Enemy soldiers? Or the Heqin Army? Jiang Yushu's brows furrowed in fear, her heart once again tense. She asked nervously, "Who's coming?"
"Who's coming again?" The villagers who were building the canal straightened up hurriedly, dragged their hoes and looked around, and subconsciously moved behind the border troops to hide.
"Don't panic, they must be one of us! Otherwise, we would have given the warning long ago." Qian Xiaoshuan was calm and composed. He squatted by the Mu River, scooped up some water and splashed it on his face. He rinsed his mouth and said happily, "That feels good! I really want to go swimming in the river for a while."
Ding Yuan stood, staring at the direction of the horse's hoofbeats for a moment. His expression changed, and he squatted down to say, "Brother Qian, it's Tian Da—" He was glanced at sideways, and he adjusted his helmet uncomfortably before saying, "It's Tian Bo and the others."
"Humph, that's right." Qian Xiaoshuan nodded in satisfaction, then cursed disdainfully, "An ungrateful fellow like Tian Bo, cunning and treacherous, obsessed with power, is unworthy of being a brother to anyone? Why are you still calling him 'Big Brother'?"
Ding Yuan replied awkwardly, "I've been saying this for almost two years, and it won't change anytime soon."
"You have to change even if you can't!" Qian Xiaoshuan continued to splash water on his face and said bluntly: "If you still treat him as your big brother, we can't be brothers anymore."
Although they were all in the Heqin Guard, there were many factions in the army since ancient times. Relatives, hometown feelings, favors, loyalty... the relationships were complicated. Almost everyone had a backer, big or small. They shared the same hatred against the enemy in battle, but on weekdays, they each served their own masters, fighting for power and scheming against each other. There were countless dirty things that could not be made public, which were hard to describe in a few words.
Ding Yuan was startled and immediately said, "Change it! Change it! Don't worry, Brother Qian, I will change it as soon as possible."
"Hey, this is a good brother!" Qian Xiaoshuan stood up and patted his comrade's shoulder with satisfaction.
Jiang Yushu looked at the bend with concern, and when she saw Tian Bo leading the way, she cursed her bad luck. She decisively pulled up her two companions, retreated quickly, and told her family to retreat behind the carriage.
"What, what happened?" Cuimei was petite and was dragged away before she could even stand on tiptoe to recognize who was coming.
Xiao Tao's face turned pale, and she asked in a trembling voice, "I haven't paid much attention to him, so I don't remember clearly... Was the one leading the attack Tian Bo?"
Jiang Yushu nodded, "Yes, that's him. That kind of person is definitely not a good person. Let's avoid him and get some peace and quiet."
"I'll do as you say!" Zhou Yan's wife agreed. Zhou Yan whispered, "Actually, when Captain Pan led his men to capture deserters that day and we met on the official road, I felt that General Tian was not a good person. His eyes were darting around, and he was always bullying people intentionally or unintentionally."
Jiang Yushu sighed, "He's no longer the general commander under Captain Pan. In my opinion, his bullying has always been intentional, not accidental."
at the same time
"Huh!" Tian Bo, clad in brand new military uniform, his face flushed with ruddy light, approached, whipping his horse whip. He glanced briefly at the twenty or thirty villagers clutching farm tools, then asked with a smile, "Xiao Shuan, instead of patrolling the shoreline, are you trying to get farm instruction from the villagers? Tsk, are you trying to learn how to farm or dig canals?"
"Hahahaha." His men burst into laughter.
Qian Xiaoshuan smiled, pretending to be surprised, and asked in surprise, "Oh? Old Tian, weren't you promoted to a thousand-household personal soldier? Why are you still taking the trouble to patrol the border? You're really a rare guest."
During his trial, Ding Yuan was unable to disobey military orders and accuse his sworn brother of molesting a female prisoner, which angered Tian Bo, and the two became enemies. Ding Yuan stood aside, gripping the hilt of his knife, and simply stared at the woods of Yongzhou on the other side.
Tian Bo treated Ding Yuan as nothing, a forced smile on his face. He approached and asked, "A rare guest? Do you think you're the host? I'm here on the orders of the Wu Qianhu to monitor the daily border patrols and see if each squadron is fulfilling their duties."
"Oh? It turns out you're here to monitor us." Qian Xiaoshuan cursed in his heart, but patted the other person's arm and said warmly: "You are a rare guest! Ever since you became a personal soldier of a thousand households, you have never come back to visit your former brothers. We all miss you very much and often mention you." @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
It is indeed often mentioned, but whenever it is mentioned it is met with contempt and curses.
