Since Zhao Xin left the camp, Sheng Haizhou has been busy every day without touching the ground.
Basically, he got up at dawn every day, took Rikichi and the other six people to exercise and practice swordsmanship. Almost an hour later, Shino, Wanzo's wife and several other women had already prepared breakfast.
Due to the sufficient food in the camp and Zhao Xin's instructions before leaving, breakfast these days is white rice.
Originally, when these people were in the island country, they had two meals a day. They had a dry meal in the morning and then went to work in the fields; they had a light meal in the evening.
Zhao Xin's requirement was to eat three meals a day, so Sheng Haizhou's arrangement was to eat rice in the morning and noon, and cook porridge in the evening. This decision surprised many refugees, especially the 137 people who followed. Because they are from peasant backgrounds, many people do not have the concept of lunch.
After more than three hundred refugees had eaten breakfast, Katsu Kaishu and six other people, Toshiyoshi, Manzo, Heita, Kuzo, Mosuke, and Torayoshi, started their daily evaluation meeting.
Because of the submissiveness of the refugees, Sheng Haizhou could only let the other six "warriors" lead a group of refugees to carry out different tasks.
For example, Li Ji was the first to follow Zhao Xin, so he was responsible for the distribution and collection of all materials in the camp. When everyone returned to the camp after work every day, they needed to return the tools they received in the morning, and Li Ji would lead the inspection to check whether they were damaged.
Shino and Wan Zao's wife led more than 20 women who were responsible for cooking, and these people were also managed by Liji.
Wan Zao led more than thirty stronger men and women who were responsible for digging soil and filling the explosion-proof wall every day. This work is very strenuous, especially during the freezing weather. Sometimes a pickaxe can only dig a hole a few inches deep, so the progress is very slow. The refugees called Zhao Xin's "iron basket wall" with an iron basket made of steel bars on the outside and an explosion-proof wall like a cloth bag filled with soil on the inside.
Heita and Jiuzang led a dozen other men to cut down trees around the camp after receiving tools from Rikichi every day. Many old people and children followed behind, picking up branches after felling and using them for heating and cooking in the camp stove.
Mosuke and Torayoshi lead the rest of the men and are responsible for the security around the camp to prevent wild beast attacks.
The routine evaluation meeting mainly reports on the completion of yesterday's work and what to do today.
Since Zhao Xin didn't leave any timing tools behind before he left, everyone in the camp could only arrange each day according to the rising and setting times of the sun.
This time is in the "second warmest period" in meteorology, and the daytime temperature is only about minus 10 degrees. With the blessing of autumn clothes and long-lasting protective coats, many refugees even feel that this winter is not cold at all.
At noon on the thirtieth day after Zhao Xin left, Sheng Haizhou was sitting in the tent after lunch, calculating the consumption and balance of food when Huji ran into the tent panting.
"Here, here comes a man, leading a horse. Coming from the east."
"Who is it?" Upon hearing this, Sheng Haizhou quickly put down the booklet and brush in his hand, stood up and asked.
"I don't know, I guess they are the people the adults mentioned."
"Kurkaqi people?" Sheng Haizhou clearly remembered what Zhao Xin'e had said about the situation around Bear Island.
"I can't tell, Lord Katsu, go and have a look." Torogychi couldn't help but said, pulling Katsu Kaishu out.
Katsu Kaishu broke away from Kokichi's pull, leaned over to pick up his coat, put it on, and left the tent.
The weather was a bit gloomy at this time, and the cold wind blew on his face like a knife, making Sheng Haizhou shiver.
Huji led the way, and Sheng Haizhou followed all the way to the "iron basket wall" in the northeast of the camp.
The explosion-proof wall here has not been filled with earth and stone, but the steel frames are neatly arranged, and the khaki bags have been packed. The bottom of the explosion-proof wall was blocked and buried with some earth and rocks by Wan Zao and his group.
Before Koji could reach out to point, Katsu Kaishu had already seen a tall man with an animal skin wrapped around a ragged robe two hundred steps away, leading a horse and walking towards the camp. The man's horse seemed to be carrying something, but it couldn't be seen clearly from a distance.
"Go and ask Pingtao to come over." Sheng Haizhou ordered a refugee next to him.
After hearing this, the refugee quickly ran to the west side of the camp. Heita and Jiuzang are cutting wood in the west today, and they may have to wait for a while before they can come over.
