Chapter 32: Xie Yi's Journey of Shock

After the rain cleared, the spring breeze brushed the face.

The rainwater moistened the land, initiating the steps of spring plowing.

Lin Dao bent down, grabbed a handful of soil, and kneaded it in his hand; the feel was muddy.

"Such good land."

Surveying the surrounding wilderness, he sighed lightly, "As expected, deep down I still want to farm."

"Lin Jia Zhu." Feng Dun's slightly doubtful shout interrupted Lin Dao's lament.

"Why have you summoned us here?"

Facing the Qianghu, one could tacitly accept Lin Dao as the Qihuo Marshal.

But without outsiders, the sense of opposition between the two sides had never disappeared.

After all, those Lin Dao took in and sheltered were mainly military households and refugees.

They stood in a different rank from the high-ranking families and imperial court officials.

Lin Dao glanced at Jin Lian.

Jin Lian saluted, turned, and beckoned people forward to demonstrate.

The Weichang generals watched curiously.

A sturdy ox was driven over, harnessed to a plow of strange shape on its back.

"Why is this plowshare so short?"

"The plowshare isn't straight!"

"The plowshare digs very deep."

"This land is turned well!"

The Qianghu were powerful; the Qihuo army could not wander and was forced to gather here.

For so many years, they had also relied on farming to survive.

Otherwise, they would have starved to death long ago.

These Weichang generals, regarding agricultural tools and farming, naturally knew their trade.

Compared to the straight plows and Chang Li used before, this new-style plow before them obviously had a huge improvement in utility.

More importantly, this was neither a stone plow nor a wood plow.

But an iron plow!

"This is a Qu Yuan plow."

Lin Dao took the initiative to introduce it: "As for the specific effect, you have also seen it with your own eyes."

He signaled Jin Lian again, and soon another batch of iron agricultural tools was brought over.

Sickles for weeding, and hoes.

Hoes for turning soil, spades for digging soil, rakes for loosening and leveling fields, etc.

Without exception, all these agricultural tools were iron products.

Compared to the wood agricultural tools, and even stone agricultural tools, currently used by the Qihuo army, the advantages were obvious at a glance.

Tapping the iron spade with a bent finger, Lin Dao simply stated his position.

"These things, if you want them, bring gold to exchange."

Originally, these agricultural tools were all prepared by Lin Dao for the Qihuo army in the Main Camp.

He even planned to place an order to purchase tractors for spring plowing.

But as envoys from Later Zhao and Eastern Jin arrived in succession, Lin Dao's thoughts also began to change.

After deep consideration, he decided to give up farming and instead directly open up territory.

Fully exert the essence of the Qihuo army refugees, first defeat the Qianghu, then talk.

As for the agricultural tools already ordered.

Following the principle of not wasting, he planned to sell them to the various Weichang, exchanging for military funds.

Lin Dao did not intend to take the people from the various Weichang with him.

The people in the various Weichang were all the clan vassals of the various Weichang generals.

They possessed very strong autonomy.

Lin Dao was unwilling to waste time and energy on them.

After squeezing out the last penny, he would send troops and leave.

Feng Dun and the others did not decide on the spot, expressing they needed to go back and discuss.

Lin Dao was very generous, gifting each a set of agricultural tools, letting them go back and study the use carefully.

Actually, if they wanted to farm, they would first have to fight a major battle with the various Weichang generals.

Because the nearby fields all belonged to the various Weichang.

Fields were the most important asset in the ancient world.

Bloody battles erupting over fields would inevitably end only in a cruel casualty outcome.

Feng Dun and the others had just left when, on that side, Xie Yi arrived at the field ridge, unknown from where he got the news.

"Da Shuai."

Xie Yi surveyed the various agricultural tools piled on the ground, his expression astonished: "Where did all these come from?"

"Want them?" Lin Dao said with a smile, "Bring gold, I'll sell you however many you want."

Xie Yi's embassy indeed brought a portion of gold.

Only, these were for bribing the Murong Clan; how could he dare to divert them for his own use?

