Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 215 Biting Disaster
Half a month later, the Anbei military camp organized a short family visit day.

Some new recruits were allowed to leave the camp for half a day to go home and visit their families, accompanied by military officers and their fellow officers.

This day was like a festival for the Zhaoyuzebei resettlement camp.

Liu Sansao got up before dawn. She crushed the leftover flatbread, mixed it with millet, and cooked it into a thick porridge. She also used her saved grain coupons to exchange for a small piece of salted meat, which she sliced ​​thinly and steamed.

Just after Chen Shi (7:00 AM), the entrance to the camp was already crowded with eager military dependents.

When the new recruits, dressed in uniform fur coats and standing in neat rows, appeared at the camp gate under the guidance of the military officer, the crowd instantly became lively.

"Third Brother! Third Brother! Over here!" Sister-in-law Liu spotted her husband at a glance.

He was wearing a fur coat from the Anbei Army. Although his face was rough and cracked from the cold wind, he had become stronger, stood up straight, and had sharp eyes. He was completely different from the man he was half a month ago!
"Dad!" Gouwa broke free from Liu Sansao's hand, darted over like a rabbit, and threw himself into Liu San's arms.

Liu San scooped up his son, rubbing his stubble-covered chin against the little boy's face, laughing heartily, "You little rascal! You've gotten heavier! Your mother must have given you all the good food!"

"Third Sister..." Liu San carried Gouwa to his wife. Looking at her face, red from the cold, and her noticeably thinner body, a thousand words stuck in his throat, turning into a soft call.

Liu Sansao's eyes reddened, but she held back her tears and smiled as she handed him the warm earthenware jar she had been holding in her arms: "Quick, eat it while it's hot! I saved it for you!"

Liu San opened the jar and saw the thick meat porridge and a few pieces of glistening salted meat inside. His throat bobbed.

He didn't rush to eat; he first put Gouwa down, took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, and handed it to Liu Sansao.

"What?"

"open to take a look."

Liu Sansao opened the cloth bag with a puzzled look. Inside were several brand-new grain coupons, with a face value much higher than what she had earned in the workshop! There was also a small piece of something wrapped in oiled paper, dark in color and emitting a faint fragrance.

"This...is this?"

"The grain coupons were the pay issued by the camp, which I saved up."

"This piece of braised meat was a reward from General Gao for my good performance. I couldn't bear to eat it, so I thought I'd bring it back for you and Gouwa!" Liu San grinned, revealing a set of yellowed teeth with some black stains.

Clutching the grain coupons and the piece of braised meat, Liu Sansao looked at the blisters and calluses on the man's rough palms, and finally couldn't hold back her tears.

"Why are you crying! The better days are yet to come!" Liu San clumsily wiped away his wife's tears and then picked up Gouwa.

"Come on! Let's go home! Dad, have you heard there's a thatched cottage in the camp? Have you learned to write yet?"

"I've got it, Dad! I can write quite a few now!"

"Haha, okay, go home and write it for Dad."

Liu San put Gouwa on his shoulder, put his arm around his third sister's sleeve, and walked towards their home in the resettlement camp.

A military officer followed, while a more experienced officer beside him advised, "He's a family man, don't follow too closely, just make sure he returns to camp on time."

"got it."

Similar scenes could be seen at various points around the camp gate.

The returning recruits brought back not only their specially paid wages and occasional rewards, but also something called hope.

They talked about how tough the training was and how terrifying Lengmian Gao was, but their eyes revealed a sense of pride that they had made it through, as well as a longing for future promotions and land distribution.

As the families of soldiers watched the changes in their husbands or children and listened to their stories of the harsh yet fulfilling life in the barracks, their worries were gradually replaced by a mixture of heartache and pride.

However, not all family visits are filled with warmth.

In another corner of the camp, a fierce argument and cries erupted.

"Mother! Mother! I want to leave! I want to leave! I want to go home! I want to go home!" A sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy clung tightly to an old woman's leg, crying his heart out.

His name was Wang Shuan, and he was a relatively young recruit in the Anbei Army, still wearing a fur coat.

"Shuan'er! My Shuan'er!" The old woman was also in tears, trying hard to pull her son up.

"Mother knows you're suffering! But... but once you're in the army, running away means you're a deserter! And that means being beheaded!"

"Beheading is fine! It's better than freezing or working to death there!" Wang Shuan cried hysterically.

"Mom! Look at my hands! Look at my feet!" He rolled up his sleeves, revealing large areas of training injuries and bruises on his arms, and took off his worn-out shoes, revealing frostbite on his toes.

A crowd gathered around, discussing the matter—some with sympathy, some with sighs, and some with disdain.

"Stop crying! You're acting like a woman!" a loud shout rang out.

Zhang Bailu and Chen Zhong, accompanied by two military officers, parted the crowd and walked over, their faces ashen.

When Wang Shuan saw Chen Zhong, he was terrified, as if he had seen a ghost. He trembled all over and his sobs were choked up.

