There were strong winds and heavy snow, and the tung oil torches were frequently extinguished, making the night march difficult.
Guo Honglei was dusty and exhausted, a handkerchief covering his mouth and nose. The back of his hand holding the reins was red, swollen, and purple, with blood oozing from the cracks. He shouted, "Go!"
There were nearly twenty people in this team, more than a dozen of them were in military uniforms, and there were two in civilian clothes. They were doctors from the Heqin Guard, specializing in treating soldiers.
Amidst the roar of the wind and snow, the young leader shouted, "How far is this place from Liu Village?"
Guo Honglei roared back, "Less than five miles!" @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
"Military orders are as heavy as a mountain, and human lives are at stake. We must return to camp before the hour of dawn!"
"Then go faster!" Guo Honglei leaned forward to spur his horse and shouted, "Go!"
At this moment, it was pitch black inside and outside the Guo family's house, and everyone was sleeping soundly.
Jiang Yushu lay on her back on the warm kang, breathing long and steady. After her experiences with bandits and narcotics, the frail woman grew timid at night. To encourage each other, Cuimei had been living with her.
"Hmm... hum hum, cough." Cuimei muttered in her sleep, curled up in her quilt, smacking her lips and grinding her teeth. Suddenly, she turned over and kicked her foot unconsciously.
"ah--"
Jiang Yushu, who was soundly asleep, was suddenly kicked. She was startled awake for the umpteenth time. She covered her chest and turned over. She slowly moved away and muttered sleepily, "Oh, you kicked me again."
Unexpectedly, when she was about to fall asleep, Cuimei swept her arm across and woke her up again!
Jiang Yushu rubbed her eyes, moved further away, yawned, and murmured, "You sleep badly, girl."
After tossing and turning, the coldness seeped into the warm quilt, making people shiver.
Jiang Yushu lay on her side, hugging the quilt and continued to sleep.
The next moment, the barking of dogs could be heard amid the howling of wind and snow outside the window. The two half-grown dogs, Da He and Xiao Qin, who were responsible for guarding the house, ran out of their den and barked.
"Whoa!"
"We're here." Guo Honglei pulled the reins, dismounted quickly, and walked quickly towards the gate. The others also dismounted.
The young leader stopped, rubbed his numb hands vigorously, looked around, and asked with a gasp, "Does your family live here?"
Guo Honglei nodded and raised his hand, saying, "Please."
This time, only Lin Qin accompanied him home. He rushed to the door and knocked on it, repeatedly shouting, "Zou Gui? Xiao Hu? Uncle Zhou? Wake up! Open the door!"
who?
Jiang Yushu, who was in the bedroom, was startled. She opened her eyes suddenly, listened carefully for a moment, quickly threw off the quilt, got off the kang, put on her shoes and clothes, and shouted, "Cui Mei? Cui Mei, wake up, the army is coming! Lin Qin's tone is very anxious, I guess something has happened."
Cuimei was drowsy. She opened her eyes a crack, sat up and dazed for a moment, then suddenly woke up. She jumped off the kang anxiously and asked anxiously, "What's wrong? I came home in the middle of the night. What happened?"
"I don't know. I'll go ask." Jiang Yushu tied her jacket tightly and didn't bother to light the oil lamp. She opened the door in two steps and hurriedly stepped into the main room, where she ran into Guo Honglei.
The young couple approached each other at the same time. Jiang Yushu looked at him carefully and asked nervously, "Why did you come back so suddenly? Are you okay?"
Guo Honglei held the horsewhip in his right hand and stuffed the handkerchief covering his mouth and nose into his arms with his left hand. He comforted them, "Don't worry, we're fine! This time we're not visiting relatives, but bringing medicine back to save people."
"I'm glad you're all okay. Who's hurt?" Jiang Yushu breathed a sigh of relief when she learned that her family was safe, and a huge stone fell from her heart.
Guo Honglei traveled through the night, his armor shivering with cold, even his eyelashes frosted with snow. He took off his helmet and whispered, "Confidential, don't ask."
"...Yeah." Jiang Yushu calmed down and asked, understandingly, "You came back to get the wound medicine, right?"
"Yes!" The young leader strode quickly into the main hall, glanced at the dozen or so elderly, weak, women, and children of the Guo family, and said in a serious tone, "We are following orders and have come to obtain the Guo family's unique golden wound medicine. Do you have any of it ready?"
