I Became a Sugar Mama to an Ancient General during a Famine! - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Well-Fed and Strong

She handed Zhan Chengyin a note, instructing him to prepare to receive of 420,000 jin of grain.

Three hundred thousand double-layer stainless steel bowls.

Sixty-four thousand jin of horse feed and roughage.

Just then, the textile factory’s sales manager delivered oilcloth, canvas, and plain fabric.

There were forty tons of fabric, and she paid the remaining balance.

With this transaction completed, it was finished.

Due to Ye Mumu’s large purchases, the textile factory went from the brink of bankruptcy to normal operations.

The owner no longer thought about selling the factory; these deals had earned him several hundred thousand.

The sales manager was elated; he could now afford to buy a good car.

He was reluctant to lose such a valuable customer as Ye Mumu.

“Miss Ye, whatever you need, we can produce!”

Ye Mumu indeed had needs.

She knew the soldiers at the fortress had no camp or tents.

They slept on the ground, lying on sandy earth with bundles as pillows.

The fortress was scorching during the day and frigid at night; the temperature difference was extreme.

They didn’t even have beds, and she wondered how they would survive the winter.

Ye Mumu asked the manager, “Can you make single cotton quilts measuring 150×200 cm? The filling should be around 6 jin. Also, add a wool blanket measuring 180×200 cm; make it thicker.”

The sales manager was overjoyed. “Of course! Whatever you need, we can produce.”

“One hundred and fifty thousand each of single quilts and blankets.”

“Additionally, I want to order a batch of military overcoats made of cotton. This order isn’t urgent; autumn delivery is fine. I need one hundred thousand pieces!”

The sales manager smiled and said, “Excellent! We’ll switch our machines for production immediately. As for the price, I’ll discuss it at the factory and give you a quote!”

“That works!”

After seeing off the sales manager, Ye Mumu lowered the rolling door and began transporting grain along with oilcloth and canvas!

Ten minutes later, she transported the clothing and plain fabric.

Next came three carts of horse feed!

Finally, the double-layer stainless steel bowls and chopsticks were delivered.

Due to the overwhelming amount of supplies, the fortress’s warehouses were bursting; there was no extra storage space for grain.

Zhan Chengyin stored the grain in an old granary.

Although he had rewarded soldiers with many bags of rice and flour,

Four hundred and twenty thousand jin was simply too much.

It wouldn’t fit.

It truly wouldn’t fit!

Grain kept spilling out from the granary’s entrance.

Zhan Chengyin instructed Tian Qin and Xu Ming to cover it with oilcloth.

Even with this covering, they couldn’t prevent ton-sealed bags of rice from sliding beyond the oilcloth’s reach.

Patrolling soldiers saw bundles of rice falling out from under the green oilcloth.

They stole glances and chuckled quietly, continuing their patrol as if nothing had happened.

With abundant rice in the fortress, soldiers and civilians had no worries!

This was wonderful news!

Zhan Chengyin ordered Tian Qin, “Find people to continue digging pits. Lay oilcloth in the sand, place the grain inside, and cover it.”

Tian Qin nodded but wondered how large a pit they would need for 420,000 jin of grain!

The Chu refugees had just dug a large pit, which was now filled with vegetables.

After all the grain was placed, countless bolts of fabric descended from above.

It was oilcloth and heavy canvas.

The quantity was substantial—two hundred bolts of each.

Looking at the oilcloth and canvas, Zhan Chengyin thought about how none of the soldiers had tents.

He summoned Bian Ziping and Li Yuanzhong.

“Many soldiers sleep on the ground without tents or spare clothes.”

“Now we have sufficient water in the fortress. New uniforms are being distributed gradually, and everyone has received their rations.”

“Distribute the oilcloth and canvas. Have the squad leaders collect steel pipes to set up tents!”

Bian Ziping and Li Yuanzhong were delighted to hear this.

They were veterans of the Zhan family army, having followed Zhan Tianyi for many years!

The Zhan army had been distrusted by the emperor, and their treatment wasn’t good.

New recruits received only old uniforms, with no rations.

They were rewarded with fields and houses for killing enemies…

But with the severe drought, fields couldn’t grow crops, and what use were houses when entire villages were empty?

Zhan Chengyin’s rewards of rice and flour meant everything to the common soldiers.

Now everyone had grain, sleeping on their provisions each night while guarding against theft.

With tents, they would at least have basic privacy.

Bian Ziping and Li Yuanzhong happily notified the squad leaders to collect tents.

The remaining soldiers came for steel pipes to set up tents!

When the soldiers learned about the tents, they were all overjoyed…

Tents!

Previously, only thousand-man commanders and above had the privilege of tents.

Now they too could live in them.

Everyone was eager to set up tents!

Just as the oilcloth and canvas were distributed, plain fabric began falling.

Several hundred bolts!

Zhan Chengyin called Chen Kui to take it to the mansion for making clothes!

As for the Chu refugee seamstresses, they had dedicated embroidery teachers to instruct them in clothes-making.

Minutes later, three carts of horse feed descended.

Four thousand horses had consumed all their feed; there was none left for today.

The horses in their stalls neighed hoarsely in frustration.

Zhan Chengyin opened a bag of roughage; the fresh fragrance of grass wafted out.

The roughage consisted of semi-dry green shoots and alfalfa, mixed with wheat bran.

Even before the drought, nobles in the capital wouldn’t feed their horses such quality fodder.

He told Chen Wu: “Store all the horse feed in the warehouse beside the stables, and post guards.”

Seeing so much horse feed, Chen Wu couldn’t resist touching it.

The scent of fresh grass…

How long had it been since he’d smelled fresh grass!

Since the drought struck the fortress, all vegetation had died, leaving everything either parched yellow or burnt red.

He couldn’t help but grab a handful to smell deeply.

Still not satisfied, he stuffed some into his pouch.

He could already envision these four thousand horses growing plump and strong within two months.

He whistled. “Brothers, time to move the horse feed!”

Many soldiers under him had just changed into new clothes, wearing cloth shoes, their faces freshly washed.

They had all gained weight and came energetically to help move the horse feed.

A young soldier couldn’t resist opening a bag of fine feed.

Wow~

Cornmeal, bean cake, wheat bran, salt blocks…

The horses ate better than people!

A young soldier nearby truly couldn’t resist grabbing a handful of corn bits to chew.

“So fragrant, truly delicious!”

The others quickly grabbed handfuls to chew; each bite made the corn taste more delicious!

Chen Wu didn’t stop them, just urged them to finish eating and hurry to move the goods!

With many people helping, the sixty-four thousand jin of horse feed was quickly moved.

The final batch was the stainless steel bowls—three hundred thousand of them…

Delivered ten minutes later!

Zhan Chengyin mounted his horse and swiftly returned to the general’s mansion.

Wei Guang and the small mute sun saw him rushing back.

They hurried forward to greet him.

Zhan Chengyin waved his hand and said: “Close the gates, guard outside the courtyard.”

They were stunned but obediently followed the general’s orders.

They closed the main gates and stood guard outside.

Soon, various clanking sounds came from within—like metal objects colliding.

The three guards exchanged puzzled glances.

Butler Li heard the general had returned and came back from the porridge station.

Now only a few thousand civilians queued for porridge—those without family members in the military, their men dead or women missing, leaving only the elderly and children.

They couldn’t help repair houses or build walls.

They couldn’t become seamstresses either…

Feeling ashamed while queuing for porridge daily, they helped collect firewood and carry water to the military camp.

Half-grown children pushed tricycles, carrying water bucket by bucket.