Yu Shaoqing looked at his daughter holding his hand and felt a warmth in his heart. “…Okay.”

Little Bruiser spread his hands. “What’s so good about it? Sis, if you bring any man home, be careful that Mom beats you up!”

Yu Wan flicked him.

Yu Shaoqing had his own warhorse. Yu Wan rented a carriage and asked Little Bruiser who he was sitting with.

“Of course I’m with my sister!” Little Bruiser said without hesitation. When the carriage really left, he could not help but glance at the tall and mighty warhorse.

Yu Shaoqing, who was on the warhorse, was wearing dark green armor. Under the scorching sun, the armor emitted faint cold light. His figure was burly and his aura was powerful. That horse was not the horse that Little Bruiser usually saw. Instead, it was a warhorse that had really bathed in blood on the battlefield. It exuded the aura of a tiger and a wolf, looking extremely majestic.

Yu Shaoqing noticed his son’s gaze and looked towards him.

Little Bruiser turned away and stared straight ahead.

When Yu Shaoqing continued to look at the road, he stole a glance at Yu Shaoqing’s warhorse.

Yu Shaoqing couldn’t help but laugh. When Little Bruiser peeked at him for the third time, he stretched out his arm and grabbed the little guy out of the carriage window.

“Aiya, aiya! What are you doing?” Little Bruiser flailed in the air.

Yu Shaoqing placed his son on the horse’s back and let him sit in his arms. He then pressed his warm little hand on the edge of the saddle.

Little Bruiser grabbed the saddle and widened his eyes.

For six years, he had been guarding the borders and the people of the Great Zhou. This time, he could finally protect his two children. Yu Shaoqing felt gratified and satisfied.

Little Bruiser, who was in his arms, twisted his little butt restlessly. Yu Shaoqing laughed and grabbed the reins tightly with one hand and hugged his belly tightly with the other. “Hold on tight.”

Little Bruiser: “Huh?”

Yu Shaoqing: “Giddy up!”

The warhorse had long formed a tacit understanding with Yu Shaoqing. It flew out like an arrow even without using a whip.

“Waah—” Little Bruiser opened his mouth wide in fear. The cold wind that blew into his face distorted his mouth.

“You stop—you stop—you’re so bad—”

Little Bruiser’s screams echoed throughout the journey.

By the time Yu Shaoqing returned with his son and returned to Yu Wan’s carriage, Little Bruiser’s hair had already stood on end. He looked like a little lion king who had nothing to live for.

Little Bruiser threw himself into his sister’s arms. “Boohoo… He’s so bad…”

Yu Wan smiled. “Then are you going to ride Dad’s horse next time?”

Little Bruiser buried his head in Yu Wan’s stomach.

“… Yes.” He said in a soft voice.

The people who lived in Lotus Flower Village might not be able to sense the changes in their surroundings, but after leaving for six years, Yu Shaoqing could still tell the difference at a glance.

“The courier station has moved here.” When they passed by the courier station, Yu Shaoqing looked at the newly built courier station the year before and said, “It was originally in the north of the city.”

Yu Wan said, “The thing for Dad has passed by here. By the way, did Dad receive it?”

Yu Shaoqing nodded. “I received them all. I also received the pancakes, fishballs, and pickled vegetables that you guys made.”

“I made those.” Yu Wan smiled.

Yu Shaoqing : “…” Should he praise his daughter’s culinary skills against his conscience?

“It, it’s really delicious.”

Yu Wan’s eyes finally lit up after being praised. “Really? Then I’ll make it for you when I get home!”

Yu Shaoqing almost fell off his horse!

Little Bruiser glanced at Yu Wan coldly. Don’t you know how good your culinary skills are? Little Bruiser straightened his back. A child with a father was especially arrogant!

The carriage drove into Lotus Flower Town again, and the changes in the town were even greater. The narrow streets became wider, and the deserted shops became full of customers. Although it was not as crowded as the Capital, the streets were still filled with traffic.

Yu Wan pointed to a restaurant and said, “This is the White Jade Restaurant. I’ll tell you secretly that Big Brother admires the daughter of the White Jade Restaurant.”

“Ah…” Yu Shaoqing was stunned.

Little Bruiser had a proud expression on his face. How could she say such things in front of a child? He was still a baby!

“You’re showing off now that Dad’s back?”

“I didn’t!”

“You admit that he’s your father?”

“Ah… no!”

The siblings bickered, making Yu Shaoqing smile.

They did not walk quickly. At dusk, they finally saw Lotus Flower Village at the foot of the mountain.

The closer they got to the village, the more nervous Yu Shaoqing became. Countless times, he had dreamed about it at midnight. On this day,she started to feel homesick again.

“Dad, Mom and I bought the Ding Family’s old house.” Yu Wan pointed at the new house behind the fish pond. It was not new, but compared to the old house, it was a place Yu Shaoqing had never lived in before.

Yu Shaoqing did not ask why she wanted to buy the Ding Family’s residence. He looked in the direction of the new house behind the fish pond with a burning gaze. His throat seemed to be choked by something. “Is… your mother at home?”

“Yes, she’s there,” Yu Wan said softly.

Yu Shaoqing’s heart raced. He got off the horse. On the other side, Yu Wan and Little Bruiser also got off the carriage.

The coachman drove the carriage away.

Yu Shaoqing led the horse towards his house.