Chen Zhong walked up to him, looking down at him with icy eyes: "Wang Shuan! Your leave is over! Return to your unit immediately!"

“Zhong…Brother Zhong…I…I can’t take it anymore…I can’t bear it…” Wang Shuan cried and begged.

"Please... let me go back..."

"Let you go back?" Chen Zhong sighed, his voice suddenly rising.

"What do you think the Anbei Army is?! A marketplace? You think you can come and go as you please?! Was the fingerprint you left when you signed your military register fake?!"

He pointed at the military dependents and new recruits watching the commotion and shouted sternly, "These brothers around here! Which one of them isn't suffering? Who isn't tired? Who isn't injured?! Why can they grit their teeth and endure it? Only you, Wang Shuan, are so precious that you can't even bear this little bit of suffering?!"

"How did your father starve to death! How did your sister get raped and then thrown into a well!"

"Your whole family is down to just your mother and your brother. If you don't fight for your life, who will?! Now, we finally have a chance to make a living with a knife! And you want to desert?! Why did you even sign the visa in the first place?!"

Wang Shuan turned pale and trembled as he was yelled at, a wave of fear and shame washing over him.

"Let me tell you, Article 17 of Military Law and the Fifty-Four Executions are not just a joke!"

Chen Zhong's voice was as cold as ice: "The Anbei Army does not tolerate cowards! Nor does it tolerate deserters! If you dare to run today, tomorrow the military judge's sword will be hanging over the heads of your mother and your brother! Military law is as imposing as a mountain; this is a crime of collective punishment! Do you understand?!"

The last few words were like a bolt from the blue, not only shocking Wang Shuan out of his wits, but also making all the military dependents and new recruits around him change their expressions!
"I...I..." Wang Shuan looked at his mother's terrified and desperate face, at his younger brother's bewildered eyes, and then at Chen Zhong, Zhang Bailu, and the gleaming knives at the waists of the military law officers behind them. His last bit of courage to run away completely vanished.

He collapsed to the ground, wailing loudly.

Chen Zhong ignored him and waved to the two military officers: "Drag him back! Put him in solitary confinement! Starve him for two days! Let him think it over!"

Two fierce military officers stepped forward, lifted the limp Wang Shuan, and dragged him back to the military camp like a dead dog, ignoring his cries and the old woman's pleas.

Seeing Wang Shuan being dragged into the military camp, he finally relented and bowed apologetically to Zhang Bailu, who was standing to the side: "Brother Bailu, I'm sorry, I overstepped my authority."

Zhang Bailu shook his head and said softly, "It's better if you do it than if I do it. If I really give the order, this kid will have a hard time."

The crowd fell silent; the atmosphere was oppressive.

Chen Zhong sighed softly, looked around, his gaze sweeping across the faces of every new recruit and military dependent, and then spoke again.

"Listen up, all of you! The Anbei Army's pay isn't free! The former general's land isn't given away for nothing! If you want to protect your homes, if you want to hold onto the land you'll get by the spring equinox, if you want your wives and children to stay from starving and freezing, to be slaughtered like pigs and dogs, then you'd better stand up straight!!"

"Soldiers are paid for their service, their lives are on the line! Afraid of death? Afraid of hardship? Then make it to the end of your service! Don't drag your parents and brothers down with you!" He looked up at the sky and waved his hand: "Return to camp immediately after noon, or you will be punished by military law! Go back and have a get-together."

After saying that, Chen Zhong ignored everyone and strode back to the military camp.

The crowd lingered for a long time.

Liu San held Gouwa in his arms, looking in the direction Chen Zhong had disappeared. He then looked down at his son and wife's worried faces and silently clenched his fists.

"It's alright, Dad's very capable. Let's go home."
-
The third day of the twelfth lunar month.

The year 184 has passed, and if we use the Gregorian calendar, it is now January 1, 185.

Jinyang.

The former general's residence.

Inside the warm pavilion, Zhang Xianzheng was discussing matters with Xun Yu, Han Ji, and others.

"My lord, the new army in Anbei has been training for over a month now. Weeding out the weak and keeping the strong, there are now more than 9,800 able-bodied men. Senior Captain reported that they have begun to take shape as an army. Although they are still far from being a strong army, they are still capable of serving."

Xun Yu flipped through a thick document.

Zhang Xian nodded slightly: "I trust Boping to train the troops. It's only the twelfth lunar month now, so there's still time for him to continue training. How are the supplies of food, fodder, and weapons?"

Han Ji interjected, speaking quickly: "According to the standard, the Anbei Army has already produced more than 8,000 sets of leather armor, sufficient wooden shields and spears, and has also allocated enough compressed military rations for two months' needs."

Zhang Xian nodded.

"The Hu people are skilled in riding and archery. When defending cities and fortresses, bows and crossbows are the priority. We need to have a sufficient supply of strong bows and crossbows. Now we have expanded the military register by more than 10,000. The allocation of resources in the workshops must be smooth."

After speaking, he paused and looked at Xun Yu.

"The refugee camp also needs to make arrangements for the biting disaster in early December, so that everyone can at least find some joy amidst the hardship."

