While the other five people still thought that Zhang Dashan was talking nonsense, Zhang Dashan waved at the person swimming over and shouted, "Er Pang, come here and tell me how the master is. I'll give you a chicken. I just smoked it when I came here. I put more salt, so it's refreshing. Er Pang, good job, you swim fast."
Seeing the main house's guards, Zhang Dashan was no longer worried. It was as if he had met someone from his hometown on a trip. He talked to them very easily.
As expected, the person in the water sped up. When he swam closer, he wiped his face with his hand and glanced at the person on the log. He said to Zhang Dashan, "Dashan, who else came with you? Where is he? Can't find him, right? Tell us the place and we'll go and rescue him immediately. "
"It's just me. Come here and hold the log. It's big and can't be heavy. How's the master? Where's the madam? How's the master and madam? Our young master and young lady are doing well, right? Here, this chicken wing is for you. It's salty. I made it like this on purpose. I was afraid that it would float for too long. "
Zhang Dashan waved his hand and asked Er Pang to come over. He stuffed a chicken wing into his mouth and asked happily.
Er Pang held the chicken wing in one hand and the log in the other. He ate two mouthfuls and praised, "Not bad, Dashan. You've trained your skills. It's delicious even salty. It's been two days and one night, and I've only eaten hardtack. I've been vomiting acid. Finally, I've eaten something decent.
How much do you have? Take it all out and share it with the brothers. The master is fine. The young master and young lady are exhausted. They didn't sleep the whole night and only ate hardtack. You'll know when you get there. Why are you here? Do you have water? Give me a sip. I don't want to drink the rainwater in the river. "
Zhang Dashan took out the water and gave Er Pang a few sips. He only gave him a chicken claw and didn't give him any more. "I still want to let the master taste it. You guys eat hardtack. I don't believe that those hardtack will make you vomit acid. There's meat and vegetables in it, and it doesn't lack salt. Does our Lu Zhou have a lot of water?"
"What do you mean our Lu Zhou? You're from Sanshui County, okay? The water is huge, and everything is washed away. Master has brought the people of the province to build a platform with wooden rafts. It's not bad. Do you want to continue on your own, or do you want us to carry you? If you can walk on your own, then walk on your own. In another two hours, you will be able to drink the hot soup provided by the temporary supply ship. We still have to continue patrolling. Give me that chicken claw of yours. "
Now that Er Pang had something to hold onto, he felt much more relaxed. He extended his hand as he spoke.
Zhang Dashan handed over the chicken claw in his hand and said, "I told you that my master would definitely be prepared. Sure enough, wherever my master is, is our home. We will go there ourselves. You continue to save people. There are still people being washed over."
"Alright! Let's go. " Er Pang let go of his hand. With a chicken claw in each hand and a chicken wing in his mouth, he walked forward in a relaxed manner.
"How is it? Did you see that? These are the most powerful bodyguards of our main house, the members of Team Zero of the Vigorous Protection Team. In the water, they are just like on the ground. What is this called? Yes, it's like walking on flat ground. Seeing them means that we have entered the coverage area of their patrol, so we don't have to worry anymore. "
Zhang Dashan only had a chicken wing and a chicken head left in his hand. As he ate them in small bites, he puffed out his chest, looking very proud.
It was impossible for the five of them not to believe him this time. The way they looked at Zhang Dashan changed. The person who had been waiting for things to settle down to recruit Zhang Dashan also sighed at this time. He already knew that with the power of that official's family, it was impossible for Zhang Dashan to be roped in by others.
At this time, the old man of the father and daughter pair asked Zhang Dashan, "Dashan, you are a farmer. How did you have the money to open a shop? Now that the money is gone, will your master really give you the money? "
"Of course, my master is good to us. I borrowed money from him first, and I will return it when the time comes. In fact, as long as I can go home, I won't be short of money. We are different from other farmers. We have 40 pigs, more than 300 ducks, and 200 chickens, so we don't lack money.
Although we are farmers, we live in a two-story building, and we have dozens of strings of cash at home. Last year's bumper harvest, our family earned a lot. We have people in Zhuangzi who are sick, and we don't need money for treatment. We also have people who make clothes for us. When we earn more money, we will go back and find a wife. When we have children, we will send them to the school in Zhuangzi. "
When Zhang Dashan talked about Zhuangzi and the main house, he became even more proud. He told the story of his family bit by bit, making people feel that he was not a farmer, but the main house in Zhuangzi. He lived in a two-story building and raised so many things. His family was not short of money at all. No wonder he was not worried at all about the house that he had just bought being washed away.
