Chapter 225: Spoils of War
Editor: Atlas Studios
The weather began to turn cold, and the corn stalks in the field were already half-withered. Mu Yangling crawled into the cornfield and broke off a corn. She peeled off the skin and saw that the corn kernels inside were golden and plump. When she pinched them with her fingers, they were hard. Unlike more than ten days ago, when pulp would get all over her fingers with just a pinch. This time, only her nails were slightly wet after the skin broke.
Mu Yangling handed the corn to Xiuhong and said, “The corn is ready for harvest. Go back and tell Great-aunt that we’ll go into the fields tomorrow.”
Xiuhong happily agreed and rubbed her arms. “The weather is about to turn cold. If we don’t harvest now, the corn won’t survive.”
“That’s why we’re very lucky.” Mu Yangling said, “We actually managed to plant it for a second season.”
The sisters took a few corncobs home and were about to tell Great-aunt the good news when they saw many people standing in front of their house.
Mu Yangling and Xiuhong looked at each other and ran back. Before Mu Yangling could reach them, she heard a deep voice say, “Fellow villagers, I was transferred to the front line and was not in the same place as the other soldiers of the 5th Division, so I don’t know their situation. However, the war has ended now. Everyone should be able to receive the news in two days. Fellow villagers, go back and wait for a few more days.”
The villagers who came to gather information left in disappointment, revealing Mu Yangling behind them.
When Mu Yangling saw Mu Shi standing at the door with an unshaven beard, her eyes lit up. She shouted and climbed up to hug her father’s arm, shouting, “Father, you’re back!”
Mu Shi’s face was also filled with a smile as he stroked her hair with eyes full of smiles. “Yeah I’m back.”
Shu Wanniang was leaning against the door with the twins, looking at the father and daughter. When she saw Mu Shi walking over, she glanced at him and squatted in front of the twins. She pointed at Mu Shi and said, “This is your father. Quickly call him Father.”
Almost a year old, the twins stood on the ground and tried their best to look up at Mu Shi. They called out incoherently before hiding behind their mother timidly to peek at this big guy.
Feeling guilty, Mu Shi squatted down and looked at the two children at eye level. He took out some trinkets from his pocket and shook them. “This is for you. Do you want them?”
Bosi and Kejia looked at the trinkets, then at the big guy in front of them. Finally, they stuck their heads out to look at their sister and realized that she was looking at them with a smile. Instantly, their confidence multiplied. They snatched the trinkets from Mu Shi’s hands and hugged them.
Seeing this, Mu Shi laughed and said happily, “As expected of the Mu family’s descendants. This is how it should be.”
Shu Wanniang glared at him and rebuked, “Your children are like tyrants. Even Bowen learned to fight in school, yet you still praise them. Be careful not to let them become even more lawless in the future.”
Mu Shi picked up the twins from both sides and entered the house. “They just have to listen to me and you.”
Great-aunt asked, “How long can you stay at home this time?”
Mu Shi placed the twins on the brick bed and smiled at Great-aunt. “Now that the war is over, this time, the general granted me half a month’s leave. There shouldn’t be anything important before the new year, so I can go home for two days every ten days.” After a pause, he continued, “I’ve been promoted to company commander, and my military salary has increased.”
Mu Shi had brought back a lot of things this time. He said to Mu Yangling, “Go and fetch Bowen back. Don’t let him attend school in the afternoon.”
Mu Yangling agreed happily. She entered the house, took the money bag, and ran out. Xiuhong pulled Xiulan and followed her. “Cousin, we’ll go with you.”
“Then let’s go quickly.” Mu Yangling held their hands as she ran into the city. She first went to the academy to pick up Bowen before buying meat and some ingredients.
Bowen drooled as he looked at the meat. “Sister, I want to eat braised pork too.” Bowen’s diet was different from theirs. When he saw that Mu Yangling had bought two catties of pork belly, he knew that his mother was going to make braised pork tonight and his stomach started to crave it.
Xiuhong pleaded on his behalf, “Cousin, since Uncle is back, let Cousin eat the same food as us tonight.”
Mu Yangling thought about it and nodded. “Alright, but only tonight.”
Bowen nodded repeatedly and added, “Physician Pang said that my health has improved greatly and my qi and blood are stronger than before. When I played with the other kids yesterday, they couldn’t catch up to me.”
“Good job,” Mu Yangling praised him. “Keep up the good work. If no one in your academy can catch up to you, you’ll be considered to have recovered completely. When that happens, you don’t have to be abstinent in the future and can eat whatever you want like us.”
Bowen looked forward to this beautiful future as he followed his sister to buy things with a smile.
Although he was very gluttonish, Bowen still only picked up three chopsticks worth of food from each dish during dinner that night. He was unwilling to eat more. Mu Yangling nodded to herself when she saw this. Although Bowen looked weak, he had a lot of self-control. He had always known what to do and what not to do, and he could always restrain himself.
More than half of the food went into Mu Shi’s stomach. Not only did Shu Wanniang feel sorry for him, but Mu Yangling also picked up two chopsticks of food for her father. “Father, you’re too thin. Since you guys have to go to the battlefield to fight, didn’t the Little General feed you properly?”
Mu Shi explained, “Little General eats the same food and stays in the living conditions as us. I’m considered not bad already. I’m strong and healthy to begin with, so it’s no big deal losing some weight. You haven’t seen Little General. He’s grown so much thinner he’s barely recognizable.” Mu Shi’s heart ached. “Little General is only three years older than Ah Ling. He’s still a child.”
Hence, fighting alongside Qi Haoran on the battlefield was a huge test for Mu Shi. He always subconsciously treated Qi Haoran as his nephew, but sometimes, he couldn’t help but admire Qi Haoran’s ruthlessness.
After the meal, the family nestled on the brick bed. Mu Shi took out the two large bags he had brought back and opened one of them. The family was instantly stunned.
Qi Haoran stuffed a pair of gold bracelets into Great-aunt’s hands and said, “This is for Xiuhong as her dowry.” Then, he picked out four jade pendants from the pile of jade accessories and gave them to Xiuhong and Xiulan. “Take these too. Two each as your dowry when you get married in the future.”
Seeing his four children widen their eyes as they watched from the side, he picked a jade horse and gave it to Bowen. Then, he gave two smaller jade pendants to Bosi and Kejia. Finally, he gave Mu Yangling a dagger encrusted with diamonds. The scabbard was also encrusted with two rows of small diamonds. But the most eye-catching thing was the eye-sized dazzling ruby on the hilt.
Smiling, Mu Shi said, “Don’t think that it’s useless just because it’s beautiful. Its sharpness isn’t inferior to the one your grandfather left behind. It can slice through iron as if it were mud. Take it with you wherever you go. It’s both dignified and self-defense.”
Mu Yangling widened her eyes at the things Mu Shi had brought back and asked, “Father, did you fight a war or did you rob someone?”
“They’re pretty much the same thing.” Mu Shi sat cross-legged on the brick bed and said, “I was lucky and fought the first battle with the Little General. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to snatch these good things. The rest were all handed over and only these were hidden.”
Mu Yangling frowned. “Hidden? Isn’t this against military discipline?”
Mu Shi stroked her head and smiled. “This is an agreed upon rule that’s been in existence for a long time. General and Little General both know about it. As long as it’s not too much, the army won’t forcibly take it back.”