The most beautiful morning light never belongs to lazy people, only those who get up early are qualified to appreciate it. Today's Taohuaji has this qualification. When the first ray of sunlight bursts from the east, everyone has gathered at Taohuaji.
Zhu Ping'an stood at the highest point of the hillside, with three half-meter-high boxes neatly placed at his feet.
"I didn't expect to have to get up so early to join the army. When I was in the mountain stronghold, I could sleep until noon as long as it wasn't my turn to stand guard."
"I chopped trees for half a day yesterday and I am so tired all over. Can't you let us sleep a little longer? We are not fighting..."
"What are you guys grumbling about? What's wrong with getting up early? Did you eat all the meat from yesterday?!"
"Hehe, if we can eat meat every day, we would be willing to not only get up early, but also stay up all night."
"Hey, what do you think are the three big boxes under our master's feet?!"
... ...
It was the first day for the newly compliant bandits to serve in the army. They were full of curiosity about the early assembly and were whispering to each other.
"Brothers, today is the first day that you officially join the militia! Before you come, I promised you that I would pay you military pay on a monthly basis! You all trust me, Zhu Ping'an, and come to surrender. I, Zhu Ping'an, will never let you down. Today, I will pay you the first month's military pay!" Zhu Ping'an stood on the high slope and said loudly to the people below the slope.
"What?! Paying salaries?!"
"Did I hear correctly? Our master is going to pay us salaries?! We are already getting salaries on our first day in the army?!"
"Your Excellency, you were drunk yesterday and said those words, right?! But you didn't drink yesterday, did you?!"
"You're going to pay the salary right now?!"
When the people at the bottom of the slope heard about the salary payment, they all opened their mouths in shock, and couldn't believe their ears. They had only heard of delayed salary payments, but never heard of early salary payments?!
"Brothers, you heard it right. Today we will start to distribute your first month's salary! From now on, today of every month will be your salary payment day. I promise you that I will never delay your salary payment!"
Zhu Ping'an stood on the hillside, looked at everyone with a smile, took in their expressions, and spoke in a loud voice.
“It’s true that we’re getting paid!”
"Oh my God, they're really going to pay me! I never dreamed that I'd get paid on my first day in the army!"
"Yesterday we had all-you-can-eat meat, today we get our paychecks... Our lives are so good, I would wake up smiling even in my dreams."
"Oh my God, submitting to you is the best decision I have ever made in my life, no doubt about it!"
When everyone heard Zhu Ping'an repeat that salaries would be paid today, they were so excited that they almost jumped up.
"Brothers, your military pay is temporarily set at one and a half taels of silver per month!" Zhu Ping'an said to everyone.
"Oh my god? One and a half taels of silver?!"
"There's a fellow in our town who works in the government office. He's very powerful, but he only makes ten taels of silver a year!"
"I heard that soldiers in the general garrison only get one or two taels of silver a month? We actually get one and a half taels of silver a month?!"
"One and a half taels of silver, one and a half taels a month? Two months is three taels, three months, four months... ... in a year that's eighteen taels of silver? My dear mother? Eighteen taels of silver, it's enough to marry a wife!"
"What?! Eighteen taels a year?! That much? Oh no? Why didn't I join the army earlier!"
"Hahaha? Are you stupid? It's useless for you to join the army earlier. You won't meet our master! Other soldiers don't have this treatment!"
"Yes, yes..."
When everyone heard that their monthly salary was as much as one and a half taels of silver, they were all shocked and stunned, their mouths opened as wide as the mouth of a box, they could not believe their ears, and the sound of swallowing saliva was deafening!
"Sir, you are not lying to us, are you? We are bandits who surrendered here, and you are paying us one and a half taels of silver a month? This is like pie in the sky."
The people in the front row are brave enough? He asked stutteringly.
"Haha, why would I lie to you! Someone, come here, open the box!" Zhu Ping'an replied with a smile, waved his hand and ordered the box to be opened.
Liu Dadao and others followed the order and went forward to open the box. Suddenly, a flash of silver light dazzled everyone's eyes.
"Oh my god, so much money..."
"Silver, lots of silver..."
"Hey, why do I feel that the sunlight today is so golden, like a piece of gold ingot..."
When everyone saw the three full boxes of loose change, they began to breathe rapidly and swallowed hard.
"Alright, now we're going to start distributing the pay! Stand still, don't move, don't be in a hurry, I guarantee with my life that everyone will get a share. Everyone, listen to my orders! Okay, start from the east, come forward in turn to receive your pay. After I register you, you can take your pay."
Zhu Pingan shouted to everyone.
"Yes, sir!" everyone responded excitedly.
"Let's start." Zhu Ping'an sat in front of the table and chairs brought by Liu Dadao, picked up the brush and dipped it in ink, and shouted to the excited people.
"Hey, I'm the first one. I kowtow to you, sir. From today on, I will hand over these 150 kilograms to you, sir." The first person in the easternmost row walked up with a chuckle, knelt on the ground without saying a word, kowtowed heavily to Zhu Ping'an, and said sincerely.
"Get up, get up and talk." Zhu Pingan stood up from his chair, took a step forward to help him up, and asked gently, "What's your name, where do you live, who's in your family..."
"Sir, my name is Zhu Daniu. I live in Zhujiazhuang, Linhai County. I have an old mother at home."
Erniu stood up and replied.
Zhu Ping'an recorded Zhu Daniu's situation in the book and nodded, "Haha, we are still a family. Well, go and collect your military pay. Train well, be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, and strive to make more meritorious deeds. I will not be stingy with the reward, enough for you to marry a wife and let your mother have a grandson soon..."
"Thank you, sir. I will definitely listen to your words, train well, be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, make more contributions, and not bring shame to our Zhu family..." Zhu Daniu did not expect that Zhu Ping'an would actually encourage him, and he expressed his opinion excitedly with his chest puffed out.
Zhu Ping'an smiled and nodded, motioning him to go to the army to collect the salary. Zhu Daniu thanked him again and received his salary of one and a half taels of silver.
The people at the bottom of the slope saw that Zhu Daniu had indeed received one and a half taels of silver in military pay after registering with Zhu Ping'an, and they immediately became more excited and expectant...
"Next!" Zhu Ping'an shouted.
The second person stepped forward to register, then received his salary, and then the third, the fourth... ... An hour later, everyone received their reward. Everyone had a smile on their face and was full of longing for the future.