"What's the important matter?" Jiang Yushu was startled when she saw the other party's serious expression. She quickly put down the letter, sat up sideways and asked, "Tell me about it!"
"Thanks to General Dou's appreciation, I've been serving as his personal guard for some time now. I've led troops into battle several times, and fortunately, I've earned some military merit." Face to face, Guo Honglei held her hand and spoke solemnly, "But if we want to take advantage of the upcoming general amnesty and escape exile, our current merits may not be enough. By then, even if our relatives and friends in the capital offer their full support, they may not be able to help our family."
Their eyes met, and Jiang Yushu's heart skipped a beat. She felt a sudden unease, then said comfortingly, "Actually, I've thought about this countless times. It's a bit iffy, but the Guo family has always been honest and diligent in their efforts to atone for their sins, as everyone can see. It should all go smoothly. Don't worry too much."
Guo Honglei's eyes lit up as he slowly explained, "It's not that I'm overly concerned, but rather that this is a matter of great importance and requires early planning. I've considered this for months and, after much deliberation, have decided to enlist in the Cavalry Battalion commanded by General Dou. I'll be busier from now on and have less time to visit my family. I'm letting you know ahead of time so you don't have to wait anxiously at home."
"The Cavalry Battalion?" Jiang Yushu, unfamiliar with military affairs, was filled with anxiety. She asked repeatedly, "What's it like in there? Are the seniors easy to get along with? Is it dangerous?"
Guo Honglei remained calm and replied gently, "Don't worry. The soldiers in that camp are all elite soldiers, brave and skilled in battle, and easy to get along with. It's easier for me to achieve merit with them than elsewhere. Although I won't be counted for military merit and won't receive any rewards as a prisoner right now, for the sake of the long term, I must accumulate more merit."
"Since they are the General's trusted elite troops, and Lord Dou has issued a military order to recapture Yongzhou within a year, how could they not risk their lives? I can easily guess that the Cavalry Battalion is definitely more dangerous than elsewhere!" Jiang Yushu was so concerned that she blurted out, "Life is the most precious. Only as long as there is life, there is hope. Can you please not go?"
Guo Honglei held her in his arms, kissed her fair, smooth forehead, and soothed her, "Don't let your imagination run wild. I've only decided to change camps. I have elderly parents and young children to support, and you in the middle. How could I dare take a risk? Don't worry, I'll take care of myself."
"There's no need to rush into making achievements. Our whole family has been prisoners for a long time. In my opinion, the most important thing is to keep your life safe. We can plan the rest slowly." Jiang Yushu snuggled in his arms, worried that her husband would be too eager to make achievements and put himself in danger.
Guo Honglei picked up a strand of smooth hair, wrapped it between his fingers and rolled it again and again, his eyes sparkling.
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As the head of the family, he had no choice but to take responsibility. He resolutely made up his mind and comforted her, "I understand. I'm not in a hurry. I've already told you that I'm just going to be transferred to the Cavalry Battalion. I'll be even busier from now on, so I'm letting you know in advance."
"But..." Jiang Yushu frowned, feeling apprehensive. She knew full well that her husband had deliberately kept silent about the dangers of the battlefield, fearing that his family would worry. She wanted to dissuade him, but for a moment she didn't know how.
Guo Honglei tightened his arms, pulled her tightly together, and held her whole body on his lap.
Suddenly one of the two chairs was empty, with a clang sound.
"Woo..." Jiang Yushu was caught off guard, and her nose hit his solid shoulder. She frowned and covered her nose in pain, her sharp eyes filled with anger.
"Are you hurt? Let me take a look." Guo Honglei quickly pushed her hand away, and gently rubbed the injured area with his slender, calloused index finger, as if treating a rare treasure.
The pain subsided, and Jiang Yushu regained consciousness. She realized she was sitting on the man's lap. Her face flushed immediately, and she remained motionless. She shook her head and said, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt anymore. I don't think the Cavalry Battalion you mentioned is appropriate. Let's discuss it in detail. I guess once we get in, we won't be able to leave easily."
Guo Honglei was incredibly patient, holding the man horizontally, close to him, as he explained, "The camp only selects once a year, so don't miss this opportunity. Besides, the garrison is overflowing with talented individuals, so I might not even get in. I'm probably just joining in the fun."
"Do you really have to go?" Jiang Yushu looked up.
Their foreheads touched, caressing each other affectionately. Guo Honglei whispered in her ear, "I'd like to give it a try. Madam, please allow me."
Jiang Yushu was stunned, her ears tingling and her face flushed. "What if I don't allow it?"
"What should I do? I have a headache." Guo Honglei said seriously, but he stroked her white jade ears until they turned red. He reached down with his left hand, hooked her belt and untied it.
