"Provincial Governor, I would like to discuss something with you. Can you allow me and the other three families' raft teams to join this large group? The wind is too strong. It's easy for something to happen with the rafts together. "
Liu Shaoqing really had no other choice. They could save some food, but they couldn't guarantee their safety. Compared to their small piece of land, the big piece of land was like a small island and the big land. Nothing would happen to the big land in the storm, but the small island could be submerged at any time.
After hesitating for a while, he found Zhang Zhong, who was still busy looking around, and wanted to cooperate with him. His attitude and the way he addressed Zhang Zhong had changed, as if Zhang Zhong was really a provincial governor in his heart.
Zhang Zhong no longer had any expectations for this person, especially after knowing that the four of them were gloating in the heavy rain. He couldn't wait to push the four of them into the water and drown them.
Seeing Liu Shaoqing come over to join them, he thought for a moment and nodded. "That's fine. I'll arrange for people to join your rafts together in a moment. You don't have to worry."
"Thank you, Your Excellency. There's one more thing, and that is to eat. We came out in a hurry and didn't bring anything cooked. If we eat too much uncooked rice and noodles, it will hurt our stomachs. Why don't Your Excellency get someone to collect our food and then give us something cooked according to the same amount?"
Liu Shaoqing asked. His idea wasn't bad, but Zhang Zhong wasn't a fool. He looked at him with a smile and said, "Why don't you send the rice, noodles, and other oil over, as well as some wood that can be used to burn the fire. Our people will do it for you. You just need to pay the processing fee. How about that?"
"Ah? Dry wood that can be used to burn the fire? Sir, we don't have that kind of thing. It's all wet and can't be lit at all. The fire here is strong. Even if it's wet, it can be dried out. Why don't we send you some wet ones and give you ten strings of money as the processing fee? What do you think? "
Liu Shaoqing sounded aggrieved, but in fact, he was cursing Zhang Zhong in his heart. If there was fire, would he still need to look for you?
Zhang Zhong simply didn't want to think about how the four of them would scold him. In any case, he didn't plan on letting them have a good time. After hearing Liu Shaoqing's words, he regretfully shook his head and said, "It's not that this official doesn't want to help. It's just that the smoke from burning the wet wood is too big.
How about this, you bring the wet wood and all the food and money here. Every day when you have your meals, come here to collect a portion of it. I guarantee that you won't starve to death. The four of you are quite united, even eating together. Not bad, this is how the officials should do their jobs for the common people.
This matter is settled. In a moment, this official will arrange for people to go to your place to collect the things. You must prepare everything well. Otherwise, even if this official agrees, so many people may not agree. "
Liu Shaoqing was a bit dizzy. The wood and food were sent over, but he still had to give money. Especially that sentence, if they didn't starve to death, wouldn't they be able to eat their fill? Thinking of this, Liu Shaoqing could only thicken his skin and continue to plead with Zhang Zhong.
"Sir, we don't need the money, so there's no need to take it out. Also, our families are used to eating their fill. If there's a time when they don't eat their fill, it won't be good if they cause trouble. Don't you think so, Sir?"
"Liu Shaoqing, are you threatening me? The four of you added up to less than two hundred people. Don't worry, if one of you causes trouble, I'll kill one. If two, I'll kill a pair. Even if the four of you cause trouble, this official won't show any mercy. If you don't believe me, you can try.
You can leave now. If you want to eat cooked food, do as this official says. If you want to cause trouble, be careful of your own head. Also, this official doesn't want to hear the same words coming out of your mouth in the future. Otherwise, this official will tie you to a stone and sink you into the water. Take it as your loyalty to the country, hmph! "
Zhang Zhong didn't care about the four people's bad habits. It was good that they caused trouble. He was just worried that he couldn't find a reason to kill them. After saying this to Liu Shaoqing, he snorted coldly and walked in another direction.
"Sir, Sir, you can't do this. This humble one said something wrong. This humble one will change. Sir, what are you doing?" Liu Shaoqing wanted to chase after them and shouted. Suddenly, two knives were placed on his neck. He stopped there and didn't dare to move. He asked the two hostages.
