Not long after dawn, Liu Laoshi at the mouth of the alley went out with a burden, which was filled with freshly baked white-flour steamed buns, and there was a fragrance from a distance.

The blacksmith surnamed Zhao at the mouth of the alley saw it and laughed: "Brother Liu, steamed steamed buns for the defenders at the head of the city today?" ”

"It's not easy for the babies to fight, get them some hot food, and it's good to guard this Beijing city, isn't it?"

"Brother Liu, when the Ming Dynasty takes over the world in the future, I have to let you take the business of selling steamed buns in the world, and don't forget our old neighbors when the time comes."

"Don't worry, you can't forget. If I were to sell steamed buns in Beijing, none of us would be treated badly by one person and one street. ”

Seeing that Liu Laoshi was walking away, the blacksmith's daughter-in-law walked out with a bowl and stuffed the bowl into the blacksmith's hand: "You have seen it for so many days, the Manchu army has not yet broken through the city of Beijing, why don't we also send something to the defenders at the head of the city, and we can open the door for business in the future?" ”

The blacksmith held the bowl in one hand and pulled his daughter-in-law inside with the other: "You think I don't want to go?" The iron and stone in our blacksmith shop are counted, and if all of them are given to the defenders of the city, they will have to go hungry this month, and if they are only given one or two blades, who will remember us little people? It's like Liu Laoshi, who goes to deliver steamed buns every day, it's strange to say, I haven't heard of how thick Liu Laoshi's family is, how can he send so many steamed buns? ”

"People smash all the family into a gamble, that is, wealth and danger are sought, and if they become prosperous, they will be prosperous and rich, and if they lose, their families will be ruined, let's live in peace."

Liu Laoshi arrived at the bottom of the city wall, and a soldier recognized him: "Yo, Brother Liu, I'm here to deliver steamed buns so early today." ”

"This is not a freshly steamed steamed bun, it has just come out of the pot, you eat it while it's hot, and when you're full, you can fight."

"Hehe, I'm not embarrassed to eat your steamed buns every day, Brother Liu, don't worry, when the military salary is paid this month, I will definitely let them make it up to you, and I will definitely not let you make a loss-making deal."

"What do you say, as long as you can keep the Tartars out of the city, you are the hero of this Beijing city, I don't care about the money, I just hope you can eat enough and have the strength to fight."

"Okay, Brother Liu, we all know where your shop is, remember to report the name of our brother if you have something in the future, although the official can't afford to provoke him, but if there are any ruffians and hooligans or something, we can still help you clean him up."

As he spoke, he picked up the steamed bun and put it in his mouth, and shouted at it while eating: "Brothers, come and eat the steamed bun." ”

Liu Laoshi looked at the team and was about to speak, but the team found out: "Brother Liu, do you have something to say?" ”

"No, no, you just eat yours."

"Brother Liu, you see that you have come to deliver so many steamed buns, is there anything you can't say to us?"

"Hey, I have a little wish, can I go up to this city and have a look." Seeing those people suddenly staring at him, Liu Laoshi's face turned red: "I just want to see the situation outside the city, and I can brag to others when I go back, or tell them that I have a good relationship with the defenders in the city, and they won't believe it." ”

The team showed a suddenly realized expression: "So that's the case, then you go, be careful, once you hear the sound of war drums, run down immediately, as soon as the soldiers outside the city attack the city, no one will take care of you." ”

Liu Laoshi quietly went up to the city wall, carefully looked at the situation around the city wall, and was a little disappointed, there were a lot of weapons here, but the musket was not seen, in order to avoid the suspicion of the soldiers under the city, he quickly ran down: "Hehe, the smell of blood on it is too strong, I can't stand it, so I ran down." ”

The team is also suspicious at this time: "These days, I have been fighting and killing every day, where can there be no smell of blood, Brother Liu, you go home quickly, the city is about to be attacked, this place is in chaos, I can't take care of you, if I am injured by mistake, my brothers will not be happy." ”

"Well, I'll go home, and Ming'er will come to deliver steamed buns to you!" Saying that, Liu Laoshi lifted his wooden basket and turned around and left the city.

returned to his home, threw the wooden basket aside, and walked into the house: "Big brother, I went to the city today to see, there is no shadow of the musket at all, and our identity, to see other people's muskets, I'm afraid it's hard not to be suspicious, today I went to the city, there are people who are suspicious." ”

A man sighed faintly: "Is it possible to buy a musket with silver, let's pay a high price, and those who are soldiers should sell it." ”

"This, it's hard to say, I think it's better to let someone else buy it, even if it fails, I can still find a chance here, if I go, the friendship these days will be gone."

"Well, I know, I'll arrange for someone else, avoid ears and eyes when buying, it's best to find a soldier who needs money urgently at home, and I'll leave this matter to you to inquire."

"No problem."

Three days later, at night, a man covered his mouth and nose with a black cloth and came to the city wall: "I have important information to see your team leader Zhang Youde." ”

The team didn't dare to be careless when they heard this, besides, the city was full of their own brothers, even if they wanted to do it to themselves, they had to bury themselves, so they boldly walked over: "I'm Zhang Youde, what's the matter with you?" ”

The man lowered his voice: "I heard that your old mother is sick, I am willing to pay five hundred taels of silver, and with our fast horse, we can send it to Henan within ten days." ”

Zhang Youde was stunned for a moment: "What do you mean?" ”

"My master is a big official of the imperial court, and he doesn't have any self-defense blades at home, so he is very uneasy, and it is easy to attract attention if he builds it without authorization, so I want to ask you to make a move, get one or two muskets out, and our master will build his own muskets, and you can give a sentence if it is not successful."

Team Zheng rolled his eyes a few times: "I want eight hundred taels of silver, and the musket is very strictly guarded, I can steal a handful." ”

"One handful is enough." As he spoke, the man took out a piece of jade pendant from his pocket: "This is a token, when your family receives the silver and gives you the news, just return the jade pendant to me." ”

Zhang Youde then glanced at the jade pendant in the moonlight, knew that it was a good jade, and laughed: "Sure enough, it is a good person, two days later, it will be this hour, if you come to me again, just say that it is my cousin He Bai." ”

"No problem."

Zhang Youde turned around and walked back to the city wall, and someone over there asked: "Team Zheng, what is his major news, can you let my brothers make a windfall?" ”

"Haha, the secret of heaven must not be revealed, when I make a windfall, I will invite a few of you to go to Juxianju in the city to drink."

"It looks like a big deal, just drinking can't dismiss us, we have to drink flower wine!" Laughter erupted from the city.