As he spoke, Qiu Yizhi's right hand took out a thumb-sized, yellow and clear thing and put it in the flat palm, raised it high, and said, "Do you all recognize this thing?" ”

"Wow! Gold! ”

"Gold! Gold ingots! ”

There was a commotion in the crowd.

Qiu Yizhi smiled "hummed": "Since everyone recognizes this thing, they also know the value of this thing." I'll just ask, do you want to? ”

What you don't want is a fool!

When everyone heard this, they shouted one after another: "I want it!" Want! Want! Want! ”

The corners of Qiu Yizhi's mouth raised: "It seems that everyone wants it." But it's not that hard! Behold, there is a tree over there, and whoever wants to cut it down and carry it to my feet, and this ingot, he will give it. As he spoke, he raised his left hand and pointed forward.

As if under control, everyone looked in the direction of Qiu Yi's finger - but saw a small jujube tree growing at the root of the city wall. The jujube wood is heavy and thick, and it cannot be easily cut, but this jujube tree is only the thickness of the mouth of the soup cup, as long as the right knife is used, it is not helpless to take him.

While everyone was hesitating, a man suddenly raised his hand and said, "My lord, the villain is a woodcutter who collects firewood, can you try it?" ”

Qiu Yizhi followed the prestige, and it was the leader who collected the money just now, so he smiled and said, "What's not to do? If you have the ability, go and cut down the tree for me, and you will come and receive the reward. ”

The man agreed, took off the blanket that everyone had raised money on his body and put it on the ground, took out a firewood knife from the blanket, and said to the old man Fan: "Teacher Fan, you read the paper to us just now, and you can take the copper coins here by yourself." ”

With that, he took the firewood knife in his hand and walked in the direction of the jujube tree under the gaze of everyone.

The man walked unhurriedly to the root of the jujube tree, held the trunk with a knife in one hand and swayed it lightly a few times, and stroked the bark again, as if he had some confidence, and then said aloud: "My lord, I'm going to do it now!" ”

He saw Qiu Yizhi nodded from a distance, and became even more bold, and with a swing of a firewood knife, he cut down the jujube tree about half a foot above the ground.

This person claimed to be a woodcutter, and he didn't lie, and he was very skillful in cutting down trees, but in the blink of an eye, he cut down the roots of this small jujube tree, carried it on his shoulders, and transported it to Qiu Yizhi, and asked: "My lord, I cut down the tree, I don't know if you want to make a flagpole or a flat shoulder?" ”

Qiu Yizhi saw that this person was of medium stature, medium height, and not outstanding appearance, and at first glance he was just an ordinary woodcutter, and maybe he would be obsessed with everyone at the second sight, but he didn't expect this person to have such courage, and he immediately admired him.

So he laughed and said, "What do I want this tree for?" It's just that I want to try whether there is really a brave and extraordinary talent in this Sanyin county. Okay, you can find a random place to put down the tree and come and get the reward. ”

The man held the trunk of the tree with one hand and scratched his head with the other, and asked, "Where is the 'random place' that the adults say?" Please point it out so that I can put the tree down. ”

Qiu Yizhi laughed when he heard "haha", and pointed to his feet: "Oh, this is a random place, you put down the jujube tree." ”

Qiu Yizhi waited for the man to throw the newly cut jujube tree on the ground, then reached out and stuffed the ingot of gold into his hand, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Good boy, you have some ability." What is your name? ”

The man took the gold ingots without twisting, but because his own blanket was not around, he had no choice but to hold the ingots in his hand, and said to Qiu Yizhi with a fist: "The villain's name is Meng Hong." The notice posted by the adult at the gate of the city, the villain has already heard Teacher Fan read it just now, it is said that the military salary is at least two taels of silver per month, I don't know if it is true or false? ”

Qiu Yizhi smiled: "Of course it's true!" If you cut down a tree, I will give you gold; If you give me your life, am I not willing to give you silver? How? Do you want my subordinates to be a country warrior? ”

Meng Hong nodded and said, "Exactly." The villain's family has a large population, no matter how hard it is to farm and chop firewood, he can't eat enough, and he wants to come to the adults to make some money so that the old lady and children can have a full meal. ”

(Meng Hong - Di Qing)

"Good!" Qiu Yizhi praised again, "A gentleman loves money and takes it from it." You come to my command to serve as a soldier and be paid, although it is not a great ambition, but there is no shame. But you have just seen my paperwork, and I don't accept the only son in the family. ”

Meng Hong hurriedly said: "Don't worry, don't worry." I also have a teenage brother who is now studying in a private school and preparing to take a fame exam, and by the way, I can take care of my mother; My daughter-in-law also gave birth to a big fat boy for me last year, white and tender, but she ate too much...... That's why I thought about coming over to be a soldier and eating this imperial food. ”

Qiu Yizhi nodded with satisfaction when he heard this, and was about to speak, but saw Zhao Chengxiao leading his two brothers in the distance to walk briskly towards him, so he shouted and said, "Brother Zhao, come here, I have recruited a soldier for you." ”

Zhao Chengxiao listened, stepped forward quickly, made a gesture to Qiu Yizhi, turned his head and looked Meng Hong up and down several times, and asked, "My lord, is this little man the soldier you recruited?" ”

Meng Hong is neither tall nor short, but in front of Zhao Chengxiao, who is tall and mighty like a black tower, he looks a little short.