The determined Lin Dao accepted the netizens' opinions.

One can temporarily make use of the Eastern Jin's banner of great righteousness and accept investiture.

Wait until the Northern Regions are pacified, then cross the river and move southward.

Drive out and exterminate entirely the Sima Clan who bring calamity to the nation and harm the people, along with those aristocratic clans who spend their days indulging in Five Stone Powder.

At this time they are in a phase of mutual exploitation; Lin Dao also wears a smile as he greets them, "Just in time for the meal, let's eat together."

Observing all the way through the Main Camp, Xie Yi also clicks his tongue in wonder.

The neatly planned prefabricated houses are a novelty he has never seen before.

Passing by the women workers' tailoring factory, a continuous clatter of clack-clack sounds emanates from within the cloth-enclosed factory area, making Xie Yi's curiosity surge even more.

"The Marshal's affairs are busy."

Xie Yi wants to understand this strange begging-for-life army even more deeply.

He proactively declares, "I will go myself, no need for accompaniment."

Lin Dao does not stand on ceremony either; he calls over Sun Dalang, "Take good care of Prefect Xie."

Walking all the way to the Canteen, Xie Yi stares around.

Seeing that those collecting food are all women, he is not surprised; on the contrary, he nods in approval.

"This is a benevolent act."

On the Jiangzuo side, disasters and famines also frequently occur.

In years of disaster and famine, letting women collect relief grain has already become a tacit rule.

Striding up to a food counter with no one queuing, Xie Yi looks at the Cook; the Cook is also looking at him.

Xie Yi frowns slightly; this Cook is truly rude.

He is the Prefect of Qingling; this time, going as an envoy to the Xianbei Murong Clan and returning with the Begging-for-Life Army, he will be able to enter the Court and become a high minister on the strength of his merit.

A mere little Cook, yet he dares to stare back at him!

The Cook does not recognize him; after waiting a while and seeing he gives no response, he impatiently taps the pot with the spoon in his hand, "Ticket?"

Xie Yi is baffled by the question, "What ticket?"

The Cook instantly becomes wary, "You're not from the Camp?"

Sun Dalang steps forward, "This one is the Lord's guest, not a spy."

He produces a meal ticket and hands it to Xie Yi.

"To eat here, you need a meal ticket."

Xie Yi curiously accepts the meal ticket.

Half a palm in size, the paper is very thin, smooth to the touch.

On it is written beautiful script, extremely neat, comparable to a calligraphy master.

The front bears two large characters: 'Meal Ticket'.

The back reads: 'Single portion, special kitchen, one-time use.'

This was printed by Lin Dao at a printing factory, on paper stock similar to lottery tickets.

Born of necessity to avoid waste and various problems arising from eating.

"I am the Lord's bodyguard."

Sun Dalang signals Xie Yi to hand the meal ticket to the Cook, "It's the special kitchen; this meal I'll treat you."

Soldiers eat in their respective camps; working women workers eat uniformly in the factories.

In addition, artisan households, civilian laborers, wounded soldiers, female nurses, etc., all have dedicated people responsible for scooping rice and delivering meals.

Only Sun Dalang and these bodyguards, as well as those with special duties, come to the Canteen to eat.

The Canteen here mainly supplies the large-pot meals for each household to collect.

The Cook quickly finishes dishing up the food, ladles it into a plastic tray, and hands it over.

One meat, one vegetable: oil-stir-fried Chinese cabbage, shredded potato stir-fried with meat.

Plus a large spoonful of refined rice, and a bowl of egg soup.

If it's the large-pot meal, then the whole family gets only one vegetable dish.

As Lin Dao's bodyguards, they naturally eat better.

"This~~~"

Xie Yi shakes his head repeatedly, "No need to deliberately arrange such fine food."

"Having a mouthful of rice to eat is enough."

Disguised as a merchant, he traveled all the way to Guangzong County; along the way he naturally witnessed all kinds of miserable scenes.

He personally saw people killed fighting over a bowl of wild vegetables.

By the roadside, everywhere one sees dry bones frozen and starved to death.