The two hostages were guards of the prince's residence. They didn't care about a magistrate at all. One of them moved his knife forward and stared at Liu Shaoqing. He said, "Hurry up and stay away, otherwise you will die."
As he said this, this person even gave Liu Shaoqing a sinister smile. Only then did the two hostages put away their knives and left behind Zhang Zhong.
Liu Shaoqing stood there and didn't dare to continue following. He turned around and looked in the direction of the three hostages. He didn't know how to explain it. It was all his fault for saying the wrong thing. Of all things, why did he mention the matter of causing trouble? He had angered Zhang Zhong. Now, if he wanted to eat hot food, he had to send over everything, including money. Otherwise, he would have to eat raw food.
Causing trouble was just an excuse. He didn't dare to cause trouble. Zhang Zhong killed people without blinking an eye. Whoever jumped out would die.
With a sigh, Liu Shaoqing returned to the three expectant people and said to them, "Zhang Zhong doesn't agree to do things for us for free. He wants us to hand over everything and someone will do it for us. But at the same time, he wants us to send all our money over. What do you think we should do?
I tried my best to get Zhang Zhong to agree to connect our wooden rafts to that place. I can't do anything else. You see who's better. Let's talk about it. Don't think about causing trouble. Zhang Zhong already said that if anyone dares to cause trouble, they will be killed. "
Liu Shaoqing first talked about the food. Naturally, he didn't mention that he had accidentally offended Zhang Zhong. Instead, he brought up the matter of connecting the rafts. This made the three people think that he had done his best.
The three people didn't think that Liu Shaoqing was lying. They thought that it was true. After all, Zhang Zhong had always been at odds with them. How could they miss this opportunity?
Cao Herui angrily slapped his thigh and cursed, "Damn Zhang Zhong. He better not fall into our hands. He actually wants us to send over all our money. His family suffered a loss this time. Do they want us to help them make up for their losses? Dream on!
I've decided. Let the servants eat raw food. What's there to be afraid of? They won't go bad if they eat it. Don't tell me that people who live in the mountains can eat cooked food for every meal. Let's connect the rafts first. What do you think? "
"I think so too. We can't send the money over. Our four families have a total of ten thousand strings of cash. Why should we give it to Zhang Zhong? Let's eat raw food. Don't we still have some fruits? The four of us and our families will eat some fruits. Let the servants eat raw food. We have to tell the servants that it was Zhang Zhong who harmed them. "
Jiang Huanshi was also very angry. She shouted and didn't agree to give the money away no matter what. One of the other two said something wrong and didn't dare to say anything else. The other saw that the other two didn't agree and could only agree. The four of them advanced and retreated together.
The matter of the grain was like that. The four of them ordered the servants to move the wooden rafts to the side of the larger area. Who would have thought that as soon as they reached the side, the guards standing there would shout at them, "Who allowed you to come here? Move, move quickly. Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite. "
At this time, Fan Jianxi stood up. He went to the front and said with a smile, "This is Lord Zhang. Governor Zhang asked us to move the rafts to this side. We waited for Governor Zhang's order to return them."
"Lord Zhang asked you to move here. He didn't ask you to move here. Follow me. There's already a place. There's no one around. It's quiet."
As the guard spoke, he walked to the side of the rafts. The big rafts here also moved. As they walked, they came to the side facing the outside. There was no one on the rafts here, only some stones. In addition to the stones on the rafts, there were also stones tied to the rafts with ropes.
In this way, if the waves came from the other side, they would have to pass through here first. The waves were originally big, but after passing through here, they would become much weaker. This way, the people on the rafts wouldn't have to bump very much.
However, this place wasn't what the four wanted. After seeing this place, Fan Jianxi couldn't help but ask, "Why here? Isn't this just making us wait to suffer? No, not here. Let's go to the place we just went. "
The guard sneered and said to Fan Jianxi, "You said no, so we can't? Like before, you float your rafts and we float ours. Or, listen to the order and move the rafts here. Hurry up. What do you want to do? We don't have time to waste on you. "
"I'm going to ask Sir. It's impossible." Liu Shaoqing didn't want to be moved by the waves at the outermost side. After saying this, he quickly ran away.
