When we arrived at the house, it had been cleaned, and two firewood burners in each room to dry out the dampness.

"The house won't be finished anytime soon, so you'll have to stay here for now."

Seeing that there weren't many rooms, Pan Qingfeng asked, "Uncle, where should we stay?"

Lin Qingxiang scratched his head and said, "We're just making do in a large communal room. The canteen provides three meals a day. We just come back to sleep. Once the materials are in place, the house will be built soon."

"Can we come and see where you're staying?" someone suggested.

Seeing over seven hundred people staring at him, Lin Qingxiang felt somewhat awkward. "Everyone's out working, and there's no one in the house. What if..."

What he meant was that if someone lost something, it would be difficult to explain.

"Uncle, we'll just send a few people to take a look, and we absolutely won't touch anyone else's things."

Pan Qingfeng and four or five other people came out, and Lin Qingxiang then said to Wu Xun, "Xiao Wu, you take them there."

The houses they stayed in were not far apart, and Wu Xun quickly led them to see them and return.

"Brother Feng, how is it?" Everyone gathered around Pan Qingfeng and the others.

"Let's arrange it as this uncle suggested."

Next, Lin Qingxiang and Wu Xun instructed them on what to do.

Those who survived the famine to reach the south were all quite capable. By noon, they had already set up half of the large communal sleeping area.

Everyone was working so hard that they didn't even realize it was past lunchtime, until a crisp sound rang out from the doorway.

"Dad, Aunt Zhang asked me to come and call you for dinner."

The person who came was Lin Qingxiang's youngest daughter, Lin Xiaomei. She was wearing a faded floral print dress, her small face was rosy, and there was a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her bright, watery eyes were full of life.

The left hand, which had no palm, was tied up with a rope at the cuff for easy work.

Lin Qingxiang turned around and saw his little girl calling him to eat. He quickly turned back to Pan Qingfeng and the others and said, "Tell them to take their own bowls and come with me to the canteen to eat."

Everyone quickly grabbed their bowls and chopsticks and came out of the house.

A large group of people followed Lin Qingxiang toward the canteen.

As you get closer, you can smell the aroma of food emanating from the canteen, and see groups of people eating and chatting, either squatting or standing under the eaves.

Lin Qingxiang held Lin Xiaomei's right hand, his nose twitched, and his stomach growled with hunger.

"Honey, what good dishes are available in the cafeteria today?"

"Rice porridge and stir-fried water spinach with lard."

"Water spinach?"

What kind of dish is that? Lin Qingxiang had never heard of it before.

Lin Xiaomei raised her head with an arrogant expression and spoke as if pouring out beans.

“This morning, my sister and I went to dig for wild vegetables. We found them in a muddy, waterlogged pit. My sister, Anan, said they were delicious.”

Upon hearing that the vegetables were edible, Lin Qingxiang instinctively said, "If they're edible, we can't ruin the roots. We can leave them to grow back and pick them next time."

“We only picked the vegetables, and the roots were all in good condition. Sister Anan even asked us to tidy up that area and turn it into a small vegetable garden, specifically for growing water spinach. She also transplanted the scattered water spinach roots from the surrounding area together.”

When Lin Yinan is mentioned, Lin Xiaomei's face is full of admiration.

Those following behind noticed the cuff of Lin Xiaomei's left hand that was tied.

A younger boy leaned close to Pan Qingfeng and whispered, "Brother Feng, look at that girl's left hand, isn't it missing?"

Pan Qingfeng's face darkened. "If you see through something, don't say it. Don't cause trouble!"

After he finished speaking, he turned his head and gave a warning glance to the crowd behind him.

The newly built canteen in Longtan County can accommodate thousands of people at the same time, and there are six food service windows. At this time, there are far fewer people queuing for food.

When the people in Pan Qingfeng's team received a full bowl of rice porridge so thick that it couldn't be poured out even if the bowl was turned upside down, along with a large spoonful of stir-fried, bright green, and fragrant vegetables, they were so excited that they almost dropped their bowls.

This worried Aunt Li and the others who were getting the food. After getting each serving, they would remind her, "Be careful not to spill it. Find a seat in the canteen to eat."

After getting his food, Pan Qingfeng was led by the guards to the table where Lin Yinan and the others were sitting. Yun Er and Hu Shao made room for him.

Pan Qingfeng sat down on the bench somewhat awkwardly, his eyes inadvertently sweeping over the food on the table of the others. It was the same as his own, except that the plates in front of the city lord and his wife had more vegetables.

Sitting opposite him, Lin Yiheng pointed to a notice board next to the canteen and said to him, "Qingfeng, there are some rules and regulations for dining in the canteen posted over there. Have someone who can read read them to your team later."

"Okay." Pan Qingfeng nodded.

"They will be divided into teams this afternoon. If they have any questions, they can ask their respective team leaders directly..."

Next, Lin Yiheng explained many details to him while they ate.

Finally, Lin Yinan said, "After you finish eating, go back and pack your things to go to the county government office. Hu Shao and the others will gather at the county government office, and then set off with the merchants who delivered goods yesterday."

Pan Qingfeng said, "Thank you very much, Lord City Lord!"

After Lin Yinan finished eating, she stood up, and Yun Mo tactfully put away his and her bowls.

The entrance to the Longtan County Government Office.

Merchants and drivers are loading folded tarpaulins and ropes onto the mule carts and feeding the mules, ready to set off at any time.

Lin Yinan, who had just returned from her meal, went up to him and greeted him, "Shopkeeper, could you please inquire about where I can buy fish fry when you get back?"

"You want to raise fish?" The shopkeeper's eyes lit up immediately.

"Yes, could the shopkeeper help us buy fish fry?"

"What a coincidence! My cousin's husband has a few fish ponds with lots of fish. I'll ask him about it for you later."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!