Erya's father cupped his hands over the stove, warming them, and said with a puff of white mist from his mouth, "It's still okay in the capital, but it would be terribly cold in Liaodong."

Erya blinked and asked in confusion, "Dad, are we going back to Liaodong?"

Erya's father stopped his hand, hesitating and hesitant.

"I think it's pretty good in the capital." Erya grinned and said, "Isn't farming harder, and the income isn't that much, right?"

Erya's father nodded, then shook his head and said, "Girl, don't just focus on the present! Can you do this small business forever? But if your family has more than ten acres of land, it can be a long-term livelihood. During the winter, if you do something else to supplement your income, you can earn more."

Oh, Erya is a good girl, she never talks back to Daddy. If Mommy had a little brother, and if our family had land, it would be a stable livelihood that could be passed down from generation to generation.

"Soon." Erya's father grinned and said, "Liaodong will be pacified soon. I heard some news in Tianjin that the Jiannu suffered a crushing defeat in Haicheng, with tens of thousands of casualties!"

"Haicheng?" Erya tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "Isn't that pretty close to our hometown?"

"Yes!" Erya's father nodded vigorously and said, "We are Liao people and have bought the Liao Ping debt. If we return to Liaodong, the court has policies and will take care of us."

Erya asked, "Will you build a house for us? The old one seems to have burned down."

Years later, even the memory has become fuzzy. Although he remembered it in his dreams, Erya's father knew that the house had indeed burned down.

"Yes, we will build you a new one, better than the old one." Erya's father comforted his daughter and looked forward to the future. "It's close to Haicheng, so I can do small business in the city."

Erya nodded in belief and said, "When we have a piece of land, we can plant sweet potatoes on half of it. We can eat it ourselves and sell it."

"Okay, let's plant more sweet potatoes." Erya's father reached out and touched his daughter's head, agreeing readily.

……………………

The freshly baked sweet potato was steaming and emitting an enticing sweet aroma as it fell into Yingzi's hands.

Although it was so hot that she had to pass the gloves back and forth, Yingzi still smiled happily. She didn't hold on tightly until Zhang Zhuzi took off one of his gloves.

Breaking open the sweet potato, the flavor was even more intense, making one's mouth water. Yingzi handed half to Zhang Zhuzi, blew on it, and took a bite, eating with a smile on her face.

"Now that Haicheng has been recaptured, the next steps will be Liaoyang and Shenyang." Zhang Zhuzi took the sweet potato but didn't rush to eat it. With a gleam in his eyes, he said, "This winter, we'll almost be able to pacify the entire Liaodong region."

Yingzi blinked her eyes and said, "I've decided to go back to my hometown and help my father farm. I'll plant sweet potatoes, no matter how much land I have."

After saying that, Yingzi shook her head again and said, "We have to leave some land for my father. He wants to grow tobacco!"

Just for sweet potatoes?! Zhang Zhuzi was surprised by the reason for the decision, but soon broke into a smile and said, "Okay, whatever you say, we'll plant."

"Will you listen to me?" Yingzi showed a mischievous look.

Zhang Zhuzi nodded vigorously and responded solemnly with a "hmm".

"Then I won't let you transport supplies anymore." Yingzi looked at Zhang Zhuzi with a half-smile, "You're a retired soldier, what's the reward you deserve for supporting the front?"

Zhang Zhuzi opened his mouth slightly and blinked his eyes, feeling rather embarrassed. After a long pause he stammered, "I'm the captain, and I have to lead those people!"

Yingzi chuckled and said, "Okay, I was just teasing you. Look how embarrassed you are."

After a pause, Yingzi put away her smile and solemnly warned, "Come back as soon as you finish delivering the supplies, and don't go anywhere near the fighting!"

"I know, I know." Zhang Zhuzi agreed without hesitation.

Yingzi finally felt relieved, ate the roasted sweet potatoes with relish, and chatted casually with Zhang Zhuzi.

"Taozi wants to live in the city. She told her boss that if she opens a shop in Haicheng, she will go there."

"As for you, if you want to live in the city, that's fine. There's land outside the city, not far away."

"My father doesn't want to! He wants to build a few houses, have a big yard, raise some chickens and ducks, and go to the fields in the time it takes to smoke a pack of cigarettes."

"Oh right." Yingzi suddenly thought of something and asked, "We've almost pacified Liao, but the Jianlu won't come back to kill and plunder, right?"

Zhang Zhuzi chuckled and said confidently, "Not only will we pacify Liao, but we will also destroy the slaves. This is what Your Majesty has decided. With so many troops and so many cannons, we will definitely be able to completely wipe out the Jiannu."

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