These men and women sitting by the side of the streets or standing around aimlessly glanced over at the convoy when they saw it.

At first, they didn't think much about it.

Most of them thought that it was another rich man or cultivator getting from one place to another.

Even though they were in the same place, they knew that their lives were a world apart from those rich men and cultivators.

They could only stare and watch them pass by.

Some, however, wanted to try their luck.

They tried to get near the convoy but backed away when the guards stared at them with their hands on the handles of their weapons.

All of them sighed and stood where they were.

But when the pushcarts went past them, the smell from the porridge filled their noses and it triggered their stomachs to growl immediately.

Their eyes fixated on the barrels that were on the pushcarts and followed them.

"Food!"

"There's food!"

"Stop..."

Some of the young kids got excited at the porridge but were stopped by adults.

The guards looked menacing, and they'd seen some atrocious things these rich men and cultivators did when they tried to beg for food or money.

But the porridge was too alluring for the kids, and they ran after the pushcarts.

Xue Cong, Yue Jie and Yue Xin, who were peering out from the window of the horse carriage, frowned and gave out a long sigh when they saw the scene.

They glanced at Lin Xuan Qi and felt once more how fortunate they were to have met him.

Not a day had passed where they had to starve or be living in a bad condition.

There was nothing more they could ask from him.

Liu Shi Shi, who had seen more during her time travelling throughout the Da Qian Dynasty, also felt gratitude for him.

Whip.

Finally, the coachman cracked his whip and pulled the reins on the horses.

The horses stopped and neighed.

After that, the doors of the horse carriage opened, and the coachman quickly placed the ladder by the door for Lin Xuan Qi and the others to alight.

When Lin Xuan Qi stepped out of the horse carriage, he glanced around and saw that they had arrived near the new factory.

Xue Cong, Yue Jie and Yue Xin quickly alighted behind him and started to organize things.

The servants set up the stalls under the hungry eyes of those needy.

Some had followed them all the way from where Luo Bao's stall was to the northern side of the city.

Those needy who were around the area also gathered around to see what was happening.

When they saw that there was porridge in the barrels that the servants were unloading from the pushcarts, they couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

They hadn't eaten for so long.

And when they saw the stalls set up, their hearts sank.

They didn't have anything left on them to afford the porridge.

"Master Lin, everything has been set up accordingly," Xue Cong came over and informed him of the progress.

Lin Xuan Qi nodded and said, "Then, let's begin."

Xue Cong nodded and she walked back to the stalls.

She raised her hands and shouted at those needy that had gathered around.

"My master knows that it's tough for all of you after such a calamity.

"And out of his mercy, we are here to distribute free porridge to everyone in need.

"You can queue up and be granted one bowl of porridge each."

After she was done, those needy in the vicinity went into a frenzy.

"Did I hear correctly?"

"Free food?"

"We better hurry before it runs out!"

They questioned their sanity before rushing to the porridge stalls, fearing that the porridge might be snatched up soon.

The unruly horde was met with the menacing shouts from the guards.

"Queue up!"

"If you dare to try anything funny, we wouldn't hesitate to use force!"

"You over there, stand in line!"

The guards who had been bored out of their minds finally had something different for them to do, and they were more than enthusiastic to execute it well.

Those needy did as instructed and formed a queue to the porridge stall.

"Thank you!" The man who was first in line thanked profusely when he got the bowl of porridge.

Even though it was still piping hot with the white mist rising from the porridge, the man gobbled down a mouthful.

And even though there wasn't much rice in it, the fragrant smell and thickness of the porridge were enough to fill his stomach.

It was, after all, better than nothing.

He didn't stop and gobbled down another few mouthfuls.

When he was done, one of the servants grabbed onto his bowl and said, "Hope you had your fill. Our master has something to ask from you."

"Something to ask?" The man frowned and thought that here was the catch to the porridge being free.

He instinctively took a step back but bumped into a guard standing behind him.

The servant went on and asked, "Don't be scared.

"First, please help to advertise that there will be rice supplies coming in soon after this.

"And secondly, our master would like to ask whether you are skilled in any carpentry or smithing."

"Yes..." The man replied and glanced at the servant warily.

The servant gave him a smile and stretched out his hands over to where Lin Xuan Qi was standing.

"My master would like to offer you a job if you are really skilled."

The man couldn't believe what he had heard.

A job! In this turbulent time?

It would be a gift from heaven if it were true.

The man glanced at Lin Xuan Qi who was good looking but didn't look menacing like the guards and made his decision.

He nodded to the servant and approached Lin Xuan Qi.

"Master, you are looking for iron smiths?" The man asked when he came over next to Lin Xuan Qi.

Lin Xuan Qi gave him a smile and nodded his head.

"I am willing to offer you a job if you can prove your worth," he said and pointed at an anvil with a hammer and a piece of metal beside him.

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