In Beihuang City

Several officers and soldiers took notices and posted them on every street. They were not impatient when they saw people coming to ask questions, and explained each point clearly.

The people were dumbfounded after hearing this, their faces filled with disbelief: "Sir, you mean the military camp is recruiting soldiers now, and if you are selected, you will get 300 copper coins per month."

"Food and lodging are all provided in the military camp. You get two days off every month, gifts for festivals, and... pensions too?"

When talking about retirement, his voice unconsciously rose. This was really unbelievable. They relied on their children of the next generation for their retirement and had never heard of the court providing retirement.

But what we see now is that Lord Jiang had notices posted, and from the beginning of the Northern Wilderness until now, there has not been a single thing he said that he had not done.

Then this thing must be true. It is so incredible, like a dream.

Seeing them like this, the officials said nothing and kept smiling. Not to mention the common people, even they wondered if they were dreaming when they first received the notice.

A man said with a burning gaze, "Sir, when is the conscription? We will sign up then."

"Three days later, at the city gate, anyone who wants to come should go and register. Only those who meet the requirements can enter. The elderly, weak, and sick are not allowed..."

After the explanation, I continued to the next street. My voice was hoarse after a day, and I came to the cafeteria exhausted. Yes, the cafeteria was built by the famous eldest son and it was open on time for meals, so I didn’t have to worry about it.

I sniffed and the rich aroma of meat was not deceptive.

Everyone rushed in, put out the bone and radish soup, and lined up in a long queue to get their food, whispering to each other: "How are the people reacting to the conscription?"

"Well, what kind of reaction can there be? I'm so happy! The barracks will definitely be packed in three days. I'm tempted by all the benefits. If you work for fifteen years, you'll get a pension until you die."

"Trusting Lord Jiang is much more effective than trusting your own children. In the past, the remnants of the Jiang family army who were demobilized and returned to the countryside were always supported by the Jiang family. It can be seen that they really treat their soldiers as human beings."

"That's right. I have to work harder in the future. After serving for fifteen years, I will receive pension benefits based on my final military rank. I heard that nursing homes are being built."

"Just looking at the situation, I know that things will be very good in the future."

Everyone was talking and laughing, their faces full of energy.

At the same time, the news spread quickly, and more and more people came to Beihuang City, all wanting to confirm whether the notice was true.

On the second day, people came to the city gate to wait, fearing that they would be late and unable to sign up. Who would bear the loss if they missed the opportunity? It was a rare opportunity for the Jiang family army to recruit soldiers.

It was a bit cold outside the city gate at night, so Jiang Ling ordered a small team to go out of the city to make porridge and patrol, to ensure that the people who had come early to wait would not get into trouble...

The people drank the thick white rice porridge and felt that it was worth coming here. They were given porridge without paying any money. It was nothing like the imperial court's conscription, where they would be forcibly taken away from their homes every time.

If the Jiang family army recruited soldiers, they would come voluntarily because they knew there was a way to make a living here and they would be treated like human beings.

"Huhu, this time we're recruiting 100,000 soldiers. I wonder if we can be selected. I'm a big guy, so I think I can."

"I don't know. If anyone gets elected, life will be comfortable. Even if they sacrifice the pension, there will still be a lot, enough for the whole family to live a good life."

＊

When the sky brightened and the city gates opened, a team of officials came out, set up tables and chairs, and prepared to start conscription registration.

Seeing this, the people stood up and lined up obediently.

"Jia Dafu will follow us into the city to familiarize ourselves with the mess hall and the accommodations. After getting our bedding and other things, we'll go home and live in the barracks in two days."

The dark-skinned man stepped forward, holding his own sign and excitedly said, "Yes, thank you, sir. Thank you, sir!"

After a soldier gathered six people, he led them into the city and first went to the spacious and bright cafeteria, which was full of long tables that could seat six people.

After seeing the meat being carried in, he subconsciously swallowed his saliva.

Seeing this, the soldier laughed and said, "Training is very hard. The Major General ordered that meat and vegetables be provided in the canteen every day to ensure that everyone has the physical strength to train."

Jia Dafu's eyes were bright as he looked at the canteen intently. He wished he could come to the military camp right now so that he could eat directly in the canteen in the future without having to pay any money. That would be so great.

"Sir, I heard that in the military camp, people don't get to eat meat for a month. Our food is really too good."

The soldier said proudly, "That's right. We are different here than other places. The Marquis and the General treat us like human beings. They even give us the chickens, ducks, and pigs from the farm at the villa."

"The imperial court... let's not talk about the imperial court. After all, the Northern Wasteland is the Marquis' fiefdom. It's quite different from the imperial court. All we want is a place to shelter from the wind and rain and a warm meal to eat."

"Yes, your Excellency is right. I might starve to death at home, but in the barracks I am very happy to have enough food to eat. The fatigue of training is not a big deal."

The group looked at the rows of houses in a daze.

Seeing them in a daze, the soldier called out, "Let's go. What are you still standing there for?"

Jia Dafu walked in and looked at the three neatly arranged beds, oh no, there were six beds, one above the other, and a row of cabinets against the wall opposite the beds.

"Okay, look at this. There are six people living in one room, and there are six cabinets across from you. You can put anything in there, and just lock it up on weekdays."

"Once you actually move in, each room will have a person assigned to manage it. The person managing the dormitory will get an extra fifty copper coins a month..."

After the soldier finished speaking, seeing that they were all eager to try, he smiled and said, "It depends on your ability. The election will be held every six months. Whoever has the ability to win the support of the others will be the head of the room."

After Jia Dafu and the others had seen everything, they were taken back outside the city gate and given a few instructions: "Go back and spend two days with your families. It will be difficult to return after you enter the military camp."

"It's unlikely you'll be able to return before your leave. Of course, if there's something urgent, you can return, but a small amount of money will be deducted."

Everyone nodded and said politely, "Yes, thank you for the reminder, sir. We will go home to reunite with our families and return in two days."

Several people quickened their pace and walked towards home. When they returned to Shitou Village, they glanced at the people chatting under the big willow tree and ran home quickly.

Pushing the door open, Jia Dafu shouted, "Mom and Dad, I'm back."

Two people came out of the house and looked at him nervously: "Son, please tell me your name."

"Yes, I've already signed up. I'll go to the military camp for training in two days. I'll be back on my two-day monthly rest day. If there's nothing important going on, I'm afraid I won't be able to come back."

The woman walked forward and said cheerfully, "It's okay, it's okay. You don't need to come back during normal times. We can farm the land at home. You just work hard in the barracks."

"When you make enough money to marry and have children, then Mom won't have to worry about you anymore. That's great."