The mountainous area of Lunan has always been a poor area in Shandong. Countless earthy villages have been built on gray-brown hillsides, and even in early autumn there is little greenery on the slopes, and the lack of water conservancy and deforestation have exacerbated soil erosion in the area. The immediate consequence was the destruction of the agricultural base and the descent of a large number of peasants into abject poverty.

However, in the southwest of Fei County, there is a relatively rich area, that is, the area centered on Zhengjiazhuang, the Chang River flows from the northwest to the southeast, forming a small lake with a water surface of about 3,000 acres in the east ten miles of Zhengjiazhuang, there is water and there is life, resulting in the grain production of Zhengjiazhuang, Baiwei Town and Chenjiaya Sanzhuang around is significantly higher than that of other regions, forming a relatively rich area in a large area of barren mountainous areas, a large number of displaced people fled to here, on the one hand, increasing the burden of this place, on the other hand, it also promoted the local prosperity.

However, the wealth of this place has only reached a peak in the past ten years, and it was not like this before. Speaking of which, it is impossible not to mention the famous calf-hugging couch. More than 100 miles south of Zhengjiazhuang is the famous calf-hugging nest. In Shandong and even the whole of North China, the meaning of holding a calf is synonymous with Xiangma Qiangren. Since the Qianlong period of the official army has completely cleared the calf, this place has been the base camp of Lunan ringing horses, the mountains of one hundred and ten miles, entrenched in more than a dozen large and small ringing horses, the largest has three shares, it is said that the leader of one of the bandits is a woman surnamed Zhao, riding a horse and shooting guns, plagiarism is abnormal. The government can't do anything about these strongmen, the strength of the green battalion is too weak, and they don't dare to go deep into the hinterland of the mountains to clear it.

These are all legends, and no one knows the strength of Xiangma, including the Yizhou government, which is theoretically responsible for local security.

Of course, the wealth in the area of Zhengjiazhuang will attract the attention of the bandits, and the people in this area have been suffering for a long time, and almost all the rich families have been victimized by the bandits.

Changing the decline of Xiangma was a matter after Zheng Jing became the owner of Zhengjiazhuang. Zheng Jing is the only son of Zheng Haogu, the richest man in Zhengjiazhuang, when he was young to Jinan to do business, changed his father's ancestral training of relying on land rent, with his father gave 3,000 taels of silver, from the operation of the tea house, the business has been done in Qingzhou, Qingdao and even Zhili. After the expansion of capital, Zheng Jing even went south to Fujian to buy tea mountains, opened up a thousand miles of tea road, and became a powerful tea merchant. In his later years, Zheng Jing didn't know what to stimulate, sold part of the business under his name, returned to his hometown Zhengjiazhuang with a huge amount of money, repaired the ancestral house, and prepared to retire in his hometown. But after returning to his hometown, Zheng Jing did not look like he was ready to retire, not only did he buy land on a large scale, but the Zheng family was originally the richest man of this generation, and after a new trick, he became one of the top landlords in the neighboring counties. He also set up many workshops and monopolized many businesses in the surrounding area.

Zheng Jing will not only make money, but also spend money. For the sake of safety, he funded the renovation of the wall of Zhengjiazhuang, and through his own connections and the eldest son of the army, he purchased hundreds of foreign guns from the Germans in Qingdao, recruited masters, and organized 500 people to protect the village and the township, which has since shocked the four townships. Not only that, Zheng Jing also contacted the squires of Chenjiaya, Baiyan Town and other places, and launched the Sanzhuang joint insurance in the name of fighting against the calf and the horse. Each village pays money and people, and Zhengjiazhuang provides weapons in a unified manner, and the head of Zhengjiazhuang uniformly trains the villagers in each village. Although this move suffered a series of opposition, Zheng Jing formed a township Yong to exploit the township very ruthlessly, about four taels of silver per capita, which made the people complain, but Zheng Jing was unmoved, insisted on running his township Yong arm, who dared to oppose him, was fined, and lynched. The 500 villagers of Zhengjiazhuang who were remediated were obedient and dared not speak out.

