Great Wilderness Demon Lord

As August arrived, the summer heat in Shuofeng Plain intensified, with the sun growing more scorching each day, and even the wind carrying a hint of heat, feeling almost burning on the face.

Although the summer in Shuofeng Plain is cooler than in the interior, at noon the sun is like a blazing fire pit hanging overhead, so scorching it blinds you.

The blue bricks of the city wall were scorching hot from the sun; a light touch would make one recoil from them. The gravel on the drill ground was even more scorching. When the soldiers were training, their heavy military boots could be heard making a faint, sizzling sound as they stepped on it.

Sweat trickled down his neck, forming thin streams that soaked through his coarse cloth clothes. It was wet and then dried, then wet again, and gradually, rings of white salt stains formed on his back. When the wind blew, they would leave tiny white streaks.

The saxaul bushes in the distance were wilted by the sun, their leaves curled up, and even the usually noisy crows and sparrows hid in the shadows of the fortress wall, unwilling to show their faces easily.

Xiao Yunlan has been going out a lot these days, checking on the farmland in the west of the city every day.

The beans and spring wheat in the fields are ripe, forming a sea of ​​yellow and green. When the wind blows, the bean vines sway gently and the wheat ears sway lightly, carrying the fragrance of grains towards Wangbeibao.

The pods were so swollen they were about to burst open, their green and yellow shells gleaming with a subtle sheen. With a pinch of your fingertips, you could clearly feel the round, plump beans inside, which felt quite substantial.

The wheat ears weighed down the stalks, bending them slightly and drooping their heads. The golden awns shimmered in the sunlight, and when the wind blew, they made a soft rustling sound, as if telling a story of ripeness.

The wild grass along the field ridges was dried and yellowed by the sun, which only made the farmland look more vibrant.

Xiao Yunlan didn't wait any longer and immediately summoned Zhao Meng and Steward Wu, giving them the order directly:

"Starting tomorrow, the new recruits will suspend their training and all be sent to the fields. The laborers and jackal auxiliary soldiers will also be mobilized, with all available manpower deployed. Within three days, all the beans and wheat must be harvested."

Zhao Meng was taken aback: "General, six hundred acres of land, in three days?"

"Six hundred acres of land, more than five hundred people, each person more than one acre, how can we not finish harvesting?" Xiao Yunlan said confidently. "We'll leave early in the morning and return late in the evening, taking an hour's rest at noon to avoid the sun. We must finish harvesting in three days."

After careful consideration, Zhao Meng found it feasible and immediately agreed without saying anything more.

The next day, just as dawn broke and the east began to lighten with a pale, fish-belly white, the gates of Wangbeibao creaked open, and the area outside the fortress immediately came alive—the clinking of sickles, the gentle swaying of baskets, and the whispers of people mingled, dispelling the chill of the early morning.

More than 300 new recruits, though somewhat inexperienced, were full of energy. More than 200 laborers, carrying sickles and baskets on their backs, walked steadily, followed closely by more than 100 jackal auxiliary soldiers.

The crowd formed a neat long line and headed towards the bean fields west of the city, stepping through the morning dew. Old Liu led several elderly farmers at the front, holding bean stalks and loudly instructing them on the key points of harvesting beans.

"Remember this, everyone: don't wait until the beans are completely withered before harvesting!" Old Liu lifted a bean vine and squeezed the pods. "Start harvesting when the pods turn yellow and the seeds harden; if they're fully ripe, they'll crack open at the slightest touch. Stack the harvested vines to dry in the sun, then thresh and thresh the beans. Not a single grain can be wasted!"

Most of the new recruits were harvesting beans for the first time. They listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion, but they all gripped their sickles tightly and looked serious, afraid of messing up the job.

We soon arrived at the field, where the green and yellow soybean fields stretched as far as the eye could see, and the morning breeze carried the fragrance of soybeans.

Old Liu divided the people into three groups: cutting beans, bundling them, and carrying them. The veterans went into the fields first, shouting slogans to demonstrate to the new recruits, and everyone followed suit, throwing themselves into the work.

