Chapter 51: Selection

Zhai Xiaoshan is 19 years old and a member of the 17th Squad of Displaced People. His hometown was Chuzhou under the rule of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and he grew up living in a small mountain village on the edge of the mountains. There are parents and two younger sisters at home. His father was a hunter and took him to the mountains to hunt when he was eight years old. He practiced the bow and crossbow with his father, learning to track, trap, and set traps. A few years later, he became an excellent hunter.

One day six years ago, he went up the mountain alone to hunt, and when he returned to the village in the evening, he found that the village was burning with fire. He ran into the village and saw corpses everywhere, all of them neighbors in the village.

Zhai Xiaoshan ran back to his home and saw the bodies of his relatives lying in the yard, his father was already in a different place, and his mother and two younger sisters were naked, and their lower bodies were still bleeding, and they were all dead. He was so grief-stricken that after burying his relatives, he took a knife and a bow and arrows and followed the footsteps left by the murderer.

In the evening, I came to a military camp. He found an opportunity to let go of a lone pawn, and after torture, he learned that this military camp was stationed in the army of Zhao Kuangyin, the general of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and was here to attack Chuzhou City.

He executed the pawns, buried the bodies, and lurked in the woods next to the barracks. As soon as he encounters a lone soldier, he will find a way to follow him, looking for an opportunity to assassinate him to avenge his family. Ten days passed, and he managed to kill six soldiers.

Later, when he assassinated a strong soldier, he was captured due to his young and infirmity. The soldiers did not kill him, but sold him to traffickers for some money. Later, he traveled all over the country and was sold several times before he came to Jiangnan. A month ago, he was bought by the Cui family and came to Qishan Island with the displaced people.

When he first got off the ship, he was also frightened enough by the martial arts of the three giants, and later he was obediently assigned to the seventeenth squad. When he arrived at the camp, he found that the food was good, the accommodation was good, and the leaders often talked to everyone, telling them that if they worked hard, they would have enough to eat. will not be abused.

These few days are a peaceful birthday that he has never experienced in six years, he can eat enough every day, and there is a fire kang in the wooden house where he lives, which is something that everyone has never seen before. In the evening, someone teaches everyone how to make a fire to warm the kang and add firewood regularly. The ten members of the team slept on the kang and did not feel cold at all.

He was full of curiosity about the things here, and wondered why the main family took such good care of the homeless people, and what conspiracy was so difficult? He couldn't figure it out.

After dinner in the morning, all the squads gathered in the open space outside the camp. Everyone lined up in a phalanx, standing quietly, and no one dared to speak.

After a while, several leaders and the Cui family's stewards and guards came. The tall and amazing martial arts people from the Western Regions stood up and began to shout to everyone: "Listen, I have something to say. ”

"A certain An Dalang, you all know me, right?" The homeless people were a little afraid of him, and everyone was silent.

He glanced at the phalanx and said, "Now there is something good to tell everyone, we are going to recruit guards, and everyone can sign up for the selection. Once you are selected, there will be very generous treatment waiting for you. ”

"What kind of treatment? Now let me make an announcement. He took out a piece of paper, looked at it, and said, "You have to listen carefully, first, each member of the selected escort team has a monthly salary of three yuan, free food and lodging, and clothes, shoes and socks. Eat three meals a day with unlimited food until you are full. Fish is eaten every day, and pork is eaten once every three days. ”

The sound of "buzz, buzz" sounded in the phalanx, and the displaced people were shocked, and everyone talked about it one after another, wondering if this treatment was real. Zhai Xiaoshan heard someone behind him say: "I have eaten two meals a day since I was a child, and I am given three meals a day here, and I am still full, and there are fish and pork to eat, even the rich people in my hometown do not have such good meals!" ”

Others said: "Just for these meals, I also want to join the escort team, and I can eat enough every day, even if I work hard, it's worth it!" ”

Many of the outcasts were eager to join the convoy immediately. An Dalang shouted: "Shut up, I haven't finished talking yet!" Whoever speaks again, pull out and beat ten whips! ”

Only then did the displaced people calm down, and An Dalang then shouted: "Second, after five years of work, each person can get fifty acres of land, and these fields will never be taxed; After two years of working and making a woman, let you all marry and have children, and the land may be passed on from generation to generation. ”

The displaced people were so excited that some of them were shouting and some were in tears. Only a few people did not believe and stood calmly.

After waiting for a while, An Dalang continued: "Look at your unproductive appearance, there is still that. Article 3: Fifty per person who died in the war shall receive a pension, and we shall raise his wife and children; Thirty times for each person who is disabled, and three times a month until death. ”

The outcasts were even more agitated, and rushed forward desperately, shouting from their mouths:

"I want to sign up"

"Count me in"

"And me"

The scene became more and more chaotic, and Zhao Zizhong glanced at An Dalang. An Dalang waved his hand, and the guards of the Cui family rushed up and whipped the crowd with wooden sticks and leather whips. After a while, the displaced people calmed down and formed a phalanx.

