Chapter 37 2/2

“Huo Shu glanced ahead. ‘If you don’t want to sleep with me, why marry me then?’

Taoyu widened her eyes at this argument.

It seemed like he was implying she wanted something from him or that she was taking advantage of the situation.

She silently moved her body forward a bit to express her dissatisfaction.

But as she did, a hand circled around her waist, pulling her back.

Taoyu shifted her gaze. ‘My dad said you’ve prepared a lot of betrothal gifts. Where did you get so much money? ‘

‘Are you already thinking about my money before we’re even married?’

Taoyu glared at Huo Shu. ‘Who’s thinking about your money? After we’re married, we’ll each spend our own! ‘

Huo Shu turned his gaze back to the girl. ‘Are you sure?’

Taoyu immediately thought about her expenses. If she wasn’t so greedy, maybe… Maybe she wouldn’t spend much money.

Even if it wasn’t enough, now that they’d come to this point, she could only straighten her back and reluctantly nod.

‘Then don’t come back complaining that I’m not treating you well or not giving you money.’

‘It’s our business, I… I won’t complain.’

Huo Shu smiled faintly. As they travelled along the official road through the woods, the wind grew stronger. He held the person in his arms even tighter, slightly bent his body, and rested his chin on Taoyu’s shoulder.

Taoyu noticed Huo Shu’s closeness, sat up straight, and looked ahead through the mist, not daring to move, her face turning red.

Although Huo Shu always had a stern and fierce expression, his body was warm. Snuggled up like this, she didn’t feel cold even while riding.

Though her body was warm, her heart still felt a bit cold. Huo Shu’s not giving her control over money was one thing, but he actually agreed that they would each spend their own money after getting married. He was truly a heartless man.

After getting married, she definitely couldn’t ask her parents for money anymore. She would have to make more ointments and sell them in the city to earn some pocket money.

Thinking about how she would live even worse after getting married, it was really pitiful.

Taoyu fell silent for a while, then suddenly said, ‘Then I won’t cook for you.’

‘We’ll each do our own cooking.’

Huo Shu said, ‘Should we each sleep separately too?’

Taoyu was stunned. If that were the case, it would be like they weren’t married at all.

But he was so clear about everything; could she blame him?

She straightened up a bit more. ‘But…’

Before she could finish her sentence, Huo Shu suddenly pulled out a purse of money. ‘Take the money; forget everything I said earlier.’

Taoyu raised an eyebrow. Oh? Is he changing his mind again?

Taking the purse, she grinned, but the purse wasn’t that big, and it wasn’t heavy either.

Taoyu was curious about Huo Shu’s financial situation, so she quickly opened the purse. But at a glance, she immediately closed it, turning her head to Huo Shu in disbelief.

‘How… How do you have so much money? ‘

Although the purse wasn’t heavy, it didn’t contain copper coins or silver, but gold beans! “

“An ounce of silver can be exchanged for one thousand copper coins, but an ounce of gold can be exchanged for ten ounces of silver.

There must be at least five or six ounces of gold here!

Taoyu narrowed her eyes. This person really knows how to hide his wealth. Despite his unkempt appearance, he always claims to have no money, but it seems he’s quite skilled at disguising himself.

“Should be enough for you to spend for a while. No need for each of us to cook separately now, right?”

Taoyu handed the purse back to him, her eyes full of cunning.

Seemingly still unwilling, she added, “Since you put it that way, fine.”

Huo Shu watched the girl’s actions with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Throughout the journey, they didn’t encounter many people. Even when they did, Taoyu wrapped herself entirely in the cloak, only revealing her eyes. With Huo Shu standing behind with a face colder than the winter wind, no one dared to peek.

Upon reaching the city gate, they found a crowd gathered outside.

Huo Shu dismounted and lifted Taoyu down.

Approaching the crowd, they discovered a notice posted at the city gate.

After more than a month of pursuit by the authorities, the banditry in Tongzhou has finally been quelled.

However, not all have been captured. Some have managed to escape Tongzhou, but patrols along the border have intensified, so there’s no need to fear for now.

Many valuables have been recovered from the fugitives, and those who lost their belongings can reclaim them from the authorities.

The news sparked discussions among the crowd, with many saying they can now have a peaceful year.

“I wonder if the grain from Fan Village has been recovered.”

