Daming Yinghua

The bright sun shines on the field ridges, catkins flutter around and get into people's noses.

Zheng Haizhu sneezed while looking at the warehouse under the shade of willows near the school grounds.

Two tracker instructors from Songjiang, named Zhang Liben and Jin Baozi, stood guard at the door. When they saw Zheng Haizhu, they immediately stood up and waved to her.

Ever since the blunderbuss and small field cannons for battalion training arrived, Zheng Haizhu made a rule that there must be people on duty day and night in the arsenal.

Today, none of the battalion soldiers wanted to miss the folk song show, and it was not appropriate for Qi Jin’s instructor to be the gatekeeper. Zhang Liben and Jin Baozi took the initiative to watch it. I've heard it, and I'm generally interested in performances that hang my voice.

Zheng Haizhu walked over and asked, "Has anyone been here at noon?"

Zhang Liben shook his head: "Chen Shi came over and changed his defense, so we just squatted here."

"Okay." Zheng Haizhu nodded lightly, turned around and walked towards the small courtyard where she lived.

Her courtyard gate and the armory are separated by a small river ditch dug by the hoarders for irrigation, and they are exposed to the sight of the barracks guarding the warehouse day and night.So gradually, Zhengjiazhuang's most favorite gossip hoarder no longer talked about whether Guanshi Wu got into Mrs. Zheng's bed, because all the on-duty staff said that when it was dark, only her and the dog were in the lady's yard. .

Zheng Haizhu doesn't care about giving up his sense of privacy.In this time and space, it is difficult for her to focus on her small self.

At this moment, seeing her coming back, the raised big yellow dog stood up abruptly, but it didn't just say hello, but showed a little restlessness, shaking its head, sniffing while walking.

This guard dog was brought over from Songjiang, the cub of the loyal dog that helped Dong Erya look after the baby by the canal back then.

Zheng Haizhu has a small courtyard where Zheng Haizhu lives alone in Wenzhe Academy of the Gu family. When she left Songjiang to travel around, Dong Erya often trained the yellow dog to familiarize herself with the dress and shoes that Zheng Haizhu left in the courtyard. As expected, the son did not recognize his birth, and Zheng Haizhu took over and fed him for half a year, and he had an extra loyal bodyguard.

Zheng Haizhu followed the yellow dog to the east wall of the yard.

Even if the dog doesn't lead the way, she will come here after entering the hospital.

For her safety, Wu Bangde and the tenants built the courtyard wall as high as two people.

But Zheng Haizhu asked Wu Bangde to leave an irregular hole on the top of the three mud walls, plug it with rags soaked in mud and water, and then cover it with thatch on the top of the wall, so it is difficult to be noticed.

Normally, Zheng Haizhu would step on the ladder and use a telescope to see what was going on in Zhuangzi.

Looking out of the hole on the east side, the closest one, and the one you can see most clearly, is Zhuangzi's handicraft workshop.

During these days, Zheng Haizhu watched several times. In the workshop, Ah Shan diligently remodeled the spinning machine, and was also very considerate to the dispatch work of Carpenter Hu and others. He ate and rested where everyone could see him. , there is really no difference.

But today, Lao Hu and Ah Shan are not in the empty yard of the workshop.

The yellow dog barked again at Zheng Haizhu's feet, and rushed out of the wall.

Zheng Haizhu climbed down the ladder, greeted the dog, and went to the workshop together.

As soon as he stepped through the door, a strong smell of blood came over his face, and Ah Huang rushed to the utility room, barking violently at the corner.

Zheng Haizhu hurried over to take a look, there were several pools of fresh blood on the pile of thatch.

She was startled, her spine felt chills, she tiptoed closer, leaning over her body to look at it.

"Mrs. Zheng!"

Suddenly, Ah Shan's faint voice came from behind.

The big yellow dog turned his head and rushed forward with a whimper.

……

"Hey, hey! Don't bite me, don't bite me!"

Ah Shan, like a hen flapping its wings and fleeing for its life, dodged behind Carpenter Hu in panic.

Carpenter Hu clattered a piece of brown felt-like cowhide in his hand to block the big yellow dog's attack, and he also said "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"" his mouth.

While the cowhide was shaking, the pinkish-white part on the back of the brown short hair flashed from time to time, and water droplets scattered in all directions, bringing out a faint smell of flesh and blood.

"Ah Huang, come here!" Zheng Haizhu immediately stepped forward and stopped the pet dog.