At this moment, Aunt Bai came out of the house. She was carrying two buckets of water and had come to fetch water from the ancient well. However, she saw a man wearing armor and leading a tall horse. The man was muscular and tall. Yu Wan and her brother stood beside him.

The more Aunt Bai looked at him, the more familiar he looked. After a while, she had an idea. “Aiya! It’s Old Third, right?”

Yu Shaoqing and the siblings looked at Aunt Bai.

Aunt Bai had also changed a lot. Her son had been captured to join the army and had aged a lot in the past six years. Yu Shaoqing only recognized her when he heard Yu Wan call her “Aunt Bai”.

“Sister Bai,” Yu Shaoqing greeted.

“It’s really you!” Aunt Bai put down the pole and bucket and ran over in surprise. She patted Yu Shaoqing’s shoulder. “I haven’t heard from you all this time. I thought you…”

Yu Wan’s eyes were cold.

Aunt Bai cleared her throat. “It’s good that you’re back! Why are you back? Is the war over?”

“It’s over,” Yu Shaoqing said.

Aunt Bai clasped her hands together. “Amitabha! Heavenly Venerate Immeasurable! The battle is finally over! Why did you return alone? Where’s my Dazhuang?”

Yu Shaoqing said, “Dazhuang isn’t from the same camp as me, but he should be back soon.”

There was no need for so many troops at the border anymore. Many of the regular troops had already retired, let alone those who had been captured to make up the numbers.

“Who’s back? Who is it?” Aunt Zhang heard Aunt Bai’s loud and clear voice. She put down her half-finished meal and rushed out. “Is my Erniu back?”

Aunt Zhang’s son, Erniu, was also taken away.

“Aiya! It’s Old Third!” Aunt Zhang looked at Yu Shaoqing in surprise and joy. “I… I almost didn’t recognize you! You’ve been gone for so long, why didn’t you send a message home! Your family is almost worried to death!”

Soon, the village headman and Shuanzi’s father came out.

Yu Shaoqing was surrounded by the villagers. They were all talking at once and eagerly asking about the situation at the border and their sons. Yu Shaoqing knew that he had to tell them everything, so he patiently answered them one by one.

He did not have any airs. The villagers did not know what he was like and only thought of him as an ordinary soldier. However, even if he was an ordinary soldier, he was still a great hero in their hearts.

Little Bruiser, who had been isolated at the side, had a dark expression on his face. Yu Wan smiled and pinched his little black face.

It was still the village headman who noticed the siblings waiting at the side. He quickly said to the villagers, “Alright, alright. Old Third has just returned and hasn’t even entered the house yet. What’s the point of blocking him here! We’ll talk tomorrow! It’s not like he’s leaving after staying for a night! Didn’t you hear Old Third? The war is over!”

That’s right. The war was over. Old Third was back. It was time for their son (husband) to return.

“I’ll go fry some food!” Aunt Bai was the first to slip away.

“Big Sister Luo, do you still have any chickens? Can you sell me one?” Aunt Zhang said.

“Big Brother is coming back. We’re not selling our hare anymore. Let’s keep it and make soup for him,” Cui Hua said to the hunter.

The villagers dispersed happily, leaving only Shuanzi squatting pitifully beside the ancient well.

Yu Shaoqing asked him, “What’s wrong, Shuanzi?”

Shuanzi wiped his tears. “I… I… I’m afraid my brother won’t be able to come back…”

Shuanzi’s brother was timid, dull, and stupid. When he was young, he could not even catch a beetle. When he fought with others, he was always the one who was pressed to the ground and bullied.

“The family can still receive his reply in the last few years. Since the year before last… there’s…” Shuanzi could not continue.

The battlefield changed rapidly. One second was life, and one second was death. Yu Shaoqing couldn’t say that his brother was definitely still alive, but Aunt Bai slipped back. She was so happy that she forgot about the pole and bucket.

She patted Shuanzi’s head. “What’s there to worry about?”

Shuanzi cried, “Of course you’re not worried! Brother Dunzi is so powerful! Since we were young, even a dozen of us couldn’t defeat him!”

Aunt Bai clapped her hands. “Of course. Don’t you know who he takes after?”

Lotus Flower Village’s Village Tyrant, Bai Dunza!

On the other side, Yu Shaoqing had finished fetching the two buckets of water and brought them home for Aunt Bai.

“Aiyo, how embarrassing.” Aunt Bai scratched her head. “When my Dunzi returns, I’ll invite you guys over for a drink!”

Yu Shaoqing finally returned home.

Yu Wan pushed open the half-closed door. Little Bruiser rushed in and Yu Wan grabbed his collar.

“Mom, Dad is back,” Yu Wan said as she looked at the woman in the central room.

Madam Jiang’s back stiffened slightly as she turned around in a daze.

Yu Shaoqing stood outside the door and looked at her without blinking. She was still the same as he remembered, but he was already covered in sand. He clenched his fists in a sorry state and called out hoarsely, “Ah Shu…”

Madam Jiang’s eyes turned red.

Yu Shaoqing’s heart ached as he walked into the house.

Madam Jiang slowly stood up.

Yu Shaoqing walked up to Madam Jiang and stroked his wife’s thin face. His throat was swollen as he said, “Ah Shu, I’m back.”

Madam Jiang cried out, “…I finally don’t have to eat Ah Wan’s food anymore!”