Happy birthday to Little Qianspot Bamboo.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were not worried that something would happen to Xiaobei and the others. Once they returned to the capital of Tang, they would be safe. They could send a few officials to keep an eye on them. Even if they ran to Yaozhou, it would not be a problem.
The two of them were now thinking about how to make Tubo and Tujue surrender during the Sword Meet on Mount Hua so that Li Longji could find a new target when he was ready to enjoy a peaceful life.
Just as they were planning, Ke Tuyu came in person with a group of generals in the north of Hebei Province. It seemed that he could not hold back anymore. He had no soldiers and no one to use when he returned. His position was in danger.
However, he suddenly became much more well-behaved. He was no longer the same person he was when he threatened Li Longji. With a respectful attitude, he asked Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, "Provincial Governor Zhang, Adjunct Officer Wang, when can we return to our homeland?"
The generals behind him also had the same thought. They had also received news from their homeland that the population was almost gone by Tang. They did not know how much land would be deserted in the spring next year.
In addition, the heads of the Commanderies took the initiative to pay rent today. It was obvious that they would never be able to regain their original position. Everything sounded unbelievable.
If possible, they wanted to force Zhang Xiaobao and Zhang Xiaobao to return the people. It was these two people who were looked down upon when they first arrived at Jili State that facilitated all of this. It was simply unbelievable to say it out loud.
Zhang Xiaobao was no longer worried that Ke Tuyu would rebel. According to the history that Wang Juan told, Ke Tuyu defected to Tujue in the end, which made Li Longji unable to do anything. But he and Wang Juan came. Times had changed. Tujue no longer had the ability to compete with Tang.
After hearing Ke Tuyu's words and looking at the expressions of the generals, Zhang Xiaobao showed a warm smile and said to Ke Tuyu kindly, "General Ke Tuyu, haven't you returned to your homeland? Is the Great Tang not your homeland? Yesterday, someone from the capital came and said that His Majesty wants all the generals to stay in the capital for the new year. "
Wang Juan chimed in, "That's right. His Majesty's decree has repeatedly emphasized that we should keep all of you here. The soldiers who have returned early will also be properly settled. They have been dispersed into the military camps around Gyeonggi Province so that the soldiers can have a peaceful New Year. You can ask for more details."
But Tuyu Cai didn't believe that Li Longji would consider this problem. Thinking about it, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were just spouting nonsense again. But since the two of them said it, Li Longji would definitely admit it.
Seeing that he couldn't go back, he rolled his eyes and compromised, "Since that's the case, I'll stay in the capital and watch the New Year. After watching the hunt yesterday, my heart itches. I wonder if I can take out a few thousand spears to show my disappointing soldiers?"
The eyes of the other generals also lit up and they made this request.
"This … to be honest, it takes a lot of effort to make a spear. So far, only 300 have been made. There are another 100 in the capital. If you want them, it's really difficult. How about this? Each of the generals can take five spears to study. After the workshop makes more, we'll definitely satisfy all of your requests."
Zhang Xiaobao showed an awkward expression and tactfully refused the lion's offer.
But Tuyu's eyes were fixed on Zhang Xiaobao when he was talking, wanting to see if Zhang Xiaobao was telling the truth. Naturally, he was very disappointed. Zhang Xiaobao's expression was very sincere.
After thinking about it, he felt that if he took the spear apart, he should be able to know if it was difficult to make a spear. But Tuyu finally nodded and agreed.
After sending everyone away, Wang Juan looked at the time and said to Zhang Xiaobao, "The letters have been sent to Cherries, Pomegranate, and other people in the inner courtyard. They'll probably be back in Sanshui County in a few days. They've all become old ladies. This time, the wedding must be grand."
"Yes, they've all grown up. We've also grown up. We don't want to continue being their happiness. How many people want to get married before the New Year? Previously, there were 31 couples. I guess people further away will be willing to participate after hearing about it. This heart can finally settle down. "
Zhang Xiaobao looked at Wang Juan and found that the two of them had unknowingly grown up. The wedding of Song Jinggong and others couldn't continue to be delayed. Taking advantage of the time, they should hold it together. It could be considered as a show of affection.
