Since the land had already been turned over, Jiang Zhi didn't waste any more time. She wanted to go to the clinic to find out if there was any news.

It was quiet outside the medical tent; the wounded soldiers were all hiding inside.

Now, with the kang (heated brick bed) heated, groups of people are sitting or lying on the warm kang, playing mahjong, playing cards, making a ruckus.

If there was no heated brick bed and the room was cold and damp, these wounded soldiers could only wander around in the mud and water outside.

When wounded soldiers saw Jiang Zhi passing by, they immediately greeted her politely, and the guards next to her responded with smiles.

Everyone remembers that two months ago, refugees gathered outside the village, and the situation was urgent.

If Aunt Jiang hadn't taught everyone how to cook oak leaves, something would definitely have happened to those starving refugees.

These soldiers are willing to kill on the battlefield, but they are unwilling to lay a hand on civilians for no reason. If they are forced to take action, it will result in rivers of blood.

Aunt Jiang not only saved the lives of the refugees, but also their lives.

Upon inquiry, it was discovered that Zhang Juntou was not at the medical shed during the Spring Festival; he had also gone home to reunite with his family.

Now only Xu Dong, the medical officer, is still miserably guarding the place, and he doesn't seem to have any spirits when he sees Jiang Zhi arrive.

He spent more than half a year in Xujia Village and rarely returned to the city. Once the wounded soldiers in the medical shed had all left, he should be able to reunite with his family.

"Medical Officer Xu, how many wounded soldiers are there now? Have no new ones been sent over?" Jiang Zhi asked, feigning ignorance of Xu Dong's loneliness.

Xu Dong shook his head: "This is the last batch. Once everyone has fully recovered, we will stop accepting wounded soldiers here."

"Why? There's no more fighting?" Jiang Zhi pressed.

Xiang Dejin had mentioned before the Lunar New Year that the fighting had reached Majiabao, but the extent of casualties was unclear.

These things aren't secrets, Xu Dong casually said, "How could we possibly stop? I heard we've already reached Anzhou, and all the wounded are being housed in the occupied Gucheng, so there's no need for them here."

As the battlefield shifted, so did the field hospitals.

Gucheng and Anzhou, Jiang Zhi tried hard to recall the contents of the book, but... it was as vague as a dream now. There was something there, but it was fragmented and she couldn't remember it at all.

Forget it, I'd better not think about it.

"Medical Officer Xu, do you know when the post stations will be built? Will they be built in a village or somewhere else? How many will there be?"

Jiang Zhi believed that a post station should be built here, but she didn't know how it should be built or how large it should be.

Xujia Village has a small population, and now most of the homesteads have been taken up by medical sheds.

If many post station buildings were constructed, and there were also mule and horse sheds that needed to be separated, there probably wouldn't be much land left for residential buildings.

Moreover, there were differences in distance between the post stations.

During the Han Dynasty, a post station was set up every thirty li along major transportation routes. In the Tang Dynasty, there were also water post stations to facilitate watering of horses and rest for people.

During the Song Dynasty, there were rest stops and post stations every 20 li (approximately 10 kilometers) and inns every 60 li (approximately 30 kilometers) where one could stay overnight.

During the Ming Dynasty, there was a courier station every 10 li (approximately 5 kilometers).

But last time I went to the county town, it was sixty li away, and there was only one rest stop along the way.

Judging from the size and distance of the post stations here, Jiang Zhi tried to deduce whether the official road outside would become a regular road or a highway.

Xu Dong looked at her strangely, then shook his head and sighed, "You're just a woman who's never left the house, you wouldn't know, so let me tell you!"

Clearly, the distance between post stations had long been a fixed pattern, and Jiang Zhi's question exposed her ignorance, but it's not surprising that she, being just a country woman, didn't know.

"The new army will build a city in Jinzhou Prefecture. Xujia Village is located right between Jinzhou Prefecture and Yuzhou Prefecture, about 300 li away from both places. It is a large post station here."

As Jiang Zhi listened, she tried her best to bridge the gap in understanding.

If a city is built in Jinzhou Prefecture, the route to Yuzhou Prefecture, which is accessible by waterway, will definitely pass through here, making this the main transportation route.

