Chapter 68: The Importance of a Sister

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: The Importance of a Sister

It was just a casual question from her, but Hu Liang’s face immediately turned red.

"...It’s a large sum... In town... it just won’t do..."

Seeing him act like a lovesick boy, Ji Huan knew what was going on.

Widow Xie pulled her aside, unable to hide her joy as she told her the truth.

"...Now that we have some money, we want to make the proposal before the new year. After we exchange the betrothal gifts, we’ll hold the wedding as soon as spring comes. You know what our family’s situation was before; the Cao Family’s parents were originally unwilling. It was Miss Cao who insisted on waiting for Liangzi, dragging things out for all these years... So we can’t treat her poorly. You can’t find anything good in town, so Liangzi and I are planning a trip to the county seat to buy some nice fabric and a piece of jewelry..."

’So it was a proposal after all.’

Ji Huan was genuinely happy for them. ’For Miss Cao to be willing to wait for him in such dire straits, she must truly love Liangzi. What could be more blissful than two people in love finally getting married?’

"There’s nothing more blissful than this."

In the military camp, Zhen Jili clutched the cotton-padded coat Ji Huan had sent him, moved to a blubbering mess of snot and tears.

"You wouldn’t get it. You don’t have a sister. You’re just a single guy..." He blew his nose violently, flicked the snot to the ground, and then nonchalantly wiped his hand on Lu Danian’s sleeve.

Lu Danian tried his best to hold it in, but he finally snapped. "So what if I’m single? You talk as if you aren’t one too!"

"I’m single, but I have a sister, and my sister even made me a cotton coat. Look, these stitches, this craftsmanship... My sister is so skilled. The clothes she makes are better than anyone else’s."

Zhen Jili grabbed Lu Danian and showed off for what felt like an eternity. Lu Danian had been envious at first, but now he was just furious.

"I told you she didn’t make it! She had someone else do it!"

Zhen Jili shot him a sidelong glance. "She was just too embarrassed to admit it. I know how it is."

Lu Danian sighed. "...Fine, fine, fine. Let’s just say everything you said is true. Your sister made the coat, and you have a wonderful sister, alright? Can you let me go now, Doctor Zhen?"

’God knows how he ever met someone like this, let alone became friends with him. He was kicking himself for it now.’

Zhen Jili patted his shoulder, expressed some more pity for his lonely state, then craned his neck to look at the carriage behind him.

"Did my sister only send me the coat?"

Lu Danian snorted. ’There are small fish, too,’ he thought, ’but now I don’t feel like giving them to you!’

Zhen Jili’s nose twitched. "Wait a minute. Is there fried fish, too?"

Lu Danian froze. "How did you know?"

"I can smell it on the bundle."

Skeptical, Lu Danian leaned closer for a sniff, but he couldn’t smell anything.

’Damn it, what kind of dog’s nose does he have!’

Paying him no mind, Zhen Jili walked around him to the side of the carriage, lifted the tarp covering it, and looked like he was about to cry again.

"See? Who has a sister as good as mine..."

His eyes filled with the sight of crispy, golden-fried small yellow croakers, and Zhen Jili lost all interest in provoking Lu Danian further.

With a grand wave of his hand, he ordered, "Move it all to my quarters!"

Hearing this, Lu Danian forgot all about his anger and sidled up with a cheeky grin. "You probably can’t finish all this, can you, Doctor Zhen? There are several basins here."

"This is a gift from my sister. I can finish it no matter how much there is."

Lu Danian stared for a moment, then decided to just be blunt. "We made this trip for you, you can’t just hog it all for yourself! No way, you have to give us half!"

Zhen Jili deliberately provoked him. "You’ve got some nerve, Lu Danian. Did the General’s words just go in one ear and out the other? I can eat what my sister made, but you can’t. Because she’s *my* sister. To you, she’s a civilian, understand? You’re not supposed to take advantage of the common folk!"

Lu Danian felt incredibly wronged. "Who says I didn’t listen to the General? If I hadn’t, do you think you’d even be seeing any of this..."

"Oho, listen to you! Sounds like you’re blaming the General now!"

"That’s nonsense! I didn’t!"

"Still trying to deny it? Do you dare go to the General and let him be the judge?"

"Fine, let’s go!"

Just as their argument was reaching a boiling point, a deep voice suddenly cut in.

"What do you want with me."

Seeing who had arrived, the two of them stopped bickering and cupped their fists in salute. "General!"

Then, right in front of the man himself, Zhen Jili started to tattle.

"General, this Lu Danian is absolutely shameless! Didn’t I tell you before that my little sister had developed a kind of dehydrated vegetable so that everyone could eat greens in the winter? I estimated they’d be ready these past few days, and Lu Danian, who’s been idle for so long since his last mistake, shamelessly insisted on leading a team to pick up the goods. But it turns out the guy had ulterior motives—he’s trying to eat the fish my sister sent for me..."

Lu Danian cursed his own clumsy tongue, unable to talk his way out of it like Zhen Jili could. He gritted his teeth. "Zhen Jili, you snake!"

He turned, dropped to one knee with a look of pure indignation, stopping just short of swearing an oath to the heavens.

"General, I swear I didn’t eat any! His sister served them right to my face and I refused, even though they smelled incredible and my men and I were starving... We remembered your teachings, General. We didn’t break our army’s rules!"

Zhen Jili smugly enjoyed the sight of his frustrated expression.

’Serves you right! That’s what you get for laughing at me on the training grounds, calling me a weakling who can’t lift a thing!’

He was about to press his advantage for a decisive blow when he caught a sharp glance from the General and immediately straightened up.

This man, never seen without his armor and sword, gave off an impression colder and more unfeeling than the biting winds of a Northern Pass winter. Zhen Jili had been by his side for some time now, but he had never seen him laugh or get angry. To be precise, it was rare to see any expression at all on that cold, stern face.

No matter how skilled Zhen Jili was at reading people, he could only grasp the most superficial aspects of the General’s thoughts.

"If you can’t finish the food, it’s fine to share some with them."

With the General’s personal permission, Lu Danian grinned from ear to ear. He rushed to the carriage, stacked three basins, and took off running.

Zhen Jili cursed under his breath at Lu Danian’s rapidly retreating back, "That bastard. It’s not like I was actually going to keep it all from him. Look at that pathetic display!"

’At least his conscience isn’t completely shot; he left two basins behind.’

Zhen Jili chuckled. "General, you should have a basin, too. It’s the same kind I brought back last time—the batter-fried yellow croakers my sister made herself. You tried them and said they were good."

The General shook his head. "Keep them for yourself. It’s not easy to get a meal like this in the army."

His gaze fell on the cotton coat in Zhen Jili’s arms and paused for a moment.

Zhen Jili, ever perceptive, pondered for a moment before asking tentatively, "Our provisions and winter clothing... they haven’t been delivered yet?"

The General didn’t answer, asking instead about the use of the hand cream.

"It’s been distributed to every battalion. Around this time in past years, many of the men would already be getting frostbite on their hands. That hasn’t happened this year."

The General nodded. "Make sure every soldier gets to use it."

Zhen Jili felt both furious and thrilled.

He was furious that the court kept delaying the provisions and supplies, pushing them into a desperate situation.

He was thrilled that the hand cream was actually working, which meant their chances of winning had just increased by ten percent.

"General, are we... about to..."

The General pressed his lips together, saying nothing, his gaze shifting to the horizon.

In the far distance, that was where the Beiliang Army was stationed.