If I made you cannon fodder, how did you manage to achieve your goal of conquering the wolf's l

The dilapidated house let in drafts, the courtyard wall was so low a dog could climb over it, the employees were pale with hunger, and the boss himself almost froze to death... no, he's already dead—

But it's okay, everything is difficult at the beginning.

Compared to those bosses in his previous life who only made empty promises and even made employees pay for their own overtime meals, at least his startup project had the help of Brother Tongzi.

We've already won too much.

Xu Qingshan stood up and clapped his hands.

"Alright, we've gotten to know each other pretty well."

"From now on, I don't care who you were before."

"Whether they are daughters of officials, wives of merchants, women from the Imperial Music Bureau, or mixed-race barbarian descent."

"Once you're in this courtyard, you only have one identity."

All eight women were looking at him.

Xu Qingshan said calmly, "A living person."

"If you want to die, turn left when you leave."

"If you want to be a living person, then follow orders, work, eat, and abide by the rules."

That's a very unpleasant and even harsh remark.

But no one in the room objected.

Because everyone knows that this is the most realistic situation right now.

Identity? Respect? Innocence?

When you get to a place like Blackrock Fortress, survival is the first priority.

If you can't survive, everything is meaningless.

Xu Qingshan looked at Shen Qinghe.

"I'll cook a pot of porridge with white rice tonight."

Shen Qinghe paused for a moment, "White rice?"

She glanced at the rice bin instinctively.

Ten catties of white rice.

In a place like Blackrock Fortress, things that, while not priceless, are definitely things that would make others envious.

If the veterans outside knew, they would probably be even more excited than if they had seen the eight women.

Xu Qingshan nodded, "Yes, don't make it too thick, but don't make it so thin you can see your face in it either. Everyone should have some."

Shen Qinghe hesitated and said, "White rice is precious, shouldn't we save some?"

Xu Qingshan shook his head.

"We should save money, but people are starving. What's the point of saving? We need to eat well so we'll have the energy to work tomorrow. Food isn't saved, it's earned."

Shen Qinghe listened, slightly lost in thought.

She used to manage some accounts in the mansion.

Those stewards in the mansion talk about cutting expenses every day, but when something really happens, saving money alone can't save lives.

This lowly soldier, who was so poor that he only had a dilapidated house left, seemed to understand things better than the stewards of wealthy families.

Shen Qinghe nodded. "I understand."

Zhao Lihua immediately stood up.

"I'll help you start the fire."

She moved quickly, as if afraid that if she was a step slower, she would be considered useless.

Shen Qinghe glanced at her, her voice softening.

"it is good."

The two got busy, rekindling the firewood in the hearth, and slowly steaming from the water in the pot.

Before long, the aroma of white rice filled the dilapidated house.

The flavor was actually a very simple rice aroma.

But for the people in this dilapidated house, it was more tempting than any delicacy.

While tending the fire, Zhao Lihua secretly swallowed her saliva.

Su Jinniang looked down at the firelight, her eyes somewhat dazed.

The smile on Liu Ruyan's face faded considerably.

Qin Yuenu sat in the corner, her fingertips gently stroking the edge of the broken bowl.

Ah Man kept her head down, not daring to stare at the pot for too long, but her eyes would still unconsciously drift over it.

Even Xiao Hongluan fell silent.

They ate too many cold, hard moldy cakes on their way to the border.

Sometimes you have to fight over a sip of water.

Sitting in a drafty, dilapidated house now, waiting for a pot of white rice porridge to boil, I suddenly felt a little unreal.

It seems that this dilapidated house is not just a place where they are temporarily detained.

Instead, it truly felt like home.

The porridge was ready quickly.

Shen Qinghe took a broken bowl and distributed the porridge, giving each person a bowl.

When it was Xu Qingshan's turn, there was only a little bit left in the pot.

Shen Qinghe paused for a moment.

She wanted to serve Xu Qingshan first, but Xu Qingshan waved his hand.

"Give it to them first."

Shen Qinghe did not argue.

When serving Xu Qingshan the porridge at the end, she deliberately scraped the bottom of the pot with a spoon, putting the slightly thicker rice grains into his bowl.

Xu Qingshan saw it, but didn't expose it.

He picked up the bowl and blew on it to cool it down.

A mouthful of white rice porridge went down.

It felt like I came back to life a little.

really.

People are iron, and rice is steel, so you panic if you don't eat a meal.

