In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 740 Chenjia Village Through Zhang Xiaoniu's Eyes

As the sun was about to set, the city gates of Taiping County were completely closed, and wisps of smoke rose from the temporary camp of the army outside the city. Soldiers came in twos and threes to the temporary kitchen in the camp to prepare for dinner.

"I wonder if the food will be any better today. I've been eating dry rations every day lately, and my mouth is getting so bland!"

“Li Daniu, I think you don’t know how lucky you are. In the past, you wouldn’t even have enough dry rations to eat.”

"That's right! In the past, Li Daniu wouldn't even have enough bran to eat, let alone dry rations!"

"Things are much better now than before. We can even eat dry rations when we're on the road. Before, we couldn't even get enough bran to eat."

"Yes! If we hadn't joined the Yang Family Army, we wouldn't be living such a good life."

"..."

It is clear from the soldiers' remarks that most of them are satisfied with their current lives.

They used to go hungry, unable to get enough to eat even the cheapest bran and chaff. Now, they have rations to eat even while marching.

Although dry food is dry and hard to swallow, drinking more water can alleviate this, which is much better than food like bran powder that burns the throat and doesn't keep you full.

Upon arriving at the mess hall, the soldiers lined up in an orderly fashion and took turns receiving their meals.

Wei Kui, who was mixed in with the crowd, turned to Zhang Xiaoniu behind him and said, "Xiaoniu, I saw a lot of chickens and ducks among the supplies sent out from the city just now. Do you think we'll have meat to eat tonight?"

"there must be."

Before Zhang Xiaoniu could speak, a soldier behind him said, "I saw the cooks slaughtering chickens and ducks earlier!"

"Great!"

Upon hearing this, both Wei Kui and the nearby soldiers became excited.

Although they can accept dry rations, it doesn't mean they don't want to eat better food.

Especially after eating dry rations for six consecutive days, their craving for meat became even stronger.

Therefore, everyone was very excited when they heard that there was meat to eat, and they couldn't wait to go up and get their food.

At that moment, the soldier at the front of the line also received his meal, his eyes sparkling with surprise.

"Today's meals aren't dry rations!"

Looking at the plump white steamed buns on his plate and the enticing aroma of chicken soup in his bowl, the soldier didn't want to linger for a moment. He quickly grabbed his plate and ran to an open space, where he enjoyed a bite of steamed bun and a sip of chicken soup.

At the same time, a large number of soldiers also received their meals and gathered in small groups to enjoy them, praising them as they ate.

"This chicken soup smells so good!"

"Yes! On such a cold day, a sip of hot chicken soup makes me feel warm all over."

"There's meat in the chicken soup! That's great!"

"I heard that this chicken was sent from Chenjia Village. Chenjia Village must be really rich!"

"That's right! When I passed through Chenjia Village this afternoon, I took a special look inside. Wow, even the roads in Chenjia Village are paved with bricks and stones. They look really rich."

“The people of Chenjia Village all have rosy complexions, and you can tell they eat meat every day. They are much richer than us Liangzhou people.”

"If only our Liangzhou could be as prosperous as Chenjia Village!"

"..."

As the soldiers enjoyed the delicious chicken soup, they couldn't help but think of Chenjia Village, which they had passed through that afternoon. Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, the village's wealth had left a deep impression on them.

Everyone in Chenjia Village had rosy complexions, even the children had red lips and white teeth, which made them very envious.

It should be noted that due to the barren land, most people in Liangzhou were starving and emaciated, and even the children were mostly skin and bones. Their appearance was vastly different from that of the people in Chenjia Village.

"calf."

Hearing the other soldiers' chatter, Wei Kui said to Zhang Xiaoniu behind him, "This Chenjia Village is really kind! They're actually willing to give us meat to eat."

"Uh-huh."

Zhang Xiaoniu nodded repeatedly, feeling even more favorably disposed towards Chenjia Village.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard the name Chenjia Village. He knew from his time in the Liangzhou military camp that the chickens and ducks there came from Chenjia Village.

At that time, his understanding of Chenjia Village was very limited, and he did not know exactly what Chenjia Village looked like.

Now that I've come to Qingzhou and passed through Chenjia Village, I have a clear understanding of it.

Based on hearsay, Zhang Xiaoniu formed a concrete image of Chenjia Village in his mind: prosperous, generous, and where everyone could eat their fill and stay warm...

In short, the Chenjia Village that Zhang Xiaoniu envisioned was almost like a fairyland.

There, everyone can have enough to eat and wear, everyone can earn enough to support their family, and everyone can walk proudly between heaven and earth...

This was the life Zhang Xiaoniu had always dreamed of. He couldn't help but think that if he had been born in Chenjia Village, he would probably have grown taller.

While Zhang Xiaoniu was lost in his fantasies, it was his and Wei Kui's turn to get their food.

The two received their food from the cook, then found a flat open space, squatted down, and prepared to enjoy their meal for the night.

"This chicken soup smells so good!"

Wei Kui picked up the bowl of chicken soup, sniffed, and immediately smelled a sweet and refreshing aroma. The oil floating on the surface of the soup and the pieces of chicken at the bottom of the bowl made Wei Kui's eyes light up!

He picked up the bowl, took a sip of the chicken soup, and a look of enjoyment instantly appeared on his face.

The savory and sweet taste was so irresistible that Wei Kui was reluctant to swallow the soup. Instead, he savored it for a moment before finally swallowing it with lingering reluctance.

"Comfortable~"

Wei Kui let out a long sigh. In this cold weather, the hot chicken soup warmed his whole body, and even the fatigue from marching seemed to dissipate.

"Little Niu, you must try this chicken soup, it tastes absolutely delicious!"

"Row."

Zhang Xiaoniu also picked up the chicken soup and took a sip. Instantly, the same look of enjoyment appeared on his face as Wei Kui had just done.

"It tastes so good."

After a sip of chicken soup, Zhang Xiaoniu instantly felt much of the coldness dissipate. Even his limbs, which had been stiff from the cold, warmed up, and his body, exhausted from the long march, seemed to be infused with some strength.

"Chicken soup with steamed buns is a perfect match!"

Wei Kui took a bite of the steamed bun and nodded in admiration, unconsciously speeding up his eating and devouring the buns on his plate in a flash.

Zhang Xiaoniu was not to be outdone, wolfing down his steamed bun.

In no time at all, the two finished off the steamed buns and chicken soup on their plates, and then their eyes were fixed on the pieces of chicken in the bowl.