After a flurry of activity, once the laborers had finished their meal, Song Liyun pulled Xiao An, who was about to clear the dishes on an empty stomach, and said softly, "Xiao An, you haven't eaten anything. Don't do any more work."
Go find the male workers in the grove; I have something to say to them.
As she spoke, she stuffed her multigrain steamed bun into his hands.
Today, after being scolded for eating for free, Xiao An refused to take any more of the steamed buns that were his, and also didn't go to Song Zhenping's place to eat.
When Xiao An saw her sister giving her a steamed bun, she bit her lip.
He looked around first, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he quickly took the steamed bun and stuffed it into his arms.
Seeing this made Song Liyun feel heartbroken again.
Xiao An ran to the male workers to find Song Zhenping. Song Liyun turned around and gave Xu Yan'er, who was spying on her from the kitchen, coldly. She was preventing Xiao An from stealing things from her.
He couldn't help but scoff inwardly: Is it worth going through all this trouble for a few coarse grain buns?
She didn't have time to argue with a little girl.
Just as they reached the edge of the grove, Song Zhenping and Xiao An ran over. They were walking so fast that their limping was quite noticeable.
"Yun'er, did someone say anything about you two today? You gave the steamed bun to Xiao An again? Here, take this."
Song Zhenping arrived late for dinner and didn't see Song Liyun arguing with Granny Cui until after the meal.
Thinking that Yun'er had given her own food rations to Xiao An and would definitely go hungry, he quickly took out a cloth bag from his bosom.
Inside was half a mixed grain steamed bun that he had saved up.
If Xiao An's sneaky eating just now made Song Liyun feel upset, Song Zhenping hiding the steamed bun now felt like a heavy weight was pressing on her heart, almost suffocating her.
She gave the two brothers energy bars on the way, and they ate them at first, but stopped on the second day.
They said that since the army provides coarse grain buns, there's no need for energy bars, and they should even save them.
Now everyone lives in large communal dormitories, and there isn't even a place to put things, so storing food is also difficult.
Seeing that they really wouldn't eat, Song Liyun stopped giving them any.
Unexpectedly, Song Zhenping started storing steamed buns again.
He wouldn't eat a damp steamed bun that would go bad if he kept it in his clothes for a day.
If Song Liyun hadn't known that he had been supporting Xiao An and herself this way for the past ten years, she would have thought he was a fool.
Song Liyun, of course, wouldn't eat his steamed bun. She threw the cloth bag back to Song Zhenping and said directly, "I don't want to work in the stove anymore."
Song Zhenping: "...?"
He thought that only by working could one eat. Even if he saved every penny, he could only support Xiao An. If his second sister didn't want to work either, all three of them would starve.
But when Song Zhenping thought about hearing Xiao An being scolded for eating for free and being wronged during the meal, he couldn't say a word.
“Brother, come with me to the military camp to find Commander Luo,” Song Liyun said calmly.
"Why would we need Luo Baihu? If... those people bully you, we'll go find Uncle Kui, or Uncle Qin too," Song Zhenping mumbled, picking at his fingers.
Song Dekui was good at taking care of livestock. As soon as he arrived in Suijin Town, he was transferred by the military camp to manage the caravan. He also spoke with several junior officers, but he did not work for the sand and gravel team.
Uncle Qin was also promoted to be the temporary leader in charge of managing the laborers.
Song Liyun shook her head; she wouldn't look for anyone.
Originally, performing corvée labor was not the real goal, but merely a means to leave Xiaoshi Village.
Now that people are out in the country, they must have plans to settle down permanently.
"Brother, let's change our household registration to military household! We'll stay in Broken Gold Town."
"What? Military households? From now on, your descendants can only be soldiers." Song Zhenping jumped up in surprise.
Because he was building houses for the military camp, Song Zhenping had heard a lot of people around him talking about military households these past few days.
They had to pay military rations in peacetime, and if they had a son, he could only serve as a soldier and risk his life; he couldn't take the imperial examinations to become an official. They were said to be worse off than ordinary farmers.
Seeing how frightened he was, Song Liyun immediately laughed. Not worried about making Song Zhenping feel bad, she said directly, "Brother, not just anyone can join the army. You and Xiao An are definitely not qualified, so don't worry."
As for future generations... Brother, did you think about your children when you were in Little Stone Village?"
Song Zhenping looked as if he had been hit on the head, his face instantly turning red and then pale.
In Xiaoshi Village, Xiao An and I were always hungry and cold, and all we could think about was how to survive.
Getting married was something he had never even considered.
We've only had enough to eat for two days, and we're already thinking about our children and grandchildren.
Song Zhenping blushed, feeling deeply ashamed. Yun'er was indeed the most thoughtful.
Unlike other people serving corvée labor, the three siblings were not originally there to work.
Others can go home anytime after finishing their work; they have a house, land, and a family.
He was homeless and had nowhere to stay.
They'd freeze to death in the dead of winter, their lives hanging by a thread, so what were they thinking about military or civilian households, or their descendants?
If I were to settle down in Broken Gold Town...
There are rivers and land here, and apart from those rumors, it's actually quite nice.
"Okay, Yun'er, I... I'll do whatever you say."
After a brief discussion, the brother and sister decided not to return to the construction site and went directly to the newly built garrison barracks.
Inside the garrison, the bearded Luo, the centurion, was scratching his head as he looked at the account book.
The amount of artificial provisions consumed during this time was written in a thick book, making his head ache.
As he casually turned a page, Luo Baihu's gaze drifted to the back of the exquisitely crafted book next to him.
Behind the exquisite partition, there was also a long desk, where a young man with a black silk headband and wearing a dark gray belted robe was sitting, also checking accounts.
The man seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. As soon as Luo Baihu turned his head, he looked up and stared at him with a half-smile: "Luo Baihu, are you tired of looking? Would you like me to serve you some ginseng soup?"
This person looked to be around twenty years old, and had a rather outstanding appearance.
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