"That Xiqigu is a small official in our village, and he is also among the conscripts this time. It is said that his ancestor is an old noble, and he is very arrogant all day long. This time our chief and corps commander are probably him and Brother Zhu. people."
In hùn, Xiaobai talked about the round-faced man in the corner just now.
Zhao Tuo nodded slightly, which was almost as he guessed.
Compared with the others in Gengshi, the Xiqigu was not only chubby, but also wore an old fur. It would be normal if he was a country official who did not have to work.
The conscription system of the Qin State is not only for ordinary civilians, but also for government officials. Unless your title is high enough to be exempted from military service, or you have reached the age of suspension, as long as the country needs it, you will be recruited. Gotta go to the battlefield.
However, the surname of Xiqigu is rare. He should be a descendant of Xiqigu during the Qin Mugong period four hundred years ago.
The Mengxibai Tribe is one of the oldest nobles in the Qin State. Unfortunately, with Shang Yang's reforms, military merit and honors spread throughout the Qin State. The descendants of these old nobles fell off the altar one by one. Nowadays, most of them have become common people. Keeping a useless surname shows the past achievements and glory of the ancestors.
"Well, if Brother Zhu does something good, I will definitely support him."
Zhao Tuo said with a smile.
The military system of the Qin State is that five men are in a team, and ten men are in a ten.
There must be a leader among the troops, a leader of the troops.
Only those with knighthoods can serve as military officials. Unless there are insufficient knights, they will be chosen from among the remaining soldiers.
Counting Zhao Tuo, Geng Shi had three people with the title of Duke. The commander and the commander of the corps must come from these three people.
But Zhao Tuo is definitely not a high-ranking official. He has the same title as Zhu and Xiqigu, but both of them are more than twice his age, around thirty years old.
Not only because of their age, but also because both Zhu and Xiqigu had served several times and had sufficient experience in military affairs, so they were far more suitable to be a military commander than Zhao Tuo.
"I also want Brother Zhu to be a leader, but it's a pity that this has to be decided by the village chief." Xiaobai curled his lips.
Even though the Chief of Staff is a high-ranking official, he must be appointed by his superiors and must be approved by the head of the village who manages at least fifty people.
Zhao Tuo shook his head. According to the current situation, it would not be his turn anyway.
With that said, he and Xiaobai walked out together.
The good thing about this military camp is that although the toilet is also called a toilet, there is no pigsty next to it, so the experience is much better than in the countryside.
On the way back, Xiaobai touched Zhao Tuo's winter coat familiarly.
"I said, Tuo, your clothes are newly made and they are too warm. I see that you have a surname, a title, and money. I am afraid you are not a descendant of a noble family, right?"
Zhao Tuo imitated Xiqigu's tone just now and said: "If I were a nobleman's son, would I still stay in the same room with you bastards? It's just that before I came to Qin, my family had some money, it's nothing."
Xiaobai chuckled, and the two of them walked all the way to the Tsuchiya.
Perhaps because of the mention of clothes, Zhao Tuo thought of the young man named Shejian who had just entered the room.
He noticed that the clothes on Shebama were very thin. They were summer clothes worn only in the hot season, and they were very torn. Through the torn holes, the chapped skin under the clothes could be seen.
You must know that this time they are going north to Yandi, and it is the twelfth lunar month of winter again. If their clothes are not thick enough, they may freeze to death without having to fight.
The conscripted soldiers, no matter how poor their families were, would still squeeze out some money and cloth to buy a winter coat.
Is Shejian dressed like this because his family is too poor to afford a winter coat?
As soon as they entered the door, they heard Xiqigu complaining.
"It stinks so much. Your clothes haven't been washed for days. It stinks to death. Stay away from Naigong."
Zhao Tuo followed the sound and saw Xiqi Gu pinching his nose, leaning against the earth wall, looking at the young man on the withered grass mat next to him with disgust.
The earthen house that these ten people live in is only for them to live temporarily for one day. When the reorganization is completed tomorrow, they will leave for Lantian Camp, and they will take the next step when they get there.
Wherever there is a temporary residence or a fixed bed, whoever comes first gets the first choice.