Wang Juan nodded and said, "Do you think Ke Tuyu will be convinced?"
"No, if it were me, I wouldn't either. I have to carefully hide my ambition and then find a way to develop it bit by bit. For example, I have to endure hardships and wait for courage.
But so what? He only has an army of 10,000, and many of them have been corrupted and roped in by us. Even if Song Mo Commandery allows him to go back, he won't be able to make any waves. There are many people of the Tang Empire there. After all, he's an outsider and can't rope in people of the Tang Empire.
I reckon that he's only interested in the long spear. Even if we give him the blueprint, he won't be able to use it. After a few years, he'll find a craftsman to research it. By then, our weapons will have been replaced. Besides, I don't plan on giving him this opportunity. "
Zhang Xiaobao gulped down a mouthful of water to moisten his throat. Speaking of the poor Ke Tuyu, he thought of the expressions of the Tubo and Turks at the Sword Meet of Mount Hua.
*****
A few days passed quickly. Cherries and others who were willing to participate in the mass wedding rushed to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang's place in Zhuangzi. Just as Zhang Xiaobao said, those who knew the news later also had to participate. There were a total of 47 couples. To be more auspicious, the farmers in Zhuangzi also put together a couple, making it a total of 48 couples.
The lively wedding lasted for two days. The newlyweds finally completed a major event in their lives with the blessings of the crowd.
In the entire Sanshui County, all the local people who could come came. They wrapped banknotes in red paper and gave them to the newlyweds as wedding money. The amount was not big, but the people who Song Jinggong came in contact with gave more expensive gifts. Song Jinggong did not keep it for himself, but equally distributed it to the 48 newlyweds, making everyone a small fortune.
Some people did not come back to participate in the lively wedding. After hearing about it, they sent people back to send their blessings.
These people were Xiaobei and the others from the Children's Regiment.
They had been looking for something to do for the past few days. They had left traces in Huayuan County, Sanyuan County, and Fuping County, but they did not find any problems. They investigated openly and secretly. The local people's evaluation of the government was only one word: good.
When Xiaobei found He Yiwei, who was an official here, and asked if there were any officials who were corrupt, bribed, or did not do anything, he received a very regretful answer.
No, not a single one. As long as the officials here did anything wrong, they would be exposed immediately. They could not hide it even if they wanted to.
Today, He Yiwei was no longer just a military supervisor and a farmer in Yao Province. He had been promoted to the position of Provincial Governor. Learning from his time in Baoxin Province, he had set up a financial disclosure system. Every coin was spent clearly, and the officials in the province could not interfere.
"I don't believe that there is no official who needs to be dealt with. Continue looking." Xiaobei was very dissatisfied with the results of the past few days. He looked at the 100 Children's Regiment guards behind him. All of them looked listless. He was determined to find an official to deal with.
Xiaoyuan was also listless. He was afraid of the cold. The arrival of winter made him feel very uncomfortable. He wore thick and heavy clothes. Seeing that Xiaobei was still in high spirits, he gave an idea in order to rest early. "Then don't look in Yaozhou. If you can't find in Yaozhou, go elsewhere."
"Yes, go elsewhere. Xiaoyuan, I found that you are still a little useful. Keep it up. When you grow up, my heart might soften and I might really marry you."
Xiaobei praised Xiaoyuan. Then, he reorganized the team and headed in the direction of Tongzhou.
After passing Yaozhou and entering Tongzhou, the first place they arrived at was Xiagong County.
Xiaobei and the others, who were used to the prosperity of Yaozhou, found that they seemed to have entered another world when they came to Xiagong. The county seat of Xiagong County was so dilapidated that there were almost no city walls.
Not to mention, there were countless people coming and going in Yaozhou. The two places were like heaven and earth. Xiaobei's intuition told him that he could find the opportunity he was looking for in this county.