Jiang Yushu's heartbeat suddenly became chaotic. She took a deep breath quietly, trying to calm down. She hurriedly pressed the man's large and strong palm and reminded him, "Wait, let's talk about business first."
"Let's continue the conversation later!" With her arms full of tenderness and beauty, it was impossible to discuss business.
Guo Honglei stood up, took a few big steps with her in his arms, threw her onto the couch neither lightly nor heavily, pulled down the curtain, and leaned over to press her down.
Immediately, there were bursts of movement in the tent:
"Well! Be gentle..." Jiang Yushu was preoccupied with important matters. She struggled to get up but couldn't. She was in a panic and gradually lost consciousness.
It was not until midnight that he opened the curtain, looking energetic, returned with a basin of water, wrung out a towel, sat on the edge of the couch, and wiped his drowsy wife.
Business, business, business...
Jiang Yushu was overwhelmed, extremely tired, and weak all over, but she was still thinking about the important matters.
The sound of water splashed for a long time, and Guo Honglei turned around and left with the basin.
Jiang Yushu was dazed. She fumbled around with her eyes closed, grabbed a robe at random, sat up and wrapped herself in it.
Guo Honglei blew out the candle, and walked around the screen in the dim moonlight filtering through the window paper. He took a closer look, then hurried to support her. His sword-like brows and star-like eyes relaxed as he said happily, "You are wearing my robe—"
"Shh, keep your voice down. It's the middle of the night, be careful not to wake others." Jiang Yushu lowered her head and looked, then burst out laughing. "So it's yours. No wonder I felt something was wrong."
Guo Honglei got on the bed, and the couple squeezed onto the same pillow. He smiled and raised his eyebrows and asked, "Didn't you just say you were tired? Why don't you sleep?"
"Didn't we agree to continue discussing business?" Jiang Yushu, though exhausted, regained her composure and asked with concern, "Have you consulted General Mu regarding your decision to join the Cavalry Battalion?"
Guo Honglei lay on his back, forcibly turning her over and pressing her against his chest. He replied briefly, "I've written to ask, and my uncle also meant that opportunities should not be missed. As the saying goes, 'Fortune and honor are sought in danger,' and the same is true for military exploits." In the dim light, he lowered his palm to cover her flat belly and said word by word:
"Mammy said my child might already be here. As the head of the family, husband, and father, I simply cannot bear to watch my entire family live under the charge of exile. For now, I don't seek great wealth and honor, but at least I can get rid of the charge and live as a commoner. That's better than what we have now."
"I understand your feelings." Jiang Yushu was deeply moved, and with a heavy heart, she advised anxiously, "It would be great to be able to escape the charges, but I always believe that safety is the most precious thing. Don't put yourself in danger."
"No, don't worry." Guo Honglei is cautious. He has been working hard in the army until now. He is becoming more and more comfortable and confident.
Since being convicted, I have suffered countless hardships. It is human nature and it is impossible for me to say that I do not blame the culprit at all.
Jiang Yushu half-lay on his chest, listening to his steady, strong heartbeat. She sighed with worry, "It's all because of the Crown Prince's foolishness. He was involved in the corruption case, which angered heaven and man. The rest of the criminals were either lingchi (death by slicing) or beheaded, but the Marquis of Jingyang was confiscated and exiled. His Majesty, mindful of the hard work and contributions of the Guo family's ancestors, has shown some mercy. This is truly a great favor from the Emperor."
"Therefore, we must be patient. Even if we can't get rid of the charges for a while, it doesn't matter. I just hope that my family is safe, nothing else."
"Brother, he really is—" Guo Honglei paused, frowned, and hesitated to speak.
Jiang Yushu suddenly woke up and said decisively: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that to Big Brother."
"You can say anything in front of me." Guo Honglei changed the subject and warned, "But you must not say this in front of your mother, otherwise you will definitely be scolded."
I noticed a long time ago that my mother-in-law is different from other elderly people. She favors her eldest son.
Jiang Yushu nodded decisively, "I know! Who would dare to complain about the prince in front of the old lady? I'm not stupid."
"That's good to know." Guo Honglei turned over and said, "Go to sleep. You don't have to get up early tomorrow, and you're not allowed to go out of bed, lest Madam blame me for not being caring."
"...Am I suffering from heatstroke every day? Who would believe me if I told others?" Jiang Yushu concealed her worries and pondered deeply.
Guo Honglei smiled. "Yes, no one believed it, but no one questioned it either. Outsiders aren't stupid, so they won't embarrass you."
Jiang Yushu was stunned for a moment before she understood. Her face flushed red and she pinched him twice in embarrassment. The young couple played and quarreled, hugged each other, and fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, Jiang Yushu had no choice but to rest at home after suffering another heat stroke. But she couldn't let go of her crops, so she joined the others in the fields that afternoon.
