The brothers Deng Chun and Deng Xia ran away with a large family, and their parents, wife and children added up to a total of nine people.

Not only do you need to take a boat, but you also have to pass through the county seat!

"Puff puff!"

In the dark, outside the wharf in the south of the city, Deng Chun slammed on the door of a restaurant.

This restaurant is not big, just a few tiled houses, and the owner's family lives in it.

An old man about fifty years old came to check with a yawn, and saw the figures outside through the door, and he was so frightened that he lost his sleepiness instantly: "Who are you looking for?" ”

As if he had undergone a transformation, Deng Chun, who was not good at words, spoke more and more neatly: "I am looking for Brother Zhongmai, when I was an archer, he was a ten generals, I was the deputy head of the capital, and he was a soldier under me." ”

"You're looking for the wrong person!"

The old man didn't dare to accept it at all.

Deng Chun hurriedly explained: "I don't borrow money, I just say a few words to Brother Zhong." I know that he lives here, and the reward for his thieves is still for me to help him move home. ”

Hearing this, the old man hesitated for a moment, but finally went to wake up his son.

After a while, Zhong stepped out and removed the door panel, and asked happily, "Why is Brother Deng here?" ”

"Go in and speak." Deng Chun said.

Zhong Mai invited them into the restaurant, and asked his wife to heat up the leftovers, and brought a jar of bad wine to entertain them.

Deng Chun held down the wine jar: "I'm running for my life, I can't eat wine." ”

"Running for your life?" Zhong Mai was surprised, "Who doesn't have long eyes and dares to embarrass Brother Deng?" ”

Deng Chun said simply: "The government took the turn of the government to send a messenger and snatched away my reward, along with the land deed and the ploughing cattle, saying that it was to urge the grain to be returned back." ”

"Bang!"

Zhong Mai is a prodigal, and he is very clear about the Xu officials, so he slapped the table angrily and said: "It must be a big trouble for the county government, the government does not dare to find Zhu Dutou's bad luck, nor does he dare to come to me for trouble, so he sprinkled his anger on Brother Deng's head." ”

Deng Chun said: "Brother Zhong has a way at the dock, please help get a boat, otherwise I won't be able to go to Heifeng Village." ”

"That's a good idea," Zhong Mai pointed to the river, "there's a boat there, which was left by the Bai Sheng brothers." He's been recruiting people these days, and he's already recruited forty or fifty, so go and look for him on the ship. ”

"I'll go now, I can't stay at Brother Zhong's house for longer." Deng Chun immediately got up.

Zhong Mai said, "I'll lead the way." ”

Deng Chun took his family and followed Zhong Mai to the river.

Zhong Mai whistled a few times, and Bai Sheng's voice sounded on the boat: "Three watches in the middle of the night, what are the ghosts calling?" ”

"Second Brother Bai, come and pick up the guests." Zhong Mai said with a smile.

These days, Bai Sheng has been living on the ship in order to recruit people. Every day, I wandered around the slums, chatted with people, asked who was more difficult, and then took it to Daming Village.

At this moment, the two sides met and quickly explained the situation, and Bai Sheng was also angry.

Deng Chun said: "I tied up Baozheng, and he will come to report to the official at dawn." ”

"Then we can't wait any longer." Bai Sheng was afraid of an accident, so he lit the brazier and rowed away from the dock at night.

The boat is not big, there are many people, and it is more dangerous to sail at night.

The boat came downstream, two or three miles away from the county seat, and Bai Sheng docked to rest.

Wait until the sky is white before continuing to set off.

After following the Muma River and converging with the foreign water, the river widens sharply and the current speed becomes much faster.

At about eight o'clock in the morning, we came to the confluence of the Yangshui River and the Han River.

Shore.

Shi Biao carried his old mother on his back, held his young sister in his left hand, and stared at the river in front of him in a daze.

He had two options, swimming east across the Han River and south across the ocean.

Shi Biao's brain was a little insufficient, so he stood stupidly for a long time, and said to his sister: "You wait here, I will come back to pick you up." ”

This guy actually took off only a pair of pants, and then carried the old mother on his back and swam across the ocean alive.

Putting the old mother on the shore, Shi Biao was already so tired that his legs cramped. After resting for more than 20 minutes, he plunged into the water again, trying to swim back to pick up his sister.

"Big brother, there are people in the river!" Deng Xia shouted.

Deng Chun stood up and took a closer look, but saw Shi Biao swimming closer and closer, and he didn't recognize who it was for a while.

