Chapter 59: Mysterious Visitor

Xiao Si hurried forward, opened the lunch box, and She Pigu placed a full spoonful of beef inside it, noting that today's main dish was carrot and onion stewed beef.

The aroma was so strong it seemed to pull the soldiers' stomachs out.

Many soldiers previously didn't know carrots, but now that they've gotten used to eating them, they know what this thing is called.

"Your cooking's not bad, Xiao Si, you also take a bowl," Jiang Anguo said, scooping a bowl of white rice on the side.

The soldiers had already begun eating, mainly because they were hungry; after seven days of high‑intensity marching, everyone was indeed very tired, and this was the most formal meal in seven days—otherwise the kitchen squad had only prepared dry rations and canned food, which were simply heated over a fire before being eaten.

Xiao Si also received a privilege: his bowl was filled with beef.

There was no need to worry about differential treatment; everyone ate the same. Since conditions didn't allow otherwise, the vegetables and meat were stewed together; if conditions were better they'd have prepared two separate dishes.

The Company Platoon Commander ate the same as ordinary soldiers, and Jiang Anguo also ate with the soldiers.

Eating together made the meal especially fragrant.

Compared to meat, Jiang Anguo actually preferred vegetables.

During a month in Chanda, Jiang Anguo managed to make everyone gain a lot of weight—at least 10 to 15 jin—and that was exactly the look Jiang Anguo wanted; with the extra weight, soldiers could carry more in combat, otherwise they'd be skin‑and‑bone thin.

After eating their fill, they had the strength to train better; with increased training volume, combat power naturally rose.

Jiang Anguo really didn't skimp on the food side.

Yet each day it didn't seem to use much; previously the daily consumption was 80 points, exchanged for 8000 jin of food—meat, vegetables, and rice.

Now that the unit had more people, the daily food consumption hadn't increased; it remained at 8000 points per day.

The breakdown was: meat 1500 jin, vegetables 3000 jin, rice 3500 jin.

The meat portion seemed a bit low; each person could eat 250 g of meat per day, and there was plenty of vegetables—often potatoes or sweet potatoes—mainly to keep the soldiers full.

Jiang Anguo's Independent Battalion could be described as high‑standard.

At first Jiang Anguo wanted the soldiers to eat their fill, but later realized something was off: after eating, people became especially lazy, which would be dangerous on the battlefield.

Therefore, even though the personnel now exceed three thousand, his daily food points consumption still stayed at 80 points, and soldiers could eat to about seventy percent fullness each meal, which was sufficient.

It's not that they aren't full, but the staple grain per meal is reduced while meat is increased.

Supplying enough calories to maintain combat power is the main goal.

For a meal, calories are more important than fullness; the Chinese Army is simply too poor, and most conscripts eat just to get a bite.

But after entering the unit, it's one dry meal and one watery meal; you eat the previous one but not the next.

Especially in Chanda, they were so hungry their eyes went blurry.

Jiang Anguo took his lunch box, found an Ammo Box, and sat down directly; unit discipline had been repeatedly emphasized, so no one would push forward while eating—if it happened even once, you'd go hungry for a day. At the beginning, many people didn't line up.

"Young Master, what are you thinking?" No one was around; Xiao Si liked to address Jiang Anguo as Young Master.

Jiang Anguo smiled and said, "Nothing, I'm just watching everyone eat; it makes me happy. Xiao Si, you eat more."

Xiao Si's mouth never stopped; the beef was truly fragrant, and Xiao Si was reluctant to eat the beef, always eating the vegetables first and saving the beef for last.

Jiang Anguo naturally noticed, and gave his beef to Xiao Si, saying, "Eat."

"Young Master, what about you? I'll go get you another bowl." If you were anyone else you wouldn't have that right; Jiang Anguo is the Battalion Commander, so he can make an exception.

Jiang Anguo shook his head and said, "No need, you're not that hungry. Eat more, finish up and go rest; you've been tired enough these past few days."

Jiang Anguo truly couldn't eat much, so each time Xiao Si served the Young Master, he only gave half a bowl, later topping it up because the Young Master would give the other half to him. Xiao Si genuinely loved white rice; even the dry rations and canned food eaten during the march all tasted good to him.

There was no need to worry about waste; even Jiang Anguo drank the broth at the end, eating everything cleanly.

Everyone didn't waste; they ate the lunch box cleaner than their faces.

One has to admire She Pigu's culinary skill; it's truly excellent, and would have been at the level of a royal chef in earlier times.

When the food is this good, nobody wants to waste it; if you waste once, see if your Squad Leader will beat you to death.

She Pigu walked over mysteriously, holding a clay pot in his hand.

"Hehe, Battalion Commander, I got something good; give it a try," She Pigu said with a smile.

"Ha, you bring the old guys on this march; just the smell is chicken soup!"

In fact, you could smell the chicken soup from far away.

Jiang Anguo was a bit puzzled; they hadn't eaten chicken these past few days, mainly because the soldiers disliked chicken, complaining that it had too many bones, and they kept grumbling about it.

Everyone preferred beef and pork, and the pork should be as fatty as possible.

"By the way, She Pigu, where did this chicken come from?" Jiang Anguo asked curiously.

She Pigu smiled, "Battalion Commander, I just had someone nearby trade for it with an old compatriot, exchanging two Canned Spam."

Actually this wasn't a loss nor a profit; each can was 500 g, and this chicken didn't have much meat.

Jiang Anguo opened it and nearly jumped, "The one wearing glasses."

She Pigu nodded, "Yeah, yeah, the one wearing glasses."

Good fellow, it's truly a tonic!

Previously She Pigu didn't understand what "the one wearing glasses" meant, but after Jiang Anguo mentioned Cobra, he got it.

"Fragrant, truly fragrant," Jiang Anguo said, very satisfied.

Whether in Chanda or on the march, She Pigu would occasionally give Jiang Anguo an Extra Meal, which pleased Jiang Anguo and counted as Special Rations.

"Xiao Si, go tell the Commanders at all levels to watch out for Poisonous Snakes, avoid Non-combat Casualties, and come to me later to collect Realgar."

Jiang Anguo also ordered the Guard Company to deliver two large baskets of apples to each Platoon, counting as an Extra Meal.

"Here, be careful catching snakes." Jiang Anguo tossed She Pigu a Canned Beef and a canned peach.

Canned food was still a rarity even in the Expeditionary Force; in fact, the Expeditionary Force's food standards were among the best in the current Nationalist Army.

She Pigu had a knack for catching snakes; poisonous or not, once spotted they couldn't escape being eaten.

"Hehe, thank you, Battalion Commander."

The camp Jiang Anguo was searching for had few people around; most still disliked crowding near the leadership position.

However, Jiang Anguo quickly realized that outsiders had appeared inside the barracks, which shouldn't happen!

The alert soldiers would surely notify me at once—how did they let someone in?

I went; what did he see? A person whose head was shining in the darkness walked over, dressed in a full set of military uniform.