An Dalang continued to shout: "Those who want to join the escort stand to the east, and those who don't want to sign up stay where they are. ”

Hula, most of the displaced people ran to the open space to the east. Only more than thirty people remained where they were. Some of these people are because of their age and health, and some are smart people who simply don't believe that these conditions are true.

An Dalang walked to the east and shouted, "The first test is a race, you run from here to the dock, take a wooden sign from the guard, and then come back here, hand in the wooden card and you're done." Only take the top 80 and run now! ”

Many people didn't react yet, but some began to rush out of the crowd and run in the direction of the docks, and others followed suit. For a time there was a commotion in the valley, and many people were scurrying like headless flies.

Na Zhe thought of a question and said to Zhao Zizhong: "Boss, what if someone doesn't run halfway and grabs someone else's wooden card?" ”

"That's also a kind of ability, the army is where the strong survive, and it's normal for the weak to be eliminated. So we're not going to care. ”

"Isn't that unfair?"

"It's not fair, there is only life or death on the battlefield, who will talk to you about fairness!"

Na Zhe was speechless, "I'd better go back to teaching, this is not where I should be." Then Shi Shiran left.

Zhai Xiaoshan didn't run fast at first, he followed the large army and slowly moved towards the dock. Adjust your breathing as you run and move all parts of your body. After running for about ten minutes, the large group left the valley and came to the flat land.

He bypassed the crowd in front of him and began to pick up speed. After running for seven or eight minutes, the large army had been thrown away by him, and there were more than 20 people running in front of him. He ran faster and faster, and in a short time he surpassed more than a dozen people. After running for a while, he saw the dock.

At this time, someone had already run back, holding a wooden sign in his hand. He ran to the dock and saw a large basket guarded by several guards.

Seeing him running over, one of the guards said, "This guy is very young! With the wooden card, you are number nine. ”

Zhai Xiaoshan took the wooden sign and ran back, he has been hunting in the mountains and forests since he was a child, and he has developed the habit of being cautious. Instead of returning the way he came, he made a big circle, avoiding the large group.

He ran at a constant pace, observing his surroundings from time to time. As he approached the entrance to the valley, he noticed several people standing there. Zhai Xiaoshan stopped, hid behind a big tree, and looked at the people cautiously.

After a while, a guy running back approached Taniguchi. The men swarmed up, knocked the unlucky ones to the ground, and snatched each other's wooden cards.

Zhai Xiaoshan didn't continue to look at it, he bowed his head and went into the mountain forest, and ran towards the camp on a detour. After crossing two hills, he returned to the camp. Running to An Dalang, Zhai Xiaoshan handed in the wooden card.

He choked on exhaustion and sat on the ground gasping for air. An Dalang looked at him and said approvingly: "This kid is good, he is the sixth to run back." Looks less than twenty years old, and is a good material to be a scout. Big brother, you should be interested in him. ”

Zhao Zizhong listened to An Dalang's words and walked over to look at Zhai Xiaoshan. He picked up Zhai Xiaoshan and let him pace slowly. "You can't sit down immediately after running, you have to move slowly, otherwise your heart and lungs will not be able to stand it."

Zhai Xiaoshan knew that he was the biggest leader, and he was very moved. After a while, he slowly recovered, and then he gave Zhao Zi a new look, and said words of thanks in his mouth.

Zhao Zizhong looked Zhai Xiaoshan up and down, and saw that he was thin and did not look like two taels of flesh on his body. But this kid is not very old, but he can run well, so I asked him where he came from.

Zhai Xiaoshan told his own experience, Zhao Zizhong was a little embarrassed, and sighed: "In the troubled times, human life is like a mustard, and it is not easy to live!" Then he looked at Zhai Xiaoshan solemnly, "For the sake of your deceased relatives, you have to live well, I believe that their spirit in the sky will bless you, and I must hope that you can live a good life." You have to work hard to marry a wife and have children in the future, and continue the incense of your family. ”

Zhai Xiaoshan 'pounced', knelt on the ground, and said with tears in his eyes: "Big leader, I must do a good job, and I will sell you this life in the future!" ”

An Dalang kicked him with a smile, "You are crying so much, who wants your life?" Didn't you listen to the eldest brother, I will find you a mother-in-law in the future and let her give birth to a son for you! Get out of the way, get out of the way! ”

Zhai Xiaoshan obediently got up and ran to the side. Zhao Zizhong shook his head helplessly, "Da Lang, don't be so rude?" It's okay, don't beat them all the time. ”

An Dalang was stunned, scratched his head and said, "Big brother, isn't this a habit that I developed in the army in the north before." I'll be sure to pay attention in the future. ”

At this time, many people had already run back, and the guards of the Cui family were counting the number of people.