Chapter 25: The Warm Kang

"My men were only conducting a routine search. The submissive residents, for some unknown reason, suddenly became agitated and started brawling with us. Someone had spilled oil on the steps; we tripped, and the villagers, blinded by rage, trampled our hands and feet until they broke." Aside from the leader, every man was injured, looking truly wretched.

"I see. Go find the garrison physician to look at you all, and suspend the searches for now." Jiang Hui waved his hand, ordering his men to be carried off for treatment. He knew clearly that this was a warning from Duan Yue's group regarding yesterday's events. There was no need to guess who was behind this—it was definitely the handiwork of that refined and handsome military advisor, Duan.

"Tch, such a temper." It wasn't as if he had said anything overly offensive. It seemed he wouldn't be able to conduct searches for a while, but surely taking action against the Red Eyebrow Army would be fine.

"It's getting a bit cold." Chen Jie felt his coat was a bit thin this morning and planned to add a layer tomorrow. He then recalled the thickness of the bedding he had received for the winter; he was genuinely worried that if he actually covered himself with it, he might be crushed to death.

Chen Jie was a southerner through and through. Winters in the south were difficult enough, yet they had never used such thick bedding. He couldn't imagine how cold the winter here would be. Suddenly, he saw Jiang Bai walk in. Remembering that she was a local, he decided to ask her directly.

"Young friend Jiang, I heard you are a native of Pingcheng?" Seeing her nod, he continued, "When we went to collect our winter bedding yesterday, the fur lining was three fingers thick. Is winter in Pingcheng really that cold? And isn't it a bit too early to be issuing winter bedding?"

Jiang Bai nodded. "Winters here are cold, and yes, it is early. Winter sets in around the tenth month, and the sandstorms are fierce. The thick bedding is necessary. You would be better off preparing some fur robes and an extra layer of lining."

"An extra layer of lining? You mean to wear underneath?" They had heard of inner garments, but "lining within a lining" was a new term to them.

"It means garments sewn from two or more layers, preferably filled with silk wadding or wool. You must be careful when buying them; check thoroughly so you aren't cheated. Some unscrupulous merchants use poplar catkins or reed fluff to pass them off as quality filling, which won't keep you warm at all." Jiang Bai had often accompanied her mother to buy clothes, so she knew these things well.

"So, what the army issued might not even be enough?" Chen Jie gasped. The south was cold, but it didn't require such extreme layers. How could Pingcheng be this freezing?

"They probably haven't had time to prepare properly yet," Jiang Bai said, nodding, then shaking her head. With so many southern soldiers arriving, it was impossible to have all supplies ready at once.

"Is that why the walls here are so thick?" Chen Jie thought of the house, remembering how the thickness of the walls had stunned him when they first moved in.

"Yes, and we also use fire walls here." Jiang Bai reminded him, hoping they wouldn't fall ill from the cold by not knowing how to manage the heating. These men weren't martial artists and might not be able to endure it. Medical conditions in this era were difficult, so it was best to avoid getting sick altogether.

"Fire walls?" Chen Jie repeated curiously, his gaze sweeping the room as if searching for them.

"Right, fire walls." Jiang Bai nodded, walked to a corner of the hall, and pointed to a seemingly ordinary wall. "It's right here."

Chen Jie touched it, finding no difference other than it being exceptionally thick. "It does seem a bit thicker."

"This wall looks no different from the others, but it is actually hollow inside. In winter, we can light a stove, and as the heat travels through, the wall slowly warms up, heating the entire room."

Chen Jie walked closer and gently touched the wall. "That's a truly ingenious design," he praised.

"Indeed," Jiang Bai tapped the wall with her finger. "The thickness here is over two spans, much thicker than houses in the south."

Chen Jie listened, mesmerized, and couldn't help but touch the wall again, as if feeling the secrets hidden within. "Yes, the house I lived in down south wasn't this thick. If the walls were that thick there, the house would be stifling in the summer."

"I hear the south is damp and hot, while this place is dry and hot. The sun might be harsher here, but thick walls are actually suitable for summer, too, as they insulate against the heat. Besides, the houses here all face south or north; as long as the construction is sound, you can catch a cross-breeze in the summer."

"That's amazing," Chen Jie exclaimed. "I never heard of a house staying cool in the summer." His home city of Hengcheng was standard southern territory, where even the water was scorching in the summer—he had never heard of a "cross-breeze," only the biting, damp winds of winter.

