Looking at everyone's puzzled eyes, Liu Yao said seriously: "In the face of this very cost-effective ending, I very much hope that I can say that this operation was planned by me in advance. Pen Fun Pavilion www.biquge.info but that's not the case. I was negligent in putting you in danger, and I apologize again for that. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries or deaths, otherwise how would I explain to you. ”

Jiao Huang shouted in the audience: "Sir, you don't have to apologize more, you first tell me how cost-effective this matter is, and then we will discuss whether to forgive you!" The crowd burst into laughter. Liu Yao also smiled and said loudly: "I led the team to the mountains, just to find iron ore." I know there are iron ore mines in this mountain. As for how I know, I won't tell you yet. But we searched for a long time, but we didn't actually find iron ore. Why didn't you find it? It can be said that the mountain I remember, but it is not the same as the real mountain in this mountain. ”

When Liu Yao said this, he was also very scared. The excavation of Shiroku iron ore was relatively early, and there were records in the Qing Dynasty, so the topography has been changing because of the excavation, and the first topographic map originally made by the Japanese is relatively rough in itself, and the second record is not in a primitive state. At this time, Liu Yao was faced with the original terrain and landform that had not been artificially affected, and there was a big discrepancy with the information he brought. If it weren't for the relationship with the Li people by mistake, it is really unknown when this iron ore will be found.

"This iron ore mine is very important to us. With this iron mine, we can make Meijia Village an invincible fortress, and at the same time, we can also make a lot of money from this iron mine. The Lebanese told me that in their village, there is a small river, and the river is full of iron ore. If it weren't for the cooperation with the Li people, it would be difficult for us to get this precious ore! Liu Yao said, raising the large piece of ore in his hand for everyone to see.

"We took a lot of valuable things. Thank you Mei Yuanwai for taking the opportunity to bring these things, if this is not the case, we may have to pay the price of human lives to come back, and we will not be able to reach cooperation with the Li people. Nowadays, the Li people can transport iron ore that can burn one furnace every day, and if all of it is smelted, we can get 10,000 catties of steel every day. Everyone exclaimed, knowing that this was a huge fortune. A lot of people are looking to people who have gone to school to calculate how much it means. The voices that called Wang Daixi came and went.

Wang Daixi stood up in the crowd and said loudly: "Don't be busy asking me to count this 10,000 catties of steel." This is not enough time to burn one furnace of ore for a day, and I think Sir may build more furnaces and produce more steel. ”

Liu Yao nodded approvingly and said to everyone, "What Daixi said is right. As long as the manpower can keep up, I'm sure I'll have to make more steel. The benefits at that time are unimaginable. And there are other benefits, the cloth woven by the Li people with kapok is also very much needed by us. Of course, the key is steel, and with this steel, with enough coal and gunpowder, I can run in the rivers and in the sea on boats that can drive themselves without oars or sails, I can make our soldiers use muskets that fire at least three times a minute, and I can make huge iron cannons to guard the harbor and our villages. Steel, coal and gunpowder, which makes us invincible! We have entered the age of steel! ”

The crowd cheered and toasted to each other again. Jiao Huang's voice was particularly loud in it: "Sir, we don't blame you!" Just be prepared for your next adventure. The crowd laughed. Liu Yao also laughed, and said: "Everyone, this expedition is indeed underprepared, but it has benefited a lot. We all share weal and woe, blessings and hardships. I'll tell you about my plans, and if you think it's inappropriate, feel free to tell me. ”

"First of all, the matter of steelmaking is everyone's. I made the steel mill a company. A company is an open money-making organization. How much money everyone has made this time, they will all go to take Xi there tomorrow to make a record, and all of them will be counted in the company's shares. The rest of the company's shares are the furnace I've invested in, and the furnace that will be built. Everyone shares the dividends according to their respective proportions. Seeing that everyone was a little puzzled, Liu Yao gave an example: "If, this time, Mei Yuanwai brought 500 taels of silver worth of property to Li Ren, then even if he invested 500 taels of shares, and if our steel company calculates that the total share capital is 50,000 taels of silver, then Mei Yuanwai accounts for one percent, that is, if there are 10,000 catties of steel every day, one hundred catties are Mei Yuanwai." ”

Everyone understood the truth and nodded their heads. Liu Yao then said: "In addition to the share capital mentioned above, I also want to put some personal share capital in the steel company. I own the share capital of these people, but all the rights and interests are their own. In addition to the plum staff, he handled it properly, and he was personally involved in danger and received 500 shares. Jiao Huang, arranged for people to go back to the village in time to call people, and lurked in Li Village alone, lit a fire to buy precious time, participated in the battle against the Li people throughout the whole process, and received 400 shares. Wei Min and Li Jiangong were the first to arrive in the rescue team, and they used their bows and arrows and gunpowder packs to hinder the attack of the Li people, leading 300 ......"

