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Chapter 570: Food Awaits by the Yellow River

The moment Cheng Xu issued his command, Zheng Daniu's face crumpled into a miserable grimace. "Oh, such a harsh order?" he whined. "Giving away our rations to go hungry for a day? That's torture! I don't want to starve for a day!"

Zao Ying tugged at Zheng Daniu's arm. "Daniu, you don't have any rations left anyway," she pointed out. "You ate all of mine too. Even if we didn't give the rations to the common folk, you'd still be hungry for a day."

Zheng Daniu suddenly grasped the truth, then collapsed to the ground with a thud, utterly defeated, unable to move.

Cheng Xu ignored the clowning fellow. Once the order was given, the other soldiers readily accepted it. They immediately pulled out their last remaining bits of military rations, piled them together, and handed them over to the common folk.

Ma Xianglin watched their stark commitment and couldn't help but think to himself, "When it comes to cherishing the people, I fall short compared to them."

Gritting his teeth, he turned to Zhang Fengyi and asked, "Should we just give away our rations too?"

Zhang Fengyi whispered, "Will we truly get supplies when we reach the Yellow River?"

Ma Xianglin replied, "Judging by their confidence, there should be. Though I can't quite fathom how they possess shipping capabilities this far up the Yellow River."

Zhang Fengyi pondered, "If Mother were here, she would surely help the common folk, wouldn't she?"

"Then let's give them!" Zhang Fengyi declared. "It's better than watching people starve to death."

And so, the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers also generously contributed, offering up their last bit of grain and entrusting it all to the common folk's representatives to share amongst themselves.

After the distribution was complete, Cheng Xu finally spoke. "Esteemed people, it's no longer safe for you to remain in Daning County. There's no food here, and no city walls. Bandits could return at any moment, plunging you back into danger. Why not simply come with us? We can find you a safe haven."

How could the common folk refuse? Having just survived such a calamity, they were now desperate to follow this army that cherished the people as if they were their own children. They all agreed in unison.

And so, soldiers and civilians merged, forming a vast procession of nearly ten thousand people. They abandoned Daning County town and began their westward march towards the Yellow River.

The heavy rain continued to fall. Was fear gripping their hearts...?

Forty *li* was a truly arduous journey for these long-starved common folk. Fortunately, they had just consumed military rations and gained a little strength, allowing them to push on, albeit with difficulty.

They trekked westward, struggling along the Xinshui River.

They passed several villages scorched by bandits, vast stretches of desolate, uninhabited land.

With the bitter winter weather and the ceaseless rain, everyone grew more exhausted and hungrier with each step.

The meager midday meal had barely sustained them, but by dinner time, the common folk, the White Pole Soldiers, and even the Gao Family Village Militia were all cold, weary, and ravenous, feeling as though they could barely hold on.

"Almost there! The Yellow River isn't far ahead!" Cheng Xu shouted, rallying his spirits. "Just two more *li*, and we'll reach the Yellow River!"

"Food, at the Yellow River? Can it really be true?" The common folk were hesitant to believe.

Ma Xianglin, too, found it hard to believe, but at this point, he had no choice but to trust. "Keep going, everyone, push through! Just two more *li*!"

"Ah, someone's collapsed over here!"

"Help him onto a horse!" ordered Zao Ying. One of her cavalrymen immediately dismounted, offered his horse to the fallen person, and began walking while leading his steed.

"Another one collapsed over here."

"Mount him!" And another cavalryman began to walk.

Finally, they reached the Yellow River...

Ahead lay the confluence of the Xinshui River and the Yellow River.

The exhausted common folk sank to the ground by the Yellow River, unable to take another step.

Ma Xianglin walked to the river's edge and stopped. "Here, there will be grain?"

Gao Chuwu grinned broadly. "Soon, the boats will arrive."

Ma Xianglin furrowed his brow.

Gao Chuwu pointed a hand toward the river channel to the south. "Look!"

Ma Xianglin gazed south. What he saw truly startled him: three cargo ships were moving upstream, heading directly toward them.

The Yellow River's currents were swift, making navigation difficult, yet these three ships, devoid of sails or even a single oar, ascended the rapid river with remarkable speed and apparent ease.

The vessels were simple, flat-decked cargo ships, their decks laden with goods piled high like small mountains. Oilcloth covered the mounds, obscuring their contents.

Yet, even unseen, their purpose could be guessed!

Ma Xianglin exclaimed excitedly, "These three ships... are they all carrying grain?"

"No, not all of them," Gao Chuwu chuckled. "Two are carrying grain, and the third is laden with military supplies: gunpowder, bullets, tents, beans for the warhorses, and so on."

Ma Xianglin stared, dumbfounded. "You've been with us this entire time, and no messenger has come to bring you news. How could you know the exact movements of this fleet? And how did this fleet know we would arrive at this stretch of the riverbank at precisely this moment?"

Gao Chuwu merely kept chuckling, but this time, he said nothing, leaving a trail of mysterious laughter in his wake.

It turned out the Puppet Heavenly Lord had instructed him to remain silent; it wasn't yet time to explain things to Ma Xianglin.

The three large ships slowly drew alongside the bank. Then, a very young soldier, perhaps seventeen or eighteen years old, leaped from one of them. He wore no armor, only a flintlock rifle slung across his back. His skin was quite fair, and his demeanor was refined and scholarly.

One look, and you'd assume this fellow wasn't cut out for war.

Cheng Xu chuckled. "Well, Wang Tang, look who it is! You're already ready for active duty?"

Wang Tang smiled. "The village is short-staffed, and it's time for our younger generation to get some experience. Besides, the Heavenly Lord said that a portion of these supplies needs to be handed over to the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers, and everything must be recorded meticulously. Army ledgers can't be haphazardly scribbled down like before; illiterates simply can't manage it. It requires someone who can read and write, so here I am."

It turned out that this Wang Tang was the adopted son of Principal Wang from the Gao Family Village School.

He was also one of the outstanding figures among Gao Family Village's second generation.

He had joined the army at a young age, and relying on his superior knowledge compared to ordinary soldiers, he primarily worked in logistics.

Although he hadn't participated in actual combat, his position within the militia was not low, equivalent to a commander-level rank.

Wang Tang held a notebook in his left hand and a pen in his right. Then, he waved to the crew on the ships. "Unload the cargo!"

The crew responded with a shout and immediately began moving items off the ships.

Wang Tang stood beside them, recording: "One basket, two baskets, three baskets..."

Once the crew temporarily ceased their work, he made a flourish with his pen and wrote: "Two hundred baskets of flour and fifty baskets of canned meat are now transferred to the frontline troops, to be received by He Jiu."

After writing, he handed the paper to Cheng Xu. "Instructor He, please sign here to confirm your receipt of two hundred baskets of flour and fifty baskets of canned meat. Only then can I account for it to the village treasury."