Fu Xin Ci took the opportunity to push a firearm and several boxes of ammunition under the table to her grandfather.
Then, she obediently said, "Grandfather, Father, it's getting late. I'll go back to rest."
"Go on, go on," Grandpa Meng and his son knew that the child must be tired from being out all day, so they waved for her to return.
Seeing his granddaughter leave, Grandpa Meng looked at his son with an expression that implied, "You've gotten a great deal."
Fu Yu: Why did he feel his old father's gaze change dramatically from the moment before?
Could it be?
Fu Yu secretly examined himself in the lamplight.
There seemed to be nothing out of place.
Fu Xin Ci returned to her room, took a comfortable hot bath, and then lay on the kang, lost in thought.
Suddenly, Han Xue's voice came from outside the door, "Miss, are you tired?"
"Not really tired, just don't feel like moving."
"Miss, shall this servant massage your shoulders for you?"
"I'll help Miss knead her legs," Chun Yu chimed in, joining them.
"Alright, Miss will grant your wishes today."
Seeing their young lady agree, Han Xue and Chun Yu's faces lit up with smiles. The sight of two beautiful young women crowding around was quite lively.
"Miss, please lean back," Han Xue said, about to help her young lady sit up. Chun Yu, with great understanding, picked up a large pillow.
"No, I'll just lie down for a bit." Fu Xin Ci really didn't want to move, so she flipped over and simply lay prone on the kang.
Her young lady's casualness was something her two personal maids were accustomed to.
In their hearts, as long as their young lady allowed them to serve her, they would do anything for her.
Fu Xin Ci was already tired, and with Han Xue and Chun Yu's well-paced massage, her eyes grew heavier.
Seeing their young lady asleep, Han Xue and Chun Yu exchanged a knowing smile. They covered her with a quilt and then tiptoed out.
Lying on her stomach to sleep was ultimately uncomfortable. After about half an hour, Fu Xin Ci turned over, finally settling into a rather uninhibited sleeping posture.
With her body at ease, she slept soundly until dawn.
Opening her eyes, she vaguely heard Ning Er's running and jumping sounds from the courtyard. Rubbing her eyes, Fu Xin Ci sat up.
Chun Yu, who had been waiting outside the door, heard movement inside and quickly said softly, "Miss, this servant will come in to help you get ready."
"Mm, come help me with my hair in a bit."
"Yes."
Chun Yu was still young. Upon receiving her young lady's instruction, she immediately beamed and pushed the door open, busying herself with helping her young lady wash up.
Fu Xin Ci had intended to say she could manage on her own and that Chun Yu only needed to help with her hair. But Chun Yu, having received her young lady's words, moved swiftly and helped her with everything.
Fu Xin Ci once again marveled at how attentive this young maid was.
When she went to the front yard for breakfast, Fu Xin Ci clearly noticed the smiling face of her father. She immediately thought of the gift she had given him the night before.
Heh heh, it seemed he also liked that kind of gift.
Fu Yu was truly delighted.
Since receiving the item from his father last night, he had been overjoyed.
He hadn't slept well all night. As soon as it was dimly light, he got up, washed up briefly, and went to the place where his eldest son usually practiced archery.
He carefully recalled his father's instructions from the previous night and patiently began practicing his aim.
The item was tucked into his waist, but Fu Yu dared not take it out. His father had said that the sound of the firearm firing its ammunition was very loud and could be heard throughout the entire town.
Their family did not wish to cause a sensation. Until they truly faced the Japanese pirates and the Tatars, they should not use firearms lightly, lest they attract the attention of those with ill intentions.
Fu Yu thought of Brother Yuan Shan's large saber, Little He's bow and arrows, and how Little He still dared not carry his own large spear to the General's mansion.
Good things were viewed as original sins by those in positions of power.
Even General Liu, who was known for his uprightness, was someone Little He dared not gamble with, let alone their family.
When Yu'er woke up and saw his father practicing aiming there, he became even more diligent.
After the family had breakfast and saw that Qi He had not yet returned, they were naturally worried.
Especially Grandpa Meng and Fu Xin Ci.
Fearing that his old father would become agitated, Fu Yu, before leaving for the academy, tried to comfort him: "Father, the road from Eagle Beak Cliff to the General's mansion is not short. Even a fast horse would take several hours for a one-way trip. Moreover, to make a round trip, even if there were no matters to discuss, it would take more than a day."
The elder thought about it and realized his son's words were reasonable, which somewhat eased his mind.
The Qi father and son returned in the evening. Seeing the weariness in their eyes, it was evident they had not slept.
Qi Yuan Shan knew that Uncle Meng was worried about them, so he briefly recounted their trip to the General's mansion while they ate dinner.
As for General Liu's deployment and the notification of the border garrisons, he did not speak a single word.
However, he hid nothing of his own plans from Uncle Meng and his son.
In recent years, the training of soldiers in the entire Thousand-Household Commandery, from top to bottom, had never been neglected. It was much stricter than during Qian Hu Lei's time.
Although the soldiers grumbled behind their backs and spoke sarcastically, they dared not do so openly.
Especially during the recent engagement where the entire Thousand-Household Commandery fought the Japanese pirates with full force, killing two to three hundred enemies, yet not a single soldier was lost.
Amidst the joy, everyone truly understood Qian Hu Qi's painstaking efforts.
Since then, no matter how arduous the soldiers' training was, no one complained of fatigue.
On the battlefield, swords and sabers were unforgiving. Only by mastering one's own skills could one protect oneself and prevent the land from being invaded by foreign powers.
Now that they heard of renewed movements from the Tatars, everyone trained even more diligently, vowing to drive the Tatars back north.
As the weather grew hotter, Fu Xin Ci and Ning Er moved to the upper floor.
Ning Er's greatest joy each day was to lie on the windowsill and gaze into the distance.
Fu Xin Ci was a little worried about what to do with the small fish in her spatial dimension.
In such hot weather, if she were to process the small fish, it would attract swarms of flies. The thought of such a scene was quite chilling. To avoid her food being "spiced" with flies, the task of making dried small fish had to be postponed.
While dried small fish could wait, fresh fish could be prepared and eaten anytime. To avoid seeming too conspicuous, she made an excuse to go out for a stroll. When she returned, she had several plump fish in her hands.
In front of her mother, she put on a look of exhaustion. Fang Shi, concerned, quickly took the round, large fish from her daughter's hands and sent them to the kitchen. Before doing so, she asked her daughter, "Ci'er, how do you want to eat these fish?"
"Mother can decide." She wasn't good at cooking and felt her mother's judgment was more reliable.