Chapter 110 Migration, Follow Me

When Lin Yao returned to the valley with the villagers, Su Niang was already waiting anxiously at the door. Seeing that her arm was covered in blood and her face was pale, she immediately rushed over to help her up: "Shopkeeper! What happened to your arm? It must hurt terribly!"

Wang Xiaoyu followed behind, her eyes red-rimmed: "Quickly treat the wound."

Lin Yao laughed and said, "It's nothing, just a little scratch from the gun, it's nothing serious."

Despite saying that, Su Niang was still worried. She pulled her into the house, found a wooden basin, poured in warm water, and took out some hemostatic herbs that she had prepared beforehand from the cabinet. She then carefully cut open the clothes on Su Niang's arm.

The wound wasn't large, but the deep cut was shocking to behold.

Su Niang gently wiped the wound with a cotton cloth dipped in warm water. "You still say it's nothing? This cut is so deep, what if it leaves a scar?"

Su Niang gently applied the herbs to Lin Yao's wound. When the herbs touched the wound, Lin Yao couldn't help but hiss softly.

Su Niang's movements became even gentler: "Bear with it, this wound needs to be applied evenly for it to heal quickly."

As she spoke, she rummaged through the wooden box and pulled out a clean roll of coarse cloth bandage, carefully wrapping it around Lin Yao's arm. "Alright, don't get it wet for the next couple of days, and don't exert yourself. I'll go to the kitchen and make you some chicken soup to help you recover."

Wang Xiaoyu nodded in agreement: "I'll go soak some mushrooms; they'll make the soup more fragrant!"

The two told Lin Yao to lie down properly before quietly closing the door and heading to the kitchen.

The room fell silent instantly. Lin Yao lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring at the ceiling, the thrilling scenes from just moments before flashing before her eyes.

She subconsciously touched her bandaged arm, and a thin layer of sweat still broke out on her back.

If Xu Zhiheng had arrived any later, that spear would probably have pierced her chest.

Just as I was standing there in a daze, a soft knock came from outside the courtyard gate.

"You're here." Lin Yao put on an overcoat and walked to the door.

Xu Zhiheng was standing outside the door.

Lin Yao's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, almost unconsciously. His features had deepened; his eyes, which used to always hold a smile, were now much colder and more stern.

Lin Yao looked at him, and a subtle feeling suddenly arose in her heart. Xu Zhiheng in front of her was both familiar and unfamiliar to her.

"What's wrong?" Xu Zhiheng noticed her staring at him absentmindedly and gently touched his face. "Although it's been two years since we last met, Miss Lin, you don't need to stare at me like that, do you? I've become even more handsome."

Lin Yao's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but she didn't respond to his teasing remark. This guy still had the mind to talk about these things.

She looked away, stepped aside to let them into the house, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Come in, don't stand in the doorway in the wind."

Xu Zhiheng didn't stand on ceremony and reached out to pick up a small stool from the corner of the wall.

The bench was made by Afu from split wood, and the seat was only about three palms wide. When he sat down, his two long legs could only bend to the side, making him look a little cramped.

Lin Yao sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) looking at this big guy sitting on this pitifully small stool. She couldn't help but smile and patted the kang mat next to her: "Come sit down. What kind of person are you, so tall, huddled on this small stool?"

Xu Zhiheng shook his head: "That's against the rules."

"With war raging and chaos going on, who cares about formalities?" Lin Yao moved back a bit, making more room for them. "Besides, the door is wide open, and the neighbors can see us. What's wrong with us speaking openly and honestly?"

Xu Zhiheng glanced at the open door, then at Lin Yao's open and honest eyes, and thought about it. It made sense; in this chaotic world, it was hard enough to just survive, let alone have so many rules and regulations.

He got up and carefully sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), trying to stay as far away as possible. Even so, the distance between them was much closer, and he could clearly smell the faint herbal fragrance on Lin Yao's body.

His gaze fell on Lin Yao's face. She used to have chubby cheeks and a round face when she smiled, but now she's so thin that she's smaller than his palm.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his tone softened involuntarily: "You've lost weight."

Hearing this, Lin Yao chuckled and gestured towards his face: "When I saw you today, I also felt that you had lost a lot of weight. Your chin wasn't this sharp before, and now you have some stubble, making you look a bit fiercer than you did two years ago."

Xu Zhiheng was stunned for a moment, then a smile crept onto his lips.

He hadn't slept soundly these past few days, chasing after Meng Yong, and his mind was always on edge. But now, seeing Lin Yao smiling with her eyes crinkled and hearing her teasing words, most of his anxiety dissipated.

He raised his hand to touch the stubble on his chin, his tone becoming more relaxed: "Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll tidy it up, and it might look better."

Lin Yao winked mischievously, "General Xu looks good no matter what."

"Really?" Xu Zhiheng rarely showed a silly smile. "Don't tease me."

Seeing his reaction, Lin Yao laughed even harder, leaving Xu Zhiheng completely bewildered.

His gaze fell on her flushed cheeks, and the tenderness in his eyes almost overflowed. In the past two years on the battlefield, he had thought of such vivid scenes countless times, and now that they were really happening in front of him, it felt like a dream.

“Ayao,” he said, his tone no longer light, but serious, “I came to see you not only to check your wounds, but also to tell you something important.”

Lin Yao stopped smiling and sat up straight: "Go on."

