Firmament

Wise people are close to talented old people.

—Kino proverb

After a while, a soldier hurried out of the barracks gate.

Ibrahim looked closely, and it turned out to be Niu Zhanxiang wearing a military uniform. In just half a year after separation, my younger brother's skin has tanned, but his body is strong and burly, and he looks tall and straight after wearing a military uniform, and he is very energetic.

Ibrahim was instantly relieved.

Niu Zhanxiang asked about the physical condition of Ada and Grandma and the growth of the crops in the field. Ibrahim, on the other hand, was concerned about the living conditions of his younger brothers. The two brothers seemed to have endless things to say.

Niu Zhanxiang asked the commander of the army for half a day's leave, took Ibrahim to the street, and found a restaurant called Salur's family to eat.

Niu Zhanxiang was eating the Salur-style hand-grasped mutton, and at the same time mysteriously told Ibrahim: "After the supreme commander of our army, Master Ma, knew that I was a Sarta from Hezhou, and arranged for me to be his orderly. The task is not heavy, and there is no need to go to the front to fight, follow him all day long, and convey his orders to the officers below. "

Ibrahim asked, "Did Zhan Chuan and Zhan Hai go to Ali?"

Niu Zhanxiang replied: "Zhan Chuan is in the team of Commander Ga, the nephew of Lord Ma, and is now stationed in Pingxi City. Zhan Hai is in the team of Brigade Commander Ha, another subordinate of Master Ma, and has been stationed in the Yushu Tibetan area for a while. Rest assured, both of them are doing well. You go to them now, and you won't find them. "

Ibrahim asked worriedly, "The three of you are scattered in three places, and you can't take care of each other. Pingxi is a city, and the conditions should be good. I heard that the Yushu Tibetan area is very far away, and there are often wars and ......."

Niu Zhanxiang said with a smile: "Master Ma often said that soldiers should go to the battlefield, otherwise they will be raising and eating idle food, and waste the country's food in vain! "

Ibrahim sold all the green tea leaves, and then played in Jishi for a few days according to Niu Zhanxiang's arrangement. In the county seat, he visited a group of magnificent green wooden buildings Caotanba Grand Worship Temple. In Jiezi Town, he visited the cemetery of the ancestors of the Salur people, Gale Mang and Ahe Mang, tasted the famous white camel spring in the northwest, and admired the precious ancient hand-copied scriptures. He also walked more than ten miles of mountain roads, climbed the ancient deer arch north on the cliff, and hung the legendary sages.

Niu Zhanxiang also recommended Kaligang in Bayon County to Ibrahim and asked him to go there to get to know the Tibetans who believe in Islam.

Ibrahim considered that Kaligang was a long distance away, and he had been away from his hometown for 10 days, so in order not to worry Ada and Grandma, he still returned to his hometown in Hezhou as soon as possible and reported the situation of his younger brothers to his anxious parents.

He said to Niu Zhanxiang: "I have been out for a long time. Go back early, I still have to do the work in the field. "

Niu Zhanxiang said to him: "That's okay. When Master Ma heard that you had come to see me in Jishi, he said that he wanted to see you. "

Ibrahim felt a little abrupt, shook his head and said, "I'm a flat-headed commoner. What is it that Lord Ma wants to see me? It's really not suitable. "

Niu Zhanxiang grabbed Yi Bulaxin and kindly persuaded him: "Master Ma personally told me that he wanted to see you. Why am I embarrassed to say no? Let's go over and say hello and leave. "

Ibrahim reluctantly followed his brother to meet Master Ma. They came to a large, bright office with a sentry standing guard at the door.

Master Ma sat on a Taishi chair, leisurely drinking a bowl of tea, looking very simple and simple, with a relatively thick body, a Chinese face, and a pinch of beard on the corner of his mouth.

After a brief conversation with Ibrahim, he found that he was generous, quick-witted, and very measured in his speech, not only knew how to know religion, but also knew how to do business, and after a few years of study, he enthusiastically retained him as a purchasing assistant in his army.

When Ibrahim heard that Master Ma was going to keep him, he was genuinely afraid. He saw that Master Ma's attitude was sincere, and his younger brother persuaded him vigorously, and secretly thought: Now the younger brothers are doing well. This Master Ma is so enthusiastic again. If I stay in the army, I can take care of each other with my brothers, which is much better than staying in a poor ravine. Besides, if you bluntly reject Master Ma, I'm afraid it won't be good for Zhan Xiang?