It's three hundred li from Xujia Village to Yuzhou Prefecture, and even further to Jinzhou Prefecture. The current official road, which requires crossing mountains and valleys, is difficult for carriages and horses to travel on.

Setting off at dawn and arriving at an inn at dusk, the journey would take at least five days. There would be an inn every sixty li (approximately 30 kilometers). In that sense, Xujia Village was a large inn.

Jiang Zhi was happy. It was good to have a post station. At least it would be convenient for her to hitch a ride and bring some things with her in the future.

Upon receiving this news, Jiang Zhi no longer cared how much homestead land would be taken away.

There are plenty of house sites along the official road; all you need to do is cut down the trees.

Having obtained useful information, Jiang Zhi had just left the medical shed when she saw Xiao Man and Er Rui being stopped and talking.

Ahead of Xiaoman was a man in his thirties, as always, dark-skinned and thin, clearly having had a difficult life as a migrant worker.

The man was so excited that he didn't even notice Jiang Zhi approaching.

Jiang Zhi heard his voice choked with emotion as she said, "That's wonderful. Grandpa Chang Geng and Auntie are both alright. My father and I only found out halfway there that you hadn't left. My father even wanted to come back, but... sigh, it's all empty talk now. Anyway, it was the right thing for you not to leave."

Jiang Zhi frowned slightly. This was too unbelievable. What did he mean by only finding out halfway through that they hadn't left, and that her father wanted to come back to pick her up?

Then come back!

Seeing that the three were still talking seriously, Jiang Zhi listened quietly without interrupting.

Xiaoman and Xu Errui clearly had a good impression of this person, and they did not refute the lie they heard.

Xiaoman comforted him instead: "Uncle Genyou, don't worry. We're doing alright on the mountain. My grandfather said you shouldn't have left. Just stay near the charcoal kiln for a while and come down the mountain when things are more stable."

"Sigh, I was panicked at the time. When I heard people say that they were going to eat people, I ran after them without thinking. We are all human beings, so how could they eat people? As a result, my father lost his life."

Xu Genyou seemed to have a lot of grievances to say: "Genbao has done something wrong again. He even tried to give false testimony for Changshouye. Now he can't stay in the village anymore and has gone to live with his father-in-law!"

Xiaoman's eyes widened: "His father-in-law? That's the bastard in town! Didn't he run away?"

Xu Genyou shook his head: "They escaped, but they were the last to escape. Their shops were looted and smashed."

Wang Baye was the owner of a woodworking shop in town. Pear Blossom Town wasn't big, but Wang Baye was a big shot.

He's been using the same wood-splitting axe for decades, and he's really got a knack for it. Plus, his two sons are both big, strong men, so they're quite a big name in Pear Blossom Town.

Wang Xiaoju, the mother of her youngest daughter, was spoiled. When she was sixteen, she fell in love with Xu Genbao, who was learning cotton carding in town, and wanted to marry him. No one else in the town who did business was willing to marry her.

Having no other choice, Master Wang had to marry his daughter off to this poor, remote village, asking for a dowry of ten taels of silver, but the dowry was not much.

Since the Xu family has two sons and has not yet divided the family property, the daughter's dowry would have to be used by others anyway, so it would be better to wait until after the family property is divided to make up for it.

Wang Xiaoju thought her father was right. Her dowry would definitely be used, which would be a waste. So, she only brought three quilts with her when she married him.

The people of Xujia Village made a joke about this, saying that Xu Genbao exchanged ten taels of silver for three quilts, and when he cried under his head in the middle of the night, he made no sound.

At the same time, Wang Baye, who "sold his daughter," was naturally ridiculed, but Wang Xiaoju did not think she was wrong. She even had her father bring her brothers to the village to make a scene.

Faced with the fierce-looking Manager Wang, the gossipy women finally stopped talking.

But during this period of war, Wang Xiaoju ran away with the people from Xujia Village. Wang Baye, with his son, refused to leave and deliberately left his shop open, wanting to fight the refugees.

Unexpectedly, instead of the refugees, bandits and rabble arrived, so the name of "Master Wang" was no longer effective.