Chapter 112: Eating

This battle came at an incredibly heavy cost for He Village.

It wasn’t long before Changmao and the others returned, informing that the village doctors knew it was the bandits who had massacred the village, but none were willing to treat the injured.

Pear Blossom, unable to force anyone to come, had no choice but to pin her hopes on Doctor Zhang and instructed the medical team to cooperate fully. She asked him to list the needed medicinal herbs and immediately sent someone to buy them. If they couldn’t be found, she would go to the mountains herself to gather them.

With the system in place, collecting herbs wasn’t difficult at all.

Moreover, with the system’s assistance, several small bandits who had originally planned to sneak away and report back were also quickly found by Pear Blossom and captured.

A total of thirty-seven bandits and twelve traitors from He Village were tied up at Wuli Slope, lined up in a row.

Everyone from the two villages, except for the children, was required to be present for the execution.

It was not only to vent hatred, but also to build courage.

This was just the first batch of bandits to enter the village. With so many people at Eagle’s Nest Ridge, it was certain there would be a second and third batch.

This world is cruel, and one must face it! Accept it!

If one cannot even accept such a scene, how can they face even more brutal situations in the future?

At Pear Blossom’s command, the raid team each took a spear and pierced the bandits’ bodies. If one spear didn’t kill, they would use two; if two didn’t work, they would use three.

Several young men from Fuping Village also joined the execution team.

The bandits never expected that the ones who had been executing others were now the ones being executed. In an instant, their cries for their parents filled the air.

However, as spears rose and knives fell, the screams became intermittent, and a group of evil lives was silenced forever.

Seeing these villains receive their just punishment, the people of He Village cried for their deceased loved ones, for the days of humiliation they had endured, and for the hopeless future.

But life had to go on!

Qin Zheng limped over to Pear Blossom and hesitantly said, “Pear Blossom, leader, I really have no other way, so I’m shamelessly asking you for help… right now, the village has no food, and everyone is surviving on tree bark and tender grass. The seedlings were just planted, but these animals destroyed some of them. If your village has any surplus food, could you lend us some to get through this? It would help us replant the destroyed seedlings and prevent everyone from starving to death.”

Pear Blossom had actually been thinking about this very issue. With things being this bad in He Village, she couldn’t just ignore it.

She turned her head and looked at the few horses and scattered weapons taken from the bandits, then carefully thought it over in her mind.

“I’ll find a way to handle your village’s food, but the horses and weapons, I need to take them. You have no objections, right?”

To the people of He Village, the horses were seen as food, but they also knew that since the bandits had already lost a hundred men here, they would surely return. These horses and weapons would still be of great use.

They knew that keeping these things would do less for them than if they were in the hands of the people of Daliushu Village.

Moreover, if it weren’t for their help today, their village would have been slaughtered already, and they wouldn’t even be alive now. The other party had promised to help with their food situation, so how could they have the face to keep the horses and weapons?

A few village elders hurriedly responded, “It’s no problem at all. You can take them, we have no objections!”

Pear Blossom nodded and said, “Alright, everyone should go back and settle your families, then start getting the farming work going again. As for the rest, leave it to us.”

Hearing this, Qin Zheng felt a great sense of relief and thanked her, “Thank you so much, Pear Blossom.”

Pear Blossom just smiled and shook her head. Thinking about the security arrangements for their village, she said, “The bandits are rampant now, and the two villages are quite far apart. We’ll send people to patrol here over the next couple of days, but we can’t be here all the time. Does your village need to build lookout towers and organize patrols? Even if you can’t fight, at least you can spot the enemy and alert us?”

Qin Zheng hurriedly agreed, “Yes, yes, I’ll arrange it as soon as I get back.”

Other villagers of He Village gathered around, asking, “Pear Blossom, can we join your raid team?”

Pear Blossom didn’t expect such a request. She looked at the two to three hundred villagers in front of her—though exhausted, they still held hope—and felt a stir of other thoughts in her heart.

After a brief moment of thought, she replied, “Of course, but for the next couple of days, everyone should settle your homes first. Once I finish dealing with things on my side, I’ll come to He Village to recruit members. Even if you can’t join the raid team, there will be other tasks available for everyone.”

The people of He Village were heartened by her response. The gloom in their eyes lifted as they helped each other leave.

