Chapter 18: Mid-Autumn Festival (1)

The woman's eyes were a little red: "The slave family's maiden surname is Jiang, she was called Jiang Wuniang when she was at home, her hometown is in Jizhou, Yandi, fourteen years ago, the Khitan people took the slave family to Liaodi, her parents and brother died on the way, the slave family was resold many times, and finally came here, married her deceased husband, and lived a peaceful life for a few years. After giving birth to a son and a daughter, she didn't think that her husband died of a violent illness a few months ago, leaving only the mother and son to live a difficult life. The day before yesterday, the bandits came to the village, locked up the whole village, and said that they would sell everyone to human traffickers. Fortunately, thanks to the rescue of my husband, my mother and son escaped. ”

Zhao Zi was full of compassion, and asked again: "Is there anyone else in the mother's husband's family?" ”

Jiang Wuniang replied: "My in-laws have passed away in the early years, and my husband's family has no relatives. ”

Zhao Zi thought about it again and said: "Jiang Niangzi, I am a businessman, I have been doing business in the north for many years, and I am quite wealthy. Now I got acquainted with the Cui family firm in Jiangnan, and if you want to go to Jiangnan with the Cui family caravan to settle down, why don't you mother and son go south with me, I will ensure that you and your children have no worries about food and clothing, I don't know what to do? ”

Jiang Wuniang was a little surprised, and said for a while: "I met Mr. Pingshui, how dare I trouble Mr., my mother and son still stay here and live hard." ”

Zhao Zizhong persuaded again and again, but Jiang Wuniang just refused to agree.

An Dalang watched for a long time, and then came over and drank: "You woman doesn't know anything, my brother is kind-hearted, and he wants to save your mother and son from distress, and you are still so unhappy, which is really worrying." ”

After saying that, he picked up the little boy and went out laughing. Jiang Wuniang screamed and hurriedly ran out. Zhao Zizhong also went out, thinking, what does my righteous brother want to do, is it possible to scare Jiang Wuniang?

An Dalang went out and jumped on the horse and put the little boy in front of him, "Boy, my uncle will take you to ride a horse and play, and your mother will come with you in a while, don't be afraid." ”

Zhao Zi hurriedly shouted, "Brother, what are you going to do?" ”

"Brother, I'll take this kid back to the camp first, I'm not afraid that his mother won't follow, haha!" After saying that, he will fight the horse and leave.

Jiang Wuniang hugged her daughter and cried, "How is this good, how can he be more arrogant than a bandit." ”

Zhao Zizhong reluctantly persuaded: "Lady Jiang, my brother is a little arrogant, but it is also for the sake of your mother and son." Now that this is the case, you can go south with us. ”

Jiang Wuniang sighed: "Sir, my mother and son have no choice but to take refuge with you, but there are still a few acres of land and a house at home, how can I bear to leave it behind." ”

"It's okay, just give it to your neighbor."

"Then I'll go back and make arrangements, pack a few clothes, and go south with my husband."

Jiang Wuniang hurriedly left with her daughter. Li Jinyang, the boss of the 'Eight Heroes of the Divine Arrow', came over and said, "Mr. Zhao, the remnants of the bandits came back last night and ran away most of the gold, silver, money and grain, leaving only a small amount of grain, cloth and other things. What do you think about it? ”

"We don't want it, let's give it to the villagers."

An hour later, the supplies were all distributed. Jiang Wuniang carried a burden and led her daughter to gather with everyone. Everyone returned to the camp together.

After walking for a while, the girl couldn't walk. Zhao Zizhong picked her up and followed the team. Jiang Wuniang hurriedly said: "How can this make it, it's too annoying sir, let her come down!" ”

Zhao Zizhong smiled: "It's okay, this kid is quite light, I'm used to walking long roads, and I'm not tired at all." ”

Jiang Wuniang followed up and asked cautiously: "I don't know if Mr. is okay at home?" ”

Zhao Zizhong sighed: "I originally had a wife and a five-year-old son, who were separated due to war a few years ago. I guess I won't see it again. ”

Jiang Wuniang asked again: "Didn't Mr. go looking for it?" ”

"I searched for a long time, walked nearly 10,000 miles, and I didn't find it."

chatted with Jiang Wuniang along the way, teasing the little girl from time to time, and soon returned to the camp. Steward Cui greeted him, "Mr. Zhao, everything has been dealt with, everyone is tired all night and is resting, you can rest too." ”

Zhao Zi re-entered the camp and saw Du Dalei and Na Zhe teasing the little boy, hooking the children with candy and calling them "Dad".

An Dalang came over with a smile: "Brother, you are hungry, we have left you a lot of horse meat, you can go and eat it." ”

Zhao Zizhong shook his head: "I said brother Xian, you will still rob other people's children!" ”

An Dalang smiled: "This is also the first time for me, and I am inexperienced." Next time, my brother has a crush on a beautiful little lady, I will definitely snatch it back for you. With that, he ran away.

Zhao Zizhong was speechless, thinking that there were two second goods Du Dalei and Na Zhe, and this is another one, could it be that my team has become a 'second cargo collection center?' ’

Wei Hongye came over: "Lao Zhao, what to do with those prisoners?" Just now An Dalang said that he would slaughter them all. ”

"It's okay, I'll go to Cui Hong in a while and ask him to find a way, he won't kill the prisoner."

