Chapter 23: A Flock of Crows Flies By

Lin Luoluo watched as the two elderly people cried for a while. With their age, she feared they might cry themselves into a bad state.

She comforted them, saying,
“Father died protecting the people of a city. He died honorably. He is our pride.”

“That’s right! The young man’s lifelong wish was to protect the country. He did it. We should be proud of him.”

The village chief wiped away his tears.
“Xiao Wuzi, don’t be sad anymore.”
Grandpa Wu also wiped his tears.
“He is the pride of the old Lin family.”

“Old man, didn’t our general say he built a house here? Do you know where it is? Can you take us there?”

Lin Zhong interrupted them. The young master was still carrying a child! After traveling all day, he feared she might be exhausted, so it was better to go to the ancestral home and rest soon.

“Are you all going to stay there?” The village chief looked at the long line of people and furrowed his brow. With so many people, it might be hard to make arrangements.

“Maybe we can spread out and stay with different families?” The village chief kindly suggested.

“No need, Grandpa. Just have someone guide us there, and we’ll manage for one night,” Lin Luoluo replied.

The village chief, Grandpa Wu, Lin Jingming, and the other villagers all involuntarily twitched their lips and exchanged strange looks.

Lin Luoluo thought to herself, Why do they all look like that? My father is a general of the state. His house, though not large, must at least be big enough to accommodate over a hundred people.

In the end, Lin Jingming sighed and stepped forward.

“I know where it is. I’ll take you there.”

“Grandpa, Grandpa Wu, you two should go rest first. I’ll come look for you tomorrow.”

“Alright! Jingming, you take them there first. I’ll ask your grandmother to prepare something to eat and send it over.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll ask them to make more,” Grandpa Wu added.

“No need, we’ve got everything,” Lin Jingming agreed, nodding. Lin Luoluo was right—their cart was full of various things. They didn’t need to trouble anyone.

Once Lin Jingming led them off toward the ancestral home, the others dispersed.

At the entrance of the ancestral home, Lin Luoluo looked at the gray-brick house before her, and a flock of crows flew overhead.

Why was it that her father, who personally came back to build this ancestral home, had only three main rooms? The courtyard walls were made from bamboo and wood, making the interior fully visible.

The courtyard was quite large, with several peach trees planted. It must have been beautiful when the flowers bloomed, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the flowering season now.

Near the peach trees, there was a stone table. To the left, vegetables were growing in neat rows, indicating that someone had been taking care of it.

But, my dear father, you’re a great general—why does your ancestral home only have three rooms?

“Uncle Zhong, didn’t my father say there were only three rooms in this ancestral home?”

“The general never mentioned it. But when he returned to the capital, he was so excited to tell Madam that next time, he’d bring her back to a house made of gray bricks and big tiles. He was so happy, like he was showing off, so I thought it would be…”

He suddenly noticed the cawing sound all around.

“I thought you all knew.”

“I heard from my father that when Uncle Qing returned, he gave twenty taels of silver to each family and even donated two hundred taels to build a school for the village,” Lin Jingming said, sensing her gaze. “So, Uncle Qing didn’t have much money left for the house.”

So my father is this poor?

“How could a great general be this poor?”

“Madam, the general gave all his salary to support fallen soldiers, so he’s really broke.”

Lin Luoluo sighed and resigned herself to the situation.

“Alright, looks like we’ll have to sleep outside tonight.”

“Does anyone live here? The house wasn’t managed by my father and mother, and the vegetables were planted by them.”

“Ah, I forgot. Please wait, I’ll go back and get my mother to open the door.” Lin Jingming suddenly remembered, tapping his forehead before running off.

He didn’t go far before encountering his parents, who had come to find him.

“Son, son, you’re finally back! I thought I’d never see you again, boohoo…” Yu Shi, Lin Jingming’s mother, embraced him, crying as she spoke.

“Alright, Jingming’s return is a good thing. Let go, there are so many people watching,” Lin Wu said as he stepped forward to comfort her.

Reluctantly, Yu Shi let go of her son and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

Lin Wu slapped Lin Jingming on the shoulder.

“Good boy, it’s good to have you back.”

“Ugh~” Lin Jingming winced. His father’s strength was still as great as ever.

“Can’t you be gentler? You’re hurting your son.” Yu Shi glared at him.

Lin Wu thought, I was gentle enough! It’s the son who’s weak and hasn’t been trained enough.

Dad, you can kill a wild boar with one punch, but can I compare myself to a wild boar?

Lin Jingming shot his father a resentful look.

“It’s my fault. I made you worry.”

“Haha… My son is lucky. But from now on, you need to practice martial arts with me.”

“Listen to Dad!”

This time, Yu Shi didn’t oppose. She used to stop him from learning martial arts, fearing he’d turn out as burly as his father.

But after this incident, her thinking changed. He might have been able to escape if he had martial skills when he was kidnapped by bandits.

“Father, Mother, you’re just in time. I was going to look for you.”

“Uncle Qing’s children have settled down, so you should return their house keys.”

“Ah, we’re so forgetful! We saw you and got so happy we forgot. We met your Fifth Grandpa on the way and he told us, so we turned back to get the keys and came here.”

After speaking, Lin Wu led them toward Lin Luoluo.

“Miss, you must be Brother Qing’s daughter. You really look like him, just as handsome as he was. Hehe…”

Lin Luoluo thought, I look more like my mother, thank you very much.

“Yes, Uncle, Aunt, hello!”

“Ah, yes, yes, Aunt thanks you for saving Jingming.”

“Miss, you must be exhausted after traveling so long. Go inside and rest. We’ve just tidied up the room and put fresh bedding in there.”

Afterward, she called out to Lin Wu.
“Hurry and open the door for them, child!”

Lin Wu, who had been deep in conversation with Lin Zhong, quickly responded, “Alright!”

“Aunt, just call me Luoluo. We’re family. ‘Miss’ makes it sound so formal.”

“Okay, from now on, I’ll call you Luoluo.”

Inside the house, they helped Lin Luoluo settle the bed.

“These quilts were just aired a few days ago. Aunt will leave now, so as not to disturb your rest.”

“Aunt, take care!”

Yu Shi waved her hand as she left.

After Lin Wu and the others left, everyone started to get busy—pitching tents, cooking, and preparing everything.

Back home, Yu Shi asked Lin Jingming to bring some vegetables that weren’t available in the courtyard.

With so many hands working, the tasks were done quickly, and soon everyone was eating hot, steaming meals.

After several days of traveling, they ate and went to bed early.