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

Su Jin was in charge of recording and assigning tasks, keeping her extremely busy.

Following Qin Shaolang's instructions, she quantified everyone's workload.

For example, collecting a certain number of kilograms of firewood earns one work point. Cleaning a certain number of kilograms of pork earns two work points.

In the evening, they would be assessed and classified into three classes, A, B, and C, based on the number of work points they had accumulated.

This simple and clear performance system has greatly motivated everyone to work harder.

Su Tang was also assigned a task.

Her task was simple: to change the dressings for the wounded soldiers whose wounds had been stitched up.

The little girl was very scared at first, but seeing the pained wounded and the expectant expressions on the faces of their families, she mustered up her courage.

Under Qin Shaolang's guidance, she learned how to clean wounds with boiled linen and how to evenly sprinkle medicinal powder.

Her movements were clumsy, but earnest.

Watching her younger sister's small figure weave through the wounded, Su Jin felt a lump in her throat.

She knew that she and her sisters were growing up rapidly under this man's influence in a way she had never imagined.

By evening, the first batch of smoked meat was ready.

The originally bright red meat strips turned into an enticing golden yellow, with a layer of glistening oil on top.

Qin Shaolang picked up a piece, cut off a small slice with a knife, and put it in his mouth.

The meat is firm, with a moderate saltiness and a rich smoky flavor.

It was more successful than he had imagined.

"Sir, is this...is it ready to eat?" Wang Tiezhu asked, his mouth watering.

"It's ready to eat." Qin Shaolang nodded. "Pass on my order: everyone who participated in the labor today will be promoted one grade. Those in Grade A will receive an extra piece of smoked meat."

"Alright!" Wang Tiezhu shouted excitedly and immediately ran to relay the order.

A deafening cheer erupted once again from the valley.

That evening, a bonfire was also lit in Qin Shaolang's wooden cabin.

Su Tang carefully placed a piece of smoked meat on the fire to roast, the oil dripping and making a sizzling sound.

Qin Shaolang leaned against the wall, closing his eyes to rest.

Su Jin sat not far from him, holding a piece of charcoal and a smooth wooden board, organizing today's work points records.

The atmosphere inside the room was quiet and cozy.

"Today, someone asked me if you used to be a military judge in the imperial army," Su Jin suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Qin Shaolang didn't open his eyes: "Why do you ask that?"

"Your rules, with their clear rewards and punishments and strict hierarchy, don't seem like something a doctor would come up with," Su Jin said softly. "They're more like... military laws."

Qin Shaolang did not answer.

Su Jin did not ask any further questions.

She simply looked up at the man's angular profile in the firelight.

"My father used to tell me that the key to governing an army lies in the two words: rewards and punishments. Rewards must be given with integrity, and punishments must be carried out effectively."

Su Jin's tone carried a hint of nostalgia.

He said that only in this way could a fierce and battle-hardened army be trained.

Qin Shaolang finally opened his eyes.

He looked at Su Jin, this woman, who always inadvertently revealed insights that were inconsistent with her status.

"What does your father do?" he asked.

Su Jin shifted her gaze from the flickering flames back to the wooden board recording work points.

Her voice was very soft, as if it might disappear into the air at any moment.

"My father... was once a clerk in the general's mansion."

Clerk?

Qin Shaolang pondered the word in his mind.

Would a clerk discuss with his daughter the idea that "the way to govern an army lies in rewards and punishments"?

How could a clerk's daughter calmly remind him to "eradicate evil completely" after seeing a dead body?

lie.

At least, not the whole truth.

But he didn't ask any further questions.

Everyone has secrets.

Especially someone like her, who escaped from the hellish road of exile with her sister.

Her secret is her armor.

Forcibly peeling it open will only hurt her.

Qin Shaolang shifted to a more comfortable position and gave a soft "hmm".

Let's leave this topic at that.

Su Jin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as well.

She lowered her head and continued to write and draw on the wooden board with charcoal, but at a much slower pace.

The atmosphere in the room returned to tranquility.

The only sounds were the crackling of the campfire and the sizzling of oil dripping from Su Tang's grilled meat.

It was so warm and cozy, it didn't seem like it was in this chaotic world.

Qin Shaolang even felt a little sleepy.

however.

"Mr. Qin! Mr. Qin, something terrible has happened!"

A piercing cry shattered the tranquility of the valley.

Immediately following were the sounds of hurried footsteps and gasps from many more people.

"Go and call Mr. Qin quickly!"

"Oh my stomach... I'm going to die... I'm going to die..."

"Wow--"

The cries of children, the screams of men, and the shrieks of women were all mixed together.

Qin Shaolang suddenly opened his eyes, the languidness in them vanishing instantly, replaced by a cold sharpness.

He leaped up.

Su Jin and Su Tang were also startled, and the smoked meat in Su Tang's hand fell into the fire.

Something's happened.

Qin Shaolang uttered three words, grabbed the knife hanging on the wall, and strode out of the wooden house.

Su Jin followed closely behind.

The scene outside the wooden house was chaotic.

A dozen or so people lay sprawled around the campfire.

There were men and women, but mostly children.

They were all pale-faced, clutching their stomachs and rolling on the ground, groaning in pain.

There were several puddles of vomit nearby, emitting a foul, sour smell.

"What's going on?" Qin Shaolang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that instantly drowned out all the cries and screams.

A woman who seemed unharmed scrambled over, crying and shouting, "Mr. Qin, I don't know what happened, after we ate the meat, everyone... and then this happened! Was the pig demon's meat poisonous? Is it taking revenge on us?!"

"The pig demon's revenge?"

"Yes! Definitely! We killed its offspring and descendants, and it has come to claim our lives!"

Panic, like a plague, began to spread among the people.

Those who were still unharmed also changed their expressions, looking at the meat they hadn't finished eating in their hands with horror.

"Nonsense!"

Qin Shaolang's shout was like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

He walked over to a seven or eight-year-old boy who was writhing in pain and squatted down beside him.

Open your mouth.

The boy was in so much pain that he was covered in sweat and couldn't hear anything.

Without saying a word, Qin Shaolang grabbed the boy's chin and forced him to open his mouth.

A strong, sour, rotten smell wafted over.

He looked at the boy's tongue coating; it was thick, greasy, and yellow.

Then, he grabbed the boy's wrist and placed three fingers on his pulse.

The pulse is slippery, strong, and forceful.

Qin Shaolang released his grip, having already made his judgment.

He quickly checked several other people, and their symptoms were largely the same.

It's not poisoning.

I ate too much.

And it was because the food was too oily.

These people have been in a state of prolonged hunger, and their digestive systems are already weak.

I ate a lot of greasy smoked meat today, and my stomach and intestines couldn't digest it at all; it all got stuck.

In traditional Chinese medicine, it is called "food stagnation," while in Western medicine it is called "acute gastroenteritis."