Chapter 57: Opening the Great Play

Hearing the name Zhao Sanshi, the image of a youth who was neither short nor tall, neither fat nor thin, with a decent but not outstanding appearance, appeared in Zhang Gui's mind.

Since he knew him, he couldn't be too heartless.

Moreover, unlike the recruitment with great benefits, from his past life to this life, nine out of ten people cry when they are forced to draw lots for military service, and laugh when they don't.

Under these circumstances, it's hard to say it's fraud to let those who don't draw it join the army;

Therefore, after a little pondering, Zhang Gui said:

"Since he wants to protect the country as soon as he enters the register, we shouldn't refuse too much."

"Old Sang Gui, let Zhao Sanshi serve."

"But treat him more strictly."

"Let him know that exceptions are hard to come by and need to be cherished."

"Yes." Sang Gui stole a glare at Song Wenhua with burning anger and accepted the Great King's order.

And although Old Song clearly felt Sang Gui's anger, he felt quite indifferent in his heart.

No matter how big or small an organization is, the bottom-level rules are the same.

When the boss is busy outside and cannot preside over the overall situation, how can the remaining leading figures climb into friendship and become friends?

They must be at odds with each other.

At this time, other civil and military bureaucrats of the Zhenlong Kingdom also came in groups of three or five to the western side hall of Guiyang Palace.

One by one, they bowed to Zhang Gui.

Zhang Gui returned a circular bow with a full smile, "Everyone is here."

"At the beginning of the New Year, I first pay a late New Year's call to everyone."

"To be honest, everyone's adaptability and sincerity in following me have greatly exceeded my expectations."

"So let's have a gathering today."

"Then, for all those who haven't become single Stone Corpse soldiers, I will fulfill everyone on the spot."

"Also, Director Ghost Sang, pick out the hundred most outstanding ones from the new soldiers in the past month."

"I will also bestow upon them the body of a Stone Corpse soldier."

Actually, how could everyone present change their allegiance sincerely in just two or three days?

The enthusiasm shown was just because the old leader Song Huawen had injected them with chicken blood, spinning them like tops.

Some young and healthy ones didn't even want the status of a Stone Corpse soldier, who knew what the sequelae would be.

But the situation was stronger than people.

At this moment, everyone's family members were in the hands of others, and they were living quite well, equivalent to frogs boiled in warm water.

Besides expressing extreme gratitude and thanking him insincerely, what else could they do?

Time flowed, flying away, and in a blink of an eye, it was the eighth day of the first month.

The merchants in Pingyang Town had rested enough for the New Year, and one by one lit large red firecrackers, wishing for a prosperous business.

At the fish market wharf on the edge of the town.

The ship owners and stall owners even pooled money to hire a drama troupe to sing the full 'Fubo Pacifies the Sea' and 'Selling the Golden Toad'.

Fubo Pacifies the Sea, as the name suggests, is to pray that in the new year, boatmen will not encounter waves when sailing and fishing, and will be smooth and steady.

Selling the Golden Toad is about a fishmonger in ancient times whose family was poor, and he couldn't even find a wife, but he still did business honestly.

As a result, once when he was selling a large sea fish, he helped a customer scrape scales and remove organs, and touched a golden toad, which led to the story.

Before the play started, every merchant prepared their own firecrackers, including Zhang Gui's family.

The wharf was fishy and pungent.

In the month when the Crow Wind was raging, although it didn't rain, the moisture in the sea still surged toward the shore with the strong wind.

It is said that Zhang Qitai, the new head of the Pingyang Zhang family, invited a great fortune teller from the commandery to look at the New Year's fortune, and as a result, he stayed in the town for the New Year and was invited by the wharf's big manager with heavy money, and the auspicious time calculated was gradually approaching.

One by one, the coiled firecrackers were spread out by their owners.

The larger the firecracker and the greater the quantity, the more face one had, and the more arrogant one was.

Zhang Gui's family business was booming last year, so Caiyang Duojie bought a full ninety thousand large hemp thunder firecrackers.

