Chapter 09: I Invite You to Have Sashimi

The inclusion of the word "also" in their speech indicates that they have certainly communicated with Wuyang, but Wuyang is hesitant to agree rashly. After all, this is a matter that can only be decided by Zhang Zhun. The three of them, unwilling to give up, are waiting here for Zhang Zhun to arrive

However, consuming undercooked food can lead to illness. Yang Yinghan remains very concerned

I am really hungry, so let's stop pretending.

Turning his head to take a look, he realized it was the three young men he had encountered yesterday. They were all looking at him with eager eyes. It seemed they were also very interested in joining Zhang Zhun's fish-catching team

To be reborn as a military household is already quite tragic. To be reborn as a miscellaneous household is even more tragic. If one is unfortunately reborn as a leftover male among the miscellaneous households, it truly becomes a situation of utmost misery. Yet, all three of them are leftover males among the miscellaneous households.

The amount of money and grain that Zheng Jun has to provide for so many family members is a considerable burden. The pressure is unimaginable, especially since the money and grain have been in arrears for over six months. It is already a miracle that they have not starved to death. No wonder a meal of fish brings tears of excitement; the situation is truly dire

Wuyang heard the three people calling like this, and also changed to call him Master

Master! The three individuals immediately changed their form of address

The seawater of the seventeenth century was essentially free from industrial pollution, possessing a strong self-purification ability. Although salty, it was still relatively clean

Military households had little entertainment in the evenings and lacked knowledge about contraception, leading them to continuously procreate until their wives could no longer bear children. Therefore, even with a high infant mortality rate, it was common for an average military household to have five or six children. Families with seven or eight, or even more than ten children, were not uncommon

In Yangjiatun, there are only eight households. Naturally, they are considered a particularly disadvantaged and marginalized group within the community. Even Yang Kaide is not very friendly towards these households. However, he does not go too far in his treatment of them. After all, most of the people among these marginalized households are also extremely impoverished. It is pointless for the poor to quarrel among themselves.

After drinking two bowls of wild vegetable porridge and gnawing on four steamed buns, Zhang Zhun and the rat arrived at Hongshitan.

Is there something going on? Zhang Zhun asked directly

Fushan was established during the Hongwu period, and none of the military households were local residents; all were recruited from different provinces. The founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was extremely sensitive to rebellion and conspiracy, and he did not hesitate to resort to mass killings for this reason. Regarding the military garrison system, he firmly believed that only by having military households from different places could the effective prevention of collective rebellion be achieved

In the late hours of the night, Zhang Zhun indeed slept soundly

Zhang Zhun was just about to speak with Wu Yang when someone suddenly called out from the side

Having eaten a lot of sashimi and devoured two rice balls, Zhang Zhun finally felt full

Er Leng

Yesterday, after wandering around all day, they managed to catch a single fish, and the three of them were at a loss as to how to divide it. Upon seeing Zhang Zhun return with so many fish, their eyes nearly popped out in astonishment. Although they were well aware that they were considered outsiders and not particularly welcomed, they still mustered the courage to approach Zhang Zhun for the sake of survival

"It has no flavor," Yang Yinghan said with a frown

Sure! Zhang Zhun casually remarked

The essence of sashimi is freshness, unparalleled in its deliciousness and rich in nutrition. Zhang Zhun, of course, could not let his masterpiece go unappreciated, and said with a smile.

General Zhang removed the bamboo spear, lifted the silver carp, and placed it on a rock, then cleaned the area around the rock with seawater

In the home of three people, it is truly impoverished and devoid of books, to the extent that even mice do not come around, living from one meal to the next. With no choice, they can only go to the seaside every day in hopes of better luck. Due to the lack of professional guidance, their fishing skills are indeed lacking, and their harvest is virtually nonexistent

"How is it? Is it delicious?" Zhang Zhun asked eagerly

Because the commoners undertook such an undesirable surveillance task, they naturally faced disdain in their respective villages. Others were all military households from the same province, while you came from a different province; if not bullying you, who else would they bully? In the 21st century, there are still regional disputes, let alone in the Ming Dynasty

Looking up at the position of the Morning Star, it should still be before midnight. In the first month, the days are short and the nights are long. The fish dish just now can barely be considered a late-night snack. Having a beautiful woman accompany me for a late-night snack is quite pleasant; this is probably the most primitive form of entertainment in the Ming Dynasty

Yang Yinghan hesitated, not daring to take action

"No. Only dirty, toxic, and spoiled food can make one sick. This fish fillet is fresh, clean, and non-toxic. How could it possibly make one sick?" Zhang Zhun continued to persuade.

Zhang Jun took the rice ball without any hesitation and ate it

Due to his regulations, the military households of Fushan were sourced from a total of eight different provinces, forming the most primitive eight settlements. Some of the military households even came from as far as Yunnan. Each settlement originated from different provinces, with varying customs and habits, and differing interests and demands, making it quite difficult for them to unite in rebellion.

Returning to the shantytown, Zhang Zhun suddenly noticed that Yang Ruifeng and Haozi were holding torches, preparing to go out to look for someone. Seeing the two of them carrying a bamboo pole with fish, their expressions were both strange, as if they wanted to say something but hesitated. Yang Yinghan's and the librarian's expressions were, of course, very unnatural; she lowered her head and hurriedly retreated into the house. Zhang Zhun was too lazy to explain, handed the fish to Haozi, and went back to sleep.

