Wei Xin walked over barefoot, clapped his hands on his body, and said, "Straight lady thief, it looks flat here, but there is water everywhere." There are so many reeds here that it's hard to dig a drain. ”

Zhu Zhaoren said: "Reclamation of wasteland, isn't that it? You still want to be like the land at home, so good to plant! ”

Wei Xin sighed, went to the front of everyone, and chose a stone to squat on it. The man next to him handed him two branches, which counted as chopsticks. said: "Let's say a few words." I didn't hear Tu Zhu Si say that as long as these lands are opened, the imperial court will be exempted from taxes for three years. ”

In the middle is today's dinner, a big pot of yellow rice, a small pot of pickles. There is also a large pot where fish caught in a nearby pond are boiled directly with salt and sprinkled with some wild vegetables. These days, they are digging drainage ditches in this field. After draining the water, it is good to burn the land in the winter, and cultivate it into arable land in the spring. The ground is full of reeds and all kinds of tree roots, and it is not a good job.

Meng Xuezhi brought two people and held a few bags. When he arrived in front of everyone, he threw the bag on the ground and said, "The newly issued shovel in the yamen is said to be made by Xiangzhou Iron, and it is extremely durable. In a moment we will look for some branches and put up this shovel. ”

Wei Xin opened the bag and took out the shovel inside to look at it. All are round heads, look very light and thin, and the front is sharpened. With a flick of your finger, you can hear a buzzing sound. I couldn't help but praise: "It's really iron!" These farm tools of the Song people are really good! ”

Zhu Zhaoren said: "Such a good thing, it's not cheap." ”

Meng Xue said: "Five runs are enough money, of course it is not cheap. But if not, how much land can we carve out? ”

Zhu Zhaoren nodded and looked at the shovel carefully. Said: "If it's in the north, you can't buy it with five dollars." Such a good iron must be used to fight swords, how can it be used by farmers? It seems that the imperial court is good to us, and did not take the opportunity to raise prices. ”

Meng Xue said: "That's nature. I asked Tu Ai Si and said that it was cheaper than the nearby markets, and the Yamen gave it a discount. ”

Putting down the shovel in his hand, Wei Xin lifted the wine jar on the side and said, "Don't say it." We drink. The old man who sells wine over there has been told several times that he finally stopped selling sour wine to us. I have heard that the wine in the city is better, and some are very strong. In the future, when we drink, we should send someone to the city to buy it. These countrymen have no sincerity in doing business. ”

As he spoke, he poured wine for everyone. Each of them raised a bowl and drank it all, which was very enjoyable.

After drinking a few bowls of wine, Zhu Zhaoren said: "A few days ago, I heard that the Khitan was exempted from the taxes of Xijin Mansion, and Zhuozhou will not repair the city. It's a pity that if there had been an earthquake a few days earlier, we wouldn't have had to cross the river. ”

Meng Xue said: "Who can know about the things that the heavens are in charge of the earthquake? Don't talk about this, you have already arrived here, and you can only work hard, open up the land, plant food, and have a good life in the future. ”

Wei Xin took a sip and said, "If we don't cross the river, maybe there won't be an earthquake." You haven't heard that the earthquake is the wrath of the heavens. The Khitans arrested people and repaired the city like livestock, this is to punish them! ”

Zhu Zhaoren smiled when he heard this: "This is not nonsense! The earthquake did not kill dignitaries, but mostly small people. ”

A few people were eating and drinking, and they were talking about the latest news, which was also lively.

Two days ago, when I heard that the Khitan had exempted the Xijin Prefecture from paying taxes and stopped repairing the city, many people regretted escaping. Especially when there is a lot of land in the house, there are even women who weep bitterly every day. Fortunately, they all know that if they return to the other side of the river, not only the Song people will not be able to spare them, but the Khitan people will not be able to spare them. If it weren't, someone might have run back again. It took two or three days for everyone's mood to stabilize.

Tu Aiji was worried for two days, and when he saw that there was no major incident, he was relieved. I specially bought some good farming tools from the shopping mall in Hejian Province and came back and loaned them to these people who reclaimed the wasteland. A shovel is indeed an affordable price, and Tu Zhusi did not overcharge.

The occurrence of the earthquake, on the one hand, caused great damage, and on the other hand, it also stopped the various Khitan errands. Although the people suffered heavy losses, they were exempted from taxes and did not have to be served, and the trend of the people fleeing south quickly calmed down.

In this era, most of the houses were grass huts, and the houses were scattered, and not many people died in the earthquake. It's just that the houses have collapsed, the bridges have broken, and the lives of the people have been affected. The Song Dynasty also suffered losses in the border states, but not seriously.

After drinking a few bowls of wine, Zhu Zhaoren patted his stomach and said, "Yesterday, in the nearby village, someone heard that the Khitan stopped serving on errands, and took his family in the middle of the night and secretly crossed the river to return home. And guess what? ”

Wei Xin smiled and said, "What else?" The Khitans hated him for fleeing south, how could they spare him? ”

"Exactly! The man was tattooed and confiscated into the army, and the old and young in the family were sold as slaves and maids by the Khitan, and all the family property was collected. Speaking of this, Zhu Zhaoren shook his head. That man doesn't know what to think, he has already fled south, how can he think that the Khitan will not pursue it! ”

Meng Xue said: "The Khitans also don't know how to govern the country. At this time, it is time not to pursue the people who fled back, and the others will slowly go back when they see it. As soon as someone escapes back, they will be severely punished, and when the others see it, who dares to return? ”

Zhu Zhaoren said: "Pedant, this is not right. Only a few hundred people fled to the south bank, and the Khitans didn't care too much. Severely punish those who flee back in order to get a breath of evil out of their breasts. ”

Wei Xin said: "Speaking of this, you said that the Khitans hate us so much, will they send troops across the south bank in winter?" ”

Zhu Zhaoren shook his head again and again: "It's been a few days here, haven't you heard of it?" The current Khitan, no longer in the past, has no chance of winning a war with the Song people. At the beginning of the year, I was in Shuozhou, and after a few days, the Khitan couldn't take advantage of it at all. ”

"Yes, the current Song army is not as good as before, and it is not afraid of fighting with the Khitans." Meng Xuezhu nodded. "I heard that the real Song army used guns and cannons, and injured people at hundreds of paces, and they didn't fight each other at all. The Khitans did not know how to make guns and suffered a lot. ”

Wei Xin said: "There is no here. Look at the Song army in Xiongzhou, they don't take knives and guns? ”

Zhu Zhaoren shook his head: "Who knows these things, we just heard from people." The most important thing now is that the Khitan does not cross the river in winter to arrest us. The Juma River froze in winter, and the Khitan cavalry rode over, but it was very easy. ”

Speaking of this, several people were a little worried. Although the Song Dynasty also had heavy troops in Xiongzhou, according to past experience, it did not have the ability to block the Khitan cavalry. Even if the Khitans can't fight a big war, as long as they know the location, it is not difficult to cross the river to capture a few hundred villagers.

Meng Xue said: "This is south of Yishui, dozens of miles away from the border, I don't believe that Khitan soldiers and horses can come." The Song army in Xiongzhou is not an ornament, how can it allow the Khitan soldiers and horses to come and go? Our safety is still a small matter, but the hat of the official here is a big matter. ”

Although he said this, Meng Xuexue was also a little worried. In the border area, the Khitan is arrogant and accustomed to fleeing several people, and it is difficult to pass like this. The Song people were tough, and the Khitans didn't seem to have any other way than to send troops south. Tens of miles away, for cavalry, it is difficult to say that they can come and go in a day.

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