As dusk deepened, the snow blanketed the streets like a thick layer of cotton candy, suffusing the skies with shades of crimson.
Ying Bing watched Li Mo’s nonchalant expression and inexplicably felt a desire to curl her fingers, but since she was holding onto candy, which he had completely wrapped up, there was really nowhere to retreat.
Cold?
Even during the fiercest blizzards, she never truly felt cold. With her icy skin and elegant bone structure, a little wind and frost were nothing to worry about.
She had long gotten used to it.
Without knowing cold, one naturally wouldn’t know warmth.
But with her left hand outside and her right hand cozily tucked in his pocket, wrapped up in his warm, big hand, the contrast of cold and warm suddenly hit her.
“Maybe a little.”
“!”
To be honest, Little Li hadn’t even realized what he had subconsciously said just now.
What a joke—would an ice chunk be cold?
But her delicate little hand felt surprisingly warm in his grip, prompting Li Mo to scrutinize her expression.
Though Ying Bing maintained a straight face, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks, as if the dusk outside had snuck in on her.
With clear, spirited eyes fixed on the window, she watched as the twilight blended the day and night, intertwining shadows and light.
“I’m definitely going to learn crafting skills in the future!”
Tiger, observing the two inside the carriage, rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
He used to think that all candy tasted the same in his mouth, so why go through the trouble of painting it?
But he now desperately wanted to capture this scene in sweet, syrupy paint. Perhaps this was what Grandpa meant by…
Candy is sweet in the mouth, but art is sweet in the heart?
Suddenly, at the end of the street, the sound of horses and carts echoed, as a covered wagon crushed the snow into deep tracks.
The convoy was flanked by two rows of soldiers, clearly from the Green Wood Camp, based on their attire.
“Young Hero Li.”
Leading the charge was Qu Sheng, a minor general whom Li Mo had seen yesterday at the Tavern.
He immediately reined in his horse and cupped his fists in greeting.
“Regrettably, I’ve been occupied with military duties and couldn’t witness Young Hero Li’s flair during the military exercise.”
“What have you been busy with?”
Li Mo casually asked.
Then he winked over to Tiger, who immediately widened his eyes in surprise.
“Winter’s about to hit. All this is for arranging military supplies!”
“No wonder there’s so much.”
“That’s not even the half of it! Sigh, with 80,000 soldiers and logistics, over a hundred thousand mouths to feed.”
Upon saying this, the minor general frowned.
“Who knows if we can scrape through the year with these supplies?”
The minor general nodded and headed off with the supplies, leaving Li Mo raising an eyebrow.
From what this minor general said, it seemed the Green Wood Camp was short on provisions?
But Qingmu City was the frontline of the Southern Gates, the deepest stronghold of Da Yu; its significance was immense.
Even if there hadn’t been a war here for years, how could they possibly be short on supplies?
He had seen the difference between the guarded city of Baoping Town and the strict restrictions of the Southern Gates.
If they were indeed short on provisions, the chaos would make sense…
“Wait a second!”
Li Mo pondered for a moment and stopped the minor general.
He had plenty of supplies left over from his earlier purchases at the Yunzhou Trading Company that hadn’t been used.
He was planning to return to Ziyang Mansion in a few days; keeping them would be pointless.
Better to leave them at the Green Wood Camp.
【Congratulations, host! You have successfully invested in the Green Wood Camp, alleviating their supply worries.】
【You have a pending investment reward to collect.】
……….
As night fell.
Inside the central tent, Qu Sheng finished a bowl of medicinal soup, the pallor of his face showed a bit more color. Hearing the reports from outside the tent, he inhaled deeply, his voice rich and full:
“Come in.”
The minor general walked into the tent, momentarily startled. “Commander, has your old injury flared up again?”
“It’s just a bit of a stir in the bl**d, it’s nothing.”
Qu Sheng frowned when he saw the minor general’s expression.
“Is arranging provisions not going well?”
The minor general spoke in a gruff manner, “The military supply officers from each garrison say the local guards aren’t cooperating, only symbolically sending in a few supplies. Those thankless dogs!”
“Let it be if they’re short,” Qu Sheng sighed quietly.
If they pressured the local guards too hard, they would just be squeezing the common folk even more.
The Southern Gates weren’t what they used to be, back when they had a million strong soldiers and the entire nation of Da Yu was wholeheartedly supportive.
“Think of something else,” he said, rubbing his forehead while staring at the map spread out in the tent, seemingly deep in thought.
After a moment, he turned to look at the still-standing minor general.
“Is there anything else?”
The minor general nodded, “Among these supplies, a portion was gifted by Young Hero Li…”
“He purchased supplies before coming to the South Border?”
Qu Sheng was startled for a second, then chuckled:
“While it might not make much of a difference, it’s the thought that counts.”
How much could a single person possibly prepare for a journey to the South Border?
He could never imagine that Li Mo, at that time, was stocking up like he was planning on living somewhere forever.
“It’s not just a drop in the bucket; take a look and you’ll see.”
Hmm?
Qu Sheng, confused, took the item handed to him by the minor general.
“Inside are the grains and medicinal herbs that Young Hero Li sent.”
“……”
Qu Sheng’s eyes widened. The military supplies were equivalent to a third of what had been gathered from all the garrisons.
Supplies weren’t the only thing; there were also numerous commonly used medicinal herbs, like healing balms and qi-replenishing pills, packed inside the item.
With these materials, they might still face shortages, but they had certainly alleviated an urgent situation.
Qu Sheng exhaled deeply, a surge of excitement overcoming him, but his expression soon turned complicated.
The Qingmu City was on the brink of war.
He still had no idea how much strength the Disaster Beasts and the remnants of Da Shang would unleash this time.
All he could do was do everything in his power to bolster his side’s odds of success and increase the hope of holding onto Qingmu City.
That was why he had hesitated that day, biting back the advice he wanted to give to the young lord and Young Hero Li.
But what if they couldn’t hold out?
Should he let people like Young Hero Li perish here alongside them?
………
On the other side.
At the Tavern, the aroma of delicious dishes wafted through the private room where Little Li and Ying Bing enjoyed their daily simple meal of four dishes.
They were just missing soup.
While eating, Li Mo was pondering:
“Ying Bing, how effective would putting Golden Leaf Nourishing Grass in the soup be?”
“That’s used for refining pills; if put in soup… it might reduce effectiveness by fifty percent.”
Ying Bing’s snowy cheeks moved slightly.
Little Li often experimented with recipes, and this time he must be working on soup?
She was quite used to it by now.
“That’s not too bad.”
Li Mo laid the Golden Leaf Nourishing Grass on the table and pulled out a box of peculiar little flowers, asking again:
“What if we mix it with moisture-enhancing rose petals? Any conflict in their properties?”
“No conflict! A few actually complement each other.”
As Ying Bing spoke, Li Mo piled an array of heavenly materials all over the table, making it almost overflow.
Ying Bing raised an eyebrow; with so many materials, let alone a pot, a whole bucket might not be enough.
“What kind of soup are you trying to make?”
Li Mo thought for a moment, then said slowly, “If I had to name it… the Ice Chunk Soup?”
“?”
