This stick from Xiao Douzi left General Han speechless, while the others who rushed over burst into laughter.
General Han bent down and picked up Xiao Douzi. "Son, I am your father."
He had been away for many years, and Xiao Douzi was only seven or eight now. How could he still remember him? Moreover, now that he had become a great general, the fierce aura about him was truly intimidating, making Xiao Douzi's face turn pale with fright.
Wang Hongye stepped forward, took Xiao Douzi from him, and placed him on the ground. She said gently, "Qing'er, this is your father, the father you always talked about."
Xiao Douzi's full name was Han Qing, but everyone was used to calling him by his nickname.
Xiao Douzi glanced at General Han, then quickly turned his head away, unsure how to face this father who had suddenly appeared.
Wang Hongye was a little anxious. "You child, didn't you always cry for your father every day? Now that your father is back, why aren't you paying attention to him?"
General Han's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He reached out and stroked Xiao Douzi's head. "It's alright. When I left, he was less than three years old. It's normal that he doesn't remember me now."
Wang Hongye tugged at the corner of her mouth, suddenly at a loss for words.
She had longed for her husband's safe return every day, but now that he was truly back, she suddenly felt him to be a stranger and didn't know how to interact with him.
Chen Yuezhi quickly beckoned to Xiao Douzi. "Come here quickly."
Xiao Douzi was very familiar with Chen Yuezhi and ran to her side.
Chen Yuezhi held Xiao Douzi's hand and said to the other villagers who had come out to watch the excitement, "Everyone, please go back if you have nothing to do."
The couple hadn't seen each other for many years, and they must have a lot to talk about. Why were so many people lingering here?
The villagers, being experienced, all smiled knowingly and turned back to the gathering place.
Old Mrs. Han patted her son. "Talk to Hongye properly. If it weren't for her holding things together all these years, I would have passed away long ago."
General Han looked at his mother's graying hair, and his heart ached indescribably.
As soon as Old Mrs. Han left, General Han picked up Wang Hongye and strode into the forest.
Wang Hongye was startled and struggled to hit him, wanting him to put her down, but it was of no use.
Jiang Wan returned to the gathering place with Chen Yuezhi and explained the situation of the battle outside in detail. "Second Brother is very capable. He led those men to infiltrate the city smoothly and resolved the rebel leader with little effort."
"When Second Brother stood on the city wall with the rebel leader's head, he looked so heroic."
Jiang Wan said it lightly, but Chen Yuezhi and Zhang Qiaoxiu listened with pale faces.
They were not fools and knew how dangerous this matter was.
Jiang Wan sighed and patted their backs. She really couldn't bear to tell them that after this battle, her second brother's military career was set in stone.
Well, such troublesome matters should be left to her second brother to worry about.
However, with their father's approval now, it shouldn't be too difficult to get their mother and second sister-in-law to agree.
The family talked for a long time before Wang Hongye returned with General Han.
Wang Hongye's expression was a little unnatural, and she kept shrinking her neck. Jiang Wan, with her sharp eyes, noticed a few dark red marks on Wang Hongye's neck.
She was not a real child and knew what those marks were, so a hint of mischief flashed in her eyes.
As expected, the relationship between a couple still needed to be heated up through physical intimacy.
General Han walked over boldly and knelt down in front of Chen Yuezhi with a thud, which startled Chen Yuezhi.
"General Han, please rise quickly. How can you kneel to me?"
Chen Yuezhi already knew General Han's current identity from Jiang Wan. She had sighed with emotion earlier, sometimes saying General Han had great abilities, and other times saying Wang Hongye was very fortunate.
Now, with such a great general kneeling before her, how could she not panic?
General Han knelt on the ground and said, "Sister-in-law Jiang, thank you for saving my mother, and thank you for supporting my wife and children. You have been incredibly kind to my Han family. Please accept this bow from your brother!"
Chen Yuezhi quickly moved aside and said to Wang Hongye, "Hongye, quickly pull your man up."
Unexpectedly, Wang Hongye also knelt down. "Sister-in-law, I have remembered all the care you and Brother Jiang have given our family these past two years. You deserve this bow from my husband and me."
Saying that, she also kowtowed.
Chen Yuezhi quickly asked Zhang Qiaoxiu to help Wang Hongye up, and Scholar Zhou helped to support General Han.
"That's nothing. These past two years, Hongye, you've helped us a lot too. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been so at ease studying medicine. So, don't say such polite things in the future."
Saying that, Chen Yuezhi smiled and patted her hand. "Hongye, congratulations. You are now a general's wife. Sister-in-law is happy for you."
She then leaned closer to Wang Hongye and whispered, "I'll help you recuperate your body properly later. You and your husband should hurry up and have a younger brother or sister for Xiao Douzi."
Wang Hongye's face instantly turned red with embarrassment. She secretly pinched Chen Yuezhi, signaling her to stop talking.
General Han's ears were sharp. Hearing Chen Yuezhi's words, he couldn't help but curl his lips.
After everyone had talked for a while, General Han said, "It's getting late today. Going down the mountain now might be dangerous for everyone. Tomorrow morning, we will descend the mountain. The rebels have all been captured, and everyone needs to hurry down to salvage the grain."
The rebels had destroyed many grain fields, but some had survived.
Jiang Wan had already given the villagers a general idea of the situation below the mountain, and everyone was somewhat prepared.
However, when they descended the mountain the next day and saw the tragic state of the fields, everyone couldn't help but burst into tears.
The grain they relied on for survival had been so carelessly ruined by those rebels.
Just a few more days, and the crops would have been harvested. But now, most of the crops that had been growing well were trampled and lifeless. The fallen crops were all bearing ears.
If it weren't for these detestable rebels, they would have soon welcomed this year's harvest.
After all, this season's crops carried the greatest hopes of the common people.
They had experienced the refugee tide, formed a militia, and worked hard to protect their homes. This season's grain was their vision for a new life.
In the end, it was all destroyed by the rebels.
Their houses, which had only recently been repaired, were also destroyed.
The villagers gritted their teeth in hatred, clamoring to kill the rebels to vent their anger.
General Han did not stop them and agreed to let them settle scores with the rebels.
But when they went with knives and clubs to attack the rebels, seeing the rebels huddled together and constantly begging for mercy, the villagers still couldn't bring themselves to act.
They were just ordinary people, people who wanted to survive, but why was it so difficult?