Whenever the Han people go to a place, they must open a restaurant.

Zhao Ping came to Mengyang with one hundred and fifty Ming troops, as well as hundreds of people such as merchants and misdemeanor prisoners, and it had only been two months; In the simple streets of the village, more than a dozen restaurants and liquor shops have been opened. In addition, grocery stores, pharmacies, and iron shops have also opened.

When the group first arrived at the mine, there were very few locals in the nearby villages, and all those who could run ran away. The people's grain can only be supplied through the Mengyang Propaganda Envoy Sizhi Office, and the food of the Sijia can be purchased at a high price in silver.

But soon after, the natives found that the Ming army was strict in discipline and did not plunder, and soon many locals appeared near the village of Tunjun. In less than a month, the natives sent a steady stream of supplies that everyone needed...... Of course, it was not for free, they wanted to exchange it for something in the store.

The locals quickly fell in love with the delicious food in the village and wanted the items sold in the shops.

Iron tools such as farm tools and firewood knives are very sold, and the iron tools forged by craftsmen in the Middle Earth are sharp and strong, and they are of good quality and low price. In fact, the iron smelted here is superior to the iron in the hinterland, because it is better to make iron from charcoal than coal. At present, wood charcoal is expensive in the mainland, and most of the iron smelting is made of charcoal, and the iron tools are brittle in comparison.

The strangest thing is that the miasma herbs are also very popular with the local natives. However, the miasma recipes collected by the Han Langzhong were learned from the local local methods, and the medicinal materials were also collected from the nearby mountains.

It is said that the people near the left have given this mining village a name, called "Daming City", and some of the natives who came to exchange things came on foot from the village dozens of miles away.

The natives came with rice, melons, fruits, herbs and other things, and the rice could be exchanged for copper coins directly with the Ming army, and then they could buy goods at will in the Tunjun village. As a result, a large amount of grain was hoarded in the barracks warehouses for a short time, so that the price of rice and grain continued to fall day by day.

Zhao Ping, in the name of the capital division, began to collect taxes on the "Daming City", according to the "Daming Law", the commercial tax is one out of fifteen; Then the military paid for the construction of the city wall, and the armor soldiers were on duty to provide protection for the merchants.

…… When he got up this morning, Zhao Ping took his group out of the barracks, passed through the Juntun village in the mine, and went to pick up people on the main road.

Turen County Cheng, who was specially responsible for translating for Zhao Baihu, contracted miasma and died; Tengchong Qianhu sent another native surnamed Diao to bring the matter forward, and the scout reported that it was this morning that the report arrived.

He was accompanied by Xu Caiqi, the chief treasurer of the Shen family's mine, a young man under the age of thirty, who said that his elder brother was the chief treasurer of the pear orchard in Kunming City.

It often rains in this place, but the weather is good today, and I saw the sun reach the top of the mountain in the morning. However, the sunny day will be very hot, in short, it is not as comfortable as the climate of the Central Plains.

The road is lined with vegetation on both sides, making the road look even narrower. Zhao Ping rode slowly on his horse, turned his head and chatted with the shopkeeper Xu Caiqi: "Is there enough manpower in the mine?" ”

Xu Caiqi also rode a horse, and respectfully waved on the horse: "Back to Zhao Baihu, there are enough people." There are many young people in the nearby villages, who are willing to work hard in the mines, and the wages are not high, but the young people are not easy to use. ”

Zhao Ping nodded.

Xu Caiqi opened the conversation box and complained: "The local people are not very obedient, they run around, and they don't seem to be able to work together, and three or four people doing a job will definitely be a mess." We can only ask those prisoners who come out of the prison to be overseers, a few natives, and a Han to watch, otherwise we can't do anything. The food wages of so many people are not as cheap as hiring Han people in Kunming. ”

Zhao Ping persuaded with good words: "There are not enough Han people in Yunnan, and they are all in Kunming City and other big cities. This place is too far away, and most people don't want to come, so if they can find labor here, Shopkeeper Xu has to make do with it. ”

"General Zhao is right." Xu Caiqi hugged his fists.

They slowly came to a junction, then they all turned over and dismounted, and stood on the side of the road waiting.

I don't know how long it took, but the sun was already above three poles. Finally, a group of several people appeared on the main road on a pony.

Zhao Ping walked to the middle of the road, and when the people gradually approached, he asked loudly in Chinese: "Is it a matter of trouble for someone to come?" ”

A woman's voice said, "Exactly." Your Excellency is General Zhao? ”

When Zhao Ping heard that the voice was actually a woman, he was a little surprised, and was stunned for a moment before replying: "It will be Zhao Ping of one hundred households." ”

Several oncoming people turned over from the pony one after another, and the one who walked in front was a dark-skinned native lady. The little lady folded her hands together and said: "My father is a trick in Tengchong Qianhu, and his health is not good during this time; I can also speak Chinese, so I came in place of my father. Meet General Zhao. ”

Zhao Ping was still surprised, thought for a while, and said, "It's okay, just talk to each other." This is the shopkeeper Xu of the jade mine. ”

The little lady spit out jerky, but she was quite generous, she said to Xu Caiqi: "Meet the shopkeeper Xu." ”

After waiting for the salute, Zhao Ping said: "Let's go back to the Juntun Office to hand over the official documents first, Miss Diao, please." ”

The two teams joined together and followed the main road back to the village. The Diao girl seemed to be very curious about Zhao Ping and kept looking at him. Zhao Ping opened his mouth and said, "Haven't asked Miss Diao's name yet?" ”

The little lady muttered, but Zhao Ping didn't understand, and turned his head to stare at her. Xiao Niang smiled and showed a mouthful of white teeth, and said with a smile in Chinese: "General Zhao can call me Ya." ”

"Ya?" Zhao Ping nodded, looking at her wearing a dress with various colors, her skin was tanned yellow and black, which really had nothing to do with elegance.

