A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 2 The Great Use of A Long Bell

As soon as you enter the enclosure, you will be greeted with an indescribable unpleasant smell. I don’t know if it is the smell of cow and horse dung, or the sour smell of domestic garbage. In short, there is an indescribable smell. The whole pier can be said to be dirty Dirty to describe.

That's right, it's a small space, including the number of Dunjun's family, eating, drinking, and sleeping for a dozen people, and these Dunjuns are not elegant people, so naturally they don't pay much attention to hygiene. The inside is full of rubbish, and mosquitoes and flies are flying around, which makes people frown.To be honest, Wang Dou still hasn't adapted to the environment in this pier.

Along the wall, there is a row of Dunjun housing on the left side. There is a well beside the housing, but the water in the well has long since dried up.

On the right side of the wall, there are also buildings such as sheep and horse pens and warehouses, and some pier materials are piled up.In addition, beside the pier directly facing the door, there is a stone tablet, which records the names of Jingbian pier defenders and wives, and also lists the firearms, equipment, furniture, etc. in the pier in detail:
"... There are seven guards in Jingbian Dun, and two will not be accepted for one night: Han Chao and Han Zhong. Five names in the Dun army: Zhong Dayong, wife Wang, Yang Tong, wife Liu, Qi Tianliang, wife Dow. Ma Ming, wife Shi. Wang Dou. Furniture: seven pots, seven vats, fourteen plates, fourteen bowls. Firearms: one hook gun, one line gun, one big gun, three A pair of guns, guns and wires. Equipment: each soldier has a bow, a knife and gun, and thirty arrows....One army flag, two flag poles, two pairs of flag ropes, three lanterns, and one bang bell Deputy, one ladder, five piles of firewood, five piles of smoke and soap, twenty piles of rocks, all the dung of oxen, horses and wolves..."

This kind of stele was set up on every pier in Daming, the purpose is to prevent the guarding sergeant from escaping and check and accept them in the future, and the living of each pier's wife and family is out of consideration for the guarding sergeant to guard with peace of mind.

When Wang Dou came in carrying water, Dunjun Qi Tianliang, Ma Ming, and Yebushou Han Chao and Han Zhong were squatting or leaning against the stone tablet and chatting, and the rest of their wives Tao and Shi were still there. Yang Tong's wife, Liu Shi, and several other women were drying their clothes and talking.

Just like Wang Dou, the clothes on these people were also tattered and covered with patches. Aside from the badges and mandarin duck battle jackets on them that showed their identities, the men said they were soldiers, which really didn't look like them.Apart from Han Chao and Han Zhong brothers, Qi Tianliang, Ma Ming and several women looked pale and malnourished.Compared to them, Wang Dou would be better, at least not as emaciated, unkempt, and unclean as they were.

Seeing Wang Dou coming in, everyone looked at him with a smile, as if they had something to enjoy in the boring days.The person who yelled at Wang Dou just now was Han Zhong. He is 21 years old this year, and he is considered the youngest person in Dunnei. He usually has a rough and aggressive temperament, and his brother Han Chao is also very skilled. Yes, so the two of them have a high status in Dunnei, even if Jia Changzhong is very useful on weekdays, he is polite to them.

At this time, Han Zhong was half leaning on the rammed earth of the pier, with one foot resting on the stone tablet, while doing boring shaking movements, while his elder brother Han Chao was lazily leaning on the rammed platform with his arms in his arms. Eyes rested, as if sleeping but not sleeping, when he saw Wang Dou coming in, he gave him a faint look and then closed his eyes.

Seeing Wang Dou walking past him carrying the water, Han Zhong couldn't help but opened his bull's eyes and called out strangely: "Hey, fool Wang, I was talking to you just now. Why don't you call back?"

Everyone laughed, and Ma Ming's wife, Shi Shi, was a kind person. While hanging her clothes on the rope, she laughed and said, "Brother Han, don't make fun of Brother Wang. He carries water and works all day long." , is not easy."

Several people laughed and said a few words, Qi Tianliang said: "Don't pay attention to that bastard, let's continue with our... By the way, where did I just say?"

……

Wang Dou came to the front of the row of Dunjun houses and poured water into the water tank in front of Jia Changzhong's house.

This row of housing is divided into several small rooms, each room has a kang inside, and outside there are pots, stoves, water tanks, dishes, etc., for the defenders and family members in the pier.Due to years of disrepair, most of these houses are dilapidated, leaking, with damaged doors and windows, typical dilapidated houses.

Among this row of houses, the one with the best location and the most sunlight is the one in front of you. It is owned by Jia Changzhong Dayong and his wife Wang Shi, but it is only to ensure that the doors, windows and roof are not leaking. Obsolescence is inevitable.

