Chapter 8, The Hungry Supply Team

That is military rations

Alright, alright, stop singing your military songs; my ears are about to develop calluses. Your commander is a good officer, but unfortunately lacks intelligence, causing the army to suffer from hunger while he goes off to rescue a few wounded soldiers. What good does that do? Let's wait for tomorrow; I have a way to fill your stomachs and ensure everyone has a full belly

What a load of nonsense, I am not dead, such inappropriate wording

Bai Chong shook his head and finished the noodle soup in one gulp: "There are rules for transporting grain; the grain protection army brings its own rations, but the military grain being escorted cannot be touched at all, otherwise, the penalty is immediate execution! We encountered several days of heavy rain on the way, which delayed our journey, and we were ambushed and robbed by Wei's dogs multiple times. After further delays, we are now three days' journey away from the Hexi camp, and our own rations are nearly exhausted. It is already fortunate that we still have noodle soup to drink."

It was Lord Ling who took it away, giving it to those injured brothers. Lord Ling said, "The entire army is deeply grateful for your great kindness. When we reach the Hexi camp, we will surely repay you tenfold!"

Looking back at the grain convoy, many horse-drawn carts with compartments were visible, inside which lay the wounded soldiers. They were the most privileged individuals in the convoy; while Bai Chong, the magistrate of Liyang, had to drink plain water, they were able to have thin porridge. Bai Dong had actually calmed down; in any era, saving lives and aiding the injured has always been a common moral principle of humanity. He was merely troubled by Bai Chong's act of taking without informing him.

The commander is too inflexible; the soldiers are going hungry. What will we do when we encounter the enemy? Is it really adhering to military regulations to send the 4,000 stones of military provisions to the enemy? Bai Dong listened in disbelief. Were the ancients really so thick-headed? What military regulations can be upheld when we are on the verge of starvation?

They are all mad. Bai Dong and a few others finished the noodle soup in no time, and without further ado, these people are beyond saving

Bai Chong rolled his eyes and said: "Scholars always like to speak in convoluted ways. If they are not satisfied, they should just say they are not satisfied, yet they insist on talking about wild wolves and fine horses. Sir, I am not a fool; do you think I would enjoy going hungry? We are out of food!"

"Military regulations are military regulations. What does it matter if Old Qin eats a few less bites? It's the same in killing enemies and protecting supplies!" Bai Chonghuo suddenly stood up, vigorously waving his fist

I am hungry. However, rest assured, sir, when I can no longer endure, someone will take over for me to drive the carriage, the valiant old Qin

Bai Dong was invited to sit by a campfire. In addition to Li Yangling Bai Chong, there were also some ordinary soldiers, all of whom were rubbing their bellies and drooling. Bai Chong, the highest-ranking official present, was the most distressed; even before he got close to the books, he could hear his stomach rumbling.

One cannot endure hunger, even a good man. When Bai Dong began to see the moon as a large scallion pancake, he realized he could no longer keep things to himself. He reached for the bundle resting under his head, which contained not only the scrolls that represented his scholarly status but also the dry flatbreads and salt prepared for him by his family. He remembered there were also a few grilled fish, which had been packed into his bag with tears as he left the village.

Bai Dong's eyes widened larger than copper bells as he pointed at the grain convoy: "Each of these vehicles carries about ten stones of grain, right? I calculated that there are probably four hundred grain carts in the convoy. That's a total of four thousand stones of grain. Are you telling me there is no grain? Are you expecting the soldiers to starve while guarding piles of grain?"

The letters were plentiful, yet the food had mysteriously vanished. Bai Dong was filled with murderous intent, and a tiger-like figure leaped out of the carriage, fiercely grabbing the driver's collar and shouting like a madman

These foods are meant for the ultimate preservation of life and carry Bai Dong's longing for home. They will not be used unless absolutely necessary. Thus, even after drinking noodle water for two consecutive days, he still perseveres. If it were not for Bai Chongtai's lack of humanity, he would have sprinkled salt on the grilled fish to preserve it as salted fish. This was made by Cao Er herself, and for these few pieces of grilled fish, her fingers were pricked by fish bones.