Zheng Jing has no fame, unlike the heads of other three villages are all serious and eight classics of the reader, but Zheng Jing has two good sons, the eldest son Zheng Cheng is the garrison of Yizhou Zhengwupin, the second son Zheng Jing is young and intelligent, read and never forget, at the age of sixteen he won the show, and then the township test will try all the way to the victory, after the Jinshi sent back to Shandong as an official, did the county magistrate, because of the Yizhou Mansion Ding Chou case was implicated and dismissed, after the same year of sponsorship, now entered the new army shogunate, became the guest of Cao Kun town guard, it is said that it is quite appreciated by Lord Cao. With the entry of the new army into Jinan, Zheng Du's interrupted career became open again, which also strengthened the prestige of Zhengjiazhuang from the other side.

Take Changhu Lake as the coordinates, Zhengjiazhuang in the southwest, Chenjiaya in the north, and Baiwei Village in the west across a mountain beam. Further out, there are more than a dozen small villages scattered on the ground.

The complaints of the Zhuang Zhuang against Zheng Jing's army and military affairs quickly disappeared. On the fifteenth day of the first month of the twenty-third year of Guangxu, a thousand people raided Zhengjiazhuang immediately after holding the calf, and Zheng Jing led the township to defend the wall and determined to resist to the end. The horses heard about Zheng Jing's wealth, but they didn't inquire clearly that Zheng Jing had 400 foreign guns in his hand, and the wall was built very strongly. Unexpectedly, the gunshots on Zhengjiazhuang's side were together, and the two hundred Zhuang Ding in Baiwei Town had already gathered under the leadership of Xiao Guanyu, the owner of the village. Relying on the familiarity of the road, he quietly touched it, and went to Chenjiaya's side first, Xiao Guanyuben had a good relationship with Chen Chao, the owner of Chenjiaya, so he naturally saved Chenjiaya first. I didn't expect to meet the ringing horse that was defeated from Zhengjiazhuang, Xiao Guanyu was also a brave one, while sending someone to contact Chenjiaya, while organizing Xiangyong to shoot at the ringing horse that was climbing up, this time it hit the seven inches of the ringing horse, Zhengjiazhuang and Chenjiaya heard the gunshots, two troops, Sanzhuang joined forces, and killed the strongman holding the calf! The bandits left behind only about 300 corpses and seized more than 100 horses.

After this battle, Sanzhuang officially signed the agreement of joint insurance. Naturally, it is headed by the strongest Zhengjiazhuang. After the township soldiers who had been reorganized after the Sanzhuang joint protection defeated the bandits from the north, the bandits who had been hit hard never harassed Sanzhuang led by Zhengjiazhuang again.

……

Chenjiaya is built on the hillside, separated by a ditch, and is far away from Zhengjiazhuang ten miles away. Standing on the edge of the ditch and looking south, you can clearly see the towering gate of Zhengjiazhuang and the banner rolling in the wind on the gate.

Compared with the grandeur of Zhengjiazhuang, Chenjiaya is a little shabby. Zhuangzi occupies less than one-third of Zhengjiazhuang's land and has only a quarter of Zhengjiazhuang's population. Zhengjiazhuang occupies the best flat land in ten miles and eight townships, and Chenjiaya has to be built on the hillside. Fifty years ago, there was a large-scale armed fight between the two villages over a land dispute, and the result was naturally that Zhengjiazhuang had the upper hand. Since then, the two villages have formed a grudge, and the villagers of the two villages have less contact and less intermarriage. It wasn't until Zheng Jing returned from Jinan and personally went to Chenjiaya to meet Chen Chao, the owner of the village who was more than ten years younger than him, that he could be regarded as moving around at the "high-level level" of the two villages. In view of the threat of holding the calf and ringing the horse, Zheng Jing purchased guns to organize the villagers to defend themselves, and gave Chen Jiaya 20 foreign guns to help Chen Chao establish Chen Jiaya's escort team. Due to Zheng Jing's generosity, Chen Chao was a responder to the Sanzhuang Alliance, and under his influence, Xiao Guanyu of Baiwei Town also joined the Sanzhuang Alliance, which greatly increased the strength of Sanzhuang, and there were more than 800 trained Zhuang Ding, which led to the victory of Guangxu in the 23rd year of the Baoqiugu.

