In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

Outside, it was a sea of ​​revelry.

People's joy is real and understandable.

After being starved for so long, no one could remain calm in the face of a mountain of meat.

But Qin Shaolang's brows furrowed.

He knew that a problem had arisen.

There are too many wild boars.

Dozens of wild boars, with a total meat yield of over ten thousand kilograms.

There are only about a hundred people in the valley. Even if they eat their fill, they can't finish eating in a day or two.

What's the weather like now?

Even in late summer and early autumn, the weather remains hot.

If not handled properly, this pork will start to rot and smell within a day at most.

In that case, these life-saving foods will become the source of the plague.

A great victory could very well turn into a great disaster.

No.

It must be dealt with immediately.

Qin Shaolang suddenly opened his eyes, his face, which had just regained a trace of color, turning cold and serious once again.

He stood up and strode outside.

"Where are you going?" Su Jin asked instinctively.

Seeing Qin Shaolang's expression, she had a bad feeling.

This man seems to never know fatigue.

"Processing meat."

Qin Shaolang uttered three words and walked out of the wooden house.

A campfire has been lit in the open space of the valley.

The men excitedly dragged the wild boars to the open ground, while the women surrounded their spoils, exclaiming in amazement.

Several impatient men had already cut large chunks of pork with knives, skewered them on wooden sticks, and placed them directly over the fire to roast.

As the grease dripped into the flames, it sizzled, and a rich aroma of meat began to fill the air.

Everyone was drawn in by the aroma, craning their necks and their Adam's apples bobbing.

Zhao Wu and Li Si were trying their best to maintain order and prevent people from looting, but with little effect.

Discipline appears so fragile in the face of the instinct for survival.

Just then, Qin Shaolang walked over.

He didn't speak, he just stood there quietly.

But his appearance was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the enthusiastic atmosphere at the scene.

The once noisy crowd gradually quieted down.

All eyes were on him.

The man who was grilling meat froze in mid-air, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

"Sir..." Zhao Wu saw Qin Shaolang and quickly walked over.

"Gather all the pigs in that open space over there," Qin Shaolang said, pointing to a relatively open and flat area at the entrance of the valley.

"Yes!" Zhao Wu replied loudly without asking why.

"Li Si." Qin Shaolang looked at Li Si again.

"Sir, I'm here!"

"Select twenty quick and efficient men to remove all the pigs' internal organs and clean them thoroughly. Collect the pig's blood in a wooden basin; don't waste it."

"clear!"

"The rest of you, women and children, go and gather firewood, the more the better. Dry firewood."

Qin Shao-Lang's orders came one after another, clear and decisive.

"Sir, we..." a man couldn't help but ask, "Aren't we... not going to eat now?"

He pointed to the piece of meat on the fire, which had already turned golden brown, and swallowed.

Qin Shaolang's gaze swept across the entire room.

"Do you want to eat meat every day, or just this one meal?"

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it clearly.

Everyone looked at each other.

Is there even a need to ask this question?

"If you want to eat meat every day, do as I say," Qin Shaolang said calmly. "If this meat isn't processed, it will all rot by tomorrow. Then you won't be able to get a single bite."

One sentence sent a chill down everyone's spine.

It's going to rot?

They then realized what was happening.

Yes, there's so much meat, how could we possibly finish it all in one meal!

Looking at the mountain of pig carcasses, the ecstasy on everyone's faces was gradually replaced by a lingering fear.

They almost ruined this incredible opportunity.

"We'll do as the master says!" Zhao Wu shouted, raising his arm. "Quickly! Get moving!"

The crowd responded immediately.

"Go move the pigs!"

"I'm going to find a basin of blood!"

"Children, come with me to gather firewood!"

The chaotic scene just moments ago became orderly in just a few words from Qin Shao-Lang.

People's enthusiasm did not diminish; on the contrary, it was guided in the right direction.

Everyone was full of energy.

Because they know that everything they do now is related to their food and clothing for a long time to come.

As Qin Shaolang watched the crowd bustling about again, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.

What he needs to make is smoked meat and dried meat.

This is the best way to preserve meat to the greatest extent possible when there is not enough salt.

He walked up to Zhao Wu and whispered, "Zhao Wu, take a few men and go around the valley to cut some cypress and pine branches."

"Cypress branches? Pine branches?" Zhao Wu asked, somewhat puzzled.

"For smoking meat," Qin Shaolang explained. "Remember, not wet ones, but fresh branches cut from living trees."

"Okay, I'll go right away!" Zhao Wu immediately accepted the order and left.

After arranging everything, Qin Shaolang finally felt a real sense of exhaustion.

He walked to a tree and sat down against the trunk.

Su Jin had followed them out without anyone noticing.

She held a water pouch in her hand, walked up to Qin Shaolang, and handed it to him.

Qin Shaolang took the water pouch and took a big gulp.

"Aren't you going to rest?" Su Jin asked softly, looking at his pale face.

"We can't rest yet." Qin Shaolang shook his head and looked to the other side.

Over there, several men who had been seriously wounded in the battle were lying on the ground groaning.

Their wounds were only hastily bandaged, and blood was still seeping out.

"I need to treat the wounded first." Qin Shaolang stood up and walked towards the wounded.

Su Jin watched Qin Shaolang's retreating figure as he walked towards the wounded. His once upright body now exuded a weary, almost swaying gait.

She gripped the water pouch tightly in her hand, and without thinking twice, she followed after him.

At the other end of the open space, the atmosphere was completely different from the revelry just now.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and suppressed groans.

Seven or eight men lay on the spread-out hay, surrounded by their families, their faces filled with anxiety and helplessness.

These are all warriors who were injured by the tusks of wild boars or by being rammed by wild boars while hunting them.

Their wounds were simply bound with strips of cloth, the dark bloodstains of which had soaked through the cloth, making them a shocking sight in the dim firelight.

"Ouch...it hurts so much..."

A man with a broken arm had cold sweat on his forehead and his teeth were grinding together.

Another man had a half-foot-long gash cut open on his thigh, the flesh turned inside out, revealing the white bone. He was in so much pain that he was about to faint.

Seeing this scene, Su Jin's heart clenched.

Although she came from a noble family, she had witnessed many life-and-death situations during her exile. She knew that under such rudimentary conditions, suffering such severe injuries was essentially tantamount to having one foot in the grave.

Even if they manage to survive, their wounds are likely to fester and ooze pus, eventually leading to their death in endless agony.

Qin Shaolang's arrival gave these desperate people a glimmer of hope.

"teacher!"

"Sir, please save my master!"

"Sir, please!"

The families of the injured soldiers gathered around, their eyes filled with pleading.