Ten days later, the moon was bright and the stars were few.
At the 11-tree dock in Peach Blossom Spring, five large ships were moored.
When the five boats approached the pass of the Peach Blossom Spring River, the guards stationed there rang the bell.
The so-called "clock" was a steel ring that Li Lanzhen saw in the space. It was about one hand wide and half a meter long.
There was a round hole on one side of the steel ring. Li Lanzhen had a sudden inspiration, so she took it out, tied a hemp rope to it, handed it to the guard, and hung it on a big tree next to the guardhouse at the pass.
Several sets of signal bells were developed.
Encountering an enemy attack is a sound signal; encountering a familiar person is a piece of information.
People who were still asleep were awakened by the sound of two long and three short knocks.
They knew that a boat had entered Peach Blossom Spring, and that it was a friend, not an enemy.
The adults comforted the startled children and sent them back to sleep, leaving the women at home to watch the house. The men got up, dressed, and gathered at the Eleven Trees Wharf.
As people walked out of their homes, they guessed that the more than 100 wounded soldiers who had been discharged from the battlefield, mentioned in the letter Han Mingjiang had sent back, had arrived.
Sure enough, when they arrived at the Eleven Trees Wharf, it was brightly lit with torches.
The village committee members were already standing here waiting.
Five large ships, with ladders lowered and people coming down one after another, clearly just off the battlefield.
They disembarked in an orderly fashion, the neatly arranged lines remaining silent.
Everyone could see clearly that all 100-plus people had injuries, just in different places. Some had lost a leg and were being supported by others who were also injured. One person was missing an eye...
The people of Peach Blossom Spring stood quietly, none of them pointing or whispering about their injuries or uttering pitiful sighs of sorrow.
Manager Hua stepped off the first large ship, carrying a small bundle in his hand. He walked straight up to Li Lanzhen, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and bowed.
"Madam Li, this is a letter that Han Mingjiang brought back."
He went to the capital with the young general.
Li Lanzhen nodded and accepted the small bundle.
She knew that after winning the battle, she would go to the capital to see the emperor and receive rewards for her contributions.
It seems this kid is going down this path.
What official position one obtains, or how much gold and silver reward one receives, is not important.
The most important thing is that Han Mingjiang can return safely and healthily.
"Manager Hua, is it 113 people?"
"Yes, exactly 113 people, and they are injured in different parts of their bodies."
Eleven people were seriously injured.
Li Lanzhen saw that these eleven people were carried down on stretchers.
Manager Hua turned around and waved to a man at the front of the line.
"Da Lei, come here for a moment. This is Han Mingjiang's mother, Madam Li."
Upon hearing his shout, the tall man immediately ran over, bowed, and greeted Lanzhou.
"We've met Aunt Lanzhen. Thank you for accepting us. We're sorry to have troubled you."
Li Lanzhen saw that his legs and feet were fine, but his stomach was wrapped in a thick cloth, so he must have been injured in the abdomen or back.
His left eye was the most seriously injured, because there was a round, black object, of unknown material, stuck to it.
Li Lanzhen knew that the young man had lost his left eye forever.
She smiled and said, "No trouble at all, welcome home. Come on, your accommodation has been arranged. Let's go eat first."
Da Lei turned around and sat the seriously wounded soldier on the oxcart.
Others who can walk should proceed in a line.
The villagers went up to help them carry their luggage.
Their luggage was actually very simple, probably just a change of clothes and a roll of bedding.
The eleven wounded soldiers, still unconscious and lying on stretchers, were taken directly to their dormitory.
Bai Houpu and several others followed closely behind to check their injuries.
The others followed the village committee members to the dining hall, where they first washed up briefly in a basin of water under the shed outside, and then went inside to sit down.
Despite their repeated assurances that they were full, not hungry, and didn't need any trouble.
However, Li Lanzhen knew that with so many people arriving in Youzhou Prefecture, they absolutely could not enter the prefectural city. At most, Manager Hua would deliver some food to Moon Bay Wharf.
I ordered a quick bite; since I'm here, I should have something warm for my first meal.
At least let them know they've arrived home.
Li Lanzhen had already thought of this. Since she had accepted them, she should treat them well.
The soldiers, all from the new army, were quick and efficient. They pulled out their towels, washed their faces and hands in a few quick strokes, and then went inside to sit in the dining hall.
Before long, large bowls of fragrant food were served on the table.
The meals seemed to be simple and convenient: cornmeal porridge, stir-fried eggs with chives, stewed eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and green beans, with soft wild vegetable pancakes as the staple food.
Han Dazhong told the other villagers to go back to sleep.
Those who remain now are all from the village committee.
They sat with Manager Hua under a thatched shed outside, with torches stuck in the side of the shed.
Xue Nizi and Tonghua brought over a bowl of cornmeal porridge and a plate of vegetables and placed them in front of Manager Hua.
Li Lanzhen gestured for him to eat some as well, and Manager Hua did not stand on ceremony, picking up his bowl and slowly eating the dishes.
The village committee members sat around the perimeter, and the men were smoking tobacco.
Speaking of tobacco leaves, it was Li Lanzhen who initially planted a few tobacco plants in Li Erhan's yard.
Li Lanzhen repeatedly advised Li Erhan not to smoke, but Li Erhan would always secretly pick a kind of grass leaf on the mountain, dry it, and then grind it into powder to smoke secretly.
Seeing him like this, Li Lanzhen found tobacco seeds in her spatial storage and planted a few in the yard.
Unexpectedly, others saw it and kept pestering Li Erhan to give it to him.
Li Erhan kept one tobacco seed, and that's how everyone slowly started planting them.
However, they didn't dare to plant too many; they just planted a few in their own backyards for their own enjoyment.
Li Lanzhen could tell that everyone was in a heavy mood.
These wounded soldiers were all quite young.
Han Mingjiang only said that they were homeless.
So, there must be a heartbreaking story behind each of them.
Li Lanzhen didn't want to ask questions or reopen their wounds; she only wanted to do her best to give them a place to settle down and live a peaceful life.
Xue Laohu sat at the table, his thoughts already wandering far away. Ever since Xue Bao left, his heart had been constantly on edge.
Looking at these soldiers now, he felt distressed, fearful, and worried.
The dining room remained silent, except for the sounds of people eating.
They finished eating quickly, and those who could walk began to clean up the bowls and chopsticks. One by one, people brought out the bowls and chopsticks to wash them.
Li Lanzhen stood up and stopped them.
"Alright, Da Lei, tell your comrades to stop. We'll hold off on cleaning for now."
From now on, you'll wash your own dishes, okay?
"Come with me to your dorm now, I'll settle you in. It's getting late."
Da Lei scratched the back of his head and thought, "It's really late, it must be almost midnight. I feel bad for disturbing their rest."
"Yes, Aunt Lanzhen, I'll gather them right away and take them to the dormitory."
After lining up, they followed behind Li Lanzhen, accompanied by members of the village committee, until they reached the last row of courtyards in the village.
This is the dormitory for veterans.
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