Qin Fang smiled.

Han Zhen, looking at Qin Fang’s strong profile, fell into thought.

They had grown up together, but Qin Fang’s fate was far better.

As the eldest grandson of the Qin family, Qin Fang had been raised with love from his grandparents and parents.

As for Han Zhen, his mother died young, and his father remarried.

This time in the military was his father’s substitute.

Han Zhen knew that if he hadn’t left that village, his life would have remained the same.

So, when his father and stepmother sent him to join the military, he didn’t oppose it.

Only by leaving could he escape their control.

In fact, he realized he had made the right choice.

Since joining the military, he hadn’t received a single letter from home, and he certainly wouldn’t write to them.

Even after becoming a centurion, he kept his earnings to himself, unlike Qin Fang, who sent money home.

He had even instructed Qin Fang not to mention him in his letters.

He never had an easy life growing up, so naturally, he wouldn’t spend his hard-earned money to support his stepmother and her family.

In the past, he envied Qin Fang.

But after they married, the news of Yang Haiyan’s suicide on their wedding night spread, and he felt sorry for Qin Fang.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, Qin Fang became someone everyone admired.

Sigh…

Qin Fang was seriously reading a book, trying to learn all the characters in the Thousand-Character Classic by October, so he could start reading military texts in November.

After reading for about an hour, he put the book away and kicked Han Zhen, who was sleeping next to him: “Get up and stretch your legs.”

Han Zhen opened his eyes: “Okay.”

While on duty, they didn’t patrol—the soldiers below them did that.

Their duty was simply to be present in the barracks, and they could arrange their own activities.

So, a lot of what they did was train.

Qin Fang said, “Today, I won’t spar with you. I’ll spar with Zhang Baifu. We’ll take turns.”

Han Zhen blinked and leaned closer to Qin Fang, secretly asking, “What’s going on between you two?”

Han Zhen, who was shorter than Qin Fang, leaned on his shoulder, making Qin Fang uncomfortable enough to shake him off. “Nothing.”

Han Zhen didn’t believe him.

Although Qin Fang appeared honest, he had a rather cunning side.

Could a seemingly honest man hide money?

Everyone in the village knew that last year, Qin Fang sent money back home, as he had mentioned in a letter.

The Qin family had sent two children to learn to read, claiming the money was earned by Qin Fang.

His father even wrote to ask if he had a monthly allowance.

Han Zhen found it amusing when he received the letter; he wasn’t foolish enough to send money home if he had an allowance.

So he didn’t reply.

However, after asking Qin Fang, he learned he sent home a few silver coins, confirming that Qin Fang was hiding money.

A man who hides money cannot be completely honest.

Moreover, they had grown up together, and Han Zhen knew Qin Fang well.

The two found Zhang Baifu, who was chatting with others. Upon noticing the shadow looming over him, he looked up and saw Qin Fang and Han Zhen: “What are you two doing?”

Qin Fang replied, “Zhang Ge, let’s spar a bit.”

Zhang Baifu stood up: “Sure.”

He knew he wasn’t Qin Fang’s match, but they weren’t fighting to the death; it was meant to be a way to improve their skills, so why not?

After the spar, Zhang Baifu felt exhausted.

After sparring with Qin Fang, he planned to rest.

But then Han Zhen challenged him, saying that if he sparred with Qin Fang but not with him, it meant he looked down on him.

What could Zhang Baifu do? He had to endure and step up.

Although they only sparred twice, the first match left Zhang Baifu feeling he had been thoroughly beaten.

If they weren’t on good terms, he would have doubted whether he had offended Qin Fang.

Zhang Baifu grimaced, wanting to drink water, but when he opened his mouth, it hurt.

The bruises on his lips showed just how badly he had been beaten.

Qin Fang was fierce today, really laying it on him.

Speaking of which, among the thousand men under the captain, Qin Fang and Han Zhen were the most outstanding, and their bond was strong.

He remembered when they first arrived at the barracks, veteran soldiers wanted to spar with them, only to find themselves beaten into submission.

It was common for veterans to assert dominance over newcomers, a practice tacitly approved to boost morale.

But nothing had ever been this brutal, and that was how Qin Fang and Han Zhen became known.

Since then, many veterans sought to challenge them, but gradually, they became intimidated.

After giving Zhang Baifu a beating, Qin Fang felt somewhat satisfied.

His wife worked hard to run a shop, but Zhang’s mother took advantage of her.

As a man, he couldn’t take it out on Zhang’s mother, but he could certainly confront Zhang Baifu.

It’s said that a son must repay his mother’s debts.

Qin Fang sat down and took out the Thousand-Character Classic to continue learning.

Feeling bored, Han Zhen went to find someone else to spar with.

In a corner stood two men, one was Captain Ao, and the other was dressed in luxurious clothing, exuding an air far beyond that of ordinary noble offspring.