Every time he sees this row of houses, Wang Dou always thinks of the wooden houses of some migrant workers on the construction site in later generations. They are simple and low, and the tattered clothes of Dunjun and his wives are hung crookedly in front of the door, and there are all kinds of strange things. s things.

Wang Dou poured the water, put the bucket away, breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to take a good rest, when there was a movement from the side of the stone tablet, and everyone said in unison: "The clock is down? What's the movement? "

Then Dun Jun Yang Tong's flattering voice sounded: "Hours have been hard work, please sit down and have a good rest."

When Yang Tongji came down from the hanging tower, this sycophant never let go of any chance to curry favor with Jia Changzhong.

Wang Dou turned his head to look coldly.Next to the stele, there is a soft ladder that can lead directly to the pier more than ten meters high. The watch hall on the pier is equipped with guns, wolf dung, firewood, etc., as an alarm for the coming of the enemy.

Compared with everyone in the pier, Zhong Dayong likes the position of the pier very much. He said that he has a great view from a high place, and he feels like drinking wine in the wind. It often takes a long time to look at it.Wang Dou went to fetch water, Clock Dayong was still watching from the observation hall, when he had already come down from the ladder.

Like the stars holding the moon, at this moment Zhong Dayong was standing proudly in the crowd, and his wife Wang Shi was also leaning close to him with a smile on her face.This Zhong Dayong was in his forties, and he served as the chief of the Jingbian pier with the title of general banner officer. It is said that he had a good relationship with Zhang Gui, the officer in charge of Dongjiazhuang. Own a position of absolute power.

Compared with everyone in Dunnei who was sallow, thin and disheveled, he was greasy and fat, with greedy and vicious glances from his thin eyes from time to time.He was the only one who had armor, and the mandarin duck battle jacket on his body was not patched at all, and the other waist tags around his waist were also made of high-quality solid wood.

After enjoying everyone's flattery for a while, Zhong Dayong said in a sharp voice: "There has been no movement for more than ten days. It seems that the Tartars have really gone elsewhere, but I haven't seen the empty smoke of the Tartars leaving the country yet." I don’t know where the Tartars are still looting.”

There was a hint of gloating in his tone.

However, listening to his tone, everyone present was silent for a while. Everyone present felt the same for the plundering of the Hou Jin Army. Killing and robbery, this kind of thing will definitely not be happy.

Seemingly aware of his slip of the tongue, Zhong Dayong's expression turned a little ugly, but Yang Tong still flattered him: "It's good for the Tartars to leave, thank God, I'll pay my respects at the Dongjiabao Town God's Temple some other day, and burn incense to fulfill my wish."

This Yang Tongnian was in his thirties, so he looked handsome, but it was a pity that his flattery had ruined his image.

Hearing what Yang Tong said, Zhong Dayong's complexion became better again.

At this time, Zhong Dayong's wife Wang whispered a few words in his ear, Zhong Dayong nodded, he coughed, and said sharply: "I have something to tell everyone. You need everyone's help in the work here, don't worry, you are all colleagues in Dunnei, and I will give you enough to eat when you do work in another day."

According to the Weisuo system in the Ming Dynasty, like ordinary banner troops, the pier troops guarding all over the country also allocated [-] to [-] acres of fields, as well as cattle and seeds, so that the pier soldiers could cultivate and look after them and concentrate on watching.Several sergeants in Jingbiandun are hereditary military households, their ancestors lived here, and originally they also shared the land.Although military households need to pay two dou per mu for land rent, which is twice as much as that of ordinary households, but in the early Ming Dynasty, they could still live a good life.

It’s just the drawbacks of the Daming’s farming system that made Jingbiandun the same as the rest of the banner troops in the guard. Over the years, most of the Dunjun’s fields have been almost occupied by officers at all levels in Shunxiangbao and Dongjiazhuang. They have also become various officers in private. In recent years, the tenants have been plagued by natural disasters, and they have to pay heavy rent every year, making it difficult to make ends meet.This is why they and their wives and children look like beggars.

Zhong Dayong is the general banner, and there are military officers who have been handed down in his family to hold [-] acres of land. He is considered an official, and he has a certain power behind him, so the land under his name will not be invaded by others.However, his official position was small, so of course he couldn't invade other people's fields, but he also had his own tricks, which was to enlist a few soldiers under his command to farm and work for him. This was also a common phenomenon in the army of the Daming Guard at that time.

