Wu Yong saw that Chao Gai was a little distracted, and asked, "Brother knows these two people?" ”

"I've heard of it, I'm not familiar with it, you go on." Chao Gai said.

Wu Yong said: "These two people each received one hundred taels of silver and promised to introduce them to the prefect Xu Lin. I met with Xu Zhifu and said some information, but I didn't expect this Xu Zhifu to know my brother's reputation and know that my brother was in Jingdong Iron Fist Town, so I didn't think much about it and promised to appoint you as the training envoy of the Yuncheng regiment and return to Huang An's control. In addition to the armor of the regimental training envoy, there are also seals and documents, and 500 reed leaf spear heads are given for the first time, and they also claim to check the results of your training in three months, and if there are results, there will be additional materials. ”

Chao Gai pursed his lips: "Just have an official uniform and a sealed letter, as for the gun head, you can't use half a catty of iron." ”

"Flies are small, but they are also meat. What's more, Governor Xu is conveying a signal to you, that is, he needs your help, Jeju Prefecture has four county seats, one prefecture city, and the total population is only six or seven hundred thousand, because of the convenience of water transportation and many rivers, it can be regarded as a land of fish and rice, but it is not valued by the imperial court, and the huge government did not send troops to defend, only Huang'an had a regiment training envoy with more than 1,000 village soldiers. Wu Yong explained.

Chao Gai thought for a while and said: "It should be that his career as a prefect is not smooth, or he is in danger, otherwise how could he give me a village chief-level official so easily." ”

"Don't think that far ahead, you believe in the knife in your hand. Let me tell you one more thing, this time I went to Jeju and I met your own family, that is, the mentor of Governor Xu, Chao Buzhi. Wu Yongdao.

"Oh, I have a little impression, when I was a child, I often heard my family say that his teacher was Su Dongpo, but I don't remember the specifics, I heard that he was a big official in the capital."

"It's a few years ago, a senior official in the ministry, the specifics are not clear. He is only fifty-seven years old this year, with sores on his back, and the doctors in Jeju have said that they can't cure it, and it is likely that it will not work, and his son Chao Wen is a Jinshi, but he has not been released as an official, and he is serving his father at home. His family has 20,000 acres of thin fields outside Jiyang City, which was originally rebuilt from a barren beach, and the tenants have expired and cannot be rented out, so let me help contact the tenants. Wu Yong introduced.

Chao Gai said: "I heard that this family is very literate and has a great official reputation, why did he become seriously ill at the age of fifty-seven." And what about his son? ”

"His son, who is also very good at literature, is not the kind of person who reads dead books, he belongs to a practical talent, like his father, who has been an official in the court for more than ten years, and his family has only 20,000 acres of wasteland that cannot be rented." Wu Yong sighed.

"I'll go visit them another day, the top priority is to exterminate the locusts, the people are in a hurry and go crazy, Yuan County ordered this bastard to collect summer grain in advance, this is the rhythm of death." Chao Gai told all the things about the villages requesting the extermination of locusts and the detention of 21 villagers in Ren County, Ren Batian, during this period of time.

Wu Yong said: "Killing locusts is an opportunity, why not order someone to rush to make the banner of the Yuncheng regiment Lian Chao overnight, and every team of chickens and ducks will carry such a banner to strengthen the momentum." ”

Chao Gai agreed, and arranged for others to make flags, so Chao Gai became the lowest-ranking officer, with a military rank, and a regimental training without military salary, equivalent to a militia company commander. Chao Gai's banner came out, the momentum of the herding chickens and ducks was really greater, although the group practice is nothing, but it can fool most of the people, the locusts where the chickens and ducks have passed, the effect is not generally good, mainly due to the right timing, at this time the locusts have just grown a small wing, can not fly, it is easy to be eaten by chickens and ducks, all the way to walk quickly to kill a lot of locusts in the village.