"Spread out and act. Pay attention to keeping in touch. Disguise yourselves and inquire about information." Xiaobei gave the order. Xiaohai didn't care about other things at all. When he heard his sister say that it was time to act, he took his people to find an inn to stay and continued to study his math problems.
Xiaozhu asked someone to bring her a drawing board and began to look for a place to draw. Now, she wanted to draw as much of the beautiful scenery as possible everywhere she went. It was the kind of realistic kind that could be kept as a memento.
Xiaoyuan originally wanted to leave to do his own things, but was stopped by Xiaobei. "You have to accompany me to explore. From now on, you are my brother and I am your sister. Do you understand? Cousin. "
"I'm your brother, your cousin. I wonder where you're going to start from?" Xiaoyuan dispelled the idea of looking for ancient books to read here and was ready to accompany Xiaobei. Anyway, it was just a game and he didn't expect to encounter anything.
Da Nan, Xiao Nan, and the others also found their own things to do. A few people from the children's group stayed, and Xiaobei's exploration team was formed.
"When children visit, they naturally look for children. If we look for adults, they won't pay attention to us. Change your clothes and come with me." Xiaobei was determined to be a detective for once. She changed into ordinary clothes for herself and the six children behind her, hid her valuables, and began this operation.
To find the children, Xiaobei decided to go to the school to take a look. There should be a lot of children there. When the time came, she would ask if there were any corrupt officials there. It would be easier for her to make a move.
Xiaoyuan couldn't care less about his tiredness. He decided that even if there were no corrupt officials, he would find a way to create some trouble for Xiaobei to enjoy so that they could go back earlier.
The people who were equally tired were the people sent by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to protect Xiaobei. They had been following behind the children's group to prevent them from discovering them. They also had to ensure that they could deal with any danger in time.
Seeing that Xiaobei was done with her disguise, this group of people knew that they had something to do.
After stopping an adult, Xiaobei sweetly asked for the location of the school. After thanking him, she led her team to the school.
The school of Xiagong County was located in the northeast corner of the county. The place was not small. When they arrived outside the school, Xiaobei first looked around the school. There was a very large yard surrounded by a fence made of branches. Through the gaps, one could see the layout inside.
The first thing that came into view was the playground. There was a large lawn used for football. There was also a horizontal bar and a parallel bar. It looked good.
It should be class time at this time. There were not many people on the playground, only about 40 children. They were playing games with an adult. It was a physical education class.
A gust of north wind blew. Xiaoyuan shivered, rubbed his hands, and said to Xiaobei, "Looking at the school, I know that the officials in this county are not bad. Why don't we take a break first and send people out to inquire."
"Why didn't I notice that the school is good? Is it better than the schools in Sanshui County? What's the big deal about having a playground? Maybe the officials here will embezzle the food prepared for the children. When they are done with class, we can sneak in and take a look. I have the foresight, don't I? "
Xiaobei did not plan to give up like this. When he said to Xiaoyuan, he deliberately touched his clothes. They were wearing ordinary clothes, the uniform of school children.
Nowadays, clothes were worthless. Ever since silk was no longer used as a currency, its price had dropped again and again. If it were not for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan who collected a lot of silk and transported it to other places to exchange for other things, no one would be willing to continue growing silk plants.
Xiaoyuan was frozen for a while. Finally, the bell signaling the end of class rang. A group of children ran out shouting and playing all kinds of games on the playground.
Xiaobei walked in through the small door of the school. No one stopped them. The clothes they wore showed their identity.
After looking around for a while, Xiao Bei walked over to a few girls who were squatting by the side of the field. Seeing that the girls were drawing circles with sticks, he joined in. The girls had never seen Xiao Bei before, so they weren't surprised. They thought that he was from another class.
Xiaobei pondered and nudged the girl beside him. He asked, "Today's food is not bad, right? It's not bad for me. "
The girl who was nudged nodded. "Okay, it's delicious. You can't eat it at home."
"Then what do you like to eat?" Xiaobei asked skillfully.
