Seeing that the hundred or so people who were not selected were very sad, Chao Gai continued: "You don't have to be sad, don't pull down what you have learned, I will definitely recruit new people in three months to six months, and don't blame me if you can't choose again." ”

"Great, great, we'll be sure to practice hard when we go back." The crowd said happily.

Chao Gai didn't dismiss them in vain, and each of them was given fifty copper coins, which is not much, it is a thought, and it is enough to buy a few catties of meat.

The remaining 100 people were reorganized, with a squad of 10 people, two squad leaders and two deputy squad leaders, one platoon for five squads, and two platoon commanders and deputy platoon commanders. Chao Zhang became the first platoon leader, and Chao Ran became the second platoon leader, which was not Chao Gai's care, but the result of the two people's hard work.

"Stand upright, take a break." Chao Gai looked at the team coldly, and said with eyes like a big bad wolf looking at a little sheep, "Congratulations on successfully passing the assessment and officially becoming a member of the escort team, and each person will be sent back within three days with a ploughing ox." But from now on you will have to train recruits, call me an instructor from now on, and everyone must obey the order, otherwise don't blame the ruthlessness of military law. ”

The hard days are coming, a ten-mile cross-country run every day, just started to be a whistle stick per person, and after two days, each person added 30 catties of food, and ran long distances with weight. Running back is a harsh formation exercise, whoever does it wrong Chao Gai's leather whip will pass, although it will not hurt people, but it hurts like fire. In the afternoon, it was time to shoot with a bayonet and an arrow, and the same action was often repeated hundreds of times.

"Thorn." With Chao Gai's shout, a hundred people stabbed their whistle sticks at the same time.

"Enter." A hundred men marched forward with guns. The team is in unison.

"Thorn."

"Enter." The team members did the same movements, from being unfamiliar at the beginning, to being proficient later, and then hearing the slogan with their eyes closed.

Chao Gai was concentrating on training, when the sound of fighting came from the door of the barracks, and Chao Xiong led a few people to fight with a man.

"Chao Zhang, Chao Ran, continue training." Chao Gai asked the two platoon commanders to continue training and walked to the camp gate by himself.

At this time, the battle at Yingmen had entered the white heat, Chao Xiong and four other villagers besieged a big man with red hair in the middle, and the two sides fought very lively. A banker was not careful, he was hit in the chin by a red-haired man, tilted his head and fell to the ground, and another banker was hit by a kick on his hip bone and fell to the ground.

Chao Xiong was ruthless and wanted to play really, Chao Gai hurriedly shouted: "Stop, don't fight." ”

Chao Xiong glared at the red-haired man angrily and jumped out of the circle.

"Chao Xiong, what's the situation?" Chao Gai asked.

"We were guarding the gate, this kid came and said he was going to join the escort team, I told him that the recruitment had ended, let him come back later, he was not happy, he broke in, and we fought." Chao Xiong said.

Chao Gai nodded: "You did a good job, the camp is heavy, don't break in." ”

"Brother is Chao Gai Chao Heavenly King." The red-haired man asked.

"Yes, it's me. You are? ”

"In Xia Liu Tang, I recently gambled in Jeju, and I just heard that my brother Zhuangshang was going to recruit guards, so I came over, and I didn't want to miss the date, so I broke in, and asked my brother to forgive me."

Liu Tang, Chao Gai was very happy, in this original trajectory, Liu Tang waited until the Seven Stars Juyi intercepted the birth gang to come to Dongxi Village, as soon as he came, he was caught by Lei Heng, after Chao Gai saved him, he took a Pu knife and Lei Heng to fight, standing firmly, not only is he good, but also bold, and the most important thing is to be loyal to Chao Gai.

Chao Gai was overjoyed: "It turned out to be Brother Liu Tang, welcome Brother Xian." Come back to the village with me. ”

Chao Gai arranged for other villagers to guard the camp gate, and called Chao Xiong back to the village together.

After preparing fruits, vegetables, wine and dishes, Chao Gai picked up the wine bowl and said, "Welcome to the virtuous brother, come and do it." ”

Chao Xiong also said: "Your fists and kicks are sharp enough, then you will put down the two of me in a while." Admire, I salute you a bowl. ”

"You're not the same, you're as strong as a mountain, and your fists hit you like an iron plate. But punches and kicks are not my specialty, I am good at swords. Liu Tang said.

"The Pu knife is the most common weapon, but there are not many good ones, and the head of the county is called Lei Heng, and he is also an expert in using the Pu knife." Chao Gai said.

"Wait until another day to meet me and him." Liu Tang said.

Chao Gai said secretly, this Liu Tang kung fu is very strong, straightforward, and very easy to accept, as long as he can make him admire you, everything is easy to say.

"Brother Liu Tang, can you demonstrate the knife technique?" Chao Gai said.

"It's boring to demonstrate alone, I'll accompany Brother Liu Tang." Chao Xiong said.

Everyone didn't eat and drink anymore, and when they came to the martial arts arena, Chao Xiong took a long-handled wooden axe, Liu Tang took a wooden simple knife, the two opened the door and fought in one place, Chao Xiong took the road of strong strength, although Liu Tang had a lot of strength, but he took the road of skill, and the knife and axe fought for more than 20 rounds in an instant, Chao Xiong obviously lacked stamina, and if it was a real fight, he still lost.

