In less than three days, not only was the wall of the land temple walled up by stones one by one, but it was a man high, and even the main hall was quickly repaired; The craftsmen who burst out of motivation took great pains to find a poplar tree with two feet of long legs and thick legs in the valley north of the mountain, cut it down and transported it up the mountain, and used it as the main beam of the main hall to cover the roof.

There were no bricks and tiles, and Guo Erbao, who was missing an arm, mobilized the old people and children, and harvested a large number of artemisia grass, which can grow to a person's height, and it is very good to cover the roof with grass and mud, and most of the gravel castles are like this.

Wang Dali took 120 young men and women and began to build houses on the periphery of the land temple, this time, it was not a simple wooden shed, but a stone wall made of stones and stone strips, and then the roof was repaired, so that it could survive the winter.

Food is distributed in full according to the number of heads, and then there are three big trees in front of the land temple that are still slowly growing tall and thick, and the military households with spiritual sustenance have recommended the stonemason Lao Cui, who carved a life-size land statue day and night.

On this stone mountain, everything else is lacking, even if there is no shortage of stones, huge stones can also be found.

"I said, Uncle Wang, why does that stone statue look yellow?" Watching Lao Cui and several stonemasons busy from a distance, Ximen Xiaoye grabbed the busy Wang Dali and asked in a low voice.

"Oh, Baihu, the stones here are all like this, there is no cyan or white, I heard that the stones contain iron, but there are too few impurities, and it is not cost-effective to smelt," Wang Dali, who is busy with his feet and does not touch the ground, is now the real power of the big guy's eyes, big and small, except for Wang Meng and Wang Hu, he can't control the two teams, and the others are pressed by Baihu.

Xiao Ye and Wang Dali couldn't imagine how important the impurities that the craftsmen were tired of were to the stone mill.

The crazy growth of the three big trees overnight has made Ximen Xiao Ye's prestige grow to the extreme, and some old people who call him Brother Xiao by virtue of their seniority now have to call a hundred households in a proper manner.

On the sixteenth day of the mountain, surrounded by a group of military households, Ximen Xiao Ye respectfully carved the carved land statue into the temple hall, for a time, in and out of the adults and children who prayed for blessings and wishes. There was no incense burner, and there was no place to buy candles, but the people's minds were much calmer.

On the left side of the temple, the fence surrounds two stone houses, enclosing a small courtyard, in which the stone mill closely guarded by the left stone of the West Gate stands quietly in the sun.

Under the platform on the top of the mountain, a large area of green vine grass, under the broken leaves on the rattan, purple-black spikes are covered with branches, and the local artemisia grass and dog's tail grass look different from the thorny vines, which have quietly covered most of the mountainside in front of the mountainside, and are slowly extending down the mountain and on both sides of the stone mountain.

A hundred steps away in front of the courtyard, there are three big trees that are as green as umbrellas, such a treasure of feng shui, and they were unanimously recommended by everyone to the hundred households.

The matter of food and water sources, as well as housing, was temporarily resolved, and Ximen Xiao Ye did not dare to forget his identity, and summoned Wang Dali and several leaders of the temporary squad to discuss the matter of military training.

Wang Meng and Wang Hu's two ten-person squads, who rotate their posts every day, can still be seen from time to time, and the other people are already running crazy all over the mountains, and they have obtained the three military crossbows explained by the hundred households, and they can already fight back some hares and pheasants one after another, and their bodies and bones are also much more flexible and flexible.

Of course, they quickly became familiar with the terrain within fifteen miles of the vicinity.

Let them be scouts, the archery is accurate, and the people are gone, Ximen Xiaoye, who originally wanted to form two standard small flags, can only find Wang Dali, and compile the other eight small flags first.

Ten small flags, two general flags, his Ximen Xiaoye road is still long.

In front of everyone, Ximen Xiaoye solemnly announced that Wang Dali was appointed as the official of the 100 households in Shiguanbao, Wang Meng and Wang Hu were appointed as small flags, and the remaining small flags and general flags were to be determined, but the flag team sergeants were to be formed.

