Zhang Juntou was a middle-aged, rough-looking man. As soon as he saw Xiaoman coming down the mountain, he smiled and bowed, saying, "Hahaha, what a rare guest! Old man, thank you for the medicinal herbs."
Xiaoman was a little surprised. Were these soldiers too easy to talk to?
Despite his doubts, he replied respectfully, "It is the general's magnanimity that makes him not hold my rudeness against me."
Zhang Juntou chuckled: "This is what they call 'no fight, no friendship'!"
Having the life-saving medicine would solve the immediate crisis.
Compared to the safety of the wounded soldiers, the suffering of the refugees is nothing; after all, no one has died.
Jiang Zhi, dressed as a village woman, stood silently to the side, observing the situation in the village.
The village has three medical sheds, plus kitchens, outhouses, and dormitories, which occupy half of the village's area.
Several dilapidated walls of houses in the village were demolished, including the old house foundation of Jiang Zhi's family.
Although the area is large, these houses are all temporary structures.
With wooden planks for the walls and tarpaulin for the roof, the living conditions inside were not good.
Of course, it was much more orderly than the scattered refugee shacks around it.
It was not yet noon. A dozen wounded soldiers sat in the shade of thick wooden benches outside, their heads and feet wrapped up, swaying precariously, all of them injured.
They were considered to have minor injuries; those with more serious injuries were still lying in the medical tent. Busy medics carried chamber pots and urinals in and out, all to take care of those critically ill patients who couldn't get up.
Zhang Juntou obviously had other things to do and didn't have time to socialize with Xiaomanye. After exchanging pleasantries, he brought up the medicinal herbs again: "Old man, since you live on the mountain, if it's convenient, please send more medicinal herbs down in the future."
Xiao Manye relaxed at this point: "That's fine! As long as the general thinks highly of us, we'll walk a few more steps!"
As agreed with Xu Dong beforehand, this time the medicinal herbs needed to be exchanged for salt, oil, and a pack of needles and thread from the medical shed.
These were all common supplies in the medical tent, so it wasn't difficult at all. Zhang Jun waved his hand and ordered the logistics officer to move the things.
Ten catties of salt, ten catties of wheat flour, ten catties of white rice, three catties of oil, plus a bag of sugar and two military sewing kits.
Zhang Juntou said, "These are allocated from the military supplies; this is all we're giving you for now."
"From now on, whatever you want, you can trade it for medicinal herbs or mountain produce!"
This means we can exchange again in the future.
It looks like a lot, but Jiang Zhi actually lost money. If she had sold these medicines to a pharmacy at the previous prices, she could have bought much more.
Of course, Jiang Zhi doesn't care about making money now. Nothing is more important than food, let alone safety.
If you can maintain good relations with the people below, and exchange them for basic supplies, you can stay on the mountain and die of boredom.
After getting the salt and oil, they dug out a few undamaged small jars from a corner of the village where ruins were piled up, and tied them tightly with the ropes they carried with them.
Zhang Jun was generous; he told a soldier to take a large bamboo basket from the medical shed so Jiang Zhi and the others could put the jars in it for easy transport.
They had another fruitful day, and this time Jiang Zhi and Xiaoman didn't linger.
Ignoring the envious, jealous, and fearful looks from the villagers, the two packed everything into baskets and carried them out of the village and up the mountain.
Xiaoman waited halfway up the mountain, where he could see the situation in the village. He was waiting for Aunt Jiang and his grandfather to come out so he could come and greet them.
Seeing that not only were the baskets full, but they were also carrying a large crate, they immediately laughed and asked, "Grandpa, Auntie! Didn't those people inside give you any trouble?"
He had overheard Xu Dong's questions on the mountain and knew that if there were no medicinal herbs, the beating of the refugees would be investigated.
I thought I'd be given a hard time coming down the mountain, but I actually got something in return!
As Jiang Zhi shared some of the things in her basket with him, she said, "It's alright now, but it'll be hard to say later."
