Chapter 16 South Hope City

South Hope City was much larger than Tumang City.

It was less a border town and more like Shenzhen.

Merchants flocked there in droves, the population was dense, and commerce and industry were extremely developed.

This explained why the fortresses, including Willow Green Fort, had fallen into such disrepair. This Silver Wave County didn't have the atmosphere of a border county; it was practically the wealthy Jiangnan region of Great Yan.

Zheng Fan closed the window, ceasing to gaze at the bustling streets.

As a new official, aside from the old soldier Tie Sanzhu, no one lit a fire for Zheng Fan.

But one still had to meet one's superior.

Zheng Fan didn't intend to be a solitary subject of Great Yan, at least not now. Therefore, he had brought two boxes of silver ingots with him.

Xiao Dahai, the Garrison General of South Hope City, was the target of Zheng Fan's efforts to build relationships.

Since he was bringing silver, he couldn't be too ostentatious. Zheng Fan simply took Fan Li and A'ming, three people in total, found an inn in South Hope City to settle down, and prepared to assess the situation before submitting his card.

"Squeak..."

The door of the inn was pushed open, and Fan Li walked in with a lot of food, cheerfully saying:

"Master, North Marquis Cake, North Marquis Fried Dough Sticks, Li Family Steamed Buns..."

Although the North Marquis lineage had been stationed in the north for a century, they were extremely popular in Silver Wave County, after all, the Li family's ancestral home was in Silver Wave County.

As a result, many snacks in Silver Wave County were associated with the North Marquis or the Li family, a bit like how later generations of snack shops everywhere could always be seen advertising that the Qianlong Emperor ate their what-and-what when he went south and praised it to the skies.

Zheng Fan took two Li Family Steamed Buns from Fan Li and ate them while saying:

"We'll submit our card in the afternoon."

There was still a lot to deal with at Willow Green Fort. They couldn't let everyone live in tents all the time, were they here to get promoted and make a fortune, or to escape a disaster?

A'ming didn't eat, but continued to patiently trim his nails. Hearing Zheng Fan's words, he nodded.

"Aren't you eating?"

Zheng Fan remembered that A'ming used to eat even Mao Xue Wang (a spicy Sichuan dish), but now he seemed a bit otherworldly.

A'ming smiled and said:

"Thank you for your concern, Master. One full meal can last me for many days."

As he spoke, A'ming subconsciously licked the corner of his mouth.

"Don't binge eat, try to eat regularly."

"Yes."

A'ming nodded and continued to trim his nails.

"Should I change my clothes?"

Zheng Fan pointed to the hoodie he was wearing.

In North Feng County, because the Hu and other ethnic groups gathered there, it didn't matter how strangely you dressed, but Silver Wave County was a bit more "folksy."

"I'll find you something."

A'ming got up, rummaged through the three of them's luggage, found a white long shirt, and handed it to Zheng Fan.

Great Yan revered black, but because Silver Wave County was close to the Qian Kingdom, it was inevitably influenced by some "literary style." The scholars or aristocratic sons of Great Yan here also liked to wear a clean white shirt or robe when they went out.

The clothes were prepared for Zheng Fan by Fourth Mother before she came, because according to the plan, they would stay in South Hope City for at most two days, and go back after smoothing things over, so they didn't bring many clothes.

After changing his clothes, Zheng Fan opened his arms and admired himself.

Fan Li, who had just put the last piece of North Marquis Cake into his mouth, smiled foolishly at Zheng Fan.

"A'li, what do you think, do I look like a scholar?" Zheng Fan asked.

Fan Li nodded vigorously and said:

"Like at a funeral."

"..." Zheng Fan.

…

"It's actually, really a funeral?"

In front of the South Hope City Garrison General's mansion,

White lanterns were hung everywhere, and the servants standing at the door were all dressed in white mourning clothes. Guests came and went to pay their respects.

Zheng Fan stood in front, A'ming stood beside Zheng Fan, and Fan Li carried two boxes of silver ingots at the back.

"A'ming."

"Yes."

"Go ask the nearby merchants what kind of person in the Garrison General's mansion died."

"Yes, Master."

After a while, A'ming returned and said calmly:

"Master, Xiao Dahai died, they said he died of illness last night."