"A cake with sesame seeds on it. It's soft, sweet, and brown." The girl licked her sweet lips, as if she was still reminiscing about the taste.
"Ah, me too." Xiaobei looked very regretful. He thought that the school would embezzle the students' food. He did not expect that the food they gave was not bad. It was actually a cake. It seemed that the county officials had no problem. He asked unwillingly, "Then what do you like to eat for breakfast?"
"Today, we ate meat buns and soy milk. The milk was cut off yesterday, so we could only use soy milk to make up for it. The person in charge said that there will be milk again tomorrow. There are also salted vegetables. The shrimp oil on them tastes good."
The girl did not have any defensive thoughts. She answered Xiaobei's question.
Xiaobei felt regretful again. Soy milk was indeed not as good as milk, but this could not be a conviction. There was no such thing as no milk. Other than a few good places, there were indeed situations where the milk was cut off. He could not force it. The meat buns indicated that the school's food was not bad.
After thinking for a while, Xiaobei asked again, "Who are the bad guys here? I can't remember the officials. "
The girl shook her head this time. Just as Xiaobei was feeling regretful, she suddenly thought of something and said, "I'm not sure here. My village's Cripple Wang is a bad guy. He pulled all the cows in the village to his house. I heard that he wanted to secretly drink milk. He is the village chief, so no one dares to say anything."
Xiaobei was delighted. "What village is that?"
"Cattle-Herding Village. The county officials often go there. I heard that they are doing bad things together with Cripple Wang." The girl had an indignant expression.
"Cattle-Herding Village. Good, good name. It's really a good name." Xiaobei felt that he had finally obtained useful information. He stood up happily and walked around a few more times before quietly leaving.
"Did you get anything?" Xiaoyuan, who had also followed him out, asked with concern.
"Yes, I got a lot. First of all, this school is not good. We can't enter and leave as we wish. What if a child runs out and gets lost?"
Xiaobei, who had come out in a relaxed manner, voiced his opinion.
Xiaoyuan, however, did not agree. "Whose child would run out? If there is no one in class, points will be deducted. If points are deducted, there will be less rewards. This does not count. "
"There are other rewards as well. Let's go. Follow me to the Cow-Herding Village. Find someone to inquire about the location. Our job is here." Xiao Bei no longer cared about the school. He happily pulled Xiao Yuan to meet up with the others.
*****
When the wind blew, small snowflakes spun and fell. When they touched the houses and the ground, they immediately melted, adding a trace of coldness and moisture to the air.
In the capital, Li Longji, who had finished the court meeting and returned to the courtyard of Xingqing Palace, stood in front of a pile of models. The smile on his face did not disappear.
Gao Lishi stood by the side. Seeing that the Emperor was in a good mood, he thought of the news that had just been sent back. He said, "Your Majesty, this time when the people from Jiangnan East went overseas, they brought back a lot of good things. Do you want the imperial court to form a large fleet to go over? Although it is a little far."
Li Longji was indeed happy. Zu Zan and Mo Jilian had entered the capital and were ready to be summoned at any time. The matter of etiquette had been discussed. The two of them used the etiquette of a subject and kowtowed to him. This was all thanks to Xiao Bao and Cuckoo.
According to the person who sent back the news, the two of them were scared silly during the hunting activity that day. They were very obedient when discussing etiquette.
This was not an easy thing to do. After the Sword Meet on Mount Hua, Tubo and Turkic would officially become one or several provinces of Great Tang.
In addition to the news from Lu Zhou, the people from Jiangnan East had found a large piece of fertile land. There were many plants and animals that had never been seen before. They were sending them to the capital and would arrive in two days.
For a time, Lu Zhou's people were eager to go out to sea. If they went out to sea again, they would bring along experts to search for ores. Perhaps, they could find more ores and bring them back. That would solve many of Great Tang's problems.
With so many things happening together, it was difficult for him not to be happy.
He nodded happily. "The imperial court can send people to follow Lu Zhou's fleet. One of them is to check out the place, and the other is to protect the merchants. I'll leave this matter to you."
