Chapter 467

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Protagonist:

Yan Qianqian

With so many people, there was naturally no way to prepare meals as exquisitely as at home; they could only cook in large pots.

Qianqian looked at that big pot of food and couldn't help but space out a bit. The meat slices in the pot looked so fatty; she really couldn't work up an appetite.

However, she had already been hungry all morning, her stomach growling incessantly; helpless, she still ladled a bowl of food and took a steamed bun.

Luo Shun, queuing behind Qianqian, took two steamed buns. He looked at Qianqian only taking such a little bit of food and couldn't help but ask curiously: "Is it really okay eating just this little?"

Qianqian replied with a bitter smile: "I'll just make do and eat a mouthful; I'm not hungry."

Luo Shun nodded, thinking Qianqian probably ate little because the food didn't suit her taste.

But he himself ate with great relish; after all, compared to the food at his aunt's house, the food here was already considered not bad.

Usually at his aunt's house, the daily meals were very simple, almost always plain rice porridge with pickled vegetables.

Occasionally they'd stir-fry some shredded potato, but that couldn't even count as real shredded potato; it was more like uncooked potato strips.

Moreover, even when they stir-fried tomato and egg, Luo Shun could only get the tomato soup; he couldn't get a single piece of egg at all.

Because every time the food was served, his cousin brother and cousin sister would pounce on it like starving tigers, swiftly scraping their favorite dishes into their own bowls, while what was left for Luo Shun was often only a bit of leftover soup and scraps.

Although the mess hall food in this military camp couldn't be called sumptuous, at least there was some fatty meat, so one could get a taste of meat flavor to some extent.

Moreover, home-style dishes like potato, green beans, and eggplant were all cooked very soft, and the taste was passable.

Qianqian watched Luo Shun wolfing down his food and couldn't help but mentally roast him: "You really are hungry; you can eat anything, huh."

Qianqian ate with the steamed bun, forcing down two bites of potato; it was truly hard to swallow.

She couldn't help thinking that the taste of this food was really just average; compared to what she ate at home, it was simply worlds apart.

In the end, Qianqian really couldn't eat anymore, so she said to Luo Shun: "Brother Luo, do you still want food? I can't eat anymore."

Luo Shun's mouth was stuffed full of food; he replied indistinctly: "Brother Ming'an, your appetite is too small, isn't it? A big man, eating just this little, how can that do?"

As he spoke, he casually scraped all the leftover food from Qianqian's bowl into his own.

Seeing this, Qianqian feared arousing Luo Shun's suspicion and hurriedly explained: "My stomach isn't too good; if I eat too much it won't digest and I'll feel unwell."

Luo Shun seemingly didn't mind Qianqian's explanation, just casually replied: "Alright then; from now on, any leftover food you can't eat, just give it to me to finish."

Finished speaking, he buried his head and ate heartily again, as if the leftovers in that bowl were some mountain and sea delicacies.

Luo Shun didn't notice anything unusual; he finished his meal swiftly like a whirlwind. Afterward, the two of them washed the bowls and chopsticks clean together and placed them neatly.

Qianqian looked at Luo Shun and smiled: "Brother Luo, later we'll go collect tents; are you willing to go together with me?"

Luo Shun readily agreed, replying: "Of course; it just so happens I don't have other acquaintances either, the two of us staying together should be more convenient." Qianqian smiled and nodded in agreement.

Thus, the two of them headed together toward the Logistics Canjun Office. Since they were unfamiliar with the environment here, they could only go by feel, heading wherever there were more people.

Sure enough, from afar they saw a long, long queue; the place with the long line was presumably where they collected tents.

Their speed was fairly fast; there were only a hundred-odd people ahead of them.

Luo Shun broke the silence first, actively asking: "Brother Ming'an, where are you from?" Qianqian replied politely: "I come from Liujiacun in Chungu City." Then she asked back: "Brother Luo, what about you?"

Luo Shun fell silent for a moment, then slowly said: "I'm from this Chunning City. My father was once a member of the Qi Family Army; unfortunately, he later died in battle on the battlefield.

When my mother heard this news, she fainted from crying; from then on, her physical condition deteriorated day by day. Until one day, my mother unfortunately caught a cold, and her condition worsened further.

What was even more heartbreaking was that the hope in her heart had long since shattered, like dead ashes. In the end, she followed my father and left this world.

Out of care for martyrs' families, the state bestowed fifty taels of pension silver on us.

However, this meager silver was already spent ten taels buying medicine for my mother's illness, leaving very little.

And the remaining silver was all seized by my ruthless aunt, who claimed it was to use this money to raise me.

Time flies; so many years have passed, and that pension silver is almost gone. Seeing no profit to be made, my aunt unhesitatingly sent me to join the army, as if I were merely a burden."

Hearing this, Qianqian felt a pang of sorrow in her heart; for a moment she truly didn't know how to comfort this pitiable person before her. She opened her mouth, but in the end only said: "Brother Luo, things will get better and better from now on."

Luo Shun was actually a carefree person; he laughed and replied: "I know; the fortune-teller said my days of enjoying blessings are still ahead!"

Qianqian looked at him; seeing he wasn't that sad, she felt slightly relieved. The two continued chatting idly; time passed unnoticed.

Suddenly, they realized it was almost their turn to register for enlistment. The person in charge of registration looked at Qianqian and Luo Shun expressionlessly and asked: "Name?"

Qianqian took a deep breath, steadied herself, then spoke: "Wang Ming'an."

Immediately after, Luo Shun also reported his own name.

The registration person quickly wrote both their names on paper; then, at once two people came over carrying a tent and two bedrolls respectively, handing these items to Qianqian and Luo Shun.

Qianqian held the tent in her hand, just about to go get a bedroll, when Luo Shun walked straight over and took both bedrolls. He looked at Qianqian and smiled: "Let's go."

Qianqian said somewhat embarrassedly: "How about I help you carry one? That way you'll be more relaxed."

Luo Shun smiled and shook his head, looking at Qianqian gently, and replied: "No need; I'm older than you, I'll take care of you from now on."

Hearing this, a warm current surged in Qianqian's heart unbidden; she looked at Luo Shun before her and suddenly felt he was so reliable and warm.

The two together selected a spot that was slightly off to the side, because they both just wanted a place to sleep and didn't want to scramble for good spots and cause unnecessary trouble.