Wei Lang and Xu Di led their men to stay in the mountains for more than ten days. The hundred or so men, dressed in tattered clothes and with weathered faces, finally helped each other down the mountain.
After descending the mountain, they were first taken to the General's Mansion, where they were given a proper freshening up, a hot meal, and a good night's sleep before those who needed to go home or return to their camps did so.
Wei Lang followed Xu Di to the Xu family home. When Zhang Zhaoci saw Xu Di return, she quickly told Sister He to get busy making hot soup noodles. The first snow of the winter had already fallen in Hexi. Although the snow was not heavy, the temperature had dropped. Coming back from outside, eating a bowl of hot soup noodles was really both warming and comforting.
In the large pot on the stove at home, there were large pieces of pork and beef bones. The broth had been simmered until it turned milky white. Using this bone broth as a base, they put cooked egg noodles into it, then poured on the spicy meat sauce made by Xu Rao, and added some chopped chives. Wei Lang and Xu Di sat cross-legged on the kang table on the kang in Xu Di's room, one on each side, and each ate a large bowl of hot soup noodles, their faces and bodies covered in sweat.
Wei Lang sighed comfortably, put the bowl down, and said, "This meat sauce tastes absolutely delicious. Putting it in the soup like this, warm and comforting, makes me feel so good."
Xu Di said, "When it gets cold, let's take this chili sauce to the barracks. It'll be warm and cozy for everyone to eat."
Wei Lang nodded and said, "I went back and read the letter my eldest sister sent me. She said that our hot pot restaurant is doing better and better, and she's thinking of opening another branch in the city."
Xu Di said, "It's certain that business is booming. Hot pot is something that gets better the more you eat it. You want to eat it again and again. Who can resist it?"
Xu Di suddenly thought of oden. On such a cold day, a bowl of oden would be a real treat. Besides, it's not expensive. Hot pot restaurants aren't something everyone can afford.
Xu Di told Wei Lang about oden. The key point was that oden could be sold by simply carrying a load on a pole. Wei Lang then thought of his men who could no longer go to the battlefield due to injuries and illnesses. If they returned to their hometowns, many of them would not be able to make a living.
Xu Di said, "Those brothers were injured for the country. When they go home, they won't even be able to support themselves. We can train them. These snacks can really make money if they are done well."
Wei Lang said, "I really need to think about this carefully. Letting them go home with that little bit of pension money will make the rest of their lives very difficult for many people. It would be good if they could learn a skill. However, everything has to be done in a proper way. I need to discuss the specifics with my staff."
This is natural. Every year, so many people leave the military camp. The five men that Wei Lang sent to Xu Family Manor were either former guards of the Marquis of Jingbei or guards of Wei Lang. Their loyalty was beyond question. They were just injured and could no longer stay in the military camp, so Wei Lang sent them to Xu Family Manor. One reason was to protect the Xu family, and the other was to find them a place where they could settle down and make a living. Xu Rao had already assured him that as long as his family could continue to thrive, barring any unforeseen circumstances, these five men would be allowed to live out their old age in Xu Family Manor.
Wei Lang stayed at the Xu family's house for a while longer before heading back. During the ten-plus days he had been away, he had accumulated a lot of things that needed to be dealt with.
Xu Di lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) in his room, feeling that the past ten days had been very fulfilling. Before he could even savor the memories, Xu Zhi came over.
Xu Zhi made a cup of ginger and jujube tea for Xu Di and brought it over in a small stewing pot. When Xu Di saw it, he quickly sat up, took the small tray, and said, "You could have just called me and brought it over myself. What if you got burned?"
Xu Zhi said, "I'll use a tray so you won't get burned. Brother, Mother said you've suffered a lot. I've made you some nourishing soup. This is how Granny Lu taught me to make it. Drink it quickly and take good care of yourself."
Xu Di was very moved and said, "Thank you, little sister. I didn't suffer much on this trip. Besides, I'm a man, and a man should not be afraid of hardship or fatigue. He should shed blood and sweat but not tears."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi looked at Xu Di in surprise and said, "Brother, this isn't right. How can a gentleman shed blood and sweat?"
Xu Di was at a loss for words after being refuted by his sister. Indeed, the gentlemanly style is popular now. A gentleman is supposed to be as handsome as Pan An and as talented as Cao Zhi. Most importantly, he must be good-looking.
Xu Di took a sip of the spicy ginger and jujube tea and said, "Xiao Jiu, there are all kinds of men in this world, not just those weak scholars. The place we live now is right next to Yanmen Pass. Yanmen Pass is a barrier for our country. Those passionate men are stationed on this barrier. They risk their lives and shed their blood, disregarding their personal safety and life. What are they doing this for? They are doing this to protect this barrier so that the people of Liang behind them can live a peaceful life."
Xu Zhi listened very attentively. After arriving in Hexi, Xu Zhi often went to the streets with her family and had naturally seen those rough-looking guards who drank from large bowls and ate meat in large bites.
Seeing that Xu Zhi was listening attentively, Xu Di said, "Xiao Jiu, only when the country is stable can the people live a peaceful life. What does the stability of the country depend on? It depends on the hundreds of thousands of soldiers here. These soldiers have left their families and homes to come here, just to do their best to prevent those foreign tribes from invading from outside the pass. They are the people that our Great Liang should respect the most."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi said, "Brother, I understand. I will definitely respect the soldiers guarding the pass from now on."
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