Chapter 18: Pork Stewed with Glass Noodles, Potatoes Stewed with Beef

Ye City, the Imperial Palace.

The corpulent Shi Hu tossed the military report in his hand onto the desk.

He struggled to open his slightly swollen eyes.

His gaze swept over Shi Jian, Shi Zun, Shi Bao, Fu Hong, Yao Yizhong, Ming Cheng, Shi Min, and the other important ministers of the court.

"You all take a look; the war situation on Li Nong's side is unfavorable."

A palace attendant stepped forward, held up the military report, and presented it for everyone to pass around and view.

"The Minister of Works Li is also a veteran of old campaigns," Pengcheng Wang Shi Zun said with a smile. "How did he become so unwise as to actually have his provisions burned by the Qihuo Army?"

Fu Hong chimed in agreement: "What else is there to say? Claiming a divine bird breathed fire to burn the grain — such an ignorant excuse can actually be uttered; it would kill a man with laughter."

"And there's the inextinguishable boundless karmic fire that water cannot put out; has he read too many Buddhist sutras, speaking nonsense?"

Everyone laughed, their words full of mockery.

Where there are people, there is the jianghu; where there is the jianghu, there will be strife.

The imperial court is the same.

The squint-eyed Shi Hu did not speak, waiting until the laughter gradually subsided.

Then he looked toward his adopted grandson Shi Min, who was tall and imposing in bearing: "Ji Nu."

Shi Min stepped forward and saluted, his voice resonant: "Heavenly King~~~"

"Li Nong is a cautious man." Shi Hu tapped the desk. "He would not speak nonsense."

"The matters spoken of in the military report likely hold several parts truth."

"I order you to lead ten thousand troops, conscript civilian laborers to escort provisions, and depart swiftly to render aid."

"After you arrive, find out exactly what is going on with the divine bird breathing fire and the boundless karmic fire."

The sharp-eyed Shi Min saluted again: "Grandson receives the order!"

Shangbai, Guangzong County, the weichang settlement.

On the open ground within the settlement, fire blazed and oil sizzled, the fragrance of meat permeating everywhere.

Every single iron pot in the entire settlement, including those Lin Dao had transported over, were all set up and boiling.

Numerous men and women were busy crowding around the iron pots.

The women picked over the rape greens, peeled and cubed the potatoes, and washed the glass noodles.

The men added firewood and water, poured oil and heated the pots, busy and delighted.

The settlement's few cooks carried knives and chopped meat with beaming smiles.

"Rape greens, glass noodles, and pork in one pot."

"Potatoes and beef in one pot, don't mix them up."

Weaving through the gaps of over a hundred large pots, Lin Dao walked back and forth, calling out loudly: "Pork stewed with glass noodles, potatoes stewed with beef, mind the heat~~~"

Although things like potatoes and glass noodles were all rare items never before heard of.

For the people in the settlement, as long as it was edible, it was a good thing.

"Brother Zi Hou, the fine wine has been brought over."

The beaming Qin Lang came over leading a group of people, each person hugging two cases of Yongchuang Tianya in their arms.

Before coming, an investigation was conducted; most people in the settlement expressed that the alcohol in the glass bottles tasted better.

How much of this was due to the glass bottles' appearance occupying subjective impression is set aside for now.

On Lin Dao's side, he also went with the flow and gave up the barrel-packed baijiu, directly switching to beer.

He knew ancient martial artists loved wine; when encouraging morale, fine wine was indispensable.

He simply directly found a Snow Beer distributor to place an order, tractor-trailers hauling it into the warehouse load after load.

The distributor gave wholesale prices, and even gave a discount, because Lin Dao went through an export order.

It truly was export, only the export destination was a world over a thousand years ago.

Cases of Yongchuang Tianya piled into mountains.

Beyond fine food and fine wine, supplies were also distributed on the spot.

"Per able-bodied male two shi of grain, one bolt of cloth, one barrel of oil."

Sun Dalang and the other guards, voices hoarse from shouting, held tin trumpets and cried out: "Don't crowd, line up to receive!"

Lin Dao did not buy grain at the Nongmao Market, but instead placed orders with the grain and oil company.

The grain bags were changed to sixty-jin packs; exactly two bags equaled one shi.

The cloth bolts were all wholesale, machine-made with dense, even warp and weft threads.

In terms of quality, compared to the native cloth of Yonghe Spacetime, they held an overwhelming advantage.

More importantly, the cloth bolts he wholesaled were all dyed.

In ancient times, dyeing cloth was a technical skill, and moreover cost a fortune.

How attractive these cloth bolts were — one look at the women spectating all around, their fiery gazes told the answer.

As for cooking oil, it was pushed by the grain and oil company when wholesaling grain.

The price discount was huge, practically down to the bone, because this was an export order.

Lin Dao had already sunk that much money in; he didn't care about one more expense for cooking oil.

This era lacks fats, meaning there is no oil in the belly.

The most direct manifestation is massive intake of carbohydrates to provide the energy the body needs.

The saying that ancients ate one jin of rice per meal is not an exaggeration.

The root cause lies in the lack of oil in the belly, forcing them to eat more rice to sustain bodily needs.

When even carbohydrates are not enough to eat, it means the Chaotic Era has arrived.

Not just anyone can come to receive supplies.

Those queuing up cheerfully, happily receiving supplies, are all military household soldiers.

They are all fierce men willing to leave the city and fight the Qianghu.

Braised pork with glass noodles, braised beef with potatoes, "Bravely Venture to the Ends of the Earth" — these are all prepared for the military household soldiers.

After receiving grain, cloth, and oil, they immediately send the things home together with their waiting families.

These are all the military households' installation fees, or rather, departure money.

In these times, grain and cloth are money, genuine hard currency.

