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Dangjun, Dang County.

The wind is cold and the rain is drizzling.

After more than a year of hibernation, Liu Bang and twenty prisoners finally set foot on this land that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

"Boss...is this Dang County?"

When they reached a forest a few hundred meters away from the city gate, they stopped and looked at each other with confusion in their eyes.

"This... should be it!"

Liu Bang stared at the city gate of Dang County not far away. On the gate, two huge official script words of Dang County were engraved.

Liu Bang felt an inexplicable feeling in his heart. Compared with the city in his memory, it seemed to have undergone earth-shaking changes.

In his memory, Dang County used to be extremely dirty, with the streets filled with human feces, cow urine, and horse urine, and the stench was nauseating. But now, from a distance, the city seems to be much more spacious and cleaner, and the city walls seem more solid.

Seeing the soldiers at the city gate stopping and checking the passing carriages, Liu Bang and his companions suddenly felt guilty. Their identities were special, and once they were discovered, they would be in dire straits.

After discussing for a while, everyone decided to send two people in to check out the situation.

After bypassing the city gate, Liu Bang and Liu Yi took great pains to finally climb over the city wall. They stole two sets of clothes from a farmhouse and tidied their hair. Liu Bang boldly disguised himself as a merchant and took Liu Yi for a stroll in the county town.

Walking on the streets, looking at the clean roads and orderly pedestrians, they were filled with surprise. They didn't understand what had happened in Dang County in just one year.

In the streets and alleys, you can see county soldiers wearing armor and carrying swords patrolling everywhere. At each intersection, there are notices strictly prohibiting county residents from urinating and defecating anywhere, and those who commit serious offenses will be punished with ten lashes.

Liu Bang and Liu Yi carefully avoided the county soldiers and walked through the streets. Looking at the changes in Dang County, they didn't know what to feel.

The houses on the street were scattered and orderly, with doors and windows tightly closed, and occasionally a few wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys. The streets were wide and clean, and the road surface washed by rain was spotless. The rain dripping from the eaves fell on the ground, creating slight ripples.

A few children with pigtails were playing and laughing on the street, their laughter clear and pleasant.

A group of people gathered in front of the bulletin board at the intersection, talking about something. Liu Bang and Liu Yi took a closer look and saw a notice posted on it: "Common Sense of Life".

In addition to the strict prohibition of urinating and defecating in public, the notice also contained many other contents. For example, trash cans were set up at street intersections, requiring people to throw their trash into the trash cans and not to discard it at will. At the same time, many public facilities were added to the county town, such as oil lamps and wells, and the notice listed the penalties for damaging these public properties.

"Oh! So that's called a trash can!"

Liu Bang thought of the big wooden barrels he had just seen, and suddenly he understood, but when he looked at the signatures on them, his brows couldn't help but frowned.

Needless to say, these are all from Yi Huawei's handiwork.

Zhao Gao! This name was like a thorn in Liu Bang's side.

If I had known, I should not have castrated him, or just killed him with a knife. Who would have thought that a stinky cook would be appreciated by Qin Shihuang in just a few years. After Qin Shihuang's death, he became the emperor's teacher, second only to the emperor. Now he holds great power, and it is as easy to kill him as to kill an ant.

Restraining their resentment, Liu Bang and Liu Yi walked to the South Gate Market.

The rain stopped, but the cold wind was still biting, but it did not diminish the liveliness and vitality of the street in the slightest.

The shops along the street are full of dazzling goods, and their signs are swaying gently in the wind. There are cloth shops with colorful cloth hanging all over the walls; there are ironware shops with various knives and farm tools neatly displayed; there are also snack stalls with bursts of aroma that make people salivate.

People were coming and going in the streets, with different expressions. There were farmers wearing coarse linen clothes, carrying newly bought farm tools in a hurry; the shopkeepers in the shops were smiling, with shrewdness and calculation in their eyes...

Liu Bang sighed softly and turned to look at Liu Yi. Liu Yi also had a complicated expression on his face. The defense here was tight and it was almost impossible to succeed.

"Selling buns... fresh buns... would you like to try some?!"

On the street, at the door of a shop with the words "Dumpling Shop" written on it, a pile of bamboo baskets that Liu Bang and his friend had never seen before were placed on the stove, steam was rising from them, and the waiter, wearing a coarse cloth shirt and an apron tied around his waist, was waving to Liu Bang and his friend passing by and said, "Three for one penny, three for one penny, would you like a few, sir?"

"Three for one cent?! So expensive?"