For a time, some people were happy and some were sad; Especially Lao Cui and Lin Shansheng, two middle-aged craftsmen, their expressions were gloomy.

However, Guo Erbao and Zhang Hao don't have many different colors, after all, the disabled are not soldiers, it is justified, even if it is a small flag without quality, it is not good, and the world has default rules.

The imperial court chooses subjects, and those who look ugly are not good, and which of the officials is not dignified and healthy.

"I am in charge of this team of general flags, after all, I don't know when the Tatars will pass through here," Ximen Xiao Ye looked at the elders in front of him, before, it was impossible for him to be on an equal footing with them, but now, they are his subordinates.

"The other team of general flags, managed by Uncle Wang, has five generations of small flags, including the water drawing team, with a number of fifty people, with food and no pay," After thinking about it, Ximen Xiaoye decided to set up a shelf first in order not to dampen everyone's enthusiasm.

"I don't have a tael of silver on me, and the salary will be calculated from tomorrow, and I owe it, but the food can be full, and Uncle Wang can testify," Ximen Xiaoye's last joking sentence made everyone laugh tacitly.

On the mountain now, that is, Wang Dali's family is the richest, more than 20 taels of silver, and the people are afraid that they will not be able to save it in their lifetime, let alone the artisan households; Of course, that golden tube heirloom/treasure, Wang Dali will not say it if he is killed.

If he doesn't say it, the two sons may not be there, that's a later story.

Ximen Xiaoye's face-to-face promise finally relieved the military households on the mountain, there is no food, and it would be good to be able to give real food.

On the gravel fort, the guards owe the military families for almost half a year, and everyone is used to it. In other health centers, I heard that there are still troublemakers.

Simon Xiao Ye chose forty young men, and according to the regulations, he could have ten guards; Wang Dali selected 50 people, basically there were people in every family, and everyone was happy.

Wang Dali is very responsible, guarding the grain depot, drawing water, blacksmith, stonemason, carpenter, the five small flags, are actually divided according to occupation, which makes Ximen Xiao Ye thoughtful.

The meals of Ximen Xiaoye's family are all handled by Uncle Kun, and the old man now in addition to housework, is with Ximen Zuoshi, sitting under the big tree to enjoy the shade, which not only avoids mosquito bites, but also can watch the stone mill from a distance.

Although he clearly understood the matter of the stone mill, he couldn't figure it out.

There are a lot of mosquitoes in the mountains, especially in summer, when it is fine during the day, but at night the biting person can't sleep; But as the daily growth increases, within dozens of steps around these three big trees, not a single small insect can be seen.

On the third day when the big tree grew, Ximen Xiaoye's family moved into the small courtyard, and sometimes went to sleep under the tree at night, which was comfortable and comfortable for everyone to dispel their fears.

Therefore, the closer the house is to the hundred small courtyards, not only the people close to him, but also the ones who can avoid the pain of bites; The rest of the people, except for the mother-in-law who can bring children and the elderly, come over cheekily to enjoy the cool, and the others are embarrassed to come.

After the discussion, when everyone else was gone, Wang Dali was at the end, looking at Baihu in a daze, and didn't know how to open his mouth for a while.

"Uncle Wang, they are all their own people, just say what you have to say," Ximen Xiaoye wiped his sweat with a towel and said with a smile; The people of this blacksmith team were arranged by him to go down the mountain to graze cattle every day, which can be regarded as an eye-opener.

There is no iron or charcoal on the rocky mountain, and even wood is rare, so this winter, it will be difficult.

"Hehe, what's that," Wang Dali's thick fingers scratched his stiff hair, with a look of longing, "Lord Baihu, that Wang Meng's crossbow, can I take a look, just take a look,"

For the military crossbow comparable to Zhuge Lian's crossbow, although Wang Dali privately grabbed Wang Meng and looked at it carefully, he didn't dare to disassemble it after all; If this guy is broken and can't be installed, Wang Meng's kid and Lao Tzu may turn their faces, and Wang Dali can't hold it.

