open sea

Chapter 12 Silver
Chen Mu sold all the heads, not only the heads, but also the captive Shao Tingda and the head on Shi Qi. After asking him what he meant, eight heads and one captive were all verbally traded to Zhang Yongshou.

It was the first time in his life to do this first-level business. Although Chen Mu didn't know much about it, Zhang Yongshou was familiar with it. He simply explained to Chen Mu, Shao Tingda, and Shi Qi, and then smiled and decided to go to Guangzhou to see the government's reward price. Give them money, and then hand over the head to him.

Since promotion and wealth cannot be achieved at the same time, Chen Mu must choose to fill his stomach first.Nowadays, he does not have a clear and comprehensive understanding of this era. The higher the official position, the easier it is to make mistakes, so he is not in a hurry to get promoted, but he must not do it if he has no money right now.He wanted to make hole nitrate, the first task was to get a few large iron pots for boiling nitrate, plus a set of utensils that would not cost two taels of silver.

With his current economic situation, where can he get two taels of silver, even if he goes back to pay his salary and sells all the three stones of brown rice, he still can't make up one tael.This is the discomfort of the lower-level officers in the guards. It is obviously from the small flag of the seventh rank and the seven stones of the monthly salary, but after the deduction is over, there are only three stones left. to go.

Chen Mu counted with his fingers. In the guard, he watched his soldiers plant the land for more than half a year, and then went to the Qingyuan city wall to patrol the city for a few months. Throughout the year, he could get about eight or nine taels of silver by exchanging brown rice for money.

The more he calculated, the more depressed he became. Finally, Chen Mu slapped his thigh and cursed secretly: "Damn it, it's not as good as Wang Po giving Ximen Qing Pan Jinlian a slack!"

Wang Po earned ten taels of silver for Ximen Qing Pan Jinlian stretching!
This is still the case for Xiaoqi, let alone military households?
It's no wonder that Shao Tingda asked Chen Mu whether he would kill the good or the thieves when he encountered the opportunity to kill the good and take the credit... If he didn't kill the good and the thieves, they, the military households, would be killed by heaven.

But then again, the brave subdue the dragon and subdue the tiger, and the timid feed cats and rabbits.Chen Mu is not too sentimental and hypocritical, not to mention that he has not reached the level of being able to benefit the world at the same time, and he can't take care of himself alone, so he can make a fortune if he can control others and make this first-level business.

Before arriving in Guangzhou Mansion, no one could be sure how many taels of silver the Black Ridge Bandits would reward, but both Bai Yuanjie and Zhang Yongshou estimated that Chen Mu's head would be worth at least ten taels, his yearly salary!
Ten taels of silver, in addition to going back to Qingyuan to buy iron pots and other utensils, most of the surplus Chen Mu thought about buying a bird gun.Maybe it’s okay not to buy it, but he just felt a pity looking at the broken gun that looked like a fire stick in his hand. He would definitely be reluctant to lose it. He wanted to wait until he returned to the guard to try his luck and see if there was any military craftsman who could do it. Repair it.

Although, there is little hope.

It may save too much money, as Bai Yuanjie said, it is not as good as the Japanese blunderbuss Mingniao blunderbuss, even if it is directly made by a craftsman of the Ministry of Industry, the cost alone will not be less than four taels of silver.

But soon Chen Mu didn't have to worry about this anymore. On the second day after he and Zhang Yongshou agreed to buy and sell the head, Zhang Yongshou asked his army to send Chen Mu a gun barrel without any wear and tear. Ming-made bird gun.

Zhang Yongshou grinningly scolded the soldiers under his command while explaining to Chen Mu that in the night battle, the bannerman who used this blunderbuss killed another bannerman in a panic, so he didn't let the boy use it. Send that man to farm.

This bright blunderbuss has been fired about a dozen times in total, and it is brand new.

Even though he had killed a fellow Ming soldier, Chen Mu would not feel unlucky, what a joke!With five lives in his hands, Chen Xiaoqi just completed a big deal with eight heads, so he is still afraid of this little bad luck?

