The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 307 Which type of grain do you want?
Li Bao was full of question marks.

He knew how much military rations the army had brought out, because his men had always served as auxiliary troops.

One of the important duties of auxiliary soldiers was to protect the supply line, watching over the laborers transporting military provisions and preventing enemy troops from seizing them.

"This is really strange." Li Bao shook his head as he walked. "Where did we get our food? Where did we get our food? The rations we brought with us are only enough for a few days. We're still waiting for more food to be delivered."

He kept muttering to himself, but still summoned several hundred men and a large number of laborers and went to the woods outside the city.

As soon as I went in, I felt something was wrong.

One of the subordinates sniffed: "It smells so good! I can smell flour."

"It also tastes like corn."

As they walked deeper into the woods, they soon came across a group of soldiers, all of whom were Gong Er Niangzi's oldest and most trusted subordinates. They were guarding something in the woods, and when they saw Li Bao arrive, they immediately smiled and said, "You're here? Come and help us carry this!"

Li Bao: "???"

The soldiers in front parted to the sides, and in the clearing in the middle of the woods, there was a large amount of grain, all packed in bamboo baskets or sacks.

Li Bao: "Huh? This...this grain? Where did it come from?"

The soldiers wore mysterious smiles: "Given by Young Master Yue."

Li Bao: "???"

I can't understand!

Can Young Master Yue conjure up grain out of thin air?

"Stop standing there, hurry up and move it."

The soldiers urged him on, and Li Bao didn't have time to think much. He quickly called on his soldiers and laborers to help move the grain. The laborers carried it on their shoulders and in their hands, and in no time, the grain in the woods was gone.

Li Bao thought to himself that although there was a lot of grain, it wasn't enough to distribute even a few kilograms to all the people in the city. If only a small amount was distributed, it probably wouldn't be of much use.

Just then, Yue Wenxuan emerged from the crowd and said with a smile, "Li Bao, have your soldiers set up a platform in the city, move this batch of grain over there, and pile it on the platform. Then each civilian can receive twenty catties based on their household registration."

Li Bao: "Huh? This grain isn't enough. There are tens of thousands of people in the city. If each person is given twenty catties, we need nearly a million catties of grain."

Yue Wenxuan: "Of course it's not enough. You leave some men to handle the distribution of rations, and the rest of you can continue to move them here."

Li Bao felt a headache coming on, thinking: Should I come back here to move more grain? But I've already moved all the grain here.
Yue Wenxuan winked at him and gave him a mischievous smile: "Don't worry about it. Just come and move the grain once the distribution platform in the city is ready."

Li Bao had no choice but to agree. He quickly ordered his men to set up a platform at the market entrance in the city center, invited the army's ration clerk to sit on the platform with a booklet, and then had the soldiers go through the streets and alleys, loudly proclaiming: "Fellow villagers! When our Song army entered the city, we fought a battle with the rebel army, which caused quite a commotion and disturbed you all. We are deeply sorry. The Privy Councilor has specially ordered that military rations be distributed to everyone as an apology for disturbing the people."

The people of Siyang were completely dumbfounded when they heard this.

In the past, every time the ruling party changed hands, they would be robbed.

I thought this time would be no exception; the city was filled with a deathly atmosphere.

But this time it was completely different.

Instead of seizing grain, they distributed grain?
Is there something wrong with our ears, or did we mishear?

For a moment, no one dared to believe it. But with the Northern Song army setting up a stage at the market in the city center, the news would eventually spread throughout the city under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Soon, the news began to circulate among the people of the city.

"Have you heard? The Song army has set up a wooden platform at Caishikou, called a 'Grain Distribution Platform.' They say that if you bring your household registration, you can get twenty catties of grain."

"Twenty pounds? Don't try to fool me! I'm not well-educated and I can't be easily fooled."

"Hey, why would I lie to you? That's really what I said."

"There are quite a few officials who say one thing and do another."

"Just tell me if you're going to give it a try or not."

"I wouldn't dare!"

The news spread, but many ordinary people hid in the distance and secretly watched the "grain distribution station," but dared not go up.

After the platform was set up, a large number of laborers began to carry grain over on their shoulders and in their hands. Bag after bag, basket after basket, several kinds of grain were carried onto the platform, including white rice, millet, flour... the variety was quite rich.

However, these three types of grains have different prices among the general public.

Many people began to wonder: they were told they would receive 20 jin (10 kg) of millet, but which kind was it? Wouldn't the person who received the cheapest millet be at a huge loss?
I really wanted to go up and ask, but I didn't dare!
Finally, the first person brave enough to try something new appeared.

Wu Lang, the poorest and most shameless rogue in Sishui City, gritted his teeth and crawled out.

He was truly so poor he was starving, so he had to gamble with his life. If he could actually get twenty catties of grain, this scoundrel could live for another month; if he was cheated, he could just die now.

The rogue Goro trembled all over as he carefully climbed the steps to the grain distribution platform...

The people watching from afar were cursing inwardly: "You scoundrel, you're usually so arrogant, how come you can't be arrogant in front of the bigwigs of the Northern Song Dynasty? You can't be a scoundrel anymore? Now you're trembling like a leaf."

The rogue Goro handed over the household registration book with trembling hands...

The clerk in charge of registration glanced at it and wrote it down in a small notebook: "No. 32, Wencheng East Road, Li family."

After registering, he glanced at the rogue Wulang and said, "What kind of grain do you want? Pick it yourself!"

The rogue Wulang was secretly delighted: It seems they really are going to give me grain.

Thinking of this, his fear subsided somewhat, but his rogue spirit returned. He mustered his courage and said, "Sir, the prices of millet, white rice, and flour are different. White rice is the most expensive, flour is next, and millet is the cheapest. If I were to choose any twenty catties, I would definitely choose the most expensive white rice."

The registrar exclaimed, "You've reminded me! Alright, I'll revise it! If you're taking millet and flour, you can get a few extra pounds based on the price. Tell me the prices of the three grains here, and don't try to deceive me. I can easily find out the prices by asking anyone."

The rascal Wulang quickly told them the prices of local grains. He really didn't dare to lie, since the prices were very transparent and everyone knew them. If he lied to the military officer, he wouldn't even know how he died when the officer found out the truth.

The clerk picked up his pen and did some calculations. He quickly figured out that if he was to receive white rice, he would receive twenty catties. If he was to receive flour and millet, he would receive several more catties. He then brought out several wooden boards and wrote down how many catties each type of grain could be received. The boards were then hung next to the grain distribution station.

He then asked the rogue Goro, "Alright, which one do you choose now?"

Without a second thought, the rogue Wulang said, "I want the cheapest millet so I can eat it for a few more days."

(End of this chapter)