The Record of Swordsmen in the Late Sui and Early Tang Dynasties

Chapter 16

When the family returned home, Duan Yanqing immediately went from house to house to find more than [-] street neighbors.

Then he said with a smile: "I plan to build a cowshed on the east side of my yard, and ask some folks to help me. After the cows grow up, it will be convenient for the villagers to use the cows in the future.

Don't leave at noon today, just eat at my house.Changsheng, ask your second aunt to come over and help with the cooking. "

Duan Changsheng agreed and ran out.

One of the cousins ​​saw it and asked: "I said, big brother, are you looking for so many people to build a cowshed? Wouldn't it be enough to have one or two people?"

Duan Yanqing smiled after hearing this and said: "We built this cowshed a bit bigger, it won't work if there are fewer people."

"Then what materials are we going to use to build it?"

Duan Yanqing laughed and said: "What can I use to build it? Our brick builders definitely can't afford it. I plan to use the loess on the hillside to build it. Two boards are clamped together, and it will be fine with a tamp!"

The cousin shook his head. "Brother, this method is fine, but now it's all frozen soil, can it be firm?"

"Then what can I do? Isn't this waiting to be used in a hurry?"

Duan Wuji laughed and said: "Father, I have an idea. Let's go to the rice shop and order some yellow rice. Let's boil the yellow rice in a big pot and eat fried pork slices with yellow rice at noon, and add the rice soup to the soil." Don’t you think that’s enough, everyone says yellow rice grouting is solid, so let’s try it.”

The uncle slapped Duan Wuji on the head. "You bastard, that yellow rice grout is strong. But do you know how much yellow rice we need? Can our house afford it?"

Duan Yanqing thought for a while and said: "Wuji, you can do it this way, go and think about it with Dad.

Sigh, brother, you go to the rice store and ask for some yellow rice, let him deliver it to us, you go to our Duanjia rice store and ask for it, I will pay when the goods arrive. "

"How about dozens of catties?"

"Let's talk about three hundred first."

The cousin smiled. "Brother, you are so generous. I think you don't want to pass it. Well, I'll go."

With that said, he stepped out.

Duan Yanqing said to the crowd: "Everyone go home and prepare. Those who hold shovels take shovels, those who hold planks take planks, and those who use rammers take rammers. Those who have small carts bring a few small carts over here."

After hearing this, everyone took tools and went.Not long ago, the owner of the rice shop personally led the staff and pushed the cart to deliver the rice.The rice was dropped.Duan Yanqing asked with a smile: "How much is this rice?"

"Well, this rice should cost three cents and two silvers. You are my first customer this year, and you are a big customer, so I will charge you three cents and silver. Let's all try to make it auspicious."

Duan Yanqing took out half a tael of silver and handed it over.

The owner of the rice shop looked at it and smiled awkwardly. "Oh, I haven't brought any money today, so I really can't find it for you."

Duan Yanqing smiled after hearing this: "You take it first, we will count it together next time."

The owner of the rice shop took the silver and walked away with a smile.

After a short time, people came back with tools.

There are five houses in the cowshed, the one on the east side is the storage room, the three rooms in the middle are the cowsheds for the cows, and the one on the west side is the small house for the cattle breeders.

Including the courtyard wall outside, it occupies a total of two acres of land.

The project progressed very smoothly. People first added small stones to the wet soil dug from the hillside, then sprinkled the boiled yellow rice soup on the loess, stirred it after a while, put it between two wooden boards, and then smashed it Reality.

At noon, Liucaihua shouted loudly: "It's time to eat, don't be dry, eat white flour rolls and meat!"

People thought it was a joke, but when the pile of pancakes and meat bowls came up, they were overjoyed.

"Brother, we didn't put any meat in the dumplings on the eve of the New Year's Eve. Alas, I don't have money to buy meat. I can relieve my hunger today."

Another person laughed and said: "Brother, then you are much better than me. I didn't even eat dumplings on New Year's Eve, so I ate two dry buns. Alas, I am so poor." I don’t even have the money to buy a few catties of noodles.”

Liucaihua saw it and shouted: "Stop talking, eat quickly, or you will be out of luck if the meat is gone."

Five days later, the cowshed was built, and the cowshed was built tall and grand. Duan Yanqing bought wood, propped up the roof and installed tiles, and even painted the big wooden door at the entrance with paulownia paint.

The neighbor's uncle saw it and said to Duan Yanqing: "I said Yanqing, you are building a cowshed! This is much more magnificent than your house."

Duan Yanqing smiled, "Is there any way to do this? Investment? What's missing?"

On the morning of the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, the third grandfather of Duan Jiaji sent someone to ask Duan Yanqing to come over, and told him to bring Duan Wuji with him by name.

Duan Yanqing looked at Duan Wuji and said: "Wuji, your third grandpa has asked us to come, let's hurry over."

Duan Wuji raised his face and asked. "Is our cattle dealer back?"

Duan Yanqing shook his head after hearing this. "Then I don't know. Let's go and have a look and we'll know. Wuji, let's go quickly."

The father and son hurried to Duanjiaji immediately, and waited to enter the third grandpa's house to have a look.