Taoyu muttered, and someone nearby, eager to join the conversation, chimed in, “With so many bandits, they must have been eating grain every day. I heard that only half of the grain recovered by the authorities was from Fan Village, and the rest had to be replenished by the villagers themselves.”

Taoyu furrowed her brow at the news. Half of the recovered grain was already a significant loss, not to mention the additional burden on Fan Village.

With the notice posted at the city gate and the flow of people passing by, the news quickly spread to nearby villages.

The once quiet villages seemed to regain some vitality, and the city appeared livelier than before.

After reading the notice, the two headed straight to the cloth shop ten miles away. Taoyu, who hadn’t been to the city for a long time, felt a bit uneasy amidst the bustling crowds.

She leant slightly towards Huo Shu, tentatively raising her hand to touch his hand.

Feeling the warmth of his hand, Huo Shu glanced at the slightly blushing girl’s ear and, inadvertently, grabbed Taoyu’s hand, clasping it in his own palm.

Taoyu looked up at Huo Shu, unable to suppress the smile at the corner of her mouth, and grabbed his arm with her other hand, feeling elated.

Perhaps the news in the city spreads faster, as they already knew that the banditry had been quelled. The shop was bustling with more people than usual.

They sent a message to Wu Lianhe through the shop assistant and waited for her in the warm pavilion.

“Getting married?!”

Upon receiving the news, Wu Lianhe was both surprised and delighted. It was unexpected, yet it seemed fitting.

Taoyu felt a bit embarrassed and explained, “We came here today to get measurements for our wedding attire, and we thought we’d inform Sister Wu along the way.”

“That’s wonderful news!”

Excitedly, Wu Lianhe exclaimed, “When is the wedding banquet? I’m not sure if I can attend, but if I can’t help in other ways, let me make your wedding attire. It’s a small token of my goodwill.”

“Sure!”

Taoyu quickly agreed and turned to look at Huo Shu. “Is that okay with you?”

Huo Shu nodded in agreement.

Seeing Huo Shu’s stern demeanour, Wu Lianhe found it easier to comply with Taoyu’s wishes.

“Let’s go choose the fabric then. The recent banditry has stirred up quite a commotion, and business in the cloth shop has suffered. However, after the authorities posted the notice, the shopkeeper brought out the best fabrics from the bottom of the barrel. Since you’re here early, you’ll have plenty of styles to choose from.”

Excited, Taoyu was eager to go select the fabric, but when she turned around, she noticed Huo Shu still standing to the side. “Let’s go.”

Huo Shu, who wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about such matters, replied, “You go ahead.”

Taoyu pouted. It seemed Huo Shu wasn’t interested in these things. She tapped the purse and whispered to Huo Shu, “If you don’t come with me, I might spend your money recklessly.”

Huo Shu raised an eyebrow. “Go ahead; we can tighten our belts and eat frugally in the future.”

Taoyu narrowed her eyes.

“You two, go ahead. I’ll go pick out a bow and arrows for Zhao Pan. I had planned to make one for him myself, but I haven’t had time to gather the materials since we returned.”

Taoyu replied, “Then I’ll wait for you in the cloth shop.”

At the door, Wu Lianhe wasn’t sure what the two were whispering about, but when Taoyu approached alone, she said, “Let’s go choose. He’s not good at making decisions.”

Wu Lianhe chuckled. “Men are usually like that.”

Meanwhile, Huo Shu went to find a bow and arrow shop. There weren’t many shops in Tongzhou specializing in bows and arrows, unlike in the northern regions where such shops were more common.

The largest one in the city was called Ju’an Fang, offering a wide variety of styles and attracting many wealthy and noble visitors.

Entering the shop, Huo Shu was immediately greeted by a clerk, but he waved them away, knowing exactly what he wanted. He didn’t need any introductions; he was knowledgeable about the quality of bows and arrows.

For beginners like Zhao Pan, he didn’t need top-quality equipment. Anything suitable for practice would do.

After selecting a few and testing their string strength, Huo Shu felt as though someone was watching him from behind.

Without saying a word, he set down the bow and turned to go upstairs, confident that the eyes had followed him.

Placing an arrowless bamboo shaft on the bowstring, he turned and released it towards the source of the gaze.

Swish! The bamboo shaft flew past, grazing the target and embedding itself into the bullseye.

