Lin, the镖头 (bodyguard), looked at Xiao Hansong with admiration and replied excitedly, "This humble subject was entrusted by these villagers to safely escort them to Anling Prefecture."
Xiao Hansong nodded, looking at Lin Biaotou's upright and honest appearance, and seeing that he was also a trustworthy person, he was very satisfied.
He said with great appreciation for talent, "If you were in my army, you would surely be one of my top generals!"
Lin Biaotou, feeling somewhat awkward after receiving his idol's approval, replied, "I have no other brothers in my family. I have to take care of my elderly mother and support my wife and children. I can only regret that I cannot serve my country in this life."
"It's alright. A good man can shine anywhere, not just on the battlefield!" Xiao Hansong felt regretful, but also encouraged him to follow his heart.
"General, it's getting late..."
Eleven stepped forward to interrupt their conversation, intending to remind Xiao Hansong not to neglect military matters.
Xiao Hansong patted Lin Biaotou on the shoulder, then looked in Zhen Wanwan's direction.
He then instructed Chief Escort Lin, "That lady has helped me a great deal. Please take good care of them on the journey."
Lin, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), looked in the direction of Zhen Wanwan, his heart filled with shock, wondering what he had missed.
But faced with General Xiao's special instructions, he dared not refuse and could only solemnly say, "This humble subject will certainly protect them."
Xiao Hansong nodded in satisfaction and then clasped his hands in farewell to Zhen Wanwan.
After General Xiao left, the women who remained came forward one after another to receive the game that the men had hunted.
"Honey, this hunt has been a huge success!"
"That's right, we failed the previous times. We'll give the kids an extra meal tonight..."
Every household was happy about the game they had hunted.
Wang Cuihua had already received the game and was preparing to process it later, as the meat would easily spoil in this weather.
Zhen Wanwan looked at the two rabbits in Qu Huaiyuan's hand with curiosity. As if sensing someone's gaze, he turned his head and met Zhen Wanwan's eyes.
Qu Huaiyuan saw Zhen Wanwan staring at the two rabbits in his hand and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Zhen's wife. My skills are not good enough, and I only managed to hunt two skinny little rabbits."
Seeing that he had misunderstood, Zhen Wanwan explained somewhat awkwardly, "That's not what I meant! I was just surprised that Brother Qu, a scholar, could also hunt. It's truly admirable."
“Our food supplies dwindled dramatically, and my mother couldn’t sleep at night because of her worry. To survive, I had no choice but to go hunting in the mountains,” Qu Huaiyuan said with emotion.
"I believe that Brother Qu will surely achieve great success in the imperial examinations in the future, allowing Aunt Qu to live a good life."
Zhen Wanwan could only say a few words to comfort him; there was nothing else she could do.
"I hope so."
The two returned to their respective resting places.
Seeing how much she had hunted, Old Lady Li finally emerged from the despair of her third son possibly dying on the battlefield.
She smiled and said to Wang Cuihua, "Tonight we'll wash a pheasant to add to everyone's meal. We'll also marinate the other game and dry them on the rocks so they're easy to carry on the road."
"Yes, Mother, I understand."
After the family finished eating, they sat on the floor chatting and sharing what had happened to them that day.
Wang Cuihua didn't have much to say. She and the other young wives from the family went with Siqin to a small river in the mountains. After fetching water, they returned.
To Zhen Wanwan's surprise, the lady Siqin mentioned also came up the mountain with them, carrying a change of clothes in her maid's bundle.
She guessed that they must have endured hardships and slept outdoors along the way; the ladies of wealthy families had never suffered such hardship.
They probably wanted to invite everyone to fetch enough water for the next few days, and then go to the river to bathe and change clothes.
She had forgotten how long it had been since she last took a shower.
Zhen Wanwan hadn't felt anything before, but now, smelling the stench on herself, she felt incredibly good!
As long as I don't want to, the stench won't reach me!
She tried to hold her breath, but she could still smell the stench, and it wasn't just coming from her!
The Zhen family and their circle of friends are all rotten to the core.
The twins' clothes were covered in a bright, glistening mess of snot; there wasn't a single clean spot on their bodies. And Little Tiger was in the same state.
Only Da Ni and Er Ni weren't in such a miserable state; their clothes were just tattered, making them look just like beggars.
Zhen Wanwan didn't quite understand why Old Man Li wouldn't let everyone change into a decent outfit.
Now look what's happened, the whole family looks like refugees.
"Wanwan, what's the situation with General Xiao? When did you meet him?" Old Master Zhen asked with a furrowed brow.
He didn't know what good deed his daughter had done to attract General Xiao's attention.
He was just worried that Zhen Wanwan might offend the important person, and then he wouldn't be able to save her even if he wanted to!
"Dad, we have to thank Mom for this!" Zhen Wanwan said somewhat guiltily.
Grandpa Zhen was even more confused. He looked at his sickly wife lying on the straw mat and asked in bewilderment, "Why are you still trying to evade my question? Wife of the child, you tell me."
Grandma Li glared at Grandpa Zhen and slowly explained the whole story.
Zhen Lao Er stood up angrily, a ruthless glint in his eyes.
“That Li Guangzong is so ruthless at such a young age! I swear to get justice for my little sister.”
Old Mrs. Li glanced at him sideways and urged him to sit down and listen to her finish speaking.
"Li Guangzong had one leg crippled by General Xiao and was carried back to her parents' home by Li Zhenzhen." Old Mrs. Li squinted, seemingly having figured something out.
She looked at Zhen Lao Er seriously and said, "Lao Er, you begged us to arrange this marriage for you on your knees, but look at her! She's completely devoted to her own family and even broke your mother's head."
well.
"If it weren't for your little sister, I'd probably be buried in the ground by now!" Having escaped death, Old Lady Li had come to understand many things.
Zhen Lao Er knelt down before Old Lady Li with remorse: "Mother, it is your unfilial son who married such a vicious woman, causing you to suffer such a great injustice."
He truly regrets it!
What was he thinking back then that Li Zhenzhen was kind-hearted and would treat the Zhen family the same way he would treat her own family—her parents, brothers, and sisters?
He made a terrible mistake. For such a wife, he has let down his parents and his deceased brothers.
For the past two days, he has been dreaming of his third brother when he was a child, following him around like a little shadow. When he wakes up, his heart aches as if it were being pricked by a needle.
So he kept avoiding Li Zhenzhen, as if trying to escape the guilt deep in his heart.
Looking at her second brother, who had always doted on her and never let her suffer, Zhen Wanwan felt very bad, but she knew that now was not the time for her to speak.
"Second brother, let's pretend the past never happened. But I don't want to see Li Zhenzhen again! Go find Master Tongsheng to help you write a letter of divorce!"
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