Can this person even communicate? Can we communicate normally?
A'Jiu was bewildered. What was a diamond? And what was drilling?
The next morning, A'Jiu, seeing her parents and everyone off, mounted Tuoba Yan's horse.
Just as before, she was protected by Tuoba Yan in front, with a vast army following behind. Ma Peng's team, dressed in plain clothes, slowly headed back towards Menghua City.
This road was like returning from the starting point of her own past famine escape. Every stretch of the way was filled with indescribable memories.
At the foot of the mountain, she remembered her grandmother urinating to plant vegetables, which not only failed to sprout but also emitted a foul odor under the sun.
Never mind. A'Jiu stopped overthinking. Once they reached Menghua City, she would ask the cultivator Tuoba Yan mentioned, and she would know.
Perhaps, Grandma had really gone back to be an immortal.
However, even traveling by horseback would take several days.
They had to stop midway to dismount their armor, set up camp, and rest.
Out of the twelve carriages, the rest were daily necessities after the military supplies were unloaded.
Tents were pitched on the spot.
A'Jiu, clutching her stomach, sat on a soft cushion inside the tent with a pale face, feeling embarrassed.
"Ninth sister, you've been saying you're not feeling well all along. How about some ginger soup? Zhao Kun dug up wild ginger on the mountain."
Tuoba Yan had been troubled for half the journey. He had promised not to let the girl suffer, yet she fell ill as soon as he took her away.
A'Jiu furrowed her brows, looking at the pale yellow ginger soup in the bowl.
"I'm having my period," A'Jiu's face turned red all the way to her neck.
"Your period?" Tuoba Yan quickly put down the ginger tea.
"That, you know... Hey, are there any women in the army?"
A'Jiu simply hugged her knees, which could both compress her lower abdomen and hide her flushed face.
"No. Tell me, what's wrong with you?" Tuoba Yan tugged at the edge of the quilt, trying to wrap Meng Jiuer's body securely.
A'Jiu's buried face showed pain. Her clothes were already soaked, and she dared not stand up.
"Menstruation. I've started my first period," A'Jiu's neck grew hotter. This meant that although she was late in developing due to malnutrition, she had now become a woman.
"Oh... oh, I understand. Wait a moment."
Tuoba Yan got up and ran out of the tent, his mind like a tangled ball of yarn with no loose end to find.
In the middle of the night, he summoned a few soldiers. Tuoba Yan sat upright on a soft couch: "Zhao Kun, tell me, what is menstruation?"
Zhao Kun suddenly looked up. He thought there was an urgent military matter, but it turned out to be this.
"Zhao Kun, you speak," Tuoba Yan saw that only his eyes were gleaming, so he must know.
Zhao Kun smacked his lips. Although such things didn't happen in their world, Zhao Kun had spent a long time mingling among the common folk:
"It's something that happens to women every month. It's called menstruation."
"What happens?" Tuoba Yan's pupils contracted.
"There's bleeding from the private parts," Zhao Kun gritted his teeth, his face contorted. He was now certain that the leader's code must have had a glitch.
"Bleeding?" Tuoba Yan stood up abruptly. No wonder the girl was so shy her face turned red.
Seeing the leader's strong reaction, Zhao Kun quickly added, "This is a normal physiological phenomenon for humans. You just need menstrual pads. It's not a serious illness, General. Don't worry. I'll go find some fine cotton cloth right away."
Good heavens, Zhao Kun knew with his toes who had started her period.
"Go, go quickly." Tuoba Yan had never been this flustered even when facing millions of soldiers.
Not long after, Zhao Kun returned with several pieces of soft cotton cloth: "These were acquired from the soldiers with their needle and thread."
He shoved them all into Tuoba Yan's hands. Tuoba Yan, without even looking, hurried back to the tent.
"Jiu'er, you wanted this, right?" Tuoba Yan was happy in his heart. This time, Jiu'er would surely be satisfied.
A'Jiu sat up, wrapped in a thin quilt. Looking at the cotton cloth and needle and thread that Tuoba Yan handed her, her face turned even redder:
"You... you go out."
"Okay, I'll wait outside for you. Call me if you need anything." Tuoba Yan obediently stayed outside the tent.
A'Jiu subconsciously rubbed her chest. She intended to keep a piece of cotton cloth to make a chest wrap.
She raised her hand, threaded the needle, and immediately made a menstrual pad.