Tian Bo heard the ridicule, his smile froze, and he said perfunctorily, "I've always wanted to go drink with you guys, but I've been tripped up by work so many times. Let's talk some other time."
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"Okay, then I'll be waiting." Qian Xiaoshuan didn't believe it at all, and deliberately said boldly: "Then please invite Lord Pan to come, and we will be like we used to, not leaving until we are drunk!"
Pan Kui is brave but not wise, reckless and impatient, and not good at flattering others. If I follow him, how long will it take for me to succeed? I've had enough!
Tian Bo, already disgruntled with Yuan Shangfeng, faltered again, and didn't respond. He cleared his throat, glanced around, and interrupted, "Well, judging by the time, you should be three miles out. Why aren't you continuing your patrol?"
"Don't you see the dozens of villagers here?" The two men joined the army in the same year, were promoted to general flag in the same year... and were dismissed from the position of general flag in the same year. In terms of seniority, Qian Xiaoshuan was full of confidence and said with great righteousness, "General Dou ordered us to patrol the border, firstly to scout for the enemy, and secondly to protect innocent villagers from being ambushed and killed by the Northern Qi. Therefore, we decided to protect them here and urge them to finish repairing the canal and return to the village. Old Tian, don't you think it's wrong?"
"Where? Of course it's as it should be." Tian Bo was embarrassed, but he had no place to vent his anger. He gritted his teeth and smiled. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a small carriage behind the crowd. A head popped out from behind the carriage, looking around. He shouted angrily, "Who's behind the carriage? You're sneaking around! Come out!"
Zou Gui shrank his neck in panic, and the servant explained, "I'm not sneaking around! I, I'm just watching the fun."
"Didn't you hear the young lady tell you to stay away? You are a playful kid, why are you joining in the fun?" Zhou Yan, as the manager, scolded the servant.
Jiang Yushu said helplessly: "Forget it. Since we can't avoid it, just follow me out and answer the question."
When they met, Tian Bo was stunned. "Why are you guys here?"
@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
"They were assigned to Liujia Village to farm." Qian Xiaoshuan took a seemingly nonchalant step and blocked the Guo family.
Tian Bo nodded, a little absentminded. His eyes passed over Qian Xiaoshuan's shoulder and fell on Jiang Yushu's face. He stared at her intently and said in surprise, "I thought they would stay in the county, but I didn't expect them to be assigned to Yuehu Town!" After a pause, he grinned and asked loudly, "You didn't come here with Guo Honglei to cultivate the land, did you? Haha, husband and wife really follow each other!"
So what if it's true? Why do you have the right to interfere in my family affairs?
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Jiang Yushu suppressed her disgust and replied calmly, "We were arranged by Magistrate Pan to farm here."
Tian Bo felt rather unhappy, unable to conceal his jealousy. He raised his chin and said, "Most of the brothers in the army have families far away from home, but Guo Honglei is lucky enough to have his wives and concubines right here in the village!"
Jiang Yushu was not born and raised in this area, and she was inherently against the phrases like "three wives and four concubines, maids in the same room, and the happiness of having all the wives." She was displeased when she heard them, and blurted out irritably, "He didn't take any concubines."
"Oh?" Tian Bo said assumingly, "He's not very old, so he probably hasn't had time yet. If the court had raided the Guo family a few years later, he would have had many wives and concubines."
Jiang Yushu became increasingly displeased, speechless, and acted as if she were deaf to all words.
Qian Xiaoshuan watched coldly and interrupted loudly, "Hey, what are you guys standing there for? Hurry up and fix the canal! We have work to do and can't stay for long. Once we leave, you'll be on your own."
"Hold on! Don't leave! We need to dig the canal right away." Zhuang Song, worried about losing the border troops' protection, urged anxiously, "Hurry! The sooner we dig it through, the sooner we can get back to the village."
The villagers were even more frightened and were busy surrounding the source.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Jiang Yushu and others followed the villagers, cleared away dead trees and branches, and stayed away from Tian Bo and his group.
Qian Xiaoshuan adjusted his sword and said with a half-smile, "Old Tian, you are under the order of the captain, so hurry up and get busy. Don't forget to treat me to a drink another day."