"Understood." Gao Lishi made a note of this and planned to send people there after the new year. He understood the Emperor's intention. There was another reason for sending soldiers there. If they really found good ores, they had to keep a close eye on them. They could not allow the merchants to forge weapons in private.
After solving this matter, Li Longji asked Gao Lishi, "Did Xiao Bao and Cuckoo say when they'll be back? I haven't seen them for a long time. I miss them. "
"I know. Xiao Bao sent a letter saying that after Mo Jilian and the others meet Your Majesty, they will return to Mount Hua and wait there. After the trip to Mount Hua, they will return to the capital. Zhang Zhong will also return to the capital. He will be an official in the capital next year."
Gao Lishi also missed Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. He thought about it from the perspective of family. He also knew that the Emperor had solved a huge problem because of what Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did. Therefore, he could not help but think that the two of them were too powerful. No matter where they went, they could create a big problem.
"Did they mention what benefits they want?" Li Longji asked again. When he thought about this matter, he felt depressed. It was supposed to be a condition of exchange, but Zhang Xiaobao was not in a hurry to say it.
It turned out that he wanted to compensate Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan for their losses in Jili Province and give them a reward for stabilizing the situation there. In the end, the two of them went to Tubo and found the leaders of Tubo and Tujue. At the same time, they completely weakened the power of the Commanderies in northern Hebei Province.
Merits came one after another. It was not easy to reward them. Could it be that when there were no rewards, they could learn from their predecessors and kill the two of them? Obviously, that was not possible.
In the past, they did not know that the outside world was so big. There were many, many places that they had never heard of before. Who knew if they would encounter a more powerful country? When the time came, both sides would discover each other and fight. They hoped that in such a situation, the two of them would continue to contribute.
When Li Longji thought of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, he had a headache again. Without waiting for Gao Lishi to reply, he said, "Write a letter to them and tell them that they can't be rewarded with money, but they can be promoted."
Gao Lishi nodded again and said, "Your Majesty, Xiao Bao wrote a letter to me and mentioned this matter. He said that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan should be exempted from paying tax for two years. If they don't pay tax for two years, the loss can be made up for."
In fact, Gao Lishi did not say anything. In the letter, he not only wrote that the loss could be made up for, but also the gains of this operation. Even if the imperial court did not compensate, there was no loss. In the future, because of this operation, there would be more income.
Of course, he could not tell this to the emperor. His godson had to go back and forth, so it was quite tiring. Now that the imperial court's finances were not tight, there was no need to count on Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to pay the tax.
"Oh," Li Longji agreed, but his eyebrows did not relax. He said to Gao Lishi, "The two years of tax exemption is their loss in the north of Hebei Province. At the same time, they solved the threats in three places. I still have to give them a reward. You can't generalize."
Gao Lishi nodded and replied, "Your Majesty, Xiao Bao did make a request, but I thought it was too far away, so I didn't mention it. Xiao Bao once said that when they do business with other distant places in the future, Your Majesty will allow them to use the flag of Tang Empire."
"How far away?" Li Longji was curious.
"Very far away, even farther than the place where Buddhism came from. It's really thousands of mountains and rivers. He said that using the flag of Tang Empire can show the power of Tang Empire." Gao Lishi pointed to the west.
"Of course, even if I don't agree, they can use the flag to go out. In Tubo, didn't they use my name to say something like the Sword Meet on Mount Hua? I didn't pursue them, otherwise, even if they had a few heads, it wouldn't be enough to cut off."
Li Longji casually brushed aside the matter of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan using his name to invite Ancestor Chi De and Zu Zan, so that when the two of them returned, there wouldn't be anyone who couldn't stand to confront and impeach them.
What if the two of them got angry and became lazy in the future?
*****
While the relevant personnel of Tang Empire were happy, some people were more distressed.
Suddenly, they got in touch with the people of Song Mo's Commander-In-Chief's Mansion. News kept coming back and forth, but the more they knew, the sadder they felt.