Almost half of the villagers helped the Guo family dig potatoes. By the evening of the next day, all the potatoes from more than 300 acres had been harvested.
In the pavilion, the abacus clattered for several days. The villagers were immersed in the joy of a good harvest and tax exemption, and they found the sound of the beads crisp and pleasant.
Zhuang Song had been ordered to guard a remote mountain village for half a year. Finally, he was able to return to the county town with the good news of a good harvest. He felt like he had been pardoned, and his face was full of joy for days. He rolled up his sleeves, stood on a high place, shook the official documents, and happily announced:
"Now that the calculations are complete, we've harvested 1.2 million catties of potatoes from 375 mu of land. After deducting the 35% promised to each household, we're left with 750,000 catties!"
"This batch of grain will be temporarily stored in your village. After I return to the county and report to Lord Pan, the government will send someone to deal with it."
"Sanping, you have to arrange for someone to carefully watch over it. If the number of people decreases inexplicably, it will be troublesome."
Liu Sanping, the village head, was startled. He nodded rapidly and bowed, "Of course. I'll immediately arrange for the villagers to take turns guarding the grain. Don't worry, no one dares touch the government grain."
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Zhuang Song stood with his hands behind his back, sternly admonishing, "Everyone, I still say this: Be honest, and everyone will be happy; those who harbor evil intentions will have nothing to lose!"
"yes."
"We dare not be dishonest." The villagers bowed their heads and worked together. A long line of ox carts and mule carts were busy transporting grain and temporarily storing it in dozens of cellars.
evening
The window of the east room of the Guo family was half open, the setting sun shone obliquely, and the sound of the piano was melodious.
After bathing, Jiang Yushu's hair was slightly wet. She lowered her head and played the piano. The tune was light, but the strings sounded sad, and her expression was calm.
Guo Honglei sat aside, silently gazing at his dignified and beautiful wife with a deep gaze.
After a while, the song ended. He immediately clapped his hands and praised, "Excellent! This is the first time I've heard you play the piano."
In her previous life, Jiang Yushu had specifically learned the guqin (Chinese zither) to cultivate her character. Miss Jiang, on the other hand, had been learning guqin, chess, calligraphy, and painting since childhood, so she was quite proficient. She withdrew her hands, sighed, and smiled faintly, saying, "I haven't played it in a while. I'm a bit rusty, and I can't play it well."
"No, it's pretty good." Guo Honglei moved closer, squeezed into the same chair with her, and plucked the strings of the guitar casually, bringing out a heroic spirit.
Jiang Yushu leaned back, letting go of the zither, and quietly gazed at her handsome and heroic husband.
During my free time, there was a sudden noise outside the window:
"Carefully, slowly, carry everything into the cellar."
"Sprinkle it carefully."
"The basket must be returned to its owner."
Guo Honglei walked to the window, leaned over and asked in surprise, "What's going on?"
"Sir, the government has finally distributed rations to us!" Zhou Yan trotted over, beaming, and excitedly announced, "Ever since I arrived in Liu Village to cultivate the land, despite being a fugitive, I haven't received any rations and have been secretly buying food to get by. And just now, the village head clerk suddenly sent over a few carts of potatoes, saying they'd made up for the food arrears. After a thorough count, there's not a pound more or less."
After hearing this, Guo Honglei felt suffocated and unhappy. He sighed secretly and said calmly, "I see. Go ahead and get busy."
"Yes," Zhou Yan said cheerfully, happily asking his companions to carry the potatoes. Finally, there was food to be collected, and as a steward, he no longer had to worry about paying for it, so he was naturally happy.
Guo Honglei gazed at the sunset, silent and with his back straight.
After a moment, he turned around, and the couple looked at each other, both staring intently.
"The Cavalry Battalion, if you want to go, go ahead and give it a try." Jiang Yushu's eyes were calm. She knew she couldn't stop the brave young head of the family. She said softly, "You don't have to worry about your family in the army. You just need to take care of your own safety. I won't report this matter specifically to the old lady, so as not to make her anxious."
"...Okay, I'll do whatever you say!" Guo Honglei walked closer, hugged her tightly with his arms, as if wanting to hold her close to his heart. He said in a low voice, "Once we're completely cleared of this charge, I won't be busy anymore, staying home every day and bothering you."
"Ah?" Jiang Yushu's voice trembled slightly, and her nose felt sour. "You bother me every day? That's strange. I want to see how annoying you can be."
After a while
"Second brother, Magistrate Pan has sent a group of officials to take my sister-in-law to the government office!"
"Brother, what should I do?" Guo Hongzhe was in a hurry, extremely anxious. When he pushed the door open, he saw his brother and sister-in-law hugging each other affectionately, with tears in his sister-in-law's eyes.
The author has something to say:
Third Brother: (⊙o⊙)…[covers Jiji’s eyes with one hand]
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