Song Jiang, Lei Heng, and Zhu Tong heard that Chao Gai became a group training in Yuncheng, and prepared gifts to thank him, and Chao Gai also arranged to return the invitation in Yuncheng Chaojia Restaurant, and the work on face still had to be done, Chao Gai specially lent Song Jiang a thousand black chickens, so that Song Jiang could eliminate the locusts in his Songjia Village, of course, Song Jiang did not save fuel, and he himself also drummed up 3,000 chickens to exterminate locusts, but it was also tightly limited to his own village, and he was unable to go to other villages to exterminate locusts, so he could only watch Chao Gai's reputation grow bigger and bigger day by day.

On this day, Chao Gai took Li Kui back to the village to see the construction of the spice workshop, and just arrived at home, the villager outside the door came to report: "The owner, there is an idler at the door, who claims to be called Bai Sheng, and he has to shout to see you." ”

Chao Gai frowned, Bai Sheng's kid has a nickname called the loser mouse, often goes to the Qinglou to find women and does not give money, also known as the day mouse, the Bai family was originally a big family, the family has thousands of acres of fertile land, dozens of cattle and horses, and opened a soju workshop called the Bai family wine workshop, the taste of the wine is pure, people nearby like it, and the business is also very good, and then Bai Shenghao gambled and lost the huge family business, and the old lady was angry, so she left her father alone, fortunately, Bai Sheng still has a daughter-in-law who will not give up.

Chao Xun next to him said: "Owner, this Bai Sheng is good at drinking and gambling, and he also visits the Qinglou from time to time, he is really not a good person, he can't use guns, and he can't do business, so let him go." ”

Chao Gai also nodded, this Bai Sheng is indeed really rubbish.

Li Kui next to him said: "I'll go and drive this guy away, and kick his eggs with a kick." ”

Chao Gai hurriedly stopped Li Kui: "How many times have I told you, teach you martial arts to fight tough guys in the world, Bai Sheng is just a powerless person, what do you do to beat him, come with me to see." ”

When Chao Gai arrived at the door, Bai Sheng, a living treasure, was holding the big tree and singing, with a pleasant voice and a euphemistic tune: "The red sun is scorching like fire, and the wild fields and rice are half scorched." The farmer's heart is like soup boiling, and the prince and grandson shake the fan. Yuncheng Chao built a waterwheel, and the people of the county were happy. The locusts were dense and numb, and Noda Hosei suffered. The farmer's heart is like soup boiling, and the king and grandson upstairs shake the fan. Jeju Baozheng herding chickens and ducks, the locusts that ate are gone, gone, hey. ”

"This little tune is not bad, it seems that I am still praising my brother, and I suddenly don't want to kick him." Li Kui said.

Bai Sheng saw Chao Gai come out, and hurriedly walked over, half-hunched over. Chao Gai saw that this person was about 1.75 meters long, with a lewd and thin figure, a messy chicken nest head, a little black beard on his chin, and then wrapped in a white towel A bit like A Bao, the two long legs began to fork from the navel, and it was the same as Feng Gong, which made people feel happy at first sight.

Chao Gai said: "You made up this song?" You're good at drinking, good at gambling, and it's good to go to the Qinglou to find a girl? ”

"Yes, Chao Baozheng, Ah No, Chao group practice." Bai Sheng hurriedly said, "I made up the songs, I can change those hobbies for good wine and gambling."

"Yes, yes, you don't need to change, you don't need to change, you don't need to change, this is also a talent." Chao Gai nodded.

Chao Xun next to him said: "Ah, eating, drinking, prostituting and gambling are also considered talents?" ”

Even Li Kui had a big mouth and didn't understand what it meant.

Chao Gai said: "In a distant country, there are many singers, that is, singers, all like this, doing all kinds of. Let's go, Bai Sheng, follow me to the courtyard. ”

Chao Xun didn't care about this, he was busy, Chao Gai and Li Kui invited Bai Sheng into the backyard, still sitting under the big tree, Zhuang Ke looked at the tea, Bai Sheng wanted to drink but didn't dare to drink, Chao Gai said: "Drink, drink and I'll teach you to sing a song, try your voice." ”

Bai Sheng was also thirsty, so he picked up the black porcelain bowl and drank it all.

