Chapter 38: Delicious Kimchi "This is what I sent to the government that day...
When she turned around, she lost her balance and nearly fell off her horse. Qi Yu grabbed the collar of her shirt at the back of her waist and pulled her back steadily. Then he pulled the reins, glanced down at her bloodied hands, and said in a calm voice, "That's not my blood. It must have splashed on me when I killed the wolves."
Liu Yeshu felt relieved after hearing this. She turned back but still looked at Qi Yu with some hesitation: "Is it really not your blood?"
Qi Yu tilted his head slightly, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, with a hint of helplessness: "Don't worry, this general is not that easy to get hurt." As soon as the voice fell, he lowered his head and met her watery eyes. He was stunned for a moment, then looked away unnaturally.
“Look at the road ahead.”
Liu Yeshuqing turned her head back again, gripped the saddle tightly, and tried her best to relax her body and find balance.
Finally, they arrived at the general's residence. Attendants were already waiting outside the gate. Seeing Qi Yu return, they immediately stepped forward to take the reins. Liu's father had been pacing anxiously in front of the gate when Qi Yu dismounted. Just as he was about to help Liu Yeshu, he saw her face pale, sweat dripping from her forehead, and her body trembling slightly.
"Miss Liu, you——"
Before Qi Yu could finish his words, he saw Liu Yeshu's body soften and fall directly into his arms.
Qi Yu immediately reached out and caught the frail figure that had fallen from the horse. Frowning slightly, he carried her horizontally and walked toward the door, whispering to his attendant, "Quickly call Du Heng."
The attendant responded and left quickly. Qi Yu turned to Liu's father who was standing beside him with an anxious look on his face and said, "Uncle Liu, don't worry. She is not injured. She is just frightened. I have called the doctor." After he finished speaking, a servant on duty came forward and arranged a guest room for Liu's father.
Qi Yu held her in his arms and walked quickly into the mansion. In the night wind, only his hurried footsteps echoed in the quiet courtyard of the general's mansion.
Putting Liu Yeshu on the bed in her room, Qi Yu looked down at the unconscious Liu Yeshu. The moonlight shone through the window lattice, casting a soft halo on Liu Yeshu's jade-like face.
There was a rare hint of gentleness in his expression, and he sighed imperceptibly.
*
The next day, Liu Yeshu woke up from a nightmare and opened her eyes suddenly. When she realized that she was in bed, she couldn't help but wonder if it was all just a dream?
I raised my hand and saw that there were still traces of wear from the flint on my palm, and the happiness of surviving the disaster surged like a tide.
A gentle call came from her ears: "Shu'er, are you awake?" Liu's mother sat by the bed with a worried look on her face, her eyes full of concern and anxiety.
"Shu'er, you scared me to death! How are you? Is there any pain anywhere?" Mother Liu's voice was trembling, and she was almost crying. It was obvious that the thrill of last night had made her restless all night.
Liu Yeshu shook her head gently. Although her voice was a little hoarse, her tone was calm: "Mom, don't worry, I'm fine. General Qi arrived in time last night and saved me."
Mother Liu sat beside the bed, her brow furrowed. Her concern was tinged with dissatisfaction, and she spoke in a slightly reproachful tone, "Shu'er, why didn't you come back with your father that day? I asked your father several times, but he refused to explain. I was so angry! Now he feels ashamed to see you, so he stayed at the mansion last night until the doctor examined him and then went back."
Liu Yeshu held her mother's hand and said softly, "Mom, don't worry. Dad just doesn't want you to worry."
Mother Liu sighed. Although she was a little unhappy, she felt a little relieved when she saw her daughter was safe and sound. "Your father always hides everything from me. It's really annoying. But I'm glad you're safe. Don't walk alone at night again."
Liu Yeshu smiled and nodded: "Mom, don't worry."
Only then did Mother Liu feel relieved and breathed a sigh of relief. "Good child, I'm glad you're okay... That villain was truly despicable. Fortunately, we have General Qi, otherwise I really don't know what I would have done." She choked up for a moment, but still asked worriedly, "Did that man... treat you rudely? Shu'er, please don't hide it from me!"
A warm feeling welled up in Liu Yeshu's heart, and she patted her mother's hand: "Mom, it's really okay. I was just taken to the cave by him. He's a fool and didn't do anything excessive."
