Chapter 5: Midnight Visitor
“Da Long has indeed grown up. He’ll be sixteen after the New Year—not young anymore.”
“It’s time to find him a wife.”
The Old Lady looked at Li Xiao, her eyes starting to light up too.
As soon as this topic came up, the two women immediately had an even deeper common topic.
“You as his mother need to pay more attention to this matter. See if there are any suitable girls in the nearby villages.” The Old Lady put down her bowl and chopsticks and started discussing with Qin Dani.
“Today when I went back to my maternal home, I happened to see a nice little girl in Gushan Fort. I asked around, and she’s from the third son of the Chen family.”
“She’s very pretty, with a big butt—clearly good for breeding.”
Qin Dani said excitedly.
Perhaps she came back early just to arrange a marriage for Li Xiao.
“A big butt is great. Being able to breed big fat boys and continue the Li Family incense is the most important thing.” The Old Lady smiled, extremely satisfied even without having met the girl.
“Mom, if you think it’s okay, shall we ask a matchmaker in a couple of days?” Qin Dani said.
The Old Lady nodded: “I think it’s fine.”
Seeing his lifelong marriage about to be decided by these two, Li Xiao completely couldn’t hold it together.
He shook his head firmly and said: “I don’t think it’s fine.”
“Grandma, Mom, I haven’t even met that girl. I might not even like her—how can I get married?”
“What like or not like? Once you’re in bed, it’s just that one thing!”
“After living together a lot, you’ll like her.” Qin Dani said in a fierce tone.
The Old Lady also supported Qin Dani, saying in a earnest tone: “Da Long, you have to listen to your mom on this.”
“Your mom and I are experienced; our eyes won’t be wrong.”
“Back then, I took one look and chose your mom. After she married your dad, she gave birth to you brothers in a row, all very promising.”
“You’re the eldest in our family; you need to find a wife who can bear sons.”
Facing the two’s barrage, Li Xiao felt his head go dumb.
He never imagined that he, a transmigrator, would also be urged to marry?
In his previous life, he at least held out until thirty. But now? Just turned fifteen!
Li Xiao’s head was about to explode; he could only bring out his father from this life, whom he hadn’t even met.
“Grandma, Mom, marriage is a major life event. It needs my dad’s agreement.”
“Should we wait for my dad to come back before discussing?”
To explain, Li Xiao had ‘woken up’ half a month ago, but before that, his cheap dad had already taken Second Uncle and a hundred young and strong men on expedition.
Li Xiao could only find his appearance from his body’s memories; he hadn’t truly met him yet!
Sure enough, hearing this, Qin Dani and the Old Lady immediately stopped talking.
Although there was the Old Master as the stabilizing force at home, marriage matters definitely needed the biological father’s involvement.
“Fine, we’ll wait for your dad to come back, then ask the matchmaker.” Qin Dani nodded in agreement.
Finally finishing this dinner that made Li Xiao’s heart race with fear, Li Xiao returned to his own room.
Li Xiao’s home had five main rooms. The easternmost one was his parents’ room, and the second from the east was the girl’s room.
It used to be occupied by Sister Da Feng and little sister San Feng. Later, Da Feng married out, leaving only San Feng living there alone.
But with Li Xiao’s father away on expedition, San Feng always ran to sleep on Qin Dani’s bed.
As for the middle room, it was the living room and dining room, with the ancestral spirit tablets also placed there. The Old Master and Old Lady lived in the westernmost room.
So, the second room from the west became the room for Li Xiao and his three brothers.
The south wall of the room had a window, and the north wall had an earthen kang.
Li Xiao lay on the sheepskin mat, staring at the ceiling with a lifeless expression.
“Marriage?”
“Damn it, just half a month here and they want me to get married?”
And to a fourteen-year-old girl at that— in his previous life, that would be enough for jail time.
But no choice, that’s how the era was; marrying at twenty would make one an old bachelor.
Li Xiao figured he couldn’t hold out either; he couldn’t rely on his hand every night.
“Standards can’t be lowered.”
“Pretty is the premise, virtuous is the foundation, gentle is the bottom line.” Li Xiao thought to himself.
Marriage is okay, but no settling.
As Li Xiao pondered what his wife in this life should be like, he heard playful noises from beside him.
He yelled at Second Master and Third Master.
“Hey, you two, put down my saber.”
“If you damage it even a little, I’ll skin you.”
These two guys were grabbing his cavalry saber and tussling with it.
Wootz steel material wasn’t easy to damage; mainly, he was afraid of these two idiots getting hurt.
After all, this Wootz steel saber was sharper than ordinary sabers.
A light swipe across skin would leave a bloody gash.
“Bro, this saber looks awesome. Give it to me!”
San Bao grabbed the cavalry saber, ran up to Li Xiao, and said in a fawning tone.
Hearing this, Li Xiao snatched it back and placed it within easy reach.
“Get lost~”
“Want a saber? Tomorrow have Grandpa forge one for you.”
“This one’s too big; not suitable for you.”
Li Xiao slapped away San Bao’s approaching face; he had no feelings for males.
Er Hu also shamelessly came up: “Bro, my hands are big; this saber fits me perfectly. Let me play with it more.”
Although Er Hu was two years younger than Li Xiao, he was developing fiercely—tall, robust, almost catching up to an adult.
