Chapter 31: When Did Huo Rong Get a Little Sister?

His daughter’s forehead was bruised, and no matter what she wore, it was still visible.

“Come here, Father will apply some medicinal alcohol for you.” Feng Xiaohan picked up his daughter and looked at the bruise on her forehead.

He poured some medicinal alcohol into his hand and rubbed it a bit.

With his hand coated in the alcohol, he gently massaged the bruise on his daughter’s forehead.

“Father, my head hurts.” Yu Yu scrunched her little face.

“Then Father will be gentle.” Feng Xiaohan controlled the strength in his hands.

After applying the medicinal alcohol to his daughter, Feng Xiaohan went to wash his hands.

“Father, Yu Yu wants to eat lotus root fritters, I want ten of them.” Yu Yu had been thinking about her desired fritters.

“Let’s not eat fritters for breakfast; you can have them for lunch.” Feng Xiaohan patted his daughter’s little head.

“Mm-hmm.” Yu Yu nodded.

Qing’an brought in breakfast.

“Your Highness, Little Princess, please have your meal.”

Yu Yu immediately sat down eagerly, waiting for the food.

Time to eat!

Qing’an served a bowl of shrimp and scallop porridge to Yu Yu, while Feng Xiaohan had plain congee.

In terms of diet, the prince continued the habits from the army, eating very simply.

For breakfast, he preferred a bowl of plain congee with some pickled vegetables, along with flower rolls.

Yu Yu took a sip of the porridge and kicked her legs in joy.

After finishing breakfast, Yu Yu shouldered her little backpack and prepared to go to work.

“Father, I’m going to work now.”

“Okay, come back early for lunch. If you don’t,  the lotus root fritters, I’ll eat them all myself.” Feng Xiaohan ruffled his daughter’s little head.

“Okay.” Yu Yu nodded.

She happily trotted off to the town to work.

Yu Yu went to the town to check her balance. After buying medicine for her brother, she only had a few taels left.

Sigh, Yu Yu must work even harder to earn money.

“Sister Wisteria, I want two bouquets of flowers.” Yu Yu did not forget to order flowers for Jiang Gu and Father.

“What happened to your forehead?” Wisteria knelt down, looking at Yu Yu’s bruise with concern.

“I accidentally bumped it. Father has already applied medicine for me,” Yu Yu explained.

Wisteria patted Yu Yu’s little head and gently instructed, “Be careful when walking from now on.”

“Mm-hmm.” Yu Yu nodded her little head.

“Wisteria.” Qingyi came over with pastries.

“Yu Yu can have some too.” Qingyi saw Yu Yu and her eyes lit up with delight.

“Sister Qingyi.” Yu Yu sweetly called out.

“Here, try this pastry I just made.” Qingyi handed a piece of pastry to Yu Yu.

Wisteria took a piece and took a bite.

“Date and yam cake.”

“Right.” Qingyi nodded.

“I just learned how to make it.”

“Delicious!” Wisteria exclaimed, saying it was particularly tasty.

“Delicious!” Yu Yu also thought it was especially good.

“What happened to your forehead?” Qingyi looked at Yu Yu’s forehead with concern.

“I bumped it.”

Qingyi gently touched Yu Yu’s forehead.

After finishing a piece of date and yam cake, Yu Yu set off to work.

At the General’s residence, Huo Rong was scratching his head in frustration.

He wanted to see his sister and father, but outside, there were many secret guards sent by the emperor to gather information.

He couldn’t act recklessly, fearing the emperor would discover his connection with his father.

So annoying!

He hadn’t even given his sister the gift he bought.

Huo Rong, feeling irritated, took out a spear and started practicing. The sound of the spear piercing through the air echoed, and he wished he could vent all his anger.

The guard, Jindao, brought over some tea, watching the general’s restless pacing.

He could sense that the general was very agitated at the moment.

“General, have a cup of tea to calm down.”

Huo Rong put away the spear and picked up the teapot, taking a big gulp.

“Damn emperor.” Huo Rong cursed under his breath.

Jindao nodded in agreement.

After finishing the tea, Huo Rong still felt restless.

Fuming, he took off his shirt, revealing his muscular upper body, and stormed out with his spear in hand.

“General, where are you going?”

“Going to fight Su Jianlu.”

“Oh, a fight? Then you should put your clothes back on.” You can’t go to a fight half-naked.

