Chapter 096

Chapter 096

Ever since the fifth day, when Wei County sent an unyielding pre-war letter to the rebel king, Xiao Zhen had been collaborating with the old man on how to respond to the rebel king's army.

The old man stayed in the county town, while tasks such as mobilizing troops and preparing logs and boulders for the mountain ridge were handled by Xiao Zhen.

In other words, from the early morning of the sixth to the dawn of the seventh, Xiao Zhen was outside the county town. After the battle ended, he returned to the camp to handle various affairs. It wasn't until the rebel king's soldiers rode their donkeys back to report that it was almost dark, and only then did Xiao Zhen return home with the old man and his brothers.

Tong Sui had barely seen him for nearly two whole days again.

But this time, her mood was completely different.

On the sixth, she was still worried, but on the morning of the seventh, Xiao Ye brought back news of victory, and the family instantly felt like the clouds had cleared after rain.

Although they had moved into the large residence in the county town and the Xiao family had been elected as the head of the town, the rebel king had twenty-five thousand troops. Not only did other townsfolk doubt whether the men of the Xiao family could handle it, even the women in the Xiao family's courtyard lacked full confidence. Losing face would be minor; being trapped in the county town made escaping more difficult than if they were in the village.

But now, in just one night, the Xiao family had killed five thousand and captured two thousand of the rebel king's troops, including the so-called Second Prince and the strategist!

This time, the prominent families, wealthy households, and common people of Wei County fully believed in the Xiao family's capabilities. The women of the family, including Tong Sui, all breathed a huge sigh of relief, finally able to put their minds at ease.

Before dusk, He Shi and Aunt Xiao, accompanied by Zhou Qing and Jiang Shi, went shopping. They bought fresh pork from the butcher and four lively grass carp from the fishmonger. At Wuwei Hall, they replenished various seasonings, and finally, they bought two jars of good wine from the tavern.

Four mature beauties, each carrying something, walked side by side, laughing and chatting, drawing the attention of almost every passerby.

He Shi held her head high and said to the three, "Today, I finally understand what it means to feel proud. Before Father and the others showed their strength, we only dared to stay at home. Now that Wei County is definitely safe, we can truly become city dwellers."

Aunt Xiao secretly nudged her with her elbow, indicating that it was not appropriate to boast about oneself.

Jiang Shi, who was the least related to the Xiao family here, smiled and said, "When there were corrupt officials in charge, life in the city was not as comfortable as in the village. Those with money but no power had to worry about being schemed against by corrupt officials, while those without money or power were bullied by both corrupt officials and thugs. Now that Old Master Xiao is in charge, he is honest and dedicated to the people, and the citizens have truly welcomed better days."

He Shi laughed even more proudly.

Zhou Qing: "The old man is amazing; we're also enjoying the benefits!"

Aunt Xiao: "We're all family, no need for formalities. Let's go home and cook!"

With nearly thirty people gathered together, kitchens in both the East and West Courts were used. Tong Sui came to the eastern courtyard to help her mother, aunt, and cousin, responsible for cooking the four big fish and two home-style dishes. Tong Shan, unwilling to just watch, eagerly helped with the fire.

Zhou Yuanbai, Zhou Xian, and Tong Youyu returned one after another, washed their hands, and sat outside the kitchen, sharing the day's work with the women.

Zhou Qing: "Where's Ah Gui?"

The three men looked at each other.

Zhou Yuanbai: "I saw him at the Northern Camp this morning, but haven't seen him since."

Zhou Xian worked as a doctor in the Eastern Camp, and Tong Youyu still patrolled the streets, so neither had a chance to see their nephew.

Tong Sui said, "Just after the battle, everyone is needed everywhere. The second master hasn't returned yet, so Second Brother must be with them."

Indeed, there was nothing to worry about. Last night's most dangerous ambush did not involve Tong Gui; Xiao Zhen had taken only the young men from nearby villages around Lingshui Village and the town.

After frying all four fish, they waited for the men to return to add broth and simmer them. Suddenly, the southern street became lively.

Tong Shan ran out to look and soon called excitedly from the gate, "Grandfather!"