"Meng Yong fired a signal flare before he died." He looked at Lin Yao's suddenly changed expression and added, "This signal flare can travel ten miles. If there are any remnants of his troops or other rebel forces nearby, they will come this way soon. Although this valley is remote, it is no longer safe. You have to move with us."

Lin Yao felt a heavy weight in her heart: "If we go with you, won't it delay your march?"

Seeing the worry in her eyes, Xu Zhiheng's heart softened, and he lowered his voice even further: "It's alright. Our main mission here was to kill Meng Yong, and now that he has been executed, our mission is complete."

He leaned forward, looking at her earnestly. "Even if we hadn't met you today, I was planning to send people to the nearby villages to check on the displaced people and make sure they were settled. If you come with us, at least you'll be safe, which is better than staying here and waiting for the rebels to come."

She nodded: "Okay, I'll go and tell the village head and the villagers right away."

In the face of life and death, everyone reacted extremely quickly.

The next day, just as dawn broke, the open space in the valley was filled with people carrying large and small bags.

Xu Zhiheng was explaining things to Jin Yu when he saw Lin Yao coming over, so he nodded to her.

Once everyone had arrived, he walked to the front of the group and said clearly, "After we set off, everyone follow the soldiers and don't fall behind. The able-bodied men should work hard and take care of the elderly and weak."

After saying that, he instructed Jin Yu: "The main force goes first. You stay here to untie Kang Shi, and then put the ladder outside Shandong so that the people inside can get out."

Jin Yu replied, "Don't worry, General."

Lin Yao listened from the side without saying much. They were not the kind of people who would harm their fellow villagers, but they were also not the kind of fools who would repay evil with kindness. For now, let them fend for themselves.

The group walked along the mountain path for half a day, and the sun gradually began to set. Although the villagers walked slowly, not one of them fell behind.

Upon reaching the foot of a mountain, Xu Zhiheng reined in his horse, dismounted, and said to the group, "Our temporary lodging is just ahead. Stay close." With that, he took the lead, parting the dense bushes to reveal a hidden mountain path.

Lin Yao followed them inside, and the more she walked, the more surprised she became.

At the end of the mountain path, there was a sizable mountain village, tightly enclosed by a wooden fence. Inside, there were more than a dozen wooden houses, with wisps of smoke rising from the rooftops. You could even see grain and clothes drying in the yards, which didn't seem like a dangerous place at all.

She couldn't help but tug at Xu Zhiheng's sleeve: "How come there's a mountain stronghold in these mountains? Are there still villagers living here?"

Xu Zhiheng turned around and smiled. Just as he was about to speak, Jin Yu spoke first: "Miss Lin, you may not know this, but this mountain stronghold used to be the lair of bandits. However, the bandit leader was a reasonable man who only robbed wealthy but heartless merchants and never harmed ordinary people."

He paused, then added, recalling the past, "Two years ago, when my lord was chasing down another band of wicked bandits, he happened to encounter this bandit leader. After fighting each other, the two developed a mutual respect, and after a while, the general persuaded him to surrender. Now he is the renowned General Yang in our army, guarding this strategic location and repelling many rebel forces."

As they were talking, the wooden fence of the mountain stronghold was pushed open, and a burly man strode out.

He was dressed in shorts, his arms were muscular, and he had a thick beard, making him look very rugged.

Upon seeing Xu Zhiheng, he immediately bowed respectfully and said in a loud voice, "General Xu! You've finally arrived!"

“Brother Yang,” Xu Zhiheng returned the greeting with a cupped hand, his tone familiar, “I’ve brought some fellow villagers to stay here temporarily today, I apologize for the inconvenience.”

As he spoke, he stepped aside to let the villagers behind him pass, saying, "They are all people from Linjia Village. They have been threatened by the rebels and need to settle here for a while."

General Yang glanced at the crowd and, seeing that most of them were elderly, weak, women, and children, immediately said warmly, "General, what are you saying! It's an honor for our mountain stronghold that you've come! Come in quickly, the house has been cleaned up, and the kitchen is stocked with rice and grain. There's plenty to eat tonight!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than several small figures suddenly ran out of the mountain village.

Leading the group was Song Mi, who had two pigtails and wore a faded cloth dress. She looked much slimmer than she had two years ago.

Several teenagers followed behind her. Lin Yao spotted Zhang Dashan immediately. He had grown to Lin Yao's shoulder and looked like a teenager.

"Sister Ayao!" Xiaomi ran over and hugged her arm, looking up at her and chattering, "Why did you take so long? Brother Dashan and I have been looking forward to seeing you every day!"

Zhang Dashan stepped forward, scratching his head shyly, "Sister Ayao, we were all very worried about you."

The other children gathered around, chattering about what had happened since they parted ways.

Su Niang watched from the side and said to Wang Xiaoyu with a smile, "The children are close to A Yao. They still miss her even after two years apart."

The atmosphere was harmonious when, just then, a person dressed in white slowly walked out of the village.

Bai Li was slender and wore a plain white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) that had been washed until it was almost white, with delicate orchid patterns embroidered on the hem.

Her long, jet-black hair was loosely tied up, secured with only a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks, making her complexion appear even whiter.

The newcomer's gaze swept over the crowd and landed directly on Xu Zhiheng. Then, she parted her lips slightly and said in a soft voice, "Aheng, you're back."

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Author's Note: [doge] Hehe, breaking through the window paper needs a catalyst.

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