As night fell, many fires were lit in the camp by the river, and many soldiers sat around.
The two brothers Chen Wen and Chen Wu wore breastplates with excited faces and walked around the camp.
Both of them had been dealing with Beilu for many years. As soon as they got the breastplate, they knew that this breastplate was very suitable for them. It was difficult for Beilu's soft bow to shoot through this kind of breastplate.
If everyone in the border town of Datong wore such a breastplate, they would have the confidence to fight to Qingcheng.
However, the two of them knew in their hearts how the imperial court, which could not even pay out any money, would be willing to spend money to make such a breastplate that was worth a fortune at first sight.
"You two, Mr. Zhao, please come over here." A Tiger Flag soldier came to the two brothers Chen Wen and Chen Wu.
The two brothers Chen Wen and Chen Wu did not dare to delay and followed the soldier to a bonfire.
"I've met Mr. Zhao."
When the two saw Zhao Yutu sitting beside the bonfire, they hurriedly bowed and saluted.
"You're welcome, come and sit together." Zhao Yutu pointed to the empty seat beside the bonfire and motioned for the two of them to sit down.
Chen Wen stepped forward and sat down carefully.
Chen Wu followed closely behind, sitting next to Chen Wen.
Zhao Yutu handed the drawing in his hand to the person next to him and warned: "The hills and water source areas must be clearly marked. You and others will finish the drawing tomorrow morning."
"Yes." It was a young man who agreed and took the thin wooden board with the drawing.
After the young man left, Zhao Yutu looked at Chen Wen and Chen Wu with a smile and said, "Brothers Chen, how did you eat tonight?"
"Our brothers are quite full." Chen Wu scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
The soldiers of the Tiger Flag each had two pancakes, half a salted fish, and a bowl of broth, but he ate four pancakes, half a salted fish, and drank two bowls of broth.
This meal was better than what he had eaten during the Chinese New Year, and he also heard that people in the Tiger Flag often ate like this. Almost every meal had meaty taste. The only bad thing was that they were not allowed to drink alcohol.
Zhao Yutu asked with a smile: "Are you two interested in working in Tiger Flag?"
"This..." Chen Wu hesitated and looked at Chen Wen aside.
Chen Wen hesitated for a moment and said, "Our brothers have never thought about this. Please let Mr. Zhao allow us to think about it."
"There's no rush." Zhao Yutu said with a smile, "You two can just give me an answer before returning to Xinping Fort."
"Thank you, Mr. Zhao, for being considerate of us two brothers." Chen Wen bowed his hand.
"Brother Chen, you're welcome." Zhao Yutu said, "Come here with the two of you. I would like to ask how long it will take for us to get to Zhangjiakou."
Chen Wen thought for a moment and said: "If we go fast, we can get there in three or four days, but if we go by car... I'm afraid it will take us seven or eight days to get there."
Zhao Yutu said with a smile: "Then these days will be hard for you two."
"No hard work, no hard work, this is what we should do." Chen Wen waved his hands repeatedly, and that was what he thought in his heart.
This time when they came out with the Tiger Flag convoy, each of their brothers got a breastplate, and their food was much better than when they were in Xinpingbao.
For such a errand, let alone one or two silver dollars a day, I would still be willing to do it even if I had no money.
After saying a few more words, Zhao Yutu asked the two of them to go back and rest early.
Chen Wen and Chen Wu returned to their tent and reluctantly took off their breastplates.
After all, sleeping in a breastplate that weighs more than ten kilograms is not comfortable at all, and if you don't get enough rest, it can easily delay the next day's schedule.
Outside the tent, fire flashed from time to time, it was the torch in the hands of the patrol team.
"Mr. Zhao asked us brothers to join the Tiger Flag. Brother, what are you thinking about? You should agree directly. Staying in the Tiger Flag is much better than returning to Xinping Fort." Chen Wu took off his breastplate and sat cross-legged in the tent.
Chen Wen sat up and said, "Do you want to stay in Tiger Flag?"
"Of course I thought about it." Chen Wu said, "We have been doing this for so many years, and we can hardly support our families. It is better to stay in the Tiger Flag. During the day, I found out from other people in the team that each of them The salary is at least one tael per month, and it is paid in pure silver. The salary in the cavalry is even higher. With our brothers’ abilities, we will definitely be able to stay in the cavalry.”
Chen Wendao said: "One tael of silver is not much. If we work all night, it will not be less than this."
"That's different." Chen Wu said, "Whenever we received full pay from the customs, the food we received was old grain, and the silver was also rotten silver. One tael could be used as five cents of silver at most. No one else is willing to accept this.”
There was a lot more resentment in his tone.
Except for the soldiers and servants of Bian Jiang, whether they were working at night or in the barracks, Bian Town had never received full pay, and most of the time they were in arrears.
Not collecting food at night is better than working in the regular barracks, but the money and food collected each time are not enough to support the family.
Chen Wen didn't say anything. He knew that what Chen Wu said was true.
Compared with Chen Wu alone, his eldest brother has a mother-in-law and two children at home. The little salary and food given by the court are not enough for the family to eat. If it were not for Chen Wu's help, someone in the family would have starved to death. .
His situation is relatively good, at least he has Chen Wu to help him. Many women in the army secretly built secret doors to prevent the children and the elderly from starving to death, just to let the elderly and children have food to eat.
Seeing that Chen Wen remained silent, Chen Wu couldn't help but ask: "Brother, what on earth do you think?"
Chen Wen did not answer, but said: "Do you still remember what Mr. Zhao said during the day?"
"What are you talking about?" Chen Wu didn't hesitate. He couldn't think of what his elder brother was asking.
Chen Wen said: "Mr. Zhao said during the day that their Tiger Flag will do business with Beilu in the future."
"What happened to me at that time!" Chen Wu said, "Even if they don't do business with Beilu, wouldn't others have an affair with Beilu?"
Bribing the border generals, bypassing the horse market, and conducting private transactions with Beilu has become the norm in border towns.
Chen Wen said: "Our ancestors came to the Ming Dynasty during the Yongle period. It has been more than a hundred years. Several generations of people have died at the hands of the Beibei. Our family has an irresolvable blood feud with the Beibei. The tiger-character flag in Lingqiu is a good choice." , but they, like those in Zhangjiakou, want to do business with Beilu, and I am not willing to work for such a proprietor."
Chen Wu frowned and said, "You haven't read a book, how can you learn the pedantry of scholars."
After a pause, he continued: "Many of our ancestors died at the hands of the Beilu, but many of them killed the Beilu. The hatred between us and the Beilu cannot be explained clearly in one or two sentences. , Besides, even if you don’t think about yourself, you have to think about my sister-in-law and two children at home. You really want my sister-in-law to be a trap like the mothers of my colleagues in the army, and you are willing to do it. "
"I..." Chen Wen seemed to have been drained of energy. He sat sluggishly and his head drooped.
As a man, how would he want to see his mother-in-law working as a trapdoor?
"If Abu were still alive, I believe he would agree to let us join the Tiger Flag." Chen Wu said dissatisfied.
Chen Wen raised his head and said, "Let me think about it again. Didn't Mr. Zhao give us some time to think about it?"
"Then you think about it. Anyway, I must join the Tiger-Character Banner. If I continue to stay in Xinping Fort and work all night, I can only wait to starve to death." Chen Wu was too lazy to persuade his brother and lay down.
Chen Wen sighed and sat in the tent without moving for a long time, like a wooden stake.
