Chapter 808

Qiu Xuanfu Town, southeast direction, Donggang Town.

The night curtain hung low, the sky was deep blue, and the snowfall had subsided compared to the daytime, but the snowflakes were still drifting, and the air was filled with a bone-chilling cold.

In the military supply valley north of the town, high watchtowers stood on both sides of the valley entrance, and two soldiers holding long spears curled up their bodies to keep watch.

At the valley entrance checkpoint under the watchtower, high fire basins were placed by the roadside, and the firelight illuminated the valley entrance in shadows.

Several soldiers were surrounding the fire basins to warm themselves, while another five or six soldiers were patrolling on alert.

Past the valley entrance checkpoint were neatly arranged military tents; five hundred garrison soldiers were stationed here.

Today, more than ten military tents were added here, accommodating two hundred grain-escorting cavalry from the Liaodong Town, and thirty large grain-transporting carts were parked beside the newly set up tents.

The military camp was surrounded by wooden fences at the back, with another rear camp entrance opened, guarded by soldiers day and night.

Outside the rear camp gate was a twenty-pace-wide firebreak, and further inside was the military grain depot.

The entrance to the grain depot still had high watchtowers, and soldiers were constantly patrolling in formation, with defense even tighter than at the valley entrance.

Behind the watchtowers were densely arranged simple grain warehouses, which looked quite astonishing in scale at first glance.

A slight gap was left between every two rows of grain warehouses, and soldiers constantly patrolled in groups of five, holding lanterns, with two of them equipped with water bags, horns, and other items.

Once signs of fire, spontaneous combustion of lanterns, or unexpected security incidents were discovered, the soldiers' water bags would be used to extinguish the fire source, and the alarm horns would be blown immediately.

Except for the lanterns held by the patrolling soldiers, no open flames were allowed in the grain warehouses; violators would be executed according to military law.

The military camp in front of the grain warehouses also implemented open flame control, with only sporadic fire basins set up outside the tents for night lighting.

Each fire basin was guarded by soldiers throughout the night; once any fire-related incident was discovered, the soldiers on duty would be executed without mercy.

After the Liaodong Town grain transport vehicles and cavalry entered the valley, Guo Guo Zhigui took advantage of the bright daylight to verify official documents with the grain depot guards.

Jia Lady Lian was responsible for recording and counting the numbers, and the grain transport and loading were completed in less than two hours.

Before dark, they ordered the soldiers to wash pots and cook, and after a simple meal, the whole army rested in the tents.

After Jia Lady Lian entered the tent, because he disliked the cold and bland atmosphere inside, and because he was a warehouse clerk, he was also responsible for purchasing dry rations and charcoal for the return journey.

So he took the opportunity to go out for a walk, and even pulled Guo Guo Zhigui along before leaving.

Guo Guo Zhigui was worried that he might act recklessly if he walked around alone, so the two went together.

Although the small town had entered the night, people were still coming and going on the street, and the shops were brightly lit, filled with a warm, bustling atmosphere.

The two walked slowly on the snow-covered ground; Guo Guo Zhigui was paying attention to the grain shops and charcoal shops along the way, while Jia Lady Lian's eyes were darting around, just appreciating the scenery along the way.

Passing by an eatery on the street, which was propped up with a gray cloth tent to block the falling snow, several small tables were set up under the tent, and the rich fragrance of hot food wafted through the air.

When Jia Lady Lian saw this, his appetite was whetted; although he had eaten dry rations in the camp, it was hard to compare with the freshness of the hot food before him.

So he pulled Guo Guo Zhigui to sit down, ordered two bowls of lamb bone soup noodles, some mixed vegetables, and a pot of shaojiu, and the two drank and chatted.

……

Since Jia Lady Lian was exiled to Liaodong, he was first sent to Ya Fu Pass for hard labor; Jia Cong had achieved a great victory at Ya Fu Pass, and his name was well-known there.

Liu Yong, the deputy commander of Liaodong Town, was originally a battalion commander at Ya Fu Pass; because of Jia Cong's recommendation, he was promoted to deputy commander.

Liu Yong felt deep gratitude toward Jia Cong and, knowing that his elder brother had been exiled there, naturally passed down words to take care of him.

The soldiers guarding the pass knew he was Jia Cong's elder brother and treated him with special respect, taking care of him on a daily basis.

Ya Fu Pass was where the Liaodong Town artillery camp was stationed; because of his relationship with Jia Cong, Guo Guo Zhigui naturally had many dealings with Jia Lady Lian.

Although Jia Lady Lian knew that Guo Guo Zhigui was once a house slave of the West Mansion and had been a personal attendant to his brother, his brother had let him leave the household and supported him in joining the army.