Once lit, the 'crackling' made people's ears buzz, and it also brought up nitrate smoke that shot into the sky.

Attracting the children watching the excitement on the shore to jump and cheer,

"Good, good, this firecracker is good, it's loud and big."

"Yes, yes, Aunt Caiyang is so stylish this year."

"Ah, this thunder is too loud, what are you saying, I can't hear clearly."

The whole scene was noisy.

The ground was covered with red firecracker paper thick enough to submerge one's ankles.

The white mist-like gunpowder smell drove away the fishy smell, making people's noses itch.

Zhang Gui also laughed along with the laughing crowd, but in his heart, he didn't really understand,

One hemp thunder can be worth a tenth of a tael of white flour.

Ninety thousand hemp thunder firecrackers is nine hundred catties of fine flour, worth three taels of silver.

His mother didn't know that he had already risen to power and had made a considerable career in the Outer Wild Ocean.

Why would she spend such a heavy cost just to hear a sound?

However, catching a glimpse of Caiyang Duojie's high-spirited appearance, Zhang Gui felt it was worth it.

Didn't understand, but it was worth it.

Being able to make his mother so proud and happy, even thirty taels of gold would be very worth it.

The auspicious time had arrived.

On the drama stage that was set up yesterday, 'dong qiang dong qiang dong dong qiang' sounded with cheerful gongs and drums.

"The play has started, the play has started!"

Caiyang Duojie shouted excitedly in the crowd, carrying a stool in one hand and pulling her son with the other, leading two sisters-in-law and five nieces, rushing toward the drama stage.

Opening the market is actually just a symbol.

On the eighth day, fishing boats wouldn't go to sea at all, and stall owners wouldn't set up stalls.

Everyone is just gathering together for a year to make a fuss.

Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, three hundred and fifty-seven days are spent struggling for life.

Even if they have rested for eight consecutive days, what's wrong with having fun for another day?

The good play is on stage.

Although it's cold, the drama troupe singing in this kind of place in the open air must not have any famous actors.

But the harder it is, the more they know how to cherish it; everyone on stage is truly working hard, one by one with full breath and loud singing.

The applause naturally became louder and louder.

As a result, the scene became hotter and hotter, more people gathered, and there were more sellers of snacks and small foods.

Seeing that his mother was fascinated without knowing it, Zhang Gui leaned over and whispered:

"Amu, I'm tired of sitting, I'm going to move my bones."

Caiyang Duojie nodded indifferently, but when her son got up and left, she still pulled the stool under her feet and stepped on it.

Squeezing out of the crowd watching the play, the cold wind blew, making him feel refreshed.

Zhang Gui walked leisurely to the seaside, sensing the location of the foundation thousands of miles away, and thought greedily: "It won't work, the grade of this territorial divine authority won't work."

"To hook the rule power of the 'capital element', it must be within the Zhenlong territory in the mystical sense."

"I can feel that the concept of 'capital' in this world should be my original creation."

"Then after the element is transformed, shouldn't the 'unique' characteristic appear slowly?"

"The three basic principles of the capital element, 'appreciation, exchange, circulation', should also be like this."

"According to my understanding, 'circulation' represents freedom."

"After humanization, combined with divine authority, it extended into teleportation."

"'Exchange' represents transformation."

"Letting me transform the human symbol of the 'capital element', gold and silver, into elemental power and divine power."

"However, reverse operation is difficult."

"This should be caused by the essential difference between matter and consciousness."

"Finally, 'appreciation' represents compound interest."

"The effect is still negligible now, but I can already feel that the accumulation of elements and divine power itself is automatically increasing for no reason."

"Alas, I don't know if these guesses derived from my practice are correct."

"It's still that my knowledge reserve is not enough."

"Even the extraordinary knowledge of the Dongsheng Continent is only half-understood, let alone other great continents..."

"Kid, what are you thinking about?"

Suddenly, a slightly sharp voice interrupted Zhang Gui's thoughts.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 58 =====