When Shi returned to Shangqiu again, nearly three years had passed since he left.

This city, which is a city that the Song and Chu Dynasty must fight for, still maintains the posture of the world's heroic city, and the tall and wide city walls are not weaker than the capitals of other major countries.

The people of Chu were familiar with the hills and rivers near Shangqiu, besieged the city several times, and even signed the first covenant under the city.

Several sieges have not been breached, and this is the limit that Jin and Chu can reach to compete for hegemony on the eastern front.

In the city, it has also experienced several tragedies of changing children and eating, breaking bones and cooking.

The Shangqiu people had extreme confidence in the city walls that sheltered them, and building the city walls was also something that the Song ministers had always attached great importance to.

He promoted the first military meeting, penetrated into the nest of Sima Zianti of Chu to persuade the king of Chu to withdraw his troops, and Hua Yuan, a powerful minister who once supported the Duke of Song, also presided over the construction of the city wall.

At that time, when the people of Shangqiu were strong, in the face of such powerful ministers, the people of Shangqiu mocked Hua Yuan, who had been captured by the Zheng people, while building the city wall: his eyes were bulging, his stomach was swollen, like a toad, and he lost his armor and fled back.

Hua Yuan was in a high position, and he still had to choose to scold the farmer in the car, but he found that two mouths could not scold more than 10,000 mouths, so he had to flee in disgrace.

Although he cursed Hua Yuan for letting the farmers build the city wall during the busy farming season, the people in the city also knew that the city wall of Shangqiu was their biggest support, so they worked extremely hard to build it.

Nearly two hundred years have passed, and the people of the country are no longer able or afraid to scold the high-ranking and powerful Liuqing, but the walls of Shangqiu are still majestic.

The arrival of the ink maker is like a door latch made of 10,000 catties of iron, which makes the people of Shangqiu feel at ease.

Whether it was because the upcoming battle to defend the city required the full support of the Moji, or because of the new things such as wheat planting and mills that have gradually become popular outside Shangqiu in recent years, the people of Shangqiu spontaneously came to the city gate to welcome the return of the Mo.

The son of a former shoemaker, now standing among the inkers, did not ride in a carriage, but was already famous, and did not need a carriage to show his status.

Shi's brother, Shangqiu's shoemaker, and the male owner of Shangqiu's first wheat flour noodle shop, and Shi's sister-in-law crowded into the crowd together.

Because he wanted to do something else first, he waved at them from afar, grinned a few times with some childhood playmates, and followed Mozi into the city first.

There are many rules of the ink man, and his reputation is excellent, so everyone does not feel any discomfort after entering the city.

Mozi wanted to go directly to see Liuqing and Song Gong, and summoned him and said: "You don't have to go to see the princes and ministers, it's better to talk to them, or fifty-four." ”

Shi snorted and asked, "Sir, are you sure about getting the tiger talisman?" ”

Mozi said loudly: "This is not difficult. Song Gong wanted to defend the city, and Sicheng also wanted to defend the city, even if some people didn't want to, but since the ink master came, they had to agree. This is a lever, which was originally balanced, but we ink artists have joined in, and it is already different. ”

"Yes, you go around the city, take the people from the Xuanyi Department, and ask the people in the city what they think. You have also learned a lot about defending the city, although the learning time is short, but you learn very quickly, and you also know what the key to defending the city is. You're going to have to do it. You go home and have a look. ”

More than a dozen ink masters of the Xuanyi Department and several swordsmen who guarded them broke away from the ranks of the ink masters and followed behind Shi.

Mozi took the few disciples who often went in and out of the palace to say goodbye, and asked the rest of the ink scholars to rest near the workshop, not to move for the time being, and to sort out all kinds of weapons.

When he brought people back home, the muntjac, who was accustomed to silence, ran over and hugged his younger brother, and the sister-in-law beckoned the rest of the ink to sit down in the court, bringing all kinds of food, and it could be seen that this day was much better than three years ago.

Even when they entered their own homes, the ink masters were not polite, and only ate and drank there.

Shi Ze asked about the situation in Shangqiu City, and the Moji at the top basically knew about it, but the movements at the bottom needed to be carefully inquired about.

Shang Qiu already knew about the Chu people's troops, and the Chu people's army had arrived in Shashui, and Si Cheng came forward to guarantee that the Sanjin would definitely come to the rescue, so that everyone could rest assured; He also said that Mozi would return to Shangqiu to defend the city, which made everyone feel at ease.

A lot of land outside the city has begun to try to grow wheat and adopt the method of two-crop rotation, but the tax revenue has also increased a lot.

The craftsmen in the city will develop and grow, and the reputation of the ink artist will flourish in Shangqiu, and everyone in the city will know it.

Even if you don't want to know, those ink carts every day, those horse-drawn carriages, those ink carts by the market that you use for free, those wheat flour and soybean oil...... It can be said that it is impossible not to know when people block their ears and close their eyes.

After a few more inquiries, the somewhat dull muntjac muttered, "If it is to defend the city, I am unwilling to go." It doesn't matter if the Chu people come or the Jin people come, there is no difference. ”

After thinking about the situation in history, he smiled: "There is still a difference. The Chu people are here, and I am afraid that they will let you go to build Yuguan City; When the Jin people are here, they may ask you to go out to fight Chu to provide military rations......"

