As soon as dinner was over, Abu took Xiao An out for a ride.
Abu's cheerful and lively personality quickly won everyone's favor, even Yunniang lowered her guard.
Xiao An practically became Abu's little shadow, admiring Abu's skill in wielding a knife, riding a horse, and doing somersaults, and even praising him and eating with him.
These are things that Song Zhenping, the older brother, could not do.
There was nothing that could be done about it; Song Zhenping had been worn down by the hardships of the past and was barely clinging to life, having long lost the innocent enthusiasm of a young man.
Abu is only sixteen years old, a very energetic boy. Like Xiao An, he hasn't grown up yet, so they naturally have their own way of getting along.
Everyone in the Song family treated Xiao An like a sick child.
She felt that he had been wronged in the past, so now she was wholeheartedly trying to make amends, constantly coaxing, taking care of, and comforting him, afraid that Xiao An might feel uncomfortable in any way.
Even though Black Gold is very intelligent and plays with Xiao An, it is still a pet that cannot speak and its thinking is different from that of humans.
Only Abu didn't indulge Xiao An, and he didn't treat Xiao An as a patient.
"Sister Song, your Xiao An is too spoiled. Boys should act like boys. Watch how I teach Xiao An."
If you're wrong, you have to say it. The two of them were even fighting and neither of them gave in, which made Xiao An, who was usually timid, shout and yell.
They even took Xiao An horseback riding, which scared Yunniang so much that she chased after them.
He takes the ointment every day and rides a horse for dozens of miles every day. He comes back refreshed and full of energy.
It must be said that Abu's method was very effective. In just three days, Xiao An had been transformed into a boy who walked with a thud and spoke with his head held high.
In fact, Song Liyun also wanted to learn to ride a horse. In this era where communication relied on shouting and transportation relied on walking, the horse was the fastest means of transportation.
Previously, Juqingma was unruly, so she had no chance to learn. Now, Abu is training the horse again with Xiao An, and her interest has been rekindled.
However, she couldn't leave. Zhao Ashi wanted her to keep her promise and tell him what a windmill was.
Seeing that she couldn't escape, Song Liyun called over Song Zhenping, and the three of them began a mini-lesson.
She began by describing a place far from home where people built large, wide-bladed windmills out of wood in windy places like mountaintops, grasslands, and the seaside.
The windmill then drives the stone mill below, which can be used to grind grain, grind flour, press oil, and also to transfer water from one place to another.
Song Zhenping casually remarked, "With such a large millstone running day and night, how much grain must it grind?"
He knew that his sister had seen it in the celestial book, and if it was made, it would be a good thing.
But he only thought about it, and stopped dwelling on it.
After the previous setback, Yun'er also said that everyone has their own capabilities and cannot expect to know everything.
He's now relaxed and focused on farming, treating these things as mere gossip for amusement.
Zhao Tingduo listened intently, her blood boiling with excitement, her eyes deep and unfathomable.
Song Liyun said that the power of windmills can be used to lift water from a low place to a high place and transfer it from one place to another.
There are not many places with rivers on the vast grasslands.
Every river valley with water and grass is a source of conflict between tribes.
If the course of a river could be changed, creating vast, lush pastures to support livestock,
Just like farmers in the Wu Dynasty cultivating the land, they could truly become the masters of the grasslands.
Before Zhao Tingduo could even get excited, she heard Song Zhenping say, "Yun'er, do you think we can build windmills on the grassland?"
Those Di people are naturally inclined to rob; who would want to spend money to repair a windmill?
Song Liyun laughed: "The Di people are also human beings, born of parents. Who is born liking to fight and kill?"
Bad people exist everywhere. It is precisely because life on the grassland is so difficult that if they don't rob others, they will freeze or starve to death. That's why some people do such things.
If the Di people had settled down and built houses on the grasslands like the Wu Dynasty, and lived a life with enough to eat and wear, they wouldn't have wanted to fight and plunder, and the Wu Dynasty wouldn't have to live in constant fear on its borders.
The Di people are human beings too!
Even in the Wu Dynasty, where hatred towards the Di people was rampant, there were still people who spoke up for the Di people.
Zhao Tingduo's breath hitched instantly, and he looked at the girl opposite him.
At this moment, Song Liyun was wearing a light blue padded jacket, her hair was styled in a side bun, and she had no gold or silver hairpins on her head, only a light purple hair ribbon tied up.
Her oval face, now plump and full of life, had bright, sparkling almond-shaped eyes.
Because she was smiling, a shallow dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth.
The orange candlelight shone on her, swaying gracefully, as if her whole being was glowing.
Zhao Tingduo was somewhat lost in thought. He had been going in and out of Hecheng since he was a child and had seen many young ladies from prominent families.
But none of them possessed the inexplicable sense of peace that Song Liyun exuded at this moment.
But... she's just a girl from an ordinary military household!
"Miss Song, where did you hear these...magical stories?" Zhao Tingduo tried to suppress her racing heart and asked calmly.
"Before I came to Suijin Town, I worked as a handyman in a restaurant in the county. When I had nothing to do, I heard those merchants bragging and chatting. I don't know if it's true or not."
Song Liyun answered without even blinking.
Song Zhenping blinked. He remembered flipping through several books of cryptic texts and looking at the colorful illustrations inside.
I seem to recall seeing something that looked like a wooden house with four leaves on top. Now that I think about it, it's very similar to the windmill that Yun'er mentioned.
However, he naturally agreed with whatever Yun'er said: "Yes, it's what Yun'er heard from someone before."
Zhao Tingduo: "...!"
If Song Zhenping hadn't added a strong, stern explanation later, I would have believed it.
The next day, Song Liyun was going to deliver vegetables to the garrison again.
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