After looking around, he finally found Zhang Zhong who was talking to an old man. Zhang Zhong was already very sleepy. After saying a few words, he yawned twice and forced his eyes to stay open.
The one who talked to Zhang Zhong quickly said his opinion on the weather so that Zhang Zhong could sleep early.
"Sir, sir. You have to help us. Your guard really didn't listen to the order. He actually arranged our rafts to the place closest to the sea."
Liu Shaoqing found Zhang Zhong to complain. Zhang Zhong yawned again and said to Liu Shaoqing, "No one disobeyed the order. It was this official who arranged it for you. Go over there and tie your rafts securely. Then you can change those rocks to your rafts. That way, you won't be at the outermost side!"
Chapter 33: Love Sometimes Is Too Sudden
"Ah? Is that so? Thank you very much, sir. This little one will do it right away. " Liu Shaoqing understood this time. He lowered his head and walked back. As he walked, he cursed in a low voice, "Damn Zhang Zhong. He actually arranged for us to be at this place. If a storm really comes, won't those rocks flip over and smash our heads?"
Thinking this, Liu Shaoqing also said this to the three people when he returned. The three people thought about it, but none of them agreed. After some discussion, the four people decided to move the rafts to the front of the large wooden array. If they were there, they wouldn't have to worry even if there was water rushing down from upstream.
If a storm really came from behind, they would let Zhang Zhong and the commoners endure it first.
The small rafts began to move forward again. Zhang Xiaobao stood beside the large wooden array and watched the rafts move. He smiled and didn't say anything.
Wang Juan frowned and asked, "Xiao Bao, are we just going to let them go like this?"
"It's still raining." Zhang Xiaobao looked up at the sky and said.
Wang Juan understood this time. She smiled and pulled Zhang Xiaobao over to rest. The two of them were a little tired. Even if they slept for an hour, they would recover a lot.
Zhang Zhong was also tired at this time and couldn't stand. He had to find a stool to sit down and talk to others. As he talked, he fell asleep. No one next to him complained. They just felt that the adults were working too hard.
When it was almost night time, Zhang Dashan and the others also came over. A thick piece of wood directly hit Liu Shaoqing's group of more than 30 wooden rafts. Immediately, three of the rafts fell apart.
Liu Shaoqing stood up and scolded Zhang Dashan. Zhang Dashan didn't care about others at all. He said to Liu Shaoqing, "Shut up first. Tell me, where is my master? My master is the provincial governor here. I'm here to find him. "
Liu Shaoqing was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, he laughed again and said to Zhang Dashan, "You're from the Zhang family? Okay, come with me. I'll take you to find the Lord. But you broke our raft. Shouldn't you pay for it first? "
"What broke it?" Zhang Dashan asked.
"Of course it's this piece of wood," Liu Shaoqing replied.
"Then you go find the wood to pay for it. Don't look for us. We were also hit by a piece of wood. We were staying there fine, but the wood hit us and we came here. I'll let you clean up this piece of wood first. After you're done, I'll clean it up.
I'll use it as firewood to chop it up, "Zhang Dashan said to Liu Shaoqing with a look of hatred. He even kicked the wood a few times.
Liu Shaoqing smacked his lips and nodded as if he had accepted his fate. He said, "Lord Zhang is over there. You find a way to get there. Lord Zhang won't let us get close to him."
"Oh, that's good. Is there anyone from the Zhang family? I'm Zhang Dashan, a farmer from the Zhang family. Someone come and take us over. " Zhang Dashan looked simple and honest, but he wasn't stupid at all. He knew that this person was trying to make things difficult for him, so he shouted in that direction. Soon, a boat rowed over.
Zhang Dashan and the other five boarded the boat and looked back at Liu Shaoqing. The expressions on their faces made Liu Shaoqing feel that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong.
"Master, Master, we've finally found you." Zhang Dashan led the five people around and found Zhang Zhong. Zhang Zhong had just woken up. He looked at Zhang Dashan with sleepy eyes, shook his head vigorously, and asked curiously, "Are you Zhang Dashan?"