Unlike the typical nobility, there was a hint of menace about him, suggesting he had walked through death.

“Is this Qin Fang?”

Captain Ao replied, “Yes, my lord. This is Qin Fang. He is both brave and wise, and he strives to improve himself. When he first arrived, he couldn’t read. He asked us to teach him, and now that he’s married, his wife helps him learn.”

It turned out that the nobleman was the son of Duke Yonghe, born in Yongzhou and raised in the military camp, having followed his father to battle at the age of twelve.

The 50,000 soldiers of Yongzhou were fiercely loyal to Duke Yonghe, who was referred to privately as the Yong family army, for good reason.

As the next leader of the Yong family army, he had grown up with the soldiers, and the bond was palpable.

Furthermore, these 50,000 soldiers were supported by the private wealth of the Duke of Yonghe, making a good general more important to them than a good emperor.

Although Qin Fang had gained some notoriety upon entering the military for his fighting skills alongside Han Zhen, the son of Duke Yonghe was someone of significance.

He wouldn’t have noticed this newcomer if it weren’t for the soap recipe mentioned by the Duke’s wife.

The soap had been in her hands for over half a month, and it was now on the market with astonishing profits, which surprised even the Duke’s son.

Despite the wealth of the Yonghe Duke’s household, it couldn’t support the 50,000 soldiers.

What seemed like a prosperous household was nearly empty inside; generations of accumulation had been spent on these soldiers.

Even the private wealth from the shops of the Duke’s wife and the young lord’s wife was used to cover expenses.

However, they could not express this hardship, as doing so would demoralize the troops.

Thus, the significant profits from Yang Haiyan’s soap recipe were a timely boon for the Yonghe Duke’s household.

Therefore, when the young lord’s wife mentioned it, the young lord took note.

He specifically came to see Qin Fang and coincidentally witnessed his performance during sparring.

The strength in his arms and his tall, rugged build displayed a combat power that pleased the young lord. “You’ll need to make some moves by the end of the year. Do you have someone in mind?”

Captain Ao replied honestly, “Yes, I’ve always favored Qin Fang and wanted to mention him to you.”

In the original storyline, Captain Ao favored Qin Fang as well, but due to the previous owner’s body circumstances, he had to give up and choose Han Zhen instead.

Having a virtuous wife allows a man to strive without worries, which is essential.

The 50,000 soldiers of Yongzhou consisted of five thousand captains, but the court did not officially recognize the title of “Captain.”

The term only existed in the barracks.

In court, a Captain was bestowed by the emperor as a fifth-grade general.

Although the 50,000 soldiers of Yongzhou were referred to as the Yong family army and were loyal to the Yonghe Duke, other forces could infiltrate, since thousand-man Captains needed the Ministry’s consent and needed the emperor’s approval.

Therefore, individuals like the young lord of Yonghe would have, long ago, selected their trusted subordinates from among the common folks in the military camp and promoted them step by step.

Typically, their trusted aides came from those who had never served in the military, as these common folk would not be swayed by other forces, since no one knew when a soldier might sacrifice themselves.

Other forces wouldn’t invest much effort until the soldier gained some fame.

Captain Ao was one of the trusted aides of the Young Marquis of Yonghe.

The Young Master asked, “How does his skill compare to the ten men under you?”

Captain Ao replied, “Only Han Zhen is on par with him.”

The Young Marquis suggested, “Then let’s openly hold a martial arts competition to select a thousand-man leader. It will prevent gossip.”

Captain Ao felt a surge of worry: “But what if…”

The Young Marquis continued, “I believe he has more drive than Han Zhen. People like him will seize opportunities when they arise.”

Captain Ao nodded, “Understood.”

Their private conversation remained unknown to anyone.

After the Young Marquis left, Captain Ao lingered for a moment before also departing.

---

Yang Haiyan was calculating the profits for the day in her study.

The snack shop closed at the sixth watch (4:30 PM).

Aunt Fan and Aunt Hong had been busy since dawn, making mung bean cakes, red bean cakes, and soybean cakes fresh for the day.

Therefore, they finished early, and Yang Haiyan also closed up quickly.

Their working hours had already exceeded ten hours, and sales of the little cakes and cookies surpassed her expectations, leaving her quite satisfied.

However, sales of the mung bean cakes, red bean cakes, and soybean cakes were disappointing; none had sold even four pounds.

Initially, she planned for each type of snack to have a daily quota of two pounds, but now it seemed that the little cakes and cookies could manage two pounds each, while one pound for each of the other three types would suffice.

After all, on opening day, even with promotions, they hadn’t sold double the usual amount, making it clear that two pounds wouldn’t be feasible in the future.

Overall, today’s profit was still decent, netting her 1,231 wen after costs.

Just as she placed the profit into the box, she heard Aunt Fan’s voice outside: “The master is back.”

Qin Fang was back?

