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

Chapter 117 Grade 8!

Soon, Li Dadan and the others received their steamed buns. After enjoying the still-warm buns, they carried their farm tools to the fields to work.

Just then, Chen Dao called out to them, "Uncle, Second Uncle, wait a moment!"

The group immediately turned around: "Brother Dao, what's the matter?"

Chen Dao hesitated for a moment and said, "If you two uncles are free these next few days, why don't you come to the city with me?"

This is why Chen Dao plans to cultivate his own people. As his family's business develops better and better, there will definitely be more and more goods that need to be sold in the city. Helping Chen Dao sell goods is destined to be a profitable business. Wu Han proved this point. Therefore, Chen Dao is thinking... to cultivate his maternal uncles into merchants so that they can also live a good life.

"Of course we're free."

Li Dadan naturally hadn't thought of this, but he still said, "There's no problem with you going into the city with Daoge'er."

"it is good!"

Chen Dao didn't offer any explanation, simply nodding and watching Li Dadan and the others leave.

After they left, Chen Dao said to Chen Cheng, "Cheng-ge, go and tell Uncle and Chen Si that we'll go to the city together in two days."

"Okay, Brother Dao."

Chen Cheng rushed away, and returned shortly afterward. Then Chen Dao began killing chickens to practice his boxing!

After drinking a mouthful of chicken blood, Chen Dao assumed a stance and began to practice the Tiger Subduing Fist with seriousness, move by move!

"Kaka!"

After finishing one round of the Tiger Subduing Fist, Chen Dao suddenly heard a sound within his body. Sensing the changes within himself, a joyful smile appeared on Chen Dao's face.

A ninth-rank martial artist refines their skin, while an eighth-rank martial artist forges their bones. The sound he just heard from within his body was the movement of his qi and blood replenishing his bones, which means...

At this time, Chen Dao had broken through to become an eighth-rank martial artist, possessing a strength of five hundred jin and bones as hard as steel.

Meanwhile, Chen Cheng, who had just finished practicing his boxing routine, walked to the stone lock and lifted the 400-pound stone lock in one go.

Upon seeing this, Chen Dao's eyes lit up. Chen Cheng had indeed not disappointed him. Chen Cheng, who was born with great strength, possessed strength close to that of an eighth-grade martial artist, even though he was not a ninth-grade martial artist.

"Rice Brother".

After carefully placing the 400-pound stone lock on the ground, Chen Cheng scratched his head and said, "I feel like my skin has changed quite a bit."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dao stepped forward and carefully examined Chen Cheng's exposed skin. Because Chen Cheng had been exposed to wind and sun for many years, his skin was very dark. At this moment, his skin was soaked with sweat, making it look as if it was shiny black.

Chen Dao reached out and pinched the skin on Chen Cheng's arm, finding it extremely tough. At this point, Chen Dao was basically certain that Chen Cheng had already entered the realm of a ninth-grade martial artist.

Congratulations, Cheng-ge!

Chen Dao said with a smile, "You are now a ninth-rank martial artist."

"A ninth-rank martial artist?"

Chen Cheng's eyes lit up. Martial artists had always been mysterious, noble, and powerful figures in the villagers' mouths. Chen Cheng never imagined that he would one day become a martial artist himself!

"Brother Dao, thank you for giving me this opportunity!"

Chen Cheng was filled with gratitude. He knew very well that he was able to become a ninth-rank martial artist entirely thanks to the cultivation techniques Chen Dao had given him and the constant encouragement he received every day. Therefore, he had no pride whatsoever and instead solemnly thanked Chen Dao.

"This is what you deserve."

Chen Dao patted Chen Cheng on the shoulder and said, "Work hard for me from now on, and you and your family will be able to live a good life where you can eat meat every day sooner or later."

"Ok!"

Chen Cheng nodded solemnly. He trusted Chen Dao unconditionally. Since Chen Dao said that he could live such a good life, then he definitely could. He had no doubt about that!

…………

…………

Early morning two days later.

Eight people, including the three brothers Chen Da, Chen Si, Chen Jiang, Li Dadan, Li Feng, and Chen Cheng, gathered in front of Chen Dao's house. Around them were women, including Chen Lian, who were helping to raise chickens at Chen Dao's house, as well as villagers waiting for dinner.

"Chen Da and the others have gathered again. Are they heading into the city?"

"We're definitely going to the city! Didn't you see they've already borrowed the village chief's donkey cart?"

"Is it because we've been consuming too much grain lately? Is Daoge going to the city to buy more?"

"Probably not!"

"..."

Seeing the donkey cart being led by Chen Da, the villagers immediately realized that Chen Da and his men were probably going to the city again.

"Uncle."

Chen Gou approached Chen Da with curiosity and asked, "Are you going into the city?"

Chen Da glanced at Chen Gou, not bothering to hide anything: "Yes, Dao Ge'er said he wants to go into the city."

"That's it!"

Chen Gou scratched his head, a fleeting look of envy in his eyes. The young people in the village longed for the prosperity of the county town, and Chen Gou was no exception. Unfortunately... Chen Dao did not invite him to go with them.

"Squeak."

At this moment, Chen Dao's door opened, and Chen Dao, standing inside, looked at everyone and said, "Everyone's here? Let's have breakfast first!"

As soon as Chen Dao finished speaking, Li Ping and the others carried out buckets of rice and began distributing steamed buns to the villagers.

Chen Dao also welcomed Chen Da and the others into the house, where they chatted about going to the city while eating breakfast.

After breakfast, the villagers carried their farm tools to the fields to work, while Chen Dao carried several chicken coops and a dozen or so newly bred blood-feathered chickens onto a donkey cart, heading towards the county town.

Walking on the official road leading to the county town, one could still see rows of pitiful-looking refugees. Chen Dao knew that these refugees, like Ding Xiaohua, mostly came from Liangzhou in the north.

Liangzhou was bitterly cold, and the constant conscription and tax increases led to more and more people fleeing to Qingzhou.

As the donkey cart approached the county town, Chen Dao's gaze fell upon the shacks where refugees had gathered, and he suddenly frowned.

Why are there so few refugees outside the city?

Chen Dao stared at the drastically reduced number of refugees outside the city, his face full of bewilderment.

In addition, Chen Dao also noticed that there were government officials distributing porridge outside the city.

Why is the character for "porridge" in quotation marks?

Because this time the government really distributed porridge. Although the porridge was so thin that you could see the reflection of a person's face, the bowls that many of the refugees were holding were indeed filled with rice.

"These refugees actually have rice porridge to eat?"

Li Dadan and Li Feng were even more astonished, feeling a sense of disbelief.

Those of them who hadn't yet fallen into the status of refugees couldn't afford rice porridge, while the refugees outside the city did...

Both of them couldn't resist the urge to become refugees themselves.

"The government is actually being so kind?"

Chen Si and the others also said in disbelief, having often traveled to and from the county town with Chen Dao, they knew all too well the lives of the refugees outside the town. In the past, the refugees they had seen couldn't even afford a bite of bran, but now they had rice porridge to eat...

This completely overturned Chen Si and the others' understanding of the refugees outside the city.