golden scales

In terms of class, Wang Yi is the youngest general in Ming Dynasty—by default, Zhang Ergou is just a retired auxiliary soldier, and the two are simply worlds apart.However, within the scope of the village, Zhang Ergou's influence is greater than that of Wang Yi.Because he was born and raised locally, Wang Yi's family is just outsiders.

After the succession of excitement is over, Zhang Ergou is faced with the biggest choice in his life, how can he make a living?You can't just sit and eat at home.

He first denied working in the fields.After walking around the field with his father, he knew that he was not the one with the hoe, so he couldn't bear the hard work.Although the army is also tired, there is no such high-intensity continuous labor.Especially when working in the army, he is always full of energy, but going to the ground is boring.

Secondly, he denied going to the county to work.The hard work of building roads, carrying bags, and mining were all done by captives. After all, he was a soldier of the Ming Dynasty, so how could he do such a prestigious job?

After wandering around with nothing to do for more than ten days, fewer and fewer matchmakers visited him, and even the villagers gradually lost their enthusiasm when they saw him.No matter what dynasty or generation, people always look down on those who don't work.

"Ergou," the old lady finally couldn't stand it anymore, "It's true that we came back as a soldier, but we shouldn't be too high-spirited."

"Mother, I really don't have a suitable job, let me think about it." Zhang Ergou leaned on the pillar, looked at the white clouds in the sky, pinched it casually, and found that there was already fat on his waist.I haven't worked hard at home these days, and I eat a lot, and I've gained weight.

"Why don't you go to the county town to see Mr. Zheng? The instructors in our village used to be promoted to county captains now." His old mother asked tentatively, for fear of hurting Ergou's self-esteem.

Zhang Ergou took this issue very lightly, hugging his thigh was nothing to him, not to mention that instructor Zheng had indeed taught their physical education class.Since there is a friendship between teachers and students, he is now a county captain.It always makes sense to pay a visit.He promised his old lady: "Mother, I will go to the county tomorrow."

"Bring some freshly picked fruits and vegetables at home. I think I don't need anything now, but we have to show our hearts." Zhang's mother took care.

The military camp is also a small society. Zhang Ergou has long understood these ways of the world, and of course he knows that he cannot go there empty-handed.

Early the next morning.Zhang Ergou was woken up by his mother to see that the sky was still dim, so he had to wash up in a half-dream and half-awake state, carried a heavy basket on his back, and then walked to the county town.It wasn't until he walked more than half the distance that the sky brightened, and he was finally able to lift his spirits.

The instructor Zheng in the village is Zheng Zhi, a soldier who joined the army in Shanxi in the 16th year of Chongzhen.He was unlucky and was injured that same year.As soon as he arrived in Shandong, he transferred to a village school as an instructor.At that time, the political reform had not yet progressed, and the township bravery and inspection departments in various places were still things on paper, and the county lieutenants were also civil servants.

Later, the reform plan was finalized, and the county captains were changed to civilian military officers, and the inspection department and Xiangyong were shared, and belonged to the General Training Department of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion.As a result, all counties need "generals" who can read and write, and Zheng Zhi was enlightened to study in the army.Later, self-study can be regarded as reading and writing without any hindrance, so he was selected as Weixian captain.

He has indeed done his best in office over the years.He is upright and is well received by the villagers.

When Zhang Ergou walked to the county seat, he realized that he had committed a crime.Today is not a day off, Zheng Zhi must be on duty in the county, and this big basket of local products can't be sent directly to the county government.Where does Instructor Zheng, whom I don't know, live? What should I do?

Just thinking about it, Zhang Ergou suddenly saw a team wearing rattan armor.The inspector, holding a gun shield, approached him. He hurriedly stepped aside, put down his pannier, straightened his red uniform, and stood upright by the side of the road.

The inspection department only wears brown clothes.I have long been envious of the red uniform of the main force, and I couldn't help but secretly glance sideways, even the officer leading the team couldn't help but glance twice.

"Brother, I want to ask you something." Then Zhang Ergou stepped forward and said to the team official: "How can I get to Zheng County Wei's house?"

Zheng Zhi is directly in charge of the inspection department and Xiangyong, so Zhang Ergou thinks that the team officer should know.

The team officer really didn't know.

With his status, he is not enough to recognize the gate of the County Wei's family.

"But the county lieutenant is not in the county." The team officer knew the inside story. "He went to Goujiazhuang to recruit soldiers yesterday. You can probably find him there."

Zhang Ergou knew Goujiazhuang, but he couldn't carry such a heavy back basket on the road, so he simply picked up a straw, stuck it on the back basket, sold all these gifts, and immediately set off on the road with ease, and rushed to Goujiazhuang.

Zheng Zhi's biggest headache now is conscription.

At the beginning, in order to win people's hearts, the imperial court announced the abolition of autumn classes and corvee.Now that the world is firmly established, it is time to start military service, and it will take five years to leave.How can this prevent the common people from scolding their mothers?They didn't want to believe that this was an order from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, they only said that the dog official had fooled Lord Taiwei Xing and would be punished by heaven.

