Chapter 373 - 274: If All Else Fails, We’ll Have to Make a Big Score

Chapter 373: Chapter 274: If All Else Fails, We’ll Have to Make a Big Score

The camp had to develop.

At the very least, the problems of food and warmth had to be solved.

The sun pierced through the thick fog.

The stall owners’ families came one after another.

Then, the first batch of customers began to arrive.

They had just come from the Red House, their bodies still carrying the thick scent of cosmetics.

They came to the market specifically to buy some trinkets and snacks to take back and appease their families.

Tang Wen strolled about casually, making frequent purchases. He bought something from every stall he visited.

Although he hadn’t spent more than a few taels of silver in total, the vendors all stared eagerly at this wealthy young master, hoping he would come to their stalls.

The patrons of the Red House finished their shopping and left.

The women from the Red House, wrapped in greatcoats made of Beast Skins, came out onto the street.

They slept during the day and worked at night—the night shift.

Coming out at this time was their way of unwinding after work, a leisurely stroll before bed.

A fragrant breeze drifted over from afar, and the stall owners perked up.

The main spenders had arrived.

No matter the era, women’s money was always the easiest to earn.

Tang Wen changed direction, avoiding an encounter with the group of women.

He packed his purchases into a box and left it for the two women. Then he grabbed a meat-filled bun, left the market, and began to wander through the city.

The Inner City hadn’t changed much.

The Outer City was the same.

Houses and shanties of all shapes and sizes, pedestrians with numb expressions on their faces.

Tang Wen walked for a long time without running into many people.

The winter was freezing cold. Just walking a few steps outside would make a person hungry.

Ordinary families were in bed, huddled around their charcoal stoves, sleeping the day away.

They were truly preparing to wait out the winter.

Before he knew it, he found himself stopped in front of a wooden door.

[No. 6, Wujie Courtyard]

The place where he and his sister had lived last winter.

Back then, they had spent a lot of grain just to rent this place.

There was a lock on the door. He had no intention of going in, but he peeked through the crack. The layout was unchanged. There were clear signs of sweeping on the ground.

’Knowing my sister’s habit of stashing things away, this courtyard is probably still ours.’

He continued walking. Just as he neared No. 18 Courtyard, a string of laughter drifted out:

A woman was teasing a child.

"The maid is pregnant. It’s a shame there are no Red-beaked Sparrows to eat this year."

"I went out to look the day before yesterday. The butchers in the Inner City market sold out early in the morning. By the time you get there from the Outer City, you can’t even buy bones."

"SIGH! After a year of drought, just being able to eat our fill is already a great blessing."

"Well, let’s see in a few days if the breeding farms will release any New Year pigs."

"If only Brother Tang were here."

"Tang Wen is a Commander now, and you’re still calling him ’Brother’?"

"What do women know about these things."

"Hmph..."

Tang Wen quietly retreated, his figure vanishing as he stepped into the air.

About the time it takes to eat a meal passed.

He reappeared before the door, carrying a half-grown ram and five Red-beaked Sparrows.

He had actually encountered a few prey on his way, but he hadn’t made a move.

The prey outside the camp were far fewer than last year.

They were all skin and bones from hunger. There wouldn’t be any meat on them even if he caught them. It was better to leave them to breed.

’I hope they can survive the winter.’

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

Tang Wen dropped the ram and the Red-beaked Sparrows at the entrance and knocked on the door.

"Coming! Who is it, on such a cold day?" Li Daniu gestured for his wife to take the child back into the courtyard.

He was wearing Leather Armor and casually carrying a hammer as he went to the door.

CREAK.

The wooden door, as thick as a palm, opened a crack.

’No one?’

"Come on out, I see you!"

Tang Wen shook his head and chuckled silently.

’This Li Daniu... he’s a cunning one.’

’But even a Fifth Grade would have trouble seeing through my Invisibility.’

WHOOSH!

One of the wooden doors was suddenly yanked open.

It was silent outside the door.

Li Daniu froze. ’Really no one?’

Both doors were wide open, but the street was empty.

’What’s this on the ground?’

His expression grew complicated when he saw the Red-beaked Sparrows.

He took two steps into the street and looked left and right. The street was deserted, not a soul in sight.

After a moment, he picked up the ram and the five Red-beaked Sparrows, went back inside, and closed the door.

"Husband! Where did these come from?" the woman exclaimed.

"Shh! Keep your voice down. My Brother Tang Wen sent them."

"Brother Tang is back? Why didn’t you invite him in to sit for a while!"

Li Daniu scratched his head. "I only saw the gifts, not the person."

The woman was silent for a moment. "He must be busy. I’ll ask Miss Tang when I see her later."

"Mmm, I’ll go slaughter the ram."

"No, do it tonight."

"Alright. Then we’ll eat the Red-beaked Sparrows first. It’s been so long..."

The sounds of conversation from the room faded.

Tang Wen’s figure reappeared. He didn’t continue wandering and instead turned and walked home.