Yang Haiyan happily walked out to greet him, “You’re back! Was it tough? Aunt Fan, please pour him a cup of warm water with a bit of salt.”

He trained daily in the military, and after walking for an hour, his exercise was substantial, so drinking salt water would replenish the sodium lost through sweat.

Aunt Fan smiled, “Coming right up.”

Qin Fang appreciated Yang Haiyan’s thoughtful care.

Although he didn’t understand the need for salt water, he trusted her knowledge.

After drinking, he handed the cup back to Aunt Fan. “How did the shop do today?”

He worried about the pressure on his wife on their first day of business.

Yang Haiyan replied, “Not bad! After costs, we’ve made a couple of taels. But since we had promotions today, the sales were high, so we’ve stocked enough to last a few days, meaning sales will likely drop.”

Qin Fang was stunned; a couple of taels was his monthly allowance!

He realized once more his own inadequacies.

A sharp glint appeared in his deep eyes; he needed to work even harder.

However, rising in rank required military achievements, and without war, those achievements wouldn’t come, so worrying wouldn’t help.

What he could do was lay the groundwork before any conflict—train daily to improve his martial skills, learn characters, and study military strategy to enhance his knowledge.

Just then, a loud shout came from next door.

“Dashan, what happened to your face? Who the hell hit you?” Zhang’s mother sounded furious.

Zhang Baifu replied, “I got hit during training. It’s nothing.”

Zhang’s mother hurried to boil eggs to help with his bruises, “Nothing? Just look at your face! The other party was really vicious; they could have killed you! Did you make them pay for medical expenses?”

Zhang Baifu quickly tried to hush her; he feared they’d be heard next door. “It’s part of military training, and everyone gets hurt. You have no right to interfere. If the camp finds out, I might be discharged! Besides, the other guy got hurt worse; he’ll probably be bedridden for three days.” He hoped Qin Fang wouldn’t overhear.

Fortunately, Qin Fang didn’t catch that part.

He did, however, hear Zhang’s mother, and he smirked, thinking he could spar with Zhang Baifu tomorrow.

After dinner, the couple stood in the yard for a moment to digest their food. Later, Qin Fang read while Yang Haiyan exercised for a quarter-hour.

When it was time for bed, Yang Haiyan began to teach Qin Fang the history of Qi.

The next day, Qin Fang went to the military camp while Yang Haiyan headed to the snack shop.

Aunt Fan and Aunt Hong had already arranged the day’s snacks according to Yang Haiyan’s instructions—two pounds each of little cakes and cookies, and one pound each of the other three snacks.

Uncle Hong went out to cut fresh grass to feed the sheep.

Before long, Yang Dahua arrived. “Haiyan, I came to buy some snacks.”

She ordered two pounds each of little cakes and cookies, intending to go to the county town shortly.

Yang Haiyan said, “Sister Dahua, the snacks are ready. I’ll be heading to the county town too, and Uncle Hong will drive the donkey cart. You can come with me and get a ride back.”

Yang Dahua was pleased; this was much faster than walking for an hour. “Great, that’ll be a big help.”

Yang Haiyan added, “I’ve boiled some goat milk; you can have a bowl to replenish your strength.”

Yang Dahua quickly declined, “No need.”

A bowl cost three wen; she felt embarrassed to drink for free.

Yang Haiyan insisted, “I made extra while milking; if I don’t use it, it’ll go bad. Don’t be polite with me. Besides, goat milk is great for our health, especially for women. Drinking it often can even make your skin fairer.”

Hearing that, Yang Dahua hesitated.

As a maid, she had spent long days doing rough work, often in the sun.

Her skin wasn’t dark, but it lacked the rosy fairness of Yang Haiyan’s.

Every woman loves to look a bit fairer, and Yang Dahua was no exception. “Then I’ll pay you for it.”

Yang Haiyan replied, “It won’t make your skin fair overnight; you need to drink it regularly—at least for three months to see results.”

In reality, it was a long-term commitment, but she was sure Yang Dahua would notice her skin becoming smoother.

Wouldn’t she be pleased once she saw those results?

Yang Dahua was a bit disheartened. “Three months? If it were just a day or two, I’d pay, especially since I’m earning money now. But for three months… that’s a lot to spend.” Yet, she didn’t want to take advantage of Yang Haiyan either; she couldn’t bring herself to take something for free.

Yang Haiyan understood. “How about this? I’ll set aside a bowl of goat milk for you each day and charge you one wen. You can try it for a month, and if you like it, you can keep drinking.”

She didn’t mind giving it for free, but knew Yang Dahua wouldn’t want to feel indebted, so a token charge of one wen would suffice.

This way, it wouldn’t seem like she was receiving charity.

Yang Dahua calculated; thirty wen for a month was reasonable.

She earned about 150 wen a month from selling handkerchiefs in the county, so spending 30 wen on goat milk was affordable.

After thinking it over, she agreed, “Alright then.” After all, women love beauty.