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

Chapter 435 Returning home
After leaving Shunxiang Fort, Wang Dou went to Jingbian Fort, the place where he first made his fortune.
At this time, Jingbian Fort is regarded as the spiritual center of East Road, the supreme leader of East Road Wang Dou, loving mother Xie Xiuniang, many senior military officers in charge, Han Chao, Gao Shiyin, Zhong Xiancai, Zhong Tiaoyang, Xie Yike, Qi Tianliang, Zhong Rong, etc. , all from Jingbian Fort, and there are a large number of middle and low-level officers in the army, so although Jingbian Fort is small, many people pay attention.
Every year, a large number of military households and scholars came to visit, as well as students from various schools to pay their respects. As Wang Dou's status rose, the reputation of Jingbian Fort became more and more famous.
When Wang Dou saw each other again, Jingbian Fort had been repaired more and more beautifully. The iconic large waterwheel stood tall beside the Dongfang River, and some pig pens and chicken farms beside the fort in the past were gone, looking quite clean.
Unlike before, there was only one south gate. Now Jingbian Fort has three gates: east, south, and west. The gravel paths lead to Zhoucheng, Wubao, and Shunxiangbao. On the way, looking at Jingbian Fort from a distance, it seems to lead to a quiet garden center.
Most of the residents in Jingbian Fort are old residents, and some disabled and retired sergeants are willing to live inside and outside the fort.
They have a plowing team to help them work, they get pensions every month, and people from all walks of life come to express their condolences every year. They live a carefree life, listening to opera and singing every day, and they are very leisurely.Those who can't stay idle can also work as instructors in the military training department and various forts, or in the staff department and education department. Generally speaking, Jingbian Fort has a strong cultural and leisure atmosphere.
At this time, the chief of the fort was Hong Qiu, the original general banner of Dongjiazhuang. Although this rough man was not very literate, he was a bold person. When Hong Qiu was elected as the head of Jingbian Fort, Wang Dou approved it.
Before arriving in front of Jingbian Fort, Wang Dou saw a tall statue on the Jingbian pier in the fort from a long distance. The statue was wearing armor and standing with a sword.
In front of Yongning Gate, there are a lot of temples, theaters, and inns and restaurants near the South Gate, but they are owned by local military households. thus earning income.It's really like eating mountains by relying on mountains, eating water by relying on water, and eating people by people.
When Wang Dou arrived, Hong Qiu led the Bao people to greet him outside the city gate, and everyone had tears in their eyes: "General, you are back!"
Seeing the excited Baomin, Wang Dou was equally excited, and solemnly cupped his hands and said, "Dou is back, how are you brothers and sisters?"
Everyone chattered: "General, we are all well, but I miss him day and night!"
Everyone gathered around Wang Dou, a young man whose right arm seemed to be disabled, but with a smile showing two huge canine teeth said: "General, do you remember the little one?"
Wang Dou has a pretty good memory, most of the people or things he has seen can be remembered in his heart, and he already knows who this person is in a blink of an eye, and said with a smile: "I remember you, that sergeant who is nicknamed "Big Tooth". Xiao Bin, brother Xiao, how are you doing? Have you received the monthly pension and rice?"
As soon as this remark came out, Qi Tianliang, the logistics secretary, and others became nervous, but Xiao Bin sighed: "The small one is very good. Every month, I receive pensions and rice, and the assigned fields are also cultivated by others, but..."
He looked lost and just sighed.
Wang Dou was about to ask him what was on his mind, when a woman beside him said: "General, I want to sue you about Da Ya."
Wang Dou saw that the woman was also in her twenties, with a shrewd expression on her face, he hesitated a little: "Who is this eldest sister?"
The woman said it, but it was the widow of the seriously wounded soldier when Wang Dou suppressed the bandits in the seventh year of Chongzhen. She was the second sergeant killed in battle after Wang Dou set up the army. This woman was called Mrs. Sun inside and outside the fort.
Wang Dou asked Mrs. Sun how her life was going well, did she receive her monthly pension and rice?
