The Next Day

As dawn broke, Aunt Fan and Uncle Hong went to the county town to buy the ingredients for Laba porridge.

Originally, their home had enough supplies, but it would only be sufficient for their few people.

If they were to include the over a thousand soldiers in the military camp, the materials at home wouldn’t be enough.

Once they returned with the ingredients, several large pots in the kitchen began cooking the Laba porridge.

It must be said that the second courtyard had a separate kitchen, allowing Aunt Fan to showcase her culinary skills, and she was quite pleased.

Initially, she wanted to impress the lady, but with Granny Lian around, who was more experienced, she realized she couldn’t compete.

However, that was fine; she found another way.

The kitchen became her avenue!

She may not have the same etiquette and decorum as Granny Lian, but as long as her dishes were delicious, she could still make a good impression on the lady.

Besides, in a large household, the kitchen was usually managed by the lady’s trusted aides.

There’s no denying that Aunt Fan’s culinary skills were indeed good.

Although Yang Haiyan could cook well and her skills were decent, her cooking had some advantages, like using good ingredients and having many variations.

In contrast, Aunt Fan’s cooking was truly a skill; she was like a modern chef who could make any dish taste great regardless of the ingredients.

This kind of culinary skill wasn’t restricted by the quality of the ingredients.

Noon, at the Back Gate of the Military Camp

Several donkey carts approached the back gate of the military camp, and the soldiers on guard immediately became alert, worried about any potential problems.

After a while, when they saw that the lead cart was driven by Uncle Hong, they relaxed, as they recognized him as a servant of the Qin household.

Before the winter disaster, he had brought meals to Captain Qin every day.

For over a thousand servings of Laba porridge, one donkey cart from the Qin family wouldn’t be sufficient.

Thus, Yang Haiyan rented additional donkey carts in the town.

With Uncle Hong leading the Laba porridge convoy, they made quite a grand entrance.

Uncle Hong dismounted from the cart and respectfully approached the soldiers. “Greetings, gentlemen. Could you please call for my master?”

One of the soldiers replied, “No problem, I’ll go fetch him right now. Please wait a moment, Uncle Hong.”

Another soldier curiously asked, “Uncle Hong, are all these carts yours?”

Uncle Hong replied, “Yes, today is Laba Festival, and our lady has sent Laba porridge for the soldiers of the Eighteenth District.”

Hearing this, the soldiers nearby were filled with envy.

Uncle Hong added with a smile, “If you gentlemen don’t mind, the lady has also prepared some for you.”

The soldiers immediately cheered, “We don’t mind at all! I’ll go get a bowl!”

“Don’t forget my bowl!”

Qin Fang came out, not only for himself but also called over ten sergeants from the Eighteenth District to help carry the porridge.

At first, the sergeants, including Han Zhen, were unsure why Qin Fang called them over.

But when they saw the barrels of porridge on the donkey carts, they exclaimed, “Oh my! We’re having Laba porridge!”

The ten sergeants from the Eighteenth District made several trips back and forth to carry the porridge.

It’s worth noting that the porridge was heavy and took up space, unlike the pastries from before.

With such a large operation, everyone in the district quickly became aware.

Curious soldiers asked about it, and upon learning that it was the wife of Captain Qin who had sent the Laba porridge, they were all deeply moved.

Soon, General Ao learned of this event and thought to himself, “This Qin Fang’s wife really knows how to handle things.”

However, General Ao also shamelessly showed up to get some Laba porridge himself.

Once he arrived, other generals who got wind of the news also came to join in the festivities.

Since Yang Haiyan was delivering Laba porridge, the ingredients within were naturally of good quality.

While the red dates and longan were less plentiful due to their higher cost, the porridge was generously filled with peanuts, red beans, and mung beans—these were relatively cheaper ingredients.

After the soldiers had their two bowls of Laba porridge, although they didn’t fill up completely, everyone was sufficiently satisfied.

In the Family Quarters

Yang Haiyan instructed Aunt Fan and the others to deliver Laba porridge to Sister Lu, Yang Dahua, and the households of the ten sergeants, as well as to the other households under Qin Fang.

When Aunt Fan and the others delivered the porridge, they also received many gifts in return, including some Laba porridge.

After the duty shift for the Eighteenth District ended, Yang Baifu, Lu Baifu, and others returned home and shared what had happened in the district that day with their families.

Sister Lu sighed, “Haiyan is a smart person. When we lived next door, she always knew how to get along with others. Her two young men drink the sheep’s milk she provides daily, and even I’ve had quite a bit; it really nourishes people.”

Centurion Lu looked at his wife, who had visibly improved in health from drinking the sheep’s milk, and said with a smile, “If you’re going to eat, you should speak kindly of her. We can’t owe her any favors.”

Sister Lu glared at him, “What are you saying? Haiyan specifically mentioned that the sheep’s milk should be finished within an hour; otherwise, it loses its nutritional value and has to be thrown away. If we waste it, it would be better for everyone to drink it together. If she was selling it, I wouldn’t take advantage of her. You don’t know; she not only drinks it herself but also shares it with her servants. So, I won’t hold back.”

Lu Baifu(Centurion) could tell that his wife had a very good impression of the Qin Fang household.

This topic wasn’t just being discussed in their home; the Yang family was also talking about it.

Mrs. Yang said, “Isn’t it true? Coming from a wealthy family, they’re quite astute. Just the other day, they sent us some eggs. Although we had to pay for them, they were sourced from the countryside, and remembering us shows they’re considerate.”

Of course, while some praised her, others gossiped, “She just knows how to ingratiate herself; it’s not like she has anything better to do with her money.”

