The cripple didn't see the cash, and he didn't say much, he turned around and got on the donkey to leave, Liu Zude hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed the reins: "Wait a minute, I'll get the money right away!" ”

The cripple sneered, then got off the donkey's back, found a clean stone to sit down, and sneered: "If you send the money sooner, I will see the patient sooner, and he will suffer a moment later!" ”

Liu Zude responded with a wry smile, turned around and returned to the shipyard, and after a while, he took out half a copper coin and presented it with both hands. Hu Cripple took the copper coin and weighed it, looked at it carefully, carefully put it into a leather bag on his waist, and there was a smile on his face: "Where are the people?" ”

"It's under that big locust tree, please come with me!"

Hu Cripple followed Liu Zude to the locust tree, and saw Liu Zongmin lying on a pile of hay, his black face had turned purple, and he was still unconscious. Hu Cripple ripped off the clothes at Liu Zongmin's wound, looked at it carefully, and was speechless. Liu Zude, who was on the side, looked shocked and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong with my nephew, is this injury well healed?" ”

"You take another five pennies!" Hu Cripple stretched out five fingers: "I disposed of his wound, if he didn't deserve to die, he should be able to save his life, but this right leg must be lame!" “

Before Liu Zude could speak, Simaozi next to him couldn't hold back any longer, and sneered: "Hu cripple, you really have to reach out in the coffin - you want money to die!" The person took half a hanging money before he got off the donkey, and now he wants two hanging money, and the person can't guarantee that he can be saved, and his right leg must be lame, so why do you want these five hanging money? ”

Hu Cripple was not annoyed, he pointed to the wound on Liu Zongmin's thigh and said: "The knife on his leg is deep, and half of the tendon has been broken, and after these few days, even if the gods come, they can't renew it; This wound has already festered, and I will cut off the carrion later, and then apply the golden medicine, if I can't get through it. That's just a dead word. And the two places on his waist are guns, and the lead is still in the flesh, if he doesn't take the lead out, he will be a waste even if he doesn't die. My ability to treat knife and arrow wounds was learned by my grandfather from the Mongols, and who has compared it within a radius of fifty miles? If you think I want too much, I'll turn around and leave, he can live for another three days, and I'll have your last name!" ”

"Doctor Hu, he's half a child, don't be like him!" Liu Zude listened more and more frightened on the sidelines, he went out to learn art since he was a child. After spending half his life outside, he doesn't know anything about the situation at home, but looking at the situation of his nephew here, it is estimated that the situation in Lantian's hometown is not good, maybe the unconscious man lying on the hay in front of him is one of the few relatives in the world. He gritted his teeth: "I don't have five hangings of money right now, or I'll give you three hangings first, and I'll make up for it when I pay you next month!" ”

Hu Cripple looked at Liu Zude, nodded and said, "Okay, you can't run from this shipyard anyway." Go boil some hot water and get some clean cloth! “

Liu Zude answered, and hurriedly ordered his subordinates to act according to Hu Cripple's orders, and Hu Cripple took a suitcase from the donkey's back and came down. When I opened it, I saw that there were twenty or thirty knives of different shapes, and Liu Zude only felt a chill on his scalp when he saw it.

"You two, tie him up!" Hu Cripple took the knife and said to Liu Zude in a commanding tone.

"Sturdy bundles?" Liu Zude was stunned when he heard this: "Why do you want to tie it up!" ”

"I will cut off the carrion from his body. If he moves around in pain, won't it hurt him? “

Liu Zude heard it well. Hurriedly found a hemp rope to tie Liu Zongmin strongly, Hu Cripple roasted the knife on the fire for a while, walked to Liu Zongmin's side, cut a knife at the black and swollen wound on the thigh, and as soon as the hot blade came into contact with the skin, everyone heard a snort, and then smelled a scorching smell, and subconsciously turned their heads over.

