The children saw Pang Dunder's dejected state and stopped teasing him.
However, the feeling of an empty stomach was unpleasant, and the rumbling sounds were too embarrassing. All the children had was one thought: to go back and eat as soon as possible.
On the mountain road outside Longcheng leading to Qilin Town, Xiang Tong and all the warriors of Longcheng were staring in one direction.
Uncle Xu and Uncle Sun couldn't wait any longer and walked up to Xiang Tong, saying, "Town Chief Xiang, why don't we two go out to meet them."
"It seems they're back, I heard the sound of hooves," Brother Fa said, his expression turning serious. "With so many horses, it would take at least a hundred riders to make such a sound."
"A hundred riders? How is that possible? Long Teng and the others are only a few people?"
As everyone speculated, Uncle Xu and Uncle Sun couldn't stand it any longer. They mounted their horses and charged out.
"Hey, Old Xu, Old Sun, you quickly… everyone grab your weapons."
Xiang Tong had wanted to stop Uncle Xu and Uncle Sun, but out of habit, he charged out with all the warriors of Longcheng.
It wasn't until they saw Fu Xiao Niu riding a white horse at the front, followed by a group of tall horses, that they could barely react.
Looking at the surprised and somewhat bewildered faces, Fu Xin Ci threw them a small bomb as soon as she spoke.
"Hurry up and spread out. We'll pick out horses when we get back."
"Pick out horses?" The crowd's excitement was evident as they saw the many horses Fu Xiao Niu had brought back.
"Hurry and spread out, hurry and spread out, don't let the horses kick anyone."
The crowd scattered in a panic, afraid of being trampled by the horses. Fu Xin Ci, leading more than a hundred horses, smoothly entered Longcheng without obstruction.
When Xiang Tong saw Long Teng, his mouth almost split open with a grin.
"Long Teng, are all these horses ours?"
"Yes, one for each person with some to spare. Go and distribute them. We're still starving."
Hearing Long Teng say they hadn't eaten yet, Uncle Sun and Uncle Xu rushed home without a second thought to quickly prepare food for the children.
"Old Xu, let's make beef noodles. They're quick and warm."
"Okay, I'll knead the dough."
"I'll get the beef."
"There's frozen cooked beef in the vat. Get more, the kids love it."
"Okay."
When the children returned to their lodgings, before they even entered the courtyard, they smelled a rich aroma.
Thinking of the fragrant beef noodles, every pore on Pang Dunder's body exuded a desire to eat.
As Xiao Ai stepped into the courtyard, she mumbled, "Uncle Xu, do we still have chili oil?"
"Yes, we prepared it for you long ago."
"Thank you, Uncle Xu and Uncle Sun. Beef noodles must have chili oil, otherwise, half the flavor is gone."
Hearing it was Xin Ci's voice, Uncle Xu and Uncle Sun smiled. They knew Xin Ci liked spicy food.
Fu Xin Ci and the children had a delicious meal of beef noodles, their foreheads slightly glistening with sweat before they contentedly put down their chopsticks.
Then, she left enough meat for the children to eat throughout the winter before preparing to go home.
The children walked her to the hilltop and watched her figure disappear into the forest before returning.
On her way back, she walked faster than ever. On the mountain closest to home, she even found a stray mountain goat.
Fu Xin Ci was overjoyed. She hadn't expected to encounter such a treasure.
Although she had goats in her space, this one felt more like an accomplishment.
Thinking this, Fu Xiao Niu playfully urged her vines, and before the mountain goat could react, it was tightly bound.
Watching the goat panic and bleat incessantly.
Fu Xin Ci couldn't help but smile. Her harvest today was good.
Dragging a mountain goat, she descended the mountain even faster.
At the entrance of the Meng family courtyard, Ning Er kept running out to take a look, while Qing Mei followed her little cousin like a shadow.
Fang Shi saw them from the kitchen entrance and chided her younger son.
"Ning Er, it's quite cold outside. You keep taking Qing Mei out repeatedly, isn't it too chilly?"
"Mother, I'm not cold," Ning Er said, pushing the rabbit fur hat on his head, wanting his mother to see the steam rising from inside his hat.
"Auntie, Qing Mei is not cold either." Qing Mei wore her older cousin's old hat, and her red coat was trimmed with white rabbit fur at the collar and cuffs, which her auntie had made for her.
"Yes, running keeps you strong. Children in the countryside aren't so delicate," Mother Fang patted her coat, preparing to help her daughter with dinner.
He Shi sat in the west wing and also wanted to help, but her mother-in-law and sister-in-law had told her that as long as she took care of the children, she didn't need to worry about anything else for now.
Looking at the smiling faces of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, she remembered her confinement period at her parents' home and secretly thought that this place was heaven.
Ning Er, who had lost count of whether it was the seventh or eighth or ninth time he had run to the main gate, finally saw his sister returning, holding a white horse in one hand and something else in the other.
"Sister."
"Big cousin."
"Aye, aye."
Fu Xin Ci saw the two little ones running towards her and quickly warned, "You two, slow down. The ground is slippery, don't fall."
"Okay."
"Okay."
As Ning Er got closer, he realized that the other thing his sister was holding was a mountain goat.
"Goat." Ning Er had heard his grandfather say that eating more mutton in winter was good for you, as mutton was warming.
"Hehe." Qing Mei also recognized the mountain goat. "Goats have beards. I saw one in the village where I lived at my maternal grandparents'."
The little girl then looked around, wanting to find grass to feed the goat.
However, the season would inevitably lead to her disappointment.
Grandpa Meng had been sitting in the main hall waiting for his granddaughter to return. Just now, his grandson had run out and hadn't returned for half a cup of tea's time, so the old man guessed that his granddaughter had returned.
As soon as Fu Xin Ci entered the courtyard, she saw her grandfather walk out from the main hall.
"Grandfather, I'm back."
"It's good that you're back," the old man smiled when he saw the mountain goat his granddaughter was holding, "Our Ci'er has quite a harvest from her outing."
"Mm."
Fu Xin Ci greeted Fang Shi and Mother Fang again, tied the mountain goat to the livestock shed, and then followed her grandfather to the main hall.
"How many Tatars have returned?" The old man was most concerned about this important matter.
"About a thousand. When Captain and I arrived at Qilin Town, Town Chief Lan was leading all the adults of Qilin Town in confronting the Tatars."
"How many adults are there in Qilin Town?"
"About two hundred."
"The numbers are heavily lopsided. You weren't at a disadvantage, were you?"
"We weren't. Uncle Qi led the soldiers of the thousand-household unit, and they arrived just in time."
"That's good then."
"The people of Longcheng Town and Qilin Town fought like fish in water after the soldiers of the thousand-household unit arrived, complementing each other perfectly."
"That's not bad then."
"Mm, completely eliminated. Uncle Qi said that we won't feed our grain to beasts."
"What your Uncle Qi said is absolutely right."