Longevity by Picking up Attributes in the Battlefield

Chapter 363: Chapter 163: Father and Daughter Reunited! Mrs. Zhao’s Hardships!

Before long, he could see the three thatched cottages from afar. Returning home and seeing them again stirred an excitement in his heart. But seeing the sprawling pavilions that now surrounded the small house, a thought arose within him. The scenery is the same, but the people have changed. Four years... I hadn’t expected such significant changes.

At that moment, Zhao Feng saw Xia Wuqie and Mrs. Zhao sitting in the courtyard. After so much time, both had regained their composure. Mrs. Zhao was brewing tea for Xia Wuqie.

"It looks like Doctor Xia really does know my mother after all," Zhao Feng said with a smile as he slowly walked over.

"Yes, we do indeed know each other," Xia Wuqie said with a slight smile.

"Feng’er," Mrs. Zhao began with a very calm expression, "Doctor Xia can be considered your grandmaster. Back in the day, when I first started learning medicine, I studied under him."

"So it turns out Doctor Xia really wasn’t mistaken; that bracelet truly belonged to an old acquaintance of his," Zhao Feng said, feigning a sudden realization.

Mrs. Zhao nodded and said with a smile, "Doctor Xia certainly had seen this bracelet before."

"It seems this really is fate," Zhao Feng remarked with a sigh. "If Doctor Xia hadn’t taken Yan’er’s pulse, he would never have known my mother was an old friend."

"Indeed, it is fate." Xia Wuqie nodded emphatically in response.

If I hadn’t seen this bracelet, I probably would have never come to Shaqiu, let alone met Dong’er,

"By the way, Mother, have you arranged a place for Doctor Xia to stay?" Zhao Feng asked.

"Rest assured, I’ve already taken care of it. Everything is ready," Mrs. Zhao replied, waving her hand at him. "Go on and attend to your business. Don’t worry about us."

"Alright then. I’ll let you two catch up."

Zhao Feng smiled, harboring no doubts, and turned to leave. Returning to his hometown, he was undoubtedly very happy. He would rest for the night; everything else could wait until tomorrow.

「Back in his room!」

"Where are the two little ones?" Zhao Feng asked in surprise, seeing that Zhao Qi and Zhao Ling were not there.

"They pestered their aunt to take them somewhere," Wang Yan said with a slight smile.

"That’s just as well," Zhao Feng nodded.

"Husband," Wang Yan began, her tone a little peculiar, "don’t you think Doctor Xia had a strange look on his face when he saw Mother today?"

"What was strange about it?" Zhao Feng asked, puzzled.

"I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I have a strong feeling they’re hiding something," Wang Yan said.

Zhao Feng, however, just shook his head and laughed. "You’re overthinking it. Doctor Xia does indeed know my mother. She just told me she studied medicine under him and that he had seen her bracelet before."

"I see." Wang Yan nodded in understanding, yet a peculiar feeling still lingered in her heart. After all, the look Xia Wuqie and her mother-in-law had exchanged seemed far too complex for that of simple old acquaintances.

"Alright, don’t think too much about it," Zhao Feng said with a laugh as he wrapped his arms around Wang Yan and climbed into bed. "We’ve had a tiring journey. Let’s get some sleep. It’s been a long time since I’ve slept at home."

***

「The night passed.」

Back in the original small house, the family sat down together for breakfast for the first time in four years. The meal had been personally prepared for Zhao Feng by his mother.

"I haven’t eaten Mother’s pancakes in four years. I really missed them," Zhao Feng said with a chuckle as he bit into one.

"If you missed them, then eat more," Mrs. Zhao said tenderly.

"Brother," Zhao Ying asked, "how much leave did the Great King grant you this time?"

"One month," Zhao Feng replied.

"Only one month?" Zhao Ying sounded somewhat disappointed.

"What do you mean, ’only one month’? That’s already quite a long time. Your brother is now a Shangjiangjun, but the camp has yet to be established. After my leave, I have to return to Xianyang to discuss its formation with the Great King. The establishment of the camp is crucial to the nation. This matter cannot be delayed," Zhao Feng explained.

He naturally wanted to stay at home longer, but the King of Qin held him in high regard. Although he had his own plans for the end of the Qin dynasty, the King of Qin was still alive and valued him greatly, so Zhao Feng would naturally do his utmost. Moreover, once the camp was established, the Fate Official Seal belonging to a Shangjiangjun could be consolidated, which would certainly strengthen his power.

"I don’t care about any camp," Zhao Ying said with a pout, clearly unsatisfied. "All I know is you’ve been gone for four years, and now that you’re finally back, you only get to rest for a month. The Great King is really too stingy."

In front of outsiders, Zhao Ying was an elegant young lady, but in front of her brother and mother, she was just a spoiled little girl.

"You can say that at home, but don’t repeat it outside, or you might get arrested and spanked," Zhao Feng teased his sister.

"I’m not afraid," Zhao Ying snorted. "Unless the Great King is truly that petty."

"Speaking of which, Little Sister..." Zhao Feng suddenly looked at Zhao Ying with a grin.

"What?" Zhao Ying eyed him suspiciously, sensing that her brother was up to no good.

"You’re already twenty, quite the young lady now. Don’t you think your big brother should find you a man and marry you off?" Zhao Feng teased.

"You wouldn’t dare!" Zhao Ying’s face stiffened. "I’m not getting married!"

Of course, strictly speaking, Zhao Feng could indeed arrange a marriage for her. After all, they no longer had a father. An eldest brother is like a father, and since Zhao Feng was now the head of the family, he had every right to make such decisions for her.

"You’re already twenty," Zhao Feng said, his tone turning a little more serious. "If you don’t marry, do you really want to become an old maid?"

He was genuinely concerned about this. In this era, girls began to marry as young as thirteen or fourteen. Although he was open-minded, the era was not. He worried his sister might truly never marry.

"In any case, I’m not getting married now," Zhao Ying stated firmly. "I haven’t met the right person. We can talk about it when I do."

"How are you going to find anyone if you’re cooped up at home all day? Oh, come on," Zhao Feng said, unimpressed.

"Who can say how fate works?" Zhao Ying argued logically. "You and Sister-in-law met by chance, didn’t you?"

At the mention of this, Zhao Feng couldn’t help but laugh. "Are you planning to join the army and find someone there?"

"Hmph," Zhao Ying responded with a proud snort.

"Husband, let’s just leave Ying’er to her own devices on this," Wang Yan spoke up for her. "She’s your sister, after all. Once we’re in Xianyang, she can choose from plenty of talented men. Who would dare mistreat her?" Now that she was the eldest sister-in-law and from a prominent family, she naturally carried a certain air of authority.

"Sister-in-law is the best!" Zhao Ying immediately clung to Wang Yan’s arm coquettishly.

"Feng’er," Mrs. Zhao asked with concern, "you said you wanted to hold a wedding feast. Have you prepared everything?" Ever since giving birth to her children, their marriages had been her greatest concern. Although Zhao Feng had already held one celebration in Xianyang, they still needed to hold another in Sha Village.

"Speaking of which," Wang Yan added, "in Xianyang, the Great King even acted as an elder for my husband..."