Chao Gai asked Bai Sheng to listen attentively and began to sing:

Canghai laughs

The tide on both sides of the strait

Ups and downs follow the waves

The sky laughs

The tide of the world

God knows who loses and who wins

Jiang Shan laughed

The smoke and rain are far away, and the waves are washed away, and how much do you know about the red dust

Qingfeng laughs

It's lonely

There is still pride left

A photo of the evening......

Canghai laughs

The tide on both sides of the strait

Ups and downs with the waves, now the sky is smiling

The tide of the world

God knows who loses and who wins

Jiang Shan laughed

The smoke and rain are far away, and the waves are washed away, and how much do you know about the red dust

Cangsheng laughed

No more loneliness

Pride is still smiling infatuately

A song sung by the rivers and lakes with a smile is full of heroism, Chao Gai is tall and mighty, full of heroism, this song is just right, Li Kui and Bai Sheng who listened to it were a little dazed, but I didn't expect my brother to have two hits.

"Bai Sheng, you sing the song just now." Chao Gai said.

Bai Sheng also sang, the first time he sang badly, but the second time he entered the best place, very beautiful, full of pride and vicissitudes of the rivers and lakes.

Chao Gai taught him a few more songs, Liu Huan's first come, this goodbye, etc., I didn't expect this guy to be able to learn very similarly. Chao Gai patted Bai Sheng on the shoulder: "Yes, it's you." Say, what treatment do you want. ”

Bai Sheng scratched his head: "Twenty times a year." ”

Next to him, Li Kui snorted: "You still have twenty years a year, if I hire you to fight three times a day." ”

Bai Sheng was not annoyed, and looked at Chao Gai with a smile.

"Okay, just twenty times. I don't care about your bad habits, but I can't delay the business, delay the work, be careful of your dog. Chao Gai said.

Bai Sheng shrank his neck and hurriedly agreed.

Chao Gai asked people to find an erhu player, a guzheng player, and two small drummers, and the five of them formed a troupe.

"Bai Sheng, in the future, you will be my troupe here, I will let you sing what you want, you will play what you want, all actions are quite commanding, dare to disobey the military law, understand."

Bai Sheng nodded again and again: "Don't worry, brother, I, Bai Sheng, am an understanding person, since my brother has taken me in, I will do something like me, what is the name of my troupe?" ”

"Let's call it the Loose Mouse." Chao Gai said casually. Bai Sheng doesn't like this name, but there is no reason to object, his nicknames are called Loser Mouse and Day Mouse, which sounds good in comparison.

The investment of this troupe is only 20 yuan, which is nothing more than buying decent clothes and props for Bai Sheng and the four musicians, and then it is equipped with a carriage. There is no venue, and the temporary performance is in Chaojia Restaurant, Tianya Inn, Chaojia Village and other places, singing and telling jokes, no one takes it seriously, and they all think that this is Chao Gai spending a little money to give everyone a good time. Who would have thought that in the future, the free mouse would be popular all over the country, and the rich leaders would invite them if they had something to do at home, and the appearance fee would be less than 1,000 yuan, and the profits created would not be lower than that of a big commercial house of the Chao family, which will not be mentioned for the time being.

There was no news from Ren's family in Ren County for several days, Chao Gai couldn't wait at home, so he left the team behind, and took Wu Yong, Ruan Xiaoqi, Li Kui, Hua Lei, and Liu Youtian, the agricultural supervisor, and went straight to Jeju. In order to save time, I didn't take a boat or horse, and soon arrived at the Jeju Chaobu House, which was a family of poets and scholars, and the porters were so polite. Li Kui, Hua Lei, and Ruan Xiaoqi waited in the tea shed outside, and Chao Gai, Wu Yong, and Liu Youtian went in.