Fenghou

Chapter 31 The Golden Hairpin
More than a month has passed in a blink of an eye, today is the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, and tomorrow is New Year's Eve, Chen Qing is still practicing riding and shooting on the school field as usual.

He broke through the shackles of crossbow shooting twenty days ago, found the feeling of riding and shooting, and entered the first level of realm. The sign is that he has obtained Xu Ning's four drums. Xu Ning let him shoot the head, and he will never again Shot in the chest, and did it from the eye to the arrow,
For twenty days, he has been practicing riding and shooting hard, not only to consolidate his achievements, but also to break through the second level as soon as possible.

If you are a novice, it is simply impossible to practice riding and shooting well in one or two months.

But Chen Qing was different. He had excellent riding skills, sharp eyesight, steady archery, strong strength, and was accurate with every shot. He had all the conditions to become an excellent cavalry archer.

What Chen Qing has to do now is to assemble these excellent conditions, just like assembling a machine, and the most critical step is running-in.

After a lot of hard work, it will eventually come to fruition.

Chen Qing galloped on his horse, shot obliquely with a flat bow, and the arrow was like lightning. A hundred steps away, a soldier was running in the ditch holding a wooden target, 'Ka! 'An arrow hit the wooden target, and the powerful force made the soldiers in the trench almost miss the target.

The soldier opened his mouth wide, "Hey, this arrow is between the eyebrows again, this is the second arrow."

He didn't dare to raise his head, there was still an arrow below, and the soldier continued to run holding the wooden dummy.

At this time, Chen Qing switched to holding the bow with his right hand, and drew the string with his left hand. While running fast, he shot another arrow. This time, he failed to hit the center of the eyebrow, but hit the left cheek of the wooden dummy.

The soldier waved his hand and shouted: "The third arrow left the cheek!"

'Boom!Boom!Boom!Boom! Xu Ning went to the sidelines and beat the snare drum four times.

Chen Qingce immediately stepped forward and said with a smile: "Master, since the left and right bows have been completed, it should be counted as four and a half drums!"

Xu Ning shook his head, "It's just the left and right bows, so it can be counted as four drums. If you want to get four and a half drums, you have to change the target. The wooden figure is too big and the speed is too slow."

After a pause, Xu Ning said again: "You have entered the fourth drum for twenty days, but you have not broken through to the fifth drum. You should know where the gap is?"

Chen Qing nodded silently, he still couldn't keep the arrow in his heart, he always needed an aiming action, no matter how short the time was, he still needed to aim.

"How does the owner think I can break through?"

Xu Ning thought for a while and said, "I've thought about it for a few days, and I think it's still a matter of the target. This wooden dummy target is too big and moves slowly, making it very comfortable for you to shoot. I've asked my apprentice to prepare it. I will let you try a new target tomorrow, forcing you to break through."

Not far away, [-] recruits are still practicing horse stance hard. Each soldier is bare-chested and only wears a pair of shorts underneath. , There is still a stone weighing several catties hanging on his leg.

After more than a month of hard training, each soldier's horse gait has been practiced very solidly, and the running at night has greatly enhanced the soldier's physical strength and balance.

According to the plan, they will start to practice spears after the new year. Solid horse stance, abundant physical strength and superb spear skills will greatly improve the combat effectiveness of this army, and they can even fight alone with the Jurchen cavalry.

At this time, Yang Yuanqing walked over quickly, and said a little embarrassedly: "The commander must not forget the banquet at night!"

Chen Qing smiled slightly: "Don't worry! I will never forget such a big happy event."

Tonight is Yang Yuanqing's wedding. As the immediate boss, Chen Qing must express something.

He has money himself, and Zhang Jun rewarded him with a thousand taels of silver, but what Chen Qing was a little confused about was whether the marriage rules in the Song Dynasty were to give money directly, or as a gift?
He specifically consulted Zhao Xiaoyi.

