Chapter 79 – Long Hao Leaves
Ms. Zhong was putting on her clothes and shoes while urging Yan Shuqin and Yan Shuxue to get up.
“Mom, we know.”
Yan Shuxue and Yan Shuqin mumbled a response before rubbing their sleepy eyes and getting up from the broken wooden bed. Yan Shuyun also got up.
The broken wooden bed suddenly became more spacious, and Yan Xiaosi rolled over, sprawling out on the bed.
Whether Long Hao was hungry or not was none of her concern.
Ms. Zhong looked at her indecent sleeping posture and sighed helplessly.
It was all her fault for not having a son and raising this child like a boy. Now, the child had no trace of a girl’s demeanor.
Hearing Ms. Zhong’s sigh, the gentle-hearted Yan Shuqin glanced at Yan Xiaosi sprawled out on the broken wooden bed and immediately understood why Ms. Zhong sighed.
“Mom, don’t sigh. I think Xiaosi is very cute like this.”
Ms. Zhong sighed again and whispered, “Xiaosi is still a girl after all. With her behavior like this, who would want to marry her in the future?”
Yan Xiaosi slept like a dead pig, not hearing Ms. Zhong and Yan Shuqin’s conversation at all. She even snored a few times during their conversation.
*snore* *snore*
Hearing the snoring, Ms. Zhong’s face showed a defeated expression. She temporarily set aside her concerns about Yan Xiaosi’s marriage and called the three girls to help in the kitchen.
Half an hour later, Ms. Zhong cooked a pot of noodle soup. Because Yan Xiaosi said that potatoes were delicious, she added some potatoes to the noodle soup.
After breakfast was prepared, she sent Yan Shuqin to wake up the lazy Yan Xiaosi. Not seeing Long Hao come out, she felt a bit uneasy and sent Yan Shuxue to knock on Long Hao’s door.
“Xue’er, go knock on Young Master Long’s door. Yesterday, at this time, he was already outside practicing his martial arts. Why hasn’t he come out today? Maybe he caught a cold from the rain last night.”
“Mom, don’t make wild guesses. Maybe Brother Long is just tired and wants to sleep a bit more. Xiaosi hasn’t gotten up yet either.”
Yan Shuxue answered Ms. Zhong while walking to knock on Long Hao’s door.
*Knock knock knock*
After a few knocks, she asked, “Brother Long, are you awake? My mom has prepared breakfast.”
The response was silence.
She thought Long Hao was still sound asleep, so she knocked again, “Brother Long, my mom has prepared breakfast. Are you awake? Hurry up and wash your face to eat breakfast.”
The answer was still silence.
Only then did she feel something was off. She reached out and gave a gentle push, and with a creak, the door to the room opened.
The shabby room contained a broken wooden bed. On the bed, a washed-out quilt with several patches was neatly folded, but there was no sign of Long Hao.
“Mom, it’s not good, Brother Long Hao is gone!”
Yan Shuqin, who was in the next room calling Yan Xiaosi to get up, heard Yan Shuxue’s shout and immediately pushed Yan Xiaosi hard in bed, exclaiming, “Xiaosi, it’s not good, Brother Long is gone!”
Yan Xiaosi was startled by Yan Shuqin’s words in her sleep and suddenly opened her eyes.
“Big sister, who’s missing? Mom, second sister, or third sister?”
Yan Shuqin looked at her confused appearance and helplessly replied, “None of them. Your second sister said that Brother Long is gone.”
Yan Xiaosi breathed a small sigh of relief, “Second sister is making a fuss. Brother Long might be practicing martial arts nearby.”
Or he might have left after recovering from his injury.
She calmly got dressed and got out of bed.
Yan Shuqin looked at her unhurried manner and pulled her out of the room, “Xiaosi, let’s go look for Brother Long.”
With no sign of Long Hao, Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun also searched the village.
The family searched the entire Shaoyao Village but couldn’t find Long Hao, so they had to return to the broken grass temple. Yan Xiaosi went to Long Hao’s room and saw the quilt on the broken wooden bed neatly folded. The sword that had been in the corner was gone, as was the worn black robe hanging by the window. There were no signs of a fight in the room.
The man had left after recovering from his injuries, even taking the worn black robe with him.
Yan Xiaosi was sure that Long Hao had left on his own and gave a soft snort through her nose.
He was such a stingy person, unwilling to leave even a worn-out robe behind. But it was better that he took it, saving her the effort of throwing it away.
“Mom, big sister, second sister, third sister, don’t worry about it. Brother Long’s wounds have almost healed, and he left on his own.”
Ms. Zhong still seemed a little uneasy and asked, “Xiaosi, how do you know that Young Master Long left on his own?”
Yan Xiaosi crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the mud wall, replying, “The quilt on the bed is neatly folded, the broken sword and tattered robe in the corner are gone, and there are no signs of a fight in the room. These things prove that Brother Long left on his own. It’s just a pity that the man left without a word, despite how much you care for him, Mom.”
In truth, Yan Xiaosi was upset that Long Hao left without a word.
Ms. Zhong thought Yan Xiaosi’s analysis made sense and finally felt relieved.
“Young Master Long must have had an urgent matter. That’s why he left without a word. You child, why do you always have trouble with Brother Long?”
Yan Xiaosi widened her eyes in excitement, “Do I have trouble with that man?”
“Yes.”
Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun all nodded in agreement. Yan Xiaosi didn’t want to discuss this unproductive topic anymore. She waved her hand, touched her flattened stomach, and walked towards the broken wooden table, “Since that man has left, Mom, big sister, second sister, third sister, let’s eat. What’s for breakfast today? I’m so hungry.”
“We’re having potato noodles soup.”
Ms. Zhong scooped up the noodle soup from the iron pot with a spatula while answering Yan Xiaosi.
Yan Xiaosi’s eyes lit up at the mention of noodle soup.
The last time she had noodle soup, she was still army doctor Yan Xiaoshi, in the 183rd Field Army unit. The potato noodle soup made by the 183rd Field Army unit’s canteen was a rare delicacy. Now, thinking about the taste, she felt nostalgic.
“Mom, how did you know I like potato noodle soup?”
Ms. Zhong filled a bowl and handed it to her, “Is there anything you don’t like to eat?”
Yan Xiaosi took the bowl and grinned.
It was true; ever since she became Yan Xiaosi of Shaoyao Village, she had developed an inexplicable attachment and fascination for food.
“Mom knows me best.” On a damp, chilly morning after the rain, the family enjoyed a warm potato noodle soup. After cleaning the kitchen and rooms and hanging out the wet bedding to dry, Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, and Yan Shuxue prepared to go up to the mountain to chop firewood.
