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墨書 Inktalez
Even if one eats leaves every day, they can maintain the necessary energy and not worry about not surviving.
In the evening, Shen Muhan returned. His face was somewhat pale and weary. Xia Muxin had just finished her tasks and, seeing him approach, asked with concern, "Uncle, did you eat lunch? Are you very tired? Why is your face so pale?"
As she spoke, her delicate hand reached toward his handsome face. Shen Muhan initially intended to intercept her hand midway but was reminded of the injury on his wrist, causing him to let it drop again. He managed a faint smile, curving his lips into an appealing arc, and with the other hand, he brushed aside her slightly disheveled hair, saying in a warm voice, "I ate. I might be a bit tired from not moving around for too long."
Xia Muxin did not question his words; after all, conditions here were limited, and he must have been under a lot of pressure. She put on a gentle smile and suggested, "Then let's go out for dinner. After that, we can take a shower and rest well."
As she reached to pull him along, Shen Muhan stretched out his long arm and tightly embraced her. Breathing in the fragrance of her hair, he softly said, "Let me hold you for a while, just for a moment."
His voice was low and deep, like willow catkins brushing against the heart—tingling yet strangely painful. With her head resting against his solid chest and listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, Xia Muxin gently closed her eyes.
She understood that everyone has their limits. Just like in contemporary society where cloning is possible, there are still many difficult ailments that cannot be cured. She did not regret coming here or meeting him; she believed he would lead her out of the mire and toward the broad road they envisioned.
After a while, Shen Muhan released her and unexpectedly produced a pill from somewhere. Gazing at her affectionately with a teasing tone, he said, "Here, open your mouth. I know you don't like drinking that bitter black medicine, so I made it into a pill. You’re so thin you could be used as a door panel; it’s time to nourish yourself."
Xia Muxin smiled with her eyes crescent-shaped. She had indeed lost quite a bit of weight recently; even her chest had shrunk. Hearing Shen Muhan's teasing made a blush creep onto her cheeks as she opened her mouth to swallow the pill. Then she mischievously said, "Uncle, if you keep feeding me such nourishing things and I become too strong for you to handle, what will you do?"
Her eyes sparkled like clear water as she spoke with a proud smirk while playfully raising her eyebrows. Shen Muhan couldn't help but laugh at her antics and then took her hand to walk out of the tent.
"Then let you fight for a lifetime, as long as you don't kill or maim, just leave enough breath to have children."
At that moment, Xia Muxin's delicate face turned crimson, and she mumbled something under her breath, reluctantly being pulled out of the tent by Shen Muhan.
As they stepped outside, they noticed several soldiers waiting outside. Upon seeing them emerge, a few of them came forward with bowls filled with salt, cheerfully exclaiming:
"Miss Xia, you're amazing! Following your method, we really extracted Coarse Salt. We just used it for cooking, and it tastes fantastic!"
Xia Muxin leaned in to take a look and felt delighted. She immediately praised them, saying:
"You did very well; this is all thanks to your hard work. I merely provided some methods. Everyone keep up the good work; this stuff will be very beneficial for your battles, but we need a lot of Coarse Salt."
"Thank you, Miss Xia! We'll keep working hard."
Because Xia Muxin had shown them how to dig for Eel and Water Chestnuts, everyone knew how to gather food now, and their stomachs would no longer go empty. However, every time they dug up Water Chestnuts, Xia Muxin would carefully select some to take back to her tent. Naturally, no one thought much of it at first, but as time went on and she did this daily—taking at least ten or so pounds each time—they couldn't help but ask why she was doing it since even with the generals and others around, they wouldn't be able to eat all of it.
"Miss Xia, can these be preserved? Why not eat them fresh?"
Today was no different; before mealtime, she went to select Water Chestnuts again, prompting the soldiers to ask.
"These aren't for eating; they're for planting seeds. I'm originally a farmer; how could I not study such good things and cultivate them properly?"
Xia Muxin's straightforwardness left everyone in awe, especially her declaration of being a farmer by nature.
It wasn't that she felt inferior; rather, she had a calm understanding of her identity. She didn't flaunt her connection to Shen Muhan nor act spoiled because of it. This was something they found difficult to achieve themselves; perhaps this was what made her special.
Moreover, seeing how attentive the general was towards her truly seemed genuine. It appeared they had been blinded by rumors.