Bai Sheng said with a smile: "In the early morning, there are still people bathing in the river, but they have encountered water ghosts in the Yanghe River." ”

Shi Biao was afraid of being arrested by the government, so he kept staring at the boat.

He heard Bai Sheng's voice, looked at it carefully, and hurriedly shouted: "Second Brother Bai, I am a stone!" ”

Bai Sheng suddenly had an impression and confirmed: "But in the school field, you are hit by the stones of the board every day?" ”

"That's me." Shi Biao shouted.

Bai Sheng put down the penny, pulled Shi Biao onto the boat, and asked, "Early in the morning, why are you in the river?" ”

"It's my turn to run for my life." Shi Biao said.

Deng Chun immediately understood, and said angrily: "I am not the only one who was killed, and Brother Shi has also suffered. ”

Shi Biao pointed to both sides of the strait: "My old lady and sister are still on the shore." ”

Bai Sheng immediately operated the boat to pick up people, thirteen people could pretend, after all, there were children, but they were about to be overloaded.

All the way down the river, in the middle of the afternoon, it has already passed Xiabai Village.

Meng Zhao, a poor scholar, also borrowed money to hire a small boat, took his wife and three children, and Bai Sheng's boat was several miles away, and went to Daming Village one after the other.

"Meng Xiucai, I'm only here," the boatman stopped by the river and said, "I turned into the Black Wind Village, and I didn't dare to go to the thieves' nest." ”

Meng Zhao said: "The bandits have been exterminated, and there is no danger. ”

The boatman just laughed: "I'm not going." ”

Meng Zhao picked up the dragon and phoenix fetus that was a few months old, and his wife took his six-year-old daughter and walked all the way into the mountain.

At this time, Daming Village accepted several groups of fugitives, and attracted more than 40 poor people from outside the city, and the population has soared to 926 people (including minors).

Zhu Guoxiang has also been there in the past two days and is selecting a site for the weir pond.

"It can be leveled out here," Zhu Guoxiang said, pointing to a gentle slope, "to dig a weir pond with an area of half an acre, the amount of work is not large, and it should be completed before winter." Plans should be adjusted in all mountainous areas, and trees should be planted at intervals to prevent soil erosion caused by over-cultivation. For the time being, let's plant mulberry trees, maintain water and soil, and raise silkworms. ”

Zhu Ming said: "The farm work is not busy in winter, if it doesn't snow, you can continue to dig the weir pond, let's go and choose an address." ”

Father and son paced downhill toward another hill.

Between the foot of the mountain and the river bank, there are large paddy fields, high and low, with a bit of terraced taste.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "The high drum car was invented in the Tang Dynasty, but I have not seen it in Xixiang County. If you build a high-speed waterwheel and build a canal at the foot of the mountain, you can quickly lift water to irrigate a large field. ”

"What is a high drum car?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhu Guoxiang explained: "The drum truck is a tool for carrying water for irrigation, and the high drum car is particularly high and can irrigate the land at high places. According to the record of Wang Frame's "Book of Agriculture", it can even reach a height of ten zhang, that is, more than 30 meters. ”

"It's a bit outrageous, more than thirty meters, all ten stories high," Zhu Ming asked, "Can you make it?" ”

Zhu Guoxiang said: "According to the terrain here, ten meters high is enough. I know the specific structure, it's not too complicated, you can ask a carpenter to try it. The tree I cut down in Shangbai Village has been dry for a few months, and it is just in time to be transported to make a high drum car. In addition, the water here is not strong enough and has to be propelled by animal power. I'm afraid that one cow can't pull it, so it is estimated that two cows will be used. ”

The golden finger brought by the crossing made Zhu Ming remember many ancient books.

Similarly, Zhu Guoxiang also remembered all kinds of agricultural books, and instructed carpenters to make high-drum cars.

The father and son were walking and chatting, and suddenly saw Bai Sheng coming over in a boat.

"Dutou!"

Deng Chun and Shi Biao shouted in unison.

Zhu Ming was very impressed by these two people, there were three deputy heads, and Deng Chun was one of them. And Shi Biao suffered the most, Zhu Ming had to rub medicine and wine for him every day, and it was difficult not to remember this guy.

Bai Sheng jumped ashore and briefly explained the situation.

"These officials, in the fish and meat township, are lawless!" Zhu Ming was furious when he heard this.

