Everyone gathered along the banks of the Yellow River and ate until they were truly full.
There were bowls of hot noodles, slices of luncheon meat mixed in generously, the steam rising into the rain-soaked air as if even the cold heavens were momentarily softened by the scent.
After this solid, hearty meal, the weariness from the long march out of Daning County finally seemed to melt away. Those common folk who had collapsed earlier, unable to take another step, now stood up again. With food in their bellies, strength returned to their limbs, color crept back into their faces, and their eyes no longer looked dull and lifeless, but alert and bright.
The remaining food was carefully divided. Each person wrapped a small portion and tucked it into their clothes, pressing it close to their bodies as if it were treasure, guarding it with instinctive caution born from years of hunger.
Once the eating was done, however, a question naturally surfaced.
Where were they supposed to go next?
This was not only a problem for the common folk. It was just as much a dilemma for the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers.
"General Xing," Ma Xianglin said as he approached Xing Honglang, his expression turning serious, "we now face two pressing issues. First, how to deal with the bandits. Second, how to resettle these common folk."
Xing Honglang nodded slowly. "We definitely cannot send them back to Daning County. The town is still far too dangerous. There are no proper defenses, and we cannot leave troops there forever. The moment we withdraw, the roaming bandits will return. And next time, the Chuang Wang may not be as merciful."
Ma Xianglin frowned. "Then how do you intend to resettle them?"
"Other than relocation, there is no better option," Xing Honglang replied calmly. "We will move them south, far away from the areas the bandits frequent."
Ma Xianglin hesitated. "Relocating several thousand people is no small matter. If there is no farmland for them at the destination, they will not be able to survive in the long term."
"General Ma, you need not worry," Xing Honglang said with a light laugh. "I will take them to my territory and arrange work for them."
Ma Xianglin's eyes immediately lit up. "You are planning to have them join you in smuggling salt?"
"Hey!" Zhang Fengyi cut in sharply. "Why do your eyes sparkle every time someone mentions salt smuggling?"
Ma Xianglin defended himself without shame. "It is profitable. I also want to earn money so the people of Wan Shou Zhai can eat meat."
Zhang Fengyi let out a helpless sigh. "Can we not aspire to something a little greater?"
Ma Xianglin shot back at once. "Is making sure our villagers have meat to eat not aspiring to something greater? Then what is? A general gaining fame while standing on a mountain of corpses?"
At those words, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly turned heavy.
Indeed.
For a general, which was truly the greater achievement? To carve out glory atop countless bones, or to ensure that the people under one's protection could eat their fill?
The group fell into a brief, somber silence, each person lost in their own thoughts.
Just then, Zheng Daniu's head popped out of nowhere. "If a great general earns merit, does that mean he gets ten thousand bones to chew on as much as he likes? That sounds incredible. Bone soup is better than meat."
Everyone froze.
Zao Ying reacted instantly, grabbing Zheng Daniu and dragging him away. "Do not blurt things out at moments like this. You will make everyone think you are an idiot."
"But bone soup really is delicious," Zheng Daniu insisted stubbornly.
Zao Ying sighed. "When we get back, I will treat you to pork bone soup."
Zheng Daniu's eyes went unfocused as drool nearly escaped his mouth. "Instructor Zao is truly a good person."
Zao Ying punched him squarely on the shoulder, hard enough to make him stagger. "Stop calling me Instructor Zao all the time. That sounds too distant. What kind of relationship do we have, anyway?"
"That is true," Zheng Daniu said seriously after thinking for a moment. "Good buddies? Is that intimate enough?"
Zao Ying collapsed on the spot, unable to get back up.
Xing Honglang stepped forward and addressed the refugees in a clear, steady voice. "Everyone, you have eaten your fill, regained your strength, and you still have some food saved for later. You can hold out for a few more days. But if you return to Daning County, it will be extremely dangerous."
The common folk naturally understood. Fear flickered across many faces, and they looked at Xing Honglang with a mixture of anxiety and hope, not knowing what choice to make.
"If you trust me," Xing Honglang continued, pointing toward the three large cargo ships still docked by the riverbank, "then board my ships. Follow my people and go to a safe place. There will be others waiting there to arrange work for you. You can live there for now. Once the bandit trouble in the north subsides, it will not be too late to return to Daning County."
How could they not trust her?
She had given them flour and meat with her own hands. Any commoner with a clear mind knew that this woman, plain in appearance yet steady in bearing, was a good person.
She might not have looked imposing, but her heart was kind.
"We trust the General!"
"We will follow the General!"
"Good," Xing Honglang said decisively. "Then board the ships in groups and depart."
Once the arrangements were settled, Xing Honglang turned back to Ma Xianglin. "General Ma, the common folk will leave by ship from here. As for us, I am afraid new tasks await."
Ma Xianglin nodded gravely. "Now that the people are resettled and we have provisions, we must continue pursuing the bandit army. The bandits have already withdrawn from Puxian and Changning County. Their next move will surely be north. With their current numbers, small towns will not satisfy them. They are very likely headed for Taiyuan."
Xing Honglang had already considered this possibility. However, she had no intention of continuing north toward Taiyuan. It was simply too far. The Gao Family Village Militia relied heavily on gunpowder and bullets, and their logistics could not sustain extended operations far from their base.
A Chassepot Rifle unit could consume the labor of a thousand men in just two minutes.
Unlike armies that relied purely on cold weapons and could march thousands of li as long as they had grain, the Gao Family Village forces could not casually stray far from their supply lines.
With no other choice, Xing Honglang cupped her fists. "General Ma, I am only the garrison commander of Puzhou. I cannot venture too far from my post. This location is already more than three hundred li from Puzhou. Continuing north might be suitable for you, but it is not appropriate for me. The furthest I can go is the vicinity of Pingyang Prefecture."
Ma Xianglin considered her words carefully. Her reasoning was sound. She was, after all, a pacified bandit leader. If she remained within her designated territory, the court would have nothing to say. But if she roamed freely far from it, suspicion would inevitably fall upon her.
With that in mind, Ma Xianglin could only cup his fists in return. "In that case, let us part ways here and proceed on separate paths."
Xing Honglang returned the gesture. "The green mountains remain, the waters continue to flow. We will meet again."
Ma Xianglin burst out laughing. "Hahaha, that farewell truly sounds like something from the jianghu. Let me try as well. The green mountains do not…"
Zhang Fengyi shot him a sharp warning look.
Ma Xianglin immediately swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Soon after, Ma Xianglin led the White Pole Soldiers away. With fine flour and luncheon meat carefully packed away and their morale high, the White Pole Soldiers resumed their march northward, continuing the pursuit of the bandits.
Xing Honglang remained by the riverbank, overseeing the evacuation of the three thousand common folk. Boat after boat departed, carrying them toward Puzhou. Only after the last group was safely on its way did she turn toward the Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun.
"What should we do next?" she asked respectfully. "Please instruct us."
The Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun fell silent for a long moment, then spoke. "Return to Pingyang Prefecture. Hold the line and prevent the bandits from moving south. Consolidate what we already control. As for the north, for now, we can only entrust it to Song Tongyin, the Governor of Shanxi."