Chapter 164 Reunion

When Brother Lin arrived, he had already heard about it. The guards said that Daxing had been in crisis recently, with nearly 10,000 Tartars in front and a group of traitors behind.

News didn't circulate much in the village, and their family had no idea how much suffering their sister had endured.

I heard that the grain in Daxing was burned and the rebels blocked the supply route. The border troops in Daxing had nothing to eat and still had to defend against the Tartars who were trying to seize the border.

Without even thinking about it, I knew those days must have been incredibly difficult.

I heard that my sister was injured. The guards took almost half a month to pick her up, and the round trip took almost two months. My sister just told me that today was her first day on duty.

That means the younger sister was likely recovering from her injury for almost two months, which suggests that her injury must have been quite serious.

Lin Changsi's eyes dimmed. If his father and elder brother hadn't been tricked into going to the frontier, the family wouldn't be in such dire straits, and his younger sister wouldn't be suffering so much.

She was a girl, and her health was already poor. She should have stayed at home embroidering and picking wild vegetables, hoping to marry into a good family in the future. But now she has taken on the heavy burden of the family in place of him and her younger brother.

She took her younger brother's place in the army, and sent most of her money back home to support her brother's schooling and recovery. The family's expenses now largely depend on her sister.

This really made him feel a bit frustrated.

"elder brother?"

Lin Changning looked at his second brother, who was in a daze, and asked, "Are you alright, brother?"

Lin Erge forced a smile: "I'm fine."

Lin Changning said with some concern, "Brother, you don't look well. Should we go and get a doctor to take a look? Is your leg still hurting? Is the treatment at home not working? I'll go and find a doctor for you another day."

Brother Lin hurriedly waved his hand: "No need, no need. My leg is fine now. As long as I don't walk too fast, there won't be any problems. I just feel sorry for Xiao Liu's hard work."

Lin Changning nodded: "It's good that you're alright, brother. I haven't had any hardship. Joining the army was my choice, and it turns out that I have talent. I really enjoy being in the army now, so don't worry about me."

Lin Erge carefully observed his sister's expression, seemingly trying to confirm whether she was telling the truth or to comfort him.

Seeing his brother's doubtful gaze, Lin Changning said seriously again, "Brother, I'm serious. I'm different from before. Now I'm strong enough to lift a cauldron. I'm just a junior officer on the border. I can protect my country with my sword and horse. I love this kind of life. Heaven gave me great strength, and I think it's so that I can serve my country."

Lin Erge's gaze softened as he looked at his younger sister: "Whatever you like is fine. I'll support whatever you do."

Lin Changning looked around and, not seeing his two little nieces, asked, "Where are the two little girls?"

Madam Wang spoke first: "Those two have been so jostled around in the carriage lately that they started getting sleepy as soon as they entered the hospital. Your second sister-in-law and I helped them wash up and eat something before sending them to sleep. They should have had enough naps by now. I'll call them over later."

Lin Changning nodded: "Then there's no need to call me sister-in-law anymore. I'm getting a little hungry after talking for so long. Mother, is there anything to eat at home?"

Lin hesitated for a moment: "We've only been here for an afternoon, and the food was prepared by the maid in the courtyard."

Niu stood up: "Then I'll go and ask around."

After the maidservant placed the dishes in the main hall, the family enjoyed a harmonious meal. After Lin Changning put down his chopsticks, his mother suddenly pulled him aside, seemingly wanting to say something.

"Sixth Brother, come with me."

Although Lin Changning didn't know what his mother wanted to do, he still followed her.

Once the two entered the room, Lin's mother closed the door, then pushed Lin Changning to the bedside and began tearing at Lin Changning's clothes.

"mother??"

Lin Changning looked on in bewilderment as her mother helped her undress.

"Take off your clothes and let your mother see your injuries."

Knowing what her mother wanted to do, Lin Changning was both amused and exasperated. To put her mother's mind at ease, Lin Changning took the initiative to start taking off her clothes.

She was stripped down to only the strip of cloth binding her breast and the five copper coins hanging around her neck. "Is this alright, Mother?"

After a long silence from her mother, Lin Changning looked up and turned around, only to find her mother covering her eyes and crying.

Helpless, Lin Changning pressed his mother down onto the bed, then squatted down beside the bed and knelt on his mother's knees: "Mother just looks a bit scary, but her injuries have healed for a while now."

Lin's mother sat on the bed, tears falling drop by drop onto Lin Changning's hair.

With slightly rough hands, she carefully traced the large and small sores on her daughter's body, as well as the scars that had healed, counting them one by one until the sight was somewhat shocking to Lin's mother.

Hearing my daughter say that she was doing well at the border, but the scars on her body, and the scabs that had just scabbed over, all showed that her military achievements were hard-won.

Fifth Sister is the type to only report good news and not bad news. With so many scars and so many wounds, how much pain must the child be in?

Lin's mother hugged her daughter on her knees and sobbed uncontrollably, "My son, let's quit this official position, okay? It hurts my heart to see the scars on your body."

Lin Changning sighed, picked up her clothes from the ground, put them back on, and sat down next to her mother: "Mother, it just looks scary, but most of the injuries are just superficial and don't affect the bones. On the battlefield, these things are inevitable. Mother, don't cry, I'm not in pain, really."

Lin's mother slapped her daughter's knee hard: "How could it not hurt? There are more than a dozen scars, big and small, how could it not hurt?"

Knowing that her mother was worried about her, Lin Changning hugged her tightly and rested her head in the crook of her neck: "I'm really fine, Mom."

Lin Changning sat by the bedside for a while, comforting his mother until she calmed down, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

The two sat on the edge of the bed and talked for a long time. Lin Changning told his mother about the dangers on the battlefield, how he was appreciated by his superiors, how their food supplies were burned, and about Old Liu and Big Yellow.

Lin's mother held her daughter with her eyes open, listening attentively as her daughter slowly recounted her story.

“That Master Liu was really good to you. It’s a pity that he raised such a big yellow dog. When the world is more peaceful in the future, Mother will take the family to Daxing to see the place you stayed. We will also offer incense to Master Liu to thank him for protecting my daughter. If Xiao Wu likes dogs, Mother will go and find one for you to raise. I will also choose a golden one.”

Lin Changning's face was somewhat gloomy. Even now, when she mentions Lao Liu and Da Huang, her heart still aches faintly.

Even killing one's enemy cannot alleviate the pain in one's heart.