In the afternoon, Chen Chao, the owner of Chenjiaya Village, who had given up his napping habit due to the Zhengjiazhuang tenant farmer incident, returned to his Zhuangzi from Zhengjiazhuang over the ditch, suppressed the depression in his heart, put on a white-washed white cloth coat, and Chen Chao began his daily routine "inspection".

The unhappiness was caused by Zheng Jing, the owner of Zhengjiazhuang.

After lunch, villager Chen Gou came to beg Chen Chao, saying that Zheng Jing had put his in-laws in front of the gate of the village to show the public. Chen Gouyu's daughter married Zhengjiazhuang, and he was one of the few people who married Zhengjiazhuang.

Master Zheng Jing can't see him, only Chen Chao can intercede. Chen Chao asked what was going on, and Chen Gouyu said that Master Zheng was going to raise the land rent after the autumn, and his in-laws were tenants of Zheng Jing, so after arguing a few words, he angered Master Zheng and ordered Zhuang Ding to show the public in front of the walled gate. It was not an ordinary flail, it weighed forty pounds, and if it was flailed all day, people would die.

Chen Chao immediately put down the bowl and led Chen Gou to Zhengjiazhuang to see Zheng Jing. Sure enough, there was a villager in front of the gate of Zhengjiazhuang Beizhai, the early autumn sun was scorching hotly, and the heavy wooden flail wrapped in iron sheets pressed blood marks around the person's neck, and the people were a little unconscious. Several women and children knelt on the side and cried and pleaded, and the scene was extremely miserable.

Chen Chao was soft-hearted, afraid of his life, so he ordered Zhengjiazhuang Zhuang Ding, who was holding a gun, to release him quickly, "They are all villagers, why bother?" Are you not afraid of your life? ”

Zhuang Ding knew Chen Chao, "Master Chen, this is our master's order, I'm sorry, we can't listen to you, unless the master speaks." ”

Chen Gouyu was so anxious that he jumped to his feet, and wanted to help his in-laws who were kneeling there, but he was driven away by Zhuang Ding, "For the sake of Master Chen, otherwise you will be punished together!" ”

"You don't know anything about this life!" Chen Chao has always been lenient to his neighbors, "What a big breath!" You are not an official, how can you treat the sins of the villagers casually? ”

"Master Zheng is the government." Zhuang Ding's neck stalked, and he said to Chen Chao.

Chen Chao knew that Zheng Jing ruled Zhuang with military law, and these Zhuang Ding were his private soldiers. didn't argue with Zhuang Ding anymore, and hurried into Zhuang to find Zheng Jing. But he touched the nail again, and the housekeeper Zheng Jiazhu said that the master had already fallen asleep, and no one could disturb him, "Don't say it's Master Chen, even if the eldest son and the second son come back, you have to wait for the master to wake up before you can see him." Zheng Jiazhu is respectful on the surface, and the arrogance in his bones is undisguised.

Zheng Jing won the calf for a while and became more and more powerful. The subordinates are becoming more and more strict, and the three neighbors who were accepted in the past are also high and have no accommodation. If it weren't for Chen Gouyu's intercession, Chen Chao would not be willing to ask Zheng Jing, but the tragic situation in front of the gate made Chen Chao really unbearable, "Steward Zheng, people's lives are at stake, Chen has to beg Master Zheng to raise his noble hand!" They are all villagers who bow their heads and don't look up, why bother hurting their harmony for a few buckets of rent? ”

Zheng Jiazhu smiled, "Master Chen, I don't think it's a taste when you say it." I know that you are here for Cheng Da Niu's business," he said, glancing at Chen Gouyu who was following Chen Chao, there are not many marriages between the two villages, Chen Gou Yu and Cheng Da Niu are just a couple, "There are no rules, there is no circle." Our lord trains the villagers to prevent thieves, where do we not want money? Cheng Daniu took the lead in resisting rent, so how can the master discipline him? You say, don't you? ”

