Chapter 131: Safe Return

Xu Zhengyong buried his head in his meal. Although he said nothing to praise the food, his appetite spoke volumes. He was not surprised by Wei Ruo’s culinary skills, as he was eating even more than anyone else present. Years ago, he had often cooked for Little Sister Ruo and Junior Sister Xiumei, even receiving a few punches from Xiumei for failing to master the heat properly. It was during those times that he secretly resolved to practice hard, surpass Xiumei, and make her acknowledge him as her senior brother one day.

After preparing food for Wei Mingting and the others, Wei Ruo started another fire to cook for the soldiers and villagers who were clearing the road. Because of the sheer volume of food required, each family’s large pot could only handle one dish. To save time and keep the food warm, the village women and Wei Ruo divided the tasks: some stewed radishes, others stir-fried greens, some cooked meat, and others steamed buns. Wei Ruo made a large pot of stewed radishes. The pork had been provided by the villagers; Wei Ruo hadn't been willing to use it for their own meal, saving it all for this purpose. Though there was little meat and mostly radishes, the radishes, infused with the essence of the meat, tasted just as delicious.

Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi led a group to deliver the food to the workers. At nearly the same time, women from other households arrived carrying large pots of steaming meals. Whether from exhaustion or the quality of the food, everyone ate with great gusto. Despite the humble surroundings, everyone was in high spirits; the villagers were grateful to the soldiers, and the soldiers were moved by the villagers' warmth. In that freezing, damp, and cold little mountain village, a sense of warmth filled the air and echoed in everyone’s hearts.

Once finished, Wei Ruo and her companions stayed the night at a farmhouse. Due to the limited space, the three men shared one room, while Wei Ruo was given a room to herself. None of them were delicate, and having a roof over their heads was more than enough. Exhausted from the day’s labor, Wei Ruo fell asleep early and did not wake until dawn.

The next morning, just as they rose, a subordinate reported: "Commander, the road is clear! A path wide enough for people to pass has been opened! People from outside have already started coming in."

The quick clearing of the road was the result of everyone’s collective effort. Aside from Wei Mingting and Xu Zhengyong, who had been trapped for half the night and were ordered to rest, the other soldiers had taken turns digging through the night, and even the local villagers had volunteered to work in shifts. Meanwhile, the officials outside and the porters brought by Wei Jinyi had also worked without sleep, which was the only way it could have been cleared so quickly.

"Good! You have all worked hard!" Wei Mingting was delighted. He then ordered, "Let the villagers who need to leave pass first; we are in no hurry."

Wei Mingting had his subordinates wait for a while, allowing the villagers who wished to leave to go first before he led his men out. When Wei Ruo packed her things to leave, she noticed that Wei Jinyi was not in the farmhouse courtyard.

Upon inquiry, she learned that Wei Jinyi had not rested in his room the previous night but had joined the others to dig the road. When he returned, Wei Ruo saw that he was wearing coarse, short-sleeved cloth clothes borrowed from a villager. This wasn't because he was precious about his own clothes, but because the hems and sleeves of his original garments were too long and cumbersome for manual labor.

Even in coarse, short-sleeved work clothes, his elegance remained undiminished. Wei Jinyi returned to the room to change back into his own attire and left two taels of silver on the bed as payment for the lodging and the borrowed clothes. Afterward, the group departed from Xishan Village.

Outside the village, Wei Mingting instructed the soldiers accompanying him to return home or to the barracks to rest, granting them a few days off duty. Upon entering the city, Xu Zhengyong parted ways with Wei Ruo and the others; he needed to go home to reassure his parents, who must have been worried sick during his time missing. Finally, only Wei Mingting, Wei Ruo, and Wei Jinyi remained to return to the Wei estate.

Upon entering the estate, Wei Ruo used the excuse of changing clothes to bypass Wei Mingting’s residence, the Cangyun Hall, and headed straight for the Ting-Song Courtyard. Wei Jinyi also skipped the Cangyun Hall and walked with her toward the back courtyard. Along the way, Wei Ruo noticed Wei Jinyi looked somewhat fatigued, so she said nothing, and the two remained silent until they reached the Ting-Song Courtyard.

***

Wei Mingting returned to the Cangyun Hall. Seeing him return safe and sound, Lady Yun burst into tears. Wei Mingting knew he had caused his wife great anxiety, but not knowing how to comfort her, he could only hold her tightly. Soon, Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan rushed over.

"Father, it is so good that you are safe!" Wei Qingwan threw herself toward him, weeping just as Lady Yun had. Wei Yichen looked at his father, his heart filled with excitement, leaving him momentarily speechless.

After a long while, Lady Yun and Wei Qingwan calmed down and stopped crying. "Husband, that you could return safely this time is truly a blessing from Heaven and our ancestors!" Lady Yun remarked with deep emotion.

Wei Mingting shook his head. "No, my return this time was not because of Heaven, but because Jinyi and Ruo’er disregarded their own safety to find me. If not for Ruo’er’s cleverness, I might have already been on my way to the afterlife."

Lady Yun looked at Wei Mingting in surprise. "Ruo’er and Jinyi went to find you?"

Wei Mingting nodded. "The two children were very thoughtful. They not only saved the people in the south of the city but also saved me."

Listening to Wei Mingting’s words, Wei Yichen and Wei Qingwan also wore expressions of astonishment. After his surprise, Wei Yichen looked pleased and respectful: "My younger sister is more capable and braver than I." Wei Qingwan’s expression, however, turned stiff.

***

Later that day, Xiao Bei came to the Ting-Song Courtyard and delivered a box to Wei Ruo. "These are some novelties the young master encountered while he was away, which he bought back for the eldest miss."

The box was filled with treasures: rouge and powders for a lady, hairpins and floral ornaments, as well as some curious, rare trinkets. Wei Ruo accepted the gifts and went to the Yingzhu Courtyard to thank Wei Jinyi in person.

Pushing open the gate of the Yingzhu Courtyard, she saw the familiar figure in his usual spot. Wei Ruo walked to the pavilion, sat in the empty seat nearby, and watched as Wei Jinyi wrote something on paper.

"I received the gifts, Second Brother. Thank you."

"Hmm."

"I have something for you, too." Wei Ruo took a dagger from her robes and handed it to him. This dagger had been commissioned from the craftsman at the same time she had the one made for Xu Zhengyong.

Wei Jinyi glanced at the dagger and asked, "Is this the same as the one you gave that Deputy Commander Xu?"

"Not exactly. While the blades are similar, the sheaths and handles are different," Wei Ruo replied.

"Hmm." Wei Jinyi, his expression unchanged, turned his gaze back to the scroll in his hand.