Free Web NovelChapter 56: Chapter 56
Chapter 56
For Liu Sun, her face darkened, cursing in her head endlessly because even though she had made Yueqian flee here, out of sight of the man she loved, why did he still keep such a constant watch on her! How was this different from when she was in the capital?
When Yueqian was in the capital, even the rumors she painstakingly generated did not earn her disdainful looks from the Young General. Thus, the only solution Liu Sun could think of was to make her die or leave the capital far behind.
Who would have thought that even here, the man she loved would still find Yueqian?
"H... How can you go to Yueqian’s house, my dear? That place is..."
"What about that place?" the Young General asked with raised eyebrows.
His tone slightly irritated, clearly someone who did not take kindly to others opposing his ideas. His question made Liu Sun choke up a bit.
In public, he still showed some gentleness towards her, but in truth, she knew well what that gentleness was for. Surely, he must have felt some affection for her; otherwise, why would he have chosen her from among all the women?
Yet, when it was just the two of them, away from public eyes or Yueqian, this formidable general only showed indifference.
What did this mean? If one were to guess, his behavior could lead to two outcomes: either to eliminate Yueqian or to make her more jealous.
Regardless, Liu Sun always knew that she was just a pawn he had chosen to use.
Was she saddened by this? Of course, but she endured being his pawn because she loved him.
Yes, Liu Sun dearly loved this Young General. He was like a savior of her life, making her existence seem worthwhile since he first came into her life. Initially, she was just a daughter of a concubine, who could be sent to serve anyone, and her family didn’t care about her at all. Her siblings could easily beat her.
That day when the general helped her and showed interest, her life improved significantly. No one at home dared to bully her anymore. Even her father often called her in for visits.
Liu Sun had the opportunity to study various texts because the Young General was interested in her. Those lessons about the virtues expected of women, if it weren’t for him, how could she get a chance to study?
He was like a god who reached out to help her in times of need. Liu Sun vowed to dedicate her life to him, becoming his lover and making him the happiest man.
But day by day, her own desires grew. She no longer wanted to be just someone watching him lead a good life with someone else. She wanted to be his principal wife, to hold power in the Young General’s manor, to be respected by him and acknowledged by society. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Thus, using her good image, she planned various schemes to gradually degrade the Young General’s fiancée, paving the way for herself to become a person whom people respected and accepted.
It seemed that everything was heading in a better direction, except that the Young General never truly saw her as a genuine lover. He still regarded her as just another pawn for his use, not even caring about how she felt.
"I’m just concerned that people might think ill of you, my lord. You are a revered general, but visiting another man’s wife like this could lead to gossip," Liu Sun suppressed her sadness and spoke as if she was a reasonable person.
"Let them talk." Her slight hope that he wouldn’t care completely shattered. Liu Sun smiled bitterly before volunteering. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"Then allow me to accompany you. My presence might prevent people from thinking you’re acting impulsively. I’ll go as your companion visiting a friend." Liu Sun proposed herself, willing to take the blame for everything, hoping he might think her presence better than none.
The Young General raised his eyebrows thoughtfully but eventually nodded, allowing her to accompany him. Thus, they walked side by side out of the large tent, observed by many soldiers, with the general’s close associates following behind to protect them.
"General, please wait a moment. The soldiers from food supply unit are setting up the kitchen in hurry, if you..."
Once the head of the food supply unit, or what people in this era would call an army catering section, saw the Young General stepping out from the tent at this time. He understood that their Young General was probably in need of food.
The urgency combined with less cooperation from the locals than expected made him already anxious.
Initially, they thought setting up the military camp wouldn’t be too difficult because the villagers were expected to be supportive, not to mention the plenty of vacant government land available. But upon arrival, they found that all those lands had owners, leaving them with no choice but to set up camp in this village square or to request space in villagers’ homes, which required their consent.
Unfortunately, the villagers were not too pleased about having soldiers stationed in their homes, since some houses had women, so it was an uncomfortable situation they could understand. Initially, they thought setting up camp in the city would have been better, not understanding why the general chose this small village instead.