Recently, I don't know where Zheng Jing got the news, saying that there is still a strong force in Mengshan, which is more than 100 miles northeast, and it is said that it is more powerful than the calf-hugging one. A few days ago, Zheng Jing summoned Chen Jiaya and other Sanzhuang to discuss the merger of the respective villagers of Sanzhuang into a group, saying that it was to prevent the ringing horses of Mengshanzhai. Xiao Guanyu said at the time that at the beginning of the year, he heard that Lord Cao Kun, the town guard of Caozhou, led thousands of elite soldiers to level Mengshan in one fell swoop, and Sun Dewang's head was hung on the city wall of Yizhou. There is a hint of accusing Zheng Jing of faking public and private interests.

Xiao Guanyu and Chen Chao are quite good friends, and they have already discussed in private that Zheng Jing is inevitably doing too much, and he is also relying on his power in the government and doing things without fear. Otherwise, raising 500 township soldiers would have been a taboo. Why do you want to expand the establishment now, and even unify the neighboring villages' Xiangyong into Zhengjiazhuang? This matter was opposed by Xiao Guanyu, Xiao Guanyu's words were fierce, but Chen Chao was a kind person, and he played a round in the middle, and he did not tear his face. Afterwards, Zheng Jing once said to Chen Chao that if Bai Wei didn't know the current affairs, and the strongman would commit Zhuang in the future, don't blame me Zheng Jiazhuang for not saving him when he saw death!

"I don't care about your Zhengjiazhuang's rules. But if you want money, you can't ignore people's lives and deaths! Chen Chao was upset, and his words were full of anger, and he yelled at Zheng Jiazhu, "You go to the north gate to have a look, everyone is going to die!" People's hearts are long, so you don't care about the friendship of the villagers? ”

"He has the courage to confront our master, so he naturally has a good body and bones to accept the master's family law." Zheng Jiazhu lowered his eyelids and stopped talking.

Chen Gouyu was so anxious that he knelt down, "Master housekeeper, please raise your noble hand and spare him." ”

Zheng Jiazhu simply ignored Chen Gouyu who was kneeling on the ground, as if this person didn't exist at all.

Chen Chao was furious, "Go and inform Zheng Jing, just say that I, Chen Chao, have something to ask him!" I don't believe it, it's so difficult for me Chen Chao to see him! Brother Zheng! Brother Zheng! Chen Chao shouted at the top of his lungs.

Zheng Jiazhu's face turned white in fright, "Master Chen, just spare me, you want my life." ”

Zheng Jing's figure finally appeared at the door of the hall, "What's the noise?" Well? And there are no rules! Oh, it turned out to be Brother Chen__"

"Brother Zheng is such a big shelf! Brother Zheng, this Zhengjiazhuang is even more difficult to enter than the door of the mansion. Chen Chao pushed Zheng Jiazhu away and rushed down the steps of Zheng Jing to salute.

"It's noon, why are you panicking, you want Brother Chen to come to my snail's house?" Zheng Jingpi returned the salute without smiling, "Please talk to the house." ”

Finally looking at Chen Chao's face, Zheng Jing promised Cheng Daniu to kowtow and admit his mistake and let this stubborn man go, "Brother Chen, this gang of lowly breeds just wants them to understand some rules!" The last time he levied the donation to protect the village, he shirked it in every possible way, and this time he took the lead against me, if I didn't give him a little hardship, thousands of hired farmers would not be against the sky? You said that I raised 500 elites to keep our side safe, didn't it do it for them? I'm really. ”

Chen Chao thought to himself, it is very absurd to raise 500 non-productive families in Zhengjiazhuang with 5,000 people, and the cost of raising soldiers has to be spread over the villagers, no wonder the villagers oppose it. But this matter finally came to an end, and when Cheng Daniu was carried home by Chen Gouyu and others, Chen Chao said goodbye to Zheng Jing and returned to his Zhuangzi.