Cooking oil is even more of a luxury good.

After sending the supplies home, the military households return one after another, holding ceramic bowls and queuing by the large pot to get rice and dishes.

Oily fatty pork, beef that's a crime to eat, they stuff it desperately into their mouths.

Watching the military households wolf down their food, Lin Dao also shakes his head.

"Brother Zi Hou," Qin Lang says with a smile, "Could it be you're distressed the expenditure is too great?"

Lin Dao purses his lips. "Don't underestimate my capability."

"I've already arranged it, made it as light as possible."

"But their stomachs lack oil and water; I'm worried their intestines and stomachs will have digestive problems."

Qin Lang's smile freezes. "People starving to death — as long as there's food to eat it's fine, who would still care about that."

Lin Dao's eyes flash with light. "Since they're willing to heed my call, risk their lives leaving the city to fight the Qianghu desperately, then I must do my utmost to take good care of them!"

"This is my responsibility as the one who called them!"

"You watch things here, I'll go back and get some digestive tablets."

Watching Lin Dao's departing figure, Qin Lang falls silent.

In this absurd world where human life is like grass and mustard, this Brother Zi Hou's every word and deed completely overturns his understanding.

How could there be such a good person in this world~~~

Under the radiance of his humanity, the bizarre matter of how such massive supplies could be moved out of that small courtyard has already become unimportant.

Wushuai Mansion.

Feng Dun sits before the food table, silently eating his meal.

An aide unable to restrain himself steps forward to advise the emperor: "Great Commander, are we just to watch with open eyes, watch Lin Dao buy people's hearts like this?"

Lin Dao treats them to food and drink, and also distributes grain, oil, and cloth.

This is undoubtedly buying people's hearts.

Eat a man's food and your mouth is short; take a man's hand and your hand is short.

Those who ate and took Lin Dao's must listen to his words.

The hand holding the bowl pauses, then Feng Dun continues burying his head eating rice.

"Great Commander!"

The aide is anxious: "If this continues, the Shangbai Qihuo Army will end up surnamed Lin!"

Bang!

Feng Dun suddenly slams the rice bowl in his hand onto the table.

His eyes bulge, beard and hair bristling like Zhang Fei glaring: "You say what to do!"

"Go block him and stop him giving grain to the military households, or smash all the food, dishes, and wine!"

"If you have that courage, then you go smash, go rob!"

The Qihuo Army is not the Imperial Court's regular troops; their essence is refugees, starving people.

Being able to provide food for their bellies and clothes for their bodies, one gets recommended as Settlement Commander, General.

But if you can't produce them, then what are those Settlement Commander Generals?

If you really go smash and rob, no need for Lin Dao to speak — the enraged military households could tear down the Wushuai Mansion.

Smashing the starving people's rice bowls — that is a fight to the death.

The aides all fall silent.

Everyone understands the reasoning, yet there is no response strategy.

Unless they can produce even more and better supplies.

The key point has arrived.

Can! Not! Produce! It!

With Lin Dao's way of eating and giving, even Shi Hu's Imperial Guard might be willing to follow him!

Let alone these starving people of the Qihuo Army.

The atmosphere in the room is somewhat dry; everyone is silent.

This situation cannot be broken.

Feng Dun lifts his head, expression calm: "The spies placed in Lin Zhai — has any news come through?"

"All these things of his — where do they ultimately come from? They can't have grown inside the house, right!"

Lin Dao, of unknown origin, yet possessing massive supplies.

Once he entered the Settlement, spies would naturally be arranged around him.

As long as Feng Dun isn't stupid or dazed, this is inevitable.

The Jun Simma steps forward to respond.

"Great Commander."

"According to the spies, all the things were moved out from the Main Room."

"The seated scout once infiltrated to investigate, and there was no tunnel."

"But every time Lin Dao comes out, the previously empty room must be piled with countless supplies."

Speaking here, the Jun Simma hesitated somewhat.

"The seated scout says, this is a divine gift~~~"

The room fell into silence once again.

They haven't read transmigration novels, after all; something so beyond common sense must inevitably be attributed to theology.

Apart from this reason, within the scope of their knowledge, they are completely unable to explain or understand it.

Feng Dun reached out to pick up the Bowl, used Chopsticks to sweep the rice from the Food Table into the Bowl, and ate it.

Not even a single grain of rice stuck to the Food Table dared to be wasted; it also had to be picked up and eaten.

No one mentioned sending soldiers to seize Lin Dao for interrogation.

First, the deterrence of the Occult side's power.

Before figuring out where those supplies ultimately come from, no one dares to do so, fearing they might provoke a terrifying Existence beyond imagination.

Second, because the fort's soldiers and civilians all receive his grace.

Moving against Lin Dao is equivalent to cutting off the soldiers' and civilians' livelihood.

How could they let it rest!

Lin Dao, who knows nothing of this, is currently distributing digestive tablets.

He entertains these Military Households men in order to have them leave the city to kill Qianghu.

If they suffer non-combat attrition because they ate too well or too full, that would be a laughingstock.

Meat was supplied sufficiently, and the days of eating rice and White Flour to their fill lasted three days.

During these three days, those coming to eat the flowing banquet and receive grain, oil, and Cloth numbered over ten thousand.

One person receives two hundred forty catties of rice; calculated at the Wholesale Price of two yuan per catty, that is nearly five hundred yuan.

Add to that Cloth and Cooking Oil, as well as three days of gorging.

Each Military Household's departure fee reaches over a thousand yuan.

This is over ten thousand people!

Battle hasn't even begun, yet such a huge sum has already been spent.

No wonder people always say, the essence of war is burning money.

Lin Dao at this time has already burned a huge pile of money.

And this is merely only the beginning.

End of Chapter