"Ahh With a scream, Liu Zongmin woke up, and the cripple didn't pay attention to him, just carefully cut off the carrion on the wound, and squeezed hard to let the pus and blood flow out. Liu Zongmin also knew that the other party was treating his own injuries, although the pain was unbearable, he still gritted his teeth and said nothing. After cleaning the wound on his thigh, Hu Cripple looked at Liu Zongmin, who was sweating profusely, and sneered: "If you can't help it, you can scream twice, just be careful not to bite your tongue." “

"It's okay, I can bear it!" Liu Zongmin smiled and said, "Who are you and where is this?" ”

Hu Cripple had already cleaned up all the rotten flesh pus and blood on the thigh wound at this time, and while carefully applying the golden creation medicine, he sneered: "You have the strength to speak, it is better to leave the strength left, and you will have to take out the gun on your waist later, you have to boil it." “

"A gun on your waist?" Liu Zongmin's face suddenly turned pale, because he had just been whipped, he stayed in the old camp on the day Liu Cheng defeated Li Zicheng. As a bystander, Liu Zongmin saw Li Zicheng engulfed in a dense stream of rockets in the canyon, and as soon as the improvised reinforcements left the old camp, they were flanked by the ambushed cavalry, and the Mongol cavalry swept through the ranks with whistles, and these skilled cavalry archers did not release the bowstring until seven or eight paces away, and the spade-shaped arrows fired at this distance could easily cut tendons and blood vessels. Some cavalrymen simply used a short spear about four feet long, which could be thrown on the back of a galloping horse at high speed, and even piercing the rattan and pinning the men behind them. After a few fierce blows, the peasant army soon collapsed, and the people fled back to the old camp in despair, while the cavalry deliberately slowed down and easily killed those who fell behind. Liu Zongmin wanted to close the gate of the old camp and block those cavalry out, but he couldn't, the remaining guards in the camp had already been frightened, and no one listened to his orders at all, and it was impossible for one person to close the heavy gate. The only thing Liu Zongmin could do was to pick up his weapon and rush to the gate of the wall, using his body to keep the enemy out.

"That's it! I took the lead out of your waist! Hu Cripple laboriously wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead, and he said with a smile: "You are lucky to meet me, if you meet a quack, you will have to survive the rest of your life." ”

"Can you give me two pieces of lead?"

"Lead? Do you want to leave it as a memento? Okay, I'll give it to you! The cripple handed over the wooden bowl with the lead and said with a smile: "These are these two things." ”

Liu Zongmin looked at the two gray-black solids the size of his little thumb in the bowl with some confusion, he stretched out his hand to pick up one, his fingertips felt a burst of coldness, he still remembered the feeling of Zhonggong, one second he was still fighting hard, and the next second he fell to the ground. I couldn't move, it was such a small thing, and it had so much power.

"Zong Min!"

A voice interrupted Liu Zongmin's thoughts, he raised his head, a tall middle-aged man was looking at him, his eyes were full of tears, he asked with some confusion: "Are you-"

"I'm your Uncle Zude!" Liu Zude's long-suppressed feelings erupted from his chest: "You don't remember me? When I left home at the age of fourteen, didn't you hold my thighs and ask me to take you to the land temple behind the village to catch crickets? ”

"Uncle Zude?" The vague influence in his mind gradually became clear, and it coincided with the face of the man in front of him. Liu Zongmin was excited and wanted to stand up: "Why are you here?" ”

"Lie down, lie down, you're not healed!" Liu Zude hurriedly held down his nephew: "Ancestor bless, let me meet you here, how is the village okay?" How is your father doing? ”

Liu Zongmin's face suddenly became gloomy, and he slowly shook his head: "It's not good, there has been a drought in the past few years, but the imperial court not only does not reduce money and grain, but also increases the salary, and everyone can't live anymore." Many people have starved to death, and I have been out to strike iron for more than two years in order to save food for my family. “

"Hey! It's fate! Liu Zude sighed: "I learned the craft of shipbuilding, but Shaanxi has been fighting wars year after year in the past few years. Who wants to build ships? But fortunately, I met Lord Liu, he rebuilt the shipyard, as long as he worked hard, not only did he have food. If there is something to wear, there is also a salary. Zong Min, you are here to recuperate. If you get better, you can do it here, you can't lose your uncle! “

"Life?" Liu Zongmin snorted disdainfully, but he didn't want to argue with his uncle at this time, so he asked casually, "Lord Liu?" Which Lord Liu? ”

