If it weren't for such a huge profit, Zhu Shenzui wouldn't have been able to take such a risk.
It was also because he led Wangjiacun to sell private salt. In the past two years, the lives of his family and Wangjiacun had become much better. At least they no longer had to worry about not having enough to eat.
But the risks of selling smuggled salt are real. According to the Ming Dynasty Law, the lightest punishment for those caught is imprisonment, and the more serious ones will be beheading. To put it bluntly, this business is carried out with the head in hand.
Therefore, Zhu Shenzui and the others were extremely careful every time they walked. In addition to other preparations, they were also very particular about the route they chose.
They never took the official road. Most of the way along the way were small roads over mountains and ridges, and people took turns changing at the front and back of the team. Those who opened the way in front were always vigilant, and those behind the formation were also the same. A group of people drove donkeys and mules to carry them on their shoulders. It was very hard to eat and sleep in the open along the way.
In addition to these, there are other surprises that must be prepared for.
It is common to draw a knife when encountering trouble on the road. Of course, it doesn't mean that this is the case when meeting people. Zhu Shenzui and the others are looking for money and are not robbers and bandits. When they meet ordinary people cutting firewood or hunting in the wilderness, as long as the other party does not show hostility, there is usually a tacit understanding between everyone.
If you don't mess with me, I won't bother you either. Everyone goes about their own business and passes each other by. This situation is very common.
After coming out of Wangjia Village, the group first crossed the Fen River to the south and then turned back to the east, taking remote paths along the way. On this day, everyone covered their heads and hurried on the road. It was not until the sun was about to set that they breathed a sigh of relief after crossing Longgou and entering the mountain.
After entering the mountain and walking forward for a while, more than half an hour later, Wang Chuer, who was exploring the road ahead, ran back.
"Sixth Master, the brothers in front have made inquiries and everything is normal at the station!"
Zhu Shenzui breathed a sigh of relief, with a smile on his face. He turned around and said to everyone: "Everyone, if you work harder, we will arrive at the station soon. Take a good rest when we get there."
"Okay!" Everyone in the team smiled after hearing this. They walked more than thirty miles along the way, from early morning to dusk without stopping. Moreover, most of these roads were mountain roads, even for strong young men like them. It's hard enough.
However, we are reaching the station ahead, which means that today’s journey is finally over, and we can then settle down to have something to eat and have a good rest.
Continuing to move forward, they passed a mountain col. There was a valley not far ahead. Zhu Shenzui and his party did not go towards the valley. Instead, they continued up and walked for a while. There was a place on the mountainside. There was a place here. The stone nest is not small in area. This is where Zhu Shenzui and the others are stationed today.
The so-called stone nests are wind-eroded niches, which are somewhat similar to caves, but because they are caused by wind erosion, they are usually not deep inside. Generally, they are only two or three meters shallow, and only about ten meters deep.
The stone nest where Zhu Shenzui and the others were resting was considered medium-sized, with a height of about four to five meters, and the deepest point inside was seven to eight meters. It was in an excellent location, with dense trees everywhere and protrusions on both sides. The rock is located on the mountainside, so it is difficult to find it whether looking from above or from below.
This place was accidentally discovered by Zhu Shenzhui when he led people along this road. After several inspections, few people knew about this place. They regarded it as a temporary residence every time they came and went. Every time they walked this road, they would Rest here and have a good night's rest before continuing tomorrow. This has been the case for the past two years.
When they arrived at the place, everyone did their own thing step by step without Zhu Shenzui's instructions.
There were those who went down to fetch water, some who collected firewood to make fires, and some who unloaded the goods from the backs of donkeys and mules and put them aside for sorting. Of course, those on guard duty were also indispensable...
Sitting down on a rock, Zhu Shenzui loosened his leggings, which are also called leggings. This thing was originally invented by the Chinese and has been around since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
Leggings are introduced in the famous "Book of Songs", and the Liangshan heroes in the Northern Song Dynasty also used leggings. This thing looks simple, but it is a necessity when walking long distances, especially mountainous roads.
"How do you feel after walking all the way today?" Zhu Shenzui asked Wang Jinwu beside him as he took off his leggings.
This kid was in high spirits and didn't look tired at all. He happily said that he felt good, but the road was shorter than he expected. Originally, he thought he could reach Fushan today, but who wanted to leave Fushan before leaving? half.
"You kid, do you think this is the same as when you usually go hunting in the mountains? With so many people and so much goods, how can we go so fast. And what we want along the way is safety first, not just greed for speed." Zhu Shenzui Said with a smile.
Zhu Shenzui gave special advice to his cousin and told him why he chose this path and why he took it this way. At the same time, he asked Wang Jinwu to pay attention to the roles that each person in the team was responsible for, and told him why it was arranged like this, what were the benefits of such an arrangement, etc.
Wang Jinwu was naive but not stupid. Of course he understood that Zhu Shenzui was teaching him something. He immediately listened to Zhu Shenzui's explanation attentively. At the same time, he also looked at the busy people, thinking what Zhu Shenzui said was true. What he saw in front of him corresponded one to one, showing a thoughtful expression.
On the first day, Zhu Shenzui didn't talk too much to Wang Jinwu. After all, there was still a long way to go, and there would be plenty of time for him to slowly understand. Besides, there were too many lectures for this stupid boy to remember. If he taught a little bit every day, Wang Jinwu would be able to basically understand it by the time the trip was over.
Smuggling salt is not like going out on a sightseeing trip. You need to be vigilant along the way. The most important thing when you arrive at the station is to have a good rest and be energetic enough to continue on the road the next day.
Before it got completely dark, everyone settled in one by one. They boiled hot water and soaked their feet, and then used the dry food they brought. Except for a few young men who took turns watching, the others rested and slept separately.
Zhu Shenzui spread the oilcloth he brought with him, put on his clothes and covered himself with a sheepskin jacket and rested. He was not so particular about being outside. Zhu Shenzui had long been used to it. The same was true for everyone in Wangjia Village. This was the first time for him to follow. Because of his excitement, Wang Jinwu lay beside Zhu Shenzui and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. It was not until midnight that the snoring sounded.
At dawn the next day, when Wang Jinwu woke up, he found that except for him, everyone else had been up early. Everyone was busy loading the goods onto the donkeys and mules and packing their luggage.
"Brother Six, I...I..." He quickly rubbed his eyes and stood up. Wang Jinwu came to Zhu Shenzui, who was directing everyone to do things. He blushed and didn't know what to say.
"What are you doing? Why don't you go help me?" Zhu Shenzui didn't even look at him, but stretched out his hand and pointed in one direction.
Wang Jinwu was stunned for a moment. When he came to his senses, instead of being annoyed, he ran over happily. This boy's strength was beyond boasting. He could carry two bags of salt weighing over a hundred kilograms by himself. He turned around and put it firmly on the mule rack. .
Zhu Shenzui nodded repeatedly after seeing this. Not to mention the other things about his cousin, this strength is really not for show, especially with this body, he is really good at work. He can move the bricks at the construction site in a month. With tens of thousands of dollars, is it not a piece of cake to do these things?
After working for a while, everything was finally ready. Everyone simply ate 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 go around the official road on the other side of Fushan. We can only find a place to rest after passing Fushan.
After saying hello, the brothers who were clearing the way in front had already set off in advance. The large team behind them took their respective positions just like yesterday. They drove the donkeys and mules and carried their burdens and continued on the road. The figures of the group were shuttled through the mountains and forests. Everyone except breathing He didn't say much outside his voice, he buried his head and quietly continued to move in the direction of the sun.