Even if you time-travel, you can't go without eating. No matter how powerful the system is, you can't expect him to conquer the world on an empty stomach.

Zhao Lihua held the bowl and drank it in small sips.

Halfway through the drink, my eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

She quickly lowered her head, as if afraid someone would see her.

Xu Qingshan glanced at her. "Did you burn yourself?"

Zhao Lihua shook her head.

"without."

"Then why are you crying?"

Zhao Lihua whispered, "It's so delicious."

The room fell silent for a moment.

No one laughed at her, because they all understood that in a place like this, a bowl of hot porridge could really make someone want to cry.

Xu Qingshan didn't laugh; he just lowered his head and finished the porridge in his bowl.

After dinner, the atmosphere in the room noticeably eased.

Unlike at the beginning, everyone is no longer tense.

Although they still could not completely trust Xu Qingshan.

But at least for this moment, they knew that this man had not lied to them.

He actually fed them and didn't treat them like commodities to be bought and sold at will, which is already quite remarkable.

Xu Qingshan put down his bowl and was about to lean against the wall to rest for a while.

Suddenly, a deep horn sound came from afar.

woo-

The voice was deep and resonant.

It echoes through the wind and snow above Blackstone Castle.

Everyone in the room stopped moving.

Xiao Hongluan suddenly stood up and looked towards the city wall.

Her expression changed.

Xu Qingshan frowned. "What's wrong?"

Xiao Hongluan said in a deep voice: "Border police badge."

"What do you mean?"

"Barbarians are approaching."

No sooner had he finished speaking than urgent shouts came from outside.

"A scout reports!"

"Barbarian scouts spotted to the north!"

"All battalions, prepare for battle!"

"All soldiers and commoners, post this on the wall immediately!"

Zhao Lihua almost dropped the bowl in her hand.

Shen Qinghe's face also paled a bit.

They had just finished a bowl of hot porridge.

Before they could even catch their breath, the soldiers outside had already arrived.

Xu Qingshan looked towards the door.

In the wind and snow, one could faintly hear the sounds of many more people running around.

Just then, the system voice sounded again.

[Temporary task issued.]

[Mission: Participate in the defense of the north wall of Blackrock Fortress.]

[Mission Rewards: 10 Military Merit Points, Increased Health, and a Powerful Bow.]

[Tip: Killing enemies will earn you extra military merits.]

Xu Qingshan's eyes gradually lit up as he looked at the system notification.

Danger is coming, but so is opportunity.

What does he lack most right now?

They lacked food, weapons, military merits, and an opportunity to silence everyone.

In places like Blackrock Fortress, being stubborn is helpful, but not enough.

To truly gain a foothold, bloodshed is necessary.

Xu Qingshan put down his bowl and picked up the wood-chopping knife by the door.

Shen Qinghe asked instinctively, "Are you going?"

Xu Qingshan glanced at her.

"I have to go."

"The military order has been given; disobeying it is desertion."

"Deserters die even faster."

After these words were spoken, everyone in the room fell silent.

Xiao Hongluan frowned as she looked at the wood-chopping knife in his hand.

"You're going to put this on the wall?"

Xu Qingshan looked down.

A chipped machete makes even chopping wood difficult; climbing a wall to kill barbarians is indeed a bit shabby, but it's still better than going empty-handed.

Xu Qingshan said, "Let's make do with this for now."

Xiao Hongluan remained silent for a moment, then suddenly walked to the corner of the wall and picked out a relatively long wooden stick from the pile of damp firewood.

She used a machete to sharpen the tip.

Xu Qingshan looked at her. "You can do this too?"

Xiao Hongluan didn't even look up.

"When the army is most short of weapons, even wooden guns can kill people."

Soon, a rough, short spear was presented to Xu Qingshan.

"Take it."

Xu Qingshan took the short spear and laughed, "You seem to care about me quite a bit."

Xiao Hongluan said coldly, "If you die, we'll be in trouble too."

Xu Qingshan nodded.

"That makes perfect sense."

Qin Yuenu suddenly spoke up: "Wait a moment."

Xu Qingshan turned around.

Qin Yuenu tore a strip of cloth from the corner of her clothes, heated it by the fire, and then walked up to Xu Qingshan.

"Hand out."

Xu Qingshan looked at her. "What are you doing?"

Qin Yuenu said calmly, "Your hand is too tender; it will crack if you hold the knife for too long."

"If it cracks and then gets wet with snow water, it will easily rot."