Xiao Bin said with a smile: "Don't worry, General, she has land to support her, and she has also set up a chicken farm in Shun Township Castle, which is beautiful."
Mrs. Sun said angrily to him, "My family is all right, but you drink too much every day, what are you doing?"
She turned to Wang Dou: "It happens that the general is here, so I have to talk about you."
She looked very close to Xiao Bin, and the two seemed to be secretly in love.Also, Mrs. Sun is a young and upright young woman whose husband has been dead for many years, and it is impossible for her to remain a widow forever. Like Wang Dou's mother, Zhong Shi, and Han Zhong's widow, Li Xiaoniangzi, there are still few people who will keep their husbands chaste all their lives.
In front of Wang Dou, Xiao Bin did not hide his thoughts. It turned out that after the sentry battle in Chongzhen in 11 years, Xiao Bin suffered a serious injury to his right arm. Originally, Wen Daxing planned to let him serve as a training instructor for the sergeant, but Xiao Bin was discouraged. Just retired.
When he saw his brothers galloping on the battlefield in the past, he was disabled and felt disappointed. He was originally a sentimental person, and he often drank his sorrows with wine, which was very decadent.In the end, Long Er, Ben Dong, Mr. Hu, Mr. Qiang and other people who were acquainted in the past also disappeared. Mrs. Sun lived with him in Jingbian Fort, and gradually fell in love with him. Seeing him like this, she couldn't help but blame him.
In fact, why is there no pride in Da Ya's heart?Are you willing to be so decadent?
After hearing Xiao Bin's words, Wang Dou became serious and said, "Brother Xiao, although your right arm is disabled, you are still very promising. How can you be so decadent? From tomorrow, you will report to Ambassador Wen. For my Jingbian army, train a strong Yebushuo sergeant!"
When Da Ya saw that the general still remembered him and cared about him, his eyes filled with tears, he cupped his fists as hard as he could, lay down on the ground, and shouted: "Yes, Sergeant Xiao Bin took orders at night."
He lay on the ground for a long time, feeling a broad palm pat on his shoulder, he knew it was the hand of the general, and then several palms patted his shoulder, he knew it was his Shangguan Wen Daxing, and Hands of brothers bench et al.
I don't know when, he already burst into tears.
Then a soft voice rang in his ear: "This is my man."
……
When Wang Dou entered Jingbian Fort, the inside of the fort was still the same, the houses were orderly, and the mountains, stones, streets and alleys were spotless.
Wang Dou entered the former headquarters of the General Banner, climbed up to the Jingbian pier to look out, recalled the past, and stayed there for a long time, always feeling that time makes people grow old, and people and things have changed.
He looked towards Xinzhuang to the west. The former civilian fort had now become a military fort. Except for the Li family in the village, almost all the villagers in the village had become military households.At this time, Jia Duonan, the former head of Zhouzhuang, was also the head of the fort.
In the past, the Li family looked huge when Wang Dou was the head of Jingbian Fort, but now they feel insignificant.
The current Li family is also trying their best to show their favor to Wang Dou, not only renovating the Wang family's former ancestral house in Xinzhuang, but also investing in erecting a large monument in front of the castle, and an extremely tall statue of Wang Dou, declaring that this is Uncle Zhongyong, The hometown of General Zhenglu.
In order to compete for Wang Dou's hometown, Jingbianbao and Xinzhuang are fighting openly and secretly.
After leaving Jingbian Fort, Wang Dou led the army back to Yongning, ordered the soldiers to go home for a ten-day holiday, and everyone cheered.
……
After rewarding the soldiers and arranging the affairs of the barracks, Wang Dou led the guards into Yongning City. His mother Zhong Shi, his wife Xie Xiuniang, Ji Junjiao, and a group of concubines all greeted him in front of the general's mansion.
When Emperor Chongzhen went to Xiangyang with an imperial decree, he also went to Donglu at the same time to confer the title of wife Yinzi to Wang Dou for three generations.
