After thinking for a moment, Lin Hai added, "Go wash your hands first, wash your hands and face clean, otherwise I won't give you food."

As soon as Lin Hai finished speaking, a group of children, shouting at Yang Xiong, ran to the stream to wash their hands. The youngest one couldn't make it in time and was carried over by his two older brothers. Seeing this, Lin Hai nodded and said, "I can't believe you've managed to keep up with the children's education under such circumstances. It seems like having a teacher in the team is really good."

"Squad leader, these are just children. They are also the last children in the forest." Yang Xiong said cautiously.

"Don't worry, I won't capture a few children to open up wasteland, or use them to threaten you. It's no big deal to feed the children dinner. No matter what, we can't let children starve in my Daliang." Lin Hai didn't care.

"Daliang? I wonder what the Daliang government needs us to do? There aren't many people left in the forest."

Yang Xiong explained it carefully. The general meaning was that those who were loyal to the Chen Dynasty had left during the previous conscriptions. Of course, many of those who were captured were also "made loyal to the death". Although the remaining people were not loyal to the Chen Dynasty and would certainly not resist the army of Liang, they really had nothing left. Even if they wanted to come out to entertain the troops, they could not do it.

"I've made it very clear. We're not government troops, we're government servants. Besides, the Daliang Empire doesn't have any reason to send civilians to serve in the military. As for you, I want you to come down from the mountains, register your household registration, and start cultivating wasteland. The Imperial Ministry of Revenue has decreed that newly reclaimed land will belong to the developer if it's not abandoned within three years, and you'll also be exempt from taxes for three years."

"Captain Lin, these lands in the mountains are difficult to reclaim."

"Let's open up wasteland near the county town. Didn't the old man from Shibangyi just say that it's a first-class place with three crops a year?" Lin Hai said as he took a big mouthful of rice. Hmm, the peppers were burnt.

"The fields surrounding the county town are all cultivated. Even if they haven't been planted for a few years, they're still good land and they all have owners."

"I told you, that's wasteland. In the county government of my Daliang Empire, there are no deeds to those lands, so that's wasteland. If it's wasteland, you can reclaim it. After three years of reclamation, Qinghe County will give you a deed, a deed to Daliang." Lin Hai tried hard to swallow a big mouthful of rice. There was no other way. The burnt peppers were too spicy, and he didn't prepare any water. Lin Hai could only rely on rice to relieve his heat.

"But what if the owner of the farmland comes back? As far as I know, all the good land around the county town belongs to those wealthy families." Yang Xiong swallowed hard, his legs visibly shaking. He had just eaten wild vegetable porridge yesterday, so why was he hungry so soon? Yang Xiong felt like he couldn't hold on any longer.

"That's the county lieutenant's business, why are you worrying about it? Look, although the peppers are a bit spicy, the children are still very happy to eat them."

Yang Xiong turned around and found that his daughter was with a group of children. They were holding a wooden bowl and stuffing rice into their mouths.

"Please forgive me, squad leader. We've been fighting for so many years, and some of these children haven't had a full meal since they were born."

"Don't blame everything on the war. Even if there wasn't a war, the grain would still be from the government and the wealthy. You were just a tenant farmer before. If you're not starving, you're a capable person. What's the point of talking about having enough to eat?" Lin Hai said, turning to Jia Da and shouting, "Seventh Brother, make them some rice soup so they don't choke. And use less chili peppers so the children don't get burned."

Yang Xiong was so stressed out by Lin Hai that he was speechless. Only then did he add, "Don't worry, squad leader. Children in the southwest eat chili peppers just like they eat vegetables and rice. What outsiders can't stand is just normal for them."

"Oh, so that's how it is." Lin Hai pretended to be casual and asked, "Would you like a bowl?"

Yang Xiong didn't react for a moment, or perhaps the aroma of stir-fried green peppers and bacon with white rice had already filled his brain. He didn't react for a moment and nodded subconsciously.

Yang Xiong, who had just raised his head to refuse, found that Lin Hai had already walked to the side of the pot and waved at him: "If you want to eat, serve yourself. Do you want me to bring it to you?"

Yang Xiong stamped his feet, held his rumbling stomach, and walked towards the cauldron.