"Do you need our help? My wife is from the village too; she manages everything at home."
At that moment, a young man rolled up his sleeves and squatted down. The mention of his wife made his eyes light up. Xia Muxin smiled lightly but politely replied:
"No need, I've already made my choice. Everyone should finish their meal and rest early; it's more stressful than fighting these days."
The soldier looked at her small bucket, which was indeed full, and smiled before joining the others for dinner.
Xia Muxin was also taken to eat by Shen Muhan.
It had been two days since she last saw Qingyue. She seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight, her delicate face appeared sharper, and her eyes lacked luster. When she saw Shen Muhan walking over with Xia Muxin, a flicker of pain crossed her gaze, and she turned her face away, avoiding eye contact with them.
Everyone noticed this subtle change. Shen Muhan paid little attention to it; instead, he arranged a chair for Xia Muxin and helped her sit down. He even served her every dish. Although today's meal wasn't particularly lavish, there were still six bowls of food, yet Shen Muhan only served Xia Muxin from two of them.
He quietly reminded her to be careful not to choke and to eat slowly.
Shen Muqing could no longer bear to watch. She filled a bowl with rice, took some vegetables, and walked aside to squat down. Qingyue, however, found the food tasteless; after a few bites of rice, she put down her chopsticks and left in a somewhat dejected manner.
Rong Li and her son ate calmly. The Jade Princess rarely spoke due to damage to her vocal cords; she simply glanced at the lost-in-thought Rong Li while gracefully eating her meal.
Rong Li observed Shen Muhan's meticulous care for Xia Muxin with a dim look in his eyes. A mocking smile tugged at the corners of his mouth before he finally lowered his head.
Xia Muxin ate relatively quickly, perhaps due to the atmosphere. She also wondered why Shen Muhan wouldn't let her eat from the other dishes, eagerly watching as Rong Li nearly finished off the plate of wild vegetables.
"That pill is very precious and rare; it conflicts with certain things. Just hold on a little longer," Shen Muhan said softly after noticing the longing in Xia Muxin's eyes. He added more vegetables to her bowl.
Xia Muxin nodded in understanding and finished everything in her bowl before setting it down. At that moment, Shen Muhan had only touched his food twice.
"Uncle, you should eat slowly; I'll wait for you," Xia Muxin said shyly, lowering her head. It felt awkward for someone her age to have someone else serve her food; it seemed so pretentious.
After the meal, the two strolled hand in hand beside the military camp. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the earthy scent of wet soil after the rain—a rich rural aroma that lifted Xia Muxin's spirits. Along the way, she picked some flowers and casually fashioned a headpiece to wear atop her head, occasionally glancing back at Shen Muhan.
Shen Muhan looked at her, who was as graceful as an elf, and felt his mood lift.
“Muxin, don’t run too fast. Be careful not to fall.”
As they walked, Xia Muxin giggled, her mischievous eyes constantly scanning the ground beneath her. The further they went, the wider her smile became, while Shen Muhan chased after her, offering warnings.
At that moment, a soldier came running toward them, bare-chested and stumbling. Xia Muxin didn’t notice anyone ahead; she turned to look at Shen Muhan with a smile. Suddenly, she saw Shen Muhan's eyes widen. In an instant, he leaped forward and pulled her into his embrace, just as a pained cry echoed from the ground.
“I’m sorry, General! I didn’t know you were with Miss Xia. I wasn’t thinking and rushed too quickly.”
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
The soldier was terrified; he had narrowly avoided colliding with Xia Muxin. Knowing Shen Muhan’s protective nature towards her, he feared for his skin. His legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, trembling as he spoke. Shen Muhan interrupted him with a low voice before he could continue.
Xia Muxin frowned and shot a puzzled glance at Shen Muhan. It wasn’t a big deal; even if they had bumped into each other, it wouldn’t have mattered. Seeing the soldier shivering in silence, she smiled and said, “He’s just scaring you! It’s just a bump; it won’t cost you anything. Get up quickly.”
Hearing Xia Muxin’s words, the soldier slowly exhaled. Since Shen Muhan didn’t stop Xia Muxin from helping him up, he cautiously stood up and then said, “The little ones went to the river to bathe but found a female corpse floating by. They sent me to report if we should retrieve it for a proper burial.”
- End of Chapter -
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