A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

The villagers had no way of knowing what the army was doing; they could only guess what their men might be up to by observing the slightest movements in the military camp.

Even if these are just unverifiable ideas, doing so at least makes them feel a little closer to their loved ones.

The woman who ran to deliver the news said, "I saw that the number of guards outside the military camp had increased, there were more than ten archers on the watchtowers, and people in the camp were coming and going, carrying things. They looked very busy."

"Do you think this means the Northern Li people are going to attack again?"

The military dependents looked at each other, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Aunt Lin frowned and pondered for a moment, but still calmly said, "No, that won't happen."

"Don't panic, everyone. My wife said that the Beili people are severely weakened and will not dare to fight against Daye for at least a few years. Otherwise, they would not have submitted a peace treaty and paid tribute and reparations."

These words did put everyone at ease, but no one showed any joy; instead, the atmosphere became even more somber.

Gu Xixi glanced around and understood the reason.

However, it was not appropriate for her to speak first at this moment, so she simply stood quietly in place.

He Jinglan only glanced at Gu Xixi out of the corner of her eye, but her mind was perfectly clear.

The Northwest Army headquarters has suddenly raised its alert level; there's only one possibility now.

It seems that Huo Jiang is about to formally engage with the imperial court.

For a moment, no one spoke in the courtyard; only the occasional crackling of firewood could be heard.

Even the jujube blossoms bowed their heads, their expressions somber.

Suddenly, the boy wrapped in a blue swaddling cloth burst into tears.

In the summer, the swaddling clothes were thin. He stretched out a fair and tender arm, as white as a lotus root, and waved it. When it touched the longevity lock on his chest, the silver bell jingled.

As if waking from a deep dream, the commotion jolted all the adults awake.

Someone cheered and laughed, "Look, it's just mobilizing troops and moving things. On this joyous day, we're all gathered here to celebrate Zaohua and the two children. Don't overthink it and scare yourself!"

Aunt Lin smiled too, "Listen to the baby's cries, how strong they are! When he grows up, he'll definitely be just like his father, strong and brave!"

The others also turned from worry to joy, and several women surrounded the jujube blossoms, teasing the children.

"Don't cry, baby, don't cry. Did you scare our baby just now?"

The boy was quite brave; he stopped crying after a few tries.

Looking again at the baby girl wrapped in a red floral swaddle, she was still soundly asleep, undisturbed by her brother.

As everyone gathered around to watch, she seemed to be dreaming about something, and a shallow dimple appeared on her cheek.

Zao Hua looked at her two children, her eyes revealing maternal tenderness, "Good children, wait a little longer. After your father finishes his important business outside, he can come back and hug you."

Several women had reddened their eyes, but none of them shed a tear.

Instead, their smiles grew even brighter. "Yes! The child's father will definitely keep his word!"

"In my hometown, having twins is considered a good omen. These two children will surely bless their father and our Northwest Army!"

……

The atmosphere became lively again.

Aunt Lin raised her voice and said, "We've been through so much together, what haven't we seen? It's just another war."

"We women and kids will still live the same way as before: eat when we're hungry, drink when we're thirsty, and live our lives the way we always have!"

The sounds of chopping boards, stir-frying, and laughter continued to fill the courtyard.

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan exchanged a glance, both feeling touched.

He Jinglan said, "I only heard that the army needed to mobilize and boost morale before a major battle, but I didn't expect that the military families would do the same."

Gu Xixi was silent for a while, then said, "Aunt Lin is right. Instead of worrying about things we can't see, we should focus on doing what we need to do right now."

She walked up to Aunt Lin and asked in a low voice, "After the banquet, I'd like to go see the oats that everyone grows. I wonder if that would be a bit of a downer?"

Aunt Lin spoke first, "It won't spoil the fun. Usually, after the banquet, everyone cleans up together and goes home. There's nothing else going on."

After she finished speaking, she asked with concern, "You arrived so late at night, and you got up early to help us with all this fuss. You still have to go to the fields later. Aren't you tired?"

“It’s alright,” Gu Xixi shook her head. “I came here for these things, so I’ll be at peace sooner rather than later.”

Aunt Lin thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, I'll tell them later."

She paused for a moment, then told Gu Xixi about some recent developments.

“Since you left, soldiers have been taking turns tending the fields in the army. I’ve watched them do it meticulously, just like you taught us.”

"And the alfalfa has been harvested five or six times already, and it's basically all loaded onto trucks and sent out on the same day."

Gu Xixi had not asked Aunt Lin to pay attention to these matters before.

However, Aunt Lin had seen it herself while walking outside the village recently and felt it necessary to mention it to Gu Xixi.

After all, Gu Xixi was helping the Northwest Army reclaim wasteland, and this matter was not exactly a secret in the border area.

Gu Xixi should at least have a general idea of ​​whether the person actually in charge of farming is outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant.

Gu Xixi naturally appreciated Aunt Lin's kindness and said with a smile, "I feel much more at ease knowing that everything can proceed as agreed beforehand."

The banquet began.

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan were surrounded by everyone and were forced to sit in the main seats at the main table.

There were six cold dishes, six hot dishes, a bowl of meatball soup, and plenty of flatbread and pancakes on the table.

Since it was a joyous occasion and the men were not present, the women were also invited to have a drink.

Two kinds of liquor were prepared: the local sorghum liquor, which is strong and potent.

There's also the village's homemade mashed liquor, which is white like sheep's milk and has a cloudy, opaque appearance.

Gu Xixi said she couldn't hold her liquor and was worried that drinking might cause her trouble.

Zao Hua immediately replaced the sorghum liquor in front of Gu Xixi with fermented rice wine.

"This stuff won't get you drunk, Mr. Gu, you can drink it without worry."

Gu Xixi took a sip and exclaimed in surprise, "Delicious!"

The fermented rice wine is chilled in the river beforehand, making it refreshing to drink, and you can't taste the intensity or bitterness of the alcohol at all.

It has a sweet and sour taste, like a small beverage with a slight hint of alcohol.

He Jinglan tried it and was amazed, saying, "It's really delicious, with a smooth and refreshing taste, it's very special."

The weather was hot, and Gu Xixi was already thirsty. With people constantly coming up to toast her, she drank two more bowls.

Wishing Sister Zaohua good health and peace!

May the two little ones grow up healthy and strong!

"I wish my brother-in-law a speedy return, so that Sister Zaohua won't worry about me!"

He faced everyone's strange looks.

He Jinglan wiped her mouth, calmly looked around, and indicated that there was no need to worry, it was just a minor incident.

"Xixi, are you sleepy? Let's go home and take a nap."

He Jinglan tried several times, but couldn't lift Gu Xixi off the stool.

Suddenly, Gu Xixi stood up on her own, her posture as straight as a pine tree.

"Have you all finished eating? If you have, come with me, let's leave the village and get to work!"

In about the time it takes to eat a meal, we arrived at the entrance of the village.

Gu Xixi walked unsteadily but very quickly.

A group of people followed closely behind her, shouting, "Slow down! Don't fall!"