In late July, the midday sun scorched the earth, and the rising heat wave turned the wasteland into a furnace.
· Over the past few years, people have been walking around, and the originally insignificant path in the wilderness has turned into a wide carriageway.
Dozens of light cavalry galloped past, kicking up bursts of dust.
Ron gently clamped the horse's belly and controlled the reins with his hand, letting the horse under him speed up to catch up with the bay horse in front. He raised his voice, "Master, there is less than three miles to Boulder Town. Are you stationed there?" Let the horse rest for a while? "
"No, if you go faster, maybe you can catch the lunch of the garrison in Boulder Town." Art picked up the reins, and the maroon riding horse under him began to accelerate again.
Traveling lightly and non-stop, it took less than two hours from Beiguan Army Fort and a group of more than 20 riders to reach the town of Boulder in the wilderness.
此刻的巨石镇刚刚升起晌午的炊烟，几个驻军骑兵打开营门，自巨石镇中策马迎接......
...............
如今的巨石镇又扩建了。
Since Art made great efforts to drill the first deep water well, the garrison of Boulder Town and the dependent residents have successively drilled four deep wells in and around the city. After basically solving the drinking water problem, Boulder Town has become increasingly popular.
In addition, Boulder Town is the only settlement with an army (patrol team) stationed in the vast wilderness, and it is located on the north-south east-west traffic artery (leading to Andermatt Castle). Pedestrians and business travelers will stop here, and villagers from the northern villages will regularly bring firewood, fruits and vegetables here to exchange supplies. Over time, this place has changed from a purely military garrison to a small town that is mainly military and has a market.
With the garrison camp as the center, Boulder Town has expanded more than three times, with twenty or thirty stone houses dotted around it, and temporary tents are scattered all around.
The patrol belonging to the Wells Garrison Corps is still stationed here under the command of Obote, responsible for the security of the entire northern part of Wales.
After the expansion of the functions of Jushi Town, the Civil Affairs Bureau at that time and the current Government Affairs Bureau also sent several officials to manage construction, taxation and civil affairs.
When At arrived in Boulder Town, the garrison had just prepared lunch, so he added a bag of wheat flour and a few handfuls of diced meat, cooked a large pot of minced meat and wheat paste, and served everyone with rye bread.
The soldiers who followed the patrol team at the garrison in Boulder Town had a simple lunch, drank and fed their horses, and then the team started to set off. With luck, they might be able to rest overnight at Wincheston Manor and arrive at the county town of Tyniec tomorrow morning.
The team had just walked out of Boulder Town when they saw a team driving two ox carts and leading a mule and horse slowly heading south from the north of the wasteland.
The other side obviously rarely saw such a large-scale cavalry, and they did not dare to approach for a while, but just stopped in the distance.
The cavalry team continued walking for a while. The team finally saw the flag raised by the cavalry team clearly, so they continued to move forward. When they got closer, the team took the initiative to retreat to the side of the road to make way for the cavalry.
Atben didn't pay attention to this ordinary team. He glanced at it as it passed by and continued to ride his horse.
"Good day, Lord Count!"
Hellos sounded from the team.
Att reined in the reins, turned the horse's head and glanced at the man who looked like a farmer kneeling on the ground. Ordinary farmers these days were afraid of lords, not to mention that Art was now an earl, so Art glanced at the group of farmers with interest.
"My lord, do you remember me?" The kneeling man stood up. He was just a young man of sixteen or seventeen years old.
Att glanced at it and really couldn’t remember.
"Your Majesty, Earl, I am an apprentice in the third period of the Valley Wood Castle Civil Affairs School. You once taught us arithmetic." The young man was full of excitement.
Today's Civil Affairs School has trained no less than a hundred apprentices. Art used to only occasionally teach some courses to the apprentices. Since he became a baron, he has basically never gone to the school to teach. The young man in front of him will be remembered.
Since he was his former student, Art still planned to get off his horse and offer some words of encouragement, but Ron and several of his guards had already jumped off their horses. They scanned the people on the roadside several times to make sure there was no danger, and then they stood next to them and watched cautiously in a position where they could respond at any time.
Unlike the cold-faced bodyguard, Art had a friendly expression on his face and smiled: "I'm sorry, buddy, maybe I was lucky enough to be in the same room with you, but I really can't remember your name."
The young man obviously did not expect that Art could get off his horse and greet him. He stood up and replied respectfully: "Dear Earl, my name is Ian, and my father's name is Lorraine. He was once a patrol soldier under your command. He died in the battle against the bandits in Boulder Town six years ago."
"You are Lorraine's son? He is an amazing warrior!" Art had a vague impression of this patrol soldier who died early in the battle.
Young Ian became even more excited after hearing this.
"So, my brave sons, where are you?"
Young Ian looked back at the oxcart, mules and horses around him, then turned around and replied: "Back to your lord, after I became an apprentice at the Valley Wood Castle School, I was transferred to the civil affairs. I was dispatched by the government at the beginning of last year to serve as the deputy manager and peasant captain of Sob Village in Tyniec County. Now the farm work in the village is finished, and the autumn grain harvest season is still a month away. Sob Village is close to the forest river, and I led the villagers to collect a lot of nuts in early winter last year. I made a few barrels of mountain products, and pickled a lot of river fish, hoping to sell these things during the off-season. The land in Sobu Village is barren and the grain yield is extremely low. I want to take everyone to work harder and exchange for some money so that the villagers can buy more food for the winter. "
"Your Majesty, our sales are approved by the Ministry of Commerce of the Government Affairs Office, and one-third of the profits will be handed over to the Government Affairs Office."
At looked at the farmers behind the young man. Although they were honest and timid, and their bodies were lean, their eyes were very bright.
"Ian, it's good that you can think about leading the villagers to get rich!"
At said this, he took off the money bag from his waist, took out two small silver coins and handed them to the young man, "I will be your first guest, sell me some of your fruit wine, and let me enjoy the taste of your hard work."
The young man's face was filled with surprise.
"It is our greatest honor that your lord, the Count, wants to drink our fruit wine, and you can ask for your money." As he said this, the young man quickly went around to the back of the oxcart and took out a small wooden barrel, which should be filled with fruit wine.
"Take it, I believe you can lead the villagers to live a prosperous life."
Matt let Ron take the barrel, patted the young man's shoulder encouragingly, turned around and jumped on the horse.
Chasing the horse for a few steps, Art looked back slightly and said to Ron next to him: "Ron, write down this young man's name and let the government pay attention to it. If he has outstanding abilities, transfer him to the Ministry of Commerce for key training..."
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