Right now, the medical tents need medicine. It's hard to say whether they will be able to exchange supplies so readily once the new army's supply chain is adjusted.
Xiaoman nodded in agreement; it was indeed so.
Grandpa Xiaoman recalled the looks in the eyes of those refugees and whispered, "Those refugees suffered a loss yesterday, and they will definitely come back again. Xiaoman, you should be more diligent in the future and check the mountain several times a day."
Then set traps at several intersections to deter refugees from going up the mountain.
"Okay, don't worry, sir, I'll make it tomorrow!" Xiaoman patted her chest and promised.
This was his favorite thing to do. Before, he was afraid of attracting attention, so he only dared to set traps near his own home. Now he thought there were traps everywhere in the mountains, so he could trap one if one came, or two if two came...
Compared to descending the mountain empty-handed, the three of them now walked much slower.
Not only did they need to support Grandpa Xiaoman, but they also had to carry heavy objects and lift things with their free hands.
They could only walk and stop frequently, and Xiaoman and Jiangzhi kept moving uphill.
Behind them, not far away, followed some refugees.
Xiaoman wasn't afraid at all. She hung her gleaming wood-chopping knife on her waist and proudly displayed it.
Li Laoshi and the bearded man are now lying in their shack, unable to get up. The word has spread among the refugees that this family on the mountain is not to be trifled with.
There were soldiers at the medical tent near the village, and those people only dared to watch from afar. After following for a while, they stopped reluctantly and dared not enter the woods.
Fortunately, Xu Errui came to pick them up after they had only gone halfway. With him carrying Xiaomanye on his back, it saved them a lot of trouble. The group finally made it back to Laoyun Cliff before dark.
Having obtained salt and oil, the most pressing issue was finally resolved. With these supplies, both families could stay for another year without any problems.
In the shed at the foot of the cliff, Jiang Zhi picked up a pinch of brown sugar and put it in Nini's mouth. Nini hadn't tasted sugar for a long time, and she was so happy that her eyes narrowed into slits.
Although starch hydrolysis for sugar production existed as early as the Western Zhou Dynasty 3,000 years ago, and the "Essential Techniques for the Common People" also contains a detailed description of maltose production.
During the Warring States period, sugarcane was widely cultivated in the Chu region, and the juice was extracted and boiled into a beverage called "Zhejiang".
Rock sugar was invented by sugar craftsmen in Suining, Sichuan during the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty, and was named sugar frosting.
(The name "Suining" originated in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, Suining belonged to the Cheng Han Kingdom, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms. The various kingdoms fought each other for years, causing immense suffering to the people. Source: Internet)
Sugar is not a rare commodity, but it is an important strategic item and has always been difficult to obtain. Now that the medical shed has given out a bag of sugar, everyone is truly happy.
Ten catties of salt is a good thing, and Jiang Zhi didn't expect Zhang Juntou to be so generous.
However, considering that the surrounding counties have salt wells that continuously produce salt, and that the new army needs to use salt water to disinfect and wash wounds, the use of salt water becomes more lenient.
Half of the ten catties of salt was given to Xiaoman's grandmother. Although it was divided between two families, they had been eating at the foot of the cliff for a long time these days, so they were given a larger share.
Jiang Zhi wanted to take a share of the oil, but Xiao Man stopped her: "Although Xiao Man was picking those herbs, it was thanks to you that he was able to recognize them. We'll take the salt, but you can keep the oil."
Over the past few months, the two families have helped each other without any distinction, but since there are many people in his own family, including the elderly and children, who don't do any work, Xiaoman's grandfather is unwilling to keep taking advantage of others.
Jiang Zhi didn't insist, but she still shared some of the candy: "This candy is good for both children and the elderly, so you should all have some."
The storm has finally passed, and the weight that had been pressing on the hearts of the two families on Laoyun Cliff has been lifted, ushering in a new era.
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