Mother Liu finally breathed a sigh of relief. She stretched out her trembling hands to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes and whispered to herself, "Thank God, thank God..."
At this moment, there was a sound of light footsteps outside the door. Liu Yeshu turned her head slightly and saw Qi Yu's shadow stopped at the door through the half-open door. She wanted to say thank you, but saw him stand there for a moment, then turned and left.
Back in the front hall, a servant hurried over and whispered, "General, the officials have searched the entire area but haven't found the large pillar Miss Liu mentioned. However, they did find the missing women, and their bodies... have been buried in the mountains and forests."
Qi Yu's eyes turned cold, and he whispered, "This person has done evil things, regardless of the consequences. We need to continue the search and make sure to catch him. Also, Miss Liu is involved, so don't let outsiders know at this time."
The attendant lowered his head and responded, looking a little hesitant, as if he had something else to say.
"What else?"
The attendant stepped forward and lowered his voice, saying, "General, I have another matter to report. It's about the Liu family's farmland... There have been rumors in the village lately that the land is haunted."
Qi Yu raised his eyebrows, his expression slightly impatient: "Wicked? Explain clearly."
The attendant first spoke of the dead man's field, then of Wang Chunfang's madness, and finally, "The Liu family's crops are growing incredibly fast, far more lushly than those of other families. Both the corn and the cotton are several times taller than in ordinary fields. Several people have reported hearing strange noises when passing by the Liu family's fields at night, and others have seen the crops seem to move, as if... under a spell."
Qi Yu scoffed after hearing this, picked up the bamboo slips in his hand, and his eyes were filled with sarcasm: "Witchcraft? Are you just making up stories because you can't stand seeing others doing better? The Liu family's crops are growing well because they know how to farm and are diligent in their management. There's no witchcraft involved."
The attendants responded in unison.
Qi Yu thought, if she knew magic, she wouldn't just say thank you for saving her life.
*
A few days later, Liu Yeshu's health improved. When she heard some noise outside the mansion gate, she pushed the door open and went out. She put down her book, pushed the door open, and walked into the yard. She saw several of Qi Yu's servants dragging the corpses of several wolves and walking into the mansion gate panting.
When the attendant saw Liu Yeshu coming out, he clasped his fists and bowed, saying respectfully, "Miss Liu, we've already dealt with the wolf carcasses. The wolf skins, bones, and meat have all been sorted. What do you think we should do with them?"
Liu Yeshu glanced around and said, "Put all these in the backyard first, and I'll deal with them slowly."
The attendant immediately obeyed, carrying the carcasses of several wolves to the backyard. The wolf fur gleamed darkly in the sunlight, the bones made a crisp clanging sound, and the wolf flesh emitted a faint fishy smell. Liu Yeshu followed beside them and couldn't help but ask, "I wonder if the general has gained anything on this expedition?"
The attendant said proudly, "Of course it's a complete victory! The Xiongnu soldiers were no match for our army and were beaten back step by step, severely damaged!"
Seeing her interest, another attendant began to tell her story vividly: "The general personally led his elite troops, took advantage of the Xiongnu army's unpreparedness, attacked the enemy camp, and captured the Xiongnu commander. The Xiongnu commander, seeing the situation was bad, fled in panic. The general pursued him relentlessly, and finally shot the enemy commander with an arrow outside the enemy tent. The Xiongnu army was immediately defeated, and the remaining soldiers abandoned their weapons and fled back to their base in a panic, never daring to invade again."
Liu Yeshu's heart surged when he heard this, and he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration: "The general is truly brave!"
The attendants' smiles widened upon seeing this, and one of them echoed, "Indeed, I heard that the general's achievements have been reported to the court. His Majesty will surely reward him handsomely."
After the attendant left, Liu Yeshu went to ask Qi Yu what to do with the wolf corpses. Qi Yu replied casually, "You decide for yourself."
She returned to the backyard and counted six wolves. The wolf heads had already been processed, and when she opened their mouths, she saw that the fangs were missing, which made her feel a little regretful.
Most of the wolf skins were complete and thick, with shiny fur, especially the fur of several gray wolves, which had a soft luster in the sun. Liu Yeshu thought to herself that such fine fur was most suitable for making cloaks.
She placed the wolf skins in a large bucket, soaked them in cold water, and rubbed them to rinse away the blood, impurities, and dirt from the wolf fur. She then spread them on a wooden rack and scraped off the remaining fat and fascia with a knife.