After confirming the news, Zheng Fan was really a bit dumbfounded. After hesitating for a while, Zheng Fan still felt that since he had come, he had to go up and pay his respects and send his share of condolences.

"A'ming, do you have any silver on you?" Zheng Fan asked.

"I don't carry money when I go out."

Zheng Fan looked at Fan Li again and said:

"A'li, give me all the silver you have left on you."

A'li put the two boxes on the ground, pretending to open the boxes.

"Don't, don't, don't touch the silver."

Fan Li scratched his head in confusion, wasn't the silver supposed to be carried over to give to the Garrison General?

"When he was alive, it was no problem to send two boxes, but since he's dead..."

A'ming interjected:

"It's devalued."

"Yes, it's devalued."

Fan Li nodded and said:

"Yes, dead chickens are cheaper than live chickens in the market."

Zheng Fan stepped forward and reached into Fan Li's pocket, taking out some loose silver, which was what Fan Li had left over from buying food on the street before.

He weighed it in his hand, feeling the weight,

"That's about it, it's okay, A'li, you carry the silver back to the inn, A'ming, you and I go in to pay our respects. By the way, A'li, wash your mouth after you get back to the inn, I feel like your mouth is blessed today."

Fan Li nodded, obediently picking up the carrying pole again and heading back to the inn.

Zheng Fan and A'ming walked into the gate of the Garrison General's mansion together.

A servant at the door led the way. After entering the inner gate, there was a long table with five or six clerks sitting on it.

Zheng Fan stepped forward and handed over the silver in his hand.

The clerk in charge of registering Zheng Fan was stunned when he saw the loose silver. When the Garrison General died, everyone of any importance in South Hope City would come to pay their respects, but this was the first time he had ever seen anyone sending condolences like this.

To put it bluntly, it was like you were attending someone else's wedding in later generations and handing over a large handful of five and ten yuan bills as a gift.

But the people in the Garrison General's mansion were indeed of high quality. They still followed the rules and first took out a small scale to weigh the loose silver, then turned the book of condolences to Zheng Fan and handed him a pen, signaling Zheng Fan to leave his name here.

Zheng Fan signed his name and turned the book of condolences back to the clerk.

The clerk lowered his head and glanced at it, smacked his lips, and hadn't heard of any wealthy or influential people named Zheng in South Hope City. Of course, wealthy and influential people wouldn't send loose silver as condolences, but he still reminded:

"Please leave your place of origin, and if you have an official position, please leave your official position."

This was a matter of human relations, with giving and taking.

Zheng Fan shook his head and said:

"No need, I'm from a family that has declined, and I've been favored by the Garrison General before. However, my career is not going smoothly, and my family business is difficult to prosper. When I heard the news of the Garrison General's death, I borrowed some silver to send a little bit of my heart. It's better not to leave anything else."

A'ming, who was standing behind him, lowered his head slightly, making his smile less obvious.

He also felt a little emotional in his heart.

Zheng Fan, when he had just woken up, didn't even dare to leave the inn very much, but now he seemed to have completely integrated into this world.

When the clerk heard this, he got up and bowed to Zheng Fan, looking very moved, and sincerely said:

"Your Excellency is noble."

"You're welcome, you're welcome."

After saying that, Zheng Fan pointed inside and said, "Allow me to offer incense to the General."

"Please."

Zheng Fan didn't hesitate any longer and turned to enter the inner house. Inside, banners were hung everywhere, paper money ashes were flying around, and the air was filled with a strong smell of incense and candles.

More than thirty Taoist priests were chanting scriptures, but because it was the first day and many guests came to pay their respects, they were just sitting cross-legged and chanting quietly, without really "practicing."

In the cloister, Zheng Fan saw a man in a cyan long shirt sitting there. The man was about thirty years old, very tall, with sharp edges and corners. Although he was sitting there, he had an air of heroism.

The reason why Zheng Fan specifically noticed this person was not because he was forced by his "heroism."

Purely because this person looked a little familiar, and coupled with this ancient style of dress, Zheng Fan couldn't help but think of Lu Bu in the old version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms,"

Well, that is, the later commander of the 358th Regiment.

The other party seemed to have sensed Zheng Fan's gaze, not only did he directly meet Zheng Fan's gaze, but he also immediately stood up and took the initiative to walk towards Zheng Fan.

