Inside Yanmen Pass, night fell.
Thousands of large iron cauldrons were set up across the open ground of the garrison city, their flickering flames reflecting the weary yet resolute faces of the defenders. Townspeople moved busily among them—some adding firewood, some stirring the porridge, and others chopping salted meat into tiny bits to scatter into the boiling pots. The rich aroma of meat mixed with the earthy scent of coarse grains drifted through the air, causing the starving soldiers to swallow hard against their hunger.
"Queue up! Everyone in line!" Niu Xingyuan shouted, his voice hoarse as he tried to maintain order. The body beneath his armor had visibly thinned. He took a rough ceramic bowl handed to him by an old woman, scooped half a ladle of thick porridge, and deliberately fished a few pieces of meat from the bottom of the pot. "Mother, you eat first."
Chapter 235