The muntjac smiled there and said, "Then those of us who are craftsmen are not good." When the Chu people come, we will send out labor, and when the Jin people come, we will send troops to give armor...... Brother, since Mozi is here, I think this city will be able to be defended, but now the food is expensive...... Thanks to the two-season method you came up with, there is still a lot of grain over the years. ”

Shixin said that the Song State was really a mess, and the Chu people had already arrived in Shashui, and there was no food price control here. I am afraid that the nobles of the public family are also powerless, do not have a strong ability to govern, and it is only delusional to control food prices.

Thinking of the ink man's art of defending the city, it is appropriate to know that the price of food is not a problem.

Once Mozi got the Tiger Talisman and took over the defense of the entire Shangqiu, the first thing he did was to collect food for ration distribution and make long-term plans.

When the ink master is defending the city, he will not be so warm, and it is inevitable that there will be a lot of heads on the ground.

Speaking of food, Shi's sister-in-law also came over and nagged: "Now wheat is no longer cheap food, the price is comparable to corn, there is more food at home, and it is enough to eat at home for many years......"

Shi persuaded: "Sister-in-law, if the Mo is guarding the city, he may collect food. It is only forcibly levied at parity, and it is also grain that will be repaid in the future. I'm an ink master, and I have nothing to do with you, but I'm just saying that if I collect ...... when the time comes."

Before he finished speaking, his sister-in-law glanced at him and said angrily, "It's outside." It sounds like you're with the Mo's family, but not with your brother's family. Since you are the ink master, we will offer it when we collect food, do you still want to say that you are the ink master and we are not like this? ”

Shi's face was slightly red, thinking of his sister-in-law's angry face when he first came here, and said with a smile: "That's not the case, I'm just talking about the truth of the ink man......"

The sister-in-law snorted and said, "When you giant came here that day, I never heard him tell us these things. You really only reason with others now, but you have forgotten how to talk to your family. It is said that you ink people love and love, and you must love the world, but is this family the same as others? ”

A few words with a gun and a stick, and he was embarrassed to answer, and his sister-in-law scolded while taking out a set of leather armor from the house and said: "Try it out, your brother made it with the best skin, and two sets are also for your ink maker." ”

Shi Shun took it, tried it to fit, and didn't say any words of thanks, and asked, "Are there many people who come to buy wheat cakes and tofu now?" ”

The sister-in-law nodded and said, "More and more." The craftsmen in the city have been buying grain, and the craftsmen will have done very well in recent years, and many of them have bought ink cars and double wheels. ”

"The more wheat and beans are harvested outside the city, the more work the craftsmen have; The craftsmen had a lot to do, so they had money to buy food. Moreover, there are many more merchants in Shangqiu, or they have come to buy the oil you have extracted, but they are prosperous. ”

Maybe thinking of what he said in the right year, the sister-in-law said: "It's not that I can't afford silk clothes now, it's just that your brother said that he couldn't wear and do things after buying it, so he didn't buy it first." ”

This is the right year to promise, I may have forgotten it, but I don't want my sister-in-law to remember, and I can't help but be happy when I say it.

After asking about the monthly sales and judging the development of commodity exchange in the city, it seems that it has indeed increased a lot compared to three years ago.

The situation in the city can be seen from a wheat flour and bean food shop, and the development of the grain industry has led to the development and exchange of handicrafts in the city.

This is not Taoyi, and it is estimated that the changes in Taoyi may be greater than here, and Shangqiu is a city with greater military significance than economic significance after all.

After asking a few more things, Shi got up and said goodbye: "I still have things to do that the giant has to explain." Just take someone away first, sister-in-law can prepare more wheat cakes, ink man brought food, and then the exchange is. ”

"Maybe I won't be back in the evening, there should be something to do over there. The rules of the ink keeper to guard the city......"

Before he finished speaking, his sister-in-law said: "The ink master guards the rules of the city, but we know better than you, which one of Shangqiu doesn't know?" Needless to say, we will abide by the ban of the ink man. ”

Seeing this, I don't say much, I know that Shangqiu is the original base of the ink after all, and the ink people who have besieged the city and defended the city have participated in several times, and the people in the city are no strangers to the rules of the ink people, but they don't need to abide by it on weekdays.

When she turned around to take someone away, her sister-in-law couldn't help but ask in the back, "I heard that you are also considered a high position among the ink scholars?" ”

Shi was stunned, I didn't know how to answer, I thought that my sister-in-law had something to ask for me, and when I was about to explain, I heard my sister-in-law say: "I heard that the ink is guarding the city, even the giant will also come in person, and the higher the position, the more you must go forward." Don't dislike the heavy armor, you need to wear it all the time, and you should not take it off easily. ”

After that, he took out a small piece of food similar to a beast bone from the side, let Shi lower his head and put it on his neck, and said with a smile: "The ink is heavy on ghosts and gods, and it is the best at sacrifice, and God will protect you." ”

Listening to this sentence, which was normal at this time, but it sounded a little awkward to Shiha, Shiha laughed, but he didn't take off the talisman around his neck and left with everyone.