At the moment when he stood up, Zheng Fan also noticed that the other party seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

This detail made Zheng Fan seem to see himself back then.

Back then, he was obsessed with studio manga creation, and he was actually a standard otaku. Sometimes when he went out to attend some public events, it was often like this.

Very awkward, you sit there, you don't know what you want to do, you can only pretend to be very calm and play with your mobile phone there, as if the mobile phone is such a fun thing.

At this time, if someone could chat with him, talk to him, and chat a few times, even if I sold comics and you sold floor tiles, we could chat warmly, anyway, we are all making a living in the boxes.

"Brother, are you from the military?" The other party took the initiative to greet Zheng Fan with a bow.

After being a Commandant for so long, and being accustomed to giving orders all the way from the north to the south, he naturally had that kind of aura.

In fact, Zheng Fan felt that there was another most important reason, that is, after wearing armor for a long time, its shaping effect was much better than any back brace, even if you took off the armor, your walking and standing posture would be very different from ordinary people.

Zheng Fan immediately bowed in response and said, "Yes, I am Zheng Fan, the new garrison of Willow Green Fort."

"Oh? What a coincidence, I am Zuo Jiqian, the new garrison of Jituibao."

Chicken Leg Fort?

Not bad,

It can be regarded as the same family,

I am Chicken Willow Fort.

Anyway, Zheng Fan was no longer interested in complaining about the Yan people's ability to name things, and it's no wonder that the Qian people laughed at you for not being cultured, as you were making yourselves look like KFC.

In fact, Jituibao was named to commemorate General Ji, who died knowing that there were no reinforcements behind him, but still held his ground and died in battle when the Qian army marched north a hundred years ago.

"Brother Zheng is also here to pay his respects to the Garrison General?"

"Exactly."

Zheng Fan felt that there was something wrong with this guy's head, or rather, he simply didn't know what to talk about.

There's a funeral here, am I here to pay my respects, or am I here for a picnic?

"Oh, the Prefect and more than a dozen family heads near South Hope City are paying their respects, we should wait."

Oh, there's a queue.

Zheng Fan nodded, walked to the position where Zuo Jiqian was sitting before, and sat down. A'ming took the initiative to stand behind Zheng Fan.

After Zuo Jiqian sat down, he immediately faced Zheng Fan, smiled, and pursed his lips. He should have been anxiously looking for a topic to avoid a cold scene.

Seeing this, Zheng Fan took the initiative to say:

"Brother Zuo, where are you from?"

"The Zuo family of Tiger Might."

Zheng Fan raised his chin slightly, hiss, a rich second generation.

There are seven counties in Yan, with many clans, and there are many of the same surname. Some of them may have been a family hundreds of years ago and then split up, but most of them with the same surname actually have nothing to do with each other, so when introducing themselves, in order to distinguish themselves, they often add a prefix in front.

For example, a certain family in a certain place.

Just like the Zhang family in Liangguang and the Zhang family in Yangjiawa,

Can they be the same?

Zheng Fan suddenly thought of a question and asked:

"Brother Zuo, is the city wall of your Chicken Leg Fort still there?"

Hearing this question, Zuo Jiqian immediately showed a wry smile and shook his head:

"To be honest, Brother Zheng, I have only recently taken office and searched for a long time to find my station. In addition to the rammed earth, they didn't leave me a single brick."

"Then I'm fine, I have a lot of bricks there."

Zheng Fan felt much better in his heart that someone was more miserable than him.

"Brother Zheng, where is your ancestral home?"

"I am from the North, and I have no family background."

Having no family background is having no family background. Zheng Fan didn't say that he was from a poor family. In fact, the term "poor family" in ancient times didn't refer to ordinary people. According to later generations' standards, if your parents are both division-level cadres, your family can barely be called a poor family.

As for the ordinary people below...you don't even have a door.

"The North?" Zuo Jiqian didn't show a look of disdain on his face. This clan disciple was very well-mannered and looked like an honest person.

Zheng Fan added:

"The North actually only has one door."

Zuo Jiqian opened his mouth, his body trembled slightly, and said:

"Brother Zheng is from the Marquis's Mansion?"