"Who else? Yansui Town, the left battalion staff general, Liu Cheng, Lord Liu. Liu Zude replied proudly: "It's the same thief who defeated you, Lord Liu, hey, you are too bold to dare to rebel." Don't you look at how powerful the soldiers under Lord Liu are, there are birds, Mongolian cavalry, and many strange things, how powerful? You can survive this time thanks to the blessing of our Liu family ancestors, and you will work here honestly for me in the future, you know? ”

Liu Zongmin naturally didn't take his uncle's persuasion to heart, but he was still attracted by Liu Zude's birds, Mongolian cavalry, and those strange things. He knew very well that this was not Liu Zude's boasting, although Liu Zongmin couldn't say why, but he could feel that this "Lord Liu" was very different from other generals of the Ming army, and if he could find out this difference, maybe he would be able to find a way to defeat him.

"Uncle, the bird guns you mentioned, and the Mongolian cavalry or something, and other Ming generals also have them, how do I think it's normal, far less powerful than this Lord Liu."

"That's nature! Other people's ones are made by the imperial court, while Lord Liu's is made by his own family, which is naturally different. “

"So what's the difference? The imperial court is better than Lord Liu's, right? ”

"You don't understand this!" Liu Zude sneered: "The things of the imperial court are always drawn by the gentlemen, and the ten taels of silver may not be able to be used for five taels, and Lord Liu's things are for his own use, if he cuts corners, but he has to lose his head, which one do you say is better?" ”

"What did Uncle say?" Liu Zongmin nodded, pretending to be curious: "I don't know what kind of skilled craftsman he can make such a sharp weapon!" ”

"It's always two hands and a pair of eyes, and our Liu family is not bad with people!" Liu Zude said with a smile: "You and I are doing a good job here, I will say good things for you in front of Lord Liu, and recommend you to work in that workshop." ”

"Say good things in front of Lord Liu?" Liu Zongmin was taken aback: "Uncle, you can speak in front of Lord Liu!" “

"That's it!" Liu Zude saw his nephew's surprised appearance, and the vanity in his chest was greatly satisfied, he was extremely cautious and cautious on weekdays, but for some reason he wanted to show off in front of his nephew who he hadn't seen for many years: "Zong Min, you don't know, this Lord Liu is not more than ordinary people, and he values our craftsmen the most, and he toasted me when we met for the first time, and said that as long as the shipyard is built on schedule, let me be a boss!" “

"Put the total?" Compared with Liu Zude, Liu Zongmin's knowledge is naturally much broader, and he has already seen that his uncle's words are as untrue as possible, don't say anything else, in a hierarchical organization like the army, a general should not speak in front of the generals, even if he breathes loudly, he has to eat military sticks, but looking at the clothes and complexion on his uncle's body, compared to those limited craftsmen who are stronger than beggars, it can be said that they are heaven and earth.

Seeing that Liu Zongmin didn't believe it, Liu Zude couldn't help but be anxious: "You don't believe it? Hmph, do you know Tang Muyao? He is just a blacksmith, not as old as you, but because of his good craftsmanship, he was promoted by Lord Liu, and now he has more than 200 people in his hands, and he can receive more than a dozen taels of silver every month. “

"Since my uncle said so, he must not be wrong!" Liu Zongmin hurriedly smiled: "It's just that my little nephew has never seen such a thing, and I can't believe it for a while." ”

"That's no wonder you, but it's okay, the days will be long in the future, you can take care of your injuries first."

In this way, Liu Zongmin settled in the shipyard. Because of his poor family, Liu Zude was not a single man in his thirties, did not marry a wife and have children, and suddenly a nephew fell from the sky, and naturally looked like his own eyeballs, and took care of him every day. He is very skillful, and he knows how to be watery, so he used bamboo strips to weave more than a dozen baskets and sink them to the river, and every day before the sun goes down, he can always catch some fish, shrimp, crabs or something, and cook some soup for Liu Zongmin to replenish his body. Although Liu Zongmin's injury is not light, after all, his body has always been strong and he has medicine for injuries, and after about ten days, he took a breath and could limp around the shipyard with a wooden stick. He was an idle man, but when he saw that the basic structure of the factory had been completed, the keel had been put on the slipway, and the anvil and stove were ready to stop, he rolled up his sleeves and did his old job. (To be continued.) )