Old Li called out to his nephew to bring the casserole into the tent. When he looked up and saw Young Master Ye returning, he called out, "My lord, dinner is ready! We've been waiting for you!"
"You're here!" Young Master Ye replied with a smile, and stepped forward to follow him into the tent.
Jiayi and Liu Yang had been busy all morning and were really hungry.
The noodles were served in a ceramic bowl bigger than their faces, with two spoonfuls of meat sauce added. Neither of them had time to add any side dishes; they held the bowl in their hands and ate it in a few bites.
They seemed to have no chewing at all, and their throats were completely open; they just shoved the noodles down their throats!
"This half-grown boy is going to eat his father out of house and home," Li Laosi thought with a headache. "The food I prepare for Young Master Ye probably won't even be enough to fill their stomachs."
So he asked Young Master Ye, "My lord, these two lads often say they want to join the army. Why don't you have someone take them to the cooks' camp for a big meal and let them experience military life firsthand?"
Before Young Master Ye could refuse, Jia Yi and Liu Yang jumped up excitedly, "Great! We're willing!"
Left with no other option, Young Master Ye could only call upon his personal guards to take them away.
Li Laosi quickly picked out the meat from the jar and gave it all to Young Master Ye.
"My lord, please eat more and nourish yourself. When I left, Fu Niu kept telling me to take a good look at you to see if you had lost weight. The little girl almost treats you like her own father. You should gain some weight quickly, otherwise she will be heartbroken when we get back."
Young Master Ye couldn't help but laugh; this was clearly a jealous father.
When he led his troops, he always took the lead himself, so he rarely had special meals prepared for them in the barracks. He ate whatever his soldiers ate.
Now that he's eating familiar flavors and home-cooked meals, he has a great appetite.
He ate two bowls of noodles and half a pot of stewed pork and green beans, and was so full that he could hardly sit still before putting down his chopsticks.
Seeing this, Li Laosi and Ye Shan divided the remaining food among themselves, even pouring the soup into the noodles and eating it together.
After the meal, Young Master Ye took Li Laosi out for a stroll to digest their food.
Li Laosi pulled him to look at the things he had brought from home, giving him instructions one by one, and finally opened the basket, showing them off like a treasure.
"Look, these are the winter melons and fragrant melons from our house. The Emperor bestowed upon them the names Jade Melon and Golden Fruit. Fu Niu picked these herself. This girl is greedy. Even though she's never seen what a winter melon looks like, she can still pick the ripe ones perfectly every time."
Young Master Ye glanced at Li Laosi, whose face was full of pride, and coughed lightly twice.
This father probably has no idea how amazing his daughter is. Not only did she find the ripeness of the winter melon, but she also found the winter melon vines.
This matter was known only to him, his uncle, and it was also a secret between him and the little girl!
So, in the little girl's heart, is he more trustworthy than her own father?
Young Master Ye suddenly felt a surge of superiority, and the corners of his mouth curled up, unable to fall back down.
As they were talking, a guard brought over several ragged civilians who kowtowed and thanked them.
It turns out that the battle with the barbarians just now was to rescue these people.
Young Master Ye asked a few simple questions, then had them taken away and settled in.
Li Laosi frowned and asked, "My lord, did all these people cross the mountain to come here?"
Young Master Ye nodded, "The barbarians are rampant. To escape, many people have gone into the mountains to save their lives first, and then slowly climb over the mountains to the dock to ask for help."
Remembering the books he had left in the cave, Li Laosi said, "Since we're already here, I'd like to go into the mountains to retrieve some things."
"What is it? Shall I send someone to fetch it for you?" Young Master Ye asked.
Li Laosi shook his head, recounted what had happened, and added, "Although the Guo family's actions are displeasing, it's a pity to leave those books in the mountains. Besides, Jiaren is in the academy, so he can use them."
Young Master Ye thought for a moment and then said, "I will send someone on horseback back to the capital and ask Mr. Wen to ask Headmaster Guo. If he agrees that your family can make a copy, then you can go into the mountains to retrieve the book. If he does not agree, then there is no need to take the risk."
Li Laosi also thought this was the best option. Immediately, Young Master Ye summoned Ye Shan and two personal guards to make a trip to Xindu and deliver a message to the Li family along the way.
The Guo family now consists of only a partially paralyzed old man and an immature child; there's no way they could refuse.
Because they refused, the books remained abandoned in the mountains, and the Guo family had no way of retrieving them.
Sure enough, Mr. Wen was pleased to see Ye Shan and learn of his purpose, and soon went to the Guo family's estate.
Guo Shanzhang is physically disabled and can no longer go out. He has lost touch with his old friends. His biggest fear is that he will die one day and his grandson will be left destitute.
When Mr. Wen came to the door and mentioned that he wanted to retrieve the books hidden in the mountains, the only price was to make a copy for the Li family. He was overjoyed.
With these books, he could make arrangements for his grandson's future.
After two guards returned with the news, Ye Shan personally went back to Suijin Beach.
The Li family was worried when they heard that Li Laosi was going to the mountains to retrieve books.
But generals in the field are not always bound by orders, and even if they disagreed, there was nothing they could do.
Moreover, with the copies of those books, our family could at least be considered a scholarly household.
At least arrange a study for Jiaren, so that when classmates or friends come over, there will be shelves full of books to display.
Old Mrs. Li could only say, "Let him be. With Young Master Ye around, he'll arrange for people to help. But Liu Yang isn't our child, so we should quickly inform Chief Escort Liu."
The head镖师 (bodyguard) and his wife were quickly found, and after hearing what had happened, they were not worried at all.
"Both Lao Si and Jia Yi are capable, and with Young Master Ye's help, they're already familiar with the mountain paths. What's there to worry about? They're just mischievous at home; it would be best if they could do something productive."
The Li family members were worrying unnecessarily...
Meanwhile, at Luo'an Academy, Jiaren was unaware that his fourth uncle had already ventured into the vast mountains to retrieve books for him.
During this time, he has fully adapted to life at the academy.
During the day, Gou Sheng'er helps him with errands and odd jobs. Although Gou Sheng'er is clumsy and often makes a fool of himself, he doesn't feel lonely with a companion.
Outside the academy, there were also his third uncle, third aunt, and younger brother running a shop.
The shop was so successful that everyone in the academy knew him because of the food stall.
It was fine at noon, but in the evenings, he and Gou Sheng'er would go to the shop to help out whenever they had free time.
The students love the set meals at the shop; the food is delicious, varied, and clean.
Almost as soon as the academy lets out, a long queue forms in front of the shop. Since there aren't enough seats inside, some people take the food back to the academy to eat.
Today, it's my roommate's birthday, and Jiaren invited a few close classmates to have dinner in the backyard of the shop.
Li Laosan was happy that his nephew had made a good friend, so he got up early in the morning to buy groceries and prepare.
After finishing the set meal, Jia Huan was busy preparing a banquet for her brother.
It was hot, so the dining table was set up directly in the yard, and two lanterns were lit, which made it quite bright.
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