Jiang Yushu was filled with doubts and pondered in secret before calmly answering, "Yes, please wait." She asked her family to light the lamp and make tea while she asked, "Where is Doctor Fang? Ask him to bring out the medicine he prepared."
"Here I come!" Fang Sheng had already run into the main hall, but after hearing a few words, he returned to his room, rushed over with the medicine box in hand, and asked impatiently, "Master, did you use the medicine you brought with you?"
Guo Honglei's brows knitted together as he cautiously replied, "We did use it, but the specific results are hard to predict. We're hurrying back to camp to report. Please gather the detailed prescription and existing wound medicine as soon as possible."
"Oh, yes! You sit down and rest for a while, I'll do it right away." Fang Sheng was full of energy and was surprised that the medicine he made by himself could be used. He was excited but also a little uneasy.
Jiang Yushu perked up and said politely, "Everyone, please take a seat. Doctor Fang will be busy for a while, so please have some tea to ward off the cold."
The little leader was extremely anxious, but he had to wait patiently. He accepted the tea and said, "Thank you."
“Second brother!”
"Finally you're back! It would have been even better if you'd come earlier so we could have Yuanxiao (Chinese dumplings) together," Guo Hongzhe said excitedly. He was always slow at everything he did, a naturally weakling with limited physical strength and energy.
Guo Honglei greeted him and said briefly, "I'm back to do something and will be back to camp later."
"Ah? Are you so anxious?" Guo Hongzhe was disappointed and his smile disappeared.
Guo Honglei stood tall and straight. He looked down at his brother and replied, "It's urgent. How's your health lately?"
"I'm fine." Guo Hongzhe said lightly, then asked with concern, "How about you? How are you doing recently? Have you recovered from your injuries?"
Guo Honglei also downplayed it, saying, "I recovered early this morning."
Caught off guard, Jiang Yushu saw that Fang Sheng was too busy, so she helped organize the insights he had taken down on the efficacy of the medicine.
Guo Honglei chatted with his brother for a few words, then walked over to his wife, who was writing furiously at her desk. He lowered his head and asked, "Where are those two pots of ginger you planted?"
Jiang Jun was the name Fang Sheng gave to the vine that had miraculous hemostatic effects. As a sign of respect, he incorporated the discoverer's surname into the name.
"Oh, they've been kept in the woodshed next door, and they haven't withered yet." Jiang Yushu looked up and asked knowingly, "Do you need to bring them back to the camp?"
Guo Honglei nodded, but before he could say anything, the two doctors accompanying him turned and said, "We are doctors from Heqinwei. We have never heard of 'Jiangjun'. After all, it is a new medicinal herb. We are really worried if we don't study it ourselves."
"Military duties are urgent, and there's no time to harvest them. Could you spare one or two plants?"
Jiang Yushu smiled and said seriously, "These are just two pots of medicinal plants. I can go into the mountains and dig them up when I have time. They're not worth much. Since the army needs them, you two doctors can take them!" She was worried, but then she changed the subject and reminded him, "Actually, we discovered that ginger can be used as medicine completely by accident. It's only been a short time since we discovered it, and its medicinal properties are unclear. You must be extremely careful when using it."
The hidden message is: Let me make it clear in advance, if the people who test the medicine are unfortunately poisoned or their injuries worsen, please do not vent your anger on the Guo family.
The young leader frowned but remained silent. The two doctors exchanged glances and said gently, "It's natural. When trying new medicine, one should be cautious."
“So wonderful!”
Jiang Yushu put down her pen and said cheerfully, "Hurry up and go to the woodshed and bring Jiang Qiong over."
"Yes." Zhou Yan immediately took the order and asked someone to leave. A moment later, he returned with two pots of vines and handed them to the other doctor.
In less than two cups of tea, the border troops hurriedly mounted their horses, carrying their belongings.
"I'm leaving." Guo Honglei had no time to chat with his family. His eyes were filled with apology as he urged, "Everyone go back and rest. It's cold, be careful not to catch a cold."
Guo Hongzhe was reluctant to leave and coughed from time to time, "It's freezing cold, be careful on your journey."
"Take care." Jiang Yushu waved her hand without blinking.
"Young Master, please come back when you have time!" Madam Pan urged earnestly. She hesitated, then said, "Please take good care of yourself while you are out there."
@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
"Gee!" The little leader was eager to report, glanced at the Guo family, and rode his horse first.