“Huo, is it really you?!

The person who was almost shot looked at the bamboo arrow stuck besides them, not angry but rather with a gleam in their eyes: “The archery is still as good as ever!”

Huo Shu looked at the slightly handsome but sun-darkened young man, estimating him to be in his early twenties.

Listening to his introduction, he must be someone Huo Shu knew, but he couldn’t recall him.

“Who are you?” Huo Shu asked.

The man happily ran up and quickly introduced himself: “I’m Ge Liang, a villager from the Red Pear Village below Tongzhou City. I enlisted on the northern border six years ago.”

Huo Shu confirmed his suspicion; he was indeed a soldier from the northern border.

He lowered his guard slightly and asked, “Which battalion are you from?”

“I’m from the Fourth Battalion under Deputy General Ma.”

“How do you recognise me?”

There were thousands of soldiers in the army, and few would recognize each other once they were deployed.

Huo Shu was in the Third Battalion under Deputy General Ma before, but even though they were close, with each battalion having over a thousand soldiers, they rarely interacted.

Ge Liang scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Huo Baihu may not remember me, but we met before.”

A few years ago, Ge Liang was bullied as a new recruit, especially because of his frail appearance. He hardly had a decent meal in the first few months, and his training was subpar. Unfortunately, he encountered a battle shortly after being deployed to the front line.

At that time, Huo Shu, who was already a seasoned soldier, came down from the front line to pick up soldiers from the Fourth Battalion. Seeing Ge Liang’s frailty, he demanded to inspect his archery skills. Finding him inadequate, he scolded those responsible for sending him to die and replaced him.

Later, Ge Liang was transferred to the logistics department, which saved his life.

Ge Liang was surprised at the time. Huo Shu was just a serjeant in the Third Battalion, responsible for only about a dozen soldiers. It was unexpected for him to scold someone from the Fourth Battalion, especially when they were of the same rank. Yet, no one dared to argue with him.

Veterans later told him that although Huo Shu was just a sergeant, he was born in the northern region and was skilled in archery. Despite his bad temper and cold demeanour, he was not one to flatter superiors, which hindered his promotion. However, his combat prowess was needed, so even though he wasn’t given authority, he was still valued.

Ge Liang said, “After that incident, everyone thought Huo Baihu and I were old friends and didn’t dare to trouble me. I’ve been in the logistics department for a few years now, rarely sent to the front line, and even received favours from other soldiers. Being able to return home alive after the war is all thanks to Huo Baihu’s protection.”

“I’ve always wanted to thank you in person, but unfortunately, my abilities are limited, and I can’t just roam around the army freely. I never had the chance to see Sergeant Huo again after that. It’s only through bits and pieces of information that I heard you were promoted to Sergeant, and unexpectedly, after the war, I could meet you in Tongzhou.”

Huo Shu listened to Ge Liang’s words and had a faint impression.

“Back then, your archery was indeed poor. If I had chosen someone with poor skills to go to the front line, it wouldn’t have been of much help, and sending new recruits to die would have been in vain. I wouldn’t have gained much benefit either way. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Ge Liang smiled instead of getting angry at his words, remarking that his speech was still as harsh as he remembered.

“Whether it was by chance or not, I can return to Tongzhou because of Serjeant Huo.”

Huo Shu nodded slightly. “As long as you’re alive.”

Ge Liang asked, “Why didn’t Serjeant Huo return to the capital with the army for rewards? Why is he in Tongzhou?”

Since they were old acquaintances, Huo Shu briefly explained his reasons for coming to Tongzhou to Ge Liang.

Learning about Zhao Chang’s death, Ge Liang also felt sorrowful. Despite being fellow villagers, they hadn’t recognised each other in the army.

He considered himself lucky amidst the unfortunate.

Now that he had left the northern border, Huo Shu didn’t want to dwell on the past. He had someone he wanted to protect with his life and had hopes for the future.

“I’m currently in Mingxun Village. I’m getting married on the eighth day of next month. If you’re free, you can come over for the wedding.”

Ge Liang’s eyes widened in surprise. “Sergeant Huo settling down in Tongzhou is great! Mingxun Village is even closer to our village!”

“May I ask which family is fortunate enough to have you?”

“The Ji family.”

Ge Liang’s eyes widened even more. “The Ji family’s son!”