Ding Peng and Ding Gui are already official soldiers. They will go to the capital with the army tomorrow and then return to the military camp. After having dinner, they sat for a while and then stood up to say goodbye.

Before leaving, the two men once again expressed to Ding Youtian that they would keep his teachings in mind. After all, he was their nephew, and it was his first time away from home traveling thousands of miles away. Ding Youtian and Jian Ning sent them out.

When they got outside the government office, Jian Ning said with a smile, "I wanted to make some flatbread for you, but I'm short of one filling and time is a bit tight. I'll make it for you the next time."

Ding Gui's face turned red. He still remembered the scene when he snatched some dumplings from the old house. Those dumplings were so delicious that he wanted to cry. After the family split up, his mother Gao would occasionally make them for him and Ding Quan, but the taste was never as good as the ones he snatched from the old house.

"My nephew was ignorant in the past, and I'm sorry to make you laugh." He was only half a year older than Dabao, not yet sixteen, but he looked older than Dabao. If he hadn't been so strong and brave in fighting, he would have almost not been able to become a soldier.

"Aunt Si doesn't mean to laugh at you. Perform well in the military camp. The same goes for Ding Peng. Strive for a good future for yourself and bring honor to our Dingxian Village." Jian Ning was still smiling. She didn't like Ding Gui at all in the past, but now that he has grown sensible, she likes him much more.

After seeing them off, Jian Ning wanted to go talk to Duan Xinyan, but Ding Youtian stopped her, "Do you understand? Ever since she married Erlang, when has it been so long since they've been apart? You two sisters will have plenty of time to chat in the future. Why don't you hurry up and get me some hot water for a bath, and wash yourself too. I need it."

After he finished speaking, he put his hands behind his back, held his head high and strode into the room.

Qiaofeng and Da Niu had already boiled water in the kitchen. Ma Xiaomai was also there. Seeing Jian Ning approaching, Ma Xiaomai called out to Master, "I have something to say to you."

Ma Xiaomai wanted to stay with his father on Jiguan Mountain to sleep for one night. Jian Ning thought about it and it was a good idea. The temperature in Baicaojian was constant throughout the year. Letting Ma Xiaomai stay with him on Jiguan Mountain for one night would be a good opportunity to see if there would be any changes to the body after it left Baicaojian.

"Okay, wait for Bao'er to come back and have Brother Qiu take us up. Once the water is boiled, you can wash up first. I'll have Brother Qiu pick you up tomorrow morning."

We boiled several large pots of water, and when everyone had finished washing, Dabao came over with Maoqiu riding on his horse.

"Mom, Dad." Dabao bowed to Jian Ning and Ding Youtian and told them, "When we came here, Brother Qiu wanted to fly towards the capital. I guess he missed his sister, Ah Man. How about I take Maoqiu with him to the capital in a couple of days? Is that okay, Mom?"

Jian Ning said, "Okay, Brother Qiu originally belonged to Man'er. If it wasn't useful to keep it, it should have been used to escort Man'er's father."

Dabao lowered his eyelids and said, "Uncle Huo is really great."

Ding Youtian, with her long, dark hair spread out, glanced at him sideways, "Go wash up and go to bed early. Your mother and I will go get your uncle later."

"Is uncle okay?" Dabao's eyes lit up. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? If you had told me earlier, I would have brought my uncle here by now."

Ding Youtian said, "Your mother and I just received the news. Your uncle has been poisoned by some slow-acting poison and has fallen asleep and hasn't woken up yet. There's no need to ask any more questions. Just go wash up."

Dabao was silent for a moment, turned around and closed the door.

"Do you think Bao'er is obsessed with that girl A'man?" Ding Youtian asked Jian Ning after he left.

"Man'er is a good match for our son. If Bao'er likes it, I have no objection." Jian Ning said as she went to the dressing table in the inner room to get a wooden comb. She came back to the outer room and combed his long hair while saying, "We all thought Huo Jincheng adopted Dajun for Man'er, but it's not true. If Bao'er and Man'er like each other, we as parents should not interfere. What do you think?"

She nudged Ding Youtian's back with her body, her body language a bit coquettish, and Ding Youtian patted her hand on the back, "I don't think Ah Man is a bad person, it's just..."

Jian Ning has not been pregnant for a long time. Ding Youtian originally wanted to say that he only had Dabao as his son. Secretly, he hoped that Dabao would marry a quiet and gentle woman. However, Huo Jincheng died to save Jian Ning. If Dabao and A Man really loved each other, he would not consider it.

"Just what? Don't just say that. If you force a couple to break up, Bao'er might become alienated from you in the future. Didn't Huo Jincheng quarrel with the Grand Tutor and his wife over marrying Ah Man's mother? As long as they don't meet the wrong people, it's best for us not to interfere too much in the children's future marriages. It's not that we're afraid of them complaining. Let them live their own lives, and we just need to help and give them some advice."

"I'll listen to you and go to bed early." Ding Youtian put down the book. Jian Ning held him down and put the book back into his hands. "Read your book. I'm taking Xiaomai to Jiguan Mountain. He needs to stay in a cave with his father for one night. I only have a blanket and a quilt for his father. I'll go get a bed and a quilt for Xiaomai."

Ding Youtian was delighted when he heard this. He raised his wrist and tapped his head, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten about this. How can we rest peacefully with him around? Hurry up."

Jian Ning put the bed among the grass, came out to call Ma Xiaomai, and took Guoguo and Baimei with her, asking them to stay with Ma Xiaomai in the cave. They took Qiu Ge to Jiguana Mountain. She asked Ma Xiaomai to wait outside the cave first, and only called him in after she got Ma Fuquan out with his quilt.

"Daddy!" Ma Xiaomai rushed over to Ma Fuquan as soon as he saw him. In the afternoon, when Ding Youtian told him that his father was in good health, he was overjoyed and had been looking forward to seeing his father. Now he was very excited when he saw him.

"Master, it turns out my father has been hiding in this cave. If I had known earlier, I would have found him this afternoon! Look, my father really looks like he's asleep. He will definitely wake up! I knew my father wouldn't abandon us. That year, he whipped me for Ma Qianjin. Only my father can beat me. He beat me. He is my father, my real father!"

Jian Ning leaned over and took a closer look. It was indeed Ma Fuquan sleeping on the military blanket. His face seemed to be more lively than before, but he gave her a feeling of less familiarity and more unfamiliarity. Perhaps it was because he lacked the soul of the military team. He looked like the real Ma Fuquan.

She deliberately stayed for another half an hour. Seeing that Ma Fuquan's expression remained the same, she guessed that it was not because of Baicaojian. Perhaps there was a will of heaven, and maybe one day the Wu team would really come back.

"Okay, I have to go back. Stay with your father and talk. Don't force yourself to stay awake all night. Guoguo and Baimei are here. Brother Qiu will definitely fly back soon. Take your father down the mountain tomorrow morning, and I won't come to pick you up."

Sure enough, after Brother Qiu turned around, he flew to Jiguana Mountain.

Ma Xiaomai didn't talk to his father for too long. He firmly believed that his father would wake up again, so he happily fell asleep beside his father.