Finding food and water was also a significant challenge. The vacant areas seemed like the villagers hadn’t been to the river for water during the winter at all, causing them to clear the grass around the snow-covered areas. Ultimately, it took many hours to set up the kitchen.
The man with a fault must explain himself before facing any outbursts of anger, unaware that their Young General had not come out for this reason.
But hearing this, the Young General narrowed his eyes slightly, seeming more amused than when he was inside the tent. His lips curled into a pleased smile before he feigned a stern expression.
"I’ve been traveling all day without a proper meal. The food supply unit is too slow. I have other important tasks to attend to, including planning for tonight’s operation against bandits. How can I afford to wait for you?"
"W... w... we... we..." stammered the food supply unit head, his voice trembling with fear when blamed for the delay.
"Dock half a month’s pay for one month, and don’t bother preparing my meal. I’ll meet my fiancée and eat at her place."
He said irritably, as if the problem with the military’s kitchen setup forced him to go to Yueqian’s house.
Since his words were loud, and their camp was in the village square—the area with the most homes—many villagers heard this admonishment.
They knew just how dedicated this general was to his duties, even ordering a month’s deduction in pay as a punishment, a situation they considered exceedingly harsh.
Some villagers thought of offering food to the soldiers before they heard that he was going to dine at the home of his former fiancée, Yueqian. So, no one thought to interfere.
None in the village knew the nature of their relationship but assumed that since they both came from the capital, they must understand each other better than them. With that in mind, no one stepped forward to obstruct them.
Finding an excuse, the general made a show of hastily heading towards Yueqian’s house, Liu Sun following him. Originally, she thought he had agreed to use her as a pawn, but unexpectedly, he had found his own way before that.
Watching his broad back, the beauty swallowed the tears that nearly spilled, her heart constricting at the thought of him being alone with that Villainess Qin. She would never let him go by himself. Even if he no longer needed to use her as a pretext, if he didn’t stop her, she would still follow him.
The trio—comprising the Young General, Liu Sun, and a guard—finally arrived at Yueqian’s house. The delicious scent of the food made the general frown unwittingly. To compare..., this aroma, not even the most exquisite dishes from high-end eateries could compete.
“Shall I announce our arrival to Miss Qin?” asked the guard.
Adhering to proper etiquette, they should do that. However, the general waved his hand to deny, sneaking into the house without making a sound.
The wooden house, though somewhat old, it was clean, likely less than ten years old, so it was not dilapidated. Instead, it should be inhabitable for many decades to come.
The nice scent of dish soap, floor cleaner, and even the shampoo Yueqian and the younger siblings used filled the air, familiar to Mu Heng, Yueqian and the children but enchanting to those who first smelled it.
The delightful fragrances of various flowers created a sweet and refreshing atmosphere, overwhelming the senses of the Young General and his two companions, causing even the tall young man to unconsciously said ‘Umm’.
Luckily, no one inside the house was close enough to hear this sound, or they would have been alerted to the intrusion immediately.
"Sister-in-law, is this what you call pickled lime winter melon stew? I can smell its fragrance. Just the aroma made me feel like saliva was already gathering in my mouth." The young girl said excitedly.
Just as Huan’er had said, the smell was incredibly appealing. The scent of pickled lime stimulates people’s appetite.
Yueqian had prepared the pickled lime winter melon stew herself, with chicken legs she had bought from a department store floating in it, looking very appetizing. The green winter melon and floating carrots added to its visual appeal.
Additionally, there were lightly battered fried chicken legs, crunchy yet intensely flavored, offering sour and salty tastes for the meal.
"That’s great. Then you must eat a lot, Huan’er. This meal, this sister-in-law of yours made a large pot. If we don’t finish it, it can last us three days, eat till you sick of it," teased Yueqian.
Originally, she could have made a smaller pot, but once the winter melon was cut, it was best used up, and she had estimated that the quantity prepared could indeed last for three meals for them. Yet, Yueqian had no intention of letting them eat the same dish for three consecutive meals—she had other culinary plans in reserve.
