"This is an honest man, at least on the surface!" This was Yue Yang's first impression of Guo Jingxian, but it was still necessary for any newcomer to routinely beat.

"I already know what you said. Ben Hou also told you the truth, now Ben Hou does not even have a fishing boat on hand, but this is not a reason for you not to obey orders! Speaking of this, Yue Yang's tone began to become stern: "Since you are already under the command of Ben Hou, you must conscientiously carry out any order that Ben Hou gives you, otherwise what does Ben Hou want you to do?" Soldiers are all about obeying orders, you know? When he said this, Yue Yang was already in a hurry.

Seeing Yue Yang's fierce eyes and unquestionable look, Guo Jingxian shuddered. He did have a superior heart just now, after all, Wu Qing personally invited him from home, and Yue Yang's words just now expressed his appreciation for him, which made him have the idea of forming a water master, so he couldn't help but bring a trace of casualness and superiority when talking to Yue Yang, and now don't Yueyang beat him like this, he remembered that he may be a sailor general who is proficient in water warfare, and has a talent that many people don't have, but this talent is not the only one, and he is not the only one who knows how to fight in the water of the Ming Dynasty. If Yue Yang really put his heart into finding someone, as long as he was willing to spend his time, he could find a large number of people to replace him.

As soon as he thought of this, Guo Jingxian's originally restless heart was like being poured down by a basin of cold water, which woke him up, and when he came to his senses, he quickly stood up straight and bowed his head and said: "Yes, I understand!" ”

"Well, that's good!" Yue Yang nodded: "I only want to send you one sentence now, I'd rather wait for the ship than let the ship wait for the people, I don't want to end up when our warship is built but no one is available, do you understand?" ”

Guo Jingxian was shocked, and hurriedly agreed loudly: "Yes." Humble duty understands! ”

Weihaiwei is a place near the sea, it stands to reason that the fishing industry here should be very developed, but in fact, it is not, although the promulgation of the sea ban can only be regarded as a piece of waste paper for those maritime merchants, but for those poor fishermen it is an authentic deadly noose. The punishment of the low-level servants and officials for the fishermen who were caught was very severe. The fishermen had to go out to sea at night and come back before dawn, so the risk was very high. Because the life of fishermen is so difficult, there is a saying near Weihaiwei that it is said that a good woman does not marry a fisherman. It's about the hardships of the fishermen's survival.

It's just that these days, there is a news circulating everywhere among the fishermen in the Weihaiwei area, and it is this news that makes almost all the fishermen crazy.

In a village thirty miles southeast of Weihaiwei, a group of men gathered together and whispered, "Boss Hai, have you heard?" A few days ago, the government posted a notice outside, saying that the imperial court has lifted the ban on the sea, and we can go to sea to fish? ”

The man known as Boss Hai was a man of about twenty-five or sixteen years old, who was not tall but had tendon muscles. Dark, he looked like he often went to sea, but he sneered: "How is this possible? The rules of the sea ban have been set for hundreds of years, how can the government say that it will be canceled, you haven't woken up yet, have you? ”

The six lepers are thin and small. Because he had dysentery when he was a child, and he was the sixth in the family, he was called the six lepers, and I saw him stiffen his neck and protest: "What am I lying to you for?" This news was told by the old man of the Geng family who went to the county seat to catch the market. ”

"Oh? And what's going on? "Now the boss of the sea can't be calm. The old man of the Geng family is the only person in the village who has studied, and he has a high prestige in the village on weekdays. The prestige in the village is very high, and it is almost certain that it is said that it is almost certain.

"That'...... Is that! The six lepers said proudly: "Moreover, Uncle Geng has said a lot of things, and now many people have gone to Uncle Geng's house." ”

Boss Hai thought for a while, grabbed the six lepers and said, "Let's go...... Go to Uncle Geng's house. ”

When Boss Hai and the six lepers ran to Uncle Geng's earthen house, they found that the courtyard was already full of people, old and young, men and women, and the small courtyard was full of urgency, and the white-haired Uncle Geng was talking to everyone.