He was only a bit shorter than Li Xiao but looked sturdier, and wielding this cavalry saber, he swung it with whooshing force.
But Li Xiao was in a bad mood, no mind to play with them, and glared: “You get lost too.”
After suppressing his two younger brothers, Li Xiao continued lying on the bed lost in thought.
Night life in this era was very monotonous. Married people had some entertainment, but young lads like them could only go to bed early.
Dreams had everything.
“Rumble~”
“Patter patter~”
When they finished dinner, thunder had already rumbled in the sky, and now it finally poured with a violent rain.
The Northern Frontier lay between the Tianshan Mountains and Altai Mountains, and since the Altai Mountains ran southeast to northwest.
Thus, when the warm moist air flow from the Atlantic reached the Northern Frontier, it was blocked by the Altai Mountains and turned into rainfall.
This led to plentiful rain in the Northern Frontier region during summer, with frequent downpours.
This kind of rain poured all night, and Li Xiao was gradually getting used to it.
Amid the pattering rain, Li Xiao gradually fell asleep.
But late at night, Li Xiao was suddenly startled awake by a burst of dog barking. He abruptly opened his eyes and sat up from the kang.
In his previous life in the troops, blowing the reveille at midnight was a common way to train recruits.
Li Xiao had formed the habit in the troops; any big noise at night would wake him.
“Woof woof woof woof woof~”
“Woof woof woof~”
Li Xiao sat on the bed, quietly listening to the dog barking.
Though muffled by the rain, he could still tell it was very urgent, and not just one or two dogs—it was the whole village’s dogs barking.
This situation probably wasn’t an accident; likely someone had entered the village.
Li Xiao glanced at the two snoring idiots, ignored them, got up, and put on his clothes.
He took the bow and arrows from the wall, grabbed his cavalry saber, and prepared to go out and check.
Just then, the Old Master also dressed and came out from the inner room.
He too carried a bow on his back, a quiver of arrows, and a long saber at his waist.
Grandfather and grandson exchanged a glance, said nothing, and left the room one after the other.
The two stood in front of the gatehouse looking out. The rain outside was still heavy, pitch black, nothing visible.
“Someone entered the village?” Li Xiao asked softly. After all, he couldn’t match the Old Master’s experience.
“Yes!” The Old Master nodded lightly, saying just one word.
Immediately after, he took out two straw cloaks from the room and handed one to Li Xiao.
“Go check; be careful.”
The village perimeter had only a moat and low walls, which couldn’t stop people at all. Petty thieves could easily get in.
But getting out was not easy.
After having the Old Lady lock the door from inside, the Old Master took Li Xiao, mounted horses, with bows, arrows, and war sabers, and left the courtyard.
On the street, they saw some others already on horseback.
All like Li Xiao and his grandfather, coming out to check after hearing the noise.
“Third Brother, any discoveries?”
The Old Master spotted a man not far away, around fifty, who was the Old Master’s own younger brother, Li Xiao’s Third Grandfather.
The Li Family had come here fifty years ago and bred several generations; there were quite a few people.
Li Xiao’s line was the main branch of the eldest house, with several collateral branches too!
“Elder Brother, I just came out too, but the noise seems from the north.” Third Grandfather said.
“Let’s go check.” The Old Master said.
Along the way, they gathered over a dozen villagers, riding big horses north together.
But when they reached a courtyard gate, seeing it open and lights on inside the room, Third Grandfather’s face changed immediately.
He said angrily: “Bad, this is Wang Wu’s home.”
“Wang Wu went to North Mountain with Da Hai; only his wife and child are left at home.”
Li Xiao’s other granduncle also said: “Quick, go in and check; don’t let anything happen to them.”
Soon, the group rushed into Wang Wu’s courtyard.
Sheep in the sheep pen bleated in fear, scattering everywhere; the three horses in the horse stable whinnied uneasily.
Hoof prints in the courtyard showed someone had indeed entered; the marks on the muddy land were clear, and only from one horse.
This place was very familiar to Li Xiao—it was Tie Tou’s home. He’d even greeted Wang Shenzi on the way back at dusk!
Indeed, only Wang Shenzi and Tie Tou’s several siblings were left at home.
So at this moment, Li Xiao’s heart tightened too.
After all, Tie Tou was a little brother who followed him; naturally, he didn’t want anything to happen to Tie Tou’s family.
“Come out~”
The group rushed into the courtyard; Third Grandfather immediately shouted loudly. Everyone silently drew bows and nocked arrows; if anyone in the room moved oddly, they could turn them into a pincushion in an instant.
This was actually the norm for cavalry battle—mostly long-range shooting, probing each other.
Only when forced or with great advantage would they choose close combat.
The Old Master said nothing, hand on the hilt, face grim, gaze indifferent staring at the room.
The knife scar on his face looked even more ferocious and terrifying under the lightning flashes, and his whole body exuded a strong killing aura.
Li Xiao sat on horseback behind the Old Master, also drawing bow and aiming at the room, but not too tense inside.
From the looks, not many had entered the village; with so many of them, one arrow each could turn them into a pincushion.
Soon, movement came from the room; the door slowly opened.
The Old Master and others were about to advance and surround, but the next second, under the lightning flash, everyone saw the person’s face clearly and instantly stopped.
Third Grandfather said in shock: “Xiao Wuzi, how is it you?”
“Didn’t you go to North Mountain with Da Hai? Why are you back?”
