Chapter 154 Preparing for a Future Return
Aunt Zhou understood what he meant. If the Wu family pushed them too far in the future, they might very well lead an army in rebellion.
She used to think that rebellion was utterly treasonous, but now she understands that if she doesn't rebel, her children will all die.
After a moment's thought, she replied, "Alright, let Zhao'er go with you to the border. When do we set off?"
Zhou's younger brother replied, "Tonight."
As Aunt Zhou listened, she looked at Zhou Zhao with a heart full of reluctance.
Zhou Zhao himself was very excited, "That's great, Uncle, I've wanted to go for a long time."
Zhou's uncle looked up at his spirited nephew, his face full of satisfaction, "There's constant fighting outside the pass, it's not as peaceful as your life in Changliu Village."
Zhou Zhao waved his hand and laughed, "Uncle, I know, don't worry, I can endure hardship."
Zhou's uncle patted him on the shoulder, "Alright, then go pack your things now, I'll take you to the Mo residence first."
Zhou Zhao smiled and nodded emphatically, "Okay, Uncle."
Seeing that they had reached an agreement, the Third Prince did not continue to persuade them and got up to help Zhou Zhao pack his things inside the house.
Zhou's younger brother then looked at Zhou Ruiyuan and said, "Ruiyuan, don't worry about the provincial examination. I heard from Prefect Zheng that the Emperor will be back in a couple of days. Just wait patiently for a few days."
Zhou Ruiyuan nodded slightly with a serious face, "Mm."
Seeing that everything was arranged, Zhou's uncle didn't delay any longer. After Zhou Zhao had packed her things, he took her away from the Zhou family.
When Zhou Zhao was about to leave, he was filled with reluctance. He explained everything about the fields and farmland to Zhou Ruiyuan before leaving with peace of mind.
His family came to the door to see him off.
None of them expected that this young man, who left as an ignorant teenager, would return as a commander leading tens of thousands of troops.
Aunt Zhou waved her hand while secretly wiping away tears.
Just moments ago we were at home talking about picking the vegetables from the garden in a few days, but now we're packing our bags to go far away. Who knows when we'll see each other again?
Du Wanchun came to Zhou Da Niang's side, put her arm around her and said slowly, "Mother, it won't be long before Third Brother comes back."
Aunt Zhou nodded and took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears on her face.
The Third Prince stood beside her, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Zhou'er, don't worry, I will definitely send people to protect Zhao'er properly. No one can bully him outside the pass."
Aunt Zhou felt a little better after hearing this. After watching the carriage disappear, she turned and walked back into the house. "Well, let's go back."
"Yes, Mother." Du Wanchun quickened her pace to follow behind her.
Zhou Ruiyuan stood still and looked around the village entrance, his brows furrowed and a hint of worry on his face.
After returning home, the Third Prince specially cooked a soup of white fungus and lotus seeds.
"Zhou'er, come and eat some."
Aunt Zhou was not a pretentious person. She was only lost in thought for a moment before she immediately took the bowl he brought and said, "Your Highness, you don't need to be so polite."
The Third Prince then brought another bowl to Du Wanchun, saying, "Now that Zhao'er isn't home, I need to take even better care of you."
With so many fields at home, someone had to look after them. The Third Prince originally wanted to spend money to hire a few people, but he was afraid that too many people would easily expose the Zhou family's identities, so he could only continue to do it himself.
Aunt Zhou felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this, and felt even more grateful to the Third Prince.
As darkness fell, the Third Prince hurried to feed the chickens and ducks in the backyard.
The next day, before dawn, the Third Prince went to the fields early with his hoe.
The once carefree and noble prince in the capital has turned into a strong farm man in less than a few months.
His skin was tanned slightly, and he held the hoe with great skill.
Aunt Zhou hadn't slept all night. Hearing the noise, she quickly got up and went to the door. Staring at the back in the dim light, she gradually drifted off into a daze.
Although the Third Prince hadn't explicitly told her these past few days, she gradually came to understand his feelings.
However, she didn't want to involve him anymore.
It's not a good idea for him to keep following her around like this.
Aunt Zhou strode over to him, snatched the basket from his back, and said, "I'll go with you."
The Third Prince was startled. "Why are you up?"
Aunt Zhou picked up her basket and walked past him, saying, "If you can get up, why can't I?"
The Third Prince strode after him, saying, "Zhou'er, it's still early, you should go and rest."
Aunt Zhou quickened her pace and continued walking forward. "It's getting late. The weather is hot now. If I don't finish the work in the fields in the morning, I won't be able to work at noon."
The Third Prince stepped forward and stopped her, saying, "This field work is not something you can do."
Aunt Zhou looked up at him. "If it wasn't me, then how could you have done it? Your Highness, before you came, this is how I fed Ruiyuan and the others. In this small village, farming and growing vegetables is not shameful; it's better than starving!"
The Third Prince was slightly taken aback by her words.
Aunt Zhou continued walking forward, saying as she went, "When we first came to Changliu Village, we didn't even have a decent piece of land. Back then, we dreamed of having a piece of land like this, full of rice and vegetables, so that we wouldn't have to worry about how to fill our stomachs every day."
“This land is not a burden to us, but a blessing. You don’t need to think that we are suffering when we go to work in the fields.”
As she spoke slowly, she took out a small sickle and cut away the weeds along the road.
The Third Prince stared at Granny Zhou's retreating figure for a long time, then finally chose to silently follow behind her.
As the sun gradually rose, Du Wanchun woke up from her sleep.
Now only she and Zhou Ruiyuan were left at home. She got up and went to the front room, where she found steamed buns, porridge, and eggs already laid out on the table.
She took a bun, ate a bite, and walked towards the incense shop next door.
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