"This time, the government has posted a notice, the new governor, the Marquis of Zhongyong and the Marquis Yue, has issued an official document, and the ban on the sea under the imperial court has been abolished a few days ago, and we night owls can also go out to sea to fish in the daytime!"

"......Boom" Everyone became a sensation, and many people smiled: "Great...... That's great! Now we don't have to carry the wind lantern to the net! It's been much better this time. ”

A middle-aged woman's eyes also turned red, "Yes, if it wasn't for the baby at home who had a sudden illness the year before last, the child's father would not have gone out to sea to fish overnight and never came back." ”

The sea boss and the six lepers glanced at each other, and their eyes showed joy, fishing during the day and fishing at night are two different concepts, and the income will be much higher.

Looking at the smiling people, Uncle Geng stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Don't be busy being happy first, there is one more thing that the old man hasn't said yet?" ”

The six lepers who couldn't squeeze in the crowd asked loudly, "Uncle Geng, what's the matter!" ”

Uncle Geng said without looking back: "Six lepers, it's your urgency, but maybe you can really try it." ”

"Uncle Geng, just tell me, what's the matter!" The people around were also anxious and urged together.

Seeing that everyone was anxious, Uncle Geng showed up, he said slowly: "My old man doesn't know if it's a good thing, the government allowed us to go out to sea to fish at the same time, but also posted a notice saying that the Weihai Wei Shui Division would be reorganized, and now it is recruiting, but anyone who has a skill, knows how to be water-based and is over 16 years old and less than 35 years old can sign up." Moreover, the government also said that as long as you can enter the water master, the monthly salary is two taels of silver, and there are also two buckets of white rice,"

Different from saying that the government opened the sea ban, when they heard that the imperial court had rebuilt the Weihai Guardian Water Division, the surrounding fishermen were silent, and many people fell into deep thought, and the six lepers standing in the middle of the crowd even looked at the sea boss on the side.

Boss Hai was silent for a while. Silently turned around and walked out of the crowd, and the six lepers hurriedly followed.

The six lepers shouted while following closely behind Boss Hai: "Boss Hai...... Boss Hai, where are you going! ”

"Go home!" The sea boss said angrily.

The six lepers asked: "Then just now Uncle Geng said that the imperial court was going to rebuild the Weihai Weishui Division...... You...... What happened to you? ”

I saw that Boss Hai stopped, turned his head to look at the six lepers, and shouted in a rough voice with an impatient look on his face: "What does it matter to me for the imperial court to rebuild the water master, don't bother me with this matter." ”

The six lepers were anxious, "Brother Hai, listen to me." You also heard Uncle Geng's words just now, the military salary offered by the imperial court is not low, two taels of silver and two buckets of rice per month. Just these two buckets of rice are enough for your mother and your two younger siblings to eat for a month. ”

"Don't ask me, I don't know!" Boss Hai impatiently quickened his pace and walked in the direction of his house.

Looking at the back of Boss Hai, the six lepers were silent, shook their heads and walked slowly towards home.

Boss Hai came to his dilapidated thatched house, hesitated, pushed open the door, and walked in. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw his thirteen-year-old sister taking his nine-year-old brother to carry firewood to the yard house, and when he saw his eldest brother coming back, the two little ones quickly threw down the firewood in their hands and ran towards the eldest brother and hugged his eldest brother's arm.

Boss Hai sighed lightly and touched the little heads of his two younger siblings, and then walked into the house, and before he could enter the house, he heard a rapid cough coming from inside.

Boss Hai lifted the straw curtain and walked into the room, and through the few rays of sunlight shining in from the corner, he could vaguely see a bed in the corner. On the bed lay a thin figure, leaning in the corner and coughing.

