After finishing the bowl of instant noodles and the aroma in the air dissipating, the bandits finally snapped out of their reverie and collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
This scene, as they saw it, was as if they had just struggled back from the brink of death.
Looking at the confused, thoughtful, and even somewhat crazed faces, Song Liyun knew in her heart that these people would never be able to cure the poison for the rest of their lives.
No one can resist a bowl of piping hot instant noodles when they are hungry and cold, and no one can forget the smell of instant noodles after experiencing it once.
These bandits risked their lives for a foothold. As long as they had food, drink, a house, and money in Mida City, they could settle down.
Using poison to control them and enticing them with benefits, Song Liyun was not afraid that they would disobey her.
Zhao Tingduo, hands on her hips, said to the bandits, "From now on, you will be the young mistress's slaves. The young mistress is kind and spared your lives, but I will not. If anyone dares to betray his master, this will be his fate."
As he spoke, he swung his sword down, sending sand flying and splattering the bandits' faces and heads, leaving a deep groove in the ground.
This strike not only demonstrated his strength but also let the bandits know that disobeying the young mistress meant death.
Those who were guarding the wounded had their wounds bandaged, those who were hungry had their stomachs full, and the bandits all behaved themselves.
The rest of the journey went smoothly, and it only took seven days to reach the Mida River Valley.
This is the winter pasture of the Di ethnic group. Every so often, there is a tribe, with yurts scattered along the river, and herds of cattle and sheep roaming among them.
Surrounded by numerous tribes, a small town with gray-brown walls suddenly appeared.
Song Liyun looked at the Mida New City, which was already taking shape.
The city wall was built of rammed earth, two zhang high and five chi thick, with a circumference of one li, and took a year to build. It was large enough to accommodate five thousand people.
The Di people live in yurts and do not move into the city. The five thousand people here will mainly be merchants.
Moreover, this is only the first phase of the project.
According to Song Liyun's idea, the inner city will be extended to the outer city, and the corner towers and side walls will be expanded as the number of residents increases.
The arrival of Song Liyun brought joy to Song Erlang and other laborers from Qingping Town.
Song Liyun brought them food, clothes, snacks, and wine.
Qin Huai had taken good care of Song Zhenping when Song Zhenping was serving his corvée labor, and he was still leading the team to work. Song Liyun specially brought him tobacco leaves.
Qin Huai smiled so broadly that his eyes disappeared: "Miss Song is so thoughtful. There's no shortage of food here, and even mutton is plentiful. The only problem is that there's no tobacco."
Lately, I've been so worried that I've lost my appetite, so I've been eating hay to satisfy my cravings.
As he was still speaking, migrant workers from Qingping Town were peeking in from outside the door.
Knowing that they were all waiting for cigarettes, Song Liyun kept the conversation brief and asked directly about the Xia family.
Upon hearing the mention of the Xia family, Qin Huai's smile faded: "Miss Song, the Xia family is related to you, so it's not appropriate for outsiders like us to say too much."
Building houses and constructing cities are major undertakings, and the girl receives a steady monthly allowance... The Xia family's cunning and opportunistic behavior, while still forcing Song Erlang into marriage, is simply unacceptable to us all.
Song Liyun frowned, but did not object to his statement that the Xia family was related to her. She only asked, "Young Master, you're still like this even after you've come to the Xia family?"
The letter he brought earlier said that the Xia family was fighting and causing unrest among the migrant workers here, which is why Zhao Tingduo was sent over.
Qin Huai sighed, "Although he hasn't been slacking off at work, the things people say behind his back are very unpleasant, which the young master is naturally unaware of."
This means they're still restless.
Song Liyun was silent for a moment and then nodded: "Okay, I know what to do. I'll trouble Uncle Qin to reassure the others. Those who actually do the work won't be shortchanged."
After Qin Huai left, Song Erlang also finished unloading the supplies from the carriage and came over.
Song Liyun handed him the clothes and shoes that her second aunt wanted to take: "Second Uncle, you left in such a hurry that you didn't even bring extra shoes. Your second aunt was very worried at home and insisted that I bring these cotton shoes for you."
Song Erlang was urged by the Xia family to leave in a hurry, so he didn't bring any extra shoes and socks. These days he had been working on the construction site and his shoes and socks were already worn out, so he could only make do with sheepskin.
Seeing that his wife had brought shoes and socks, he quickly stuffed them into his bosom, intending to wash them and change into them when he rested that night.
After Song Liyun waited for him to put away the new shoes, she asked casually, "Second Uncle, are the Xia family members suitable for the work?"
When the Xia family was mentioned, Song Erlang's expression changed. Xiaoyun had obviously heard something. He stammered, "Xiaoyun, that Xia Pu, although he talks a lot, is still capable of doing the work."
Xia Pu kept saying that he was related to the Song family and that he was superior to the migrant workers in Qingping Town.
His attitude was naturally unacceptable to Qin Huai and the others in Qingping Town, and they had fought several times before.
The Xia family is the in-laws of the third son. His own brother, Song Erlang, an honest man, is in a dilemma. He can't offend the migrant workers in the same town, and he can't offend the third son's wife's family either.
Seeing Song Erlang's predicament, Song Liyun didn't press him. Song Erlang used to be an honest farmhand who did farm work at home. If it weren't for Song Dekui taking on the work here, he wouldn't have become the foreman.
Song Erlang was never picky about work, but when it came to managing people, especially "relatives," he was completely lost.
Leaving the Xia family aside, Song Liyun and Song Erlang started talking about urban construction again.
After a year of work, the basic layout of the outer city has been finalized, and all that is needed now is to build houses within the city.
Prefab houses and yurts have been delivered in succession, which is enough to meet the living conditions of those who want to stay in the city.
These items need to be added after the merchant arrives.
Song Erlang was a farmer, and after talking about the city wall, he talked about the fertile soil here.
Winters in the Northwest are usually cold, but the Mida River Valley, located in a deep depression, is unusually warm and breezy, and even the river thaws earlier than elsewhere.
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