Xun Yu smiled and said, "It has already been arranged in advance, and many people in Taiyuan have also helped out."

"The people are kind and good; it seems we have done a good job of governing them."

Zhang Xian hadn't expected the spontaneous help from the people, and he couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

“My lord is benevolent and kind; his followers will surely follow suit,” Xun Yu said with a light laugh.

The local customs in Taiyuan County today are more benevolent than they were a few years ago.

Zhang Xian nodded, his gaze shifting to the swirling snowflakes outside the window: "How are the arrangements for Zhang Jiao's body going?"

Gu Yu, who was rushing back to Jinyang to report for duty, said in a low voice: "I have already sent some capable people to secretly sneak back to Guangzong. It is expected that they will arrive in the first month of the year."

Zhang Xian paused for a moment: "Let's find a quiet, sunny place nestled against the mountains and by the water."

"promise."
-
Zhaoyuze North Resettlement Camp.

The camp was filled with a liveliness unlike anything seen before.

Long queues formed in front of the market.

Clutching their food coupons, the women exchanged them for the extra rations of cheap coarse cloth, needles and thread, and the precious, sweet-tasting brown sugar cubes.

The children surrounded the candy stall, their little faces full of longing.

A larger soup kitchen was temporarily set up in the open space in the center of the camp.

Several huge iron pots were filled with red and white meat and bones, emitting a fragrant aroma. Next to them were steamers filled with steaming hot cornbread made from mixed grains!

On the straight road, truckloads of supplies organized by the people were being delivered to this side. Zhang Xian had his personal guards supervise the process to prevent anyone from making a mistake.

"Extra food! Extra food! Today, due to the disaster, the people of Taiyuan spontaneously raised supplies, and with the grace of the former general, there are plenty of mixed grains, cornbread, and meat soup! Please present your household registration card to collect your food!"

The cooks shouted their orders at the top of their lungs, their faces beaming with smiles.

The military dependents, young and old, lined up in an orderly fashion, holding their household registration certificates, under the guidance of the officials.

Today's meal consisted of a large bowl of meat soup, glistening with oil and bits of meat, and several hot cornbread buns.

Liu Sansao also led Gouwa to line up and received two bowls of meat soup and six steamed buns.

As evening approached, several oxcarts covered with tarpaulins drove into the camp under the escort of the law enforcement team. Xun Yu himself had also come!
Wrapped in a thick fur coat, he stood in the cold wind and addressed the assembled military families in a loud voice.

"By order of the former general! All families of soldiers of the Anbei Army shall be given ten catties of millet, three feet of coarse cloth, and three ounces of salt per household, according to the number of people in the household! This shall be given as a sacrifice to ward off disasters in the coming year!"

The resettlement camp erupted in cheers! The cheers were deafening!
"Thank you for your kindness, General!"

"Zhang Houren is kind and benevolent!"

The clerks quickly set up tables under the makeshift shed and, referring to the thick register of military dependents, began to distribute the "biting disaster" gifts in an orderly manner.

Holding the heavy sack of grain, a roll of coarse cloth, and a small packet of salt wrapped in oiled paper, Liu Sansao trembled with excitement.

So much grain! So much cloth! And salt! It looks like we're going to have a good holiday this year!
She saw Xun Yu standing in the cold wind, personally overseeing the distribution, and occasionally showing gentle consideration to some women and elderly people holding children.

This noble official, at this moment, was like a savior in her eyes.

"Mom! Look! It's Aunt Zhang!" Gouwa suddenly shouted, pointing to a spot in the camp.

Looking over, Liu Sansao saw a simple blue-canopied horse-drawn carriage parked outside the camp.

The carriage curtain was lifted slightly, revealing a beautiful but slightly tired profile – it was Zhang Ning.

She wore a plain-colored cloak, her gaze quietly sweeping across the bustling camp, over the women and children holding offerings and their faces beaming with hope, and finally, her eyes fell upon the vast, snow-covered plain outside the camp.

Her eyes held a complex mix of emotions: relief and reminiscence. This path... seemed to have truly been paved. These people... had food to eat, clothes to wear, and their children could go to school...

She lowered the carriage curtain, and the carriage drove away silently, just as quietly as it had arrived.

As night fell, the hustle and bustle gradually subsided.

Inside the shack, Liu Sansao carefully sewed a new lining for Gouwa using the newly acquired cloth and the dim light of the fire pit.

The puppy was asleep on her lap, its little face still covered in crumbs and oil from the steamed bun, a sweet smile on its lips.

From next door came the faint tune that Granny Chen was humming intermittently, with the accent of her hometown in Jizhou.

In the distance, from the direction of the Anbei army camp, the faint sounds of drill slogans could be heard, resounding powerfully in the cold wind.

Winter is not over yet, and the wind and snow continue.

　Biting Festival:

　　The first day of the twelfth lunar month was known as the "Biting Disaster Festival" in the Eastern Han Dynasty, symbolizing the warding off of misfortune and the prayer for a peaceful new year through specific customs.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)