On the way back to Black Dragon King Mountain, Cao Yao kept complaining.
"His grandma arranged for a dozen carpenters and blacksmiths, but in the end it turned out to be three carpenters, four blacksmiths, two writers and seven engravers. Even his mother, the miner, is considered a craftsman. What use are they? They also brought a wife and a child. heap!"
Liu Chengzong and Cao Yao rode their horses in front, Chengyun and Lu Bin escorted behind, and in the middle were the Liu family farmers in rags walking to guard the grain carts. The procession was extremely spectacular.
Just like beggars migrating.
Liu Chengzong, who liked to mention the leader of the Beggar Clan, was in a good mood and comforted Cao Yao: "Okay, Brother Cao, we are all talented people. If we survive this, Liujiazhuang will prosper in culture, education and business in the future."
"It's just you who are broad-minded." Cao Yao said angrily: "Yes, they are all talents. In peacetime, those two writers and seven engravers alone can support a bookshop; those two shavers and beards and the doctor There are many villages that can use them, but what do those who make wine and sell sugar and paintings do?"
"The worst part is that even those who play the suona, make firecrackers, and tell fortunes are considered craftsmen. What kind of craftsmen are they!"
Refugees are also divided into three, six or nine grades. Farmers who work hard and are skilled in iron and wood craftsmanship are the most popular. Such people sign the deed of sale without any worries in the city, and most of them are reduced to those who have to be apportioned by the government. There are very few.
This group of people can run bookstores, barber shops, wineries and sugar painting vendors. It is not difficult to set up a stall to tell fortunes and show people the geomantic treasures of buried graves. After viewing the cemetery, they can even hire a burial music player on the spot. I got a 30% discount...but I couldn't fill my stomach.
What they wanted were craftsmen, but Zhang Pan gave them workers and craftsmen.
Liu Chengzong was not heartless. Now that the matter had come to this, he had to look away even if he couldn't look away.
"Anyway, I can't turn away from being a farmer. Even if we are all blacksmiths, we don't even have a kiln. We are short of manpower during the busy farming period, so we can only work as farmers."
Liu Chengzong smiled and said: "This Liujiazhuang is the place where we will make a name for ourselves in the future. After complaining, hurry up and think about business with me."
"Damn it, I originally thought that I could get back my money by planting 200 acres of land, but now I have a lot of talk, I can only get my money back by planting 500 acres of land. Besides, if you look at them, it's hard to know how to farm."
Cao Yao rode around half a circle, and finally looked back at the bankers who were lining up. He leaned on the horse and asked, "What are they doing?"
The old deserter leader was extremely disappointed with the farmers assigned by the county government.
In fact, Liu Chengzong understood what he was thinking. He expected the government to allocate more than a dozen households of craftsmen to set up a small military workshop, and he would be willing to do so even if it was in vain.
But seeing that there are not many serious craftsmen nowadays, but the dealers are mostly useless people, I feel unhappy.
Liu Chengzong's smile faded: "With 2,700 acres of land and more than 80 people, it's not a big problem to get back the money. It's a bit difficult to get more food, but as long as we get through it... Brother Cao, the world is in chaos, as long as there is food, There is no shortage of people in this world.”
"This is the truth, I know it, but I want to feed them." Cao Yao hit his head with a riding whip: "He has a big head!"
The meal must be eaten one bite at a time, and the work must be done one by one.
Liu Chengzong had great expectations for Zhuangzi, who was named after him.
He said: "Nowadays, there is no shortage of people. A lot of land has been opened in Laomiaozhuang, but if we want to collect more grain, we still need to clean it up. The main shortage is grain, planting grain, farm tools and cattle. I will find a solution for farm tools from Heilong Mountain. I can borrow some rations to grow grain, but to buy cattle, I have to rely on Brother Cao.”
"Okay, I'll do the plowing cattle. I'm just worried that there won't be enough rations. There are more than eighty people."
