Chapter 253 – Joining the Military Camp
Yan Shuyun said, “Those new clothes were bought for Xiaosi by the War King.”
Tian Dazhuang immediately became displeased.
“Unusual kindness is suspicious. Xiaosi, that War King doesn’t have good intentions towards you. You need to be on guard,” he warned.
Yan Xiaosi laughed. “Brother Dazhuang, I’m dirt poor. What could His Highness possibly want from me? He bought me new clothes simply because he was afraid I’d show up in tattered rags and embarrass him. Don’t overthink it.”
Tian Dazhuang felt this made sense and scratched the back of his head with a goofy grin.
“Xiaosi, are you really going to Tongluo Plain’s military camp tomorrow?” he asked.
“I’ll have to go sooner or later. With me gone to Tongluo Plain, you can properly move back in,” Yan Xiaosi replied.
“Xiaosi, even if you don’t move to Tongluo Plain, I can still move back. The living room is so big, we can lay out a spacious bedding and both sleep there.”
“In your dreams. I don’t want to smell your stinky feet at night. I’m done chatting, I’m going to the living room to sleep.”
Tian Dazhuang still wanted to say something but seeing Xiaosi yawning as if tired and sleepy, he closed his mouth and changed into a different pair of shoes to head to the cornfield hut.
As he changed shoes, he carefully smelled his own feet. There was indeed a bit of an odor.
No wonder Yan Xiaosi didn’t like sharing a bed with him.
He silently vowed to himself that he would wash his feet and shoes spotlessly clean in the future so they wouldn’t smell.
Yan Xiaosi entered the living room, put her old clothes on the bedding, greeted Ms. Zhong and Ms. Wang, then washed up and went to bed early.
She slept until midnight. Waking up in the middle of the night, Shaoyao Village was completely silent without any moonlight. The Tian family courtyard was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. Unable to fall back asleep, she focused her mind and silently entered her Portable Space.
Once inside, she habitually went to check on the medicinal herbs and coral mushrooms she had planted near the spiritual spring. The fleeceflower and ginseng were already lush and verdant while the coral fungus was sporadically sprouting. She drew water from the spiritual spring to irrigate the entire plot before going to the training room on the third floor of the small Western villa to cultivate.
The deep, silent night without any disturbances was the best time for cultivation. She quickly entered a meditative state, only to jolt awake and hastily exit the space when she heard a rooster crowing from the outside world.
The horizon showed signs of dawn with a grayish light. Ms. Zhong and Ms. Wang hadn’t risen yet. She could only burrow back into the chilly bedding and continue sleeping.
She slept straight until Yan Shuyun called for her to get up and eat breakfast.
Yan Shuqin was setting out dishes in the living room. Seeing Yan Xiaosi crawl out from under the covers and open a pair of drowsy eyes, she lightly sighed.
Staying in someone else’s home and still sleeping in until the sun was high – this Fourth Sister was really something else.
“Xiaosi, what will you do when you have your own family in the future?” Yan Shuqin chided.
Yawning as she sat on the bedding to put on shoes, Yan Xiaosi lazily replied, “Fortunate are the lazy. Maybe the poor sap I marry will like me just the way I am.”
“Achoo!” A loud sneeze echoed inside the commander’s tent at Tongluo Plain.
Long Yu rubbed his nose, feeling like someone was badmouthing him behind his back.
After breakfast, Yan Xiaosi packed up her two sets of old clothes and two pairs of old shoes, took a small sum of silver, and left the rest for Ms. Zhong to manage before preparing to set off for Tongluo Plain.
Before leaving, the six of them surrounded her with non-stop chatter.
Ms. Zhong advised, “Xiaosi, don’t stir up trouble at Tongluo Plain’s military camp. Work diligently…”
Ms. Wang nagged, “I heard there are many formidable generals at the camp. Xiaosi, mind your words and don’t offend any of those important figures.”
Yan Shuqin said, “Xiaosi, don’t have too much contact with strangers. Protect yourself.”
Yan Xiaosi’s ears felt hot from listening to their incessant words of caution.
“Mother, Auntie Tian, Brother Dazhuang, you don’t need to worry so much. I’m not going to my execution,” she joked.
Ms. Wang spat on the ground. “He hasn’t even left yet and is already saying inauspicious things. I’m still counting on you to rise to prominence at the military camp and eventually become an imperial physician to put the Yan family in their place.”
To be able to put the Yan family in their place, Yan Xiaosi resolved to work hard at the military camp.
After having her ears washed by the six of them, she finally slung her tattered bundle over her shoulder and went out the door, immediately bumping into Long Yi.
Seeing her, Long Yi greeted with a smile that was respectful without losing cordiality, “Young Master Yan, it’s quite a distance from Shaoyao Village to Tongluo Plain’s military camp. The master instructed me to come fetch you.”
As he spoke, he handed Yan Xiaosi the reins to a slightly short, reddish-brown horse.
“Young Master Yan, do you know how to ride?” Long Yi asked.
Yan Xiaosi took the reins, the corner of her mouth twitching.
Was the War King afraid she would run away? He even specially arranged for Long Yi to come pick her up. She suddenly felt like she had a heavy responsibility and was very important.
“A little,” she replied. In her previous life, she had ridden the horses at the military camp, occasionally riding but not with great proficiency. Now that she had a new body, it was hard to say if she still remembered how.
Long Yi said, “This reddish-brown horse has a gentle temperament and is a bit on the short side. The master personally picked her out for you, Young Master Yan. It’s very suitable. Why don’t you give it a try?”
Since Long Yu had chosen a mount for her, there was no reason to refuse. With a horse, it would be more convenient to return to Shaoyao Village or go into town to run errands in the future.
After Long Yi finished speaking, she stepped on the stirrup and leaped onto the saddle in one smooth motion. Then she tightly clamped the horse’s flanks with her legs and urged, “Giddy-up!”
The reddish-brown horse heard the command and started off at a steady pace, just as Long Yi had said – this horse had a gentle temperament and was a fine steed.
Yan Xiaosi rode it far into the distance with ease, leaving Ms. Zhong, Ms. Wang, and the others watching with a mix of surprise and concern.
Ms. Zhong asked, “When did Xiaosi learn to ride a horse?”
Yan Shuqin replied, “Mom, Xiaosi is clever and quick to learn. It’s not strange that she can ride a horse when she was able to teach herself medicine.”
Realizing Yan Xiaosi had already ridden out of sight, Ms. Zhong anxiously said to the dumbfounded Long Yi, “Guard Long Yi, please hurry and catch up to Xiaosi. I’m worried it’s her first time riding and she’ll fall off the horse.”
“What? It’s Young Master Yan’s first time riding?” Long Yi blanched in fright upon hearing this and hurriedly mounted his horse to give chase.
If Young Master Yan fell off the horse, the master would have his head.
Fortunately, Yan Xiaosi rode the reddish-brown horse very steadily the whole way to Tongluo Plain’s military camp without tumbling off.
Long Yi breathed a sigh of relief and ordered some soldiers to take his and Yan Xiaosi’s horses to the stables while he led her to one of the military tents to get settled.
Aside from Long Yu and Murong Qinjian who had their own separate tents, the rest housed a dozen or even twenty to thirty people, sleeping crammed together on floor beddings.
Following usual practice, Long Yi brought Yan Xiaosi to a medium-sized tent and lifted the flap, saying to her, “Young Master Yan, you can stay in this tent. The other tents have more people, only this one has three occupants. With you, it will be four.”