Now Wang Meng and Wang Hu are also small flags that eat military rations, although there is no waist card, but it will be sooner or later.

"Uncle Wang," Seeing that Wang vigorously lifted the military crossbow, Ximen Xiaoye also sank his face, five military crossbows and fifty short arrows, and now they are still the only defensive weapons that he can handle, those craftsmen are curious, but when he takes it apart and studies it, he will never agree.

"Military crossbows are scarce, Uncle Wang, you can see it, you must not dismantle it for me, I don't know the truth of the period, and you know the current situation," Ximen Xiaoye's unsympathetic refusal made Wang Dali a little disappointed.

Blacksmith, if there is no current loss, he is not a blacksmith.

"If there is a chance in the future, I will let you be the first to study the disassembly," Ximen Xiaoye's subsequent comfort made Blacksmith Wang feel a lot better.

"Also, you go back to see Wang Meng, tell him what I said, let him take out an arrow, Uncle Wang, you see if you can make some, the number of short arrows is too small," After receiving some encouragement from the hundred households, Wang Dali responded happily and left.

At night, Ximen Xiao stood in the moonlight, and Uncle Kun quietly stood by the fence wall, guarding against the prying eyes of outsiders; On the grinding disc, on the slightly raised button, a slight blue light flashed.

Ximen Zuoshi and Ximen Hanjuan sat under the stone house in a regular manner, looking at their brother in the middle of the courtyard; Last night, Ximen Xiaoye tried to get Ximen Zuoshi to press the stone mill, but no matter how the younger brother pressed, the stone mill did not move, and the little sister could not try, and the pattern on it did not appear, which was obviously impossible for others to do for him.

Under the stone mill, a long strip of earthy yellow stone was supported, and the king next to him made a new stone table and stone bench.

Ximen Xiao stepped forward at night and pressed the button on the grinding plate; An undetectable blue light swept across his fingers, and the stone mill spun silently, and to his surprise, tonight, the pattern flashing on the side of the mill disc was empty.

After waiting for a while, the stone mill stopped turning, and the box that was supposed to pop out did not move.

Ximen Xiaoye, who originally wanted to give his little sister and younger brother protective clothing, suddenly realized that the metals he stuffed into the stone mill should have been used up, and now that the raw materials are gone, no wonder the stone mill can't produce anything.

Ximen Xiaoye has not found it yet, and the metal stuffed into the grinding eye is only one-third of the consumption in terms of quantity, and he can't find or see the rest.

Ximen Xiaoye, who was unwilling, remembered the conversation with Uncle Wang during the day, ran out of the small courtyard, and found Wang Dali under the three trees.

Under the supervision of Ximen Xiaoye, Wang vigorously shouted and instructed those sleepy men to go to the gravel pile next to the land temple, pick two fist-sized stones and send them to the small courtyard of 100 households, and pile them under the fence, even the old people and children solemnly lined up to participate.

A pile of more than 500 catties of broken stones, piled up in the small courtyard, Ximen Xiao smiled and thanked everyone, and let everyone go to rest.

Called Wang Dali, "Uncle Wang, you arrange for a dozen or so people to be on guard outside the courtyard, well, an hour, just an hour later, the team will disperse and rest," If things don't work out, Xiao Ye has to let them throw the stones out.

"Okay Baihu, I'll do it right away," there are not many things on the mountain now, Wang Dali was afraid that Baihu would disband his five temporary small flags, so he patted his chest and hurriedly agreed.

Pieces of stones with scarce iron content were sent to the silent stone mill, "rustling", between the upper and lower plates, fine powder continued to spill out like a spring, and the grinding disc was soon filled with powder, flowing down the notch to the ground; Xiao Ye stretched out his hand and twisted some powder, which was extremely slippery, and hurriedly beckoned his younger siblings to come over and remove the powder.

When there were only a few pieces on the ground left of more than 500 catties of broken stones, Ximen Xiaoye was happy to see that next to the grinding plate button, the long-awaited small pattern finally lit up.