Speaking of Mr. Zhao Xinzhao's "Seven Dwarfs"... Bah! Among Seven Samurai, apart from Katsu Kaishu, Heita was the only one who had worked as a shop assistant before. He often dealt with customers and had seen the market to some extent.
Sheng Haizhou himself didn't know how to deal with these aboriginal people, because this was the first time they encountered them. Moreover, Sheng Haizhou felt that as Mr. Zhao's "old Chinese", how could he go up to negotiate in person?
The man stopped when he was twenty steps away from the outer wall of the camp, shouted several times at Sheng Haizhou, and waved. Only then did Sheng Haizhou see that the man was carrying a deer on his horse.
At this time, Torayoshi and Mosuke were extremely nervous, and half of the swords in their hands had been pulled out. The other refugees were even more nervous, and they all tightened their grip on the wooden sticks in their hands; these wooden sticks were sharpened with an axe, and were trimmed very smoothly, and were used by the refugees as spears.
When Sheng Haizhou watched the aboriginal wave in his direction, he was extremely nervous, but he knew that he couldn't show it in front of these refugees. As for what the aborigine was shouting towards him, he couldn't understand it at all.
He glanced back, but Pingtai hadn't come over yet. He gritted his teeth and thought for a moment, then raised his hand and waved to the man.
The man saw Sheng Haizhou waving, so he pulled the horse's rein back and walked a few steps forward.
Now there was trouble. Torayoshi, Mosuke and several refugees immediately shouted at the man to stop and not move forward. Mosuke, on the other hand, pulled out the knife nervously, and the sharp blade was particularly eye-catching.
As soon as the man saw someone drawing a knife, he immediately stopped, then began to step back, and then stood back to his original position.
Just as the situation was tense, Sheng Haizhou heard the sound of running footsteps behind him. When he looked back, he saw that it was Pingtai and the refugees he had sent before.
Pingtai was sweating on his forehead, but his breathing was very steady. It seems that these days of hard training have significantly improved his physical fitness.
"Master Sheng, what happened?" Pingtai asked Sheng Haizhou as he looked at the aborigines not far away.
"It seems to be a local. Your Excellency has mentioned to me before that these people are called Kurkhachi people. I don't know the reason for his coming. He came here just to discuss it with you."
After hearing what Sheng Haizhou said, Heita walked to the camp wall and carefully looked at the man twenty steps away. After looking at it for a while, he turned around and said to Sheng Haizhou: "It doesn't look like you're here to grab something." After thinking for a moment, he handed the knife to Sheng Haizhou's hand and continued to say to the people around him: "Don't move, I Go check it out.”
Katsu Kaishu put his hand on Heita's shoulder and said to him: "Heita, be careful."
Pingtai nodded to everyone, and then walked out through the gap in the blast wall.
When Pingtai slowly walked ten steps away from the man, he stopped. Only then did he see clearly that the horse held by the other person was carrying a deer; on the side of the saddle, there was also a quiver hanging with five or six arrows in it; and the man besides carrying In addition to a large bow, there was also a short knife on his waist. The scabbard was also made of animal skin.
"KULAKAQI?" Pingtai asked the man tentatively.
(In Japanese, the retroflex sound "R" does not exist as a phoneme. Since you have never heard it, you will naturally not be able to speak it. Therefore, islanders who have not been trained in other languages cannot pronounce retroflex at all. The sound can only be replaced by the "L" sound.)
When the man opposite saw that Pingtai knew Kurgazi, he nodded excitedly, patted the deer on the horse a few times, and pointed at Pingtai's coat and said something.
Heita still didn't understand at all. He thought for a moment, then pointed at himself and said: "HIETA (the Japanese pronunciation of Heita)." After finishing speaking, he saw that the person didn't seem to understand, so he pointed at himself and said it twice.
The Kurkhaqi man opposite seemed to understand. He raised his finger and pointed at himself and said, "Yalha."
"Yariha?" Pingtai asked, pointing at the other party.
"Yarha." The Kurkaqi man repeated it again, then nodded happily, and then waved to Pingtai, asking him to come over.
"Yariha." Pingtai thought this was the other person's name. Well, until these refugees learn the allegro tongue twister, they can’t roll their tongues.