Opening the backpack, Bai Dong was stunned, his eyes beginning to turn red: "Bai Chong, you despicable scoundrel! Military rations are not to be tampered with; does my personal property mean it can be plundered at will? Tell me, where are my flatbreads, where is my grilled fish! And those salts, they were exchanged by Lord Bai Long after traveling over a hundred miles of mountain roads, where have they gone!"

Seeing Bai Dong, Bai Chonglian waved repeatedly: "Sir, come quickly. After this meal, you will have to wait for dinner, and you cannot miss it. Is the porridge ready? Come on, first serve Mr. Bai a bowl of chestnut porridge. After all this rushing around, how can a scholar endure it..."

The soldiers squatting on the vehicles were originally responsible for the military rations. No one touched the other grain bags; they only unfastened the bag of grain they were in charge of to cook rice. In this era, pots had not yet been invented, so dozens of people gathered around a fire waiting. Above the fire hung a large clay pot, the bottom of which had long been charred black. Looking around, there were nearly a hundred such fires.

"Ten times the repayment? He won't know if he has the fate to reach Hexi! Truly a robber, taking my things, why not speak up?"

Mr. Gan Bing and the grilled fish saved the lives of two comrades. Lord Gong said, "To take without informing is to be a thief, to inform and then seize is to be a robber. The people of Qin value bravery, thus in the state of Qin, the crime of theft is considered more serious than that of robbery. Lord Gong would rather be a thief, as he wishes to punish himself severely to comfort Mr. Bai."

Upon the arrival of the Qin army, Bai Dong dismounted and, while stretching his muscles, observed with great interest as the Qin soldiers set up their cooking pots. The supply carts were parked by the roadside, with half of the soldiers on guard beside each cart while the other half were having their meals, suggesting that they were taking turns.

No food

Bai Dong angrily sat back in the car, staring at the back of the driver's head for a long time: "Are you hungry?"

Bai Dong began to worry about his trip to Hexi, as dining seemed to be a significant issue

My lord, I have heard that fierce wolves, when hungry, cannot catch wild deer; strong steeds, when hungry, run slower than clumsy oxen; wise rulers, when hungry, become dull-witted; loyal subjects, when hungry, may flee to other countries... You have so many valiant soldiers under your command; if they become hungry, do you not fear that they will be unable to protect the supplies and will be slaughtered by the enemy?

Only drinking porridge? Watching a Qin soldier walk over with a steaming large bowl, Bai Dong looked around for a long time but saw no solid food, so he had to give up. He took the oversized old Tao bowl and looked down, immediately seeing the bright sun and his own wide-open eyes.

Upon closer inspection, Bai Chong's bowl was the same; it was not even a porridge, just a watery broth with a hint of chestnut yellow. If paired with two liang of Dog Not Responding buns, it would be delicious, but who could endure drinking it plain? Bai Dong frowned slightly, realizing that the situation seemed more serious than he had imagined. Immediate measures needed to be taken; otherwise, before that old man Ying Lian could punish him, he would starve to death first.

Breakfast is served relatively early. During the early Warring States period, food shortages were common. Unless one belonged to the noble class or was a soldier preparing for battle, the rest of the population typically had only two meals a day. Thus, breakfast was at the hour of Si, and dinner at the hour of You. One should not expect any late-night snacks; even the gentry and nobility had to secretly enjoy them behind closed doors, lest they be scorned by others.

Living people cannot be suffocated by urine, isn't that just a rule? ... Speaking of exploiting legal loopholes, Bai Dong is truly an expert among experts

Kill the enemy and protect the grain! Kill the enemy and protect the grain! Countless Qin soldiers stood up one after another, shouting along with him.

Is this called porridge? This is just plain water! It's one thing not to have any solid ingredients, but what is the meaning of serving a bowl of plain water? I was filled with rage and turned to Bai Chong, wondering if this was a way to bully outsiders