Chapter 525 Niu Sangeng and Sanlang
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Li Shiyue's words corresponded to the more than a dozen heads that were chopped off on the high platform that had not yet been demolished at the entrance of the government office the next day.
Last night, light snow fell over Jian'an City, and snowflakes are still drifting down from time to time today.
The wind and snow carried the smell of fresh, warm human blood as Niu Sangeng and three other jailers carried baskets to collect the severed heads on the platform.
The bodies had naturally been taken away long ago.
Following the instructions of the Xuanjia soldiers, Niu Sangeng picked out Zhao Liangfu's head separately so that it could be smeared with lime and pickled when they got back.
At that time, the pickled human head will be hung on a long pole next to this high platform, just like Huang Wanchang's head, for public display.
Niu Sangeng and three others, in pairs, carried baskets filled with human heads down from the high platform and headed back to Jian'an Prison.
Upon arriving at the prison, before even entering, one could smell the aroma of meat.
"We can still eat meat today!"
Niu Sangeng also wanted to ask the same question.
However, he was a quiet person, so even though he wanted to ask the question, he didn't say it out loud.
But he and the other three dropped the basket containing the heads and hurried into the cell.
"Oh, you guys are back?"
"Hurry up, the cook just brought over a bucket of meat broth and some steamed buns. Wash your hands and eat."
After a short while, Niu Sangeng, having carefully washed his hands, sat down with the other twenty-odd jailers at four tables and began eating steamed white flour cakes with meat broth.
The soft, still slightly warm steamed white flour cake is so delicious that you almost don't want to swallow it.
The large, rough porcelain bowl that Niu Sangeng was still holding steadily in his left hand contained ginger slices, millet, and a little bit of meat scraps in the broth.
Niu Sangeng ate carefully, and as he drank, he not only chewed the ginger slices in his bowl, but also skillfully licked up the last bit of meat scraps at the bottom of the bowl.
"Burp," a jailer patted his belly and let out a satisfied burp.
"happy!
Even during Chinese New Year, my family wouldn't dare to give out steamed white flour cakes so freely!
Once one person spoke up, others who had almost finished eating chimed in, "Hey, didn't you see what the delivery truck was carrying?"
What is this food we're given?
"I saw it myself! We were following behind the Xuanjia Army, eating the scraps left over from their stewed meat!"
Niu Sangeng put down his bowl, and he and the others went to look at the jailer who said he had seen the fire-starting cart.
The jailer, now receiving everyone's attention, became even more enthusiastic.
He wiped his mouth, which was greasy from drinking meat soup, with the back of his hand, and then struck a pose, "My second sister's husband's eldest aunt's son is guarding the city gate at the North Gate."
Having said all that, the jailer shut his mouth again, as it had been going on and on without any clear beginning or end.
Someone who knew the jailer patted him on the shoulder and said, "Zhu Zi, hurry up, are you keeping us in suspense?"
"Can't you see everyone's waiting for you to say something?"
With someone to play the straight man, the jailer named Zhuzi chuckled and spoke up again: "Sanlang said that although the Xuanjia Army has taken over the four city gates, the soldiers who originally guarded the city gates haven't done much."
They arranged shifts for them. Sanlang said that nowadays they are guarding the city gate with the Xuanjia Army, and they are divided into two groups, one for day and one for night.
They also ate with the Xuanjia Army, and they ate meat at every meal.
The soup we're drinking is made from the leftover scraps of stewed meat.
Furthermore, Saburo also mentioned that those on night duty would receive a boiled chicken in the morning, which was prepared specifically for them.
He said he was willing to work day and night for this chicken.
After hearing what Zhu Zi said, all the jailers in the room began to feel envious of the Xuanjia Army.
"Hey, that just shows our new guy in Jian'an is someone who's willing to give his subordinates a good meal!"
"This one" obviously refers to Li Shiyue.
Nowadays, they dare not call Li Shiyue by his name directly, and they even hesitate to address him as "General Li".
After all, there were still more than a dozen heads waiting to be dealt with outside their cell.
The atmosphere inside the room became somewhat somber after someone mentioned "Li Shiyue." Suddenly, Niu Sangeng, a quiet and reserved man, spoke up: "I don't understand these things. All I know is that after this person came, we were able to eat steamed white flour cakes and drink meat soup with ginger in it!"
As soon as Niu Sangeng said this, Zhu Zi chimed in.
"Isn't that right?"
The cook said, "Let's cherish these good days; who knows how many more days we can eat these steamed white flour cakes?"
Having said that, the jailers dispersed in small groups.
After cleaning up his own bowl, Niu Sangeng was about to get up to deal with the heads of the people outside when the jailer called him back before he even stepped out of the cell.
"Hey, it's past midnight! Wait a minute."
Niu Sangeng turned around, bowed his head to the gray-haired jailer, and asked, "Uncle, what's wrong?"
The jailer pulled a string of coins from his pocket and tossed it to Niu Sangeng.
Touching the heavy string of coins, which looked to be about a string of cash, Niu Sangeng looked at the jailer with some confusion.
Then the jailer, with his hands behind his back, said to Niu Sangeng, "These were given to us by the higher-ups. They said it wasn't easy for you guys who were specially assigned to manage them."
You, Suozi, and the other two can split this money among yourselves; consider it a reward from your superiors for doing the work.
Niu Sangeng looked at the string of money in his hand, untied the knot, tore off half of the money, tied the other half back up, and handed it to the jailer.
"Here, Uncle, you take this. Suozi and I will share this."
The jailer looked at the half-string of coins in front of him and accepted it without hesitation.
When Niu Sangeng left the cell, he saw Suozi and the other two standing in front of the two baskets of human heads, talking about something.
After the four people divided the half string of coins, they started working.
Sanlang, who was guarding the north gate of Jian'an as mentioned by Zhu Zi, is currently resting in Wuhoupu under the city gate.
The guards at the city gates were all on duty, and the leaders could take turns resting for half an hour at noon.
Today it was Sanlang's turn to come, and he didn't want to go anywhere else.
There was plenty of charcoal fire in Wuhoupu, which was very warm, and there was also tea to drink. Although it was coarse tea, it was still tea, wasn't it?
While Sanlang was sitting and drinking tea in Wuhoupu, he overheard several Xuanjia soldiers resting at a nearby table chatting idly.
"Hey, the team leader said that starting today, we'll be on duty in shifts until the Lantern Festival, and everyone will get a day off."
"What's the big deal? We can't just wander around; we have to stay in the camp."
"So what? Chief Wang said the general will come to the military camp on New Year's Eve to stay up with us!"
"Really? The general can come?"
“Wang Tou and Lieutenant Sun are from the same hometown, so this can’t be false. Lieutenant Sun is the general’s personal guard, so how could the information he spread be false?”
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