Zheng Fan nodded slightly in a reserved and polite manner.

"Forgive my impoliteness!"

After saying that,

Zuo Jiqian actually stood up again and saluted Zheng Fan,

And said:

"The Marquis's Mansion has suppressed the barbarians for a hundred years, and all of our Yan soldiers look up to them!"

"Brother Zuo is too polite, too polite."

Zuo Jiqian sat down again and immediately said:

"Brother Zheng, as far as I know, several other forts have also recently sent new garrisons, I feel that the imperial court intends to reorganize the Silver Wave County defense line, is it planning to go south..."

Zheng Fan reached out and patted Zuo Jiqian on the shoulder and said meaningfully:

"Brother Zuo, you and I are both soldiers, not those scholars."

"Brother Zheng is right, is right, I was being rash."

At this time, Zheng Fan saw a group of guests coming out of the mourning hall after paying their respects.

"Brother Zuo, let's go offer incense to the Garrison General first, and then we'll find a tavern to discuss in detail."

"Okay, that's exactly what I want."

Zheng Fan and Zuo Jiqian walked towards the mourning hall. When they entered, they saw a thin, tall man comforting the widow and son, and behind the thin, tall man stood more than a dozen old men.

Zuo Jiqian lowered his voice and said to Zheng Fan:

"That is Lord Lin, the Prefect of South Hope City, and those around him are the clan heads of the nearby large families."

Zheng Fan nodded, and together with Zuo Jiqian took incense.

The mourning hall was very large,

A good sandalwood coffin was placed in the center.

Perhaps because there were too many guests paying their respects, and the Yan people were not very interested in etiquette and rules, so in order to pursue efficiency, incense tables were placed on all four sides of the coffin.

It was equivalent to the security checkpoint being increased from one to four to facilitate the flow of people.

But even so, the people standing next to them waiting to offer incense still surrounded the mourning hall in several circles.

Especially that Prefect, who was still putting on a show of being close to the people, and with so many clan heads from nearby standing next to him, even more hindered the dispersal of people.

But no one dared to urge them, and even had to cooperate with their expressions.

When the Prefect was serious, everyone had to be serious, and when the Prefect smiled, everyone had to match him with the same degree of smile.

Zheng Fan was almost dizzy from the smoke, and he felt a little regret in his heart. He knew he should have just wandered around and left, why did he have to offer incense? It's not like he came to win a prize.

At this time, A'ming, who had been standing behind Zheng Fan, suddenly put his mouth to Zheng Fan's ear and whispered:

"Master, there is a sound in the coffin."

Zheng Fan's eyes immediately narrowed, and he tilted his head slightly and said:

"Are you sure?"

"Sure."

Excluding the unrealistic possibility that the Garrison General's family deliberately threw the Garrison General's pet dog or pet cat into the coffin to accompany him,

Then there can only be one explanation...

Zheng Fan suddenly felt, what's wrong with this world? When he was in the north, it was understandable that the barbarians liked to play with corpses, but why did he have to encounter a zombie in the south?

"I knew I should have let Liang Cheng come with me."

Zheng Fan quipped.

When zombies meet zombies, it's like meeting old friends, they can always chat a few words.

However, just at this moment,

A sudden change occurred!

"Bang!"

A loud noise came,

The coffin lid suddenly popped into the air,

The people in the mourning hall cried out immediately,

Then,

A hand was raised from inside the coffin,

Holding a sphere-like object in the palm of his hand, with many dense small holes on it.

Before everyone could react,

A "crack" sound came from inside the sphere,

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!!!!!!"

Countless fine needles shot out from the sphere in all directions!

At the critical moment, A'ming grabbed Zheng Fan's shoulder and pulled Zheng Fan back, while he took the initiative to block in front of Zheng Fan.

"Ah ah!!!"

"Ah ah!!"

"Ah ah!!"

Countless screams came from the mourning hall.

Zheng Fan also sensed that A'ming's body trembled several times, obviously, he had been hit by several needles.

"Hiss..."

In the chaos of the mourning hall,

A'ming first took a breath,

Then he specifically turned his head and glanced at Zheng Fan, who was protected behind him,

And asked:

"Master, I didn't hear what you said just now, can you say it again?"

chun jie di xiao long