“You’re still young, so you probably don’t know about Prince Hao of Beimin. He came to Nanzhao, and is visiting the suburban army barrack with His Majesty! What an astoundingly great piece of news! I never expected Beimin and Nanzhao’s relationship to be this favourable. It’s considered a joyous occasion for us civilians.” Da Zhu’s eyes were filled with excitement, while Liu YInyin’s gaze dimmed upon hearing the words ‘His Majesty’.
Dad and Mum are no longer around, and I only have Elder Brother Lianchen. He would come and cheer me up whenever I was unhappy, and I would always climb onto his back to play with him. However, with so many women entering the palace, the amount of time he can accompany me gradually decreased. I couldn’t help but feel miserable about my own sweet being forcefully taken away by others.
Observing that there was something strange about her expression, the auntie immediately went forward to pat Liu Yinyin’s back. “Yinyin, do you feel unwell? I’ll go and ask the village physician to check on you.”
“Auntie, I’m fine. In fact, I’m feeling great. I’ll help you wash the vegetables. Uncle has worked hard for the day, so he’ll definitely be terribly hungry when he comes back.” Liu Yinyin cheerily said.
“Alright, I’ll go and prepare the dishes.” The auntie pushed her son. “When you go to the capital tomorrow, take Yinyin along with you to play.”
Da Zhu immediately agreed. “Alright, we shouldn’t keep the little lass cooped up at home too much. Yinyin, I’ll take you out to play tomorrow, okay?” He walked to her and raised his hand, about to caress her head.
However, she dodged to the side before he could touch her. Only Elder Brother Lianchen and Fairy Elder Sister can touch my head.
Da Zhu’s hand awkwardly hung in mid-air. This little lass must have experienced some misfortune that has caused her to be so distant from others. How pitiful she is…
“Yinyin, I’ll take you out to play tomorrow; cheer up! There are many interesting things in the capital. I received some silver pieces from an eminent family for selling firewood today.” Da Zhu took out the silver pieces from his sleeve and proudly waved them in front of her.
Staring at those silver pieces, Liu Yinyin responded, “Brother Da Zhu, you’re so amazing.”
“Yinyin, be obedient and don’t think about the matters in the past anymore. From now on, this will be your home. Even though we’re not wealthy, we can still afford to raise you!” Da Zhu cheerfully laughed before turning to step into the house.
Liu Yinyin continued standing alone in the courtyard. Will Elder Brother Lianchen still be in the army barracks tomorrow? Can I watch him from afar? Did he search for me after I left? Is he worried? If he hasn’t done anything to try to find me, it means that he didn’t really think of me as his family.
Upon that thought, she became even more dejected.
Afterwards, Liu Yinyin had her meal with Da Zhu and the rest of the family before washing up and falling asleep.
Before the sky turned bright early the next morning, she was dragged out of bed by Da Zhu. After she was done freshening herself up, she held two white steamed buns in her hand as they boarded the horse carriage bound for the capital.
There were three horses altogether in the village, and they would only be used as a last resort. Da Zhu had requested the Village Chief to take Liu Yinyin to the capital to play after seeing how pitiful she was. As such, the latter could only sigh as he gave his permission to use the horse carriage.
After travelling in the horse carriage for more than two hours, Liu Yinyin lifted the curtain. “Brother Da Zhu, I want to go to the army barracks in the suburbs to take a look.”
Da Zhu was taken aback. “Why do you want to go there? You already want to become a soldier at such a young age?”
“Brother Zhu, just take me there please.”
Seeing her act in a coquettish manner for the first time, Da Zhu could only nod. “Alright, I’ll take you there!” Actually, even if she hadn’t suggested it, I would also have wanted to go. I’d like to see how awe-inspiring the soldiers are, and even luckier if I am able to witness Prince Hao’s elegant demeanour.
Thus, Da Zhu steered the horse towards the army barracks that were located three kilometres west of the suburbs.
In less than an hour, Liu Yinyin could already hear the shouts of the soldiers during their training. She became nervous and tightly clenched her handkerchief.
~~~
Meanwhile, Pei Qianhao, Su Xi-er, and Ning Lianchen were watching the soldiers training their formations inside the drill grounds.