Zhao Xiaoyi grinned and said, "It's fine to give money or gifts, but if you give gifts, if the other party doesn't know the value, they won't know how to repay the favor in the future. So it's more affordable for small families to give money, and everyone is happy."

"How much do you usually send?"

"Small families give a few hundred pennies, and if the conditions are good, they give a couple of pennies. The big family gives gifts for weddings, starting with ten pennies. If the gift is lower than a hundred pennies, the rich and powerful can't afford it.

In addition, it also depends on the relationship with the other party. For example, it is enough for us to give Vice General Yang three to five hundred dollars. "

"Then how do you say I will give a gift?"

Zhao Xiaoyi thought for a while and said: "I think it is best for commanders to give money and gifts as well. Money is a favor, and gifts are thoughts. As a relationship between people, commanders should give money as a gift according to the rules, but as a private friendship, commanders should send another gift." A gift, the meaning is different."

"Makes sense!"

Chen Qing pondered for a moment and said: "It's really not auspicious to give weapons to marriage, it's better to have jewels and emerald jade."

"The most famous jewelry shop in the county is called Shizhu Shop, which is the shop where Fifth Liu's son works as a clerk."

Speaking of Liu Wu's son, Chen Qing was quite embarrassed. He met the young man two days ago and told him the story of his father Liu Wu.

The little guy didn't show any excitement, but that day he went to Fuping County in heavy snow to find his father's body. Zhao Xiaoyi drew a sketch for him and gave him a few taels of silver.

"It's there!"

Zhao Xiaoyi pointed to a small shop next to the gate of Wazi, and there was an ox cart parked at the gate, just blocking the door.

The door of the store is very small, and there is no counter. There is a small sign, 'Wang Ji Shizhu Shop', and the store looks very low-key.

In the era of chaos and chaos, not keeping a low profile will attract gold soldiers to plunder.

"Is Aunt Wang there?"

Zhao Xiaoyi smiled and pushed the door open, "I brought you a big customer!"

Chen Qing suddenly understood one thing in his heart, this Zhao Xiaoyi was probably a rogue or a slick little broker in the past.

The light in the lobby was slightly dim, and a middle-aged woman by the window was introducing jewelry to two young girls.

Zhao Xiaoyi didn't knock on the door, just pushed the door open and came in, startling the three women.

The middle-aged woman recognized Zhao Xiaoyi, put her hands on her hips, and her face sank, "So it's you, a little monkey, who wants to steal my beads again?"

"Aunt Wang looks down on people too much! I'm the top deputy of the Song Army now, and I have money in my pocket, so I don't care about your little pearls."

Zhao Xiaoyi pointed to Chen Qing who was behind him, "This is our commander, come here to buy something, bring out some good products, and you won't lose a penny."

Hearing that it was the commander, the middle-aged woman immediately changed her smile, "So it's General Chen, wait a minute, I'll go get some good stuff!"

Of course, good things will not be placed in the lobby, they are all hidden in the inner room behind!
The middle-aged woman turned and left.

Chen Qing walked to the window, only then did he notice two girls, they should be a pair of sisters, one was fourteen or five years old, and the other was very young, about eight or nine years old.

Perhaps due to the fact that she was developing, the older girl looked thinner, wearing a half-worn light blue beige gown, combing her hair in a bun with a single ring, and inserting a copper hairpin at an angle.

With slender eyebrows, an oval face, and a slender mouth, she looks very handsome, but her body is a little thinner, her face is pale, and her eyes are not bright enough.

Seeing Chen Qing standing not far from her, she felt a little flustered, and quickly squeezed the small brocade bag in her hand, her long eyelashes drooping, not daring to look at Chen Qing.

Although she is thin and thin, she has a good temperament, quiet and elegant, and she looks like the daughter of a rich family or an official family.

This was the first young woman that Chen Qing had seen close by after coming to the Song Dynasty. It could be seen that she was a beautiful and intelligent lady, but it was a pity that her body was a little weaker.

