The general was initially puzzled as to why people were being put on the carriages. After casually inspecting several carriages, he was certain that the items on them were indeed fragile, made of porcelain, and would be destroyed if they were bumped.
Why did Manager Zhou bring so many tools?
Manager Zhou explained, "General, you may not know this, but even in war, you need pots and pans to cook, right? However, these things are the easiest to damage and steal, so they are also scarce."
Although the general found the reason weak, it was still plausible, so he didn't investigate further.
I asked a few questions as usual, and then left.
Liu Huan boarded a carriage, and the person inside shocked her. "Qiu Rong, what brings you here too?"
"Young master, come up quickly."
Qiu Rong was very excited; she held Liu Huan's hand, her eyes red with emotion.
"Young master has become much darker and thinner."
Liu Huan laughed and said, "This is a drawing. Don't you think I look better if I lose a little weight?"
Qiu Rong nodded in agreement, "Young Master looks good no matter what."
Liu Huan asked, "Why are you here too? Did Lord Su pick you up?"
It turned out that on that day, after Su Yi realized he couldn't persuade Liu Huan, he immediately asked Chang Bai to arrange the matter.
After Liu Huan left, Su Wan gave Qiu Rong and Qiu Ju a holiday. Qiu Rong only found out when she got back that Chang Bai had come home that day.
She was deeply moved when she saw her newly renovated house and her younger brothers' chubby cheeks.
Her stepmother said, "Your employer is a good family. Since you don't want to be redeemed, then work hard. You can't go wrong."
Qiu Rong nodded, "I know, I just came back to see you all and I'm relieved to see you're all doing well."
Qiu Rong went back the next day, and she was very glad that she did.
Just then, Changbai returned and asked her if she would be willing to go to the border to take care of her master. She agreed without hesitation, only saying to Su Wan, "If anything happens to me, please keep an eye on my family."
However, she didn't say this to Liu Huan.
She took out the ointment she had prepared beforehand and slowly took off Liu Huan's shoes. "Master, you must be exhausted after these past two weeks, right?"
Liu Huan shook her head, "It's alright, it's just that my foot does hurt a bit."
Qiu Rong placed her foot on her knee, and Liu Huan's face turned bright red. "Stinky..."
Qiu Rong wouldn't let her break free: "It's alright, I'll get it done quickly."
After applying the medicine and wrapping the bandage, she took out some pastries and said, "Young master, please try these. They were made by the young lady, who said they can be preserved for a long time. She asked me to bring them for you to try."
Liu Huan ate the pancakes Su Wan had made and asked, "Is sister angry?"
"The young lady was very angry and was about to come to find you that day, but the young master stopped her."
He then pulled out a good luck charm from his pocket. "And this, Miss went to Huguo Temple overnight to pray for it. We had someone bring it to you even after we had already set off."
Liu Huan was so moved she almost cried. "My sister is so kind."
Qiu Rong asked, "Why haven't I seen the master?"
Liu Huan pouted, "Is your parent ignoring you and still angry?" She then yawned twice, "I'm so tired, I'm going to take a nap."
She fell asleep not long after she finished speaking. Qiu Rong took out a prepared blanket and covered her with it. She then started making clothes for men, since she would be going to the border for two or three months and needed to have a change of clothes.
At the border, in a military camp.
Several generals stood solemnly inside the tent, while soldiers came and went outside.
"General, what should we do if our grain supplies are looted and burned? We can't hold out much longer."
The general said solemnly, “Don’t panic, the new rations are on their way. Tell everyone to be frugal and wait for the rations to arrive.”
"Don't engage the enemy for now. Let's stall for time and wait for our supplies to arrive before driving those savages back to their lair."
"Report! General, the enemy has attacked again."
General Qi Hongchuan took his sword and walked out of the tent, ordering his generals to gather the men.
"Brothers, those savages are coming again. This is going to be a tough battle. Are you all scared?"
Soldiers are all tough men, raising their spears high and saying, "Fearless, fearless."
"Alright, then come with me to fight them. We must beat those scoundrels to a pulp."
"Knock him down, knock him down..."
This time, the general gathered all the soldiers, preparing for the final battle before the supplies arrived.
Before each battle, soldiers are given 15 minutes to write down their last words. If they don't make it back, those will be the last things they send home.
"Chengzi, please write me a letter. Write that I am unfilial and cannot be there to take care of you both. Tell my wife to take good care of the child and to marry him if she finds a suitable person."
The speaker was an honest and simple-minded man with dark skin and very prominent white teeth.
“Brother Zhuangzi. Don’t say any more of this, we’ll all be back.”
"Yes, your child is waiting for you to come back."
The man called Zhuangzi smiled and said, "I have a feeling I might not make it back this time. Brothers, if you manage to get back safely, please visit my parents and children in my hometown if you have the chance. Consider it my way of thanking you all in advance."
"Then write one for me too. Chengzi, your handwriting is beautiful, so write a few words for me as well."
Everyone gathered around the young man named Chengzi to write a letter, only to discover at the end that he hadn't written his own.
"Chengzi, why aren't you writing?"
Chengzi smiled bitterly, "I'm not writing anymore. If I really die in battle, I don't want to send the news back. I don't want my parents to worry. I have two older brothers who will take good care of my parents. Let them think that I've been fighting on the border all this time."
As everyone packed their things and prepared to leave, a messenger entered. "Who is Su Cheng?"
The man next to her nudged Chengzi, who was lost in thought, and said, "Chengzi, it sounds like someone is calling you."
Chengzi stood up abruptly, "That's me."
"These are gifts from your family, take them."
Another person said, "At this critical juncture, you still have the mind to send things in."
The messenger said, "This might be the last time I see it, so I'll just send it."
With the time running out, Chengzi quickly unpacked the package, which contained a talisman, a dagger, and a letter.
He read the contents carefully and was so moved that he shed tears.
Someone nearby asked him, "Chengzi, what's wrong?"
"I've found my sister who's been missing for many years," Chengzi said, wiping away her tears as she carefully put away the letter, the blessed amulet, and the dagger.
He wanted to write another letter, but it was too late; people outside were urging him to "hurry up and leave."
Before he could feel moved or surprised, he joined everyone to gather outside the city gate.
The enemy forces on the other side were a huge horde, probably knowing that the city's supplies were running low, so they planned a fierce attack.
The war drums sounded, and the city gates opened.
A large number of soldiers rushed out, and the two armies clashed in a fierce battle, with neither side able to gain the upper hand for a time.
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