Tian Bo rolled his eyes, curled his lips and smiled, leaning closer to ask, "Xiao Shuan, you are so eager to protect me, could it be that you have taken a fancy to one of the maids in the Guo family?"
"Hmph, do you think everyone is like you?" Qian Xiaoshuan sneered and said angrily, "I'm patrolling the border in military uniform. I dare not leave a group of villagers alone by the Mu River. I am willing to protect them, and it is my duty!"
"Tsk, just joking, don't take it seriously." Tian Bo said leisurely, turned around and led his men to mount their horses and leave.
After half an hour, the branches, dead trees and silt that blocked the source were cleared away, and the river water flowed into the canal and rushed towards Liujia Village.
"Thank you all for your help," Zhuang Song said, bowing gratefully. He asked apologetically, "Is it okay if I delayed your border patrol?"
Qian Xiaoshuan answered frankly: "It's no problem! If you are attacked by the enemy, we will be derelict in our duty. It's getting late, you should hurry back to the village, we are leaving too."
"Goodbye."
Qian Xiaoshuan clasped his fists.
"Wait a moment!" Jiang Yushu hurried forward and asked earnestly, "Could you please pass on a few words?"
"'Everything is fine at home, don't worry, take good care of yourself.' Is that right?" Qian Xiaoshuan knew it well.
Jiang Yushu was stunned and nodded repeatedly.
"I'll definitely help you pass this message to Guo Honglei!" Qian Xiaoshuan waved his hand and urged, "They're leaving, you guys hurry up and follow them."
"Well, goodbye." Jiang Yushu hesitated and turned her head several times. She had a thousand words to say and wanted to ask in detail, but she knew that Qian Xiaoshuan could not answer her, so she had to leave in a depressed mood.
Night.
If ordinary soldiers had nothing to do at night, they would often gather in groups of three or five to chat and relieve boredom, or rest early.
Guo Honglei has been in the army for over a month. He trains and patrols the border every day, with competitions interspersed during the training. He is very busy and only has half an hour of free time before going to bed at night.
That night, as usual, he studied military books by the oil lamp on the small kang table, and occasionally picked up a pen to write and draw.
Lin Qin and the brothers Peng Changxing and Peng Changrong were standing nearby, wiping their swords and chatting with some new friends, all in a harmonious and friendly atmosphere.
The room was spacious and housed dozens of new recruits, making it quite lively.
Occasionally someone would come close and point at the book to ask questions, and Guo Honglei would put down his pen and talk, never showing any impatience.
There were even people who often came here "in admiration of the reputation", either out of curiosity or malicious intent, to ask about the inside story of "Marquis Jingyang's Mansion, the major corruption case, the confiscation of property and the removal of titles", but they were all easily dealt with by Guo Honglei and his servants.
Qian Xiaoshuan and Ding Yuan washed off the dust and sweat with the water from the Cangjiang River and walked side by side. The former sat cross-legged around the table on the kang, while the latter was always cautious when facing the Guo family and hesitated for a few breaths before sitting down.
"Oh? Reading again?" Qian Xiaoshuan laughed happily.
Guo Honglei put down the military book and said, "I have nothing to do, so I just read a book to relieve my boredom."
"Oh, if I could read, I would definitely love reading like you!" Qian Xiaoshuan slapped his thigh regretfully, bent down and asked seriously, "Hey, who do you think we ran into while patrolling the border this afternoon?"
Seeing this, Guo Honglei asked without hesitation, "Did we run into enemy soldiers again? How's the battle going?"
"Hahaha, they're not from Beijiao!" Qian Xiaoshuan slapped his thigh again, winked, and laughed, "They're from Liujia Village. There are at least 20 or 30 of them, cleaning the source of the irrigation canal by the Mu River. Among them are your family."
Guo Honglei asked in astonishment: "My family?"
"Your wife brought five or six people from the Guo family." Qian Xiaoshuan picked up the pen, clumsily dipped it in ink, and gestured in the air. "We were worried at the time, so we watched the villagers finish repairing the canal and then watched them walk away before continuing our border patrol."
After more than a month of separation, Guo Honglei suddenly heard the news from his family. His eyes shone with excitement and worry. He leaned in and asked with a frown, "How are she and my family? Do they look okay? It's outrageous. Liujia Village has hundreds of people, and they're asking a weak woman to clean the canals?"