"Alright, let's stop." Chao Gai said with a smile, "Brother Liu Tang is really good, but there is still room for improvement." ”

"Oh, can I go any further?"

"Exactly, the world's martial arts are invincible, only fast and unbreakable." Chao Gai Zhengse said.

Liu Tang was confused and didn't know why.

"You take a wooden knife and use your speed and strength to cut me." Chao Gai said.

Liu Tang jumped up with the wooden knife, the wooden knife broke through the air and slashed towards the top of Chao Gai's head, Chao Gai suddenly kicked out with his right foot, and came first, kicking Liu Tang in the chest and knocking Liu Tang down.

Liu Tang fell and got up with a red face: "The divine power of the Heavenly King, Liu Tang admires." ”

"Strength and speed, as long as you improve these two things, you can definitely become a first-class master. If you want, I can teach you how to improve your strength and speed. Chao Gai said.

Liu Tang bowed his head: "Brother Xie, Liu Tang is willing." ”

"Haha, okay, let's go back to eating and drinking."

Everyone drank booze, of course, due to the low alcohol content, no one was drunk, Liu Tang was very happy and Chao Gai was very close to him.

Chao Gai beckoned, and Chao Xiong took a tray up, and ten silver ingots of five taels on it were fifty taels of silver.

"Brother Liu Tang, this is a little bit of my brother's heart, a meeting gift of fifty taels, my brother must accept it."

"Don't, Liu Tang came here mainly to admire his brother's righteousness, not for money." Liu Tang hurriedly shook his hand.

"Do you treat your brother as an outsider, this is a meeting gift, all the heroes who come up from the village have them, brothers must not shirk, in addition, the annual salary of brothers is fifty yuan, and there are dividends at the end of the year."

Liu Tang accepted it politely for a while, in fact, what are you doing here, worshipping Chao Gai's righteousness, but also rushing to Chao Gai's righteousness and squandering money. At this time, there was no inflation in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the currency was very real, basically an ordinary cultivated ox was only seven or eight yuan, and a county order was only sixty yuan a year.

"You follow me first, go to the guard camp to exercise when you're fine, and then arrange specific things later." Chao Gai said.

"It's all up to my brother." Liu Tang completely agreed with Chao Gai's arrangement.

It happened that Chao Gai saw the chief manager Chao Xun passing by and asked, "Xu Hai's restaurant, how is the development of Liu Liang's grain?" ”

"Xu Haixin's Tianya Inn bought an old yard outside the south gate of Yuncheng County and is being renovated. It won't take more than a month to open your business. Liu Liang developed well, in Juye County, Rencheng County, Jinxiang County have rented a storefront to open in a few days, Yuncheng County's grain store expanded to ten stores, in addition to operating grain and oil, but also began to sell dry and fresh fruits, plates, jars, mats and hats and other daily necessities, but just rebuilt business is not very good. ”

"Well, first of all, you tell Liu Liang to let him sell some small things for daily use, at cost price, or below cost price, of course, not all the time, there is a time limit, arrange for the bookkeeper to write some notices and distribute some along the street. Besides, I'll think about it. Chao Gai pondered, obviously Liu Liang has developed the grain and oil store a bit like the prototype of a supermarket, since he is so brainy, he should support him well, of course, Chao Gai has never opened a supermarket, but he has been there many times.

The escort team training was arranged for Chao Zhang and Chao Ran to be temporarily managed, and Chao Xiong also led the team to the north to pick up salt. Chao Gai took Liu Tang and two other four villagers out of Dongxi Village on horseback, this time to go to the edge of Shuibo Liang Mountain, where there is a Luhua Village specializing in making hats, the whole village has more than 20 households, there are more than a dozen old craftsmen. The hat woven with reeds is very large, like an open umbrella, and most of the locals use this hat instead of an umbrella, although the umbrella is convenient, but it has to be played by hand, and the hat is used to free the hand and can work better.

Liu Tang loves to chatter and mutters along the way.

"Liu Tang, you come to defect, do you know what business my Chao Gai does?" Chao Gai asked.

"Yes, Grain Hotel."

"That's just a part, there are also private salt and iron tools, and sometimes horses are trafficked from the Great Liao Kingdom, I forgot to tell you just now, you have to take a lot of risks when you come to me, and there are often days when you lick blood from the knife edge."

Liu Tang looked proud: "Brother Mo looks down on me, my brother is doing both official and private business, and the risk must be very great, but I, Liu Tang, admire my brother's personality and am willing to follow my brother. ”

Chao Gai looked around, and there was no one on the road except for his own group of four: "You can't talk nonsense, you have to lose your head." ”

"The little brother knows that he is wrong, he will not talk nonsense in the future, in a word, I Liu Tang will follow my brother in the future, and I will do whatever my brother tells me to do."

"Hehe, don't worry, our mountain is far away, and there is nothing wrong with selling illicit salt."

While speaking, the four of them arrived at Luhua Village, which was built next to the water, and there were seventy or eighty grass houses in a messy manner, and a few children at the entrance of the village were playing with sticks and fighting.

An old man basking in the sun next to the haystack asked, "What are you here for?" ”

"Uncle, I'm Chao Gai from Dongxi Village, and I came to the village to buy some hats, mats and other reed-woven utensils." Chao Gai said.