The yellow dog got the master's instruction, and gradually settled down, only still barking at Ah Shan.

It seemed that it wasn't the bloody smell of cowhide that stimulated it.

"Ah Shan, in broad daylight, you walk so silently, you can't even hear the dog's ears, it must have been startled by you and annoyed." Zheng Haizhu teased with a smile.

Ah Shan was holding a basket of lime, so embarrassed that he didn't know how to answer.

Seeing Zheng Haizhu standing in front of the blood-stained haystack, Carpenter Hu hurriedly explained: "There is an old cow in the nearby village, which was just killed by the farmer over there. Ah Shan and I bought the hide of the cow's body and cleaned it up in the workshop. After a while, I went to the village to wash in the river and prepared to make a shield."

"Oh," Zheng Haizhu glanced at the lime in Ah Shan's hand, and asked warmly, "Is this made of cow hair? Why did you think of making a cowhide shield?"

Ah Shan looked at Carpenter Hu cautiously, and Carpenter Hu said heartily: "Look at what I'm doing, maybe I'm going to take credit with a young man like you, old man? You can talk to Mrs. Zheng."

Ah Shan then put down the lime and reported with a flattering look: "Ma'am, when I was young, I saw the battalion tried a small cannon the other day. The cannons are so strong. But the small ones can’t help but think, the small shells are only slightly larger than the lead bullets of the machine guns, so wouldn’t they be easier to block? Well, it’s not that the small ones don’t think the three-pound cannon is not powerful ..."

When Ah Shan said this, he stopped and observed Zheng Haizhu's face.

Zheng Haizhu looked around while listening, and saw several large wooden boards and wooden wheels beside the multi-spindle spinning machine that was about to be completed, which obviously did not belong to the parts of the spinning machine.

"Do you want to make a shield car and see if the iron bullet can penetrate it?"

Ah Shan nodded.

Zheng Haizhu stared at him, showing off his face for a moment: "You are the brain of a general, pretending to know yourself and the enemy."

This time, Ah Shan put away the always flattering expression on his face, his eyes were solemn.

"Ma'am, Ah Shan's house was destroyed by the Tartars. Ah Shan doesn't want to see in which battle we lost to the Tartars."

Zheng Haizhu walked to the edge of the board, lifted it with his foot, and saw that there was still a layer of iron underneath.

Carpenter Hu also came over: "Ma'am, we went to consult several instructors of the Qi family army. They said that Mr. Qi in Zhenjiang now uses the same method of making car shields as Qi Shaobao's camp. A layer of iron sheet, A layer of wooden boards, and the outermost part is covered with old cowhide. The cowhide is also covered with barbed wire, because it can be removed and laid on the ground for repelling horses. However, if the enemy uses it to defend against small artillery in the field, it should not be nailed. Caltrops, otherwise the blasted iron thorns will hurt you even more."

Zheng Haizhu lowered his head and thought for a while, then smiled kindly: "Then make a chariot and try it with our combined blunderbuss and small cannon to see what angle and distance it will be blocked by this chariot. "

"Hey, yes, ma'am." Carpenter Hu pounded his head like garlic.

He knew that his wife was very clear about rewards and punishments, and she was especially stingy with the craftsmen in the firearms workshop. If the position of a fire door was changed to be more reasonable, he would get a reward of two taels of silver.Craftsmen who smelt and mix gunpowder often receive rewards. This time it is finally the carpenter's turn to perform. Naturally, Carpenter Hu is gearing up.

He glanced at Ah Shan approvingly.This guy from the Northeast corner is fine, honest, smart, and he has a little girl who is old enough to say goodbye, or he will be like his sister and invite a son-in-law to come in.

While Lao Hu was happily dreaming, Zheng Haizhu took out a wooden handle from his backpack, walked up to Ah Shan, and handed it to him.

"Hua Er's mother was also murdered by the Tartars, and she only left a handle for her. When you have time, make her a cotton gin machine and install this handle."

Ah Shan quickly took it, walked to his woodworking box, and carefully put his hand in.

After he heard it, Lao Hu changed his tone and said: "Hua Er still remembers his mother's appearance, my mother, when I was one year old, she contracted smallpox and passed away. Me, it's like I have no mother in my life. "

Zheng Haizhu took a few breaths in silence, and said, "I miss my mother too, as you told me, old Hu."

Ah Shan gently closed the box, and thought to himself: Who doesn't want Erniang?Er Niang, this time the work is done, and my son will repair your grave when he returns to Hetuala.