Junzhou, Yankang Prefecture.
Despite the absence of expansive farmland or a river providing ample water, wisps of cooking smoke rose continuously amidst the mountains and forests, unable to conceal their withering yellow hue.
At a glance, among the unending stretches of barren forest land, stood densely packed, simple dwellings.
A rough count revealed that at least ten thousand people could live there, resembling the scale of a small town.
Occasionally, one could see disheveled children running around chasing each other, elders basking in the sun at their doorsteps, and women spreading roots to dry on the ground...
This picture of extreme poverty was, in these chaotic times, quite a rare and peaceful sight.
Only when one saw the high walls surrounding the camp, built of stone and wood, and the able-bodied men patrolling along the tops of the walls with weapons in hand,
did one realize how difficult it was to maintain this simple peace.