Song Mo's Commander-In-Chief's Mansion had no soldiers available, and all of them had been transferred away. Four or five out of ten people had also left. Those who had some skills had gone to find their own happiness.
Li Shaogu couldn't grasp the situation in the Commander-In-Chief's Mansion at all. He had to listen to Li Xun for everything. Who asked Li Xun to take 10,000 elite soldiers to force him? Oh, not force, but peacekeeping. If he wasn't careful, it would be easy to take down the entire Commander-In-Chief's Mansion.
In fact, it was almost done. The news sent said that the remaining people who hadn't left didn't stay voluntarily. The Tang Empire needed time to settle them down. After settling them down, they would go to the Commander-In-Chief's Mansion to pick people. The people were waiting.
His reputation had been deliberately forgotten by the people during this period of time, and he couldn't go back to the past.
As he thought of this, he suddenly sighed. His bleak figure left behind an erratic trail on the ground under the hazy sunlight.
He closed his eyes and wanted to forget the unhappy things, but he couldn't do it. He waved his hand at the person who set up the target in front of him. After that person left, he raised the gun in his hand. After aiming for a few breaths, he pulled the trigger. With a bang, he waited for the person on the other side to report the result.
"Three points." The voice came from a hundred steps away.
"It's really not easy to use." Ke Yu muttered. He pulled out the cartridge, pushed in another bullet, and aimed again.
"General, take a rest. You've already fired 60 bullets. When you wake up tomorrow morning, your arm will hurt." Ke Yu's aide beside him advised him in a low voice.
"After firing this round, have you asked someone to open it and check it? Can it be made? " Ke Yu continued to aim until he felt that it was enough. Then he fired the bullet in the gun. He put down the gun, rubbed his numb arm, and asked the aide.
The aide took the gun and answered, "Yes, and I also asked. They said that the gun can be made, but the thing called spring inside is not easy to make. It's troublesome to smelt it, and we don't know how to make bullets. We opened it. There should be something similar to firecrackers in it, but it's more powerful.
As for the white stack, as long as it's touched by a little force, it will burn. We don't know how to make it. If we can solve these two problems, we can produce a lot of guns ourselves. "
"Solve? I want to solve it too. If it was in the past, I would have asked Li Longji for a marriage alliance, and the craftsmen I brought with me should be able to make it. But now, Great Tang is not allowing any good technology to be leaked.
I don't think I can find someone who can make guns, and Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan won't tell me. I heard that it was the two of them who suggested to Li Longji to keep the technology a secret. Hmm, it's going to be tough. The days in the Commander-In-Chief's Manor are going to be tough. "
Ke Yu didn't have any confidence. Great Tang's weapons were getting more and more powerful, and there was also the Clairvoyance that could see very far. If Li Longji wanted to use force on someone, the other party wouldn't be able to retaliate.
It was no longer like before. When he was in a bad mood, he would throw a tantrum with Great Tang, and even directly send out troops. Li Longji would comfort him. Now, if he dared to do that, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would flatten the Commander-In-Chief's Manor without Li Longji doing anything.
The advisor was also very helpless. Seeing that Ke Yu was in a bad mood, he hesitated for a moment and said what was on his mind.
"General, now that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan want to use a soft knife to stab people, when the people in the Commander-In-Chief's Manor leave, where will we find a foothold? We have to think of a complete solution. "
"What solution? What solution can there be? That day on the ship, when Zhang Xiaobao looked for me, he made it very clear. This is called an open conspiracy. Even if I know the consequences, I can't change it. As long as I make a move, the first one to suffer will be me. The sooner I make a move, the greater the loss I will suffer.
Ah ~! How frustrating. I can't do anything to be threatened by a little brat. Let's wait and see. Let's see what will happen on Mount Hua. It will be best if we can force the Tubo and Turkic people into a corner. As long as they send out troops, we will still have a chance. "
But when he spoke, he seemed to be very agitated. After he finished speaking, he felt a little better. He glanced at the gun again and shook his head. Step by step, he moved back to his room and lay down on the couch. He seemed to be asleep but was not asleep.
