From Chief to Ball

Chapter 53 Headland Island

After walking around for two days, I didn't see an island or peninsula suitable for building a city. Instead, I accidentally found the island where Onozawa's escaped slaves were hiding.

The lake is only a few hundred miles around, and it is a distance that can be crossed by reeds. It is very secret for Sucheng, which still uses a single wooden skin, but it is not difficult for Xiacheng's small sailboats to find.

The people who were fishing on the island ran away in panic, exclaiming, but the children by the lake pointed to the black and white bear flag and the wheat ear logo on the boat and shouted: "It's the same as the one drawn by Uncle Ji Bo, it's from Xiacheng." The boat is the Xiacheng people who gave us salt."

The child was still yelling and had been dragged away by the mother. The slaves took up crude weapons and hid in the cave and looked out. Ze and He stood at the front, knowing that panic was meaningless, so they simply stood up Shouted loudly: "Ji Xia, why not go ashore, drink some water and eat some food."

Several people shouted together, Chen Jian heard it, turned around and asked, "Is there anything else to eat on the boat?"

"Just some scones, some maple syrup and jerky, and some milk jerky."

"Bring them all. Red fish and elm money, you two take them and share them with the children, don't let them see us as people who burned, killed and looted. See if there are any other gadgets, take them and share them, Xia Ze is friendly."

Throwing down the stone anchor, two small bark boats were used to send people there. Chen Jian did not go down, and asked Yuqianer to send a message to Ze, let him board the boat together, look around, and told him that he had found it by accident. , let them not worry, he is a man who keeps his oath.

Amidst the laughter and joyous songs of the children and women, the two of them boarded the boat, and their dark, oily skin would no longer be exposed to the sun.

The two of them were a little embarrassed, but they straightened up and said, "I don't know why Ji Xia let us board the boat?"

"You are familiar with this place, I want to build a city near here, is there any good place to go?"

"I don't know what Ji Xia wants?"

"Big."

Ze thought for a while and said: "There is a place to go. That island is very big, not far from here, but it's a little closer to the shore. We dare not live there, but Xia City doesn't have to be afraid."

"How is it better than the island you live on?"

"Big."

"That's good."

After inquiring about the direction, he turned the rudder and headed south, looked at the hard sail on the boat curiously, clicked his tongue secretly, thinking that it is amazing that this thing can travel between lakes and marshes without being rowed.

After walking for less than half an hour, a huge island appeared in front of Chen Jian. He stretched out his right thumb and closed his eyes to measure it. Using a pine tree on the island as a benchmark, the island is indeed not small, with a length of six or seven miles. Width and length.

There are no people on the island, the trees are dense, and the rocks are rugged. Occasionally, there are a few roars of wild animals, which startle countless birds.

When he got close, Chen Jian's eyes lit up.

On the side of the island facing the ship, two promontories stretched out from the island like the hands of a mother holding a child, leaving a gap about a hundred paces wide.

The headland is about [-] to [-] steps high. Because it blocks the wind and waves outside, the bay within the embrace is as stable as a mirror, which is sharper than the rippling wind and waves outside.

There is some mud and sand at the gap between the two promontories, and there are rocks on the mud and sand. If ships want to enter the inner bay, they must pass through here. This is a natural good harbor.

There are countless water birds on both sides of the cliff, and it seems that there are really not many people on this island.

Three Xiacheng people slid to the mouth of the promontory in a small bark boat, took out the rope and stone for sounding, and shouted: "You can come here, the water is deep."

When the boat arrived at the mouth of the mountain, Chen Jian pointed to the top of the mountain and said, "Build two acropolises here, with gunpowder bows and arrows, and 30 guards. I'm afraid even a thousand people can't get in. This place is good, go to the island." have a look."

The boatman in front measured his surroundings, returned to the boat and said, "The depth of the water here is about [-] paces, and there are no hidden rocks. The entire promontory is about two miles long and one mile wide. There is also a river passing by there. big."

After setting off the boat, dozens of people went to the island with bows and spears. The front of the promontory is a flat plain, and at this time there are still trees and thorns everywhere.The shore facing the bay is in a concave shape facing the fjord. Because of the anti-wave effect of the cape outside, the water here is very stable, and even a broken wooden basin will not capsize.

Looking up, they saw that there was a mountain that was not too high on the island, so they hunted some birds and animals to feed their hunger, pushed aside the bushes and climbed to the top of the mountain.

