Song Liyun knew that she had made too many trips and aroused suspicion, just then Han Ming arrived in his car to find her.
"Boss!" Han Ming's cart had two large baskets filled with bulging grain sacks, indicating that he had already bought grain.
"Thank you for your kindness, shopkeeper. My hired help is here." Song Liyun picked up the basket she had just filled with thirty jin of flour and walked out.
I've already been to this store three times, and I've packed an extra hundred pounds of grain into my storage space. I'll go buy it somewhere else.
When Han Ming saw Song Liyun come out carrying a basket, he assumed that she had only bought these things.
He hurriedly stepped forward to lift the basket onto the cart, and before he could even catch his breath, he said, "Boss, I heard that a fight really broke out."
While he was buying grain, he saw a merchant who had just come from Hecheng buying a large quantity of grain. He asked the man about it carefully, and the man's answer was naturally more detailed than the few words that everyone else had guessed.
He said: "A war broke out on the Dilu Grassland, which caused chaos in several towns along the border. Villagers with a way out flocked to the local county town."
He came here to buy grain because he was afraid that the entire border of the Wu Dynasty would fall into chaos, and then he wouldn't be able to buy grain at all.
The people of Yunzhou were already very experienced in avoiding the invasion of the Di tribe. Whenever the Di people came, they would take their families to hide in the county town, and after the Di people left, they would go about their business as usual.
The Zhenbei Army would drive the Di people out like sheep.
Upon hearing Han Ming's words, Song Liyun immediately began purchasing everything.
When war broke out, everyone else fled to the city, but she, as a military household member, would definitely hide in the garrison.
Supplies are more important than anything else.
She would go into every shop except for jewelry stores, selling grains, oils, rice, noodles, tea, cloth, and cotton.
They even targeted cosmetic shops.
Buy a few boxes of scented bath powder and hand balm just in case.
This shopping trip took half a day, and the cart was loaded to the brim before it was pulled back to the inn.
After the shopkeeper covered the car with tarpaulin, Song Liyun took Han Ming straight to Tianxiang, the most famous restaurant in Qili County.
She only ate wontons on the street at noon, and then she was busy buying things, so she was starving.
While in Suijin Town, Song Liyun heard the most about Tianxiang Restaurant from Boss Mu, which was known for its delicious food, beautiful women, and fine wine.
Song Liyun wasn't particularly interested in beautiful women and fine wine, but she definitely wanted to try the food.
Tianxianglou is a two-story building, and it is now evening, when the place is full of guests.
Qili County is far from the border, and the rumors and soaring grain prices in the town did not affect the leisure activities of the wealthy.
As dusk settled and the sounds of traditional music filled the air, the main hall of Tianxianglou was packed with people. Song Liyun paid for a private room on the second floor and, without saying a word, ordered the waiter to bring out the signature dishes.
Tianxianglou's signature dish is roasted lamb chops, which are naturally expensive, costing one and a half taels of silver per plate.
Not only do you have to pay first before baking, but it also takes time.
Song Liyun wasn't in a hurry and asked the waiter to bring some food to fill her stomach.
During his time at the Song family's residence, Han Ming had officially entered into servant mode, sitting properly in the lower seat near the door.
He would never object to any of Song Liyun's decisions, including sitting in Tianxianglou eating roasted lamb chops.
At this time, the hall was crowded with people, all talking loudly while clinking glasses.
As soon as the door to the private room opened, the voices reached Song Liyun's ears.
Taking advantage of this free time, Han Ming also told Song Liyun about the news he had heard outside.
“Master, I heard that the Di people are fighting inside, and many tribes are fleeing, causing several villages on the border to suffer as a result.”
Song Liyun popped a peanut into her mouth and said lazily, "Doesn't the Wu Dynasty have border troops? With them around, they can fight back whenever these tribes come over. How could they let the village suffer?"
After living in Suijin Town for several months, she learned that the Di tribe of the grasslands was not a country or a tribe, but a scattered small group.
Fights and killings over pastures and livestock are common occurrences on the grasslands.
The Wu Dynasty has always stationed border troops to prevent those tribes from crossing the border recklessly.
Before Han Ming could speak, an excited voice shouted from not far away: "We have the Zhenbei Army here, so we have nothing to fear."
"The ones in He Nan were the most unlucky. The soldiers of the Yingzi Battalion didn't care about the lives of the common people. They would retreat whenever they encountered Di people. Those villages were sent away by them." This was said by a well-informed person.
"Yes! Yes! I've heard about it too. The Di people are occupying the village and won't leave. Many people have sneaked out. Sigh! It's freezing cold, and they didn't bring anything with them."
Immediately afterwards, some people started talking about how cowardly and timid the Yingzi Battalion was, and how brave the Zhenbei Army was.
However, some people disagreed: "If the Zhenbei Army were so capable, why would the imperial court send the Wuwei Army to Yunzhou again?"
My sworn brother's cousin told me that the Wuwei Army guarded the imperial city and were fierce fighters.
"Pshaw!" This remark drew a burst of laughter. "It's impressive that they haven't been driven out of the village even after being inside for so long. The Zhenbei Army used to chase the Di barbarians all the time, never daring to stop."
Some people naturally disagreed: "In my opinion, all those soldiers are the same kind of good-for-nothings, treating the people like pieces of wood, to be discarded at will."
"If you don't believe me, just look at Suijin Town. It's all because the Zhenbei Army was incompetent and caused trouble. The town is ruined, and they only managed to set up this worthless garrison. They're just wasting their time."
Upon hearing this, the group immediately began arguing again, with some speaking up for the Zhenbei Army and others criticizing its incompetence.
Unfortunately, no one can clearly explain what exactly happened on the Dilu grasslands, or why those tribes were running around aimlessly in the dead of winter.
After a round of people chatting and laughing around her, Song Liyun's roasted lamb chops were finally served.
The roasted lamb chops at Tianxianglou are really good; they're golden brown and have a wonderfully fragrant aroma even before you take a bite.
Song Liyun used the small knife sent by Tianxianglou to cut off a piece of meat. With a bite, she broke through the crispy outer skin and found the meat inside to be fresh and tender, chewy, and the rich cumin flavor was even more tempting.
Han Ming didn't use a knife; instead, he grabbed a lamb chop and ate it with gusto, without any hesitation or remorse.
He volunteered to be a slave, all for the sake of food.
The three Song siblings wore old clothes and used a few old pieces of furniture. They never skimped on food and ate until they were full every day.
Now, when people go out, they go straight to Tianxianglou.
Being able to eat roasted lamb chops at Tianxianglou makes me feel like being a servant was totally worth it.
Seeing Song Liyun slowly eating the lamb chop, Han Ming swallowed the lamb in his mouth and said, "Boss, what do you think? The roast meat at Tianxiang Restaurant is superb, especially the spices. The taste is unique to this place."
"Yes, it's not bad." Song Liyun's praise was sincere.
Although she had roasted rabbit meat in the mountains, she could only use some salt and chili powder; she hadn't prepared any seasonings like cumin or fennel.
Song Liyun thought the taste was good, so she asked Han Ming to tell the counter to grill another order of lamb chops to take with her when she left.
Two servings of lamb chops, plus other dishes, cost a total of five taels of silver for the meal, which she could afford.
The door to the private room was pushed open.
A waiter from Tianxiang Restaurant came in, bowed, and said, "Sir, we're out of lamb chops. Could you please substitute roast chicken?"
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