The woman hugged her daughter tightly, saying, "Be good! Mother won't hit you anymore. Come back with me."
The girl twisted her body vigorously, refusing to comply.
Seeing that she was still twisting and turning, the woman put down the stick and couldn't help but slap her thick cotton coat.
"Why are you so disobedient? Dongsheng City is full of Hu people. If you go back, they will catch you and throw you into a pot to eat!" The woman began to threaten her daughter again.
The girl was clearly startled by these words, but she was still unwilling to give up. Looking at the smoke rising from the chimney next door and smelling the faint aroma, her craving returned.
"Then...then I want to eat dumplings." The girl stopped moving and just pouted.
Seeing her daughter's stubborn expression, the woman knelt down to brush away the stray strands of hair from her forehead, and chuckled softly.
"What's so great about dumplings? You might as well eat..."
Before she could finish speaking, the girl suddenly shouted, "It's delicious! It's delicious!"
"Dad makes dumplings for me every year, they're so delicious!"
The woman was taken aback, a look of realization dawning on her eyes. If the city hadn't fallen and her husband hadn't died, they really should have made some dumplings today.
She sighed inwardly, but maintained a faint smile on her face as she said to her daughter:
"You brat, you're my nemesis. Alright, alright, I'll give in to you, okay?"
"But let me make this clear first: you can only make four dumplings, no more. And the filling is just vegetable leaves. You're not allowed to pick and choose!"
With her wish fulfilled, a radiant smile bloomed on the girl's face.
"Okay! I'll eat two, Mom, you eat two! Hehe."
The woman stood up and patted her little head. "This is the only time. If you cause trouble again next time, I'll hit you! Humph."
"Oh no, I'm a reasonable person!" the girl waved her hands repeatedly.
"I'm going to mix the flour. I'll call you when it's ready. Don't run around," the woman told her daughter before turning and going back into the house.
The girl stared at the smoke rising from the chimney of the next house for a while, but quickly looked away.
She skipped and hopped along the street, chasing a clump of weeds blown by the wind, a naive smile on her face. The street was empty and deserted, but it became her own little world of amusement.
Inside the house, the woman took a small bag of flour off the wall. Although she was reluctant, she still scooped out a spoonful. Just as she was drawing water from the water vat, she heard her daughter's panicked screams from outside.
"Oh no! Oh no!"
The woman's heart tightened, and she hurriedly ran out of the house. As soon as she came out, she saw her daughter running towards her in a panic.
"Mother! Lots of soldiers are coming! So many people!"
"They came from the road we took to enter the city!"
"It's the Huma people! They're coming to kill us! Run!"
The little girl jumped around frantically, her smile gone, her small face filled with panic.
The woman was also frightened, and her eyes were filled with despair.
"Luck" allowed me to escape to Asahi City with my daughter; "luck" allowed me to live in this deserted house; "luck" allowed me to have some food left over so I could make a few dumplings.
Has this luck finally run out?
Where can they run to this time?
"Mom! Stop making dumplings! Run! Those people look terrible, like they're about to eat us alive!" the girl urged frantically.
The woman raised an eyebrow, but then she saw that several houses outside had opened their doors and people were running out, but they didn't look panicked.
The woman looked suspicious and frowned, saying, "Girl, do they all have full beards?"
"No! But it looks scary!" The girl frowned, her eyes filled with panic.
Just then, cheers erupted from outside, and they were so enthusiastic.
The woman raised her head and walked out step by step as if she were in a daze. Although the girl was scared, she hurriedly grabbed her mother's sleeve and followed her out step by step.
A deafening sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, making the ground tremble slightly.
The woman looked up and saw a procession of people at the end of the road, their bright red banners fluttering in the wind under the sky.
The bright armor gleamed with a dazzling light, and the jagged spears pierced the sky, gleaming with a cold, sharp light.
The horses' hooves thundered heavily on the ground, raising clouds of dust that surged like a tidal wave, inspiring awe and fear.
The young man at the head of the group was dressed in black armor. Beneath his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, his handsome and resolute face was incredibly deep.
The young man raised his hand, and the army slowly came to a stop.
All eyes were on him, and the surrounding noise gradually quieted down.
In the silence, a deafening voice rang out:
"In the Beiku Grassland, all the Hu horses have been slaughtered!"
"From this day forward, there will be no more barbarian horses in Northern Liang!"
"Beiku will be your new home!"
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in a thunderous roar.
It was as if the breath that had been held back was finally exhaled, as if the poison of "despair" was finally extracted, as if the endless wait had finally come to an end.
The cheers, like an avalanche, were a mixture of joy, relief, and gratitude—a thousand different emotions that created this celebratory symphony for everyone.
The uncertain future has a direction, the gloom has been swept away, and everyone's face is filled with happy expressions.
At this moment, the young man waved his hand, and the tidal wave of cheers subsided.
"I entered through Julu Pass and passed through Dongsheng City, where... there was no one left."
At this point, the man took a deep breath before continuing:
"If I had wiped out the Hu Ma a day earlier, I would never have let them die in vain at their hands."
"But I, Qin Ze, swear today! As long as I, Qin Ze, am here in Beiliang, I will never allow a single civilian to die in the chaos of war!"
"Those who lack clothing! Those who lack food! Tell me!"
"Today, I return to Beiliang. From now on, I, Qin Ze, will ensure that all the people of Beiliang live in abundance! I will never let you suffer bullying again!"
At this point, the girl noticed her mother's body trembling. She raised her flushed little face and saw that her mother's eyelids were slightly red.
Seeing her daughter's gaze, the woman bent down and gently embraced her. She pressed her face against her daughter's rosy cheek, her arms tightening around her, and said in a trembling voice:
"My dear, tomorrow...tomorrow, your mother will take you home."
At that moment, a continuous sound of kneeling and bowing rang out.
One person after another, one group after another, the people knelt on the ground, their voices mingling together and resounding through the sky.
"Welcome back to Beiliang, Your Highness!"
P.S.: There are many words in this chapter, almost 6,000 words.
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