Chapter 97: The Li Family’s Daughter-in-law

Twenty-first year of the Tianxi reign of Great Liao, August 15th, Mid-Autumn Festival.

Heavy rain fell from the sky, and dark clouds obscured the moon.

For the Han people of Hexi Fortress and indeed the entire Jin Prefecture, this Mid-Autumn Festival was destined to be dull and flavorless.

It should have been a festival for family reunions and moon gazing, but because of the war, numerous families had experienced separation and death.

Countless Han people gazed at the pouring rain outside their doors, worry and sorrow surfacing on their faces.

They worried whether their relatives far away on the Naiman battlefield were safe and sound, and whether they had a tent to shelter themselves in this pouring rain.

When the grand army was still in Jin Prefecture, they could still get some news of the war from time to time and know that their relatives were safe.

But after the Northern Frontier Grand Army crossed the Altai Mountains and entered Naiman territory, contact between Jin Prefecture and the Northern Frontier Army was almost cut off.

Only after a long time would one or two messengers return. Although they all spoke of the Northern Frontier Army’s victories and how many Naiman enemies were defeated…

Nothing was known about their own losses, and there was no definite news about when the grand army would return.

This waiting without knowing the outcome always made people worry.

In Li Xiao’s house, a torch was stuck on the wall, burning silently.

The orange firelight illuminated the dim and dilapidated room, but the atmosphere inside was slightly depressing.

On this day of family reunion, there were many fewer people at the Li family’s dining table than usual.

A large table was placed in the middle of the room, with the Old Master and the Old Lady sitting at the head.

On the left were Qin Da Ni, San Bao, and San Feng.

On the right sat Li Erjiang and the Second Aunt.

As for the three children, Er Bao, Er Feng, and Si Feng, they sat directly opposite the Old Master.

With the news of successive victories coming after the Northern Frontier Army crossed the Altai Mountains, the situation in Jin Prefecture was considered temporarily stable.

So the Old Master ordered people to bring back all the children from Dragon Heart Island.

At least let each family spend a festival with some human presence.

“Alright, don’t just stare; pick up your chopsticks.”

Seeing everyone was somewhat silent, the Old Master picked up his chopsticks first and spoke in a flat tone.

He picked up a dumpling from his bowl and stuffed it into his mouth.

Others also picked up their chopsticks to eat, but the atmosphere remained very oppressive.

While eating, Qin Da Ni unconsciously started wiping away tears.

“We can still eat dumplings at home, but who knows where Dalong and the other two children are at this time.”

“Can they get enough to eat? Are they injured?”

Thinking of these things, Qin Da Ni felt as painful as if a knife were cutting her heart.

Her husband and big brother had already died in battle. Her two sons had gone to the battlefield, along with her father and second brother.

If anything really happened to these people, how could Qin Da Ni live on?

When Qin Da Ni cried, the Second Aunt opposite her also started wiping tears, equally worried about Dahu.

Immediately after, the Old Lady’s eyes also turned red.

Seeing this, Li Erjiang first glanced at the Old Master, whose face was a bit dark, then said to the Old Lady and Qin Da Ni.

“Mother, Sister-in-law, don’t cry.”

“Didn’t news come some time ago that we were about to win?”

“Dalong and the others aren’t ordinary soldiers; it’s not that easy for something to happen to them.”

“Maybe at this time they have already established great merit and are bringing back a beautiful daughter-in-law for you.”

“Cough, cough…”

Saying this, Li Erjiang coughed lightly.

Obviously, his previous injuries hadn’t healed completely, and he would cough whenever it was cloudy or rainy.

However, these days he had been asking the Second Aunt to get him allicin to eat, and his condition was gradually improving.

Hearing this, Qin Da Ni forced a smile on her face: “I, a woman, don’t understand anything about establishing merit.”

“I just hope they can return safely.”

The Old Lady nodded slightly beside her, obviously sharing this housewife’s mindset, and added, “The daughter-in-law doesn’t need to be too beautiful; the main thing is to be thrifty and manage the household well.”

Saying this, the Old Lady looked at Qin Da Ni and said, “What about that girl you fancied at Gushan Fortress last time? Should we send a matchmaker to talk about it?”

Then she looked at the Second Aunt and said, “Second Daughter-in-law, Dahu is also reaching the age to get married. As a mother, you have to put more heart into it and ask around more.”

“Better get the marriage done as soon as possible.”

The Second Aunt nodded; she certainly cared about her son’s affairs.

Mainly because wars in the Northern Frontier were too frequent. Besides large-scale wars, conflicts often occurred between tribes and fortresses over some interests.

The mortality rate for men was high.

They also wanted the children to get married as soon as possible. In case there was really an accident in the future, they could at least leave an heir.

“Grandma, Mother, I think you shouldn’t worry blindly about Big Brother. Better put your minds on Second Brother and Third Brother.”

“Big Brother is already spoken for.”

Just after the Old Lady finished speaking, San Bao, holding a big bowl and stuffing dumplings into his mouth, mumbled.

Although he spoke vaguely, the Old Lady and the others heard him clearly.

“San Bao? What do you mean? What do you mean your Big Brother is already spoken for?” The Old Lady asked, puzzled.