The steam rising from the steamer, carrying the aroma of buns, attracted Liu Bang and Liu Yi.

The two of them stopped involuntarily, staring at the plump white buns, as if their throats rolled unconsciously and they began to swallow saliva.

Liu Bang slowly turned his head to look at Liu Yi, his eyes full of desire: "What is this bun?"

Liu Yi also looked confused and shook his head, but his eyes revealed curiosity about the buns.

The waiter heard their conversation, frowned, looked at them with disdain, and waved his hand impatiently, as if to drive away annoying flies:

"You don't even know about Baozi? Humph, hurry up and leave. Don't block our business."

Liu Bang and Liu Yi suddenly showed a trace of embarrassment on their faces. Looking at the hateful face of the waiter, Liu Bang really wanted to punch him, but thinking that he was a fugitive, he could only swallow his anger. He glared at the boy fiercely, and the two turned around and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute, my two guests..."

Suddenly, an old voice came from the shop, and then, an old man in his sixties came out. The old man was wearing a dark blue robe, his hair was a little gray, and his face was full of traces of time.

Seeing Liu Bang and Liu Yi's pale faces, he took out two buns and handed them to them, saying earnestly:

"May the present emperor live with kindness, Prime Minister Zhao is wise, the world is getting better and better, as long as you have hands and feet, you don't have to worry about starving to death... Young people, you can't just sit there and do nothing!"

Liu Bang and Liu Yi looked at each other and bowed deeply to the old man. Liu Bang did not take it to heart that the old man treated them as playboys.

I swallowed my saliva, picked up the bun and took a careful bite. The bun was filled with shepherd's purse, and the fragrance spread instantly in my mouth. This bun...

Liu Bang's eyes moistened slightly, and he looked at Liu Yi and said, "I have never eaten anything so delicious."

Liu Yi also nodded repeatedly: "Brother, these buns are so delicious."

"Young man, the county government is now recruiting workers, and the salary is five to ten coins a day."

Seeing the two of them swallow the buns in a few bites, the old man shook his head and pointed to the county government office not far away and said, "As long as you work harder, you will have no problem supporting yourself!" "Thank you, father-in-law!"

Liu Bang resisted the urge to ask for another one, bowed to the old man, and dragged the reluctant Liu Yi out to the street. They were penniless now, and staying here would mean nothing for them to buy, let alone work. It was tantamount to walking into a trap.

"Brother, what should we do now?"

Liu Yi looked at Liu Bang eagerly.

The defense here is tight and the management is orderly, making it almost impossible to steal food.

Liu Bang shook his head. The brothers in Mangdang Mountain were still waiting for food. If they could not grab food, they might face hunger and death. However, facing the current Dang County, he felt helpless.

"Let's leave the city first..."

Liu Bang frowned, his eyes revealing a hint of determination. After a moment's hesitation, he continued, "We can go to other places to look for food. Dang County is now heavily guarded, and it is difficult for us to get it. However, other places may not have such strict defenses. We can go to nearby villages or towns to see if we can find some food."

Liu Yi looked at Liu Bang, nodded vigorously, and the flame of hope rekindled in his eyes.

The two men returned along the original route and soon found the rest of the people. Liu Bang recounted in detail what he had seen and heard in Dang County, and informed them of his decision. After listening, everyone looked solemn, but they also understood that this might be the only way out at present.

………………

Dang County, Suiyang County, north of the city.

A farmyard not far from the street is surrounded by a simple fence made of vines of varying thicknesses. Although the fence is irregular, it reveals a rustic feeling.

Walking into the farmyard, the first thing that comes into view is a small thatched house. The roof is covered with thick thatch, which has become sparse in some places after years of baptism and erosion by wind and rain, and the wooden beams underneath can be vaguely seen.

The walls of the house were made of a mixture of mud and stone, uneven but strong and durable. The door was made of several rough wooden boards spliced ​​together, with a simple bolt hanging on it.

There was a small chicken coop on one side of the yard, surrounded by a bamboo fence. A few hens were clucking inside, pecking at the dirt from time to time, looking for food.

There is a well in the middle of the yard, with a circle of stones around the wellhead. There is a wooden bucket and a rope beside the wellhead. In the corner of the yard are some farm tools, including hoes, sickles, rakes, etc.

Although the entire farmyard is simple, it is full of the breath of life.

The left wing next to the main courtyard looks particularly simple.

