A master of metaphysics is farming.

Chapter 171 Relatives get together

When Xiang Dayong and his wife saw Xiang He, they dropped all the bowls they were holding onto the ground.

The family was finally reunited, and Mrs. Su cried until her voice was hoarse.

Xiang He was comforted and finally stopped crying. "Did Mother prepare breakfast? We've been so busy on our journey that we haven't had a proper meal. And that soldier must have been hungry all night too."

The soldier standing in the courtyard paused for a moment, then turned around expressionlessly.

Even if it's not outwardly apparent, deep down they still crave a hot meal.

Su immediately went to the kitchen, Xiang Dayong turned his back to secretly wipe away his tears, and Xiang He gently patted his back, "I know Xiao Yang has gone to join the army."

Hearing this, Xiang Dayong choked up even more, his deeply lined hands trembling weakly.

Xiang He didn't say anything more and got up to go to the kitchen to help prepare the food.

"I heard from the magistrate that Mother's shop donated grain?"

Madam Su sighed helplessly, "Many soldiers have entered the city, and their rations are meager. Many of us have discussed it, and we'll donate whatever we can..."

This is a token of affection, and Xiang He understands.

"Have the Wang family members left Shuiyun City?"

Mrs. Su started cooking rice. "We're leaving. The old lady there isn't in good health; she can't withstand all this trouble here."

They were already wealthy and had means of transportation to leave, so there was really no need for them to stay in the city and wait to die.

The two were busy, with Zhu Nan leading the horse out to feed it, while the soldiers stood at the door keeping watch. Neither side could be delayed.

The aroma of food wafted over, and the soldier couldn't help but swallow.

Smelling the aroma of food, Zhu Nan tied the horse to a tree and nodded to the soldier as she walked to the door. "Brother soldier, come in and eat with us. They must have made too much."

The soldier didn't want to go in, but he hadn't eaten all night, and the aroma inside made him hungry. He swallowed hard and sat down after Xiang Dayong brought him a bench.

"Don't tell the general about this..."

The group nodded and smiled. Xiang He looked to be only in his early twenties, and his cold expression was only due to his status.

Xiang He placed some cured meat on Xiang Yun's plate, asking, "Are you out of fresh meat at home?"

"Yes... Most of the meat sellers are no longer in the city. This is meat that was cured earlier. Luckily, we prepared in advance, otherwise we would only be able to eat vegetables now."

Life has improved; it's not like before when we had to eat leftovers.

Xiang He pushed the cured meat in front of the soldier, "How should I address you, Brother Soldier? You'll probably be with us for a while, so it's too formal to keep calling you Brother Soldier."

The soldier paused, forcing himself to keep a cold expression as he picked up some food. "Zhou Jiasheng."

"Brother Zhou," Xiang He said gently, "are the people in the city still allowed to leave?"

"What, you're leaving after you've finished eating?"

He spoke somewhat hastily, and immediately shut his mouth after the words were out.

Xiang He smiled and said, "No, it's just to confirm."

He turned his head and coughed lightly. "The general said that you can only leave and not come in. You were only allowed in because the prince has shown you favor."

"I see," Xiang He put a piece of meat on his plate. "Brother Zhou, do you know Xiang Yang? He's my younger brother. Which team is he in now?"

While in the kitchen, Su had mentioned that Xiangyang was not currently in the city and might have been sent out to scout out enemy positions.

Zhou Jiasheng pursed his lips, still tasting the cured meat in his mouth, and seeing the expectant looks in the family's eyes, he finally spoke.

“Your younger brother is from Shuiyun City, so he must be very familiar with the terrain of this area, which is why the general sent him out.”

"How many miles have the enemy advanced? I haven't been back for a long time, and I'm still very worried about Xiaoyang..."

Xiang He's face showed genuine worry, but she deliberately amplified it to make the other person seem more genuine.

Zhu Nan ate her meal quietly beside him, occasionally glancing at Zhou Jiasheng. Perhaps he was also missing his family, as he slowly withdrew his hand from the bowl of food.

"I think we'll arrive here in another two or three days..."

The group stopped eating, and Xiang He's hand trembled slightly. "Are you so sure?"

“Yes, I know you’re trying to gather information,” Zhou Jiasheng smiled helplessly. “You’re just ordinary people, so you should run if you can.”

Her wrist tightened, and when she turned her head, she saw Xiang Yun gripping her wrist tightly, his face full of worry.

Xiang He gently patted the back of her hand, "Don't worry, I'll pack my things and go to the capital with Father and Mother to find Seventh Sister. I'll stay here to take care of Xiao Yang."

"No way!" Xiang Dayong slammed his chopsticks on the table. "We said the whole family would stay here. We can't leave the two of you here just because we're afraid of dying."

Madam Su nodded repeatedly, her eyes full of reproach and displeasure. "Yes, you've only just returned and you're already trying to make arrangements for us. How can you disregard our wishes!"

Seeing them talking, Zhou Jiasheng reminded them again, also to express his gratitude for the meal.

"Let's go, let's all go together."

The family fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Xiang Dayong quietly fiddled with the wood, while Xiang Yun followed closely behind Xiang He, not daring to leave her side.

She turned to Yun after washing the dishes, "Go prepare some hot water for my sister? She and Zhu Nan have been traveling for days and haven't had a proper time to freshen up."

"it is good!"

Watching Xiang Yun walk towards the kitchen, Xiang He walked to Xiang Dayong's side and glanced up at Zhou Jiasheng standing at the door.

"Father, you must leave. The enemy is acting very strangely."

The sound was so soft that Zhou Jiasheng couldn't hear it even when he turned his ear. Curious, he took a few steps closer, pretending not to be listening.

As Xiang Dayong was whittling wood, his thoughts sank. "Is this the real reason you came back?"

"I'm genuinely worried about you, but this battle is also strange. You should go to the capital first so that Xiaoyang and I can feel at ease. With me protecting Xiaoyang, he'll be perfectly safe."

"But Xiaoyang isn't in the city... what if..."

Xiangyang is his own flesh and blood, how could Xiang Dayong abandon his family to survive alone?

Seeing Xiang Dayong's uneasy expression, Madam Su walked over and sat down with a pained look on her face. "Do you really want us to leave first? What will you do then...?"

Their real family members are all here. If they leave, what will sustain the children in the fight?

Life had finally started to improve, and this upheaval was already hard for them to accept; now they were being asked to leave and go live a life they had been longing for...

“This time, please listen to me. Even if you don’t think about yourselves, you should think about Yun’er. If you stay here, Xiao Yang will be very worried. He will try his best at the front. But the enemy is getting closer and closer. For the sake of his family’s survival, what if Xiao Yang fights the enemy to the death…”

Xiang He didn't know what branch of the military Xiang Yang was in, and if something were to happen to him, no one could say for sure.

"You should pack your things and leave today. I have the ability to find Xiaoyang and deliver a message to him. Only when you leave safely will Xiaoyang and I be at ease."

She persuaded them repeatedly, and the couple, though unwilling, had no choice but to agree.

“We’ll only be a burden to you if we stay here,” Su sighed. “I’ll pack up now and send us out of the city in a bit.”

Xiang Dayong wanted to say something more, but Su gently patted his back, "Just listen to He'er. Staying here will only distract her from taking care of us. It's better to leave so she can concentrate."