In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 289 The First Day of the New Year

"It's Chinese New Year, so we should eat well!"

Chen Zhong's father, Chen Fu, said with a smile, "This chicken was specially bought by your mother from the general store using the family's savings. Zhong-ge, you should quickly try it and see if your mother's cooking is delicious."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhong picked up a piece of chicken, tasted it, and commented, "It's a bit worse than what Dao Ge'er makes, but the taste isn't bad!"

"That's good!"

Chen Zhong's mother, Jiang Yan, breathed a sigh of relief. If Chen Zhong was satisfied, then the chicken wasn't a complete waste of money.

"Since it's delicious, eat more. You still have to go on patrol later!"

Chen Fu said that Chen Zhong told them when he came back yesterday that the guard team could not have three days off like the villagers.

Instead, they need to split into three teams during the three-day holiday, with each team responsible for patrolling for one day to protect the safety of the village.

Chen Zhong's patrol time is today.

"Then I'll start eating!"

Chen Zhong didn't mince words. Ever since he joined the guard team and started training, he had a huge appetite, especially for meat, and soon began to eat.

Chen Fu and Jiang Yan also picked up their chopsticks, and the whole table enjoyed the sumptuous meal.

"son."

While eating, Jiang Yan asked, "What's the situation with the guard team now? Can you become a full member?"

"Hard to say!"

Chen Zhong frowned and said, "To become a formal team member, you need to become a martial artist first. Cheng-ge told me that I'll probably need some time to become a martial artist!"

The uncle, on the other hand, has progressed very quickly; he's already a martial artist and is now the captain of our guard team!

"What about the others?"

Jiang Yan asked with concern, as whether or not he could become a member of the guard team was related to her family's interests, so she couldn't help but care.

after all……

If Chen Gou could become a member of the guard team, she could receive one tael of silver per month. Combined with her and Chen Fu's income, the family could earn two taels of silver per month, and life would definitely be much better than it is now.

"The others are about the same as me."

"I see! Zhong-ge, you must train hard and strive to become a formal member of the guard team!"

"I know."

…………

…………

Happy Chinese New Year!

After breakfast, the first to leave their homes are naturally the village children.

After the children were free from the worries of studying and had a big meal at home, they all ran out of their houses to play with their friends.

The adults, on the other hand, visited each other's homes, exchanging joyful blessings.

Meanwhile, in a brand-new house, Liu Qiaoshou, having finished breakfast, got up to say goodbye to his wife: "Wife, I'll be going now?"

"Go ahead, go ahead! I'll take care of the dishes!"

Qi Hua responded while clearing the dishes and chopsticks off the table.

Now they live in new houses and no longer need to squeeze into a house with other craftsmen. Their living standards are also much better than when they first came to Chenjia Village. For example, their breakfast today included not only meat, but also steamed buns, eggs, and so on.

After breakfast, the two children went out to play with the other children in Chenjia Village, and now only the two of them are left in the house.

"Then I'll be going now!"

Upon receiving a response from Qi Hua, Liu Qiaoshou stepped out of her house.

"Happy New Year, Lao Liu!"

"Good morning, Lao Liu!"

"We've been waiting for you, Lao Liu!"

"..."

Outside her home, the craftsmen who had come to Chenjia Village with Liu Qiaoshou were waiting for her.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Liu Qiaoshou greeted everyone with a smile, then said, "Since everyone's here, let's set off!"

"Let's go!"

So the group of craftsmen headed out of the village together.

They planned to go to the county town today, not to buy anything, but to see some old acquaintances, namely... those refugees from outside the town!

Returning home in glory is one of the most basic human emotional needs. Now that these craftsmen are living a good life in Chenjia Village, they naturally want to show off to their old friends. Of course, while showing off, they also want to help their old friends and find out about their situation.

"Skilled hands".

Walking on the official road, Liu Jiang, a craftsman who had once shared a room with Liu Qiaoshou, said with a wary expression, "Could thieves suddenly appear in this forest?"

"Don't worry, it won't happen."

Before Liu Qiaoshou could speak, another blacksmith, Zhou Tie, said first: "I heard from the villagers that the thieves on both sides of the official road have long been wiped out by the government and our village's guard team. Now the road from Chenjia Village to the county town is safe."

"Yes! You know Wu Han, the businessman who recently moved to the village, right? I asked him about it, and now there are no more thieves on the road from Chenjia Village to the county town. It's very safe."

"I've heard him say that these days, merchants don't need to bring guards!"

"Our village's guard team is really amazing; they managed to wipe out the bandits in the forest."

"That's for sure! I went to watch the guards train before, and wow, their training is really tough! They train from morning till night without a break."

"You know Chen Zhong from the guard team, right? I talked to him once, and he said that although the training in the guard team is tough, the benefits are really good! They provide three full meals a day, and meat every other day! I also heard that if you can become a formal member of the guard team, you can receive a salary of one tael of silver per month!"

"Hiss! One tael of silver? That much?"

"That's for sure! But we can't help but envy them. Their guards fight with their lives on the line. When they were clearing out the bandits, many of them were injured, and it was Dr. Su from the village who treated their wounds!"

“My son is already 16 years old. I’m thinking of letting him sign up for the guard team when he turns 18!”

"..."

When the topic turned to the village's guard team, everyone started talking at once, sharing what they knew about the team.

Liu Qiaoshou listened quietly to everyone's remarks, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips.

He and the other craftsmen all considered themselves part of Chenjia Village and had a strong sense of belonging to the village.

Under this premise, the more capable the guard team responsible for protecting Chenjia Village is, the happier they will naturally be.

"We've arrived in the county town!"

As they chatted, the group came into view of the county town in the distance.

However, the area outside the county town was not much different from before. The buildings outside the town were still as messy as before, and you could even smell a stench coming from the shantytown.

The stench was caused by sewage discharged by the refugees and garbage scattered everywhere. The smell was so unpleasant that Liu Qiaoshou and others, who had long since left the area, felt an urge to vomit.

Fortunately, Liu Qiaoshou and the others were not delicate people, and they quickly adapted to the smell and walked towards the shantytown.