Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 12 Guidance
If the profit was not so huge, Zhu Shenzui would not have taken such a risk.

It was also because he led Wangjia Village to sell illegal salt that the lives of his family and Wangjia Village had become much better in the past two years. At least they no longer had to worry about not having enough food to eat.

But the risks of smuggling salt were real. According to the Ming Dynasty law, the lightest punishment for being caught was imprisonment, while the more serious punishment was beheading. To put it bluntly, this business was a life-threatening one.

Therefore, Zhu Shenzhui and his companions were extremely careful every time they walked. In addition to other preparations, they also paid great attention to the route they chose.

They never took official roads. Most of the time they took small paths over mountains and hills. In addition, there were people taking turns at the front and back of the team. The one leading the way in front was always alert, and the same was true for the one supporting the team at the back. A group of people drove donkeys and mules, carrying things on their shoulders and backs, and slept in the open air all the way. It was very hard.

In addition to these, we must also guard against other unexpected events.

It is common to draw a knife when encountering trouble on the road. Of course, it does not mean that this happens when encountering people. Zhu Shenzhui and his men are seeking wealth and are not robbers or bandits. When encountering ordinary people chopping wood or hunting in the wilderness, as long as the other party does not show hostility, they usually have a tacit understanding.

You don't bother me and I don't bother you. We just go about our own business and pass each other by. This situation is very common.

After leaving Wangjia Village, the group first crossed the Fen River to the south and then turned back to the east, taking a remote path all the way. Everyone was busy on the road all day, and only breathed a sigh of relief after passing Longgou and entering the mountains just before the sun set.

After walking a little further into the mountain, more than half an hour later, Wang Chuer, who was exploring the way ahead, ran back.

"Sixth Master, the brothers ahead have inquired and everything is normal at the base!"

Zhu Shenzhui breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. He turned around and said to everyone, "Please keep working hard. We will soon reach the base. Take a good rest when you get there."

"Okay!" Everyone in the team smiled when they heard this. They walked more than 30 miles along the way, from early morning to dusk without stopping. Moreover, most of the roads were mountain roads, which was hard work even for these strong young men.

However, we are just ahead of the camp, which means that we have finally completed today's journey. Next, we can settle down, eat something, and have a good rest.

Continuing forward, they turned a mountain pass and saw a valley not far ahead. Zhu Shenzui and his party did not go into the valley, but continued upwards. After walking for a while, they came to a place on the mountainside with a stone nest of considerable size. This was where Zhu Shenzui and his party would be staying today.

The so-called stone nests are wind-eroded niches, which are somewhat similar to caves. However, because they are caused by wind erosion, they are usually not deep. The shallow ones are only two or three meters, and the deep ones are only ten meters or so.

The stone nest where Zhu Shenzui and his companions rested was of medium size. It was about four or five meters high at the highest point and seven or eight meters deep at its deepest point. It was also in an excellent location, with dense trees all around and protruding rocks on both sides. It was also located on the mountainside, so it was difficult to find whether viewed from above or below.

This place was discovered accidentally by Zhu Shenzui when he was leading his men along this road. After several explorations, they found that few people knew about this place, so they used it as a temporary base. Every time they walked this road, they would stop here, have a good rest for the night, and continue tomorrow. This has been the case for the past two years.

When they arrived at the place, everyone did their own things according to the routine without Zhu Shenzhui's instructions.

Some people went down to fetch water, some collected firewood to make a fire, some unloaded the goods from the backs of donkeys and mules and put them aside for sorting, and of course there were also people who were responsible for guarding...

Sitting on a rock, Zhu Shenzhu loosened his leggings, which were also called foot bandages. They were originally invented by the Chinese and have existed since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The famous "Book of Songs" introduced leggings, and the Liangshan heroes of the Northern Song Dynasty also used leggings. Although they look simple, they are a must for long distances, especially mountain roads.

"How do you feel about the journey today?" Zhu Shenzhui asked Wang Jinwu beside him while untying his leggings.

The boy seemed full of energy and didn't look tired at all. He said happily that he felt good, but the journey was a little shorter than he expected. He originally thought that he could reach Fushan today, but he was only halfway to Fushan.

"Kid, do you think this is the same as when you usually go into the mountains to hunt? With so many people and so much goods, how can we move so fast? And what we want on this journey is safety first, not just speed." Zhu Shenzhui said with a smile.

Zhu Shenzhui gave his cousin some special advice and told him why he chose this path and why he went this way. At the same time, he asked Wang Jinwu to pay attention to the roles of each person in the team and told him why this arrangement was made and what the benefits of this arrangement were.

Wang Jinwu was simple but not stupid. He certainly understood that Zhu Shenzhui was teaching him something. He listened attentively to Zhu Shenzhui's explanation and at the same time looked at the busy crowd. In his mind, he matched what Zhu Shenzhui said with what he saw in front of him, and showed a thoughtful expression.

On the first day, Zhu Shenzhui didn't talk too much to Wang Jinwu. After all, there was still a long way to go, and there was plenty of time for him to slowly understand. Besides, if he talked too much, this silly boy wouldn't be able to remember it. He taught a little bit every day, and by the end of this trip, Wang Jinwu would have basically understood it.

Smuggling salt is not like going out for sightseeing. Vigilance along the way is a must. The most important thing when arriving at the base is to have a good rest and get enough energy to continue the journey the next day.

Before it got completely dark, everyone settled down one by one, boiled hot water for everyone to soak their feet, and used the dry food they brought with them. Except for a few guys who took turns to keep watch, the rest of the people rested and slept.

Zhu Shenzhui spread out the oilcloth he brought with him, covered himself with a sheepskin coat and rested. There were not so many requirements outside, and Zhu Shenzhui had been used to it. So were the people in Wangjia Village. However, Wang Jinwu, who was following for the first time, tossed and turned beside Zhu Shenzhui because of excitement and could not fall asleep. The snoring sound did not start until midnight.

The next morning, when Wang Jinwu woke up, he found that except for him, everyone else had already gotten up. Everyone was busy loading the goods back onto the donkeys and mules and packing their luggage.

"Sixth brother, I...I..." Wang Jinwu rubbed his eyes and stood up quickly. He came to Zhu Shenzhui who was directing everyone to do things, his face red and he didn't know what to say.

"What are you standing there for? Why don't you go and lend a hand?" Zhu Shenzhui didn't even look at him, but stretched out his hand and pointed in a direction.

Wang Jinwu was stunned for a moment, but after he came to his senses, he was not annoyed but ran over happily. This kid's strength was no exaggeration. He carried two bags of salt weighing over a hundred pounds by himself, turned around and put them steadily on the mule carriage.

Zhu Shenzhui nodded repeatedly, leaving aside other things about his cousin, his strength was really not for show, especially with his physique and the fact that he was very good at work, if he were to move bricks at a construction site in the future, he could definitely earn tens of thousands a month, so wouldn't these things be a piece of cake for him?
After working for a while, everything was finally ready. Everyone simply ate some dry food and continued on their journey.

Today's journey is not short. Not only do we have to continue walking on the mountain road, but we also have to bypass the official road on the Fushan side. We can only find a place to rest after passing Fushan.

With a greeting, the brothers who were leading the way in front had already set off. The large group behind them took their positions just like yesterday, driving donkeys and mules and carrying loads and continuing on the road. A group of people shuttled through the mountains and forests. No one spoke much except for the sound of their breathing. They lowered their heads and continued to move quietly towards the direction of the sun.

(End of this chapter)