"Er Leng, could you also teach us how to catch fish?" asked the youth with anticipation.

Breakfast is ready, and surprisingly, it consists of thinly sliced fish. It seems she has grasped the concept quite quickly. ... Unfortunately, she does not realize that using fish slices as breakfast is somewhat ... . ... Fortunately, there is also vegetable porridge and steamed corn buns.

These three young men, of course, belong to military households, and their entire family is part of the military. The more astute one is named Zou Mingjia, the dark-skinned one is called Hao Linyong, and the other is named Yin Fengyi, who is said to run very fast. They all come from the mixed households of Yangjiatun and have migrated from Sichuan.

The regular troops receive provisions and funds from the court, and even if there are delays, at least the accounts are still acknowledged by the court. If one day the court has funds available, it is expected that they will fulfill their obligations. However, the situation for the surplus soldiers is dire. The surplus soldiers do not receive any provisions or funds and can only rely on themselves for survival, yet they cannot renounce their registration. Since they cannot renounce their registration, it means they cannot leave the jurisdiction of the thousand-household office. The state does not provide provisions, and they are bound by law, which is the tragic plight of the surplus soldiers. Since they cannot renounce their registration, it means they cannot leave the jurisdiction of the thousand-household office. The state does not provide provisions, and they are bound by law, which is the tragic plight of the surplus soldiers

However, even so, Zhu Yuanzhang was still not at ease. He ordered that in each garrison, some miscellaneous households be specifically added. The so-called miscellaneous households are those whose place of origin differs from that of the majority in the garrison. For example, if most of the military households in Yangjia Garrison come from Huguang, then military households from Sichuan, Henan, and Yunnan would be considered miscellaneous households

Zhang Zhun felt that this title was somewhat inappropriate, as if it made him sound twenty years older. In fact, the age of Er Lengzi is not yet seventeen; he just looks robust and appears to be around twenty. However, 'Master' is a very common honorific. Since he teaches them martial arts, it is reasonable for them to call him 'Master'.

The next day, it was already sunny. In Yangjiatun, there was never an accurate time; everyone acted according to the daylight. Upon arriving at Haizi's house, Yang Yinghan, Yang Ruifeng, Huang and others had already gone to Laoshan to gather firewood with others, leaving only Yang Kaide and Haizi at home

Yang Yinghan probably thought there was some truth to what he said, so she ate a couple more pieces and gradually adapted to the taste of the sashimi. However, Zhang Zhun urged her to eat more, and she replied that she was indeed very full. She took out two rice balls and handed them to him, saying: "You should eat them."

Zhang Zhun said with a smile: "It's nothing. You can have a piece too."

The three of us are named Zou Mingjia, Hao Linyong, and Yin Fengyi. Naturally, the three did not mind and quickly stated their names

The primary purpose of Zhu Yuanzhang in establishing the miscellaneous households was to monitor the activities of various settlements and to prevent any gatherings that could lead to unrest. If there were any signs of disturbance in the settlements, the miscellaneous households could report it at any time. Behind the scenes, these miscellaneous households were also referred to as "Erwuzi," a term reportedly coined by Yuan Chonghuan, the meaning of which is left for interpretation by the reader

He used a machete to split open the green bamboo, shaved off a sharp piece of bamboo, and then skillfully scaled, sliced, and deboned the silver carp. This was all learned during his time in the military; although he hadn't practiced for several years, fortunately, he had not completely lost his touch. Soon, the crisp fish slices were ready. He directly tossed a few slices of sashimi into his mouth and chewed them with great relish

The peculiar regulations of the Ming Dynasty stipulated that if a father was a military household, the entire family would also be classified as military households. The eldest son would inherit the father's position, referred to as "zhengjun" (正军). If the father held an official position, he would be called "sheren" (舍人). Other family members would be considered substitutes, known as "junyu" (军余) or "yuding" (余丁). For instance, in the household of the Hao family, Yang Kaide and his eldest son Yang Ruifeng are classified as zhengjun, while Haozi and his younger brother Yang Gansheng are both yuding.

This sentence had an effect. Yang Yinghan finally mustered the courage to slowly pick up a piece of sashimi and gradually placed it in her mouth. After chewing for a moment, her expression became quite strange, and her mouth stopped moving. However, she ultimately swallowed the slice of fish.

Zhang Zhun encouraged, saying: "It really is delicious, could I possibly be lying to you?"

Yang Yinghan looked at him as if he were a monster and said with some concern: "Yulin, eating raw fish slices... you might get diarrhea"

Once they had eaten their fill, they had the strength to work. Zhang Zhun once again found a shallow bay with fish, using the firelight to lure out the hidden fish, and then struck hard repeatedly. As a result, he caught six large yellow croakers in succession, each weighing over five to six pounds. Zhang Zhun fashioned a bamboo pole and hung the fish on it, with the two of them carrying it back, one in front and the other behind.

It's fine, no need to be polite. You can call me Master or Yu Lin, either is acceptable. We are all brothers living in the same neighborhood, so there is no need for so many formalities. I apologize, but although you three are from the same group as me, I truly do not remember your names. As you know, my memory has not been very good in the past. " Zhang Zhun nodded and said straightforwardly. "As you know, my memory has not been very good in the past. " Zhang Zhun nodded and said straightforwardly.

The five young men from the neighbor's house have already been waiting here, all of them appearing eager to try their hand at it, each holding a prepared sharp bamboo spear in their hands

Saying this, he handed her a bamboo skewer