"Hammer? You need a caravan for this much stuff?"
Suozi arrived on horseback ahead of the convoy. He stared in surprise at the large pile of hay, then looked down at the dried mushrooms and wheat in front of Zhao Liangcai, momentarily speechless. Suozi, who hadn't appeared in a long time, had grown a considerable beard, yet Qin Junyao could still see his large teeth revealed as his mouth hung open.
Zhao Liangcai looked up at Suozi, "Get down, are you going to drink the wind on horseback? Where's the convoy?"
Suozi quickly closed his mouth and dismounted, running to Zhao Liangcai to confirm what he saw was real. He then climbed onto the hay pile and bounced on it, followed by a hearty laugh.
"Has he gone mad?" Qin Junyao watched Suozi, who had tired himself out and was now rolling on the hay, and asked Zhao Liangcai.
Zhao Liangcai stood up, putting an arm around Qin Junyao's shoulders. "He's handling everything at the salt lake now; he can't even go home for the New Year."
"He's responsible for the food, drink, and everything else for ten thousand people."
Qin Junyao abruptly turned her head. "You have ten thousand soldiers now?"
Zhao Liangcai pinched Qin Junyao's cheek. "Ten thousand is far from enough."
Qin Junyao didn't ponder what ten thousand soldiers were enough for; she was thinking about how much grain ten thousand soldiers consumed in a day, a month, a year. How much silver would it cost to buy this much grain? They all said war was a money-burning machine, and it was true. Qin Junyao couldn't help but wonder where all the silver and grain would come from when war broke out.
"Hammer, Hammer," Suozi's shouts interrupted Qin Junyao's thoughts. Suozi, lying on the hay pile, excitedly called out to Zhao Liangcai, "Where did you get all this? Why didn't you just transport it to the salt lake?"
"I don't have that kind of capability. The capable person is here," Zhao Liangcai said, patting Qin Junyao's shoulder.
"Sister-in-law, no, sister, you are my real sister," Suozi sat up, slid off the hay pile, and rushed to Qin Junyao, covered in hay. "Sister, tell brother who got this for you? Is it your sister Man Shuang? How has your sister Man Shuang been lately? Has she mentioned me?"
Zhao Liangcai delivered a flying kick, sending Suozi aside, and tightly protected Qin Junyao. "Stay away from my wife. With you looking like this, not only Miss Ling but even Madam Ling wouldn't look at you."
"Hammer," Suozi pointed at Zhao Liangcai, "Are you heartless? Who caused me to be like this? You said you wanted to accompany your wife and disappeared for over twenty days."
"Suozi, you were the one who said you wanted to achieve merit and success. I'm giving you an opportunity."
"Do I need you to give me an opportunity? You're drinking and eating meat at home while I'm eating husks and wild vegetables at the salt lake. Watch this move."
By the time Deng Zijui arrived with the convoy and the camels, Zhao Liangcai and Suozi were fighting amidst a cloud of dust. Qin Junyao sat on the hay pile, watching the spectacle.
When the convoy arrived, Zhao Liangcai and Suozi stopped as if nothing had happened, quickly getting into action and having the arriving soldiers move the hay. The approaching soldiers, numbering over a hundred, first moved the hay aside, then began searching the pile like treasure hunters for mushrooms and wheat that Zhao Liangcai had missed. Every time a bag was discovered, a shout of surprise could be heard. When the black beans underneath were revealed, the soldiers cheered loudly. Feeling the soldiers' joy, Qin Junyao's heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment. These grains were all grown by her.
"Hammer, are you sure there's still grain in the cave?" Suozi asked Zhao Liangcai, standing at the entrance of the cave.
Zhao Liangcai put down the black beans he was holding and walked towards Suozi. "What happened?"
"There are no signs of forced entry on this lock. How was the grain put in?"
Zhao Liangcai turned to find Qin Junyao. "Yaoyao, come here."
Qin Junyao walked to the cave entrance and took out the cave's key. As for how the cave's lock was opened, she feigned ignorance. These days, other than today, she had been with Zhao Liangcai. The excuse of not knowing was the most reliable.