Guo Honglei could not stay for long and agreed, "I understand. I'll come back another day when I have time." After saying that, he turned his horse's head to chase his companions and quickly ran into the dark night of wind and snow.
Jiang Yushu watched him go for a long while until he disappeared. She stared up at the night sky, sighed, and said with a wry smile, "He came and went so quickly, it was like a dream." She turned slowly and said, "Let's go, go back. We have to get up early and work tomorrow."
After eating Yuanxiao, the strong winds weakened and the snowflakes became sparser.
On February 2, the dragon raises its head.
Liu Village originally had over 400 households, but most of them fled, leaving less than 200. Although the population is small, the spring is crucial for a good year, so the villagers celebrated the Qinglong Festival with great respect, praying for good weather and a good harvest.
When the soil had not yet thawed, Jiang Yushu was already busy, running around and teaching the villagers how to germinate potatoes, sharing everything she knew without reservation.
As time went by, the sun rose and set, the clouds rolled and dispersed, the snow all over the mountains melted quietly, the soil gradually thawed, and the frozen Mu River began to flow.
All things are reviving and full of vitality, and it is spring again at the frontier.
After trying planting for a season, Jiang Yushu was confident. She called the villagers together and carefully arranged the germination, cutting, seed mixing, and sowing... in an orderly manner.
In March, she strolled through the fields, looking tired and thinner. Her voice was hoarse, but she was full of energy. She said happily, "After two months of hard work, the seeds are finally planted!"
Six months later, County Magistrate Liu Tong once again inspected Yuehu Town, stopping in Liu Village specifically for the occasion, still accompanied by his chief clerk, Zhuang Song. Standing on a ridge, he gazed out over the vast, fertile fields, feeling relaxed and happy. He pondered, "Over 100,000 jin of grain seeds, 375 mu of land. I wonder how much we can harvest this summer?"
Jiang Yushu replied hoarsely, "Farming is not easy. I hope God will bless me with a good harvest!"
"We'll have to wait and see." Liu Tong adjusted his black gauze hat, sighed sadly, and said, "Natural disasters and wars have caused Heqin to suffer from food shortages every year, and the county is worried every year. A while ago, the county magistrate went to the provincial capital, but failed to raise any grain! Alas, food is scarce everywhere in Xicang. It's difficult to be a frontier official."
Jiang Yushu consoled him, "You've worked hard. Once our soldiers completely defeat the Northern Qi, and life is peaceful, the harvest will surely improve."
"I hope so."
At the same time.
The commander's residence is heavily guarded.
Covered in dust, Guo Honglei strode into the hall with his head held high. He knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and said in a loud voice, "Subordinate Guo Honglei, greetings to the General!"
The commander of the Heqin Guards was named Dou Yong. He was over fifty, his temples gray, and the wrinkles between his brows formed the shape of a "川" (a character for "川"), a commanding presence without anger. His face and lips were pale, his abdomen bandaged, his wounds still severe. With a weak breath, he said, "Get up."
"Thank you, General!" Guo Honglei stood up, his back straight, looking handsome and heroic.
The trusted soldiers were lined up in a row, standing on both sides with swords in hand. They were all tall and strong, with an imposing aura.
Dou Yong's eyes were sharp as he examined the newcomer. He asked slowly, "Wu Hai once offered to recruit you as a personal soldier, but you refused. This general also offered to recruit you as a personal soldier, but you refused? Do you have any difficulties? If so, please speak frankly."
Reject the general? Strange, where did this come from?
Guo Honglei was stunned, his face full of astonishment, and asked in surprise, "Are you interested in recruiting subordinates as your personal soldiers?"
Dou Yong remained calm, "Why? Don't you know?"
Guo Honglei was confused and shook his head subconsciously.
Dou Yong couldn't sit up straight because of his injury. He bowed slightly and asked sternly, "You really don't know?"
"This..." Guo Honglei truly had no idea. He had just been in the middle of a martial arts competition on the training grounds when he was suddenly summoned. Drenched in sweat, he raised his sleeve to wipe it off. He was momentarily stunned by the question and hurriedly chose his words.
Dou Yong's expression changed, and he raised his head and asked calmly, "What are you hesitating about? Are you afraid to refuse me in person?"
The author has something to say:
Guo Honglei [wiping sweat]: I haven’t heard of this at all…
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