As she applied pressure, she felt the texture of the wolf hide with her hands, making sure not to use too much force and penetrate the hide. After softening the wolf hide, she and Chun Xing hung it in a well-ventilated place to dry.
"Chun Xing, go find some wooden boards and fix the wolf skins so they don't get deformed."
After a few days, the wolf skins were completely dry, their fur smooth and soft. Liu Yeshu carefully cut the two largest pieces of wolf skin with a fine knife to make a blanket. She trimmed the two pieces of fur to similar sizes and sewed the edges together with needle and thread. The remaining wolf skins were processed into two cloaks.
The tailoring of the cloak is relatively simple. Liu Yeshu added a fur lining to the neck, and then used needle and thread to sew each piece of fur flat and firm. Finally, she sewed a delicate edge to the hem of the cloak.
She stood up and shook out her cloak and blanket together with Chun Xing. They were thick and beautiful in the sunlight.
After processing the wolf skin, Liu Yeshu turned her attention to the remaining wolf bones. She collected them one by one, intending to grind them into medicinal bone powder, which could be used as medicine or to make medicinal wine.
In the afternoon, she put the rice cakes in an exquisite bamboo basket and gently knocked on Qi Yu's study door. Qi Yu looked up and saw her come in. He said, "You just got better. Why are you coming to give me something again?"
Liu Yeshu gently placed the bamboo basket on the table, a smile on her face: "The general said before that he wanted to try the rice cakes I made. Now that he has recovered a little, he wanted to fulfill his promise."
Qi Yu raised an eyebrow, his eyes sweeping across the bamboo basket. He picked up a piece of rice cake with interest and took a bite. The rice cake was sweet and soft, melting in his mouth, yet sweet but not greasy. He nodded with satisfaction, his eyes brightening slightly. "Not bad, even better than last time."
Putting down the rice cake, he looked up at her and asked casually, "By the way, your crops are growing so well. Tell me, what method did you use?"
Liu Yeshu had been stunned by his father's sudden questioning, but now he had already thought of an excuse. After careful consideration, he slowly said, "General, there's actually no magic formula for farming. I simply improved the seeds. The improved seeds are better adapted to the climate and soil of this frontier, so they grow faster and yield better harvests than others."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yu looked at her with great interest and continued to ask, "Improved seeds? Then what is the specific method?"
Liu Yeshu shook her head slightly, apologetically saying, "The secrets involved are quite complex and involve many details, so I'm sorry I can't reveal them in detail. But rest assured, General, I guarantee this isn't some unorthodox method, but pure agricultural knowledge."
Seeing her determined expression, Qi Yu didn't press her further, though a flicker of deep thought flashed across his eyes. Then, he suddenly smiled, his tone tinged with seriousness: "Since you have such ability, why don't you help me farm next year? I'll leave the several plots of land in my mansion in your care. If you can make the harvest as good as yours, we'll have enough food and fodder for the army. I'll report it to the court and record your merit."
Liu Yeshu was slightly stunned when she heard this, then looked at Qi Yu with a hint of surprise: "General, you mean... to let me provide food and fodder for the army?"
Qi Yu nodded, his eyes burning. "Food and fodder are vital to the army. If the harvest is as abundant as this year's every year, not only will you gain military merit, but the entire border will also benefit."
Liu Yeshu thought to himself that although he did not want to attract too much attention, if he could provide food and fodder for the army, he would not only gain military merit, but also help his entire family escape slavery.
"If the general trusts me, I will do my best next year."
"Then it's settled."
Liu Yeshu thought that this matter needed to be handled as soon as possible, so he bowed and left quickly. When he reached the door, he heard Qi Yu suddenly speak slowly.
“The kimchi is delicious.”
Liu Yeshu was slightly stunned, turned to look at Qi Yu, frowning slightly.
Qi Yu picked up the teacup, took a leisurely sip, then put it down and looked at her with a half-smile: "This is the content of the letter I sent to the government that day."
Liu Yeshu smiled and said, "Thank you, General, for saving my life."
Qi Yu retracted his gaze, coughed lightly, and said, "By the way, Miss Liu, aren't you very concerned about the Chu family's affairs?"
"Chu family...did something happen?"
"It's not a big deal, it's just..." Qi Yu looked indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him.
"Did you know that Chu Yurou was going to marry the county magistrate as a concubine?"
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