Diao Ya said: "General Zhao saw me, his expression was very strange, is there something wrong with me? ”

Zhao Ping hurriedly said: "Miss Diao Ya is too worried. Maybe we have different customs, and I shouldn't be surprised. ”

"What are the customs in General Zhao's hometown?" Diao Ya asked with interest.

"If it is in our hometown, if there is an official and a half-position, the daughter of the eunuch is not out of the door, and there is generally no one to see." Zhao Ping said, thought about it and said, "But it's not necessarily...... There is a matter of Mulan joining the army to fight. ”

Diao Ya asked who Mulan was.

While riding a horse, Zhao Ping told the story of Hua Mulan's father's joining the army, and recited two lines of poetry from time to time, Diao Ya listened to it with relish.

At this time, Xu Caiqi praised: "I don't want Zhao Baihu to be so knowledgeable." ”

Zhao Ping said with a smile: "Yixiao is generous, I was originally a child, and I didn't even get into Xiucai." ”

Xu Caiqi said: "Zhao Baihu is humble. You are very learned in the ranks. ”

A few people talked and laughed, and gradually walked outside the village gate. Because the military collected taxes, a wall was built around the village to provide defense for the Han Chinese merchants. The rampart was just a low rammed earth wall with a stake fence built on it; There is also the "moat", where a ditch dug rains and accumulates water. However, it is enough to defend against ordinary thieves.

Nanzhai Gate is the main gate of the village, and the two small flag teams on duty are the main army. There were a total of 150 people in the regular army who had just arrived in Mengyang's territory, and they all knew the general Zhao Ping.

The main army guarding the south gate is the Han Wangfu guards, the best equipment, the armor is distinct, they are lined up in two neat teams, and the military generals on duty shouted with the password of the Han Wangfu guards: "Lizheng!" ”

The troops suddenly stood upright, and there was a neat sound of armor grinding, and the soldiers raised the cherry guns together. The chief flag commander walked up quickly, and the army saluted and hugged his fists and said: "The last general will see Zhao Baihu!" ”

Zhao Ping dismounted and returned the salute. The people who accompanied him dismounted, and the natives dismounted and entered the village through the gate together.

After Diao Ya walked through the gate, she was still looking back at the soldiers guarding the gate frequently, looking very curious. Zhao Ping has seen the so-called army on Meng Yang's side, which is indeed incomparable, and the brothers in the army sometimes joke that those armies are like monkeys, because they are always moving around when they are in formation, either scratching their heads or scratching their bodies.

The houses in the village are very simple, mostly made of wood. Because of this, it rained and there were many insects, so the foundation was propped up with wooden planks.

Although it was simple to build, the military households and the common people still brought the habits of the interior. There are drainage ditches on both sides of the road, and the street surface is also tamped, and there are some stone slabs paved with simple roads. Each street was equipped with large wooden barrels filled with water to prevent fires, and there were official servants who were responsible for general disputes; Every morning, dung trucks pass by to carry away the filth, and the barracks government office arranges for miscellaneous work such as cleaning the streets and hoeing grass.

Compared to the Turen village, it is of course clean and orderly. The streets are filled with the smell of provincial cuisines, and colorful shop flags flutter at the doors. Diao Ya and the Turen entourage's eyes were wide open, and they were very curious about everything, and they kept looking around.

Diao Ya exclaimed: "The place of the Han people is really beautiful. If I have the opportunity, I must go to Kunming City! ”

Zhao Ping smiled faintly: "The Ming people have been in Kunming City for more than ten years, and the current Kunming City is nothing, Diao Ya girl should go to Jingshi to see." ”

Diao Ya smiled: "I have long heard from the villagers that Han people love face and like to brag, and they are right!" ”

Zhao Ping was a little embarrassed when he heard this, and he and the shopkeeper Xu glanced at each other, and the two looked at each other.

Diao Ya hurriedly said again: "Just kidding, General Zhao don't be angry. ”

Zhao Ping said: "Miss Diao Ya is not wrong. ”

Diao Ya asked again: "Within a few months of General Zhao's arrival, the 'Daming City' was built, how did the general do it?" ”

Zhao Ping thought for a while, but couldn't answer: "Isn't it just an ordinary village, how to build it?" ”

There was an old man in the back who said a few words. Zhao Ping looked at Diao Ya and said, "What did he say?" ”

Diao Ya shook her head and said, "Third Uncle is not talking to General Zhao. He said that the Middle-earth Dynasty has been around for thousands of years, and the entire tribe is stronger than our tribe, and it is not the credit of General Zhao alone. ”

Xu Caiqi said: "Diao Ya girl is straightforward and fast-talking, fortunately, Zhao Baihu is an easy-going person. ”

Zhao Ping smiled: "I'm just a hundred, and I don't need to be flattered by others." ”