Now Xie Xiuniang is Mrs. Uncle, and her mother, Mrs. Zhong, is Mrs. Taibo. Their crowns and clothes are the same as Yipin's. They are all red shirts with large sleeves and gold crowns. If they wear ordinary clothes, they wear round neck shirts.Wang Zheng, the son of Wang Dou, is a thousand households of Jin Yiwei.
When relatives meet, they are all excited. Wang Dou looked at his mother. She is over 50 years old, but she is in very good spirits.Perhaps because of his good spirits and well-maintained health, part of his originally gray hair turned black, and the wrinkles on his face also stretched a lot.
The same is that the hair is still combed meticulously, and the stubborn and strong expression on the face has not changed.The original "Wang Dou" did not have much similarity with her personality, but the current Wang Dou has a similar temperament to Zhong's.
Looking at this woman, Wang Dou felt a warm current in his heart. His mother, Zhong Shi, was strong and self-reliant, and never bowed to fate.She is also full of charity and compassion, generous to the poor, and she still does not forget to be compassionate even after being noble and wealthy. She is shrewd and full of kindness. She is the representative of the great women of that era.
Wang Dou pushed the Jinshan, turned down the jade pillars, and bowed down to the Zhong family.
Nowadays, there are very few people who can make Wang Dou kneel down, and the Zhong family is one of them.
Zhong Shi came over to help Wang Dou up, with a happy smile on his face: "It's good to be back."
She looked at Wang Dou carefully: "Oh, I lost weight again."
Perhaps in the eyes of the mother, the son will always be thin.
Wang Dou smiled and said, "Mother, let's talk about it after entering the mansion."
Zhong patted himself on the forehead: "Look at me, I'm really old."
She greeted her son and daughters-in-law: "Let's talk about it when we enter the mansion, and we will talk about it after we enter the mansion."
Everyone laughed, surrounded Wang Dou and Zhong Shi and entered the General's Mansion.
……
Wang Dou took a bath and changed his clothes. After changing into casual clothes, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was still comfortable at home.
When I came to the hall, my mother and wives were all there, but Xie Yike was missing, and asked, "Where is Yike?"
Xie Xiuniang thought that Wang Dou was not happy, and was about to break up in a hurry, when Zhong smiled and said: "I asked him to see his wife, I haven't seen him for half a year, it seems that he misses her very much."
Wang Dou smiled and said, "It's still the mother who is thoughtful, the boy just wants the guards to go home and reunite."
Now in Wang Doujun, the general and former generals and family members have all moved to Yongning City. Xie Yike and his wife Chu Xiaoniangzi also have a house in Yongning City and a valet in the General's Mansion.The rest of the other guards lived in the general's mansion and were on duty in turn.
Many people's wives and sisters are still working in the general's mansion.Needless to say the loyalty of these people, the safety of Wang Dou and his family is the concern and conscious maintenance of everyone in the East Road group.
Of course, there are still most of the wives and family members of the guards in Baoanzhou, Shunxiangbao and other places. Wang Dou also wants to give them vacations and reward them with money so that they can go home in style.
The maid brought hot tea, Wang Dou took a sip, and suddenly felt that the mansion seemed to have changed a little bit, knowing his son was like his mother, Zhong said with a smile: "After you became an uncle, the court's favor came down, and your daughter-in-law was named Mrs. Uncle. The old lady was named Mrs. Taibo. Officials from the Ministry of Rites of the capital also came to this mansion. It was expanded according to the mansions of Gong, Hou and Bo Xungui. Now there are seven front halls, seven middle rooms, and seven back halls. She also gave a guard of ceremonial clothes. Sigh, I didn’t expect the old woman to be so old and still enjoy such wealth.”
Ji Junjiao smiled and said, "Mother-in-law, this is the honor of the imperial court."
Zhong sighed: "That's right, this is the dignity of the court, my son's status is different."
Seeing his mother in peace, Wang Dou was also satisfied. He clapped his hands, "Where are my sons and daughters? Let them all come to see me."

(End of this chapter)