As the sun rose higher, the cool morning breeze turned hot, carrying the dampness of the bean field and the earthy smell, making one feel stuffy all over.

The bean field was so densely packed that the waist-high bean vines formed a sweltering cage, making it feel suffocating to crawl inside.

The bean leaves made their cheeks and arms itch and sting, and the sweat stung their eyes. They could wipe their faces with sweat and dirt, but no one stopped what they were doing.

Harvesting beans is extremely strenuous, requiring one to constantly bend over, grip the stalks, swing the sickle, cut, and stack them, repeating the process over and over again.

In just one hour, everyone's backs ached and their legs were weak. Their hands were covered with small cuts from bean stalks, oozing blood and getting dirty, causing both pain and itching.

Several young recruits, unable to endure the hardship, straightened up and rubbed their backs, only to be sternly reprimanded by a patrolling veteran: "You can't even handle this little bit of hardship? Look at those jackals over there, they're working way harder than you. Learn from them!"

The recruits blushed and quickly lowered their heads to continue their work.

Jackal soldiers are strong and hardworking, and they can harvest beans quickly and evenly. Many new recruits secretly learned their methods, gradually found the knack, and became faster themselves.

At noon, when the sun was at its zenith, the kitchen staff drove carts to deliver meals to the fields. The rich aroma of wheat mixed with the coolness of mung bean soup dispelled some of the heat.

Several large trucks were parked under the only shade of a tree. Buckets of mung bean soup were steaming, baskets of mixed flour steamed buns were soft and warm, and several bowls of pickled vegetable dumplings were crisp and flavorful, all neatly arranged.

The people who had worked for half a day were already starving. They put down their sickles and gathered around. Some eagerly scooped up a bowl of mung bean soup and gulped it down to cool off and quench their thirst; others grabbed steamed buns and ate them with pickled vegetables, wolfing them down but still showing restraint.

"This mung bean soup is so refreshing, even better than what we had in the fort!" a young soldier murmured with a smile as he drank. Another soldier beside him chimed in, "You bet! We've been working hard all morning, all we've been waiting for is a cool drink like this."

Several laborers huddled together and whispered, "At this rate, we can finish harvesting in three days, and then we can take a break." "We're not afraid of being tired; as long as we can harvest the grain, we'll feel at ease."

The jackal soldiers, holding rough porcelain bowls, ate while greeting each other in simple Dayong dialect: "Eat, eat your fill, then we'll get to work this afternoon!"

Zhao Meng, along with several veterans, maintained order and loudly instructed, "Don't rush. Each person gets two steamed buns and a bowl of soup. Take only what you need, and no grabbing."

Xiao Yunlan also stood guard at the edge of the field, his general's majesty somewhat gone. He casually found a clean stone to sit down, took a steamed bun, and slowly ate it with pickled vegetables. Then he picked up a rough porcelain bowl and drank a bowl of mung bean soup, which relieved most of his heat and fatigue.

Old Liu wiped the sweat from his hands, leaned closer, and smiled sincerely: "General, at this rate, we really can finish the harvest in three days."

Xiao Yunlan chewed on his steamed bun, nodded slightly, and glanced at the people around him who were sitting or standing, eating with their heads down. A hint of warmth flashed in his eyes.

In the afternoon, everyone took a short rest before continuing their work.

As the sun began to set, rows of bundles of bean stalks were already stacked up at the edge of the field. People were carrying them back and forth into the fort, stacking the bean stalks on the newly leveled threshing ground, waiting for them to dry and be threshed.

As darkness fell and everyone finished work, they were all so tired they could barely stand up straight, but no one complained. Instead, their faces showed a sense of satisfaction after their hard work.

The same thing happened the next day. After most of the beans had been harvested, everyone turned to harvesting wheat.

Wheat is easier to harvest than beans; a single swing of the sickle yields a bundle. However, the wheat awns are prickly, and by the end of the day, everyone's arms are covered in red spots, itchy and painful.