Those who beg for a living in the carriage and horse shop are poor men who sell coolies with big shoulders and round waists.

Every day, I dragged a flat pole with my bare shoulders, sat under the shade of the tree, and held a bowl of green slag tea bowls, just these shriveled steamed buns, I could drink them for a day.

Cao Jun's purpose for coming here was naturally to hire people.

Although there are more than a dozen officials in the yamen, but the mountain is high and the road is long, who knows what will happen along the way?

If there are these coolies along the way, whether they pick or resist, or push or pull, the officials can retain their physical strength, and fortunately, they have a certain combat effectiveness in the event of a crisis.

In addition, a large number of people can also strengthen courage.

Cao Jun, under the leadership of a steward of the carriage and horse shop, picked more than a dozen men, hired three two-wheeled wooden carts, and led them to the county government compound.

At this time, the compound was also very lively.

The officials heard that they were in charge of food and housing in the field, and there were also a lot of subsidies every day, and they were very enthusiastic about signing up, and they lined up in two rows bustlingly, allowing Li Quan and the master to choose.

The one who was selected was full of joy, and the one who was not picked was unwilling, and he chattered on the side and refused to leave.

Cao Jun glanced at it roughly, and saw that the people who signed up were all single and unmarried men, and nodded secretly.

Unexpectedly, the magistrate only agreed to more than ten places, but there were more than 20 people left on the scene.

When the master saw Cao Jun appear, he immediately retreated and gave way: "Cao Dutou is here, these people will be under your control, the old man is only in charge of the goods, and the division of labor between the two of us is clear." ”

Seeing more than a dozen shirtless men who were led in by Cao Jun, as well as the three two-wheeled vehicles they were pushing, he was immediately overjoyed, and couldn't help but praise: "It's still Cao Dutou who thinks properly, with these cars, you can bring more supplies on the road, which is good." ”

Cao Jun stood in the crowd, clapped his hands and shouted: "Brothers, this is a long way to go to the mountains, more than a thousand miles back and forth, back and forth for a month or two, sleeping in the open air, it is not easy, the boss sympathizes with everyone's hard work, and issued subsidies, but I think these subsidies are still not enough to offset everyone's hard work all the way, because there are risks along the way." ”

"Now Shandong is not very peaceful, you can meet the strongman who robs the house at any time, to say that it is serious, there will be a danger to life at any time, everyone is a good man in ten miles, and it is not from the crack in the stone, most of them are concerned, before making a decision, think about your parents and think about your family."

"I've figured it out, and if I still want to go, stand here."

As soon as Cao Jun's words fell, many people changed their minds.

Before, Li Quan helped organize people, and this product only wandered around Yanggu County for the rest of his life, so he didn't know the danger outside, and he still regarded it as a free public-funded tour.

Eat and drink along the way, see some scenery, and get money.

There is Cao Dutou, who fights tigers, to escort him.

Where to find such good things?

Cao Jun's words were the opposite of Li Quan's resoluteness, and suddenly a few young servants who shouted the most fiercely were instigated, bowing their heads and not squeaking, and their steps moved back vigorously.

There are still some poor families who are greedy for subsidies and stay.

Cao Jun counted, and there were only seven or eight people.

Originally, the number of people was not enough, but now there are more than a dozen rough men in the carriage and horse shop to join.

It's barely enough.

Cao Jun gathered these two groups of people together, explained some of the time and precautions for tomorrow's departure, and then handed them over to the master.

His mission is done for the time being.

Day 2.

The sky was slightly bright.

Under the leadership of Cao Jun and the master, a group of people rode four or five horses, pushed three tightly covered two-wheeled carts covered by oilcloth, and quietly left Yanggu County.

Embarked on the journey to Beijing.

After two or three hours, it was noon.

The sky was red and the sun was shining, and there was no place to shade the sun, and a team of people and horses were full of energy when they set off, and they were all sweating and embarrassed.

In just a team of more than 20 people, more than ten meters down from front to back.

Cao Jun and the master rode one by one, walking in the front.

Cao Jun is okay, he wears a felt hat on his head, and his master is weak, holding a pu fan, constantly fanning the wind in his ears, and the hand holding the fan is weak.

The master saw that there was a tea shop in front of him, and hurriedly suggested: "Cao Dutou, let everyone stop and rest for a while, use some tea, and go down again, this body is about to fall apart." ”

Cao Jun nodded and said, "It's okay!" ”

The officials behaved like a New Year's holiday, and they all rushed to the tea shop with their feet on their feet, "Boss, if there is anything delicious and delicious, hurry up and serve it." ”

In a moment, the whole team was broken in two.

The barefoot official had already grabbed his seat and sat around the tea shop, and the coolies pushing the cart behind him still fell behind him more than ten meters away.

Cao Jun frowned and glanced at it, always feeling a little bad in his heart.

I didn't expect that the official who was relied on by him would behave so badly, but he was beaten crookedly and hired as a coolie, with strict discipline and neat formation.

After a while, both teams of people were already surrounding the tea shop.

Cao Jun and the master sat alone at a table, and the master saw Cao Jun's brows tightly locked, and his heart was heavy, so he comforted him: "Cao Dutou, and relieved, the old man also traveled north and south when he was young, although the road is not smooth now, let's walk slowly, keep enough physical strength, even if we encounter danger, we can turn evil into good fortune." ”

Cao Jun was not as optimistic as him, looking at the team that was consciously divided into two groups, and he didn't speak.

There were only seven or eight servants, occupying three square tables, and they sat loosely in a group, few people but loud voices.

On the other hand, the more than ten coolies in the carriage and horse shop also occupied three square tables, eating the white-flour steamed buns served by the tea shop with tea, and there was almost no discussion.

The master followed Cao Jun's line of sight, and after only two glances, he understood Cao Jun's worries, leaned over and asked in a low voice, "Cao Dutou is worried that someone will oppose the guest?" ”

"You don't have to!"

"Cao Dutou has just arrived, I don't know the heel of this carriage and horse shop, they have been begging for a life in the carriage and horse shop for a long time, their home address, how many people in the family, the car and horse shop all know it clearly, the so-called monk can't run the temple, but he doesn't dare to mess around."

That's not what Cao Jun was worried about.

The master has been staying in the county seat with the magistrate all these years, living a comfortable life, who knows the danger of this Water Margin world.

These words cannot be said directly.

Cao Jun hesitated for a moment, pondered for a while, and then asked: "Master is the right-hand man of the boss, with you escorting, it is much more stable, but I don't know, in case of danger, when a leader is needed to give orders, then ......"

The master is also a ghost and a ghost character, and he immediately understood the subtext in Cao Jun's words, and laughed: "The old man is a scholar, his body is weak, how can he be of great use, he is mainly Cao Dutou." ”

Cao Jun sighed secretly, "That's good." ”

The crowd waited for a hot meal, rested for a while, and when the sun was slightly wester, they were urged to go on their way.

On the first day, he traveled eighty miles, and gradually broke away from the jurisdiction of the Daimyo's Mansion and entered the boundary of Qingzhou.

Although it was an official road, it was okay at first.

After deviating from the main urban area, the official roads were not maintained and became potholes.

Suddenly it was a lot harder.

The speed of the crowd also slowed down.

On the second day, he only traveled more than 50 miles.

As evening approached, the crowd cried for rest.

Cao Jun held the map alone, and while walking, he only felt that there was a double-peaked mountain not far ahead, and he was taken aback, and quickly turned the horse's head and pressed the line to the coolie team of the cart behind.

"Don't rest, take advantage of the darkness, walk through the mountain in front of you in one breath, looking for a place to rest."