Li Zhen said she didn't believe it, but she was soon slapped in the face. This Chuzhou kitchen is really scary!
Not to mention anything else, just cooking is amazing enough.
Zhang Ximeng initially calculated that a soldier needed one kilogram of grain a day, but in fact it had never been less than one kilogram and two taels, and even recently reached one and a half kilograms.
There was really no other way. Spring plowing was busy, and Lao Zhu also promoted farming. From Zhu Yuanzhang down, all wasteland was reclaimed and grain was grown.
The amount of work has increased, and if the food cannot keep up, it will be fatal.
Therefore, the daily standard is one and a half kilograms of grain. If converted into two taels of steamed buns, it would be twelve (sixteen taels per kilogram).
People in later generations have a lot of snacks, especially fats and sugars, and they can eat as much as they want. If you can eat two or three steamed buns in one meal, it is considered a big meal.
But in the late Yuan Dynasty, there were many ruthless people who could eat more than a dozen steamed buns at a meal.
With this little food, I could barely eat until I was seven-tenths of full.
Fortunately, the military trade is fair and they can get enough vegetables from the common people. Soldiers are occasionally mobilized to hunt and fish. In the military camp, there are also chickens, ducks, geese and dogs, so I can finally eat some meat and eggs every now and then.
, can nourish the body and prevent damage caused by overexertion.
Zhang Ximeng worked hard to provide the soldiers with a bite to eat. He even wanted to promote milk in the army, but he quickly gave up. Firstly, the soldiers didn't like to drink it, and secondly, he couldn't get so many cows. He could only.
The next best thing was to get some soybeans and black beans and give the soldiers soy milk.
It can be summed up in one sentence: Meat, eggs, and milk are not enough to nourish a person. Anyone who dares to stop eating them will be sworn in with him!
What Li Zhen witnessed was such a spectacular scene. The largest scene he had seen before was just a wedding banquet with hundreds of people.
But here, we have to provide food for thousands of people.
If nothing else, the big pot used to cook rice is one you can almost swim in.
Two hundred kilograms of rice can be cooked at one time, and there are dozens of pots of this size alone. There is a fire burning underneath, and white gas comes out from the top, creating a large cloud of mist, making it feel like a fairyland.
Look over there, baskets of vegetables, and pour them into the pot.
The veteran in charge of the kitchen grabbed the salt shaker and sprinkled a lot of salt.
You sweat a lot when you work, so salt is essential.
Li Zhen looked at the sweating cooks, which really opened her eyes.
A jar of salt, if saved sparingly, could feed the family for a year. Here, one meal would require eight or ten jars.
Where is the meal?
It’s simply a waste of money!
He was really right, he was indeed burning money.
"Brother-in-law, look, this kitchen only supplies the three thousand soldiers in the city, and some civilians... We have more than thirty thousand people under our command!"
"How many?"
Li Zhen was simply dumbfounded. So much is only one-tenth? Chongba, Chongba, how powerful you are! You are really promising!
Talking about how many soldiers and horses there were in the lobby was just a number, but facing the mountains of rice and steamed buns in front of her, Li Zhen completely understood that her brother-in-law was no longer the cowherd boy she used to be.
"Um...I was reckless just now. I can't take care of such a big kitchen! I, I better not be embarrassed."
Li Zhen refused, which made Zhu Yuanzhang look bad. He just wanted his brother-in-law to learn from him, but he didn't want to scare him. Besides, as a close relative, it was reasonable for him to let his brother-in-law take care of things.
"No one is born knowing everything. Brother-in-law, just keep doing it and learn as you go. You'll be able to master it soon."
Zhang Ximeng followed behind and said with a smile: "Rice, flour, grain and oil are shipped from the warehouse. All we have to do here is cook them for the soldiers."
Li Zhen's face darkened and she said solemnly: "Although I don't understand the affairs of the army, food is the most important thing for the people, let alone a warrior who leads the army in war? I am also half a century old this year, and I have gone through a lot of ups and downs.
Things, don’t look at a small stove, there are a lot of things inside. There are so many people, and if you dig out a little from each person’s mouth, it will be a big number over time!”
Li Zhen can be regarded as having a son in old age. Now he is over fifty years old and is twice as old as Zhu Yuanzhang. An old man in a family is like a treasure.
Originally, Zhu Yuanzhang just wanted to give his brother-in-law something to do, but after listening to what he said, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that he had really chosen the right person.
"Brother-in-law, don't refuse, this job belongs to you!"
Zhang Ximeng couldn't help but nod. Lao Zhu's brother-in-law had excellent reviews in history books. Even after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, he was very frugal. Even when Lao Zhu gave him clothes, he was reluctant to wear them. He only wore mended ones.
I always tell my family about the hardships of farming in the past.
It can be said that he taught Li Wenzhong very well, but the old man left a little early and did not teach his grandson properly, so that bastard ruined the good reputation of the Li family.
"Lord, how about this? Try it for a few months and see what the results are?"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, "Just do what you want, sir." He then said to Li Zhen, "Brother-in-law, you are not allowed to refuse."
Li Zhen was startled, and finally gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, don't worry, my brother-in-law won't embarrass you!"
Li Zhen really doesn't just brag...he has experience and is a down-to-earth person.
After mastering the kitchen, Li Zhen devoted herself to enriching the soldiers' dining table.
How to do the most things with the least amount of money is a big question.