Ho!The courtyard was full of people, seeing Duan Yanqing leading Duan Wuji in, they hurried over to greet them.

Duan Yanqing asked with a smile: "What's the matter? Why are there so many people in the yard? Has the cattle dealer returned?"

Everyone nodded and shook their heads.

Duan Yanqing led Duan Wuji straight to the main hall of the North House, only to see his third grandfather sitting on a chair drinking water with a sigh.

When Duan Yanqing saw him, he quickly greeted the third grandfather: "Third grandfather, how are you doing recently? Third grandfather, has the cattle dealer we ordered returned?"

"Hey, who said no, it's just that we were fooled this time. Well, the promised half-big cows are true, but all of them are skinny and starved to death. Oh, how can this cow be worth that price? Yo. Let’s get it back, but if the deposit will not be returned, I’m very worried.”

Duan Wuji laughed and said: "Grandpa Sanzu, why don't you let him drive the cow over and let's have a look first? It's almost fine."

The old master let out a long sigh. "Oh, that's about it.

Yanqing, tell your second uncle to ask the cattle dealer to bring all the cattle over. "

Duan Yanqing agreed and ran out, and within a short time, the sound of mooing cows came from the yard.

Duan Wuji helped the third grandfather to go to the yard to have a look, he saw half-sized cows all over the yard, all skinny and skinny.

The old master shook his head when he saw it.Then he said to the cattle dealer: "I said Hu San, you said that your cow is so thin, is it worth the price?"

After hearing this, the cattle dealer quickly gave a deep salute to the old boss. "Third Grandpa, I'm sorry for you. I went to Monan this time. Who knew that place was eaten up early last year, so I went to my old acquaintance Battelle's house. Gave me such skinny cows?
I had a big quarrel with him, and he gave me two new calves. Hey, third grandpa, you have to stop. If that happens, won’t I be ruined?

Third Grandpa, you can't do that! "

The old boss looked at Duan Yanqing.

"Yanqing, tell me what you think."

Duan Yanqing listened and looked at Duan Wuji. "Wuji! The third grandpa is asking, tell me what you think."

Duan Wuji thought for a while and pulled the third grandfather to the side and said in a low voice: "Third ancestor, I think this cow is worth it, but the two little cows have to be picked up by him, otherwise we will have nothing to do with it." What a loss."

The old master blinked his eyes. "Wuji, you said it's early spring, and the grass hasn't grown up yet, where should we graze?"

Duan Wuji laughed and said: "If there is land to release, it's just work harder. When I went to Taiyuan Mansion a year ago, I found a small river about twenty miles away from us. And frozen ice.

You can also drink cattle if you break it open with a hammer and it is cold.If it doesn't work, we can still buy some water and drink cattle from a nearby village, isn't it just ten and a half months? "

The old master shook his head. "Wuji, do you think it's hard for such a thin cow to run forty or fifty miles a day? How long has it been eating grass?"

Duan Wuji listened with a smile: "Grandpa Sanzu, why don't we work harder? Don't we have horses in our family? We ask uncles and them to send dry food and water to the river every day. I put them all day and all night, and it takes less than ten days. The cow has recovered after a few days and a half."

"Is that okay? It's such a cold day."

"Hey, why not? That's the only way to do it."

"Okay then, I'll go over and talk to him."

Time is not long, the old master smiled and said to Duan Wuji: "Wuji, I just agreed, so I will do as you said. Now our two families have added a calf. Alas, Wuji, when are you going to herd the cows?"

"I'll leave as soon as I've finished drinking the cow. Oh, Dad, hurry home and get me a sword and a big stick, and bring me some dry food by the way."

Duan Yanqing agreed and walked out.

The people of the third grandfather's family hurriedly fetched water and began to drink the cow. After a short time, the cow was ready to drink.

After Duan Yanqing came back with the sword and the big stick, Duan Wuji carried the dry rations, took the sword, the big stick and the iron ox and drove the cattle straight to the river. The two of them drove the cattle forward. While grazing, when the sun was westward, the two finally drove the cattle to the bank of the river, and saw that the dry grass on both sides of the river was knee-deep.

The herd hadn't had enough to eat for many days, and it took them all to see so much pasture on the bank of the river.

After the sun went down, the fed cows lay down on the bank and began to rest. Duan Wuji glanced at Tie Niu and said, "Brother, you should sit between the two cows and sleep for a while, that place is more leeward."

"how about you?"

"I'm watching the cows here!"

As he said that, Duan Wuji handed over a piece of white flour bread roll. "Take it and eat, and sleep for a while when you are full."

Tie Niu took the white flour bread roll meat and immediately started to eat it. While eating, Tie Niu said: "Brother, your food is really good and delicious!"

The iron ox was full, and fell asleep on the back of the ox between the two oxen.

Duan Wuji watched the cattle while practicing boxing and kicking. When he was tired, he meditated for a while to practice internal skills, and then ate a piece of dry food and began to practice swords.

Tossing and tossing until it was just dawn, and Tie Niu woke up and took over, Duan Wuji fell into a deep sleep in the grass on the bank.

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(End of this chapter)