Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Warmth
Chapter 367: Warmth
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
General Ouyang brought a few generals down from the city wall and said to an older man, “General Tian, immediately send some sergeants out of the city with their men and get the commoners along the way to hide in the city or the mountains. Tell them to take all the food away and not leave anything for the Qi people. Tell them to move quickly. It will only take two days at most.” “Yes, General.” General Tian strode away.
“General Du, go and check the bows, crossbows, carriage crossbows, arrowheads, and kerosene.” General Ouyang looked at the strong General Du and instructed.
“Yes, General.” General Du cupped his fists and retreated. Ouyang watched the remaining generals make arrangements.
Zhou Jia and Wu Tingxian were busy until it was dark before returning home. When he returned to the house, he saw Yangyang lying beside Li Yu and sleeping. Just as he was about to carry Yangyang, Li Yu woke up. She opened her eyes and looked at the thin Zhou Jia. Li Yu frowned and touched his face worriedly. “Xiao Xi, why have you become so thin?”
Zhou Jia lay sideways beside Li Yu and hugged her tightly. Looking at her thick black hair, he said softly, “Yu’er, I’m fine. I was just too busy and I was a little worried about you. Look, you’ve also lost weight. Rest well at home these days.”
“Yes! You have to nourish yourself too. Isn’t Sir back yet?” Li Yu hugged Zhou Jia and asked.
Zhou Jia said in a low voice, “No. When you went to Mount Spindle, he got someone to bring a letter back. He said that he went to Clear Wind Temple in Tongzhou to visit his friends. He might not know about the Qi Dynasty’s invasion.”
Speaking of Tongzhou, Li Yu recalled that Li Qing had just taken the countryside examination. She looked up at Zhou Jia and said, “Yes! Tongzhou should be peaceful. I wonder how Ah Qing did?”
Zhou Jia said confidently, “It shouldn’t be a big problem for the High Scholar. We’ll see whether he can get a good ranking.”
Yangyang was woken up by his parents’ conversation. He turned around and sat up. When he saw Zhou Jia, he smiled proudly. “Father, you’re back! I told Mother that you were not obedient and didn’t eat properly.” As Yangyang spoke, he pulled Li Yu and squeezed between the two of them to grab their hands.
The couple looked at the naughty boy who had squeezed into the middle. Li Yu kissed the top of his head and said with a smile, “Alright, how about we punish Father to eat two bowls of rice tonight?”
“Have you eaten?” Yangyang looked at his parents and nodded, before shaking his head. “I want to eat more with Father and Mother.”
“Alright, eat some more with Father and Mother.” Zhou Jia smiled and stood up to carry Yangyang. “Mother is tired. Let Mother get up and eat.”
“Yes! Mother, get up and eat.” Yangyang pulled Li Yu toward the dining room.
Old Madam Liu and Auntie Zhang happily arranged the dishes. Auntie Zhang said to Li Yu, “Madam, we have pork ribs stewed with lotus roots. These lotus roots were dug back from the pond on the farmstead and stored.”
“Alright, I’ll try my own lotus roots. They’ll definitely be delicious.” Li Yu smiled and felt relieved to see the two of them happy.
Old Madam Liu smiled and said, “Let’s go, Aunt Zhang. Let Madam and Master
eat well. ”
Yangyang scooped some eggs and stir-fried chives and handed them to Li Yu. “Mother, the eggs were laid by the hens at home. There are hens and ducks in the courtyard over there. The piglets have all been killed and turned into meat.”
Li Yu looked at the eggs and chives on the table and shook her head with a smile. “Son, why are you still dropping food?”
Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu and looked at Yangyang dotingly. “Yang’er is already very obedient. He has already eaten by himself. Some people are already six or seven years old and still have to be fed. After you left, he even wrapped small wontons for me to eat.”
Li Yu looked at Yangyang happily. “Yes! My son is really capable. He’s a filial and obedient child.”
“Mother, I’ll make it for you in the future.” Yangyang smiled at Zhou Jia.
“Father, I’ll make it for you too. You have to eat obediently.”
When the couple heard their son’s words, they looked at each other and smiled in unison. “Alright, Father. Mother would be waiting for Yang’er to make wontons. ”
Old Madam Liu and Auntie Zhang smiled happily when they heard the laughter in the dining room. Auntie Zhang looked at Old Madam Liu happily. “Auntie Liu, look, as soon as Madam comes back, Master has a smile on his face and his appetite has improved.”
Old Madam Liu also sighed. “That’s right! Master and Madam are really close. This is how a couple should live! I wonder how many lifetimes it takes for such fate to develop?”
Aunt Zhang nodded with a smile. “Auntie Liu, you’re right. Madam and Master must have cultivated their fate for several lifetimes.”
The family ate and walked around the courtyard a few times. After Li Yu washed Yangyang up, Gu Yu brought him to sleep. Only then did Li Yu go to the bathroom to plan to wash her hair properly.
Zhou Jia entered the bathroom with the bath towel and looked at Li Yu’s waist-length black hair. He walked over and hugged Li Yu. He muttered in her ear, “Yu’er, I miss you so much that my heart hurts.”
Li Yu leaned against him and held his hand. “I missed you too. After knowing Qi people’s intentions, I was worried about your safety!”
“The Qi people came aggressively. The general ordered General Ouyang to retreat to Yunzhou to avoid them. Most of the citizens of Linshan County fled with their families. Magistrate Liu has already died. The Qi people actually massacred the city and plundered to deter Great Yong’s subjects. They didn’t even let off young children,” Zhou Jia said with a heavy heart.
When Li Yu heard this, she thought about how many massacres had happened in history. For example, in Yangzhou in her previous life, the Qing army led troops to slaughter. They burned, killed, and plundered everywhere. The prosperous city was instantly reduced to ruins. She just didn’t know if the courage of Great Yong’s soldiers still existed after a long time. Could the soldiers of Yunzhou resist the Qi army? Could they defend Yunzhou City? Li Yu fell into deep thought.
Seeing that Li Yu was silent, Zhou Jia secretly blamed himself for telling her this to make her worry. Zhou Jia took a deep breath and pulled Li Yu’s body over with a smile. “Little Yu’er, do you need Xiao Xi to scrub your back?”
Ll YU 100Ked at znou Jia ana Knew tnat ne wanted ner to De nappy. sne also composed herself and looked at Zhou Jia with a smile. “I’ll permit it.” The couple looked at each other and smiled, their eyes filled with love.
The next morning, Zhou Jia went to the government office. After Li Yu returned from cultivating in the backyard, she went to the cellar and took out the gunpowder and bombs that had been concocted in the space. She looked at the earth jar and gunpowder in front of her and hesitated. Then, she thought of the massacre Zhou Jia mentioned and made up her mind.
After coming out of the cellar, she called Ji Xiang over. After a moment of silence, she pointed at the round-bellied wine jars on the table. “Go buy dozens of such wine jars and ask someone to make wooden stoppers with wood. Make a small hole twice as thick as a lamp wire in the middle of the stopper. Go and ask Master to approve a note to buy some iron sand from the blacksmith.”
“Yes, Madam.” Ji Xiang didn’t ask Li Yu why she wanted these things. Without hesitation, he picked up the small wine jar on the table and left.
Li Yu brought Gu Yu to the servants’ room in the backyard and took out a basket of charcoal ash that Old Madam Liu had stored there. She said to Gu Yu and Aunt Zhang, “Sift out this charcoal ash with fine powder and put it in a clean wicker basket.”
“Got it, Madam.” The two of them went to get the thin wicker and began to sieve..