"Yes, yes, Master, it's me. I'm here to see you. I was going to Qinzhou to sell smoked chicken. I didn't expect a heavy rain, so I came over. Master, how are you? How are Old Master and Old Madam, Madam, and Young Master and Young Lady? "
Zhang Dashan said excitedly. The five people standing next to him immediately knelt down. This was a high-ranking official, a very high-ranking one.
"Get up, there's no need to kneel. There's water on the wood. Dashan, who came with you?" This was what Zhang Zhong was most concerned about.
"Don't worry, Master, I came alone. There's no one else. Master, these people are new to me. They came here together on a big log, and they even broke a few of the wooden rafts in front. Master, there's someone who wants to join Zhuangzi. It's this woman. Master, what do you think?"
Zhang Dashan knew what Master was worried about. After he finished speaking, he pointed to the five people who came with him and emphasized that there was someone who wanted to join Zhuangzi.
Zhang Zhong understood immediately. He looked the woman up and down. At first, she was a little shy, but later, she went all out. She stood up straight and let Zhang Zhong look at her. Zhang Zhong looked at her for a while and didn't see anything. He ordered someone next to him, "Go and call Xiao Bao and Cuckoo here."
After the man left, Zhang Zhong said to Zhang Dashan, "In a while, Xiao Bao and Cuckoo will be here. If they say it's okay, then it's okay."
"Yes, Master." Zhang Dashan was a little nervous. He stood next to the woman and said to her, "Don't be afraid. Master's family is good, especially the Young Master and Young Lady. They will definitely do it. How much betrothal gift is your family preparing this time? I need to prepare in advance. "
The woman was also nervous and nodded. When she heard Zhang Dashan mention the betrothal gift, she said a little shyly, "We're all poor people. A few hundred coins, a few bolts of cloth, and some odds and ends will be enough."
"That won't do. How can you add so little things? Let me think about it. No matter what, I have to make your family look decent. Otherwise, the neighbors will look down on you." Zhang Dashan also had some feelings in this regard. In the past, he had seen Zhuangzi farmers marrying off their daughters. In the end, the betrothal gift was very little. The girl didn't pick anything, but the people around her felt that it was too shabby.
Now, Zhuangzi's daughters were no longer marrying outside. The daughter who had been married off had begun to be bullied by her in-laws. Ever since Zhuangzi had risen, she was like an ancestor. When she returned to her mother's house, her in-laws would send people over to protect her carefully. She didn't have to be bullied anymore.
The woman was the most hopeful in this regard. When she heard Zhang Zhong say this, she was even more satisfied. At this time, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan came over. After listening to Zhang Zhong, the two of them looked up at the woman. Seeing the woman's heroic spirit, the two of them looked at each other and nodded.
Zhang Xiaobao said, "Zhang Dashan, are you here to do business this time? Then do it. After the New Year, when you go back next year, the family will prepare a betrothal gift for you. Since you're here, you can help out a little. The people in Zhuangzi can rest assured. "
Zhang Dashan was happy when he heard this. He smiled at the woman next to him and ran off to help out. When the woman saw that everyone was looking at her again, she blushed and ran off with Zhang Dashan.
"Xiao Bao, do you think this is love? Isn't it a little too fast? "Wang Juan looked at Zhang Dashan and the woman's reactions and was very puzzled.
"This should be considered love, right? At least both of them are willing, and it looks good. Love, as some people say, always comes too fast and too sudden. Don't think about them. Doing business together here first is also a test. "
Zhang Xiaobao also didn't understand. He also hadn't experienced love. He shook his head, turned around, and walked away. The rain was a little scary. If it continued like this, there would be a bigger flood.
Wang Juan followed next to him, still thinking about love. Later, she was confused and asked Zhang Xiaobao, "Xiao Bao, how many people do you think the ten ships can take this time? Are those people willing to stay in the state?"
"I don't know. It depends on the situation of the two states. If the officials of the two states respond in time, not too many people will be washed away. Otherwise, there will be a lot of people."
The ten ships that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were talking about were the ten ships that left out of the 18 ships. Seven ships went to the coast of Lianzhou, and the other three went to the coast of Su Maozhou. Su Maozhou's coastal area was smaller and didn't need so many ships.
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