After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, in order to change the behavior of officials and generals from all over the country invading corrupt military households and farming, the Ming court gave each general a certain amount of farmland according to the size of the official position, and Zhong Dayong’s family was also allocated 150 mu, which totaled [-] mu of land. , in addition to the farming of the family, most of the Zhong family used their subordinates to farm, and Wang Dou was the main force in the work in the past.

Now it is August [-]th in the seventh year of Chongzhen. According to the Gregorian calendar of later generations, it is only the beginning of September at this time. It stands to reason that the season for autumn sowing of wheat has not yet arrived. However, in this Ming Dynasty, due to the influence of the Little Ice Age, the weather The early coldness made the autumn sowing of wheat in Baoanzhou much earlier.This is also the reason why Zhong Dayong spoke.

Yang Tong was the first to say: "Look at what you said in the clock, it is our duty to help you with some work. Even if you don't tell me, we will take the initiative to help. Why bother to mention food? That's just a matter of honor." gone."

Zhong Dayong put on a smile on his face and gave him an approving look.Zhong Dayong's wife Wang Shi also praised Yang Tong: "Brother Yang is just smart."

Hearing Zhong Dayong's words, Qi Tianliang and Ma Ming had bitter expressions on their faces. Together with Yang Tong, the three of them are tenants of Zhang Gui, the management team officer of Dongjiazhuang. Zhong Dayong works, these days are really hard.But after many years, they have long been numb and used to it. Zhong Dayong wants to work by himself, so let's do it. At least there will be a few dry meals at that time. In this world, it is good to have something to eat.

Qi Tianliang was about 30 years old, and he came from an ordinary military family. It was strange that he could read some words, and he was thin and small, but his appetite was astonishing. Can you really get enough to eat when you work?"

Zhong Dayong was not happy with Qi Tianliang's words. He remained silent while his wife Wang scolded: "Of course, our master will still lie to you? But Qi Houer, can you eat less when the time comes?" , you have such a big appetite, no matter how much we have, we will make you poor by then!"

Qi Tianliang patted his head a little embarrassed, his wife Tao Shi teased him and motioned him not to talk nonsense.No wonder Qi Tianliang had this question, Zhong Dayong said every time he would make the workers full, but every time Qi Tianliang never got enough, speaking of stinginess, this Zhong Dayong is also unique in this area .

The horse next to Qi Tianliang is two years younger than him, and he usually cares most about his own field. He hesitated for a while and asked, "Hour, how many days will this work be done? I am afraid that I will miss the farming time of my field." .”

Zhong Dayong said angrily: "Isn't it all right if you have more dexterity in your hands and feet?"

While they were talking, the brothers Han Chao and Han Zhong stood leisurely on the side. It was fine to help Zhong Dayong with work, as long as there was food to eat.Like Wang Dou, they were not from military households, but were recruited from civilian households in recent years. It's just that the Han and North Korean brothers wandered here from nowhere. , became Daming's scout, and Wang Dou was from nearby Xinzhuang Village.

Originally, the three of them served as soldiers only for food, and they were paid one stone of rice per month, and they didn’t need to pay rent for the military household’s land. The prospect was good, but these years, the imperial court’s food and salary were often in arrears, and there was no money, rice, or rice for more than half a year. This made the Han and North Korean brothers live a very poor life, sometimes worse than a few Dunjun, after all, they rented and farmed fields, and they had some income.

The same is true for Wang Dou. For the original Wang Dou, he joined the army to help his family with food and salaries. Unexpectedly, he spent more than half of the year working for nothing, and he had to be angry every day in Dunnei. For this job, he himself I don't want to do it anymore.But for the current Wang Dou, he will not give up this career as a soldier. In this troubled world, with a security of military status, there is always an extra chance to protect himself and his family.

Zhong Dayong said a few words to everyone, then turned his head to search: "By the way, where did that idiot Wang go?"

Wang Dou has always been his main force, and now his field is about to be planted in autumn, so the participation of this strong man is naturally indispensable.

Everyone looked around one after another, and at this moment, they saw Wang Dou striding towards him, neatly dressed, not only holding a long spear in his hand, a waist knife pinned to his waist, but also a full bow and quiver on his body.

He was originally a hunchback, but now he was fully clothed and his eyes were sharp. He came at the pace of a dragon and a tiger, and he was really imposing.

Seeing him like this, everyone had a strange feeling in their hearts, Zhong Dayong scolded: "Where did you go, are you looking for a beating again?"

Everyone around was a little gleeful, and a cold light flashed in Wang Dou's eyes!
※※※

Old White Bull:
The new book is finally released, thank you for your support.

This book has twelve volumes, and the characters and plots in each volume have been carefully considered. It should be a wonderful story.

(End of this chapter)