The Humble Family's Daughter Has A Spatial Pocket! novel Chapter 1035

Chapter 1035: Chapter 873, Grain Arrival

The Border Army took away the food, which surprised Xia Jianren, "Even if they brought a large amount of supplies when they came, given the Xiao Residence’s generous spending, they should have nearly depleted their resources by now."

The aide beside him chuckled, "It’s better that they gave it away. After all, the Border Army is a regular military force with discipline, and they won’t easily make trouble unless they’re truly desperate. Refugees are different though; if they run out of food, each one of them would fight for their lives."

Xia Jianren smiled, "That’s true. Now that the Border Army has taken the food, there’s less for the refugees. We’ll just wait and see how long the Xiao Residence can hold out."

Saying this, he pondered for a moment, then instructed his aide, "Keep a close watch on the porridge shelters these days. As soon as they run out of food, contact those hooligans Mr. Wei had found."

The aide nodded with a smile, "Don’t worry, sir. I will take care of it."

...

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.

Celebrating New Year’s at the border was naturally not as lively as in Beijing, but Daohua had prepared everything necessary, and the residence was decorated in a festive and cheerful atmosphere.

Daohua thought about how the servants in the residence had all left their homes to follow them to this remote and harsh land. Early in the morning, she gave each person an extra three months’ worth of stipend.

In the residence, it was only her, Xiao Yeyang, and Gu Jian. Although it was not boisterous, the three of them sat together, eating steaming hot food and chatting about their experiences since coming to Xiliang, creating an especially warm and happy atmosphere.

On the first day of the New Year, after Daohua and Xiao Yeyang had given their New Year greetings to Gu Jian, she looked at the kitchen preparing the roast whole lamb and, after some thought, called Dexi over and had him send two sheep to the porridge shelter.

There were many herdsmen in Xiliang, and as long as one had silver, one need not worry about not being able to buy beef or mutton.

Meanwhile, on the city walls, Xia Jianren’s aides didn’t accompany their families but braved the snow and wind to keep an eye on the refugees.

When they saw that the refugees’ porridge even contained bits of meat, their hearts felt cold.

"Is the Prince Residence always so extravagant?"

Not enough to serve porridge, but they’re giving meat to eat?

"Exactly how much supplies did the Xiao Residence bring?"

Given the current situation, it seemed that the goal of the Vice Minister to drive away Mr. Xiao would be indefinitely delayed.

In contrast to the aide’s sober mood, the refugees holding their bowls of thick porridge with bits of floating meat felt their eyes welling with tears.

Many of them had come to Ganzhou City with the mentality that they had nothing to lose since they couldn’t survive at home. If there were no food here, they would only have to find some deserted place to be buried in the snow and ice.

Never did they expect, they actually survived.

Some elderly and children, after suffering from the cold, managed to persevere after taking medicine.

Today, being the first day of the New Year, they even got to drink meat porridge!

"Mr. Xiao and Madam Xiao are truly good people!"

Some elderly people, while sipping their porridge, wiped tears with their hands; many of them could not even afford to have meat during the New Year at home.

The hooligans hiding among the refugees, who were prepared to take the opportunity to incite trouble, felt a sense of guilt rising within them as they witnessed this scene.

"Shall we... just leave?"

They were hooligans, but they hadn’t completely lost their conscience; it was indeed difficult for them to bring harm to someone who was relieving the people.

The ringleader of the hooligans looked at the porridge shelter, then at the soup medicine being prepared nearby, and gritted his teeth, "As long as the newly arrived Mr. Xiao can help these people make it through the fifteenth of the first lunar month, we’ll leave."

"But how will we explain ourselves to the Commander?"

"Xiliang is so vast, if we don’t return to Liangdu, won’t that resolve it?"

...

"Wasn’t the food issue resolved? Why are you still frowning?"

Daohua, holding the medicinal cuisine, returned to her room and saw Xiao Yeyang sitting in front of the desk, lost in thought. She set down the medicinal cuisine, walked over, naturally wrapped one arm around his neck and sat on his lap. _{frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓}

Xiao Yeyang clutched Daohua’s hand, "I’m thinking about the military supplies."

"Although the Imperial Court doesn’t pay much attention to Xiliang, this is still a border region, and each year they still allocate funds for military training and replacement of weapons and equipment."

"Since arriving in Xiliang, I’ve visited several border posts and found that not only are the soldiers malnourished, but their weapons and equipment are also worn and tattered. I don’t know where the Imperial Court’s allocated funds have gone!"

"Even among the military households in the stockades, there are but a few who are strong and able-bodied."