This Guo Zhigui was the same age as Bao Yu, and after only two years in Liaodong, he had already become a battalion commander; he was clearly a trusted aide left in Liaodong by his brother.

Since Jia Lady Lian was exiled to Liaodong, he had become a fallen phoenix not as good as a chicken, so how could he still put on the airs of a noble family young master?

He served in the Liaodong army; if it weren't for the care of Jia Cong's old friends, he would have been tortured to death long ago.

Now that he recognized Guo Guo Zhigui as Jia Cong's person, he felt an extra sense of closeness in his heart, and he had to deliberately befriend him for both public and private reasons.

He had spent more than a year in Liaodong, and whenever he had a chance, he would look for Guo Guo Zhigui to walk around, interacting sincerely and never putting on the airs of a former master in front of him.

So in this year, the relationship between the two was quite tacit and close.

The food at this street-side eatery, although hot and fresh, was also simple and coarse; after all, it was a remote northern town, and it was hard for the food to have the luxury and refinement of the Divine Capital.

Guo Guo Zhigui came from a humble background and had spent several years in the icy military camps of Liaodong, having long since eaten all kinds of bitterness; he naturally didn't care at all that the food at the street-side eatery was simple.

But he saw that Jia Lady Lian was also eating with relish and kept raising his cup to invite him to drink, seeming quite happy.

Guo Guo Zhigui felt a bit emotional in his heart; Cong Sanye had suffered bitterness when he was young, but this Bao Er Ye Lady Lian was a person who had grown up in sweetness, a true person of luxury.

If he were still the young master of the Lady Rongguo Mansion, he probably wouldn't even look at the food from such a street stall, but now he could eat it with such sweetness, which was truly not easy.

Jia Lady Lian filled his cup and drank it in one gulp; the wine rose to his chest, and he said, "Brother Guo Zhigui, let me tell you the truth."

"If it were before, I would not be sitting at a street-side eatery, blowing in the wind and snow, drinking five-wen local shaojiu, and eating soup noodles and vegetables to fill my stomach."

"In this life, no matter how wealthy and smooth things are in the beginning, it's useless in the end."

"You only need to be unlucky once, and you will be unlucky for most of your life, just like me."

"I see it clearly now; when you are successful, you must know how to restrain yourself, otherwise disaster will strike."

"But as long as you do the right thing once, you will have a future of good fortune for a lifetime, just like you; you followed my third brother, and gained his esteem and care."

"You are only in your prime, yet you have already become a battalion commander in the army; this kind of ability and talent, don't talk about those little servants in the mansion."

"Even the other descendants of the Jia family can't compare to you, apart from Third Brother; you definitely have a boundless future, let me toast you!"

Guo Guo Zhigui raised his cup to drink and smiled, "Bao Er Ye, you flatter me; what ability or talent do I have?"

"If Cong Sanye hadn't removed my slave status, recommended me to join the army, treated me like a brother, and supported and guided me with all his heart, how could I have today?"

"Bao Er Ye doesn't need to be discouraged; although you are exiled to the army, as long as your comrades in the army treat you with sincerity, Bao Er Ye can still live a stable life."

"As long as you endure the years, there will be a day when you return home; I told my mother when I left that if I didn't make a name for myself in the army, I wouldn't have the face to go home and see her."

"There is a long way to go in the future; I also came from the West Mansion of the Lady Rongguo Mansion; with me keeping you company in Liaodong, Bao Er Ye, we are always closer than others."

Jia Lady Lian smiled and said, "Good brother, I love hearing these words, but my years in Liaodong will be long; if you stay for more than ten years, it will be enough to become a great general..."

……

Two people who came from the same mansion but had vastly different statuses chatted unexpectedly and sincerely in this remote northern town on a night of wind and snow.

The pot of local shaojiu was soon finished; Guo Guo Zhigui had military duties and was quite restrained, stopping Jia Lady Lian from ordering more wine.

The two got up and left the street-side eatery, found a grain shop to order a batch of fresh dry rations, paid the deposit, and agreed to pick them up tomorrow.

Then they walked along the north of the town and found a charcoal shop with a brand-new storefront; firewood and bamboo charcoal were placed at the door, and they looked like top-quality goods.

Jia Lady Lian smiled at Guo Guo Zhigui and said, "Back in the mansion, even bamboo charcoal was despised for having smoke, not to mention firewood."

"Now that I'm doing things, I don't dare to be so particular; if I can save, I will save; we are burning charcoal for warmth in the wild, so we don't fear a little smoke, just buying firewood is enough."

Guo Guo Zhigui knew that Jia Lady Lian had been convicted because of the salt and iron trade, and having learned a lesson, he was truly as cautious as could be now.

He smiled and said, "Bao Er Ye is absolutely right; in the army, everything should be simple and practical; firewood is enough for warmth."