"That's certainly not right. They have a leader who claims to be the county clerk, and he brought two yamen runners with him. I'm sure he arranged this." Qian Xiaoshuan spread out his left palm, holding a pen and writing a crooked "Qian" character. He looked up and said, "Your family member looks frail, but in good spirits, chatting and laughing with their companions."
Guo Honglei was extremely worried, his face darkening as he speculated, "Repairing the canal should have been the job of Liujia Village. Perhaps someone saw that my family lacked men and deliberately made things difficult for the elderly and weak."
"Oh my." Qian Xiaoshuan put the pen back to its place, slapped his thigh again, elbowed Ding Yuan, and said teasingly: "See, this is called 'husband and wife of one mind'!"
Ding Yuan shyly said, "What a coincidence! She was also worried and spoke in that tone. She kept asking questions, worried that you would be bullied in the army."
Qian Xiaoshuan continued, "By the way, your wife asked me to tell you: everything is fine at home, don't worry, and take good care of yourselves!"
Guo Honglei sighed deeply. Feeling helpless, he slowly said, "How could it be 'safe and sound'? She's trying to grow new crops on the farm without a teacher to help her. She's had to figure it out on her own, struggling to make ends meet. I'm sure she's had a lot of trouble. Taking three of her men with her has made things even more difficult for her... I don't know how she's living now."
"Alright, alright, look at you, you're so worried!" Qian Xiaoshuan shook his head, patted the other man's shoulder vigorously, and warned, "According to the rules, new recruits are allowed to take one day off each month after two months of training. We usually use it to treat old injuries, massage muscles, and send letters home. But your family is nearby in Liu Village, and it only takes half an hour on horseback, so you can go visit."
Guo Honglei replied in a low voice: "Thanks for the reminder. It's just that we just joined the army and we won't be able to rest until the end of next month at the earliest."
"Be content!" Qian Xiaoshuan scratched his head and said sadly, "My home is in Xinyang. Unless I'm injured and ask to go home to recuperate, I can only go back two or three times a year."
Guo Honglei sighed, "My mother and others are farming in Changping. I'm both a soldier and a fugitive, helpless and unable to fulfill my filial duty and serve my elders. I feel truly guilty."
"Well, let's not talk about spoiling the fun!" Qian Xiaoshuan said kindly, interrupting and asking, "Can you teach me a few more words?"
Guo Honglei regained his composure, concealing his worries as he quickly picked up his pen and said gently, "Of course. You must first learn to write your own name; that's the most important thing."
"That's right!" Qian Xiaoshuan leaned in to take a closer look.
A few days later, Liujia Village
Jiang Yushu picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and asked without looking up, "Six, or eight?"
"Six!" Cuimei said without hesitation.
"Six. We count every day." Xiao Tao was also sure.
Jiang Yushu recorded everything in detail, full of energy and enthusiasm, smiling approvingly. "The sixth leaf has been unfolding for quite some time now, and the potato is no longer a seedling. If all goes well, it will flower and then produce potatoes in a while."
"To cool down?" Xiao Tao was confused and asked blankly, "How? To pour cooling tea on the ground?"
Jiang Yushu was stunned for a moment, then paused with her pen. She looked up and suppressed a smile as she replied, "It's not 'relieve the heat', but 'bloom and bear fruit'! After blooming, the potatoes slowly grow in the soil."
"So that's what you meant. I misunderstood." Xiao Tao felt a little embarrassed.
Cuimei was folding clothes when she fell on the bed with laughter, pounding the straw mat and shouting, "Hahaha, pouring summer tea on potatoes? Xiaotao, you're so smart!"
"It was just a misunderstanding, and you're still laughing?" Xiao Tao put down her needlework, turned around and said angrily, "If you laugh again, I won't stay up with you tonight!"
Cuimei immediately covered her mouth, trying not to laugh and said, "No! My dear sister, don't be angry. I won't laugh anymore."
Jiang Yushu asked curiously, "You always get up at night. Can't you drink some water before going to bed?"
"I'm thirsty." It's hard to change the name she's been given since childhood. Cuimei leaned closer, pondering for a moment, then said nervously, "Miss, the night before last, I wasn't being paranoid, I really saw a shadow outside the window. It looked like half a human figure, and also like a head—"
"Stop talking! Please, don't scare me at night." Xiao Tao threw away her needle and thread and quickly covered her ears. She bit her lip, glanced at the door and window, lowered her head as if to escape, and quickly moved to Jiang Yushu's side, begging sincerely: "Cui Mei, please stop talking, I'm really scared."