Countless young ladies in Sangdu would surely blush secretly again.

Huo Rong didn’t care; he rode his horse, determined, and arrived at the Su residence.

The Su family was a prestigious family, known for their lineage as the founding prime minister’s descendants. Many of their descendants had excelled in the imperial examinations.

Logically, Su Jianlu should have followed the family tradition and pursued the examinations, but unexpectedly, he chose to enlist in the army.

During his service, he met Huo Rong, and somehow, they became rivals.

“Su Jianlu!” Huo Rong shouted with an imposing demeanor.

“Huo… Huo General, what do you want?” The guard at the door stuttered, frightened by Huo Rong.

It felt as though Huo General was ready to engage in a life-and-death battle with Su Jianlu.

“I’m here to fight you, you brat!”

“Huo Rong, have you lost your mind?” Su Jianlu stood coldly at the door, casting a glance at Huo Rong.

“Are you crazy? Showing up at my door in broad daylight like a flasher.”

“Su Jianlu, you’re the crazy one!” Huo Rong cursed back.

Su Jianlu’s older brother was helped over to watch the commotion.

“Brother.” Su Jianlu respectfully greeted his elder brother.

“Jianlu, is this the Huo General you often talk about?” Su Linshen looked at Huo Rong with gentle eyes.

“Yes, it’s this fool.” Su Jianlu nodded, his tongue sharp.

“Jianlu, a guest is here, let Huo General in.” Su Linshen patted his brother on the shoulder.

Su Jianlu huffed at Huo Rong.

“Come in.”

Huo Rong thought to himself, who can’t huff?

Huo Rong stepped confidently into the Su residence with his spear.

Su Jianlu supported Su Linshen, who was panting after taking a few steps.

“Brother.” Su Jianlu looked at Su Linshen with concern.

“It’s nothing.” Su Linshen smiled slightly.

Huo Rong observed Su Linshen, the once-renowned eldest son of the Su family, now bedridden for years, looking haggard and weary.

The Prince still admired this man.

The three of them arrived in the courtyard. Su Linshen sat down to rest, while Su Jianlu covered him with a thin blanket.

“General Huo, I’ve heard of you.” Huo Rong performed a respectful gesture.

“There’s no need for formalities, General Huo. Are you here to visit Jianlu?” Su Linshen looked at Huo Rong with warmth in his gaze.

“Mm.” Huo Rong nodded.

Su Jianlu took out his spear.

“If you lose this time, you have to call me ‘Father.’” Su Jianlu smirked at Huo Rong.

“Fine, if I win, you have to call me ‘Father’ too.”

Su Linshen: So this is the kind of bets they make when they play.

The spears cut through the air as the two began their fierce duel.

Su Linshen quietly watched as the two brothers competed.

During the duel, Su Jianlu sensed Huo Rong’s agitation.

“What happened?” Su Jianlu asked during a brief pause.

“It’s that damn emperor again, sending people to spy on me, preventing me from seeing my sister.” Huo Rong’s face revealed his disgust.

“There are spies around the Su residence as well; there are probably quite a few within the house too.” Su Jianlu’s expression turned colder at the mention of the emperor.

How spirited and exceptional his elder brother used to be, yet now he lay bedridden, unable to pursue his ambitions.

He didn’t want the Su family to become the second Pei family, so he chose to enlist in the military, earn military merit, and grasp military power.

All for the sake of protecting his family in the future.

“Wait, when did you get a sister?” Su Jianlu suddenly reacted.

When did Huo Rong have a sister? Wasn’t he a solitary person?

“Hey, I won’t tell you! I can only say that my sister is incredibly cute and calls me ‘brother’ in the softest, sweetest way.” Huo Rong boasted.

Su Jianlu thought to himself: I want to poke this dog Huo Rong to death!

“Hey, why are you getting so worked up?”

“My sister is only two years old, a tiny little thing, and when she looks up to call you ‘brother,’ my heart just melts!”

Ultimately, Huo Rong lost the duel due to being too focused on banter, and Su Jianlu seized the opportunity to knock his spear down.

“Call me ‘Father.’” Su Jianlu looked at Huo Rong with the pride of a victor.

Huo Rong moved his mouth but couldn’t get the words out.

Su Jianlu crossed his arms, “Hurry up and call me, and once you do, scram! I won’t let you stay for lunch.”