Pingtai took a few steps forward hesitantly, only to see Yalha walking towards him and stopping in front of him.
"Hey! Be careful." Everyone behind the camp wall exclaimed.
Pingtai did not step back. He looked carefully up and down at the very strong Kurkhaqi man in front of him. This guy was as strong as a cow, with broad shoulders, thick finger joints, and very thick legs. He wore a pair of shoes on his feet. Big boots made of animal skins, stuffed with thatch (Ula grass); the tops and trousers are both made of cloth, but the robe on the upper body is also a little worn; on the head is a big furry hat, It looks very warm.
Then Heita turned sideways and looked at the deer on the horse. A pair of huge antlers came into view, and Pingtai counted them in his mind, and there were as many as eight antlers. This deer looks very strong, with thick gray-brown fur, and a trace of white down on the deer's belly.
At this time, the head of the deer on horseback was drooped to one side. Pingtai saw a hole as thick as a finger on its neck, which looked like it had been shot with an arrow. There wasn't much blood flowing out of the wound, and it was already frozen.
On the opposite side, Yalha looked down at Pingtai. He stared at Pingtai's cotton-padded clothes, and then reached out and gently touched Pingtai's shoulder. He rubbed it a few times, and his eyes shone with light. Then he pointed at Pingtai's cotton-padded clothes, turned around and pointed at the deer on the horse, and said something blatantly.
It was such a cold day that Pingtai was so frightened that beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. After watching the other party's actions in a daze, he probably understood what he meant. Then he turned around and shouted to Sheng Haizhou: "Master Sheng, I think he wants to exchange the deer for our cotton-padded clothes."
It was only then that everyone behind the wall let out a long sigh. It turned out that they wanted to change things. Some of the refugees were so nervous that they almost peed.
Sheng Haizhou thought for a while, and he felt that it would be better not to have any conflicts before the adults came back. He could only stabilize the other party temporarily, and then see how to deal with it after the adults came back to report.
So he shouted to Pingtai: "Tell him to wait a moment, I will go find Li Ji."
After hearing this, Heita immediately gestured at the other party for a long time, indicating to wait a moment.
Yaerha seemed to understand what Pingtai meant, and then patted his chest to express his relief.
Pingtai turned around and shouted to Sheng Haizhou: "Bring me a cotton coat first."
Sheng Haizhou immediately turned around to look for Li Ji. After taking only two steps, he saw Li Ji leading a few people out from behind a tent. Liji held a knife in his hand, and several others were about to rush up with shovels and pickaxes. Katsu Kaishu quickly stepped forward to stop them.
He grabbed Liji and told Pingtai the situation. After listening, Liji asked directly: "What if the adults come back and ask about it?"
"Of course, tell the truth." Sheng Haizhou said firmly. "Don't worry, I will take all the responsibilities."
Li Ji thought for a moment and realized that he had no other solution. He would be afraid if he really had to draw his sword and attack the guy. So he had no choice but to agree with Sheng Haizhou's opinion. He first walked to the camp wall and looked at the figure of the Kurkhaqi man, then turned around and went back to get the cotton clothes.
After a while, Li Ji came back holding a worn cotton coat.
"Why is it old?" Sheng Haizhou saw that the cuffs of the cotton-padded coat were a little worn and the front was a little dirty.
"What's wrong with the old ones? Isn't this good? These clothes are not torn." Liji's tone was very tough. He was not afraid of Sheng Haizhou.
Katsu Kaishu had no choice but to return to the wall with the clothes, and waved at Heita with the clothes.
Pingtai saw that the clothes were brought, so he gestured to Yalha and asked him to wait a moment. He turned around and walked back to the wall to get the clothes, then handed them to Yalha with both hands.
Yalha happily took the cotton coat and looked through it back and forth in his hand. He found that the fabric used in this cotton-padded garment had never been seen before, and it felt very smooth. Moreover, the padding of this garment was very thick, and a lot of cotton should have been put into it. What surprised him most was that the stitching on this garment was dense and tight, both inside and outside. It's all like this, not even a single exposed thread can be seen.
However, the style of this dress is really strange. Not to mention the material of the buttons, he has never seen it before. There are two diagonal pockets on the outside, and there is also a pocket on the lining. Moreover, this dress is double-breasted from top to bottom, not the common Manchu style of side-breasted.
However, this robe is really rare!