Qin Zheng was the last to go. He turned around and deeply bowed to Pear Blossom and the people of Daliushu Village, “Pear Blossom, and all the people from Daliushu Village, He Village is in trouble now, and we ask for your continued help in the future.”

Everyone had participated in the tragic events of the day, and hearing this made them feel the sorrow even more. They all spoke words of comfort.

Pear Blossom reassured him, “Don’t worry, we’re all from the same homeland. We’ll look out for each other. By the way, I found a few bags of grain at Wei Gouzi’s house. When you get back, have everyone distribute the grain and make some porridge to fill everyone’s stomachs. Also, there’s a horse that got injured today and can’t be ridden. You can slaughter it and share the meat.”

Qin Zheng was deeply grateful for how thoughtful she was and replied with a thank you. He then limped toward He Village.

The young men from Fuping Village, seeing that things had been settled, also came to say their goodbyes.

Pear Blossom and her companions waved and smiled at them.

As the sky grew dim, they abandoned the idea of going up the mountain to gather medicine and told the people of Daliushu Village, “Let’s go, we should head back now.”

After returning to the village, Pear Blossom kept the raiding team behind and reviewed the battle.

Overall, they had annihilated about a hundred bandits and saved the people of He Village, which was considered a victory. The morale of everyone was quite high.

The strategy today had primarily been to save people, but the people of He Village had charged forward first, taking the brunt of the attack and blocking the knives for the others to subdue the bandits.

The villagers from He Village had died too tragically.

Pear Blossom reflected deeply and realized she hadn’t properly considered the retreat of the personnel.

There was also a psychological issue.

“Today was everyone’s first time on the battlefield, and fear is normal! But next time, we won’t be rookies anymore. Showing mercy to the enemy is the greatest harm to yourself and your teammates. Now, every one of you has blood on your hands. We’ve killed captives. You must overcome that mental block!”

After the talk, she released everyone to rest.

…

By the time she got home, the sky had already darkened considerably.

The siblings entered the courtyard one after the other, and voices could be heard in the kitchen. Pear Blossom first went to see her mother.

Xinghua was busy chopping vegetables while Mrs. Xiong was simmering soup on the stove, the aroma wafting through the air.

Hearing the door open, Mrs. Xiong looked up, her hand instinctively pausing with the ladle.

“Are you alright?”

Dagen had come back earlier and had already heard the situation from her husband, but seeing her daughter covered in blood, she couldn’t help but worry.

Pear Blossom shook her head. She was so hungry that she could hardly think straight, her eyes scanning around, looking for something to eat.

She asked, “Where’s Fubao?”

Mrs. Xiong pointed subtly toward her room.

Pear Blossom’s heart skipped a beat, instantly forgetting her hunger. She turned and ran toward the room.

Mrs. Xiong pouted, “Once she has a wife, she forgets about her mother.”

In the room, Dong Yun was softly talking to Fubao. Hearing the door suddenly open, she looked up.

Pear Blossom was both surprised and delighted, “How did you come down?”

Seeing her in ragged clothes, blood stains on her face and arms, and her waist still bearing the curved knife, Dong Yun noticed a few strands of disheveled hair falling from her face. Despite her messy appearance, her bright eyes and increasingly beautiful face made her look very heroic at that moment.

Her eyes couldn’t help but shift, “I was worried about you.”

Today, everyone had gone to He Village, and no one had come down to the foot of Dongshan. Dong Yun was genuinely concerned about her, and unable to hold back, she came down.

Pear Blossom’s feelings surged with affection in an instant; she wanted nothing more than to pull her into a tight embrace and spin her around a few times.

However, her thigh was suddenly grabbed by a small figure.

“Pear Blossom, Fubao is also worried about you,” the little one said, looking up at Pear Blossom seriously.

Pear Blossom chuckled, reaching out to touch her little face but then realizing her hands were covered in dirt. Not only her hands, but her entire body was covered in dust and blood stains.

She quickly said, “Sister, wait for me a moment. I’m going to take a shower first.”

Dong Yun noticed how energetic she seemed but also smelled strongly of blood, so she blinked her eyes and said, “Go ahead, take your time. Don’t rush.”

There was only one shower in the house. Daniu and Pear Blossom had come back together, and knowing that his older sister would want a thorough wash, he sensibly took a wooden bucket and went to the back door to use the spring, not daring to compete for the spot.