Zhu Guoxiang stood next to watch the performance, he was too familiar with his son, and he knew what shit to pull as soon as he pouted his buttocks.

Zhu Ming continued to perform embarrassingly, took the hands of the two and said, "Don't worry, as long as you come to me, even the emperor is not afraid!" ”

Shi Biao said: "I killed someone." ”

"Which one did you kill?" Zhu Ming asked.

"The chief security officer stopped me from leaving, so I killed him." Shi Biao said.

Zhu Ming patted Shi Biao's shoulder: "Don't be afraid." Even if the government wants to catch it by sea, you just live in the mountains and don't go out. I still have some land in my name, and I can give you some of it, so that I can live here in the future. ”

"Thank you, Dutou!" Deng Chun hugged his fists.

Shi Biao didn't say anything, just grinned and smirked all the time, and he really didn't treat himself badly.

Zhu Ming hooked up on the shoulders of the two, pulled them to the side and whispered, "Do you want revenge?" ”

Shi Biao said: "I listen to everyone." ”

At this time, it was Deng Chun's turn not to speak, and he didn't know whether to take revenge, and he didn't know who to take revenge. Li Maotian just obeyed orders to do things, and there must be officials behind him.

Zhu Ming said indignantly: "You two are my brothers. The brother was bullied, and he must take revenge. But it is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge. I'm not stable on my side yet, and I'll talk about revenge when I find an opportunity in the future. ”

"Good!" Deng Chun nodded heavily.

Shi Biao still said the same sentence: "I listen to everything." ”

In Shi Biao's heart, in addition to his mother and sister, only Zhu Dutou is the closest. He has a stupid brain and has always been looked down upon, but he rubbed medicine and wine on him every day, and never disliked him. Who else but mom and dad can be so good to him?

After some appeasement, Zhu Ming personally took them to see the land, and set aside two barren slopes for them to build houses.

Then let Bai Sheng take the two families up the mountain and live in the village temporarily.

After Zhu Ming left, Deng Xia said happily: "Big brother, Zhu Dutou is really a good person, we have come to the right place!" ”

Deng Chun nodded and said, "It's a good person, I know." ”

Bai Sheng said with a smile: "Brother Zhu is the most righteous, and this Xixiang County can't find a second one." Hurry up the mountain with me, stay for the time being today, and start building a house tomorrow. ”

Father and son continued to walk by the river.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Although the cottage is easy to defend and difficult to attack, it is too inconvenient to go up and down. ”

Zhu Ming said: "When there is enough food in the village, I will start training the militia and then move the house to the riverside." The future direction of development is also along the Han River, and all the new population will be cultivated along the riverside. Perhaps, a small riverside wharf can be built to provide catering and accommodation for merchant ships. ”

"It's a good idea," said Zhu Guoxiang, "and along the riverbank, a lot of paddy fields can be cultivated." ”

Zhu Ming smiled: "The premise is to ensure your own safety." The thieves must also know that the riverside is better, but they have been living in the cottage because they are afraid that the government will attack them. ”

Zhu Guoxiang pointed to a hillside and said: "It is also suitable for digging a weir pond, and a second one can be dug next year." ”

The father and son both regard Daming Village as a private territory, and they have a kind of business pleasure in a strategy game, and they are very excited about every plan.

"Village Chief, there's a scholar looking for you!" Tian Er ran panting.

Zhu Ming was even happier and said to his father: "The village is getting more and more prosperous. ”

Zhu Guoxiang said: "You go to perform." ”

Zhu Ming strode forward and acted embarrassed again.

Meng Zhao was holding a pair of dragon and phoenix fetuses and was observing the situation in the village, but saw a young man walking quickly.

After two or three steps, the young man suddenly bowed: "After waiting for Mr. Meng for many days, the village finally ushered in a great talent, please take a bow!" ”

"Don't dare to be, don't dare to be," Meng Zhao handed over the child to his wife to hold, and hurriedly returned the salute, "Under Meng Zhao, meet Mr. Zhu." ”

Zhu Ming took Meng Zhao's hand: "The house is ready, Brother Daguang, come with me to have a look." ”

The sudden courtesy made Meng Zhao feel inexplicable.

Over the years, he has hit a wall again and again, and even his own brother has fallen out, and he is forced to separate the family and no longer care about him. Although it is remote and poor, Zhu Ming's approach makes him feel like a spring breeze, and it seems that he has found his own value.

Although, he doesn't know what he can do yet......

(End of chapter)