Speaking of which, in the very beginning, his home had been the shack by the gate.

There was nothing there, really, but every time he returned from outside, it still felt warm and welcoming.

Later, home was the courtyard he had just passed.

He and Li Daniu looked out for each other. They had meat with every meal and plenty of Maize to eat their fill.

And then, he met Zhou Bing and began to live the sweet life of a kept man...

’Then again, Sister Bing is still a... virgin, right?’

"What are you waiting for him for? That brat will come back on his own when he’s hungry! Wait, listen! Footsteps! He’s back! Put the meat in, put the meat in!"

Xia Qingge held up her chopsticks, looking at the other women with dissatisfaction.

Despite her speech, the women remained unmoved.

Zhou Bing protected the lamb, and Little Taotao protected the beef. They just wouldn’t put it in the pot.

Xia Qingge couldn’t bring herself to actually snatch it, and her expression was one of complete helplessness.

"He’s really back this time! I hear his footsteps!"

"Hah. You’ve said that eight times already."

"That was just to trick you into giving me meat! This time, it’s real. Little Taotao, you believe your big sister, don’t you?"

Little Taotao blinked and hid behind Tangtang.

The door opened, and wind and snow rushed in.

While everyone was looking outside...

Xia Qingge snatched the meat Zhou Bing was guarding and, with a flourish of her chopsticks, pushed it into the pot.

No one paid her any mind. All the women’s attention was on Tang Wen.

Zhou Bing took off his greatcoat.

Cui Lian brought him hot tea.

Even Little Taotao pulled out a piece of hawthorn cake and handed it to him.

Xia Qingge watched and pouted. The thinly sliced meat cooked instantly in the hot broth, but since no one was fighting for it, she picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, only to find the taste was just so-so.

"Hurry up and sit down to eat! Why are you all crowded around him? Haven’t you seen him before?"

Once everyone sat down and started picking meat out of the pot with their chopsticks, the delicious flavor returned.

"See? Meat only tastes good when you have to fight for it!"

No one answered her. No one paid her any attention.

The women perked up their ears, listening to Tang Wen speak.

Even though he was only talking about ordinary matters in the Inner and Outer Cities, the women listened with great interest.

’Hmph!’

Xia Qingge’s eyes narrowed, and her voice rose a few pitches. "Now that you’re back, when are you leaving?"

Zhou Bing shot her a hostile glare.

The other women frowned, and Xia Qingge laughed inwardly.

She dipped a piece of beef in the chili sauce and sesame paste Tang Wen had brought, popping it into her mouth. The texture was perfectly chewy, and the flavor was magnificent!

’Even more delicious.’

After a couple more bites, she added, "Also! When the time comes, do I have to go with you?"

All the women looked at her, showing various degrees of dissatisfaction.

Zhou Bing fiercely picked up a large piece of meat with her chopsticks and put it on Xia Qingge’s plate. "Just eat!"

Tangtang also poured her a cup of wine and handed it to her, trying to shut her up.

...

「Afternoon. The Royal Palace.」

Aside from the Commanders and Generals stationed elsewhere, all the Martial Artists and Extraordinary beings were present.

Flame Camp had taken over Black Mountain’s territory to the south and now held Five Families City to the east.

The Silver Wolf Territory to the north had long been a partner.

The camp’s territory had expanded by several times, if not more.

The external threats had been almost completely eliminated.

However, problems came along with the expansion.

In Black Mountain Camp, besides the utterly evil bandits, there were also many serfs.

The rations left behind in Black Mountain Camp were not enough for them to survive the winter.

In the Outer City of Five Families City, grain was also severely lacking. It was likely people would starve to death this winter.

In the territories surrounding Five Families City, dead bodies were carried out of the villages every day.

Their dwellings offered little to no protection.

Not only was there not enough food and firewood, but ravenous Exotic Beasts roamed outside the villages.

Even the Hunters no longer dared to go out hunting.

If a large party or a group of experts were sent out to hunt them, the starving Exotic Beasts would be unusually ferocious, which could lead to casualties.

The northern winter is long.

Technically, it wasn’t yet the dead of winter. In a month or so, after a few more snowfalls...

...the remaining Exotic Beasts would probably gather in large numbers and begin to besiege the villages!

Tang Wen listened to the discussion for a long time without speaking.

As the Black Water Gang’s Seventh Young Master, he received a considerable amount of grain from the various camps under his command.

Solving the immediate problem wouldn’t be difficult. But while providing temporary relief was possible, constantly subsidizing them was not a long-term solution.

Besides, taking the grain sent to the Ganshan City headquarters and giving it back to the subsidiary camps...

...was something almost unheard of in the Black Water Gang.

"It has snowed twice this winter. We should be able to get some harvest from the spring planting."

"But how will these people survive until summer?"

Everyone talked for a long time but could not come up with a solution.

Finally, Tang Wen spoke softly, "If all else fails, let’s just pull a big job."

"Hm?"

Everyone frowned.

Only Xia Qingge’s eyes lit up!