Tong Sui looked at her mother, and the two shared a smile. Both families knew that the old man had gone to the mountains to practice medicine, but they had kept it from Tong Shan and her cousin Zhou Gui.

Tong Sui walked out of the kitchen and quickly saw her grandfather surrounded by her brother and cousin. Her second brother Tong Gui must have gone to tie up the mule and arrived later, carrying a bag and a medicine box across the flower gate.

Tong Gui said, "Second Master specially sent me to meet Grandfather halfway. Otherwise, if he had taken a carriage, he wouldn't have arrived until tomorrow."

Zhou Qing: "It's better that he returned today; otherwise, our family would be missing this old man."

Zhou Jingchun: "Calling me 'old man' all the time, you have no manners. When it comes to climbing mountains, you might not be faster than me."

Zhou Qing continued to examine her father, noticing that he was darker than before entering the mountains but looked healthier. She knew that Xiao Si and the others had taken good care of him.

As the family caught up, Xiao Zhen arrived.

Tong Sui immediately recognized the clothes he was wearing—the same set he wore yesterday morning. Despite the battle, there were no visible bloodstains. His face seemed freshly washed, and his hair was damp. His handsome face was stern and dignified, but upon seeing the crowd, he smiled warmly, showing a touch of friendliness.

Zhou Qing asked, "Did you just come back from outside?"

Xiao Zhen: "Yes, I turned into the alley at the same time as Grandfather."

Zhou Qing: "Why didn't you rest at home? The fish will take some time to cook."

Xiao Zhen smiled and said, "I haven't seen Grandfather for a long time, so I'll chat with him first."

Standing next to Zhou Jingchun, his gaze remained on Tong Sui.

Everyone watched as Tong Sui turned and entered the kitchen.

When the dishes were ready, Xiao Zhen and Tong Gui moved the heavy redwood table from the main hall to the West Court, followed by others carrying dishes.

The West Court had already been prepared, eventually setting up four large tables, each with eight dishes, including braised fish, braised meat, grilled ribs, and stewed chicken, plus four small stir-fried dishes, comparable to a New Year's feast.

Xiao Mu, Zhou Jingchun, Xiao Shouyi, Uncle Xiao, Tong Youyu, and Zhou Yuanbai sat at one table.

Xiao Zhen, Xiao Yan, and the younger men sat at another table.

The women and children divided into two tables.

Apart from weddings, this was the first time Tong Sui had experienced such a lively gathering. The loudest table was where Xiao Zhen and his friends sat. Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye, and Xiao She were already talkative, and now with the Qiao brothers, Tong Gui, and Zhou Xian, the group chatted and drank, filling the air with the scent of alcohol.

He Shi glanced over and focused on the fair-skinned and rosy-lipped Zhou Xian, saying, "I used to think the second master and his brothers were handsome, but now Zhou Xiaolangzhong looks even more handsome."

Regardless of anything else, Zhou Xian was indeed the fairest among the young men, slender and elegant like a bamboo shoot, standing out among the muscular warriors like a deer among beasts.

Xiao Yuchan nodded. When she was fifteen or sixteen, she had liked men like Zhou Xian. But after the world became chaotic, such pretty faces no longer stirred her heart.

Madam Jiang humbly said, "He just sits in the clinic all day, that's why he's so pale. In my opinion, it's still the valiant young lords like the second master who are truly handsome."

The women began to compliment each other's nieces and nephews.

Tong Sui found that there was no peace by her ears. Whenever she tried to listen to serious matters before and after the battle, they were either drowned out by the women's laughter or interrupted by Xiao Yan and Xiao Ye's toasts.

Tong Sui decided to give up on getting any information from the dinner table and started eating with a smile.

After the meal, she wanted to help clean up the dishes, but Aunt Xiao ushered her and Lin Ningfang away, teasing them to go take care of the drunk Xiao Zhen and Xiao Yan.

Aunt Xiao's suggestion pleased both Zhou Qing and Madam He. The two young women couldn't resist the elders' teasing and left side by side.

Carrying a stack of bowls, Xiao Yuchan hummed and deliberately said, "Looks like we still need to find a man. Like me and Sister-in-law, we can't even find an excuse to be lazy."

