Chapter 3: War Begins
Xu Nian sighed, pushed his bowl in front of Wang, picked up Wang's porridge and said, "I have no appetite, grandma, please eat my bowl to save it."
Wang felt very happy. Her eldest granddaughter had been particularly close to her since she woke up. Then she glared at her two sons, saying that they were not as sensible and filial as her eldest granddaughter.
This person is afraid of comparison. He originally didn't think there was anything wrong, but Xu Nian's behavior in the past two days showed that he was very filial.
Xu Fugui and Xu Youliang ate their food with relish, totally unaware of the resentment coming from their mother.
"Weian will be back tomorrow, remember to have him go to town to greet his elder brother."
Old Man Xu put down his chopsticks and said.
Wang agreed.
"I wonder how Yaozu did in the exam this time? It would be great if he could pass. Then our family wouldn't have to worry about the future."
As Wang's voice fell, the room became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Old Man Xu had left the cloth shop two years ago and was now tending the fields with his two sons.
Although the family still had some savings, the Xu family had many children and Wang had to calculate all the expenses.
What's more, if Xu Yaozu can really pass the exam this time, Old Man Xu also plans to let his grandchildren go to school as well.
Old Man Xu had seen the world and knew that for peasants like them, only imperial examinations could change their fate.
On the second day, Xu Nian met her uncle who had returned home. Unlike her second and third uncles who looked like honest men, she looked like a cunning young man.
Xu Nian awkwardly followed the others in calling him "uncle". Xu Weian was busy going to welcome Xu Yaozu home, so he didn't notice that Xu Nian was any different from before.
On the first day, Xu Weian did not receive Xu Yaozu.
The same thing happened on the second day.
Day 3…
Just when the Xu family members were getting tired of sitting still, Xu Weian finally brought the dusty Xu Yaozu back home.
This was also the first time Xu Nian saw her father in this body. Unlike what she had imagined, Xu Yaozu was very tall and strong. If he was not wearing a Confucian scarf and a long robe, one would never have known that he was a scholar.
Before the Xu family could calm down, Xu Yaozu brought back bad news.
"What did you say? Are you going to call me?"
Old Man Xu asked in shock.
Xu Yaozu told his family in detail the news he had received in the city.
Everyone knew that this matter was of great importance, so Old Man Xu took Xu Yaozu to the village chief's house.
The rest of the Xu family was shocked by the sad news, and everyone looked uneasy.
Xu Nian has never experienced war, but in today's information-rich world, he has seen the cruelty of modern warfare through the Internet.
Not to mention the ancient times when human life was cheap.
Xu Nian integrated what Xu Yaozu had just said and gained a simple understanding of this world.
There are five countries coexisting in this world. The Sheng Dynasty where Xu Nian is located has the most vast territory and is the most prosperous, followed by Mobei, which is the northern neighbor of Sheng Dynasty.
Although the land in Mobei is vast, not all of it is suitable for growing crops, so they make a living by raising livestock.
Also because of the shortage of food, Mobei and Sheng Dynasty have always maintained trade exchanges and have been relatively peaceful for decades.
The other three kingdoms are Liyue Kingdom, which is adjacent to Sheng Dynasty in the east, and Yanyang Kingdom and Yunlan Kingdom, which are adjacent to Sheng Dynasty in the south.
The two countries that attacked Sheng Dynasty this time were Yanyang and Yunlan.
The Yanyang Kingdom excels in manufacturing weapons, but due to its small land area and lack of minerals, it has been in friction with the Sheng Dynasty in recent years.
The current monarch of the Sheng Dynasty advocates benevolent governance and has always valued culture over military power since he ascended the throne.
This has resulted in the fact that the army of the Sheng Dynasty is no longer the mighty force it was decades ago.
According to Xu Yaozu, the armies of Yanyang and Yunlan have already captured two cities and are about to approach Yangcheng. Behind Yangcheng is Qingyun City, to which Dahe Village belongs.
There are already refugees fleeing outside Qingyun City.
The more Xu Nian thought about it, the more depressed she felt. She had accepted her identity and planned to live a good life, but unfortunately, the war started again.
Looking up at the sky, Xu Nian silently raised his middle finger.
"In my previous life, I must have dug up your grandfather's ancestral tomb..."
Xu Nian cursed out all the frustration he had felt over the past few days and immediately felt refreshed.
The little dumpling just looked up at her, took two steps back in fear, and turned to look for his mother.
He wanted to tell his mother that his eldest sister was not only stupid but also crazy.
No matter how resentful Xu Nian was inside, Old Man Xu, who had just returned from the village chief's house, announced the village chief's decision that anyone who was interested could go north together tomorrow.
As soon as Old Man Xu finished speaking, Wang and her three daughters-in-law started moving.
Old Man Xu also took his sons to saw wood and make wheelbarrows.
The children did not understand the meaning of the army attacking, but they knew they were leaving their home.
The youngest, Xu Cai and Xu Ling, had already begun sobbing.
After all, Xu Nianbi was not a real child. She first comforted the two little ones and then gave instructions to Xu Ji.
"You are the older brother in the family. Take good care of your brothers and sisters. I will go and help grandma."
Xu Ji nodded sensibly.
Xu Nian found Wang.
"Grandma, is there anything I can do?"
Even though Wang seemed to be busy and vigorous, she was actually in a mess inside.
When he saw his eldest granddaughter coming over, he didn't say much. He just pointed randomly and started to get back to the work at hand.
When Xu Nian saw the place Wang pointed, the corner of her mouth twitched. She decided to just look at it herself.
Since he was a deserter, he couldn't bring a lot of bags with him. At this moment, she really wanted to curse the heavens again. If her space also came with her, she wouldn't have to worry about this and that.
Xu Nian saw that Wang and the others were cleaning up the field in such a disorganized manner, which was not a good idea. It was just like her second aunt who wanted to pull up all the vegetables in the field and take them away.
Xu Nian knew that he was young and his words did not count, so he had to find Xu Yaozu.
"Dad, I heard we're going to avoid a disaster. Can we run far with so many things?"
After Xu Yaozu came back, he was very busy and neglected his children.
Seeing his taciturn daughter offering suggestions, Xu Yaozu said happily:
"Of course you can't bring everything. Food and warm clothes are essential."
Finally, under the persuasion of Xu Yaozu and Old Man Xu, the Wang family members began to take out the extra things from their bags.
It was not until dark that everyone had finally cleaned up, and dinner was just a hasty one.
Wang took out an oil lamp and started to prepare dry food for the journey with her three daughters-in-law.
This is a life-saving trip, not a sightseeing trip. You certainly can't cook all the time on the road, so you have to prepare food in advance.
At this moment, Wang couldn't help but regret in her heart. If she had known this difficulty would happen, she would not have sold the grain she had harvested. She didn't know how long the grain would last.
It was not until late at night that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law managed to turn all the food in the house into dry food.
Tian looked at Xu Nian who had already dozed off and said distressedly, "Nian'er, go back to your room and sleep."
Xu Nian rubbed his eyes and saw that everything was done, then he put out the fire, staggered back to the room, fell headfirst on the bed and fell asleep.