Chapter 72: Preparing to Stockpile Supplies
Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Preparing to Stockpile Supplies
Tang Wen had no idea he had become the new standard.
He and several other Commanders were waiting for the troops to line up, ready to leave Taohua Village with all their gains apart from the grain.
He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhou Bing beneath a peach tree, looking at the flower buds on its branches, all poised to bloom.
He looked forward to eating peaches in a few months’ time.
Taohua Village had many fruit trees, thanks to its exceptionally favorable location.
The villagers lived much better lives than the people outside, even better than most in the Outer City of the camp.
Unfortunately, they weren’t strong enough to protect this little paradise.
"When we get old, we could move here," Zhou Bing said, standing on her tiptoes to try and catch their scent.
The sound of approaching footsteps was heard.
Everyone turned to see the old village chief leading a group of women toward them.
"My lords," the chief began, "our village is now mostly women, and we don’t have the strength for Farming. This old man begs you, my lords, to show mercy and take them in. They will be your servants or maids—anything is fine, as long as they have something to eat, can survive, and can raise their children."
This was a common sight in this day and age, so no one was surprised.
The various Commanders began sizing up the group of women.
Now that their faces were clean, they were actually quite easy on the eyes.
One or two of them were even quite attractive.
Commander Qian Dong remarked, "Not bad. With a little makeup, any one of them could get into Yihong Tower."
Upon hearing this, everyone shot him a surprised look.
’A clean-cut looking Forbidden Guard like you is into that sort of thing?’
"My lords, is there some rule that says you can go, but we Forbidden Guards can’t?"
"Hahaha! Of course you can, of course you can."
Amid a chorus of "heh heh hehs" and "ha ha has," they all shared a knowing laugh.
Many of the village women had been around the block. They blushed and lowered their heads, but none of them grew angry, much less walked away.
The old village chief smiled along, but his expression was tinged with sorrow.
Tang Wen didn’t join their laughter. His eyes had fallen on the two village beauties.
One was still very young, looking to be thirteen or fourteen.
Since Taohua Village had never lacked for food before, she was quite well-developed for her age.
But she was still just a girl, with the slender figure of a bean sprout, just beginning to show some curves.
Tang Wen averted his gaze from her delicate face and looked toward another woman, one wearing her hair in the style of a married woman.
’Now, she’s not bad.’
"See one you like?" Zhou Bing asked calmly.
The other Commanders stopped talking and watched the two of them. A few shot Tang Wen suggestive winks, waiting for the drama to unfold.
Tang Wen ignored them and said with a smile, "You decide."
Zhou Bing nodded and pointed out the two village beauties Tang Wen had been eyeing.
The old village chief quickly made the introductions. The thirteen-year-old was named Xiaoliu.
The slightly older one, who was a widow, was named Peach Blossoms.
"Hey, hey, hey! Commander Zhou, that’s not fair!"
"Yeah, how can you pick two at once!"
The other Commanders protested. They weren’t blind—who wouldn’t want the beauties for themselves?
Zhou Bing rested a hand on Tang Wen’s shoulder and said calmly, "We’re a single household. Or how about we fight for them? We won’t bully you... just the two of us against one of you."
"Urk!"
The Commanders were instantly silenced.
It was the first time they’d ever heard someone state that ganging up two-on-one was fair play so matter-of-factly.
Tang Wen and Zhou Bing were newly-advanced Martial Artists, specifically Third-class Martial Artists.
None of the Commanders present were afraid to face either of them in a one-on-one fight.
But if they both attacked at once? Better to just give up.
As beauties are drawn to handsome men, both village beauties had been staring intently at Tang Wen. When Zhou Bing chose them, they were still a bit hesitant.
But when they heard Zhou Bing say that she and Tang Wen were a single household, they immediately walked over obediently and stood behind him.
Zhou Bing paid them no mind. "I’ll pick one more, someone who can cook."
WHOOSH! A forest of hands shot up from the group of women.
The old village chief pointed to a woman with a little girl. "Her. Cui Lian. She’s an excellent cook."
"Alright, she’s the one."
"I... I have a child," the woman named Cui Lian said. She was also quite pretty, with a fuller, more womanly figure.
"Yes. Bring your child. Once she’s at the camp, she can learn to read and begin Martial Arts Training," Zhou Bing said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Huh?" Cui Lian was so stunned by this incredible good fortune she couldn’t believe her ears.
The old village chief shot her a look. "You’ve hit the jackpot, now go! Follow Lord Tang Wen, and you’ll live a blessed life from now on!"
Cui Lian immediately took her adorable daughter by the hand and, under the envious gazes of the other women, stood behind Peach Blossoms and Xiaoliu.
