Zhang Shixun looked angry all the way.

Prince Yun and his companions also advised him not to get angry with a mentally ill person.

After returning to the military camp dormitory in the city, Zhang Shixun quickly opened the note, which read: I have to take advantage of the New Year to create villains, so don't bother me anymore.

Zhang Shixun was at a loss for words. Wang Dong was such a jerk that he had to accompany him to perform a show for Prince Yun.

Prince Yun and the others are right. Don't be angry with a mentally ill person.

Zhang Shixun tore the note into pieces and threw it into the stove, then turned around and walked out the door and headed straight for the kitchen.

Fireman Lao Li was dozing off by the stove. He looked up when he heard the door open.

"Get me something hot to eat."

"Okay!" The fireman didn't ask any more questions, he lit the stove and heated up the meal for Zhang Shixun.

"Old Li, how old are you this year?" Zhang Shixun asked while sitting aside.

"My Lord, I am thirty years old this year." Old Li was a little nervous and spoke haltingly.

"Oh! You are married now, and have children?" Zhang Shixun's tone was very gentle, as if he was chatting about family matters.

"Replying to the military commander, we have two children now, and the eldest is already twelve."

"The child has grown up so much, that's amazing!" Zhang Shixun gave a thumbs up.

"I'm just average. Compared to others, I'm not as good as them. Some people my age are almost having grandchildren." Seeing the military commander's amiable attitude, Old Li gradually calmed down and spoke more coherently. "I got married late. I married my wife when I was seventeen."

Zhang Shixun knew that the legal marriage age in the Song Dynasty was 15 for men and 13 for women. Getting married at the age of 17 for Lao Li was indeed not too early.

"How much of your monthly military salary do you receive?" asked Zhang Shixun.

"Not much, maybe six or seven hundred coins."

"Only six or seven hundred coins?" Zhang Shixun frowned. "If the full amount is paid, how much should it be?"

"The Tianwu Army is one of the top four armies, and its pay is the highest. A soldier like me can get more than 900 coins if the full salary is paid, which is about the same as a regular salary." Old Li lifted the lid of the pot, and a puff of hot steam came out. "Commander, the pancakes are hot."

Zhang Shixun reached out and took a piece of steamed bun, and while eating, he continued to ask: "You have 600 or 700 coins now, where did the rest go?"

"The rest?" Old Li looked at Zhang Shixun in confusion. After a while, he understood and said with a smile, "Nothing else. This is all I've been getting since the day I joined the Tianwu Army. But to be honest, I'm very satisfied with this. It's enough to support my family, although it's a bit tight, but it's barely enough. If I work harder and do some hard labor, I can live a better life."

Zhang Shixun didn't ask any more questions. The money that should have been paid but was not paid must have been taken away by the officials. The armies of all dynasties had this kind of withholding of military pay, and the army of the Song Dynasty was no exception. It was a chronic problem.

What's more, a large portion of the military pay that Gao Qiu withheld was used as a tribute to the current emperor.

Zhang Shixun ate the pancake with difficulty. He had never eaten staple food so dry in his life and found it particularly difficult to swallow.

You can't be too particular. It is impossible to have vegetables for every meal in the army of that era, especially in winter. Even the emperor may not be able to eat green vegetables, let alone the soldiers in the army.

"Gao Yanei is a good man. Ever since he came to the First Army, our lives have become much better." Old Li replaced the lid on the pot, fearing the pancakes would get cold. He said, "He often assigns us jobs that pay the bills. As long as we work hard, we can earn an extra three or two hundred coins."

Gao Yanei is a good man! ?

These words, spoken by a fireman, completely subverted Zhang Shixun's values.

In his eyes, Gao Yanei was an out-and-out playboy, a parasite who withheld military pay and sucked the blood of soldiers.

"Gao Yanei found you jobs not out of consideration for you, but to make money from you." Zhang Shixun swallowed the pancake in his mouth and said indignantly, "This is called exploitation."

"Exploitation? I don't understand." Old Li was confused and didn't understand what the military leader meant.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore." Zhang Shixun waved his hand, quickly finished the pancake in his hand, stood up and walked out the door. He had to go back and ask Gao Yanei why he wanted to make money from these poor people.

When he walked outside, Zhang Shixun felt a chill on his face and subconsciously looked up at the dark sky.

It started snowing again.

Gao Yanei was sitting in his dormitory, with a pot of charcoal fire placed in the middle, making the room warm.

His two followers, Gao Wu and Gao Liu, stood behind him with their hands clasped behind their backs.

When Zhang Shixun came in, this guy was drinking. On the table in front of him was a thick bowl with greasy pieces of meat in it.

Zhang Shixun took a quick glance and couldn't tell whether it was pork or mutton. However, wealthy people in the Song Dynasty generally ate mutton and generally did not eat pork, as they believed pork was dirty meat.

"Gao Yanei, no wonder you didn't come to the kitchen with me to eat. It turns out you were hiding here alone, eating meat and drinking... Yanei, don't you know that you can't drink in the military camp?" Zhang Shixun said sternly.

"Close the door. I finally managed to gather some heat, but you let it all go... I didn't mean to eat alone. I didn't want to eat tonight, but Gao Wu and Gao Liu came and brought me some cooked mutton. I just went to look for you to eat together, but you weren't there. Don't blame me." Gao Yanei said, humming a little tune, taking a sip of wine, patting the table and praising: "Good wine, good wine! After a sip, my stomach feels warm and comfortable... By the way, I've figured it out. The price your cousin offered is very reasonable, not exorbitant. I want ten shares."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!