On the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve, only a few flakes of snow fell in the capital, just like ashes being lifted by the breeze and falling on the coat, and they melted before they could be filled.

This is a sign of a mild winter.

At this time, Qian Jin was lying in a southbound carriage with a thick quilt under him; Lao Qian and Bao'er sat on one side, their faces covered with gloom. Ding Wei and Ge Yun each led a few people to follow behind in two carriages, which were full of silver and New Year's goods. After leaving the Yongding Gate, the three carriages headed in the direction of the winery.

After a few days of recuperation, although Qian Jin's wound no longer bleeds, the arrow still looks a little crazy. He had already received the news that the fallen Jinyi guards and craftsmen would be buried today, and he decided to send them off.

This move was opposed by the family, especially Bao'er. The carriage was bumpy, which was very likely to cause the wound to burst, but Qian Jin still insisted on going. Everyone had no choice, so they had to repeatedly tell Lao Cao Tou to drive the carriage more smoothly, and there was a bed of cotton wool in the carriage.

The mountain behind the winery was crowded with people at this time. The Qianhu Office led by Ge Yun, Liu Fucai's county government officials, and the craftsmen of a wine shop and a flower shop all came to bid farewell to the brothers who died in the war.

The coffins of these dead soldiers and civilians are ready to be buried on the hill behind the winery. There are many stones on the mountain, and it is not easy to dig graves, and someone proposed to change places, but Qian Jin sternly refused. According to Qian Jin's original words: "In the future, when the winery reopens, these old brothers smell their own wine under the nine springs, and sleep more soundly." ”

When Liu Fucai saw Qian Jin, he bowed his hand and said: "General Qian, according to the customs of the north, funerals cannot be done on New Year's Eve, so the lower officials proposed that the day of burial be chosen today." ”

Qian Jin let go of the hand that Lao Qian was holding and raised it weakly: "Liu County Order, you are about to enter the Shuntian Mansion as the main business, and it is not easy to worry about the future affairs of the brothers." I don't know anything about this custom, so I'll do as you say. ”

Liu Fucai hesitated for a moment, and said respectfully: "Xiaguan was able to be promoted to Shuntian Mansion this time, thanks to General Qian's support. If it weren't for General Qian's proper command, the lower officials would almost have affected His Majesty and the general, and they would be afraid to come. ”

"That night, it was the men who could keep it until the end." Qian Jin smiled and said, "If there are any difficulties in the future, we might as well move around more." ”

"The subordinate thanked the general first." Liu Fucai bowed and retreated.

Ding Wei picked up the two-foot white silk and wrapped it around Qian Jin's arm, and asked, "The time has come, what does the master have to say to the old guys." ”

Qian Jin was silent, asked for a pot of wine from Wu Ju's hand, and said slowly to the neatly arranged coffins: "Brothers, go with peace of mind, I will take care of the old and young in the family." Alas...... I was going to let you follow me to make some meritorious deeds and enjoy a few days of happiness...... I didn't think about it, but I cost you your lives. I'm ashamed! With that, he slowly sprinkled the jug of wine on the ground.

Ge Yun, a hundred households in Jinyi, stepped forward and said: "General, it is the true character of a man to kill the enemy and serve the country and make meritorious contributions, so he will not live up to his journey in this world." The brothers who died in the war were all good, and there was not a single bad seed. ”

Ding Wei also persuaded: "Master, the craftsmen are all born in food. Since I followed the master, I have wine and meat to eat, and a tiled house to live in, how about I wait for death to repay this kindness? ”

"Yes, sir, if it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have fallen into the situation of selling my sons and daughters."

"I'm not much better, I'm afraid I'm still a wanderer!"

The craftsmen also persuaded one after another. Qian Jin was silent, and only after a long time did he say: "Send the brothers to rest early!" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman dressed in a vegetarian body began to cry and stopped in front of a coffin to prevent the craftsmen from lifting it, and beside her was a pair of teenage children. The other women couldn't help but cry when they were attracted by this. There was a cry on the hill behind the winery.

At this moment, a loud bang resounded on the mountain, and the aftermath lasted for a long time. Immediately afterward, there were five more consecutive bangs. Qian Jin looked towards the mountain, and there seemed to be a flame burning in his eyes.

On the top of the mountain, Tian Li was holding a six-turn magic machine facing the sky, and the roar just now was sent by the six-turn magic machine. It seemed that he was still satisfied with the effect, Tian Li blew the * pipe, ran down the mountain and said to Qian Jin: "Master, the small one finally lived up to your expectations and created the first magic machine." Use it today to bid farewell to your brothers who died in battle. ”

Qian Jin looked at it carefully, each barrel was more than half a foot long, all of them were hexagonal shapes, and the barrels had been polished to snow white and shiny; The tail of the barrel is equipped with a rear door for easy cleaning and wiping; The six barrels were fastened with iron sheets. I don't know how Tian Li has opened his mind in the past few days, and he didn't let Qian Jin worry about it too much, so he made this object out.

"It's a big deal." Qian Jin said approvingly: "After the New Year, you will quickly build the iron workshop, and you must be the treasurer." ”

"Thank you, sir!"

The advent of the six-turn magic machine did not bring much joy to Qian Jin. If these six-turn magic machines had been born a few days earlier, perhaps there would have been no need to kill so many people in the battle behind the winery. It's really a fate! Qian Jin glanced back at the women and children who were still crying, and went down the mountain with difficulty with the support of Lao Qian and Ding Wei. Behind him, the six-turn magic machine roared regularly, accompanied by the gently falling snow, comforting the deceased heroic spirit.

…………

At the foot of the mountain, the brewery has been burned to the ground, and the ruins above it have now been cleared.