The old man was satisfied. He held his daughter's hand and said to Zhang Dashan, "Dashan, what do you think of my daughter? She said she would be your wife. As long as you are good to my daughter, she will marry you after she settles down. "
"Father, I won't marry, so I will accompany you," the girl said shyly. Her words showed that she did not agree, but her eyes kept glancing at Zhang Dashan. She was very satisfied with this simple and honest man, especially the chicken that had not been eaten yet. It tasted so good.
Zhang Dashan looked at the girl and said to the old man, "My Zhuangzi is different from other places. If she marries me, she will have to sign a death contract. I don't know if your daughter is willing to study. If she is not, I will not agree no matter what. We farmers need to be literate. "
"Dashan, you can read too?" The five people were surprised. They did not expect a farmer to be literate.
"How can I open a shop if I can't read? I can do accounting, and I'm not slow. The accounting books I use are taught by the main house. If there is a loan, there is a loan, and if there is a loan, there must be an equal return. It took me a lot of effort to learn, but in the end, I learned it. "
Zhang Dashan felt that knowing how to do accounting was also a skill. Ordinary girls were not good enough for him.
The woman couldn't take her eyes off Zhang Dashan. This man was simple, honest, and knew how to cook delicious smoked chicken. He was literate, and his family background was not bad. He even knew how to calculate. Hmm, his body was strong. Thinking of this, the woman squeezed her father's hand.
The old man immediately understood what his daughter meant. She had taken a fancy to him. Unfortunately, he was very capable and had high requirements. He even wanted to sign a death contract.
"Dashan, no one in my family has ever learned to read. If I give my daughter to you, can you teach her? Why do you have to sign a death contract? "
The old man did not want to give up such a good son-in-law, so he asked Zhang Dashan.
Zhang Dashan smiled honestly and said, "I don't need to teach her. There is a special night school in Zhuangzi, and there is an invited teacher to teach her. The death contract must be signed. Otherwise, there are many secrets in Zhuangzi, and if you learn them and tell others, how can you do it without a death contract?"
The old man did not know what secrets Zhang Dashan had in Zhuangzi, but he could not bear to let his daughter sign a death contract. He hesitated. His daughter next to him did not care about the death contract. She felt that Zhang Dashan was not as flustered as others during the flood. Moreover, he was very casual when talking to the main house's guards, which made her feel very safe.
His family was not bad. He could read and do accounting. He was honest and responsible, and the main house was so powerful. If she followed such a person, she would not have to be afraid of a hard life in the future. Her father was old and needed someone to take care of him.
All these factors made the girl feel tempted. She squeezed her father's hand again, but when her father looked over, she turned her head away.
The old man knew what his daughter was thinking. He looked at Zhang Dashan, who was eating the chicken head, and said, "Dashan, I can agree to what you said. What do you think of my daughter?"
"Me? I, I don't know. I have to go back and ask my mother. Why don't we go and ask my master? If he says yes, then yes. If he says no, then no. "
Zhang Dashan had not come into contact with women outside, so he was also very shy. He chewed the chicken head until it was crushed, but he still could not make up his mind.
The old man really did not understand. Zhang Dashan looked simple and honest, but he was actually quite clever. Why did he have to ask the main house about this kind of thing? Why would the main house care about such small things? He asked, "What if your master is wrong?"
"Master will not be wrong. You don't know how powerful the main house is. The main house never does anything wrong. There is a boat in front with the main house's flag. Let's go and see."
As Zhang Dashan spoke, he saw a flag with rice seedlings in front of them. It made him feel very familiar. With rice seedlings, there was no need to worry.
The six of them paddled the water with their hands, slightly changing the direction of the log, and headed towards the boat. As soon as they got close, the people on the boat were preparing hot soup, which was actually hot porridge. When they saw Zhang Dashan, they said in surprise, "Dashan, is that you? What are you doing here? Come here and drink some hot soup. "
The person guarding the boat was Xu Si, who was now also a member of the inner courtyard. The matters of the market had been handed over to Er Gou, so he had other uses. When he saw Zhang Dashan, he was a little surprised.
"Xu Si, you're here. Let me see what soup you made. The soup you made is really hard to compliment. How is this soup soup? There's so much minced meat. It's almost like meat porridge. Add more chopped green onions. If you don't want any, then add some ginger. You've really tortured me these past two days."
Zhang Dashan saw another relative. He took the soup and gave it to the other five people first. When it was his turn, he put in more ginger.
"Brother Dashan, my father and I also want some ginger," the woman said softly. At this time, she had already decided to marry Zhang Dashan. Not to mention other things, the power of the Zhang family made her think so. In front of them, there were guards patrolling the water, and on the way, there was a boat of the Zhang family providing hot porridge.
From Zhang Dashan's two interactions with people, she knew how capable the Zhang family was. She would have a good life with such a person.