Pear Blossom grabbed her clothes and went.

After a whole day of fighting, with blood and flesh flying everywhere, her head, face, and clothes were stained with blood and dirt. She couldn’t be careless.

It took nearly half an hour to wash herself clean, and when she came out, she felt refreshed.

When she returned to her room, Dong Yun saw her with wet hair dripping and said, “Sit down, I’ll help you fix your hair.”

Pear Blossom gladly sat down in front of her.

Dong Yun, however, noticed a scratch on her arm, the skin and flesh still slightly turned outward, with the wound appearing pale from the washing and showing tiny blood streaks. She was startled and asked, “You’re hurt?”

Pear Blossom nonchalantly replied, “It’s fine. I just scratched myself by accident. It’s stopped bleeding already. I’ll put some medicine on it later, it’s nothing.”

But Dong Yun insisted on applying the medicine first.

Pear Blossom had no choice but to get up and fetch the medicine from the cabinet and handed it to her.

Looking at the curious Fubao, Pear Blossom suddenly mischievously winked and said, “Fubao, look, Pear Blossom has a wound here, and there’s a lot of blood. Are you scared?”

Upon hearing that Pear Blossom was injured, Fubao’s face instantly turned pale. She dared not look at Pear Blossom’s arm but was clearly worried, her little face scrunched up in fear.

Pear Blossom laughed heartily, reached out to pat her little head, “I was just teasing you. Go to the kitchen and see what delicious food grandma has cooked.”

Dong Yun knew exactly what Pear Blossom was up to when she saw Fubao being sent away.

Sure enough, once the little one disappeared, Pear Blossom immediately pulled Dong Yun close, her lips brushing against hers.

Dong Yun’s breath hitched, but remembering how tired Pear Blossom had been today, she didn’t pull away right away. She let Pear Blossom gently kiss her for a while before finally pushing her away.

Once she had her freedom back, she shot Pear Blossom a stern look. “You’re injured and still so mischievous?”

Pear Blossom grinned widely, showing a row of white teeth that dazzled the eyes.

Dong Yun bit her lip, unsure of how to respond, her heart filled with sweetness.

She had once thought Pear Blossom was awkward, only saying “oh” or “hm,” but now she had become quite adept at charming others.

Pear Blossom continued, then remembered something from today and said, “Sister, today a little sister called me a general.”

Dong Yun paused while twisting Pear Blossom’s hair and asked softly, “Do you like being a general?”

Pear Blossom replied, “I like being your general.”

Dong Yun hesitated for a moment, but then her fingers gently ran through Pear Blossom’s hair, and she rubbed her head, saying, “Good.”

Good for what? They both understood.

“Your hair has grown so long now. If it keeps growing, it’ll be hard to manage.”

Especially with situations like today.

But traditionally, women rarely cut their hair. Pear Blossom thought for a moment and said, “It’ll be fine once it reaches my chest. If it gets any longer, I’ll have it trimmed.”

Dong Yun nodded. “Next time we go back to the cave, I’ll trim it for you.”

As they were talking, there was a sound of footsteps at the door. Then a small head peeked inside, “Mom, Pear Blossom, it’s time to eat.”

The door was fully pushed open, and Mrs. Xiong came in with a large tray, standing behind her.

Now that Dong Yun’s identity was public, it was no longer appropriate for her to eat with Dagen and his sons. So, Mrs. Xiong brought the food over.

Dong Yun stood up and thanked her, “Thank you, Aunt Xiufang.”

Mrs. Xiong, though she had commented on their relationship in front of Pear Blossom, was well aware of how to behave in front of the princess.

Besides, she didn’t really dislike Dong Yun.

Looking at the perfect pair in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel proud that her daughter was no less than the princess in front of others. Smiling, she said, “Don’t be so polite with Aunt. Go ahead and eat. If you’re still hungry, Pear Blossom can go to the kitchen and get more.”

With that, she stepped back and pulled Fubao along, “Fubao, eat with Xinghua outside. Grandma saved you a big chicken leg.”

Fubao, attracted by the chicken leg, glanced at her mother and then immediately followed Mrs. Xiong without hesitation.

Dong Yun muttered under her breath, calling her ungrateful.

Pear Blossom found it amusing, gathered her hair, and prepared to serve the food.

Dong Yun had already beaten her to it, placing the dishes on the table, “You’ve worked hard today. Just sit and eat.”