"So expensive?"

Chen Mu crossed his legs and listened to Bai Yuanjie telling him about the cost of the blunderbuss, and secretly smacked his tongue. Bai Yuanjie chuckled lightly and said like a treasure: "Forty catties of iron can be smelted to eight catties, and there are wood money, charcoal fire money, copper money, etc. The salary is more than four taels. Besides, if I really give you a two taels of bird gun, do you dare to use it?"

Bai Yuanjie's words really hit the point. Matchlock guns are not like percussion guns that are ready to be loaded. After the trigger is pulled, the tap with the matchlock inserted hits the gunbed to ignite the gunpowder. It takes nearly half a second to fire the gunpowder. The sub-powder in the gun tube ignites and even triggers the lead pellets... For Chen Mu, the whole process is the most frightening half a second when the gunpowder on the gun bed smokes "chi chi" for fear of being unlucky and the next moment the gun will burst into pieces with a bang .

A two-liang bird gun is like holding an explosive iron pipe in your hand, who dares to use it!

Seeing that Chen Mu smiled, Bai Yuanjie didn't say any more. When he saw Chen Mu wrapped the discarded Japanese gun and put it in the carriage and replaced it with this bright bird gun, he knew that their deal was concluded.He knew that Zhang Yongshou wanted to get these military achievements, but he didn't find Bai Yuanjie who shot and killed three thieves in the battle, but Chen Mu.Zhang Yongshou is a smart man, he knew that even if he found Bai Yuanjie, Bai Yuanjie would not give away his first-level skills for some money.

In terms of background, Bai Yuanjie and Zhang Yongshou are of the same type. Their ancestors were both high-ranking officials of Qingyuan Guard Commander. Their families have a deep foundation in Qingyuan and even Guangzhou, and they can be promoted if they have meritorious service.Even if we talk about the difference, it's just that Bai Yuanjie's ancestors got a hundred households and Zhang Yongshou didn't, so Zhang Yongshou needs more meritorious deeds to move his official position upwards.

Chen Mu is different. His ancestors have been Xiaoqi for generations, the lowest-ranking officer in the guard, even if his livelihood is a problem, everyone knows that he will definitely sell his head.

Bai Yuanjie knew about this, but he didn't share it with Chen Mu because he was Chen Mu's immediate superior. If he did, it would appear that there was no doubt about it.

"You're right. Selling the head to Yongshou can get the same money as the government, but it may not be able to get a new gun, right?" Bai Yuanjie laughed, her high cheekbones seemed very firm, and she walked away After a glance, he sighed for some reason, and said with a slightly deep gaze: "This is the way of the world. Your meritorious service is only one head away from being promoted to the general banner, but if you really wait for the Guangzhou government to drop you a position, you still don't know what to do." Wait a few more years and get the money to live a good life first.”

Chen Mu didn't know why Bai Yuanjie suddenly became sentimental... The head was sold for at least ten taels of silver, and he even dropped the bird gun. He was so happy that he was so happy, there would be no dissatisfaction.But at the moment, he didn't know what kind of expression to make, he just nodded and smiled with a little embarrassment.

"Bai killed your bannerman. He wanted to flee with his horse, so he had no choice but to do so." Bai Yuanjie got up and patted the dirt on his body. Half of his face was sunk in the shadow when the bonfire was flickering, and he couldn't see happiness or anger. He turned his head to look at Chen Mu and smiled friendlyly, and said softly, "Don't blame Bai."

Having said that, Bai Yuanjie turned and left, but Chen Mu suddenly remembered that on the night when he and Zhang Yongshou made a deal, when he got up to pee at night, he found that a flag under Zhang Yongshou's banner was dragged into the woods by several people, and he never appeared again.

Chen Mu, who was sitting on the ground holding the blunderbuss, felt a chill coming down his spine for no reason, and tightened his mandarin duck jacket and leaned towards the fire with a short body, sitting closer.

　good morning everyone!The new book is weak, please vote for my recommendation, thank you!

　　


(End of this chapter)