After a long while, Fu Xinci lowered her head and gazed at the large saber on the ground, lost in thought once more.
Even though she didn't understand the intricacies, she could tell from the almost perfect blade and edge that it was different from the previous one.
She couldn't imagine what her Uncle Qi's expression would be if he saw this saber.
Hehe, she covered her mouth, unable to speak it aloud. She was truly looking forward to it.
The night was long, especially when one had something on their mind, making the endless winter night feel even more protracted.
She finally fell asleep, only to be roused by the loud crowing of roosters from Wujia Village.
"Mmm," Fu Xinci pulled the quilt over her head, covering her face, unwilling to wake up. She wasn't fully awake yet.
"Mmm~" She wanted to sleep more. This thought crossed her mind, and she drifted back into sweet slumber.
She slept so soundly that she forgot many things.
It wasn't until a burst of crackling firecrackers startled her awake.
"Huh?" Fu Xinci rubbed her eyes, wanting to ask who would be setting off firecrackers when it wasn't a festival. Or perhaps someone nearby was getting married.
As she was hazily pondering, she saw Han Xue and He Er enter with excited faces.
"Miss, you're awake. Your maids just overheard Old Master and Master saying that Lord Qi has been promoted."
"Promoted? There was no sign of it before! Uncle Qi is too calm."
"I don't know anything else, but when I was helping in the kitchen just now, I heard Old Master say that Lord Qi is now a Commander."
"Uncle Qi has become a Commander, this is great news, we must go and congratulate Uncle Qi."
After Fu Xinci spoke, she began to dress and wash.
Han Xue also hurried over to comb her young lady's hair.
After Fu Xinci had washed and dressed and went to the front courtyard, she happened to hear her grandfather and father discussing what gifts to send to congratulate Qi Yuanshan on his promotion.
"Father, we really don't have any suitable items at home to give Brother Yuanshan as a congratulatory gift, and it's too late to buy something new."
"Yu'er, don't worry. We are sincerely congratulating him, and your Brother Yuanshan won't mind."
"Father, it still can't be so casual."
"Indeed."
Sensing the hesitation in her grandfather's tone, Fu Xinci walked in with a smile.
"Grandfather, Father, good morning."
"Ci'er, it's not early anymore. Look, it's already past the hour of Chen (7-9 AM)."
Fu Xinci: My father is so literal. Couldn't he just say something else and move on?
However, Grandpa Meng saw something unusual in his granddaughter's smiling eyes.
"Ci'er?"
Fu Xinci didn't rush to answer her grandfather's question, her small face beaming even brighter.
Once she had fully indulged her little triumph, she stopped playing coy. "Grandfather and Father, you don't need to worry about a congratulatory gift for Uncle Qi."
Grandpa Meng: ...
Fu Yu: What does my daughter mean?
Seeing her grandfather and father's reactions, Fu Xinci spoke directly to their concerns.
"My master gave me another saber yesterday, even better than the last one."
"Really?" Fu Yu couldn't quite believe his ears.
Grandpa Meng, however, believed her. This was such a significant matter, his granddaughter wouldn't lie. He immediately instructed his son, "Yu'er, hurry to the garrison. Have your Brother Yuanshan come over quickly."
"Yes, son is going now." Fu Yu finished speaking and strode out, his pace quickening until he was running.
Because he also wanted to return quickly to see the new saber his daughter's master had forged.
Grandpa Meng watched his son's receding figure disappear around the decorative screen wall through the glass window.
Then, looking through the glass window to ensure no one was nearby, he briskly instructed his granddaughter to take out the saber.
Although Grandpa Meng was considered worldly, his mouth twitched several times when his granddaughter conjured something out of thin air.
But when he saw the long-handled saber lying on the bluestone ground, he felt all his attention being drawn to it, even his breath.
Seeing that her grandfather remained silent for a long time, Fu Xinci also stayed quiet, standing opposite him.
It wasn't until the sound of hurried footsteps approached from outside, indicating someone running, that Grandpa Meng got up, put on his shoes, and began to meticulously examine the saber.
Qi Yuanshan, tall and with long legs, was the first to push open the door.
The moment he saw the long saber on the bluestone ground, nothing else registered.
Fu Xinci was wondering what Uncle Qi's next action would be when she saw him dart to the saber.
As he crouched down, his well-defined hand glided over the blade, an ingrained fondness he couldn't conceal.
When Qi He entered, he suddenly wanted to ask his father if he liked the saber more or him more.
But he wasn't a child who liked to make things difficult, so he said nothing.
Almost everyone from the garrison had rushed over, about fifty or sixty people, completely filling the courtyard.
Wang Dabao and a few others led the crowd in shouting, "Commander, can you let us little ones have a look at your new saber?"
Qi Yuanshan didn't answer. He first glanced at the young girl standing by the cabinet who hadn't moved. Seeing her smiling at him with her eyes crinkled, he smiled back.
"Xinci, please thank your master on behalf of Uncle Qi."
"Uncle Qi, there's no need to be so polite. My master said, 'A treasured sword for a hero.'"
Qi He: "My father's last saber, I don't know who it was gifted to as a 'hero'."
Fu Xinci: "Shameless! I have the final right to interpret the last word."
... Qi Yuanshan felt a pang of sadness when his son brought up the past incident, a wound from a time he had no choice but to yield.
But the young girl's next words instantly dispelled the sadness in his heart.
He felt like laughing.
Grandpa Meng also hadn't expected his granddaughter to become so mischievous. When there were no outsiders, he would have to remind his granddaughter a few things. A young lady shouldn't say everything that comes to mind, otherwise, it would be difficult to find a husband in the future.
Qi Yuanshan, however, didn't see it that way. He picked up the saber from the ground and then told Grandpa Meng his true feelings.
"Uncle Meng, Xinci is my lucky star."
"Oh, what makes you say that?" Qi Yuanshan's words truly perplexed Grandpa Meng.
"It's just that a few days ago, the Tatars attacked, and I led the brothers of our garrison to meet them. It was a tough battle that lasted for several days. Among the several garrisons, our Yingzuizi Cliff Garrison had the highest number of enemy casualties, and we were the only one with no casualties."
When Qi Yuanshan said the last sentence, his voice rose, his proud expression evident.
In his eyes, everything else was secondary. The fact that no one from the Yingzuizi Cliff Garrison was sacrificed was their greatest source of pride.
"It is because of these two matters that after Commander Lei was transferred back to the capital, General Liu strongly recommended me."