Water Margin Survival

The red light of the setting sun reflected the sky orange-red. .Strips of crimson glow come out from the thick clouds and fall on the wilderness after autumn.The river workers, who had worked hard all day, walked on the official road into the city with their empty carts.Xu Shi couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart. There were bursts of laughter from time to time in the team, which brought infinite fun to the boring march.

"Second Uncle, you better go back! It's a long way to come and go! It's late, and I don't feel relieved if you walk at night!" Xiao Si kept persuading the Second Uncle beside him.

Today is the second and last day for their more than 3 river workers to go to the county to distribute grain.When forming the team yesterday, in order to take care of all the river workers, Liang Shan organized them into ten teams according to their hometowns, and traveled between ten suburban counties.And on the last trip today, the two shi of grain wages promised to the river workers and the ten shi of new grain were sent to everyone's homes.

"Stupid boy, don't worry about it! Once you leave, I don't know when we will meet again! You are outside alone, and there is no one to take care of you. How can your parents rest assured? As an uncle, I should come to see you off. !” The second uncle shook his head.

"If you're worried, go up the mountain with me! The knight brothers over there have said that they also have family members in the village, so they are living well!" Xiao Si has already made the decision to go up the mountain, and at this time, the titles of the kings of the village He also became a "brother", and the sense of awe in his heart naturally gradually turned into a sense of intimacy.

"We are no different than other families. There are fifty or sixty people with three relatives and four relatives. Either all of them will go up the mountain, or none of them will be able to move. Otherwise, the government will investigate in the future and make all relatives suffer! It's better for you to go alone. Do it, just say... died outside... Oh, Xiao Si, don't think that uncle's words are not pleasant..." The second uncle sighed, a little helpless.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Si didn't care, shook his head and said: "If you ask me to stay, then life will be worse than death! Second Uncle, since there is such a place where we can live the lives of superiors, what shall we do?" Still staying at home and suffering? Are you reluctant to part with the more than 70 shi of grain?"

"You haven't gone up the mountain yet, so your tone is serious! Don't you know that the kings specially took care of us who have worked hard, and gave us and our relatives all new food? Even if we sell it, we can't eat it. It can be sold for two pennies a stone!" The second uncle complained, sighed, and suddenly said: "If I were ten years younger, I would not even think about this kind of thing and go straight up the mountain..."

After he finished speaking, he looked back with admiration, and saw that the team was full of young faces, but there were not many people his age, so he couldn't help sighing: "You are good!"

"Forget it, you are all waiting at home. In the future, when I have a good time, I will take you out to enjoy yourself!" Xiao Si said confidently.

"Si'er, you really don't regret going this time?" The second uncle said, looking at his nephew with some confusion.

"What regrets? Regret that I haven't suffered enough in this life? Continue to stay at home and live this kind of life? Second uncle, don't ask me! Once I leave, I can get out It's my skill, it's my fate if I don't get out!"

At this time, Xiaosi's slightly childish face showed a trace of sincerity and determination that did not match his age. In fact, there was another sentence in his heart that he held back: Even dying outside is better than staying at home and suffering!At that time, the pension of 100 taels of silver will be enough for his relatives to live the rest of their lives.

The second uncle obviously also knew what he had said, and he had mixed feelings in his heart, and he was speechless for a long time.Xiaosi sighed and advised him: "At home, people are cut with blunt knives, and they are tortured by this fate all the time. It's better to go outside. No matter what, Liang Shanbo gave me a chance to change my life. I don’t want to live like I used to!”

Seeing that his nephew's heart was as hard as a stone, the second uncle couldn't say anything.Xiao Si put on a smile and said, "Uncle, go back! You keep looking at me like this, I feel bad!"

Looking at his own nephew, the second uncle couldn't help tears in his eyes, and suddenly shouted: "I'm going all out, and I don't want this old face anymore!" This cry seemed to express the guilt he felt for his nephew, and the movement was not small. The young people who were beaming all around couldn't help but look over, Xiao Si's ears turned red when he saw this, and hurriedly said: "Uncle, what's wrong with you?"

"Don't worry about it!" The second uncle pushed Xiaosi away, and when he saw the knight next to him come to investigate, the second uncle wiped his face and begged with a smile: "King Zhou, ask Ye about something, King Chen Da and Suo in our cottage Where is Super King at this time, I had a drink with them, this time I want to say goodbye to them!"

Immediately the knight was stunned when he heard the words, and said: "Are you looking for General Suo? He moves around in the city, and he really has no fixed place! In this way, he is my master. If you have something important to do with him, Just tell me, and I will convey it for you!"

The second uncle was taken aback, not thinking that the King Zhou in front of him was Suo Chao's apprentice. He hesitated in his heart, and finally held back his words. After all, human beings are human, and the effect will be much worse after a distance. This is related to his nephew. He looked at Zhou Jin and said with a smile: "I can't go to Liangshan this time, I just want to go to the city to say goodbye to him!" After finishing speaking, he said cautiously: "King Chen Da will not go to Liangshan either!" easy to find?"

"Boss Chen is easy to find! He's at the south gate. When you get there, you can find him by asking any of the brothers in the village!" Zhou Jin replied.

"Thank you very much, I wish you all a good day tomorrow and a safe life!" The second uncle hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks.

"Excuse me!" Zhou Jin smiled and said goodbye, and the second uncle sighed: "I can only go to King Chen Da!"