"One must adapt to the local environment. Many of the heating and cooling methods used in the south just don't apply here." Jiang Bai had gone to university in the south, so she knew that weather well. She had attended high school in the north, where hallways stayed cool in summer, but at university, she learned what "uniform heat" felt like—like being a dumpling in a steamer, a suffocating, breathless heat.

"True, many of the facilities in Hengcheng don't exist here." Chen Jie missed his hometown; this residence wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as his own house, which felt bare by comparison.

Jiang Bai didn't say much more. She looked at the bed in her room and decided it would be better to build a *kang* (heated brick bed) like the one at home. The south's summer was hard to bear, but she didn't have to face that now; however, the north's winter was brutal, and she wouldn't survive without proper equipment.

Her father had been the one to build the *kang*, and she wondered if anyone among the remaining people would know how to construct one.

While Jiang Bai was planning, Duan Jing was overwhelmed with the winter preparations.

"Military Advisor," Yang Bin reported, "the grain reserves haven't arrived yet. If we don't hurry, the troops will go hungry."

Duan Jing nodded, understanding the urgency. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "This is indeed difficult, but not impossible. We can requisition some grain from nearby villages. I heard they just finished the harvest and haven't handed it over to the officials yet. Don't take too much—twenty percent less than the tax rate will suffice. Also, I heard there are beasts in the northern mountains; if we can organize a small hunting party, we might supplement our meat supply."

Yang Bin nodded, finding the suggestion feasible, but then frowned. "But we are short on manpower. If we split off a hunting party, it might compromise our defense."

Duan Jing smiled slightly. "Don't worry. The city has just been through a war; there are many idle civilians. We can recruit some able-bodied men and pay them to help. This won't affect our defenses and will solve the food issue."

Seeing the admiration in Yang Bin's eyes, Duan Jing added, "And send men to check the homes of the wealthy families who fled; there may be surplus grain. Search those, but remember: do not break into homes where residents are still living."

Yang Bin took his orders and left. As he gathered his men, he ran into Jiang Bai, who was heading out to find someone to build a *kang*.

"Where is Dr. Jiang heading?" Yang Bin asked, seeing her turn toward the market.

"I'm looking for a mason who can build a wall," Jiang Bai replied.

"Is there a problem with the house?" Yang Bin worried there had been corner-cutting. "Who is in charge of the military medical quarters?"

Qiao Hang, behind Yang Bin, quickly answered, "Vice-General, it's Lin Qing."

"The house is fine. I just want to build a place to sleep for the winter; sleeping on the bed is a bit too cold," Jiang Bai quickly stopped Yang Bin from reprimanding Lin Qing.

"A place to sleep for the winter?" Yang Bin was sensitive to this topic. "Is the sleeping arrangement here different from the south?"

"It might be the same for others, but mine is different." Jiang Bai explained the principle of the *kang* to him. "Basically, you dig a pit in the corner of the room, lay down bricks, and build a fire inside. The heat conducts through the bricks, warming the surface. It's warm and comfortable."

Yang Bin's eyes lit up. If such a bed existed, it would be more effective than any amount of fur. "Dr. Jiang, if this is true, I think the whole army should use *kangs*. We are desperately short on furs."

He asked Jiang Bai to accompany him to see the Military Advisor.

"Are you sure?" Duan Jing asked, his face brightening at the potential solution.

"Yes," Jiang Bai said. "I have one at home. If you're skeptical, you can send someone to see it."

"I'll go with you," Duan Jing decided immediately, bringing along the army's most skilled builders to learn on the spot.

At Jiang Bai's old home, they saw the low, brick platform in the corner. "This is the fire *kang*," she said.

Duan Jing's artisan, Sun Ge, knelt to examine the structure. Jiang Bai explained, "It's like the fire wall—hollow inside. The heat from the fire warms the entire surface."

"Can you light it?" Sun Ge asked.

Jiang Bai lit the fire. Soon, they felt the warmth radiating through their hands. "It's truly warm," Yang Bin marveled.

"The advantage is that the heat is evenly distributed," Jiang Bai explained. "It doesn't overheat like a stove, and the room temperature remains stable."

"It sounds perfect for winter," Duan Jing said, deciding he must have one in his own quarters.

"Is there any downside?" Yang Bin asked.

"Just that you smell like woodsmoke after sleeping on it," Jiang Bai admitted.

"That doesn't matter," Duan Jing said, his fear of the freezing winter far outweighing his concern for the smell. "As long as it's warm, nothing else matters."