Zhou Qing replied, "Why not? Go ahead, you two go play with the children. Tonight, these chores are on us old sisters."

Aunt Xiao, Madam He, and Madam Jiang all agreed.

Xiao Yuchan smiled happily, forcibly pulling Liu Chu away, while Zhou Gui was also persuaded to return to the eastern courtyard to accompany Zhou Jingchun.

---

The night was as dark as ink, with a single lamp lit in the main room and bedroom of the East Wing Courtyard.

Tong Sui passed through the small door of the courtyard and turned to see Xiao Zhen sitting on the threshold of the main room, sitting sideways with his back against a door panel.

Tonight, there was a crescent moon in the sky. He was looking up, seemingly admiring the moon, but then shifted his gaze towards her.

Tong Sui closed the courtyard gate and walked over, asking, "Why are you sitting here? You just drank; be careful not to catch a cold or get a headache."

Xiao Zhen looked at her and asked, "There's no wind. Why did you come back so early?"

From the courtyard, one could clearly hear the laughter and chatter coming from the kitchen.

Tong Sui lowered her eyes and said, "You and Third Younger Brother have done great deeds. Auntie told me and Third Younger Brother's wife to come back early to take care of you."

Hearing this, Xiao Zhen stretched out his hands, "Take care of me then."

Tong Sui gave him a glare, preparing to step inside beside him.

Xiao Zhen grabbed her wrist, placed his hand on her waist, and gently pulled her into his embrace.

Tong Sui leaned against his shoulder, her feet resting outside the threshold. If she lifted her head, she could see the crescent moon on the rooftop.

Indeed, there was no wind, only the smell of alcohol on him.

The stove inside already had a large copper kettle on it, emitting steam.

Xiao Zhen leaned down and kissed her neck gently.

Tong Sui felt her face heat up, "You haven't washed up yet. Let's talk first."

Xiao Zhen, being a man of propriety, didn't kiss her lips directly.

He raised his head and looked at her, asking, "What do you want to talk about?"

Tong Sui glanced at his handsome face and whispered, "Tell me about last night's battle. How exactly did it unfold?"

Xiao Ye had talked about it when he first came home, telling it like a story, which seemed a bit boastful.

Xiao Zhen smiled and began to recount the events from the beginning. What he and Xiao Ye did was different, and so was his storytelling. He even deliberately omitted his own contributions, focusing only on the overall situation.

Tong Sui enjoyed his way of telling the story.

"What happened to the prisoners?"

"The elderly and weak were released, while the young and strong were kept to do hard labor."

"And the Second Prince and the strategist?"

"A message was sent to the rebel king, asking for fifty thousand silver taels by tomorrow night in exchange for them."

Tong Sui sat up straight in surprise, "Fifty thousand? Does the rebel king have that much silver?"

Xiao Zhen laughed and first calculated how much silver the Xiao family had collected in Wei County. These were things that hadn't been mentioned since moving into the city, as the previous conversations hadn't touched on these topics.

Xiao Zhen: "Don't think it's too much. We need to support six battalions of soldiers. Just the monthly pay alone is over six thousand taels. Add to that the provisions, weapons, winter coal and clothing, and medical supplies for over six thousand troops. A hundred thousand taels would be considered good if it lasts a year. Of course, we could cut the pay, but that would mean losing the people's hearts."

The rebel king's army was a prime example. Most of the soldiers only thought about survival, fleeing or surrendering without resistance when faced with battle. They could intimidate people in groups or attack small, defenseless towns, but when facing a proper army, they would crumble easily.

Tong Sui: "So, as long as we train these six battalions into elite soldiers, we won't fear even if the rebel king brings another twenty-five thousand troops to fight us head-on?"

Xiao Zhen: "It's not that we won't fear. With a thousand cavalry and five thousand well-trained infantry, I could conquer several counties around here. But conquering is easy; we don't have the time to turn the conquered troops into elite soldiers. What use is a bunch of loose sand? Better to be steady."

Tong Sui suddenly felt enlightened.

The copper kettle on the stove suddenly whistled, signaling that the water had boiled.

Xiao Zhen tightened his hold on the girl in his arms and said hoarsely, "Let's wash together tonight."