Three dishes: stewed chicken with mushrooms, a plate of scrambled eggs, and a vegetable dish. It was the same as usual, nothing too special.

To them, it was just a simple family meal, but to people outside, especially from He Village, it was a meal that could only be dreamed of.

Pear Blossom had been busy all day, killing several people, running around, and exhausting a lot of energy. From early in the morning until now, she was already so hungry her stomach was growling.

The smell of food wafted through the air, and her tongue involuntarily produced saliva, which she couldn’t stop.

Mrs. Xiong knew her daughter’s appetite, so she had prepared two bowls of rice, one large and one small. Pear Blossom’s bowl was a large sea bowl, piled high with rice, forming a small peak that looked like a tiny mountain.

Pear Blossom noticed Dong Yun’s gaze sweep over the pointed top of the rice bowl, and her face turned slightly red. She shyly said, “I… I’m just really hungry…”

Dong Yun gave her a reproachful look and said, “If you’re hungry, just eat. Do you think I would laugh at you for eating too much?”

Pear Blossom cleared her throat, picked up her chopsticks, and said, “I’m a little embarrassed.”

Dong Yun sighed softly and said gently, “You protected so many people today and killed so many bandits, using so much strength. Eating three or four bowls wouldn’t be excessive.”

“Eat quickly,” she said as she put some vegetables into Pear Blossom’s bowl.

Seeing her caring and considerate manner, Pear Blossom felt joy in her heart. She picked up the big bowl and began to eat quickly, devouring the food.

Dong Yun knew she was hungry and didn’t speak to her during the meal, instead occasionally adding vegetables to her bowl. Only when the rice in the large bowl was almost gone did she ask, “Is that enough? If not, there’s still half a bowl left.”

Pear Blossom swallowed and realized she was almost full. A quick glance at the remaining food made her feel satisfied, but when she heard Dong Yun ask, she found herself wanting the last half-bowl. She wanted to lick the edge of the bowl where Dong Yun’s red lips had touched.

Dong Yun noticed the glint in her eyes and directly handed her the small bowl.

Pear Blossom bit her lip, took the bowl, poured some leftover chicken juice over the rice, mixed it, and finished the small bowl of rice in one go.

She even licked the edge of the bowl, still feeling unsatisfied.

Dong Yun watched her actions, her ears turning slightly red, but she pretended not to notice and continued nibbling on the chicken leg in her plate.

She couldn’t help but think: “We’ve already done worse things, yet I can’t believe I’m so impatient just from seeing her lick the bowl.”

After finishing the meal, Pear Blossom felt revitalized and began talking about the events of the day.

She didn’t go into any unpleasant details, but mentioned the general situation of casualties in He Village and the need for food supplies.

“Tomorrow, I need to go up the mountain to gather some herbs. With the current chaotic situation, the price of medicine is skyrocketing, especially the external medicine for treating knife wounds and stopping bleeding. It’s almost impossible to find it on the market.”

Dong Yun asked with concern, “Do you know which herbs you need to gather?”

“I know. Doctor Zhang told me about them. I’m familiar with the mountain, so it’s not difficult,” Pear Blossom answered. “What’s more difficult is figuring out how to solve He Village’s food shortage. The rice we’ve stored is enough for our family for a while, but to feed the whole village, it probably won’t last long.”

“Right now, the only family that can provide a large amount of rice is the Liu family,” Dong Yun said, thinking for a moment.

“He Village has seventy households. Without two to three hundred stones of rice, we won’t make it until the autumn harvest. But for the Liu family, two to three hundred stones isn’t much.”

Pear Blossom pressed her lips together, worried, “Old man Liu just gave over more than three hundred acres of land to the village. He’s probably feeling quite stingy about it now. If we go to him for rice at this moment, he might not give it to us. Even if he does, he’ll likely use the current market price as an excuse. He might even charge interest. At this rate, who could afford to borrow rice from him?”

Dong Yun replied, “As long as we can find where he’s hiding the rice, none of this will be a problem.”

Pear Blossom looked at her in confusion, “Why do you say that? Old man Liu is stingy and suspicious. Even if we find out where he’s hiding the rice, he’ll pretend not to know and deny that he’s hoarding. We can’t just openly steal from him.”