Seeing this, Boss Hai hurriedly ran over and held him up, half distressed and half complaining, and said, "Mother, didn't you let you lie down, why did you get up again?" ”

The person on the bed is none other than the old lady of the sea boss. I saw her pat the hand of Boss Hai and said, "Dog, my mother is not yet seventy or eighty, and whenever she can't move, she can do something for you now." Now what my mother hopes most is to see that you can get married early. In that case, even if my mother dies, she will have the face to see your father...... Ahem...... "As soon as she finished speaking, Boss Hai's mother coughed again.

The plain words made the eyes of Boss Hai, a seven-foot Chinese character, immediately red, and he looked at the old lady who was coughing almost out of breath. He secretly made up his mind in his heart. After the old man breathed a sigh of relief, he said, "Mother...... Uncle Geng just came back from the county seat today, and he said that he saw the notice posted by the government outside the county office. The notice said that the imperial court had lifted the sea ban. ”

"Oh...... Is it? When the old woman heard this, she immediately became more energetic, took the hand of the sea boss and said, "Doesn't that mean that in the future we can go out to sea to fish during the day?" ”

"Hmm!"

"Okay...... That's great! The old woman said happily: "If we can go out to sea to fish during the day, we can catch more fish and sell them in the county seat, so that my mother doesn't have to worry about you." ”

Boss Hai nodded, hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mother...... I...... I don't want to fish anymore. ”

"Hmm...... What did you say? The old lady was stunned, "Dog, you don't fish anymore?" So what else can you do? ”

Boss Hai gritted his teeth and said, "Mother...... Today, Uncle Geng also said that the new governor of the imperial court wants to rebuild the Weihai Wei Water Division, and the child wants to go to Weihai Wei to be a soldier! ”

"What...... Soldier...... Absolutely not! When the old woman heard this, she immediately sat up, glared at the sea boss and reprimanded, "Dog, are you stupid? The older generation has long had a clear training, a good man is not a soldier, he is not a soldier, he is not a nail, you put a good fish and don't fight but run to be a soldier, what do you want to do? ”

"Mother...... Don't be angry...... I ......" As soon as he saw his wife angry, the seven-foot man of Boss Hai suddenly became a head shorter, and quickly explained: "Mother, it's like this." The child heard that the treatment of the rebuilding of the water division in the imperial court is very generous, as long as he is selected, he will immediately be paid two taels of silver every month, and by the way, I heard that there are two buckets of rice every month. ”

The old woman said bitterly: "Nonsense, you haven't woken up yet, have you?" Two taels of silver? Two buckets of rice, does the court let you go to be a soldier or ask you to be an uncle, the landlord's family is not so comfortable, right? ”

"But that's what the notice says." Boss Hai didn't dare to talk back, so he could only murmur something like this.

"You," said the old lady, ...... earnestly, "have you forgotten how your father died?" ”

Boss Hai lowered his head and whispered, "Remember...... He was killed in battle with pirates. ”

"If you know, it's good." The old lady's eyes immediately turned red, "Your father died in a war for the imperial court, but what did the imperial court give us besides a few taels of silver?" Has the imperial court given our family a bite to eat over the years? Why do you still want to follow your father's old path? ”

"I ......"

Looking at the angry old lady, Boss Hai was dumbfounded, and he was speechless for a while.

At dinner in the evening, the Hai Boss family was exceptionally silent. The old lady was silent, Boss Hai was just eating the black beans in the bowl and was silent, and the little sister and younger brother on the side also felt the difference in the atmosphere, and they also didn't dare to say anything.

In the middle of the night, the sea boss lay on the bed tossing and turning and couldn't sleep, listening to the sound from time to time in the old lady's room next door, his heart was even more irritable, and at two o'clock in the middle of the night, he finally couldn't help but get up and wake up his sleeping sister next door.

"Brother...... What's the matter? The sleepy-eyed little sister asked puzzled while rubbing her eyes.

"Sister, my brother has decided, I want to be a soldier."

"What...... Brother, you're going to be a ......."