After Li Zhen discovered that there was soy milk to drink in the army, she immediately came up with an idea.
He went around purchasing soybeans, soy milk, tofu, qianzhang, dried tofu, and even made vegetarian chicken.
The remaining tofu residue was the best feed. Li Zhen used the vegetable money to buy dozens of piglets and raise them. During the Chinese New Year, she would kill the pigs for meat.
Also, the little old man led the big guys to build chicken coops, dig fish ponds, plant vegetables around the military camp, dig lotus roots in the river, and pick mushrooms in the mountains... In short, Li Zhen did her best to make the soldiers eat well and be full!
Zhang Ximeng even thought that he might have been a hamster in his previous life, otherwise how could he have such a strong collecting habit!
All kinds of wild vegetables, including those for leaves, stems and roots, are divided into categories and not messy. Some are dried and stored, and some are pickled into pickles.
Since Li Zhen arrived, the variety of pickles on the table has obviously increased, and everyone can't help but marvel.
"My brother-in-law was a good cook back then. Whenever there were weddings and funerals in the countryside, he would be invited to cook and prepare the table. At that time, we were most willing to go with my brother-in-law. Not only could we have a hearty meal, but also the things the host didn't want.
You can also bring some back, so that the whole family can have a delicious meal..." Lao Zhu looked forward to his teenage years, the few happy times he had, and yearned for them very much.
Zhang Ximeng rolled his eyes, is that what others don't want?
Maybe it was stolen, do you know?
Obviously, Zhang Ximeng did not dare to expose Lao Zhu.
And under extreme pressure to survive, you really can't ask for anything too much.
"My lord, the free money and food we collected are enough to last until the summer harvest. With this season's food, we don't have to worry about starvation. The situation will only get better and better, and the people will be well fed, clothed, and prosperous.
"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, "I hope so... We really want to run Chuzhou well, this is our root!"
Lao Zhu sighed like this, but he was not moaning for nothing.
The consequence of not having a solid base has occurred again and again.
The latest example is Peng Zaozhu!
I remember that he and his father Peng Da fled to Haozhou, relying on Guo Zixing for protection and living under someone else's roof.
After finally defeating Jia Lu, Peng Da is so high-spirited!
With more than 30,000 soldiers and horses, he was called the King of Luhuai. He captured Sizhou and Xuyi. Wherever he passed, rats scurryed with their heads in their arms. The state of vitality and all things competing was still before our eyes. In the blink of an eye, he and Zhao Jun fought with fire.
, Peng Da was injured and died.
Has the land of Sizhou actually become the burial place of the Peng family and his son?
At this moment, a troop of soldiers and horses descended from the sky. Xu Da led 500 people and came to meet Peng Zaozhu.
Thirty years in Hedong and thirty years in Hexi, but now it doesn’t even take a year, and the situation has been reversed and turned upside down!
"Young Marshal Peng, my superiors sent me here to express condolences to the King... and asked me to bring a message that if the Young Marshal is willing to go to Chuzhou, he welcomes the Young Marshal to go south."
Peng Zaozhu was much worse than before, and his spirit was not as good as before.
"Your governor is interested, but Zhao Jun used this thief, and he killed my father. No matter what, I will take revenge! I am not done with him! Unless one of his heads falls to the ground! There will be no end until death!"
Xu Da couldn't help but sigh, "Young Marshal, it's never too late for a gentleman to take revenge in ten years. If we continue to fight to the death, we will only use up our precious troops... We are all Haozhou Red Scarfs, and they will fight against Yuan Tatar to get the upper hand."
I have already said that, please Marshal, please do not hesitate, lead the troops south as soon as possible, recuperate and recuperate. Only when you regain your strength can you take revenge!"
Xu Da kept persuading Peng to stay early.
In fact, Peng Zaozhu also wanted to leave, but it was really shameless to ask him to join Zhu Yuanzhang.
They, father and son, were so complacent that they eagerly claimed the throne. Now that they have been defeated, they are going to find the former ninth captain, and are they going to let him live?
Xu Da knew Zhu Yuanzhang's intentions very well. He wanted to promote the alliance of the original Haozhou Red Turbans, and the Peng family could not abandon it under any circumstances.
Time passed, and just when Xu Da almost lost confidence, Zhao Junyong launched another attack. The two sides fought fiercely. At the critical moment, a Yuan army suddenly appeared behind Peng Zaozhu. The morale of the army was in chaos for a while, and Peng Zaozhu returned.
The sky is powerless and the troops are defeated!
Xu Da led 500 men and horses, repelled the Yuan army's pursuit, and took the opportunity to lead Peng Zao to the south.
At this moment, Peng Zaozhu had no choice but to gather the remaining troops, which totaled only a few thousand people, and headed south in embarrassment.
As they got closer and closer to Chuzhou, another group of troops came unexpectedly.
The troops were led by old acquaintances, Yu, Lu, and Pan, three former marshals of Haozhou. They led thousands of defeated soldiers to catch up with them.
After getting together and asking, we found out that they marched together with Sun Deya, encountered Yuan Ting's troops, were defeated, and their plan to plot Huai'an failed.
Sun Deya led the remaining troops and headed towards Hezhou. The three of them originally wanted to go with Sun Deya, but they heard by chance that Zhu Yuanzhang was flourishing in Chuzhou and had a strong army.
The three men came with their men and horses, and by chance they met Marshal Peng Zaozhu.