Seeing Zhao Zun agree, Han Lei then walked to the wall, stood still, closed her eyes, and used her Divine Sense to open the system panel, ready to start purchasing food.
She looked as if she were silently praying reverently.
With the experience from last time, Han Lei decided not to buy refined grains this time. After all, the army was too large, and refined grains were too expensive. Her five hundred taels of Gold, after buying medicines, left her with a limited budget for purchasing food.
Han Lei calculated in her heart and purchased twenty thousand pounds of millet, thirty thousand pounds of sweet potatoes, and potatoes.
She planned to keep several thousand pounds of sweet potatoes and potatoes for planting, as these two crops had very high yields. Next year, their army would not face a food shortage again.
More importantly, Han Lei also purchased ten thousand pounds of frozen pork, pork lard, and salt. After all, with the heavy snow sealing the mountains, hunting for game was impossible, and the army hadn't seen meat for a long time.
Pork lard can be rendered into cooking oil. Adding a little bit while cooking or making soup not only enhances the flavor but also provides a bit of nutrition.
Salt goes without saying; during the two days Han Lei had been here, the food she ate was bland with very little salt. Obviously, salt was very precious here.
After verifying the quantities of these items, Han Lei confirmed and placed the order.
Instantly, Zhao Zun saw bags of grain mysteriously fall from the air, neatly stacked against the wall, along with boxes of medicines dropping down, neatly stacked in the corner on the other side.
This miraculous scene left Zhao Zun with his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg.
"Oh my god, did you pray to the Bodhisattva for this?" Zhao Zun couldn't help blurting out, suddenly remembering Han Lei's prohibition on asking, and quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
A small, exquisite watch landed precisely in Han Lei's hand.
While putting on the watch, Han Lei rolled her eyes at Zhao Zun, "You wish! All of this was bought with my own money. If you need more food next time, you'll have to give me Silver to buy it. I've spent all my money on buying you so many things."
"Alright, next time..."
Buying things with Silver is only expected. Zhao Zun nodded repeatedly, but before he could finish, a sharp alarm suddenly sounded in Han Lei's mind.
"Jiji jiji..."
"Friendly reminder to the host: All products in the system must be purchased or exchanged with system rewards; external currency cannot be used."
"What?" Han Lei was stunned. "What if you don't give me any rewards? Am I supposed to starve here?"
"The host can continue completing tasks. The system's products are enough for emergencies, and you can earn money yourself for daily use!"
"Damn!"
Han Lei couldn't help letting out a curse, and even her tender voice made profanity sound pleasant.
With a face as if he had seen a ghost, Zhao Zun watched Han Lei talking to herself with a spooky feeling inside. He wanted to ask her who she was talking to several times but held back according to their agreement.
"Can I return some of this stuff? It's not really what I wanted," Han Lei looked at the room full of grain and medicine, almost breaking into tears.
If she had known, why was she so selfless? She should have saved some of the system's reward Gold for emergencies.
"You can't, the system rewards you for doing good deeds. You've used the rewards to buy food and medicine to save people, which is a cycle of virtue and kindness. Don't you like it?" The voice of the system was cold, yet spoke with conviction.
"Ugh!" Han Lei tried to negotiate with the system. "But those wounded and soldiers have nothing to do with me. Even doing good deeds should be within my means, right?"
"How can it be unrelated? The Buddha said: Everyone you meet in this life, you may have entangled with in the past life. This lifetime, they're here either to repay debts or to show gratitude."
"Said, said your head!" (Note, this word is pronounced 'yue', do not pronounce it wrong)
Han Lei, furious, directly closed the system.
Seeing her not talking to herself for a while, Zhao Zun cautiously approached her.
"Are you alright? You seemed very angry."
"Hmph!"
Han Lei gave him a sideways glance. How could she not be angry! But soon, her gaze returned to Zhao Zun, sizing him up and down.
Just now, what did the system say about Buddha?
She had traveled through time to rescue Zhao Zun, helped him treat the wounded, and solved the supply problem.
All these events revolved around Zhao Zun, and the Gold from the system rewards was all spent on Zhao Zun.
Could it be that in her previous life she really had some entanglement with Zhao Zun, and traveling through time was to repay a debt?
"Ah! I must have owed you in a past life." Thinking so, Han Lei glared hard at Zhao Zun, leaving him utterly baffled.
"Don't be angry, since you've given me so much food, I'll give you something too."
Zhao Zun appeased her with a smile, then took out a jade ring with a notch at the bottom from his bosom and handed it to Han Lei.
"What is this?" Han Lei was dismissive and didn't reach out to take it.
"This is a token from me. Wear it around your neck, and you'll have free access to my territory; all the servants will treat this jade ring as if it were me. Remember, you must wear it on you."
Zhao Zun didn't mention that this was one of a pair, called the "Love Lock," the other one was with him. When worn by a man and a woman, it enhances affection and deepens love for each other.
The Love Lock was given to his father many years ago by an itinerant Taoist, with one piece for each of his parents.
He wasn't sure if it was effective, he just knew his parents had a very loving relationship.
After his father's death, his mother gave him the pair of "Love Locks," telling him to give one to a girl he loved someday.
He gave the Love Lock to Han Lei because he felt an inexplicable deep affection for her.
Hearing that this item allowed her to move freely in the military camp, Han Lei finally took the jade ring, hanging it around her neck without even looking at it, the displeasure brought on by the system vanished instantly.
To Han Lei right now, the emerald-green jade ring was merely a key to enter and exit the military camp.
At the moment the Love Lock hung around Han Lei's neck, Zhao Zun's lips curved slightly, forming a bright arc on his cold face.
Bodhisattva bless, may the Love Lock work wonders! Zhao Zun silently prayed in his heart.
Han Lei didn't notice Zhao Zun's little scheming, she directly opened the burlap sack filled with potatoes and sweet potatoes and took a few out from each.
"Look, Prince, these are potatoes, and these are sweet potatoes," Han Lei introduced them to Zhao Zun, "Don't finish them all, save some for planting. Their yield is higher than any crops you grow now."
"Potatoes? Sweet potatoes?" Zhao Zun curiously took one in his hand and examined it.
"Yes! These crops have a shorter growing cycle, and if you plant them yourself, in just a year, the army will never face a shortage again."
"It's cold in Beiguan, can they be planted?"
"Of course! Though I'm not sure if the yield will be affected."
......
With Han Lei's assistance once again, the food for the Beiguan Garrison was resolved. Moreover, not only did potatoes and sweet potatoes taste good, but they were also very filling.
When salted braised pork with potatoes and steamed sweet potatoes appeared before the soldiers, the entire army erupted with excitement.
Since the beginning of winter, how long had it been since the army saw meat? Finally, on this day, they enjoyed a hearty meal, and even the biting cold wind of Beiguan didn't make them feel cold.
On the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, the grain and fodder issued by the Ministry of War arrived at last, completely solving the Beiguan Garrison's food problem.
After seven or eight days of treatment, the wounded had fully recovered, allowing Han Lei to finally relax.