"Shh......h Be quiet! Hai Dafu covered his little sister's mouth and whispered: "Don't let my mother hear it!" ”

"Yes...... But you know that your mother will never let you be a soldier, you want to make your mother angry to death! The little sister pulled away her brother's big hand and said hurriedly.

"You think about it!" Boss Hai glared at his sister and said, "You don't know about your mother's illness. Last time, the doctor also said that if it drags on any longer, my mother may not be able to hold on to next year, if I don't go to the army, how can I get the money to treat my mother? ”

"This ......" the little sister was also dumb.

"Alright, so be it!" Boss Hai waved his hand involuntarily, "This matter is so decided, and when tomorrow Niang asks, you will say so, saying that I will come back in half a year at most, and even if I don't come back, I will ask someone to bring the silver." The younger brother is still young, and the brother is not at home, so it all depends on you. You have to hold on. Remember, my brother will come back in half a year at most, can you do it? ”

Looking at the sea boss who was staring at her, the girl nodded vigorously. The circles under his eyes immediately turned red: "That...... Okay, but you have to come back soon, brother. ”

Boss Hai showed a sincere smile on his face, stretched out his big hand and stroked the girl's head and comforted: "Hmm...... You take good care of your mother and little brother at home...... When my brother comes back, I'll pull a few feet of cloth for you and make new clothes for you! ”

After saying that, Boss Hai turned around and walked out of the room. Looking at the back of the girl who disappeared at the door, the girl's tears finally fell without holding back......

In the past few days, on the boundary of Vladivostok within a radius of hundreds of miles, the same thing is happening constantly, and Boss Hai is not the first. Nor will it be the last......

During the Ming Dynasty, Weihaiwei was not developed, and there was only one Weihai Acropolis in the entire Weihaiwei, and this castle had been abandoned for more than ten years. However, in the past few days, craftsmen have come here one after another to reorganize the castle, repair the fortifications and houses, and even live in a thousand-strong Xuanda firecracker and an artillery battalion.

When the sea boss who arrived here with a change of clothes and two nest heads in his baggage saw Weihaiwei Castle, which had become a new look, he was stunned by the scene in front of him.

The year before last, Boss Hai also followed the people in the village to pass here, that was when he saw Weihaiwei Castle is completely a deserted castle, there are only more than ten military households in it who are unwilling to move out, but now it is crowded with people. A swarthy cannon had been erected outside the city, and a sergeant in a dark green military uniform was standing on the city wall with a musket in his hand, looking into the distance.

"This is Weihaiwei?"

Carrying two small burdens, the eyes of the sea boss immediately straightened, he tightened the small backpack behind him and walked towards the city gate, originally the sea boss thought that he would definitely be stopped by the officers and soldiers guarding the city to pay the city fee, but he never thought that the officers and soldiers guarding the door were still very good at talking, and after a few words of interrogation, he also showed him the way, and finally he entered the city smoothly.

After entering the city, Boss Hai followed the path pointed to him by the sergeant, and soon saw that there were many people queuing up in an open space, and several tables were placed on the spot, and Boss Hai followed behind the crowd without thinking.

The process of becoming a soldier was very simple, after the recruiter asked him his name, place of origin, and age, he asked a few more common questions and handed him a sign for him to gather at the back.

In this way, when Boss Hai got his wish and entered the newly established Weihai Weishui Division, in a mansion in Shijing Town, Nan'an, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, thousands of miles away, a middle-aged man of thirty-six or seventeen years old was looking at the information that had just been sent and pondering, and it took a long time for the middle-aged man to raise his head and reveal his face.

I saw that although this middle-aged man had reached the age of standing, his face was very fair, if it weren't for the fact that he had a wisp of beard under his chin, even if he was called by his good face, it would not be an exaggeration, and this person was Zheng Zhilong, a well-known pirate leader in Fujian, Nanyang, and Dongyang over the years.

Zheng Zhilong raised his head, shot a sharp gaze at the people around him, and said in a low voice: "The new governor of Shandong is going to rebuild the water division in Shandong, do you all know about this?" (To be continued......)