Qin Da Ni beside her understood somewhat. She glared at San Bao and said, “Are you talking about that widow from Hou Fortress?”

“No way, no way…” She shook her head repeatedly.

“Your Big Brother is the eldest son and eldest grandson of our Li family. Besides, our Li family isn’t unable to afford a wife; how can we let your Big Brother marry a widow?”

“Wouldn’t that make us a laughingstock?”

Qin Da Ni also knew about Li Xiao and Huang Xiuer, mainly because people from Hou Fortress had spread the word.

When she first learned about this, Qin Da Ni was also angry for a while, wishing she could beat up Li Xiao, this disappointing thing.

He was still young and not yet married, but he wasn’t learning anything good.

Learning from those men to climb over a widow’s wall? It didn’t sound good when spoken of.

Although Qin Da Ni had also become a widow now, her children were so big, and she hadn’t planned to remarry.

She was different from that Widow Huang.

Qin Da Ni had also seen that Widow Huang many times. She walked in an affected manner, looked sickly, and had a vixen-like appearance.

Even if her previous man hadn’t been killed, he would definitely have been sucked dry of his essence by Widow Huang and died.

That kind of woman, one look and you knew she wouldn’t bring luck to her husband.

Qin Da Ni was certainly unwilling to let Li Xiao marry such a woman.

But San Bao shook his head repeatedly and said, “Mother, it’s not Widow Huang; it’s another one.”

“Which other widow is there?” Qin Da Ni’s voice rose twofold as she asked with wide eyes.

“Not a widow, it’s a… it’s that…” San Bao thought for a moment, not knowing how to say it.

It was Er Bao beside him who added, “It’s that girl from the Wei family in Sanhe Fortress.”

“The Wei family’s girl?” Qin Da Ni hadn’t expected which one it was.

“Her grandfather is the Fortress Master of Sanhe Fortress,” Er Bao said.

Hearing this, the Old Master reacted first: “Old Man Wei’s granddaughter?”

He had a friendship with Old Man Wei for decades.

During this period, he had also taken care of Old Man Wei’s grandson and granddaughter a lot, visiting them from time to time.

So the image of Erya immediately flashed in his mind—a pretty girl with delicate features.

“What’s going on with that girl?” The Old Master spoke faintly, his tone full of authority.

His old friend’s granddaughter couldn’t be bullied.

Seeing the Old Master’s stern face, Er Bao and San Bao subconsciously shrank their heads.

Then Er Bao whispered, “It’s not really bullying her.”

“It’s just that these days, some kids gave her nicknames, calling her ‘The Li Family’s Daughter-in-law’, ‘Fortress Master’s Wife’, and stuff like that.”

“Don’t know who started shouting it first; anyway, it just spread.”

“Yesterday, her brother actually caught a kid who shouted the loudest and beat him up severely, but it didn’t help; others still shout it.”

Hearing Er Bao’s words, the adults at the table exchanged glances instantly. This situation was really something they didn’t know about.

“How did Dalong get connected with the Wei family’s girl?” The Old Master asked in a deep voice.

“Seems someone saw Big Brother talking alone with Erya, and he even entered Erya’s tent,” San Bao mumbled.

The Old Master instantly understood what was going on.

“That was Dalong treating the Wei boy’s injuries.”

The Old Master was also very clear about this matter. It was that stuff Li Xiao made with garlic and wine that cured Li Erjiang and also cured the Wei boy.

It was clearly a major matter of curing sickness and saving people, but once spread by those busybody women, the flavor changed.

“So what do we do now?” The Old Lady asked.

The Second Aunt gave a light smile: “Mother, I think that girl from the Wei family is actually quite nice. If she could be paired with Dalong, it would be good enough.”

Hearing this, Qin Da Ni said somewhat reluctantly, “Her looks are passable, but her hips are a bit small.”

In her thinking, a woman with big hips had good fortune and brought luck to her husband.

But the Second Aunt said, “That’s because she hasn’t fully developed yet.”

“Look again in two years…”

Listening to their words, the Old Master lowered his head and ate dumplings silently.

In his mind, he was constantly weighing the Second Aunt’s words.

If Dalong could marry the Wei family’s girl, it would be a good thing.

At his age, how many more years could he take care of the Wei siblings?

Their family members were all dead, leaving only the brother and sister depending on each other. They would be bullied wherever they went.

If the girl could marry Dalong, others would have scruples about the Li family and certainly wouldn’t dare to provoke them.

“It is worth considering,” the Old Master said secretly in his heart.

Because of Li Xiao’s marriage matters, this Mid-Autumn Festival reunion dinner gained a bit more lively atmosphere.

It slightly washed away the worry about the war in their hearts.

Time passed slowly, and the torches in each household were extinguished. Hexi Fortress quieted down.

But not long after the Old Master and the others had just fallen asleep, they were suddenly awakened by a burst of urgent dog barking.

The Old Master opened his eyes instantly and grabbed the war saber beside him.

Slowly getting up, he looked out the window and found the barking sounds becoming increasingly intense, accompanied by faint sounds of hoofbeats galloping through the mud in the village.

“Someone has entered the village.”