After Zhang Rui left Li Mansion, he went directly to the blacksmith shop. It could be seen from the behavior that he never saw Li Hun and Li Decai. He knew that he needed to speed up the process of suppressing the bandits, otherwise the bandits from Zhilian Mountain would definitely come over at the latest the day after tomorrow. It doesn't matter how many bandits will come by then. If they come in full force, how can I and a group of novices cope with it?
The scorching sun cannot stop a worried person from rushing like wind at his feet, even if he is already sweating profusely.
Waiting for Zhang Rui at the blacksmith shop were not only Li Niushi and Wu Lei's family, but also the owner of the blacksmith shop, Li Laibao. After all, this was a rare and big business. Even though Zhang Rui had paid the deposit, it was hard to stop Li Laibao's inner excitement.
As soon as Zhang Rui arrived at the blacksmith shop, he chatted with Li Laibao for a while and asked: "Boss, it's not early, have you calculated the total price?"
Li Laibao looked at the scorching sun high in the sky, and then said: "It's indeed getting late. I just calculated that the total is one hundred and twelve taels. Can you see if the calculation is correct?"
When I heard the number given by Li Laibao, it was quite different from what Zhang Rui calculated in his own mind. Ten steel knives cost 2 taels each, twelve shields cost 2 taels each, sixteen spears cost 2 taels each, two bows each cost 11 taels, and thirty arrows totaling eight taels. five. As long as the formula is simple and one column, it can be calculated that it should be one hundred and fifteen taels.
Zhang Rui was really doubtful about how Li Laibao calculated the one hundred and twelve taels. So he asked: "What? Is the boss sure it is this number?"
"Well, I'll do the math again." Li Laibao said awkwardly, thinking silently in his mind: "Did he know about the one or two silver coins I secretly added?"
"I just did the math on this, and it was indeed wrong. It should be one hundred and eleven taels of silver?"
"Boss, are you sure your calculations are correct?" Zhang Rui asked again speechlessly.
"It's definitely right this time. If you don't believe me, just do the math again. I'm sure it's the price." Li Laibao returned firmly. I thought to myself, I don’t believe you can still count, I will definitely not scare you this time.
"Okay, then let's just say this is the price! Don't say that I don't believe you. I don't think so. I can't say there will be cooperation in the future. I don't believe that Boss Li can still deceive me like this. Honest man." Zhang Rui said helplessly. Anyway, his money was not from a legitimate source. I don't know how many bandits used his knives to kill people and steal goods.
"It's easy to say. Thank you Brother Six for your trust. I'm sure we will cooperate again in the future." Li Laibao couldn't help but feel happy when he heard that Zhang Rui was no longer settling scores. Sure enough, this kid doesn't know how to count, so he shouldn't have been frightened just now. Fortunately, I secretly added three coins, which was enough to buy a few kilograms of meat. Not bad.
When both parties were satisfied, Zhang Rui settled the money with Li Laibao. So he took Li Niushi and Wu Lei's family pushing a cart of weapons and headed home. When he arrived, Li Laibao warmly greeted him to remember to come and visit often in the future.
………
When Zhang Rui and others returned to Datong Village, it was already the last hour, very close to the last three moments when Zhang Rui announced his recruitment. Looking at the crowds surging throughout the village, even Zhang Rui couldn't help but be startled. There were nearly a thousand people from nearby villages who came to watch the excitement, try their luck, and determined to apply. This village, which usually only has about a hundred people, suddenly seems to be full of vitality.
As soon as everyone saw Zhang Rui coming back, they immediately gathered around and asked various questions. Looking at the chaotic crowd, Zhang Rui had no choice but to ask them to wait patiently.
…
In less than three seconds, all the work was proceeding in an orderly manner. At this time, Zhang Rui guided the applicants and spectators to the open space by the river outside the village. The village is too small and there is really no place for so many people to take the exam together.
Zhang Rui asked Li Si, Aunt Li, Li Niushi, Wu Lei, Wu Li, and invited the Zhou family, Zhou Tong, Zhou Tie and his wife to assess the weightlifting together with Mr. Zhou Bing.
Because there are no stone locks, the tools used for weightlifting assessments are just stones, soil and other objects wrapped in cloth, weighed at 60 kilograms, and then made with handles. The purpose of the weightlifting assessment is only to assess arm strength, as long as the weight is lifted horizontally for more than ten breaths, so there are not many requirements for assessment tools.
All groups will be assessed at the same time. There are probably more than 400 people who took the assessment seriously and tried it out, most of whom are tenant farmers.
Zhang Rui was speechless when he looked at most of the evaluators, who were all pretty and thin. With people like these, how much can they lose by lifting weights? I dare not think about it.
At Zhang Rui's order, the weightlifting assessment officially began. Each group will be assessed on forty people, each taking at least one minute to two minutes. It took an hour to complete the weightlifting test, and the results were so fast that it was unbelievable. The entire assessment only took fifty minutes from start to finish, not even half an hour.
Many of them just moved on to the next one without being able to pick it up, and some just barely picked it up and failed before they could hold it firmly. For those who passed, many of them gave up after just five breaths. In this way, there were only 132 people left from more than 400 people.
Among the 132 qualified people, the vast majority are only about 1.6 meters tall, with only a few above 1.7 meters tall. They all have dark complexions and thin and fleshless bodies. Looking at the group of people whose heads were bare except for the tufts of hair braided into rat tails, Zhang Rui looked like little heads of garlic. At this time, their eyes showed rare excitement.
After the weightlifting assessment, Zhang Rui asked those who had passed the assessment to rest for a quarter of an hour. Then move on to the next thing, running.
If you run twenty laps around the open space by the river within the time of one stick of incense (about 20 minutes), you will be considered qualified (about three kilometers). This assessment standard is lower than the current military newcomer assessment, but considering that participating Zhang Rui should not ask too much for the physical fitness of his personnel.
Not long after the running test, there was only time for one stick of incense. It should be said that although people of this era are thin, their endurance and strength are much better than those of modern people. One hundred and thirty-two people qualified, reaching one hundred and ten. Among the twelve people eliminated, five said they were too hungry to run, three thought they had no strength, and the remaining four ran out of time.
Those who passed were secretly happy, but the twelve who failed were heartbroken.
One hundred and ten people, a full 80 more than what Zhang Rui wanted to recruit. Among these eighty people, only thirteen belong to Datong Village.
"Everyone should understand that Zhang Rui's bandit suppression team only recruits thirty people, and now the total number completely exceeds my requirements. Therefore, we will continue to undergo training in the next ten days. If you can't stand it, you can ask to leave. If you don't pass, you can leave. We will continue to eliminate them." Zhang Rui said to this group of excited people who had passed the test.
Hearing that Zhang Rui would continue training to eliminate people, the group of people who had just passed the test and had not had time to be happy became worried again. Those who had just failed the test and were sad seemed to have been comforted. Even if you pass this level, you may not be able to pass the next training level!
Zhang Rui paused and continued:
"Of course, the next ten days of training will be used as compensation for taking up everyone's time. I will be responsible for the food for each day's training. I will be paid thirty cents a day and two kilograms of rice per day. The wages and rice will only be settled when the training fails. After passing the training, you can get 20 taels of silver to settle down. If anyone can't accept it, you can leave immediately, and anyone who has any objections can raise it now."
