each other, kneeling beside the road and bending their waists. The red tasseled bamboo crown is a brocade strip, and the green silk braid hair hangs down to the clouds. Kneeling with a silver plate of tea and cakes, green and purple melons, the general has no trouble coming from afar? Surrender the people to the general. The general said to call Ru Cao, you and I are a compatriot of the Yellow Seed. The king of Yanping County is proud, and he really opens up this soil to divide the grass, and today he is also taught by my heaven. The country is benevolent and holy like Tang Yao, raising Rushu Li Miao, and there are no rumors about Anru's family. General Xu Xingchen is not arrogant, and thousands of horses enter the city. General Woohoo is not Tianjiao, and Wang Shiweide is all-inclusive. My generation is a general of life and death, dare not return to the Ming Dynasty? Whew! Sad! You are all over Taiwan, yesterday he was loyal and brave today, and everything is turning with him. There is no preparation for war in peacetime, so what can I do if I am loyal and righteous! ”

Note 2: Taiwan's aborigines actually have iron tools. In the information I collected earlier, I said that the aborigines of Taiwan were still in the period of using iron tools and stone tools in the seventh century AD, so I took it for granted that iron tools were not common at that time, but in fact, the aborigines had already used iron tools for hunting at that time.

Note 3: The so-called Sumata Night Castle during the Warring States period of Japan was built in this way.