Dong Yun smiled faintly, “You’re silly. If you know where he hides his rice, even if you don’t plan to steal it, he’ll definitely worry that you’ll take it or tell others about it. Right now, we’re just borrowing his rice, not stealing it. If you have leverage on him, aren’t you worried about not being able to handle him?”

Pear Blossom heard this and laughed, “I was too merciful toward him. If that’s the case, then this matter is settled.”

Dong Yun gave her a playful glare, “You speak as if you know the location of their hidden rice storage.”

Pear Blossom chuckled, “You’re right, I actually do know where the Liu family hides their rice!”

Of course, she knew. Through the system, she had already discovered the Liu family’s rice storage. This year, Old man Liu realized the situation was worsening, so he hadn’t sold a single grain of rice. With the reserves from previous years, his cellar had enough rice to feed his family for ten years!

Dong Yun looked at her in surprise.

Pear Blossom proudly puffed out her chest, “Aren’t I impressive?”

Dong Yun didn’t ask further about how Pear Blossom found out about Liu’s rice storage. She simply watched her proud little figure and couldn’t resist ruffling her small tail.

“Impressive, since my judgment is always spot on.”

Letting her praise herself, Pear Blossom started blushing. Her ears turned red, and she stood up, awkwardly gathering the bowls.

Seeing that Pear Blossom was about to work, Dong Yun grabbed her hand and said, “I told you today’s been tiring. Sit down and rest. I’ll take care of the chores.”

She stood up and started to move.

Pear Blossom didn’t refuse, nor did she sit down. Instead, she gathered the bowls in front of her and handed them to Dong Yun.

Doing chores together with her sister was the thing she enjoyed the most.

However, within a few moments, the four or five bowls were neatly stacked on the tray.

Dong Yun carried the tray out of the room.

The meal in the main room had also finished, and Mrs. Xiong was busy cleaning up in the kitchen.

Fubao was running around her, begging for some candy.

“Just had a meal and now you want candy? Eating too much will rot your teeth and attract bugs,” Mrs. Xiong coaxed her.

As she spoke, she looked up and saw Dong Yun coming in with a tray, causing her to jump in surprise. She quickly stepped forward to take it, saying, “Oh, no, how could I let you do this? Where’s Pear Blossom? Why isn’t she here?”

When Fubao saw her mother come in, she immediately feared that her mother would scold her for wanting sugar at this hour. She hurriedly ran off with her little short legs.

Dong Yun smiled at Mrs. Xiong. “It’s just a little task; I have nothing to do anyway.”

In the past, she had gotten along well with Mrs. Xiong, always calling her “Aunt Xiufang,” and Mrs. Xiong had been very affectionate toward her. But now that her true identity was revealed, there was a subtle barrier between them. Dong Yun felt deeply regretful about this.

Not only that, but the issue with Pear Blossom had been discovered by Mrs. Xiong, and no matter how they handled it, it felt like the dynamic between a countrywoman and a city daughter-in-law—polite yet awkward. Even the usually composed and calm Princess felt a little uncomfortable.

However, seeing Fubao interact with Mrs. Xiong, it was clear that Mrs. Xiong truly cherished the child, which reassured Dong Yun.

“Aunt Xiufang, take a break. I’ll wash the dishes.”

Living in someone else’s dug-out cave and eating their food, with her daughter relying entirely on them, Dong Yun felt guilty for not having contributed anything at all.

Mrs. Xiong immediately pushed her out of the kitchen, saying, “It’s just a few dishes; no need for you to do it. The kitchen is dark and greasy with smoke, go sit outside.”

When Dong Yun hesitated, Mrs. Xiong called out toward the door, “Pear Blossom—Pear Blossom—where has that girl gone? Come quickly and take your wife—”

Realizing her mistake, she quickly corrected herself, “Come quickly and take your Aunt Dong to rest.”

Dong Yun realized what had slipped out of Mrs. Xiong’s mouth. While her face remained calm as usual, her ears were already bright red. She felt too embarrassed to argue any further and awkwardly walked toward the kitchen door. However, she almost collided with a tall figure.

Pear Blossom saw her nearly stumble to avoid her and quickly caught her by the waist. After ensuring she stood steady, she turned to Mrs. Xiong and said, “Mother, did you call me?”

Mrs. Xiong, not wanting to witness their affectionate exchange, waved her hand and shooed them outside, saying, “Go, go, go, play outside. Don’t be in the way here.”