"Zuo Shi, Han Juan, look," greeted in a low voice, Ximen Xiao Ye pointed to the pattern, in exchange for Han Juan's grinning laughter, and Zuo Shi's dissatisfied voice, "It's dark, what's so good-looking,"

"Well, I can't see it," Ximen Xiao Ye was stunned and pointed to the subtle blue light on the button, "What about here?" ”

Sure enough, after the brother and sister glanced at him with contempt, they played with the "fine sand" on the ground that did not reach the surface of their feet.

Ximen Xiaoye, who was sweating, raised his head and looked at Uncle Kun at the door of the fence apologetically; Uncle Kun, he really won't lie to himself.

In terms of pattern, after Ximen Xiaoye chose the protective clothing, he quickly took out a light yellow shirt, which was still light and flexible.

Back in the stone house, under the beeping torch, Ximen Xiaoye pulled out his waist knife and slashed and poked the protective clothing on the ground; After a cup of tea, he picked up the protective suit in frustration, and he frowned as he looked at the deep knife marks and holes on it.

The protection is obviously not as strong as the one on his body, but now he is also content, you know, the stones on the mountain are inexhaustible.

Some torn protective clothing, Ximen Xiaoye gave it to Wang Dali, and the team outside was disbanded. The blacksmith was so excited that he learned the function of this upper and lower split clothes, and the blacksmith solemnly knelt in front of the hundred households, and there were a few bangs.

Of course, this protective clothing was later seen by Ximen Xiaoye on Wang Meng and Wang Hu, and finally fell on the blacksmith's mother-in-law, which was seen from the sleeves; As for Wang Dali, it was only a year later that he put on a new protective suit.

The younger siblings did not go down the mountain easily, and in the next two days, Ximen Xiao Ye also put protective clothing on the two of them, and he couldn't help the rule of stone grinding a piece of iron one night.

A large pile of powder that had been discarded outside the fence, and the breeze blew, raising puffs of earthy yellow smoke, and Zuo Shi was furious and poured a precious bucket of water on it; The next day, Wang Dali, who was passing by, saw several children, jumping around on the hard loess mound.

Under a question, Wang Dali couldn't help but find a hundred households, and after some experiments, Xiao Ye was pleasantly surprised to see that the mud mixed with powder in the fine sand, a section of stone wall built, and the effort of drying a meal could not be shaken by a sledgehammer.

The function of the stone mill to cover up the outside world has quietly emerged. Xiao Ye looked at Wang Dali, who was dancing, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Subsequently, under the leadership of the three selected veteran sergeants, the new sergeants of the three small flags began the drill with wooden sticks, and the two small flags, Wang Meng and Wang Hu, also pushed the exploration range to 70 miles away.

Except for a heavy rain that was delayed for two days, ten days later, Wang Meng and Wang Hu returned the allotted crossbows, and got the newly issued eight crossbows and eighty short arrows.

The five crossbows were withdrawn by Simon Xiao Ye, leaving two and short arrows, and three were sent back to the stone mill by him, but he did not press them again; The stone mill rotated silently, and the straw rope that Ximen Xiao Ye carefully tied to the outside of the lower plate was simply broken.

With the continuous input of stone, the lower part of the stone mill is gradually becoming thicker and larger.

Fifteen miles behind the stone pass, the sergeants who were sent to investigate from time to time were caught by Wang Meng's scout team, and under the cross-examination of the sharp blade, Ximen Xiaoye also got little information.

Now that it is late summer and early autumn, the information that the Tatars want to go south to threshk grass has reached the Gravel Fort, and the fat and strong steppe horse bandits have appeared from time to time in the area of Qingfeng Valley in the north, which is also the reason why Jiang Jie temporarily ignored Ximen Xiaoye.

Of course, if Ximen Xiaoye and they were left to fend for themselves, Jiang Qianhu would be even happier to see it.

Even Ximen Xiaoye never sent someone back to the guard station to report the news, and the Qianhu office only silently wrote it down.