Xu Qingshan reached out his hand.

Qin Yuenu bent down and wrapped a circle of cloth around his neck.

Her movements were very skillful, wrapping the cloth neither too loosely nor too tightly.

Xu Qingshan moved his fingers and felt a bit better.

Thank you.

Qin Yuenu didn't look at him, but simply said, "Don't die too quickly."

Xu Qingshan smiled.

Why are you all so practical?

Liu Ruyan said softly, "Here, sweet words are useless."

Xu Qingshan glanced at her. "Then give me something concrete too?"

Liu Ruyan thought for a moment and said, "If Liu Sandao asks you to go to the most dangerous place, don't argue with him."

Xu Qingshan raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Liu Ruyan said, "He's just waiting for you to fight for it."

"If you argue, he can use military orders to pressure you. If you don't argue, he won't be able to figure you out."

Xu Qingshan's eyes flickered slightly.

Liu Ruyan is indeed very clever.

He nodded. "I've got it."

Su Jinniang added, "If we can find any leather armor, weapons, or arrowheads, we should try to bring them back."

"Those things can be exchanged for grain at the border."

Zhao Lihua added quietly, "If you see any undamaged burlap sacks, you can take them back too."

Xu Qingshan was taken aback.

"You want the burlap sack too?"

Zhao Lihua nodded seriously, "It can be used to store grain, or it can be used to block windows."

Xu Qingshan was delighted.

Great, this team has started to actively generate revenue for the company.

Bai Zhi glanced at the short spear in his hand and said, "If the spear breaks, don't throw away the broken end; you can use it to make wooden spikes."

Xu Qingshan: "..."

He suddenly felt a lot of pressure.

Before I even went to the battlefield, my family members were already thinking about battlefield waste recycling.

But this is a good thing; being good at managing your life helps you live longer.

Ah Man remained silent.

Just as Xu Qingshan was about to leave, she whispered, "The barbarian cavalry approaching the city walls at night is most likely not an attack."

Xu Qingshan looked at her.

"What is that for?"

Aman pursed her lips.

"They'll test the waters... They'll fire rockets first, or send a few men to probe the walls. If things get chaotic on the city walls, then they'll charge."

Xiao Hongluan nodded, "She's right."

Xu Qingshan wrote these words down.

Although he hasn't been posted yet, the more information he has, the greater his chances of survival.

Just then, a familiar yet somber voice came from outside the courtyard.

"Xu Qingshan!"

"Get out here!"

Xu Qingshan opened the door, and a blast of wind and snow rushed in.

Liu Sandao stood outside the courtyard, a sword at his waist, followed by several soldiers.

The firelight illuminated his face, making him look even more somber than before.

He glanced first at the wood-chopping knife in Xu Qingshan's hand, then at the short spear, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"The barbarian scouts have reached the outside of the north wall. You think you're so tough? Now's your chance."

Xu Qingshan remained silent.

Liu Sandao raised his hand and pointed towards the north wall.

"To the outpost in front of the north wall, immediately!"

The expressions of the people inside the room all changed.

Xiao Hongluan's eyes turned cold.

Outpost.

To put it nicely, it's a place for observing enemy movements.

To put it bluntly, it was the position where people were most likely to be hit by arrows and most likely to die.

If the barbarians really try to find the wall, the first thing they'll encounter is the outpost.

Liu Sandao was clearly trying to push Xu Qingshan to his death.

Xu Qingshan did not argue; he simply nodded.

"OK."

Liu Sandao was taken aback for a moment.

He thought Xu Qingshan would talk back, and if Xu Qingshan did, he could use military orders to suppress him on the spot.

I didn't expect this kid to agree so readily.

Xu Qingshan turned around and looked at the people inside the room.

"Keep the door closed. Don't open it for anyone until I get back."

Shen Qinghe couldn't help but ask, "Then you..."

Xu Qingshan smiled.

"rest assured."

"I'm not good at anything else."

"He's just incredibly lucky."

After saying that, he picked up his machete and short spear and walked into the snowstorm.

Liu Sandao stared at his retreating figure with a cold look in his eyes.

"Kid, I hope you can still be laughing later."

Xu Qingshan didn't turn around; he just looked up at the north wall.

There, the firelight flickered, the bugles sounded low, and in the cold wind, the faint neighing of warhorses could be heard.

Xu Qingshan gripped the short spear in his hand tightly.

Outpost?

Tonight he'd see just how much military merit these barbarian scouts were worth.