Chen Jian climbed up a big tree and looked down. Through the lake, he could see the land three to five miles away. This is why Ze and others did not choose this big island to live.

The whole island is twelve or three miles long and six or seven miles wide, mostly flat land, with only one hill of three to five hundred steps surrounded by lush greenery.

To the south of the island is land, where there is a forest and flat land. It is said that the most suitable place to build a city is the opposite land, where the terrain is flat and suitable for farming. However, Chen Jian decided to build a city on this island for safety reasons.

The cultivated land is placed on the other side. The island is mainly dominated by handicraft workshops and various schools. If it really becomes a big city in the future, the land on the other side of the lake is enough to accommodate a large number of people, but I don’t know what minerals are nearby.

I stood on the tree and thought for a while, jumped down from the tree, and walked around the island with people. At noon on the second day, I walked all over the island. I dug up the soil and looked at the thickness of the silt layer. After taking a look at the highest possibility of rising water, I have made up my mind.

Go back to Cape Bay and call Ze to the boat.

"I want to build a city here. As long as you don't rebel in the future, if someone comes to arrest you and return you as slaves, I will protect you. I have said what I should say. Xiacheng is not here. I will arrest you and go back to scare those slaves." I'm not interested, I just want to exchange your strength with food and salt cloth."

Ze smiled and said: "Jixia made it clear. I discussed it with everyone after I went back, and everyone believed it. It will not do any harm to us. If Jixia can really protect us from being captured by the city, we will also swear that if someone makes things difficult Xia Cheng will definitely help."

Chen Jian laughed and said: "No need, I have many soldiers in Xiacheng, and I don't need your help. Now that you have discussed it, then I will speak."

"Please say."

"From last winter to now, you have eaten nearly [-] catties of salt from me. I can only give you the burden of herbs. After all, I want you to live, and you can work when you are alive. Leather and the like estimate your time. You can’t afford that much, can you?”

"Correct."

"Well, from the island where you live to here, it takes only an hour to ride the reeds. This time, since you collectively owed it, you should pay it collectively. Find someone to work, eat and drink, and pay back what you owe me. What about the salt? I don’t want skins in the future, as long as you work in exchange for whatever you want.”

Ze nodded and said, "That's possible. But I wonder how much work Jixia is going to ask us to do to repay it? If it's because of these salts that we are asked to dig the whole island away, I'm afraid it won't work."

"It's an exchange, I'm willing to do what you like. No matter how much the skin, fish, shrimp, and clam pearls are, they can only resist four thousand catties of salt. For the remaining four thousand catties, you need to cut down the trees near the headland and burn the weeds."

"If you want to do it, do it. If you don't want to do it, don't do it, and continue to return my skin and clam pearls. As for me, keep my promise, you are free, not slaves, and if you don't do it, I won't beat you with a whip." I'll do it for you. But... from now on, the ten miles around Onozawa, including Onozawa, will be the land of Xiacheng. I'm giving you that island, and you don't go hunting anywhere else except that island. One, all the nearby villages have been driven away by me, if you want to exchange salt, herbs, tools, etc., you can only find me, there is no other place."

Ze frowned and said, "Ji Xia said just now that it was your wish, but everything we want is in your hands. It is obvious that it is your wish, but in fact we still have to rely on you. Do the same We have to accept as much salt as you want, how can this be your choice? We have no choice at all, we can quit, but if we don’t, what do we eat? Eat shit?”

Chen Jian patted him on the shoulder and said: "It's great that you said it. It's great that you can understand this. After you go back, talk to the people on the island. But you have to admit that I gave you freedom. No more slaves on the island, right?"

"you……"

Ze raised his head, looked at the young man in front of him, and was at a loss for words.

Chapter 54 Line up to eat fruit

"How long do you want us to finish?"

"Not counting rain, ten days."

"I can't finish it."

"can."

Chen Jian yelled, and a few people came over with tools such as axes and short saws. Two or three sturdy ones clanked and felled trees with familiar tools, and soon felled a few trees.

Cut down a few round trees and lay them on the ground as rollers. The big logs are tied with ropes, and they are pulled and piled aside, neat and orderly.

Ze stared straight at him, and Chen Jian snapped his fingers and said, "You can't finish it with stones, but Xiacheng seldom uses stones, so you can finish it. Food and other things will be provided by me, and you will come out." A few women cook."

Not long after, those who collaborated in logging had already made a sample, and the branches were still on the ground waiting to be ignited after drying. Ze nodded and said, "If there are enough tools, it should be done in ten days."