Three days later
This morning, the kitchen made noodle soup. The freshly rolled noodles were smooth and chewy, and topped with shredded cured pork and stir-fried wild vegetables. The fresh wild vegetables not only neutralized the greasiness of the cured pork but also added a unique fragrance to the whole bowl of noodles.
Pei Han had temporarily ended his busy days and was enjoying a rare moment of leisure sitting at the dining table with everyone for breakfast. "Madam, the land for planting potatoes has been chosen. The prisoners have been preparing the land these past two days. Would you like to go and see it for yourself?"
Upon hearing that he could go out, Pei Ji immediately perked up his ears.
Shi Tou's reaction was even more obvious. He immediately lifted his head from the bowl of noodles, looked intently at Pei Ji, then turned to look at Min Yueqing, his eyes darting back and forth, he was incredibly busy.
Min Yueqing glanced at the two children, feeling both amused and sympathetic at their behavior. Since arriving here, the two children hadn't left the house due to the threat from the bandits, no wonder they were so cooped up.
Min Yueqing paused for a moment, whetting Pei Ji and Shi Tou's appetite, before slowly saying, "It's good to go and take a look. It would be such a waste to waste just this one box of potatoes."
In truth, Min Yueqing felt extremely fortunate, as if there truly was divine intervention at play.
When she was in school, there was a course called Labor Education. During the Labor Education class, the teacher led the whole class to plant potatoes together at a labor base.
For children who grew up in the city, farming is incredibly fun, and their enthusiasm and dedication to this course far exceed that of other courses.
Upon hearing Min Yueqing's answer, Pei Ji and Shi Tou were immediately overjoyed. Pei Ji anxiously tugged at Min Yueqing's sleeve and asked, "Mother, can we go?"
Shi Tou also stared longingly at Min Yueqing, his eyes practically overflowing with desire.
This time, Min Yueqing didn't tease the little cubs anymore and readily replied, "Okay, let's go together after dinner. It'll be a good opportunity to take Whirlwind and the others out for a run."
Pei Ji and Shi Tou cheered in unison, and unconsciously ate their noodles a little faster.
Pei Han was left standing alone, with no one asking for his opinion or inviting him to go with them. He could only speak up himself, saying, "Madam, I'm not busy today, so I'll go with you."
Min Yueqing naturally had no objections and nodded in agreement.
When they had almost finished breakfast, Min Yueqing said to Azhu, "Take five leather water bags to the kitchen and fill them with milk. We'll take them with us later."
Stone silently counted the heads and asked in confusion, "Master, why are there five? Are there other people going?"
Upon hearing this question, Pei Ji immediately laughed, Pei Han also looked enlightened, while Shi Tou was even more confused.
Pei Ji explained, "And there's Xiao Wei, it drinks way more milk than we do every day!"
Stone then realized what had happened, and suddenly raised his hand to slap his forehead, saying, "Oh right, how could I forget about Xiao Wei?"
Min Yueqing teased, "It shows that you have been very focused on your studies these past few days, ignoring everything else and only reading the classics."
Shi Tou thought he had been secretly studying in his room, but Min Yueqing had found out about it immediately, and his wheat-colored face turned red instantly.
Shi Tou himself was also annoyed. He didn't know why he always forgot the words he remembered the day before after sleeping. He was afraid of embarrassing his master, so he had to study hard for the first time ever.
Pei Han, unaware of the previous events, genuinely believed that Shi Tou was also a child who loved reading. He interjected, "I had Wu Shiliu make the desks and chairs for the study beforehand. I think they should be ready to use in the next couple of days. I'll come back and take a look. If everything is fine, you can start formally studying tomorrow."
Pei Ji was overjoyed and immediately grabbed Pei Han's hand and shook it, saying, "Great! Father, I can write tomorrow, right?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Tou was struck dumb. He had thought he could delay it for a few more days, but he didn't expect it to start so soon. His face almost contorted into a bitter expression.
Seeing Pei Ji's cheerful expression, Pei Han smiled and replied, "Yes, you can start learning to write large characters now."
Pei Ji was even happier and rushed over to hug Min Yueqing, saying, "Mother, I can write now too. Let's get the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone when we get back, okay? Let's get some for Shi Tou too."
Min Yueqing couldn't help but chuckle. Ever since she told the little boy that those boxes of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were a gift for him, he had been thinking about them constantly. Now he finally had the chance to use them.
Min Yueqing nodded with a smile, and then casually pinched the little cub's soft, rosy cheeks.
Pei Ji didn't mind Min Yueqing pinching him at all. After Min Yueqing let go, he rubbed his face against Min Yueqing's palm, his little face beaming with joy.
At this moment, A-Zhu came in with water bags filled with milk, placed one in front of each person, and then said to Min Yueqing, "Madam, the horses are ready."
Min Yueqing said to Pei Han, "Let's set off now. The sooner we go, the better we can explore this mountain."
Upon hearing the word "go hiking," Pei Han couldn't help but smile and replied, "Okay."
Little Wei was comfortably lying at Min Yueqing's feet, drinking milk. Min Yueqing saw that the milk in the basin was almost empty, so she waited a moment until it finished drinking and raised its head. Then she picked up the little tiger with its round belly.
Min Yueqing scratched Xiao Wei's chin and teased, "It seems that milk is indeed nutritious; it's gotten quite a bit heavier when I hold it!"
Little Wei was clearly enjoying being petted, making purring sounds of pleasure as his little body slumped against Min Yueqing's arm like a pancake.
Pei Ji looked up at Xiao Wei, who was lying on Min Yueqing's arm, and asked, "Mother, when will Xiao Wei grow up?"
Min Yueqing replied with a smile, "It grows very fast. In four or five months, it will weigh more than you."
Pei Ji gaped in disbelief. He was six years old this year, and Xiao Wei had grown heavier than him in just six months?
Seeing that Min Yueqing was holding a small tiger, Pei Han picked up three water bags and stood up, saying to Min Yueqing, "Let's go."
Seeing this, Pei Ji and Shi Tou each took their own water bags and followed behind the two.
One by one, the group mounted their horses and went out the gate. As soon as they stepped outside, they were greeted by lush greenery. It was March, and everything in the mountains was full of vitality.
The mountain forest environment in the early morning is very pleasant. The reason why the Wu clan chose this area as their residence is largely due to its relatively good natural conditions.
Because the soldiers conducted daily training nearby, the mountain roads near the patrol station were kept relatively flat, and Pei Ji and Shi Tou happily rode their ponies, running joyfully through the mountains.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