The room was dimly lit, and the air was filled with an old smell. Although the dirt floor had been swept relatively clean, traces of time's corrosion could still be seen. The walls were made of rough wooden boards, some of which had cracked, and a slight breeze blew through the gaps.

In the center of the room, there was a simple wooden table with a tablet on it, engraved with large, vigorous characters that read "The spirit tablet of Xiang Yan, Lord of Chuyang, Western Chu".

In front of the tablet, an ancient incense burner stands quietly, emitting a faint sandalwood scent.

Xiang Yu was wearing a dark coarse cloth robe, with his long hair tied casually behind his head. His face was stern, and his eyes revealed a complex emotion of determination and sadness. He slowly picked up three incense sticks and lit them on the lamp, and the smoke rose.

Xiang Yu knelt on his knees, straightened his back, raised the incense high above his head, and then bowed deeply.

"Tap!"

A heavy sound of footsteps was heard on the path outside the farmyard, followed by a "creaking" sound.
The old wooden door was slowly pushed open, and Xiang Zhuang's tall figure appeared at the door. With a trace of fatigue and dissatisfaction on his face, he walked in and complained:

"Uncle Xiang went out to do some work early in the morning. Why hasn't he come back yet? He hasn't eaten anything all day! Did he go somewhere to eat something delicious?"

Xiang Zhuang's words were full of resentment. He was wearing a somewhat worn-out outfit and his hair was a little messy. He walked into the room and looked around. The simple environment made him even more irritated. He walked to Xiang Yu, sat down on the wooden stool next to him, and sighed heavily.

Xiang Yu was kneeling in front of his uncle Xiang Liang's spirit tablet. Hearing Xiang Zhuang's complaint, he slowly stood up, turned around, frowned, and revealed a hint of severity in his eyes: "Xiang Zhuang, if it weren't for Uncle Xiang, we would still have to sleep on the roadside now!"

Xiang Zhuang curled his lips in disapproval and muttered, "If you ask me, if we didn't come here, we would have enough to eat!"

Xiang Yu looked at Xiang Zhuang, feeling helpless. He knew that Xiang Zhuang was young and hot-tempered, and sometimes spoke without thinking, but in this difficult time, they had to unite. Just as Xiang Yu was about to teach Xiang Zhuang a lesson, the voice of the old man outside the house came: "Mr. Xiang is back!"

"Uncle is back!"

Xiang Yu's eyes lit up instantly, and he glanced at Xiang Zhuang, who curled his lips, lowered his head and said nothing more. Xiang Yu knew that although Xiang Zhuang said he was not convinced, he still respected Xiang Bo in his heart.

"Squeak~~" The door was pushed open again, and Xiang Bo, who looked tired, walked in. He was wearing a simple robe and his hair was neatly tied behind his head. When he walked into the room and saw Xiang Yu and Xiang Zhuang, he nodded slightly.

"Uncle Xiang, you're finally back! We were almost starving to death." Xiang Zhuang couldn't help but say. Although there was a hint of complaint in his tone, there was more anticipation.

Xiang Bo looked at Xiang Zhuang with a amiable smile on his face: "I am back now. I was late today because I went out to do some work. Come on over here!"

Xiang Bo walked to the table, knelt down and sat upright, with his body straight, his chin slightly raised, and smiled, "Look what I brought back!"

As he spoke, Xiang Bo took out a cloth bag from his clothes, opened it gently, and took out a one-foot-long (one foot is 23.1 cm) pancake from it. The pancake was golden in color and exuded an enticing aroma.

“Takamochi?!…Ah~!?”

Xiang Zhuang's eyes lit up, and he smiled with excitement. He stretched out his hand to grab the pancake, but Xiang Bo quickly slapped his hand away.

"Unruly thing!"

Xiang Bo's face darkened, and his voice was full of majesty. He frowned slightly, and his eyes revealed his dissatisfaction with Xiang Zhuang's reckless behavior. Then, he turned around and waved to Xiang Yu, and his tone was much softer: "Hurry up and sit down!"

Xiang Yu looked at Xiang Bo with a complicated expression on his face. He pursed his lips and slowly knelt down.

Xiang Bo spread out the plates on the table with skillful and graceful movements, and carefully divided the high cake into three portions, the largest for Xiang Yu, the second for Xiang Zhuang, and the smallest for himself.

After the food was distributed, Xiang Bo sat upright at the table, his back straight, his posture elegant, and he chewed the high cake in his mouth slowly and slowly, bit by bit. His movements were gentle and delicate, as if he was tasting the most delicious delicacy in the world.

(End of this chapter)