Zhuang Zhiwu arrived very quickly, coming over early the next morning.

"Second Brother, you came so early! Have you eaten? Shall I make you some noodles?"

"Thank you so much, little sister! I received the orders and came here overnight!"

"Okay, then you can sit down and rest for a bit. The noodles will be ready soon!"

The noodles were ready, and Zhuang Zhimeng handed them to Zhuang Zhiwu. Seeing that Zhuang Zhiwu was eating very quickly, she felt sorry for him and said, "Second brother, eat slowly, don't rush!"

"It's okay! I'm used to it. We soldiers eat fast."

Seeing that Zhuang Zhiwu had finished a bowl, Zhuang Zhimeng quickly served him another. After eating four bowls of noodles, Zhuang Zhiwu was finally full.

An Qingbai also came to report to Zhuang Zhimeng. He didn't have to work these past few days, so he accompanied Zhuang Zhimeng to cut pig feed every day.

Upon seeing Zhuang Zhiwu, he quickly greeted him, "Second Brother, you've arrived! We'll take you there in a bit."

Zhuang Zhiwu nodded in agreement.

An Qingbai helped Zhuang Zhimeng wash the bowls, and the two of them carried baskets on their backs and took Zhuang Zhiwu up the mountain.

Upon arriving at the location of the stone, An Qingbai indicated that Zhuang Zhiwu was there.

Zhuang Zhiwu noted down the location. "Little sister, I'll be going now. Our troops are nearby, and I need to go and notify them to come over. We'll take over here then, so you don't need to worry about it!"

"Okay, Second Brother, go ahead! Be careful! Don't get hurt!"

"Don't worry! I know what I'm doing!"

Seeing Zhuang Zhimeng staring blankly at Zhuang Zhiwu's departing figure, An Qingbai pulled her hand and patted it: "Don't worry, Second Brother will definitely be alright."

"Yes, I know! It's just that I still can't help but worry every time my second brother goes on a mission."

"Your second brother will take good care of himself, he would do the same for you, so don't worry! What you need to do is take good care of yourself and not make him worry."

"Okay, I got it! Qingbai, you have to tell me where you're going from now on. You can't let me not know your whereabouts, okay?"

"I'll tell you everything, you're my precious baby!"

"Get lost, you smooth talker!" Zhuang Zhimeng rolled her eyes at him.

Seeing that Zhuang Zhimeng was in a much better mood, An Qingbai finally felt relieved.

The two started cutting pig feed, and at that moment, Maotuan came to circle around her again.

Every time she cuts pig feed, her three dogs, Maoqiu, Maotuan, and Maoxian, would circle around her from time to time, or rub against her legs, or play a chase around her, enjoying themselves immensely.

The village boy named Hu Zi came to bring Zhuang Zhimeng wild blueberries. "Sister Zhimeng, these are for you. This is the last batch. If you want to eat them again, you'll have to wait until next year."

Zhuang Zhimeng took the candy and thanked Hu Zi, then gave him a piece of candy, saying, "Thank you, Hu Zi, I was just about to have this!"

"Sister Zhimeng, can I pet this dog?" Tiger asked, taking the candy after thanking her.

Tiger really wanted to touch the fluffy ball, but he had never dared to before. This time, seeing Zhuang Zhimeng by his side, he finally mustered up the courage to ask.

"Sure, its name is Maotuan. It has a very good temperament and won't bite. Feel free to pet it!"

When Tiger heard Zhuang Zhimeng say that, he carefully squatted down and gently stroked the ball of fur's head.

Presumably because his owner was nearby, the furry ball only sniffed him. Seeing that the furry ball didn't attack him, he boldly stroked the furry ball, one stroke at a time.

"Sister Zhimeng, this dog's fur is so smooth! You've taken such good care of it! The little yellow dog in the village isn't this nice, and it looks all dirty."

"That's because my sister treats them with care! They're like family to us. When you treat them with care, they can feel it."

"If we hire them to guard our property, we have to treat them well so they'll work even harder, right?"

"Yes, Sister Zhimeng, you're right! We should treat them well!"

"Tiger, aren't you in school?"

Zhuang Zhimeng saw that Hu Zi was already 7 years old. She saw him every day when she was cutting pig feed. Logically speaking, he should be of school age.

"No! My family doesn't want me to go to school; they want me to help them earn work points."

"Okay, then I'll teach you to read when we're cutting pig feed! We can set aside some time each day to study, how about that?"

"Really? Sister Zhimeng, you're really willing to teach me?"

"That's right! If we learn a little bit every day, we'll be able to recognize quite a few characters over time!"

"Sister Zhimeng, can I tell the other kids in the village? We'll all learn from you."

"Sure, why not? It won't take much effort."

"That's great, thank you so much, Sister Zhimeng! I'll go tell my friends right away!" After saying that, she waved goodbye to Zhuang Zhimeng and ran back to the village.