They were few in number, only a little over five hundred in the entire department, and three hundred of them were men, that was true.
However, over twenty were patients and had already joined the ranks of the old, weak, sick, and disabled.
The remaining two hundred and eighty, let's call them two hundred and eighty, were guarding the water source, reclaiming wasteland, and preparing for unexpected needs to protect these people. That left only a little over a hundred.
A little over a hundred people, to intercept the government's military supplies?
"Is this wise?" Meng Shaode stood up straight and said, "They are fully armed and invulnerable. My arrows can pierce armor, but my strength alone is not enough to seize this batch of weapons."
Ma Peng, hearing this, knew it was a risky gamble:
"Brother Meng, don't worry. Chu Lin will escort you with thirty skilled fighters. Moreover, the scouts reported that this escort only consists of ten cavalry, twenty infantry, and a driver, making a total of fifty-two people."
Meng Shaode heard this, "Only fifty-two people escorting the military supplies?"
Ma Peng paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, "Indeed, to avoid detection, they wouldn't dare to make a big show and would even pretend to be refugees."
"Chu Lin is willing to share life and death with Brother Meng." Chu Lin suddenly entered from outside the door, cupped his hands, and bowed to Meng Shaode on one knee.
Meng Shaode couldn't bear it and quickly helped him up:
"We all share the same aspirations, how can you perform such a grand ceremony."
...
On Ah Jiu's side, she saw that the place her grandmother was planting looked good, the soil was fertile, and she was watering it with spiritual spring water.
"Grandma, how long have you been planting?"
"Over an hour," Wang Shi was still annoyed. If her granddaughter wasn't such a well-behaved person, she would have suspected her granddaughter of playing a trick on her.
He clearly remembered that after his granddaughter watered it, a few leaves had grown in less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Ah Jiu was also puzzled. She took out another water skin from her怀 and poured more water, fearing that her grandmother had absorbed all the spiritual energy, causing it to not sprout yet.
After pouring, the grandmother and granddaughter looked at each other, head to head, face to face.
They stared until their eyes were dry and teary. Ah Jiu blinked and rubbed her eye corners. Oh dear, it still hadn't sprouted.
This...
"Grandma, this is not right," Ah Jiu frowned, how could this happen?
"Jiu'er, are you playing tricks on me?" Wang Shi was unhappy.
"I'm not playing tricks on you. Wait, Grandma, I think this stone looks so ugly. Could that be the reason?"
Ah Jiu pointed to a stone nearby.
The stone was full of small holes, as if ants had drilled through it, but its color radiated a metallic sheen.
There were many such strange stones scattered around the vicinity.
"Hey, you girl, you're not going to say that the ginseng is so disgusted by the ugly stone that it doesn't want to live?" Wang Shi huffed angrily with her hands behind her back.
The cold wind howled. Ah Jiu, shivering, had to mobilize some of her vital energy to protect herself.
"I'll go try planting it in the valley."
Ah Jiu, unwilling to waste it, dug out the ginseng seeds from the damp soil and dug several pits in the place where she had cut grass during the day.
After a series of actions, Ah Jiu suddenly noticed green sprouts breaking through the soil:
"Grandma, come and see."
Wang Shi's enthusiasm had waned. She lazily walked over and her eyes widened:
"Hey, this ginseng is too much of a bully."
Ah Jiu covered her mouth and laughed heartily at her grandmother, "Didn't I say so? It's very likely because of that ugly stone."
"Inconceivable." Wang Shi truly couldn't understand, but she returned to the original spot with great interest and squatted there, seemingly studying something.
Ah Jiu stared intently at the ginseng. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
It was visibly growing against the wind. Since she had to wait anyway, Ah Jiu decided to meditate and practice qi like her grandmother, dressed thinly but unafraid of the cold.
She took this opportunity to meditate and practice qi.
Time passed little by little, but Ah Jiu was completely unaware, as if she were isolated from the world.
Until Wang Shi's voice called out, "Girl, look."
Ah Jiu opened her eyes then, and the sight made her freeze.