Chapter 6: The Bird, The Bird Spoke!
The military camp had a campfire burning. It was now the hour of Hai, and also time for Qin Wanwan to sleep.
But the little girl stubbornly stayed by the campfire, hugging her knees and curling into a ball, her head nodding.
If Shen Shu hadn’t been watching beside her, she would have fallen headfirst into the campfire.
“Wanwan, why don’t you go to sleep first? I’ll call you when the General returns?”
Qin Wanwan yawned and tried to open her eyes wide, speaking indistinctly.
“I can, I can wait a little bit longer.”
Shen Shu couldn’t watch any longer and was about to suggest carrying her to sleep when hoofbeats and footsteps approached from afar.
The scouts brought back news first: the General and his men were returning.
This news instantly made the entire military camp lively.
Qin Wanwan also managed to stay clear-headed and stood up to find her Daddy.
Xie Chong was still covered in blood and exuded an aura of menace.
He was currently directing people to put away the plundered gold, silver, and jewelry, and then sending people to guard and count them.
Suddenly, he felt weight on his leg and looked down to see a baby clinging to him.
Qin Wanwan leaned against her Daddy’s leg, hugging him tightly with one little arm, while her other little fleshy hand rubbed her eyes, trying to stay more awake.
But ultimately, she was small and couldn’t control her sleepiness at all.
“Daddy, sleepy.”
Shen Shu’s tone was full of helplessness: “General, Wanwan insisted on waiting for you to return before sleeping. She was worried about you all day today.”
Xie Chong looked down again at the drowsy little one.
As he spoke, Qin Wanwan had already extended her little arms, mumbling for a hug.
Xie Chong glanced at the blood on himself and lifted her up, tossing her into Shen Shu’s arms.
Qin Wanwan was so angry that she became a bit more clear-headed.
“Daddy is mean!”
Then, she turned her head and, lying on Shen Shu’s shoulder, sobbed herself to sleep.
Xie Chong: “Spoiled.”
After saying that, he turned and left.
Keke’s fur bristled with anger. Its cub was a Qilin, a precious little Qilin in the Heavenly Court. How could she have endured such hardship? She even came down to the mortal realm to find him, and he still called her spoiled.
If it weren’t for the fact that it couldn’t win, Keke would have definitely flown over to flap its wings at Xie Chong a few times.
After about half an hour, he returned.
This time, the clothes he wore were clean, and he still carried some moisture, clearly having just returned from bathing.
He tossed his armor to someone below to air out.
Upon his return, the first thing he did was listen to the report on the spoils of war from this time.
“General, from Black Tiger Stronghold this time, we captured six hundred thousand taels of silver, twenty thousand taels of gold, and also some jewelry and grain and fodder.”
Xie Chong’s eyes lit up instantly, though his overall emotions and expression didn’t change much.
He hadn’t expected that this impulsive bandit suppression would bring so many rewards.
“Summon everyone, and distribute rewards based on merit.”
He had always been a man of action.
“Yes!”
Within the Xie family army’s camp, the campfires burned brightly. The team that went to suppress the bandits stood at the front, while the rest of the soldiers stood further back. Everyone stared intently in Xie Chong’s direction.
Xie Chong didn’t waste any words. He just had the silver brought forward and said in a deep voice.
“This time, in suppressing the bandits, twenty-one died and thirty-seven were injured. The families of the deceased warriors will be compensated with one hundred and fifty taels of silver.”
Xie Chong took out the silver to compensate the deceased warriors.
“Injured soldiers should go to the military doctor to get medicine and treatment. Finally, everyone who participated in this operation can receive one hundred taels of silver. The remaining silver will be accounted for by the Military Advisor and turned over to the public treasury.”
As Xie Chong’s words fell, everyone cheered.
Under the envious and jealous gazes of those who did not participate, those who had participated in suppressing the bandits stepped forward one by one to receive their silver.
“For those who did not participate in this bandit suppression, the livestock brought back from Black Tiger Stronghold will be slaughtered tomorrow to celebrate.”
This time, everyone cheered.
Qin Wanwan was also woken up by the loud noise. She crawled out of the tent by herself, then looked around in bewilderment for her Daddy. The little cub, who hadn’t slept well, was so spoiled she wanted to cry.
Keke hurriedly comforted her: “Cub, don’t cry. Your Daddy is over there distributing rewards. Let’s go find him.”
Qin Wanwan responded with an “oh.” Keke led the way, and she, carrying a pair of red-eyed boiled eggs, dejectedly walked towards the crowd.
Amidst the lively atmosphere, the little cub squeezed into the crowd and was almost crushed into a sandwich.
Keke, flying in the sky, was anxious.
It couldn’t bother with disguising itself anymore and let out a loud shout.
“Make way, make way…”
“I’m talking to you, didn’t you use your eyes!”
Keke descended from the sky, flew to someone’s side, and swiped with its wings.
“Are you blind? Didn’t you see there was someone below?!”
This cursing, strange sound stood out particularly in the crowd. Everyone stared at the rather beautiful bird as if they had seen a ghost.
“The bird, the bird is talking!”
It was a lively night, yet many people felt a chill run down their bodies.
Xie Chong also noticed the commotion over there and strode over directly.
Everyone made way for him.
The little one, too short to be seen in the crowd, was finally discovered.
Qin Wanwan’s hair was messy again. The leg she was leaning on suddenly moved, and she lost her balance, falling onto her buttocks.
A pair of wheat-colored hands reached out and picked up the fallen little milk bun.
Her vision rose, and she saw a familiar face.
Qin Wanwan said plaintively: “Daddy.”
Xie Chong, holding her, asked: “Weren’t you supposed to be sleeping? Why did you run out?”
Qin Wanwan hugged his neck with her little arms and didn’t speak.
Xie Chong had also finished his matters and ordered everyone: “Rest here. We depart early tomorrow morning.”
After saying that, he left, holding the child.
“Wait for me.”
Keke quickly flapped its wings and chased after them.
Qin Wanwan felt secure hugging her Daddy. She was already sleepy and soon fell asleep.
The even breathing was close to his ears, and warm breaths sprayed on his neck, which made Xie Chong very uncomfortable and unaccustomed to it.
However, the little thing in his arms was holding on tightly and couldn’t be let go.
The makeshift tent was small and hot inside.
Everyone just found a place to make do for the night, and Xie Chong was no exception.
He glanced at the little one in his arms and said “Trouble” with his lips.
Then, holding her, he leaned against a tree and closed his eyes to rest.
Keke flew to the crown of that tree and stretched its neck, satisfied to see the cub sleeping soundly in her Daddy’s arms.
After a short rest for the night, at the first light of dawn the next day, Xie Chong handed the limp little one in his arms to Shen Shu to hold, and went to deal with the people rescued from the bandit lair yesterday.
Those who could leave had left. Only some who had no homes to return to, and one who dared not leave.
Putting those young ladies aside for now, Xie Chong looked at the young master with a displeased expression.
“Why aren’t you leaving?”
The young master was in a disheveled state, but the fabric of his clothes still looked very good. His fine skin and tender flesh indicated he lived a comfortable life.
“General, my home is in An Sui Prefecture City. Your army will be passing by there, so please take me along. My guards are all dead, and I really dare not go alone.”
He said with a mournful face: “Besides, my travel expenses were all robbed by the bandits.”
As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Xie Chong, thinking that the things that were robbed were all taken by this man.