"Alright, that’s everyone," Zhou Bing announced, her selection complete.
A wave of disappointment washed over the remaining women of Taohua Village.
’Why couldn’t she have picked a few more!’
Commander Qian Dong couldn’t resist teasing, "Commander Zhou, you sure are good to Commander Tang. Three of the prettiest women in the whole village! Aren’t you worried?"
The usually stern-faced Zhou Bing simply shook her head. The corners of her lips curved as she gave Tang Wen a slight smile.
It was like watching ice and snow melt away, revealing the first bloom of spring.
Qian Dong was stunned. The other Commanders fell silent as one.
After a moment, the man looked at Tang Wen with pure envy and muttered, "Okay, fine! I see you really don’t have anything to worry about."
If you were to say the village beauties’ good looks were on the Mutated Beast Level—far surpassing any ordinary beast...
...then Zhou Bing’s beauty was on the Silver Wolf King Level!
For hundreds of miles in any direction, she had no rival.
Zhou Bing wasn’t worried, but Tang Wen was.
’My girlfriend just found me three beautiful maids and a little loli all at once. What in the world is going through her head? Seeking answers online, urgently.’
By the time the other Commanders had made their selections, the number of single women and widows in Taohua Village had been cut in half.
’What a bunch of lechers,’ Tang Wen thought, looking at his colleagues with the smug superiority of someone on the moral high ground.
Outside the mountain hollow, a dozen carts pulled by sturdy mountain ponies were loaded with all sorts of spoils, ready to depart.
Zhou Bing arranged for the four females to ride in one of the carts.
She and Tang Wen rode side-by-side on their horses.
On the road, the four females, who had never been outside their village, looked at everything with wide-eyed curiosity.
Their eyes darted everywhere, unable to take it all in at once.
The journey back to the camp was uneventful.
Zhou Bing stretched languidly, then tugged on Tang Wen’s arm. "With them handling the chores, you, me, and Tangtang can focus entirely on our Martial Arts Training."
"Yep, yep. Handle the chores... focus on our training!"
Tang Wen turned his head to look at the four—no, three—very alluring women and nodded with immense sincerity.
’Women... will make my spear thrusts even faster!’
Tangtang finished her training at the Martial Arts Hall and was rushing home, anxious to make a batch of meat sandwiches to sell.
Just as she opened the door, she saw her brother, Zhou Bing, and an extra group of four: two adults, one youth, and one child.
"Sis!"
"Tangtang."
"Er... Xiaowen. Sister Bing." Tangtang said, giving the four strangers a curious look.
After the greetings were exchanged, she pulled her brother and Zhou Bing aside. "Who are they?"
"Our maids," Zhou Bing stated.
"Maids?" Tangtang found this hard to comprehend.
’What kind of family are we?’
’You’re keeping maids?’
’Don’t maids have to eat Maize, too?’
Tang Wen nodded. "Maids."
He then quickly recounted the four females’ tragic story to his sister.
He told her how their homes were seized, their men killed, their parents and brothers slain, and how they had nearly been sold into slavery.
In short, their story was as tragic as it gets, and if their family didn’t take them in, they would starve to death on the streets.
Her sympathies stirred, Tangtang asked in a low, conflicted voice, "Alright then... um, how much rice will they eat every day?"
Zhou Bing: "..."
Tang Wen pursed his lips. "Sis, you could teach them how to make the meat sandwiches."
Tangtang’s eyes lit up. "That’s right! That way, when I get back from the Martial Arts Hall, I won’t have to make them myself. I can just take them out to sell. And more importantly, we’ll be able to make more of them."
Between buying meat, stewing it, her Martial Arts Training, and selling the meat sandwiches, she was already spinning like a top every day.
"You could also have them sell the meat sandwiches," Tang Wen added.
Tangtang shook her head quickly. "I’d rather handle the money myself."
"Er, suit yourself. Just don’t overwork yourself."
"I won’t."
Tangtang settled the four females into the courtyard next door, which belonged to Tang Wen.
The two courtyards were now connected by a round archway, and the cellar—or rather, basement—in the adjacent yard had already been dug out.
To prevent rainwater from leaking in, the entrance had been built inside the main hall.
After getting the four women settled, the three of them went down to take a look at the basement.
It was very spacious; each level was about half a mu, roughly one hundred sixty to one hundred seventy square meters.
It was three levels deep in total.
Tangtang: "This is big enough to store a hundred thousand catties of Maize."
Zhou Bing: "It’s nice and cool down here. We can come stay here when the weather gets hot."
Tang Wen smiled. "The basement is finished. Now, it’s time to make ice."
’Make ice?’
’But... it’s already spring!’