Following Gong Jian's orders, all the soldiers immediately began helping out. Every yurt had a stove that could be lit, and the chimneys ran straight out through the center of the yurts.
The ground inside the yurts was covered with nothing more than a blanket, making it rather cold.
"Comrades, I'm really embarrassed. You've come all this way, but the conditions are so crude. These yurts are where we usually stay when herding sheep, and the environment is really poor," the old herdsman said apologetically.
"No, no, Uncle. You've already helped us tremendously. Having yurts like these to shelter us from the cold wind is more than enough," Gong Jian hurriedly replied.
The old herdsman smiled honestly, then went to help the other men light the stoves for them.
The five of them occupied one yurt. Though the remaining four yurts were not large, if they squeezed together, each could fit more than a dozen people without anyone getting cold.
This was far better than being out in the wilderness. As long as they blocked the cold wind and kept it from continuously drawing away their body heat, that was enough. They could also rest better this way, without having to worry in the middle of the night that something might happen to their comrades.
Every yurt had a simple stove. The herdsmen had transported coal here beforehand, and it was much more useful than their firewood. Once the coal fire blazed up, the temperature inside the yurts quickly rose.
Just as Gong Jian was about to ask the soldiers in the yurt something, the old herdsman pushed aside the door flap and came in. "Comrade, I'm terribly sorry. We only have two kettles, so it may take a little longer for you to get hot water."
"Uncle, you're being