Zhang Dashan scratched his head and said to Xu Si, "Add some ginger for them too. If it doesn't work out, put it on my tab. Give them one egg too."
"These eggs are mine. Others don't have them. Since I met you, the Zhang family has to treat our own people differently from others. That's why I took them out. There are only two of them. You decide for yourself."
Chapter 31 Some Are Happy, Some Are Sad
When Xu Si added ginger to the other five people's bowls, he also put a tea egg in Zhang Dashan's bowl. He thought that the Zhang family's treatment must be better than others. He didn't expect that Zhang Dashan would take a fancy to the woman and ask for one too.
Seeing that another Herbal Tea Egg had been placed in the bowl, Zhang Dashan used a spoon to scoop it into the old man's and the woman's bowls. He didn't have any for himself, so he said to the old man, "Uncle, you eat it. This Herbal Tea Egg can't be eaten by most people. The real Herbal Tea Egg smells like Xinyang Maojian."
After saying this to the old man, Zhang Dashan said to the woman, "You try it too. The food cooked by the Zhang family is definitely not bad."
"Brother Dashan, I'll share half with you." The woman bit off half of the egg in one bite, spat it into the bowl, and brought the other half back with a spoon.
"No, no, you eat it," Zhang Dashan said as he took the other half of the egg.
Xu Si was such a smart person, so of course, he didn't make a mistake. He smiled at Zhang Dashan and said, "Dashan, you have the ability, but you have to think carefully. You have to sign a death contract. Otherwise, not only the main family won't agree, but we also won't agree. You know how valuable the things produced by the Zhang family are."
"No, no, Brother Xu, you're wrong. Not yet. We have to wait until we go back and ask the master." Zhang Dashan didn't dare to look Xu Si in the eye and lowered his head.
The woman dared to love and hate. She said, "Brother Dashan, don't worry. I'm willing to sign a death contract. I can see that being a farmer in the Zhang family is better than being a rich person outside. At least when there's a flood, the rich people won't have the ability to send people to help.
They also won't have hot soup and eggs on the way. The Zhang family's farmers can do it. What's there to be dissatisfied with? Brother Dashan, you can still come out. The Zhuangzi's management is not strict. Isn't it just that they don't tell outsiders what they see and hear? I can do it. "
Xu Si looked at the woman and was very surprised. She was really unusual. He nodded and said, "Well, at least I agree. Just like what the young master and the young lady said, 'It's better to be a dog in peace than to cause trouble.' But even in troubled times, the Zhang Family and the Wang Family are still people. 'The Zhang Family and the Wang Family are different.
Here, sister, this is for you as a brother. Eat it quickly. You may not have it when you go to the next place. It's beef. You can't eat it normally. "
As he spoke, Xu Si handed over a beef bun. It was a palm-sized bun with a lot of beef, coriander, chopped green onions, chili sauce, and sesame oil.
The woman took it graciously. She knew the value of beef. It wasn't something that could be bought with money. The Zhang family was really good. They were rich and generous to make such food for the people they sent.
Holding the beef bun, the woman first said to Zhang Dashan, "Brother Dashan, you take a big bite. I'll give the rest to my father."
Zhang Dashan shook his head. "You guys eat. If I want to eat, I just have to go there and tell the master personally. If the master has beef, he will give it to me. The master treats the farmers very well."
"Brother Dashan, take a bite. Otherwise, we won't eat." The woman handed the bun forward again.
Zhang Dashan had no choice. He took a small bite, chewed it in his mouth, and tasted it. He asked, "Who made this? Is the meat not boiled? "
"Why are you so nosy? Boiled? Is there so much wood? The young lady made it. What are you trying to say? "Xu Si glared at him and asked.
"It's delicious. So it was the young lady who made it. It's good that it's not boiled. It has a special taste. It's fresh. No wonder I drooled so much. I won't be able to eat anything better in my life."
Zhang Dashan immediately followed the conversation. Even if the food was hard to swallow, he wouldn't dare say no to the young lady's cooking, let alone the fact that it tasted good.
The woman next to him let her father take a bite first. Then, she took a small bite and tasted it. She said to Zhang Dashan, "Brother Dashan, I think it's delicious."
"Well, it's delicious, but it's not boiled. The taste of this beef, it … it's really delicious." Zhang Dashan really didn't know what to say.
Xu Si laughed and patted Zhang Dashan on the shoulder. He said, "This is made by the locals. How could the young lady make such beef? If it was really made by the young lady, you won't be able to eat anything else in the future. How could the young lady forget to boil it once? Not only does the young lady know how to boil it, but she also knows how to braise it once. Drink the soup and leave quickly. Leave the bowl for me. "
Zhang Dashan looked at Xu Si gloomily. He had just tasted it and found the taste of laxative. That was why he said that the meat was not boiled. Now that he heard Xu Si's words, he couldn't say that it was bad.