*****
Xiao Bei walked for a long time and finally came out of the mountains. He saw the legendary Cattle-Herding Village in front of him. He gasped for breath for a while and said with a grin,
"When I asked that person for directions, what did he say? He said 'not far'? I understand now. He meant to fly. If we fly in a straight line, it won't be far. If we walk, we will have to walk back and forth. It's going to be dark soon. We can't go back today. "
Xiao Yuan was also tired and did not have any strength. At the same time, he was not cold. After walking for so long, his body was drenched in sweat. He drank two mouthfuls of water and said worriedly, "Why don't we enter the village tomorrow? What if there are bad people in the village who want to harm us at night?"
"Don't be afraid. We have weapons. When the time comes, we can find a courtyard and reserve it. No one is allowed to enter. Let's not talk about investigating that Cripple Wang. I don't believe that they will deal with a group of foreign children. Let's go. If we stay in the mountains for a night in such cold weather, we will probably freeze to death.
If we encounter a beast, we will encounter a beast. "Xiao Bei thought for a while and rejected Xiao Yuan's suggestion. He led the group into the village. Looking at the nearby village, they walked for another half an hour before arriving.
There were already people in the village looking curiously at Xiao Bei and his group. Usually, there would not be so many children coming together. They were wondering about the identity of Xiao Bei and his group.
"Uncle, are there any good courtyards in the village? We can stay here for a night. We will pay. We will leave tomorrow." Xiao Bei saw a person standing at the entrance of the village and walked forward to ask.
When the person standing at the entrance of the village saw Xiao Bei, he was attracted by Xiao Bei's cute appearance. It seemed that any normal person would like Xiao Bei's appearance. He nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes. Which family's child sneaked out? Come with me. Even if there is no place, I will make one for you.
You haven't eaten yet, right? It just so happens that everyone in the village is cooking. I will ask them to cook more later. Eat first and then have a good rest. "
After this person finished speaking, he did not directly ask about the identity of Xiao Bei and his group. He was probably waiting for Xiao Bei to have a good rest before asking. He turned around and led the way, but when he walked, he was limping.
When Xiao Bei and his group saw the way this person walked, they looked at each other and were shocked at the same time. They wondered if this person was that Cripple Wang, Wang Muramasa. What if he wanted to harm them? They were here to investigate him.
"Don't be afraid. He doesn't know that we are here to investigate him." Xiao Bei whispered to the person beside him. He gave himself courage and followed the person in front of him into the village.
They originally thought that this was a very poor village, but when they entered, they found that the life in this village was not bad. They could hear the barking of dogs and the sound of poultry. When they passed by a family, they saw two pigs that had somehow escaped from their pens and were being chased around in the courtyard by the family.
The person scolded the pigs as he chased them. When he saw Xiao Bei and a large group of children, he stopped what he was doing and looked at them curiously.
In order to get help at the critical moment, Xiao Bei gave this person a sweet smile.
They continued to follow the person in front of them. After walking for more than a hundred steps, they finally saw a large courtyard in front of them. It was empty, and the chimney on the house was not smoking. It seemed that no one lived there.
"Don't be afraid. This is not a haunted house. The original family has moved out and moved to the school in the county to cook for the children. I am the village chief of this village. In a while, I will ask someone to come and clean this place. Aiya, there are so many children, and you can't squeeze in. I will also ask some of the families in the village to cook some good dishes for you. Oh, my surname is Wang."
The person leading the way introduced them and then smiled at Xiao Bei and the others. The more he looked at them, the more he liked them.
The more Xiao Bei listened, the more scared he became. It was indeed this person. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He smiled at Wang Murazheng and said, "Uncle Wang, thank you. We are going up the mountain to play. After we eat, we will pay. I think that the adults will come later. We ran a little faster, hehe."
"You don't have to pay. The life in the village is not bad. Since there is a way to raise animals, it is not as difficult as before. Wait for me to call for people."
Wang Murazheng's eyes narrowed even more. He looked at the sky and began to shout at the top of his voice.
