Since the Opium War, Liu Yongfu's Black Flag Army has been one of the few that can win in a confrontation with foreign armies. It is very rare.
"You're welcome, you're welcome. Mr. Liu just can't stand the arrogance of foreigners, so he's trying his best!"
Liu Yongfu hurriedly said politely: "In order to improve the strength of the Black Flag Army brothers, we have invited Master Huang to be the chief instructor!"
After saying that, he looked at Wu Dong with a smile...
When we came out of Baozhilin, it was already mid-afternoon.
The originally noisy flow of people on the street began to become sparse.
The atmosphere of the Chinese New Year is getting stronger and stronger, and it is not a good idea to open the door for business during the Chinese New Year.
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and many business shops and small vendors have already closed their stalls.
I don’t know if it was for Liu Yongfu’s sake that Huang Feihong treated Wu Dong and Yan Zhendong with great courtesy.
When leaving, not only did he personally deliver them to the entrance of the main hall, but he also asked his direct disciple Lin Shirong to deliver Wu Dong and Yan Zhendong to the entrance.
Far away from Baozhilin, Yan Zhendong, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said: "Boy, why don't you agree to Liu Tongzhi's solicitation?"
"Why are you so eager to agree?"
Holding a bag of snacks in his hand, Wu Dong said jokingly: "After the Chinese New Year is over and we have a stable livelihood, it won't be too late to join us!"
When he was in Baozhilin, he did not directly agree to Liu Yongfu's two solicitations.
Fortunately, Liu Yongfu didn't have a chicken-like temper, and he didn't mean to be angry, but he never mentioned it again in the subsequent conversation.
To be honest, Yan Zhendong felt a little pity for Wu Dong.
Who is Liu Yongfu?
He was a famous anti-French general and the chief military officer appointed by the imperial court.
Judging from his repeated solicitation, it is obvious that he values Wu Dong very much.
If Wu Dong takes the opportunity to join the Black Flag Army, wouldn't it be easy to become a high-level officer and general?
This is a great opportunity to achieve a class jump!
To be honest, Yan Zhendong is a little envious...
It was obvious that Yan Zhendong had doubts in his heart, but Wu Dong had no intention of explaining it on the street.
After returning to the small courtyard of the inn where he temporarily rented, he handed over all the purchased items to his younger brothers for disposal. Then he sat in the main hall and gave a detailed explanation to Yan Zhendong.
"Is the reason Liu Tongzhi keeps recruiting people because of my ability? How is that possible?"
"It was just the first time we met, how could you possibly know what I am capable of? That is, my casual words made him feel so much, and I was so happy that my idea 'won my heart'!"
"Looking at Liu Tongzhi's deeds, we can see that he is a hard-liner on external affairs. At present, the government is definitely in the minority, including the Black Flag Army. There will probably be no noise!"
"Suddenly hearing my unceremonious comments about the nature of foreigners, I naturally felt like a 'confidant'. At this time, the recruitment was to treat me as a first-rate guest who could talk and amuse people!"
"Although this is a great opportunity, I don't like it!"
Yan Zhendong had nothing to say, feeling a little funny in his heart, and asked curiously: "What are you going to do after the New Year?"
"Didn't I tell you on the street to find a stable job first?"
"Why?"
“With a stable livelihood, we have more freedom to perform!”
"Don't you want to join the Black Flag Army directly?"
"Let's see, let's talk about it. The Black Flag Army is so capable of fighting, and they are from the Tiandihui, so the government may not necessarily treat them well!"
…
On New Year's Eve, Wu Dong and his brothers set off hundreds of firecrackers in the rented yard and had a lively New Year's dinner.
In the afternoon, he took his little brother and Yan Zhendong to Baozhilin on the same street to pay New Year greetings.
Baozhilin is also quite lively...
For some unknown reason, Huang Qiying, who should be less than fifty at this time, did not appear in Baozhilin.
Huang Feihong, Yaca Su and Lin Shirong were all here, while the other disciples all went home.
Huang Feihong was very happy to see Wu Dong and his party paying New Year's greetings, and even gave each of his younger brothers a gift. If Wu Dong had not declined on his own initiative, he would have received one.
Relationships are created through relationships, which makes sense.
It can be seen that Huang Feihong's expressions were much friendly when Wu Dong and his entourage came to pay New Year's greetings.
We talked and laughed for a while, not really saying anything serious. We just talked about the local customs and some jokes we had seen and heard.
The Chinese New Year is all about celebration.
After declining Huang Feihong's banquet invitation, Wu Dong and his entourage left Baozhilin and walked around Foshan City, returning to their temporary residence as the sky gradually darkened.
In the evening, there is naturally another sumptuous meal...
They brought various kinds of cured meats and a lot of fresh meat from their travels, which was enough for them to cook for more than half a month.
Coupled with the prepared medicinal diet, it can last longer.
"This is a good thing. If you eat it every day, it will be of great benefit to your body. But the expense is not small!"
Yan Zhendong was not polite at all. He finished three bowls of rice and drank two large bowls of medicinal soup. After finishing the meal, he asked.
The younger brothers will naturally help with cleaning the dishes and clearing the table.
Wu Dong and Yan Zhendong sat in front of the fire pit, drinking tea made from tea leaves given by Huang Feihong, and chatting quietly.
“I understand the principle of sitting on your butt and having nothing to show for it!”
Wu Dong chuckled softly, took a sip of tea, and said with a leisurely smile: "After the third day of junior high school, we will start to get busy!"
"Have you ever thought about what you do for a living?"
Yan Zhendong had seen a lot from north to south, and he never imagined that he could make a living that could compare with Wu Dong and the beggars' previous hunting harvests.
It was really an eye-opener for him. Just by hunting wild animals, he could exchange for dozens of taels of silver, and there was enough rice, flour, grains, oils and cured meats for the whole group to eat for a month. This level of income made him speechless.
Wasn't even him hired by Wu Dong?
"You know, there are no large mountains and forests here in the city, and there are no wild animals for you to hunt!"
"You'll know then!"
Wu Dong did not say it directly. What he wanted to do was very simple. If he said it, Yan Zhendong would not believe it.
Besides, in an environment like the late Qing Dynasty, it was not easy to do any business.
In fact, he is not very sure whether he can make a lot of money from what he wants to do. Of course, a stable income is foreseeable.
Seeing Yan Zhendong's silence, he smiled and changed the subject: "By the way, Master Yan, I am very interested in martial arts training, but I have never had a master to teach me before, and I don't know the methods. Can Master Yan introduce me to it?"
"What do you want to know?"
Yan Zhendong is full of energy. This is his area of expertise, and there are so many things he can describe.
He would also be very happy if he could help Wu Dong. At least it proved that he was still very useful...