"Second Uncle, what are you doing?" Xiao Si asked puzzled.

"Stupid boy, don't you want to entrust you to others in person! They are all prominent figures in the cottage, with their care, you will have to relax in the future!" The second uncle whispered.Although he only had a few drinks and was likely to be suspected by others, but for the sake of this nephew, he decided to give it a try.

Zhou Jin hummed a ditty and returned to the queue. At this time, he was less than ten miles away from the city. Suddenly, he saw a dozen fast horses galloping on the road ahead. When Zhou Jin saw it, he hurried up to greet him, and said, "Brother, it's so hard to come here. Urgent?" Originally, Zhou Jin and Yang Zhi still had some estrangement, because in the previous battle to win the horse, she was completely convinced by Yang Zhi, and now she blurted out the honorific title without feeling abrupt.

"The three teams of our battalion go back to the second team, and you are the only one left. Brother and the others are counting the number of river workers who have thrown the mountain. I am idle and I am idle, so I will come out to meet you!" Yang Zhi laughed.

Seeing this, Zhou Jin hurriedly replied, "In addition to the 600 people who stayed in the county, there are more than 300 people from my side who are willing to go up the mountain with us. What's the situation with the two groups of people in our camp!"

"The situation is similar to yours. With the more than 9000 river workers in the three counties we went down to, including your two thousand and three hundred people, there are almost 300 people who are willing to follow us up the mountain. Ninety percent of them are young people under the age of 6000. They are strong guys, their bodies are firm and tight, and they are in very good condition!" Yang Zhi replied with a smile.

Seeing that [-]% of the river workers were going to Liangshan, Zhou Jin felt a little emotional, but when she remembered that there were two other groups of people, she subconsciously asked, "How is the situation with Zhang Dujian and General Tang?"

"Zhang Dujian's battalion is in charge of four counties. There are 2000 river workers under his command. There are more than 8000 people who are willing to join the mountain. It is 8000-[-]%. Although Tang Bin's side also has [-] people, he and us Similarly, with only three counties, the proportion of people who voted in the mountains is the highest, reaching [-]%!" Yang Zhi shook his head.It seems that contacting the river workers in advance still has his advantages, and the work of mobilization is easier to do.

Zhou Jinjian said, somewhat unwillingly, and said: "Our camp has the fewest number of river workers mobilized, but we mobilized a lot of people! In my county alone, more than 100 households were willing to go up the mountain on the first day. , This morning, more than 300 households came to vote, and when we had lunch, my brother said that we won the first prize!"

"So I did the right thing in stopping you from Panshi Camp!" Yang Zhi nodded.

Zhou Jin said, waved his hands again and again, suddenly thought of something, and asked, "Brother, why do we want so many people to go up the mountain? The old ones, the young ones, do you expect them to fight?" Although he had worked extremely hard before He carried out the order of the cottage, but he was puzzled in his heart.

Yang Zhi nodded secretly when he saw this, and his appreciation for Zhou Jin grew stronger.Even if this person doesn't understand the meaning of the task, he still executes it with great heart. For Yang Zhi who lacks a capable assistant, such a person is simply rare.

"You will know about this matter when you go back to the village, so don't ask around! Go back and hand over the carts, river workers, and people to the infantry, and then we have nothing to do with us! By the way, it is the infantry of Jiuzhilong Shijin who handed over to us. Battalion, we will take over the defense of the south gate this time, because their infantry will march back to the mountain tomorrow morning, and we will rest in the city for an extra day!" Yang Zhi said.

"Should we cover them?" Zhou Jin asked.

Yang Zhi nodded and said: "All the horse troops, including the personal guard battalion, are in the rear this time, and my brother is with us this time. If there is no change, Mr. Xiao will lead the fourth battalion of infantry to escort the people and horses. , the luggage will go first, and the reinforcements from the Shanzhai are on the way, so if it is faster, we should be able to meet in Bozhou!"

Seeing this, Zhou Jin said to herself, "I'm afraid the chasing soldiers are all cavalry. If we don't come in the rear, are we called the rear of the infantry?" But at this moment, he thought of a question, and asked again: "The infantry and the people are wrapped up and marching together?" , will it affect the speed?"

"Isn't there still tens of thousands of horses? In addition, all kinds of livestock carts are also well prepared. The old and weak, women and children should not need them to go to the field. Don't worry, the infantry will find a way!" Yang Zhi replied.

Zhou Jin nodded and talked with Yang Zhi along the way.When approaching the city gate, Zhou Jin asked Ying to stay here to take over the defense. Yang Zhi readily agreed, and took him to the tower, and introduced him to Shi Jin and Chen Da. Chen Da heard that he was Suo Chao's apprentice. , smiled and said: "I have admired you for a long time! Suo Xianfeng said that you can drink well, so you must learn from it someday!"

Zhou Jin replied with a smile. At this time, Chen Da said this, suddenly remembered something, and said: "You have a drinking buddy who said that this time you won't be able to go to Liangshan, so I came to say goodbye to you!"

Chen Da was taken aback, and said, "Which one?"

Zhou Jin stood on the city wall and looked down for a while, pointing to a middle-aged man who was talking to the guards, and said to Chen Da: "This is the man!"

Chen Da followed his gestures, and couldn't help laughing: "You are really a fellow, and I still don't forget to say hello before parting!"

I wish you all a happy Dragon Boat Festival!Zongzi all you can eat! (To be continued.)