Every time a person's share award is announced, everyone cheers and toasts to that person. Liu Yao was happy to see that this crisis was completely over, and a happy ending was taking shape.

Mei Jiaju didn't pay attention to how many shares he received, he looked for Zhao Fei everywhere with a wine glass. In the midst of the commotion, Sun Zhuang and Zhao Fei were finally found next to the table of Sun's house, and the two soldiers who had survived the catastrophe were telling Sun Qiaoqiao the story of the fierce battle. Mei Jiaju pulled the two of them aside, raised his glass and said to Zhao Fei: "Zhao Fei, you must come back to save me in the chaos, I toast you with a glass of wine." Zhao Fei also took the cup and drank it all, laughed and said, "We are brothers, you will also save me like this." Mei Jiaju drank another drink, stopped Zhao Fei, who was about to raise a glass, and said: "However, at that time, you should focus on the remaining seven people who have a chance to escape, your actions are very inappropriate, so I decided to remove you from the position of squad leader, you go to Zhong Laosi's squad as the deputy squad leader, your squad is temporarily led by your deputy squad leader, and the squad leader candidate is selected separately." Zhao Fei and Sun Zhuang were dumbfounded and speechless. Sun Zhuang thought about it and was about to say something, but Mei Jiaju stopped him and said, "Don't get involved in Zhao Fei's matter." Let's talk about the two of us. ”

Sun Zhuang touched his head, ran to the next table and took a wine jug, poured it for Mei Jiaju and himself, and then raised his glass and said, "Platoon commander, at that time, I had to make the decision to retreat with six people, leaving you in the hands of the enemy, and I apologize to you." Mei Jiaju said: "You don't have to make amends, you did the right thing." That's what I decided. Sun Zhuang nodded heavily and said, "The battlefield is where the dead are." I hope we won't encounter similar things in the future" After the two clinked glasses and drank, Mei Jiaju said again: "Sun Zhuang, you handled it properly on the battlefield and behaved bravely. I will propose to Mr. you to be my deputy, but still the deputy platoon commander. Sun Zhuang and Zhao Fei were stunned again, not knowing why Mei Jiaju would make such a strange decision.

Mei Jiaju held the wine glass in his hand, put his hands behind his back, and said to the two: "This is the last time we talk about business while drinking. This time it was so special. In the future, if the two of us don't plan to work in the steel company, we will be working together in the army for a long time. Hopefully we can be together well. The two reflexively raised their hands and saluted, and replied at the same time, "Yes!" Platoon leader. ”

The three of them hugged each other excitedly, just in time to hear another burst of cheers from the crowd, which was Liu Yao's announcement that everyone who participated in the battle had a hundred taels of shares. Liu Yao read out everyone's name and bowed deeply to everyone again. Mei Jiaju looked at this lively scene and said to the two: "Let's go, go to Zhong Laosi, we have to sum up the things in the future." ”

When the Li people sent the iron ore the next afternoon, they found that the people of Meijia Village had made complete arrangements to welcome them. When people were still outside the village, they saw a pergola made of bamboo, in which large buckets of tea and bamboo bowls were placed. While the Li people were drinking water, they were told that they could reach the steel-making furnace by walking along the road with bamboo branches on the side of the road.

The road starting from the pergola is very easy to walk, flat and spacious, although they have walked more than 20 miles, the Li people still feel relaxed. There are bamboo branches along the way, so you can walk with peace of mind. Soon they came to the steel-making furnace, and the towering furnace and pungent smell shocked the Li people very much. There was also a row of pergolas set up in front of the stove, where weighing, recording, changing salt or iron, each procedure was orderly. I only saw six or seven Han people along the way, but I did everything easily. After unloading the ore and bringing the things that were exchanged, the Li people walked out along the pergola, and saw a row of tables and chairs, and someone came in carrying a huge porcelain basin full of white rice, shouting loudly, and pulling the Li people to sit down. The Li people couldn't understand Chinese, so they stretched out their heads to find a translator.