Or from the other sergeants’ wives: “She really knows how to win people over. Isn’t that making it hard for you all?”

But Yang Haiyan couldn’t hear what others said, nor did she care.

So what if she was winning over her own man?

Yang Haiyan thought the matter of the Laba porridge had passed, but unexpectedly, the next day, Qin Fang and Kunshi returned from their shift, each riding horses loaded with four bundles of firewood—two bundles each.

When Yang Haiyan heard Aunt Fan mention it, she went to take a look.

At mealtime, she asked Qin Fang, “What’s this? Did you and Kun Shi go gather firewood?”

Qin Fang had no time for that; he said, “No, the soldiers went to gather firewood last night after their shift. Plus, they collected more during their break this afternoon. Each of them contributed to one bundle.”

Yang Haiyan found it both funny and touching. “They’re really thoughtful!”

Qin Fang continued, “Don’t worry, dear. The Eighteenth District has piled up over a thousand bundles of firewood. I’ll have Uncle Hong fetch them tomorrow.” With over a thousand people, that meant over a thousand bundles of firewood.

This shocked Yang Haiyan: “If they gather one bundle a day, it could last three years!”

The next morning, Uncle Hong went to collect the firewood.

He made multiple trips, hauling enough to last them for over half a month.

This event stirred the entire family quarters; some began to calculate, unable to resist the urge.

If one bundle costs ten wen, then a thousand bundles would require a hundred taels of silver.

Calculating this, they couldn’t help but say, “This Laba porridge is quite a deal!”

Thus, some of the sergeant wives began planning.

Next year, when there was an occasion, they would send some food to their husbands’ soldiers, hoping to receive a thousand bundles of firewood in return.

They could then sell it and earn a hundred taels of silver.

Wouldn’t that be profitable?

However, they didn’t get that chance, as during the New Year, Yang Haiyan dashed their hopes once again.

The Qin family continued to haul firewood for over half a month, and soon it was the twenty-third day of the twelfth month, with New Year’s approaching.

On this day, Yang Haiyan, already asleep, was awakened by a commotion.

Mama Lian knocked on the door while calling out, “Madam, the master has returned!”

Still groggy, Yang Haiyan slipped on a long cotton cloak and opened the door.

Qin Fang had already entered the main courtyard.

Seeing Yang Haiyan standing at the door, he strode over, “Did I wake you? Quickly, get back to bed.”

Yang Haiyan pulled at her clothes, confused, “Aren’t you supposed to be on duty tonight? You should be at the military camp, so why are you back?”

This wasn’t a huge secret, so Qin Fang replied honestly, “There’s been an incident at the Marquis’ residence; the young master has been kidnapped.”

For Yang Haiyan, his words were like a thunderclap, ringing in her ears and turning her face pale.

Qin Fang thought she was scared and hurriedly said, “Don’t worry; you should rest for a bit. I’m going back to the county to see the heir. The heir is concerned that others may not be fully committed, so General Ao and I are heading back to the county. By the time you wake up tomorrow, I might be back, and the young master will be rescued too.”

Yang Haiyan quickly grasped Qin Fang’s hand, “Who kidnapped the young master? Was it the barbarians from outside?”

Qin Fang answered, “Yes, the young master was kidnapped by barbarians. They were discovered midway but managed to escape and are now hiding in the county.”

Yang Haiyan took a deep breath, “Then go quickly. I’ll wait for you at home; just be careful.”

Qin Fang reassured her, “Don’t worry.”

Once he left, Yang Haiyan went to the study and took out paper and pen.

Yang Haiyan touched her racing heart, striving to calm herself down because the more anxious she felt, the harder it was to think clearly about the situation.

She took deep breaths, and after a while, she gradually calmed down.

Initially, she thought that since Qin Fang wasn’t a character from the original story, his arrival would alter the narrative, so she stopped thinking about the plot.

However, it now seemed that the plot was still progressing.

According to the original plot, The Captain selection competition occurred after the young master’s kidnapping.

This competition merely served to allow the male lead, Han Zhen, to officially become a Captain.

But since she arrived, the Captain selection had already concluded, and the young master’s kidnapping hadn’t happened, leading her to believe that it wouldn’t occur.

However, the events of tonight marked a significant turn of events.

Yang Haiyan began jotting down notes: The young master’s kidnapping was discovered by Yang Dahua in the county.

The barbarians were hiding in a den in the county, and Yang Dahua had provided this information to the Marquis’ household, which is why she made an impression in front of the heir’s wife.

Later, the young master was secretly rescued.

Some of the barbarians were killed, while others escaped the county.

After fleeing the county, due to the Marquis’ pursuit, they hid in the family quarters.

In fact, which family in the town wouldn’t be a good hiding place?

Why did they choose to sneak into the family quarters?

Because the family quarters were military territory, making it the safest place—one that soldiers would be most wary of.

Once they hid in the family quarters, they conspired to hide in a household of a Captain with his son.

They threatened that Centurion’s son, ensuring that he couldn’t reveal their whereabouts.

Unfortunately, this family was right next door to Yang Dahua’s, so she discovered the situation and informed Han Zhen.

Han Zhen surrounded the courtyard with his men.

At that moment, the Centurion was planning to send the kidnappers away while also revealing the layout of the Yongzhou military camp to them.

Human nature has its weaknesses, and for some, their weakness is their own children.

Han Zhen and his men had originally planned to ambush them secretly to rescue the child, but they realized they had to act when they saw the Centurion getting ready to leave.

The moment they revealed themselves, chaos ensued. The Centurion’s family was killed, and of course, the kidnappers were captured.

After several rounds of interrogation, it was discovered that their motive for kidnapping the young master stemmed from two reasons.