Before Zhao Tuo and She Jian came, everyone disliked Xiqigu's harsh and mean mouth, so they left the withered straw mat next to him empty.
When Zhao Tuo came to report, Zhu saw that Zhao Tuo was young and was afraid that he would be bullied by Xiqigu, so he waved Zhao Tuo in advance to sleep on the bed next to Zhu.
Unexpectedly, the last person to report was a young man who had just graduated from school.
Shejian was taciturn. He didn't say a word after entering the room and went straight to lie down on the empty seat.
Perhaps because he disliked the dirt on Shejian's clothes, Xiqigu was very unhappy and kept ridiculing him.
"Okay, okay, we are all the same, so just say less."
Zhu spoke out to dissuade him. He and Zhao Tuo were the only ones in the room who could compare with Xiqigu in terms of title, and the others did not dare to speak no matter how unhappy they were.
"Nai Gong and you guys are so different from each other. It's really unlucky."
Xiqigu snorted. Then when he saw Zhao Tuo and Xiaobai entering the room, he shouted again: "Why don't you two close the door quickly? Didn't you see that guy next to you is shivering like a dog in the cold? It would be really bad luck if he froze to death next to Nai Gong."
"Pooh."
Xiaobai secretly spat, turned back and closed the door.
Zhao Tuo just smiled, not bothering to argue with this bastard. Arguing with him would lower his level.
This man is still a minor official, and I don't know if he usually behaves like this in front of other officials.
Fortunately, Xiqigu kept shouting for a long time, and when no one paid attention to him, he stopped talking, and the room became quiet again.
Zhao Tuo got on his bed and looked at Shejian opposite, and saw that he was just like Xiqigu said, his whole body shrank into a ball, and the skin outside his summer clothes was covered with goosebumps.
After a while, Shejian probably had to go to the toilet and came down from the platform. At this time, Zhao Tuo noticed that the straw sandals on his feet were almost tattered and his exposed toes were covered with frostbite.
Shejian moved his body and opened the door. The moment the cold wind blew in, Zhao Tuo shivered when he saw him.
The door was closed again, and the boy's figure disappeared.
Zhao Tuo hesitated for a moment and then followed him down the platform.
"Tuo, where are you going? You can't wander around in this camp." Xiaobai asked curiously when he saw Zhao Tuo opening the door.
"I'm going to drink it."
"Ah? Didn't you just go there?"
Zhao Tuo ignored the questions behind him. He walked straight out of the earthen house and walked outside to wait.
After a while, Shebama's figure appeared.
The young man walked straight towards Gengshi's earthen house, not even noticing Zhao Tuo who was waiting aside. Or maybe he noticed, but didn't want to pay attention to it.
"Wait a minute."
Zhao Tuo shouted quickly.
She Jian turned around and looked at Zhao Tuo with an indifferent expression.
It was cold, but his look was even colder.
Zhao Tuo sighed, took off his thick and still warm winter coat, and wrapped it around Shejian's body.
Only then did he feel how thin the young man was. He was two years older than Zhao Tuo, but his body was much thinner than Zhao Tuo. He could touch the raised bones with his hands.
"Why?"
Shejian finally spoke. He frowned at the winter coat wrapped around him and looked at Zhao Tuo with some confusion.
Zhao Tuo smiled and said: "I have heard of a poem written in Qin."
"Do you mean you have no clothes?"
"Be in the same robe as your son."
"As the poem says, you are my robe. If you have no clothes to wear, I will share it with you."
Shejian was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but said: "If you give it to me, then you have nothing to wear."
"Haha, if you're not wearing anything, you're not wearing anything. The weather won't freeze me to death."
After Zhao Tuo finished speaking, a gust of cold wind blew, and he couldn't help sneezing while wearing only single clothes.
Shejian frowned and reached out to pull off his winter coat.
But Zhao Tuo had already run away. He hugged his arms and ran towards the earthen house, still smiling and saying: "I'm just kidding you. I still have some clothes inside, just put them on."
"My robe cannot bear the cold."
Shejian stood there, staring blankly at Zhao Tuo's running figure.
The residual heat from his winter coat warmed his body.
The frost in his eyes melted away.
He murmured: "How can I say that I have no clothes? I share the same robe with you..."