The little girl next to her was completely different, with big eyes and a small face as rosy as an apple. She wore a double-ring moon-watching bun and wore a blue mink fur jacket. She had an unconcealable vitality all over her body.

She looked Chen Qing up and down, her black pupils were as beautiful as jewels, she blinked her big eyes and asked, "Is big brother here to buy jewelry?"

The girl next to her trembled in fright, and quickly grabbed her younger sister, "Little sister, don't talk nonsense!"

"Sister, the price Aunt Wang gave us is too low, show it to big brother, maybe we can get a good price."

"Azhu, you. Let's come back tomorrow!"

The girl couldn't sit still anymore, she dragged her younger sister to leave, but she was so flustered that the brocade bag in her hand fell to the ground, and a gold hairpin rolled out from it.

The little girl picked up the gold hairpin and handed it to Chen Qing, and said with a smile, "If big brother likes it, the price can be negotiated!"

The girl next to her didn't grab her younger sister, and she was so frightened that her legs went limp and she sat down again.

The innocence and liveliness of the little girl made Chen Qing laugh. Chen Qing took the golden hairpin and examined it carefully. It was a phoenix hairpin made of pure gold. The eyes are inlaid with rubies, which is even more vivid. It can be seen that it is not a new thing, it has been a long time.

It is very delicately made. Although Chen Qing doesn't know much about jewelry, he can also tell that it is something extraordinary, the kind that can be passed down from family to family.

At this time, footsteps came from the corridor, and the middle-aged woman came back.

The girl plucked up her courage and said to Chen Qing: "General, Aunt Wang is back, can you return the golden hairpin to me?"

Chen Qing smiled and said, "I really like this phoenix hairpin, how much do you plan to sell it for?"

"General, it's not about money."

The girl bit her lips tightly, she didn't know what to say?But selling things in other people's stores will offend people, doesn't he understand?

The little girl rolled her eyes, "My sister wants to sell it for [-] guan, but my elder brother likes it, so [-] guan is enough."

The girl stomped her feet anxiously, "Azhu, please stop talking too much, Aunt Wang will be angry!"

The middle-aged woman laughed, "Miss Xiao, I won't be angry. It's not that Aunt Wang deliberately lowered your price. Now the jewelry is sold as pure gold. No one buys jewelry. I've already made nothing at the market price." , if you go to the money shop, they will only give you fifteen pennies at most."

It was only then that Chen Qing realized that the girl was worried about offending Aunt Wang, seeing that she was quite young and quite sophisticated.

"Girl, don't get me wrong. I bought things from shopkeeper Wang as a gift. I like your gold hairpin very much. I want to keep it for myself. I will ask the price according to my little sister. How about twenty-nine pennies?"

"Okay!"

The little girl was so happy that she clapped her hands, shook her sister's hand and begged, "Sister, just agree! No one else would buy it."

The girl also knew that this opportunity was rare. Her golden hairpins weighed exactly one tael, and the market price of one tael of gold was exchanged for twenty guan. The hearts of these stores are too dark, and the quality warehouse even only pays ten pennies.

Aunt Wang is a nice person, and promised to pay [-] pennies according to the market price of gold. This is the family jewelry given by my grandmother!It was handed down from generation to generation in the imperial palaces of the Southern Dynasties, and my father said that it could be sold for [-] coins during the Xuanhe period.

But now it's a troubled time, and Dad is eager to collect money to leave Linyou County. This general is willing to accept twenty-nine pennies, which is indeed very good.

The girl sighed inwardly, and cast a reluctant glance at Nobile, "Then thank you General."

Chen Qing took out an ingot of silver and handed it to her, "This ingot of silver is just a little over six taels, there is no need for change, you can take it!"

The little girl stretched out her small hand and held the silver with a smile, "Thank you big brother, oh! Sister, the silver is so heavy!"

The girl hurriedly gave Chen Qing a Wanfu gift, and dragged her sister away in a panic.

(End of this chapter)