"How can military service be the same as corvee service?" Zheng Zhi explained until smoke came out of his throat: "Military service is for soldiers to fight, but corvee service is for people to work as coolies. If one person joins the army, the whole family is honored; defending the family and the country is a blessing." Children and grandchildren. This is a great thing!"

Although such words can be seen everywhere in the village, the idea of ​​"a good man should not be a soldier" is still rooted in the old man's head.Those middle-aged and middle-aged boys who have finished their basic education are willing to serve in the army. Many of them are young pioneers who have received military training and do not reject the army.

It's a pity that these boys are also at the age when they dare not leave their parents' wings.Moreover, the children who have just graduated from school are only thirteen or fourteen years old, which is too young for a soldier.If they reach the age of [-], they have already become the backbone of the family and have to bear a large part of the labor. Those with better family backgrounds even get married and have children, and they can't just leave.

When Zhang Ergou arrived at Goujiazhuang, it was still early. As soon as he entered the village, he saw Instructor Zheng standing on the stone platform under the big pagoda tree. .

Instructor Zheng suddenly saw a touch of bright red rushing in. In order to prove that what he said was true, he immediately shouted: "Then so-and-so, are you active duty?"

Seeing Instructor Zheng looking over, Zhang Ergou raised his chest and said, "Report! I just retired and returned to my hometown."

The villagers gave way to look at the military uniform on Zhang Ergou curiously. Some of them wanted to reach out to touch the material, but they held back.

"Come up." Zheng Zhi rubbed his throat, unable to speak. "Tell the folks about life in the camp, and I'll drink first." Zheng Zhi said to Zhang Ergou.

Zhang Ergou took the place where Zheng Zhi was standing just now, looked at the dozens of confused and questioning faces below, hesitated for a while, and then said: "I joined the army in 17 years, and I didn't mix up an officer in the camp. He is just a handyman. When there is a war, he will run along, carrying luggage and so on. The requirements for soldiers are high, how can it be so easy to become a soldier?

"If you talk about life in the camp, it's really better than at home. Except for the surname, the comrades are no different from brothers. They go to exercise in the morning, play date ball in the afternoon, and read books and watch theaters in the evening. Five years passed in a flash.

"The food is also good. Auxiliary soldiers like me have to be provided with coarse grains, and the soldiers can see oil and meat immediately, and they all eat refined grains. I served as a soldier for five years and ran from Shandong to Liaodong. Anyway, I have never been hungry." a meal.

"What I wear is my military uniform. When our auxiliary soldiers are working, we will also change into brown clothes. Other soldiers are dressed so neatly during drills. If you become an officer, it will be even more remarkable. That uniform Wear it, each one looks like a heavenly soldier and a general."

Zhang Ergou opened the conversation, and the sense of superiority of being a soldier came up again, and life in the general's camp was well said.He completely forgot the days when he was in the camp looking forward to being discharged from the army, and now he just wants to go back to that simple and stress-free time.

In the end, it is to speak out from your own experience, and what you have experienced in the past five years is at your fingertips.Zhang Ergou has no glorious deeds like a fighting hero, but only a mediocre life as a soldier.He talked about jujube balls, about hundreds of gentlemen who took a bath together naked, and talked about secretly chatting after the lights were turned off at night.

Even Zheng Zhi had the idea of ​​returning to the barracks after hearing this. He subconsciously shook his already weak left hand, feeling desolate in his heart.

The folks seemed to be listening to a book, laughing from time to time following the story of Zhang Ergou.

"Although serving as a soldier is a matter of course, some people say that throwing their heads and blood for the Ming Dynasty can enter the Martyrs' Shrine, and their names can be engraved on the stele for thousands of years. Some people say that as long as they die bravely in battle, they can follow the crown prince back to heaven. Heaven's soldiers and heavenly generals... But we think it's better not to die."

As soon as Zhang Ergou said this, Instructor Zheng was so angry that his teeth ached.

All the villagers laughed without hesitation.

The thing that most contradicts military service is undoubtedly the unavoidable word "death in battle".This is also the main reason why An Jiayin can support his family, but the common people still don't want their children to join the army.

"But in fact, there are not many people killed in our army." Zhang Ergou changed his subject and said, "I'm not lying. They all escaped. Now the eastern captives have fled to Haixi, and the Mongol Tartars dare not go south. They may use troops in the south, but I heard that the natives there use clubs and mallets, and they don’t even have swords. I think, It's really not easy to die in battle..."

Auxiliary soldiers will not stand at the forefront, and the people around them cannot suddenly fall like soldiers.When cleaning the battlefield, I saw the corpses of several times as many as my own, so I didn't feel too much about my own battle damage.So Zhang Ergou did not deliberately mislead others, but expressed his true feelings.

For a soldier who has participated in previous bloody battles, it must be a completely different perception.

However, the folks believed many of them.

The people here are very simple, and they will not listen to Zhang Ergou's testimony from a skeptical position in advance.Moreover, listening to Zhang Ergou's local accent, he looked simple and honest, and there was no need to question it. At this moment, his heart felt a little loose. (To be continued..)

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