The widow of Wei Min's family, or her name, Luo Ling, was burying her head in the big bowls of rice and putting a piece of meat on top of it. I heard the noise getting louder and louder in my ears, and when I looked up, I couldn't help but feel angry. Wang Quan was talking to a group of Li people, but the Li people didn't plan to ignore him, some went out, anxious to go home, and some took out rice balls and bamboo tubes, planning to sit on the table and chair to eat something to replenish their strength before leaving.

"Wang Quan, what are you going to do, you can't do this little thing? You come to pack the rice! Luo Ling shouted, grabbed a rice bowl and a pair of chopsticks and rushed over. She grabbed a Li man who was about to go out and pressed him down on the chair, handed over the dishes and chopsticks, and made a food stop. Li Ren looked at Luo Ling, looked at the white rice and fragrant meat, grabbed the chopsticks and ate them. With a model, everyone else understood, and hurriedly walked to pick up a rice bowl and eat it.

Everyone's physical strength is different, some people arrive early, some people lag behind, and the team that sends iron ore is scattered. Liu Yao and his daughter stood at the entrance of the pergola, searching in the team.

"The clothes of these ore pickers don't seem to be the same as the Li people we met that day." Liu Yao said to his daughter. Liu Man spread his hands and said, "I don't remember." So many things happened that day, where do you remember these details. ”

Liu Yao pointed to a person carrying a burden in the distance and asked Liu Man: "Then do you remember this person?" He's the translator. As he spoke, he walked up to the translator who put down the pick, and handed him a coconut shell bowl filled with rice wine: "How many did you choose?" Tired, right? The translator drank rice wine, almost out of breath, wiped his mouth and said: "There are many mountain roads, eighty catties of iron ore, very tired." Liu Yao patted him on the shoulder, handed over another bowl of rice, and said, "Hard work." Eat more. The translator took the rice bowl but was not in a hurry to eat, and took the empty coconut shell bowl and said to Liu Yao: "This." Liu Yao nodded, handed the bowl to Liu Man behind him, and said to the translator, "Eat first, there is still wine." The translator looked at Liu Man, who had walked away, and bowed his head and took a big bite of rice.

Liu Yao asked again: "These ore pickers are not from your village, right?" The translator swallowed a mouthful of rice with difficulty, looked up and saw Liu Man bringing rice wine, hurriedly took it and poured a big sip, and after relieving himself, he glanced at the others and said, "It's all from Litong, and they can't beat us." Liu Yao exchanged a look with his daughter, and then asked, "Do they pick ores, salt and iron tools?" ”

The translator stuffed his mouth with rice and said vaguely: "Give, very little." One by one. Liu Yao was surprised, this is almost a work in vain, and the sweat that flows down the way may be half a tael of salt. Liu Man asked: "Then the rice balls they brought, are they their own?" After eating, the interpreter still savored it, took a sip of rice wine, sighed contentedly, and said, "It's my own." We don't care about them. ”

Liu Yao pondered for a while and asked, "In your village, are you the one who picked up stones?" The translator's face suddenly darkened, and he replied, "I, born to a Han woman, have a low status. Liu Yao sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "When you leave, bring some rice balls and salt back." The interpreter bowed gratefully, speaking in the language of the Li people, presumably to express his gratitude. Liu Yao asked again: "How much more ore is there?" The translator replied with a wave of his hand, "A lot!" As much as stones! Then he laughed and said, "This is the stone." ”

Liu Yao also smiled and said to the translator: "Next time you come, don't pick ores." Too heavy. You find me stones, all kinds of different stones. The translator didn't understand, Liu Yao nodded at his daughter, Liu Man stretched out his hand, and the palms of his hands were full of different ores. Liu Yao said: "Stones, all kinds of stones, different stones. You bring it. Some stones, like iron ore, I want them too. ”

The translator finally understood, he pointed to a translucent stone in Liu Man's hand and said, "This, too." Not much, more iron ore. Liu Yao suppressed his excitement and said softly: "This, you take it." Find something the same and bring it to me. It is also possible to exchange salt and ironware. The translator put his hand in his pocket, patted it, and said, "This one is light, I'll pick this one." You tell Meng Ga. Liu Yao probably understood the meaning of the translation, that is, he wanted to pick an easy job, but he was afraid that Meng Ga would not agree. But he would never go to Li Zhai to confront that Meng Ga again, so he said to the translator: "You take all these stones, and then take a letter I wrote, and he will understand." ”