Cao Yao seemed to be moved by Liu Chengzong's optimism. He shook his head and put aside his negative emotions. On the contrary, he felt a little ashamed and said: "I didn't expect that the government would give back to the Sai refugees. It was a shame for you and spent money and food on Black Dragon Mountain." You’re here to suffer.”
Liu Chengzong didn't say anything. After a while, he shook his head and said, "I want to come too."
He said: "I am not afraid of hard work, nor of doing things. I have never failed to do anything assigned to me. I can always do things well, but I don't know what to do."
Cao Yao echoed with a smile and said: "Don't say you are the second eldest child in the family. Even when I was as old as you, I knew nothing about it. I never thought that in the future, my father would say that farming is not good and I would waste food at home. He went to serve as a soldier with four buns on his back.
Unexpectedly, I never went home again. "
Liu Chengzong knew that Cao Yao could not empathize with him. Cao Yao had no other choice, not him.
He pointed his thumb at himself: "Growing up, I have never made any decisions. I have always been the one who teaches and arranges for my elder brothers at home. I follow. My elder brother is the general, giving orders; my brother is the officer, leading the team to execute; I It's the little soldier at the end.
But I never think this is wrong. My brother is great, and I am even more powerful. All their decisions are right. Just like my brother was dismissed from his post and sent to prison. I can't take the civil and military exams. Others may think he is cautious and pedantic, but I know him. If you do the right thing, beheading is also done.
Only this time, I thought my father and brother would have a good idea when I returned home. "
No one has a solution.
The Ming Empire, which came into the world three hundred years ago with the attitude of taunting the people and crusading against crime, made it unbearable for people to live.
As my father said, the world changes too fast, and people's hearts always have to be slow.
On the one hand, people still believed in the imperial court, recognized their official positions, were loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and were willing to help the imperial court put an end to chaos.
But on the other hand, when the veil of the thieves and bandits raging everywhere is revealed, they are just hungry people led by deserters who don't want to starve to death.
Even the governor of a province would be confused by this. When the news of thieves raging in Shaanxi was delivered to the governor's office, the person who reported it was beaten out. He said that these were not thieves, but hungry people.
Not to mention Liu Xiangyu and Liu Chengzu.
Others were confused by being at a loss before the end, but Liu Chengzong was confused by the helplessness of his father and brother, which also gave rise to his thinking.
"The chaos is coming, and Black Dragon Mountain cannot protect itself. Without Brother Cao's suggestion to buy the land, I really don't know what I would have done."
It was Cao Yao's turn to be puzzled. He asked: "There are rural soldiers in Black Dragon Mountain, and they are still building earthen fences. They can't do big things, so it's not difficult to protect themselves, right?"
Liu Chengzong nodded and said: "I thought so at the beginning, but the map selection of the Black Dragon Mountain was made by my father and my son. At that time, we all missed one thing. There is no water in Liujiamao."
In fact, it shouldn’t be said that it was omitted.
As common people under the rule of the imperial court, they unintentionally put the Yan'an guards and troops who were close at hand into their considerations.
When Liujiamao Tuwei was built, it was a simple refuge. As long as it could block thieves when they came, it was enough for the old, weak, women and children to have a place to take refuge.
Only a few dozen miles away from Yan'an Fucheng, if you encounter thieves on the first day, the army will be able to kill them the next day.
At that time, no one could have imagined that not only did the imperial officers and soldiers dare not fight against the thieves, they would also trade with them.
"There are two wells in the village at the foot of the mountain. Once the village is lost, it will be besieged for three to five days. It will collapse without reinforcements."
Liu Chengzong raised his hand and smiled: "The solution I can think of is to serve as reinforcements outside."
"By the way, Brother Cao, let me ask you something." Feeling relieved, Liu Chengzong suddenly thought of his uncle's wanted document and asked Cao Yao: "Have you ever been wanted?"