Sure enough, many people came out of the village. After hearing Wang Murazheng's introduction, they looked at Xiao Bei and the group of cute children. Each family led a few children, and soon Xiao Bei and the others were led away. Xiao Bei and the others chose the person who looked the most like a good person to follow, hoping that he could help at a critical moment.
Just as the group of children was assigned to their families, twelve adults came to the village. These twelve people directly found Wang Murazheng, revealed their identities, and found a place to stay in the village.
Only then did Wang Murazheng know which family the cutest child was from. He praised her again and again. No wonder she was so sensible. She turned out to be a little girl from the Zhang family in Sanshui County. That was right. He hurriedly went door to door and told them to cook better food. Don't be stingy, in case the children of rich families were not used to the food.
After the meal, Xiao Bei and the others took a bath in a large wooden bucket in each of their rooms. After a tiring day, they no longer had the mood to think about the interrogation. They ran to their beds early in the morning and covered their heads with the clean bedding that other people had given them. Then, they fell asleep.
Early the next morning, when Xiao Bei and the others woke up, they realized that they did not arrange for anyone to keep watch last night. They were scared.
After breakfast, Xiao Bei and the group of children gathered again in the courtyard where no one lived. They began to discuss how to investigate the case.
"I think we should beat around the bush and find a seemingly honest family to ask about Cripple Wang. But even if we ask, we can't immediately arrest him. It's best to send someone with good skills to Cripple Wang's house to see what exactly he is doing with the cow."
Xiao Yuan yawned, rubbed his face with his hands, and proposed his idea.
"Okay, then we'll do it together. A few people will go to Cripple Wang's house to take a look. Be careful, don't get bitten by the dog. Safety first. I'll go and scout for information. We'll split into two groups and act."
Xiao Bei was very excited. The Children's Regiment was finally going to show its prowess. This was a big deal.
According to the plan, they would split into two groups. The rest of the people would wait in the courtyard. Xiao Bei would bring two people to the house where she stayed last night. She felt that the house was not bad.
The other group would be made up of five people with the best skills. Usually, when they were together, these five people would climb trees to fish and fish in the water. They were all experts and could be considered the most elite members of the Children's Regiment. When it came to the critical moment of using an army for a moment, Xiao Bei and the others felt that they should send out the elites to do it and let Cripple Wang experience it.
"Aunt Wang, I'm here." Xiao Bei led the two people to the place where they ate and rested last night and said to Aunt Wang, who was squatting in the courtyard and eating pig food.
"Aiyo, it's Xiao Bei. It's cold outside. Come in quickly. Are you leaving today?" Aunt Wang seemed very happy. She rubbed her hands on her body and beckoned Xiao Bei into the house.
Xiao Bei shook her head sensibly. "Aunt Wang, you go ahead with your work. I'll just watch. I won't go in. It's not cold outside. I'm wearing a lot."
Aunt Wang responded and continued to work.
Xiao Bei looked at Aunt Wang and thought for a while. She said, "Aunt Wang, can this food be fed to cows?"
"No, it's only for pigs. Cows can't eat such miscellaneous things. Before winter, we already prepared food for cows." Aunt Wang smiled and shook her head.
"Oh, you prepared food for cows? That's good. Aunt Wang, where's the cow? I haven't seen it. "Xiao Bei followed the topic and asked.
"The cow is at the village chief's house. Don't worry. If you want to see the cow, I'll take you to the village chief's house." Aunt Wang didn't expect Xiao Bei to be trying to trick her.
Xiao Bei nodded obediently. "Okay, thank you, Aunt Wang. Aunt, that … if the cow is at the village chief's house, won't it lose weight? Won't it die? Won't the milk it produces be drunk? "
"How can it lose weight? The village chief is an expert at raising cows, so it won't die. If it's not sick, it won't die easily. Milk can only be obtained after it raises the cubs. Without cubs, there won't be any milk. Wait, I'll prepare it now. I'll take you to see it. "
Aunt Wang's hands moved faster. She smiled and explained to Xiao Bei.
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