With so many people in the Begging-for-Life Army, grain supply must be even more difficult.

No need to spend such great leverage on entertaining him.

Sun Dalang laughs and waves his hand, "Under the Lord's command, these are all ordinary meals."

Seeing him boast like this, Xie Yi naturally does not believe it.

He simply turns around and walks toward the queuing women to see what they eat.

Before the rows of meal counters, lines of women waiting for food are packed full.

They likewise hold meal tickets in their hands, cradling huge ceramic bowls.

The meal counters have two large pots.

One is filled to the brim with steamed rice white as snowflakes.

The other holds oil-stir-fried Chinese cabbage, its fragrance spreading in all directions.

Xie Yi saw with his own eyes the Cook first ladle a large bowl of rice, placing it into a clay bowl.

Then he added a spoonful of stir-fried Song vegetables.

Looking closely, the Song vegetables actually contained some of the oil residue left over from rendering lard.

Everyone queued without contention or Robbing, and the Da Qian speed was very fast.

The rice and stir-fried Song vegetables in the two Large Pots quickly hit bottom.

The Large Pots were carried away to the Chufang behind, and soon several Cooks carried in two more Large Pots.

Xie Yi looked around.

All the Meal Time scenes he saw were like this.

The Cooks carrying pots back and forth came in an endless stream.

"Impossible?"

Xie Yi expressed disbelief: "Song vegetables, Refined Rice, oil!"

"The Beggar Army, where did so much Grain come from?"

All along the way it was Hell on Earth, how come at the Beggar Army it became a paradise.

Not only eating their fill, but eating well.

Sun Dalang walked over proudly: "How about it?"

Xie Yi with a Weird Expression still did not believe, thinking this was a performance the Beggar Army specially put on for him.

He walked toward a woman not far away, Reached Out to Ask For the Fan Fu tightly clenched in her hand.

Sun Dalang spoke: "Show him!"

The woman only then reluctantly handed over the Fan Fu.

Same size as the previous one, same material.

The difference was the content written on it.

"Ordinary Stove, Qian Hu Jia Qu Five Bao Three Jia~" followed by Room 309 Arabic numerals Xie Yi did not recognize.

Below there was also a "Valid for the Day" seal impression, and a string of unrecognized numbers.

"This is too Strangeness."

Xie Yi had never seen such a thing, nor understood such Norms.

But in his heart inexplicably, through this small slip of paper, he sensed a magical power.

Though he did not understand, he could feel this power's uniqueness.

This, is standardization, and Organization.

Suppressing the Anxiety toward the Unknown in his heart.

Xie Yi returned the Fan Fu to the woman, decisively Walking straight to the Chufang.

He still did not believe the Beggar Army could afford to supply tens of thousands of people all eating such delicacies.

Not to mention anything else, just cooking for so many people, the firewood needed would require chopping down a whole small Tree forest!

Sun Dalang Signaled no need to Block, if he wanted to watch let him watch his fill, this was also the Lang Zhu's meaning.

The Chufang was not very large, and did not have that kind of smoke-filled haze from burning firewood to cook rice.

Over a hundred Cooks and kitchen helpers were Busy in an orderly fashion with their respective tasks.

Xie Yi looked at the furnace chambers, somewhat uncertain: "This is, graphite (coal)?"

"Where did the smoke and fire go?"

Sun Dalang who followed pointed at the chimney: "All exhausted out from here."

Xie Yi pointed at the rows of woks: "Why must the Food Ingredients be stir-fried in the wok?"

"This is called Stir-frying."

"Where did you get so much Refined Rice?"

"Naturally bestowed by the Lang Zhu."

"Your Lang Zhu, just what kind of divine being is he?"

Sun Dalang did not speak; he also did not know where Lin Dao ultimately came from.

Silent for a long while, Xie Yi revealed a Smile: "Brother Sun, I still have over a hundred followers, their meals, please ask Brother Sun to arrange."

Sun Dalang fell silent.

He only had three small stove tickets a day.

End of Chapter