Qian Jin turned around and asked Ding Wei, "How big is this land?" ”

"Master, it's about fifty acres. You don't have to worry about rebuilding the brewery, I've already hired craftsmen, and I can start work when the weather clears up in the next year. ”

Qian Jin nodded. Ding Wei is so good, he can think about everything in front, and he doesn't have to worry about anything. However, this year is a warm winter, and the crops do not have to worry about freezing to death by ice and snow, and they are afraid of locust plague next year. When the time comes, when the locusts cross the border, what harvest will the crops have? Without crops, there are no raw materials for steaming wine at all.

Of course, there is still a sake brewery, and it is an industry that craftsmen desperately guard.

Qian Jin was worried that if the Tartar cavalry came back to fight the famine in the spring, the craftsmen would not even have a place to hide.

There are exactly more than 50 acres of land here, more than 10 acres for the winery, more than 10 acres for the iron mill, refining saltpeter preparation * and then a small workshop, the cave as a warehouse, the surrounding and the back mountain are all surrounded by high walls, and then a small fortress will become. There are some houses built inside, and the craftsmen can have a place to rest when they are tired, which is better than sleeping on the door panel. If an enemy is attacking, the craftsmen can rely on the high-walled muskets to fight the enemy, and their safety is guaranteed.

This time, the palace rewarded 20,000 taels of silver, and Qian Jin planned to use it all on the fortress, and named it "Iron Blood Castle".

He found a branch from the ground and drew a plan for the Iron Blood Fortress on the ashes that remained on the ground. Ding Wei only read it once and already understood, and asked: "Master, we still have a workshop in the south of Wanping County, do you want to rebuild it according to this map?" ”

"Leave it alone for the time being, and transfer all the craftsmen back." Qian Jin said with a wry smile: "Your master, I am still poor now." I still have more than 60,000 taels of silver at home, and I will leave you 10,000 taels when the time comes, and I will be useful for the remaining 50,000 taels. ”

"The master always thinks farther than us."

Qian Jin pointed to his head and said, "I'm your boss, I can't stay away if I don't want to." If the Tartars do it again, you, me, and the guys won't have that much luck. ”

Ding Wei wanted to ask what the "boss" was, but then he thought that most of the things he had to do with the owner, so he stopped talking. He pointed to the carriage behind him and asked, "The bereavement allowance for the dead soldiers and civilians is either Ge Baihu and I will distribute it." Boss, your arrow sores have not healed, so let's go back and rest early! He is now learning and selling, and he has used the word "boss" to call Qian Jin.

Lao Qian and Bao'er have been silent beside them, and they have been sweating for Qian Jin this morning, for fear that his arrow will collapse.

Seeing Qian Jin's hesitation, Lao Qian leaned in and said, "Son, don't worry about this, I, Shopkeeper Ding and Ge Baihu can go, you and Bao'er hurry back to the courtyard." But don't forget that your dad is also from a military background. ”

Qian Jin was actually a little unable to support it for a long time, so he nodded and instructed: "When you send silver, don't send it in person, just put it on the windowsill or under the door." However, they must watch as their family takes the money before leaving. ”

"My brother is more attentive and thoughtful than the girl's!" Bao'er snorted beside her.

…………

In the evening, Wanping County.

To the west of the city is the residential area of some merchants and gentry, interspersed with the courtyards of some small families. In a tiled house shaded by a dense wild locust tree, a woman prepares a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner and calls a teenager reading by the fire.

"Son, your father just left, maybe his heroic spirit has not had time to report to the prefecture, this Chinese New Year's Eve dinner we are still a family of three!" The woman cried softly, her eyes a little red and swollen.

The young man put down his book, took out a pot of good wine from the room, and said, "Mother, my father loves to drink the wine from his own wine shop, and I just used it to pay tribute today!" ”

"You have a heart...... the woman put paper money and incense candles on the table, poured the wine that the young man had taken out, and murmured, "The head of the house, seeing that the son is about to become an adult, how can you leave our orphans and widows ......behind?" The son has the heart to take the imperial examination, and the court is directly exempted from the examination for Xiucai. In the days of our mother and daughter, you can rest assured! And I'll keep all your good wines for you, just dream about it when you want to drink it......"

The woman was talking about emotion when there was a knock at the door.

The boy opened the door, but there was no one outside. He crossed the threshold to investigate, but he knocked over a bag, opened it, and found that it contained a hundred taels of silver, as well as some New Year's goods.

"Mother, I didn't see anyone outside the house, but there was a bag."

The woman was surprised, so she took the bag and looked at it, and after a long time, she said, "This is our master's own intention." He didn't let us see it because he was afraid of embarrassing us! Son, although the lord is young, he is a good person, you can't be ungrateful when you become an adult! ”

"Mother, the child has written it down!"

…………

In a village on the outskirts of Wanping County, a thatched hut has already set up a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, but there is only an elderly couple and a young man on the table, but the atmosphere is a little dull.

Halfway through the meal, the old man held up the wine and asked the young man to drink with him, and said: "Son, this time your brother died in battle, the court is compassionate, and the nephews in the family can directly be transferred to the Jinyi Guard." According to my father, you don't have much to go at home, so you might as well go to General Qian's thousand households after the New Year. ”

The young man took his glass and drank it down, and said loudly, "That's what the child wants." The Tartar soldiers invaded the territory, and the child went here to avenge his brother. ”

At this moment, there were several knocks on the door outside. The old woman glanced at the old man, then got up and opened the door, and when she came in, she carried a cloth bag in her hand.

"Old man, there's no one outside the house, only this bag......"

The old man glanced at the bag and laughed, with tears in his eyes. After a long time, the old man stopped laughing and said, "Old woman, who will send you something at this time except General Qian." ”

When the young man heard the old man's explanation, his eyes were full of determination.