He could only say to the woman, "This meat is really bad. When we get there, I'll cook it for you personally. The person who cooked it didn't put in any effort at all."
Zhang Dashan's mouth was picky, but others weren't like him. The old man took a bite, the woman took a bite, and the other three people each took a bite. The woman slowly ate the rest by herself.
Although it was just a single beef bun, it was very precious to the five of them. The soup was also good. After drinking a bowl, they were basically full. The six of them said goodbye to Xu Si and continued to paddle to their destination. However, they were in a different state from before.
Previously, the five of them were prepared to wait for death. Now, they were full of hope for the future.
At this time, a person who had been silent all this time spoke, "Zhang Dashan, is your master really Lu Zhou's provincial governor? I really envy the people here. I think many of them will be saved. I wonder if your master will agree to people from other provinces coming to live here? "
"Yes, he will definitely agree. Master is not afraid of too many people. As long as you want to live here, Master may even give you some land. You don't have to worry about the rent. This year, there was a flood here. Not to mention the rent, even the tribute will be exempted. When the water recedes, at least you can plant some crops.
The master won't collect rent this year. If he collects rent next year, when everyone is done planting, it will be much easier. You don't have to worry about the master charging more. The Zhang family is not short of money. The master won't care about that little thing. "
Zhang Dashan knew the master's family very well. The more people, the better. When the time came, they could arrange for people to work. Otherwise, if there were not enough people, many things could not be done.
The person who asked the question was relieved. He just wanted to take root in Lu Zhou. With such an official, his life in the future would be easy.
At this time, the person who wanted to rope in Zhang Dashan also asked, "Zhang Dashan, do you think your master will do some business with me after the water recedes?"
Zhang Dashan turned his head and looked at him. "How much capital do you have? If it's too little, don't think about it. You have to have at least 1,000 strings of coins."
"Alright, a thousand strings of cash it is. I can still raise the money. When we reach the place, you have to put in a good word for me." When the person heard the offer of a thousand strings of cash, he did not hesitate at all and directly agreed.
Although he did not have that much money, he could borrow it. As a businessman, he felt that this was an opportunity, a great opportunity. If he missed it, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
The six people relaxed and began to chat. Most of the time, it was Zhang Dashan talking. He talked about Zhuangzi, Between the Clouds and the Water, and the situation in the county back then and how it was now.
The five of them listened attentively. They were very eager to go there and take a look. The woman put all her heart on Zhang Dashan.
She listened and watched there, imagining her life in the future. As she thought about it, her face turned red again.
The six of them were happy, but four of them were unhappy.
Fan Jianxi and the other judges worked together and built many wooden rafts. Their family members and servants were on these wooden rafts. More than 30 wooden rafts were used to load all the things and people in the family.
Who knew that after they arrived, the people here did not allow their rafts to get close. The wind was strong, so more than 30 wooden rafts had to be connected to each other. When it was almost night time, they found an important problem. They did not prepare ready-made food. There were raw things, but how were they going to eat raw rice and noodles?
In order not to starve, Fan Jianxi personally negotiated with the people on land. In the end, they came to a conclusion. A steamed bun was 200 coins, a bowl of egg drop soup was 100 coins, two spoons of soy sauce was 50 coins, and one head was 100 coins.
The price was dozens or even hundreds of times higher than usual. The four of them were dumbfounded.
"This is too expensive. How can they ask for so much money? They must be doing it on purpose. They are deliberately tricking us. "Fan Jianxi stomped her feet and said to the three of them.
The three of them also knew that the price was very unreasonable, but there was nothing they could do. They had already thought that Zhang Zhong was deliberately tricking them. If they went to Zhang Zhong now, it would not end well.
Liu Shaoqing said with a gloomy face, "Then buy, buy more. When we have enough, we will not stay here. We will go directly to Qinzhou."
With his instructions, the servants ran over to buy. When they came back, the four of them found that the things they bought were only enough for everyone in the four families to eat one meal. Just this meal alone cost more than a hundred strings of coins.
"What about the next meal?" Liu Shaoqing asked the servant who bought the things.
"In reply to Master, there is nothing for the next meal, only this meal. They said that they would wait for the price to come out before they can continue to sell. It seems that the amount of money for each meal is different." The servant respectfully replied.
"On purpose, they are doing it on purpose. Damn that Zhang Zhong. He must be afraid that we will leave, so he only sold us a few things. How about this, we can let the others eat less, or starve for a few meals and save up. When we get to Qinzhou, we will be fine."
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