Qiu Yizhi said with a smile: "Brother Zhao said this, fighting is not drying clothes, what do you want to do so high?" When the two armies faced each other, the arrows flew overhead, wasn't it just right to save their lives? ”

As soon as Qiu Yizhi's words fell, everyone laughed, and even Zhao Chengxiao, who was usually quite serious, smiled: "It's still an adult who has insight, why didn't I come up with this?" ”

Zhao Chengxiao said to Meng Hong again: "I see that you are also a man, since the adults are talking, I will accept you, you go back to pack up, and report to the county government early tomorrow morning." But if I have something to say, I will make it clear first, don't think that it was recruited by the adults themselves, just pretend to be a big-tailed bird in front of me, and everything must be done according to the rules! ”

Without waiting for Meng Hong to agree, Qiu Yizhi said: "Yes, that's right. The newly recruited soldiers are treated the same as these old soldiers under me, neither bullying nor partiality, Meng Hong, do you understand? ”

Meng Hong is a woodcutter who has never seen the world, after listening to the words of Qiu Yizhi and Zhao Chengxiao, he was ignorant and didn't know how to answer, so he just nodded vigorously.

Qiu Yizhi saw his honest appearance, but he also felt relieved: "That's good, you earned me a tael of gold with your ability, and I won't reward you anymore." Go back and settle down the mother and child, and come tomorrow. ”

He turned his head again and said to the onlookers: "This official knows that Shanyin County is hard, so he has opened a military salary of two taels of silver a month, which is enough for your whole family to eat and clothe." But I can't make this money casually, if you think you have the ability, go to this General Zhao to sign up. ”

As soon as Qiu Yizhi's words fell, the crowd exploded, and everyone immediately surrounded Zhao Chengxiao and others, and they all raised their hands eager to sign up.

Qiu Yizhi was very happy when he saw this lively scene, so he squeezed out of the crowd with confidence, but saw Wen Lingjiao standing far away, stretching out his hand to beckon him over.

When Qiu Yizhi walked in, Wen Lingjiao stretched out her hand and pointed to a two-story teahouse on the side, and said, "Son, Mr. Lin and Miss Wu are drinking tea in the teahouse and watching the scenery, please come over!" ”

Qiu Yizhi looked in the direction she pointed out, and sure enough, she saw Lin Shuhan standing against the railing and smiling and nodding at herself, so she also stretched out her hand to say hello, and asked Wen Lingjiao to go upstairs to meet Lin Shuhan.

Lin Shuhan and Wu Ruofei seemed to have been here for a long time, and the two bowls of tea on the table had been half emptied.

When Wen Lingjiao saw it, she instructed He'er: "He'er, did you bring this year's new tea?" Why don't you hurry up and make tea for a few people? ”

He'er was stunned when she heard this, and quickly agreed, and quickly retreated.

Wu Ruofei is a person who is good at observing words and feelings, and seeing that He'er's expression is different from usual, he asked, "Does Miss He'er seem to be a little unhappy?" Did Miss Wen reprimand her just now? ”

Wen Lingjiao smiled euphemistically, and said with a slight bow: "He'er did something wrong, so naturally she has to be punished." ”

Qiu Yizhi on the side was afraid that they would delve into this matter, so he immediately interrupted the topic and said to Uncle Lin: "It's still Mr. Lin's extraordinary shot." A document is clear and popular, so that illiterate people can also read it clearly, saving me how many words I have to say. I think that if this recruitment is successfully completed, Mr. Lin should take the first credit. ”

Uncle Lin was not polite, nodded and said: "In ancient times, Cangjie made words, just for people to read and communicate. The prose of the ancient Zhuzi was concise, but it was a last resort at that time when the knife was used as the pen and the bamboo was used as the paper. Today's people are vassals and elegant, misunderstand the original meaning of the sages, and the composition must be difficult and deep for others to understand, which is really vexatious. ”

As he was talking, He'er had already held a tea tray, and four bowls of brewed tea were placed on the plate, which were brought to the table one by one, and one by one in front of everyone, and bowed to everyone, and then retreated and stood far away.

Uncle Lin said a lot, his mouth was a little thirsty, the first to lift the tea bowl, gently uncover the lid of the bowl, and a fragrance of tea leaves spread out from the bowl, enveloping everyone.

Wu Ruofei took a deep breath of tea and exclaimed: "This is this year's West Lake Longjing, right?" How can I smell so much better than what I usually drink? Miss Wen, where did you get all these teas? ”

The tea that Wen Lingjiao usually enjoys is offered by the believers below, because many of the people who believe in the Tianzun Sect are rich businessmen, and the ones sent are naturally good things. However, Wen Lingjiao has been pampered since she was a child, and she only takes these things for granted, but she hasn't thought about what the origin is, so she naturally can't answer Wu Ruofei's question.

But Lin Shuhan shook the folding fan and said, "If not, you don't know about this, and listen to me slowly......"

Everyone knew that Lin Shuhan was going to drop his schoolbag, but he did have real talent and knowledge, and he couldn't help but be convinced, so he listened to him with bated breath and said:

"Good tea is mostly produced in the mountains, just because there is a lot of fog on the mountains, and the tea absorbs the essence of the fog, which is naturally good. In an ancient well in the West Lake Valley of Hangzhou, there is an old tea tree that spirals from the edge of the well wall, like a dragon. This tea tree is nurtured by the spring water in the ancient well, and there is no doubt that the tea produced on it is the best in the world. However, because there is only one tree in the world, and the age of the tree is high, and the yield is scarce, so the tea produced next to this well is collectively called Longjing tea. Although its color and fragrance are above ordinary tea, it is not the best because it is located in the valley and is not surrounded by mist on the top of the mountain. ”

Wu Ruofei suddenly realized: "Could it be that I use these tea leaves on weekdays?" ”