Thinking of this, Ibrahim couldn't help but feel a little tempted. He cautiously agreed to the errand arranged by Master Ma, and then proposed in a cramped and uneasy manner that he would first return to Gayin Dai and report to Ada and Grandma, who were waiting for news.

Seeing that Ibrahim was very filial, Master Ma nodded happily and asked him to go back quickly.

Ibrahim quickly bid farewell to the county seat of Jishi, rode his mule to the southeast, crossed the river in Guanting Town, and returned to Gayin Dai along the road he had come.

Ibra happily gave his parents a detailed report on the situation of his younger brothers, and then took out of his coat the gifts he had bought for the family and gave them them. He bought a white kimono for Niu Ersa to wear, a dark green velvet hijab for Mai Liyan, a pair of cloth shoes embroidered with white pear blossoms on a green background for Manuli, and a delicate little shaker for his son.

When Nursa and Maileyam learned that their son, who was away from the army, was well, and that he had received a precious gift from Ibrahim, they were overjoyed.

Ibrahim consulted with Nulsa, "Ada, Master Ma wants me to be an assistant in his ranks. Do you think this thing will work out?".

Niu Ersa replied cheerfully, "Of course." This is a look at you. You must do a good job, fight for a face for Lord Ma, and fight for our Niu family. "

Mai Liyan objected: "The four Gavas all went to work for their Ma family. I'm 10,000 worried!".

Niu Isa asked, "You Amen are not at ease? Such a good thing to find in Ali?"

Mai Liyan retorted, "There is food and drink? My Gava didn't come to their Ma house for a feast. If there is a war, the Gavas will have to go to the battlefield one by one. Alas, as soon as I said this, my heart began to hurt like a pinprick again. "

Ibrahim smiled and said, "Grandma, don't hurt your heart. Zhan Xiang served as a herald for Master Ma. I'm a helper who specializes in procuring goods. We don't have to go to the front to fight. "

Mai Liyan asked, "What about Zhanchuan and Zhanhai? Don't they have to go to the battlefield to fight?"

"As the saying goes, a woman has long hair and short vision. He also said that he was reluctant to let the child fight the wolf. If you don't go to the battlefield when you start a war, you're still an Amen army?"

Mai Liyan said: "Anyway, I'm just worried about my Gava. "

Ibrahim said, "Grandma, you serve Ada well at home, and take good care of your daughter-in-law and grandson. I'm out there taking care of my brothers. This way everyone can rest assured. Is it good?".

Mai Liyan was silent for a long time, her eyes flashing with tears, and she nodded reluctantly.

Ibrahim only stayed in Gayin for a short period of 3 days. After dealing with the big and small things at home, he said goodbye to his parents, wife and children, and returned to Jishi County non-stop.

Ma was very happy to see Ibrahim return to the barracks on time. He arranged detailed work for Ibrahim: he led the soldiers to worship every morning, explained the scriptures to the officers and soldiers in the afternoon, and took three or four soldiers to the market the rest of the time to buy food and daily necessities for Ma Daren and several other high-ranking officials.

Ibrahim did everything meticulously according to the arrangement of Master Ma. Gradually, he discovered that Master Ma was a very characteristic person. Although he was a high-ranking military general, he was not interested in leading troops into battle. His greatest hobby is to make money, and he does everything possible to collect it in his hands and store it in a large cash cabinet. When it comes to spending money, he is very frugal, and he can even be said to be a miser, eager to divide a silver dollar into several petals to use.

Sometimes, Ma assigned Ibrahim and a few soldiers to Pingxi to take care of the family business on his behalf. For example, collecting the rent of more than 10 shops under his name, going to the money bank he opened to settle the accounts, and so on.

Every time Ibrahim went to Pingxi on a business trip, he had to pass through Gandu Town and Zhaba Town in the northwest of Jishi, cross Bayon County full of high mountains, come to Ping'an Station in Pingchuan, go west against the Huangshui River, and cross the big and small gorges to reach Pingxi City.

Ibrahim completed all the tasks assigned by Ma Daren on time, and he was able to find out the problems in them. Once, he couldn't help but reflect the problems he saw to Ma Da people, boldly proposed ways to improve them, and suggested that Ma people adopt better financial management methods.

Ma Daren adopted Yi Bulaxin's proposition without thinking, and soon made a lot of money. Seeing the large amount of silver dollars in his hand, he was so happy that he laughed out loud from his dream several times.

From then on, Ma Daren looked down on Ibrahim even more, and simply handed over all the economic affairs of the family to him. As long as he could earn back the shiny silver dollars for himself, he even authorized Ibrahim to deal with it according to the actual situation, and then report it to himself afterwards.