Zhao Zizhong found Steward Cui and told Jiang Wuniang about the situation of her mother and son, and he was also very sympathetic to the mother and son, and promised to take them south. Zhao Zizhong said again: "An Dalang wants to kill all the captives, I can't agree, what can you do?" ”

Cui Hong thought for a while, "The captives can't be released, they are all old bandits, and if they are released, they may continue to do evil." But killing prisoners is ominous, so let's take the captives to Liaoyang Prefecture in Tokyo, sell them to human traffickers, and let the traffickers sell the captives to the mines and do hard labor for the rest of their lives, what do you think? ”

Zhao Zi nodded emphatically: "This method is good, Steward Cui is really well-informed, I will go to An Dalang, I can't let him kill the prisoner." ”

Zhao Zizhong found An Dalang and told him how to deal with the captives, An Dalang said: "I listen to my brother, if you don't kill it." ”

Zhao Zizhong was also tired, looking for a place to sit down, he saw Wei Hongye chatting with Jiang Wuniang, and Na Zhe and Du Dalei were playing with their two children. Boris brought a bowl of horse meat, "Boss, eat some, this horse meat tastes good, it's the first time I've eaten it." ”

Zhao Zizhong took it, "Give some to the mother and son." ”

"They've just eaten."

August 14, 962 A.D

In the morning, everyone got up and packed up, and the convoy set off. Due to the seizure of several war horses, Du Dalei and Na Zhe pestered An Dalang and asked him to teach everyone to ride horses, Wei Hongye and Boris were also eager to try, so An Dalang became the head of equestrian education. Along the way, everyone showed their foreign appearances, and from time to time they fell off their horses, and their noses were blue and their faces were swollen. Jiang Wuniang sat in the carriage with her two children, watching a few people riding clumsily on horses, and couldn't help but snicker. She thought to herself, these gentlemen seemed to be kind-hearted people, who valued profit over righteousness. Yesterday, all the seized money and grain were distributed to the villagers, and the robbers who were caught were not killed, and it was said that they were going to be sold. Follow them to live in the south, and life will definitely be good.

At this time, An Dalang drove his horse close to the carriage and shouted, "Boy, do you want to ride a horse?" The boy shouted, "Yes, yes, ride a big horse." A little hand was stretched out.

An Dalang leaned out from his horse, picked up the little boy, and put it in front of him. Jiang Wuniang hurriedly said: "Da Lang, be careful!" ”

An Dalang smiled: "Don't worry, Jiang Niangzi, I started riding horses when I was seven years old, and I've been riding for twenty years, no problem." Let's go. After saying that, he rode away on horseback.

The girl looked at her younger brother enviously, and then Du Dalei came over and said with a smile: "Little sister, do you want me to take you on a horse!" ”

The girl pouted, "No, I saw you falling off your horse several times." ”

Everyone burst into laughter, and Du Dalei scratched his head in embarrassment, "Let's go a few days, wait for me to practice again, and I'll take you to ride when I'm done." ”

Zhao Zizhong rode over on a horse, he had practiced equestrianism in the army before, and it was no problem to ride slowly. He said to Jiang Wuniang: "Jiang Niangzi, I'll take your little lady to ride a horse, there should be no problem." ”

Du Dalei said aggrievedly: "Boss, how are you robbing my business." ”

"On the side, will you ride a horse? If you still ride a rope, don't drop other people's children. ”

Du Dalei ran away stupidly. Zhao Zizhong asked again: "Jiang Niangzi, I forgot to ask yesterday, what are the names of your two children?" ”

"The boy's name is 'Dog'er', and the girl's name is 'Apricot', which makes Mr. smile."

Zhao Zizhong stretched out his hand, "Xing'er, would you like to let Uncle take you on a horse?" ”

The girl looked at her mother, and when she saw that she nodded in agreement, she held out her hand. Zhao Zizhong picked up the girl and put it in front of him, urging the horse forward. After a while, he caught up with An Dalang. When the little boy 'Dog' saw his sister also riding on a horse, he excitedly shouted, "Sister, ride a big horse!" ”

There was laughter and laughter all the way, and before I knew it, it was getting dark. After camping, Steward Cui came over and said to everyone: "Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15, everyone will get up early tomorrow, and we will drive 20 miles more to Tongzhou City to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival." All the caravan cheered, and everyone had eaten and gone to bed early.

Early the next morning, the convoy quickly set off. The porters hurried to the carriage and arrived at Tongzhou City before dark. Wei Hongye looked at the city wall, "This should be the Siping of the later generations, after here, you will arrive in Liaoning Province." ”

When the convoy entered the city, Steward Cui took everyone to find a very large inn and settle down. He sent his men out to find a restaurant and booked a few tables of banquets.

After everyone washed up briefly, the banquet was served. The people set up a feast in the great courtyard of the inn, and began to eat and drink with cups and lamps. Du Dalei pulled An Dalang to fight for wine, and after a while, he drank high, and he said with a big tongue: "I said Lao An, what is that weapon of yours?" ”

An Dalang glanced at him: "You don't know? That's a horse lance! ”

Na Zhe also asked: "Ma Lance, is it the one of Cao Mengde's "Heng Lance Fu Poems"? ”

An Dalang said proudly: "That's right, that's it, you know, a good horse lance takes three years to make." The lance of the horse lance is made by taking the main trunk of the finest tough wood, peeling it into a uniform thickness and gluing it. The toughest wood is the most used for bows, followed by mulberry, oak, and rattan, and the worst is also made of bamboo. Soak the fine scorn in oil repeatedly. The bubble is no longer deformed, no longer cracked, and the first step has been completed. ”