Cuimei made a bitter face and anxiously explained, "I'm not trying to scare you. It's true! You always laugh at me for being timid and suspicious at night. I was indeed dazzled before. But the night before yesterday, I really saw a shadow flash by outside the window. How dare I lie?"
"Who is it?" Xiao Tao trembled.
Cuimei was apprehensive. "Is it a human? Or a ghost?"
The three of them cuddled together. Jiang Yushu put down her pen and stared out the window, the hairs on the back of her neck bristling. She soothed him, "Don't be so frightened, there are no ghosts in the world! If Cuimei isn't dazzled, that person in the middle of the night two days ago must have been a person. My guess is, nine out of ten times, it was a thief."
"Right!" Xiao Tao swallowed her saliva and agreed with a pale face, "It must be someone, someone pretending to be a ghost!"
Cuimei hugged Jiang Yushu's left arm, as if hugging her backbone, and said anxiously: "These past few days, when I was playing with the village head's two sons, they told me things. Miss, think about it?"
Jiang Yushu's expression was solemn, her back straight, and she said softly, "More and more people in this village are aware of the Guo family's origins. They will suspect that we have gold, silver, and jewelry, and it's inevitable that some of them will be greedy and take risks, trying to steal things in the middle of the night."
"Alas, if the young master were here, these villains would not dare to act so presumptuously." Xiao Tao looked pale and at a loss.
Cuimei gnashed her teeth and said angrily, "When my son-in-law comes back with his men, I will definitely tell him and ask him to find a way to deal with this thief!"
Jiang Yushu stood up, carefully checked the doors and windows, and took out a dagger and a wooden stick from the side of the bed. She gestured twice and gritted her teeth and said, "When the enemy comes, we will fight him; when the water comes, we will block it with earth. The most important thing to avoid when encountering things is panic. When people panic, they lose their own opinions and make mistakes." She pulled out the dagger and calmly instructed:
"I've already made the arrangements. The seven of us will rest in three places. The three of us, Zhou Yan and his wife, and Nanny Pan will take care of the half-grown Zou Gui. Before going to bed, you must check all doors and windows. When resting, everyone should prepare a weapon. If there is an emergency, do not show any mercy!"
Cuimei's heart was beating like a drum. She asked timidly, "What if I accidentally hurt someone, or even killed someone?"
Jiang Yushu answered firmly, word for word, "If there really are thieves, we can shout and they'll flee. There's no need to chase them. But if they don't flee, and instead commit crimes, injure others, steal property, or even rape them, then why hesitate? Don't show mercy. Subdue them first, and then we can slowly discuss the aftermath."
“…Okay. I’ll remember it!” Cuimei took a few deep breaths, her lips pale.
Xiao Tao sighed softly, "The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. I wonder if you will come back to celebrate the festival?"
Jiang Yushu stroked the dagger and said helplessly, "I don't know. The border is not peaceful right now. The soldiers are busy fighting the enemy and defending the country. Let alone the Mid-Autumn Festival, I guess they won't rest even during the Chinese New Year."
"Alas." The three of them sighed in unison.
When the first potato plant in the field blooms, it is the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th.
The courtyard gate was closed, and there was a square table in the yard. On the table were several plates of wild fruits, two kinds of cakes, and incense, candles, and paper money.
Under the bright moonlight, Jiang Yushu led the family in offering sacrifices in the direction of the capital. With their hands clasped together, they prayed devoutly: "I've been so busy as a soldier and cultivating the land that I haven't been able to attend to proper etiquette. I hope our ancestors will forgive me. Although life is hard these days, thanks to Your Majesty's mercy and grace, our family is safe... I pray that our ancestors will protect us, and bless the exiles with a safe return and the farmers with good weather..."
Not long ago, outside the wall
Liu Dong carried a basket of fresh fruits picked from his own fields and wandered around for a while, but still did not dare to knock on the door.
He hesitated at first, but then he heard someone placing an altar and offerings in the yard, and heard Jiang Yushu's voice. He panicked instantly and quickly hid in the bushes not far away, racking his brains to think about how to deliver the fruits and vegetables.
The moonlight was bright. Liu Dong squatted in the bushes for a long time. Mustering up his courage, he was about to knock on the door when he suddenly saw two sneaky figures crouching against the wall and tiptoeing into the deserted house next to the Guo family's.
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