Traveling through an ancient military camp: Bao'er's survival song

“Father,” Wu Suining said, bringing a small bowl of shredded chicken and scallop rice porridge to Wu Peng’en’s study, “It’s late, your daughter has brought you some late-night snack.”

Upon seeing his eldest daughter's arrival, Wu Peng'en was somewhat surprised, but he still stopped his official duties and accepted the hot porridge she brought him: "Sui Ning, you're so kind. Your father is indeed a bit hungry and cold. Why are you still up so late? Is there something you want to tell your father?"

The noble ladies of the capital are particular about going to bed early, and at this hour, Sui Ning should have been resting long ago.

Wu Suining did not answer, but told her father to drink the porridge first, otherwise it would get cold.

Wu Peng'en readily accepted the advice and sipped his porridge slowly. The hot porridge filled his stomach, and he felt truly full and warm, even a little drowsy. He decided to put aside his official duties, called his page to gather his belongings, and then turned to his eldest daughter, who had been sitting quietly waiting for him, and asked, "Alright, I've eaten my fill. I won't do any more official business today. Sui Ning, if you have anything to say, please tell your father."

Wu Suining tried her best to suppress the sharpness in her eyes as she looked at her father, and said with a look of filial piety, "Father, I often think that you are very disappointed that none of us three siblings can look like you, despite your outstanding appearance."

Wu Peng'en chuckled helplessly, her shoulders, which had been tense from nervousness, relaxing: "You got sleepy because you were thinking about this?"

Wu Suining did not answer, but lowered her eyes and showed a slightly embarrassed expression.

Wu Peng'en rarely saw his eldest daughter show such shyness that a young girl should have. His eldest daughter had always been calm and composed in the face of adversity since she was a child, so when he saw Sui Ning come to see him in the middle of the night, he was really startled and thought that something serious had happened to the child.

Wu Peng'en thought for a moment, then gently and lovingly told Wu Suining, "You three siblings look just like your mother, which makes me even happier, because every time I see you, I see your mother's shadow and she tells me that you are the fruit of my love with my wife."

Wu Suining looked up: "Really? Father loves Mother, right? It's love, not respect."

This topic made Wu Peng'en a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected his usually dignified and reserved daughter to speak so passionately. He coughed lightly, covering his mouth with his fist, and asked in return, "Sui Ning, about finding you a husband..."

Wu Suining interrupted her father and asked persistently, "Father, you love Mother, right?"

Wu Peng'en felt she was about to blush in front of her daughter, so she quickly answered with the word "true love" in an attempt to end the conversation.

But Wu Suining continued to press, "Didn't Father ever think about having a child with another woman who looks like him?"

These words successfully stopped Wu Peng'en from blushing. He frowned and gently scolded, "I never thought about it, and I won't. Don't say things like that again. If your mother hears this, wouldn't it hurt her feelings?"

Seeing that things were going well, Wu Suining quickly lowered her eyes and apologized, "I'm sorry, Father, I know I was wrong."

The father and daughter chatted for a while longer before Wu Suining, urged by Wu Peng'en, went back to her own courtyard to rest.

After his eldest daughter left, Wu Peng'en was no longer tired. He thought quietly for a while, then strolled out of the house and came to the door of the old servant Wu Guo, raising his hand to knock on the door.

The door opened just after Wu Peng'en knocked twice, and Wu Guo's ordinary face appeared before him: "Is something wrong?"