I Became a Sugar Mama to an Ancient General during a Famine! - Chapter 14 Part 1

The old woman to whom he had previously given a small rice ball approached Zhan Chengyin, carrying her granddaughter.

Her eyes no longer held that previous despair, but now sparkled with life. She and her granddaughter knelt before Zhan Chengyin.

“Thank you, General, for saving us, grandmother and granddaughter!”

As she spoke, the old woman offered her most precious possession – half an ink stick.

“General, this old woman has nothing worthy to give. This half ink stick was left by my son when he was studying years ago. Now my son and daughter-in-law are gone, leaving only my granddaughter. Please accept this!”

Following the old woman’s lead, the rest of the citizens began offering what they considered their most valuable possessions to the general.

Some offered bamboo scrolls, others bronze coins, and ancestral jade pendants.

Wealthy merchants from Zhen Guan  offered gold nuggets and gold beans…

But even more common were wild vegetable roots.

The city’s roots had been dug up; the people didn’t know how long these stores would last. The grass was withered and yellow, and the roots were covered in yellow sand…

Zhan Chengyin did not accept the vegetable roots.

His eyes glistening with tears, he looked at the citizens surrounding him with gifts. His hand trembled slightly as he accepted their offerings.

“From now on, you will no longer need to eat grass roots and tree bark.”

“The general’s mansion will cook porridge every day, providing two meals per person daily! No one will have to go hungry anymore!”

As soon as Zhan Chengyin finished speaking, everyone erupted in loud cheers…

“We have food now, we have porridge to drink!”

“This is wonderful, we can all survive now!”

“Mother, does this mean father doesn’t have to die? I don’t want to eat father’s flesh anymore!”

“My child, we are saved now, our whole family doesn’t have to die!”

“Wuu, this is great, my little sister won’t be exchanged by mother anymore!”

Everyone wept with joy.

Some knelt on the ground, laughing heartily.

Others wailed uncontrollably!

Even more people kowtowed to him, their foreheads bruised from striking the ground.

They called Zhan Chengyin a reincarnated deity, saving the common people from disaster!

Zhan Chengyin asked those kneeling to rise, then changed the subject, saying to everyone: “However, repairing the city walls, demolishing houses to rebuild, forging weapons, planting crops… all of this requires the labor of all citizens in the city.”

“Are you all willing?”

The citizens answered loudly: “We are willing!”

The general said they could plant crops, which meant there would be water.

Water~

The whole city’s people now had hope!

Even if the general’s mansion stopped providing rice porridge, everyone would have land to farm and vegetables to eat!

They would never starve to death again!

This was wonderful!

Haha, the city would have water now, making their situation so much better than those fleeing as refugees outside.

All this was bestowed by the general!

When times became prosperous, they would erect monuments and build temples for the general, praising his great achievements!

Tian Qin found several soldiers who could write and began registering what the citizens used to do for work.

For example:

Those who used to grow crops would be assigned to reclaim wasteland.

Blacksmiths would be assigned to forge weapons.

Merchants would help in constructing houses.

The elderly, weak, women and children would mend clothes.

The rest would all go to repair the city walls.

*

The porridge stall was busy until midnight, with citizens still lining up endlessly. Zhan Chengyin returned to the general’s mansion first to rest.

The vase had started producing water again.

This time the water output was extremely large, several times more than earlier that day.

A piece of white paper was placed beside the table, 「I’ve gone to rest, the remaining 1,800 bags of rice will be delivered tomorrow. Let me know if anything else is needed!」

Zhan Chengyin looked at the familiar handwriting and smiled softly.

He placed all the gifts from the citizens on the table.

These items were all gifts of gratitude from the citizens to her.

He would give them all to her tomorrow.

Uncle Li urged Zhan Chengyin to rest early.

How could he sleep now!**

The news of opening the granaries and distributing grain would soon reach the barbarian army.

Once the barbarians knew, they would attack the city more fiercely.

He opened the “Militia Military Training Manual”, “Military-Civilian Dual-Use Talent Handbook”, and “The Art of War” to study by lamplight late into the night.

*