Reborn Together: The General and I Reach for Power
Chapter 30 - 29: Eat to the Full

Chapter 30: Chapter 29: Eat to the Full

There was silence in the room for quite some time.

Old Mrs. Chen looked blankly at Chen Zigeng beside her. If no one was around, she would have said, "Grandson, quickly tell grandmother, what did General Song mean by that?"

Chen Yongsheng clenched his hands tightly. He was indeed taken aback. Did General Song mean to give them ten days to collect herbs? He looked at Song Xian, who was sitting upright in front of him, always feeling that this was not real.

In the past, when Chen Zigeng encountered something he couldn’t understand, he would keep it to himself and ponder hard. Now that Sister was back, he subconsciously looked to her.

Sister’s face was full of smiles, without a trace of fear.

Chen Zigeng set his mind at ease, then reached out to tug Old Mrs. Chen’s sleeve, comforting her with his eyes: Grandmother, the sky hasn’t fallen; it should be a good thing.

After the silent exchange between the grandmother and grandson, Chen Yongsheng also came back to his senses and quickly stood up to salute Song Xian: "Thank you, General Song."

Xie Liangchen followed suit, saluting as well. She did not expect Song Xian to help.

Song Xian said, "Miss Xie offered the formula first. These are things the government office should do. Selling medicine isn’t easy. Whether it will work in ten days depends on you."

After saying this, Song Xian continued, "There is another paper workshop in Qi State."

If the paper workshop in Zhenzhou does well, Qi State will also adopt the new method, and by then, more medicinal herbs will be needed.

Chen Yongsheng dared not think too much, but he couldn’t help but hope for a moment in his heart.

Having finished speaking, Song Xian stood up and went into the yard.

After unloading the grain, Chen Yongsheng took people to check on it.

Song Xian looked at the medicinal herbs sorted in the yard and could tell that the village chief of Chen Family Village greatly trusted Xie Liangchen. The whole Chen Family Village was following Xie Liangchen’s instructions. _{fre eweb\(n)ovel(.)co(m)}

She indeed had the skill.

The ten days would be enough for her to stir up some commotion.

As Song Xian pondered, he heard a voice say, "What is this?"

Song Xian looked in the direction of the voice. At some point, Cheng Yanzhao had arrived. He was standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the things laid out in the yard.

Xie Liangchen and Chen Zigeng stood beside Cheng Yanzhao.

Cheng Yanzhao, unlike Song Xian, was always talkative and could easily strike up a conversation with others.

"Is this a toad?" Cheng Yanzhao said before Xie Liangchen could speak again, "What are they for? Eating?"

Xie Liangchen nodded.

Cheng Yanzhao clicked his tongue, feeling curious. Although he had eaten in the wild, he had never seen people catch these things to eat. While he could eat anything, looking at these still gave him a slight shiver.

Xie Liangchen was very calm. These were all excellent nourishing medicines. Once dried, she would take them to Song Xian.

Song Xian had given her rice and grain and ten days to collect herbs, so offering these things was a token of her gratitude.

Cheng Yanzhao moved his gaze from the toads, "It’s not easy for you to collect herbs. If there’s anything you need help with, let someone come to the government office to find me."

Xie Liangchen responded.

Cheng Yanzhao wanted to say a few more words but saw Song Xian walking over.

Cheng Yanzhao was still unsatisfied, not knowing why he always felt Song Xian was trying to hide something about Miss Xie. What secret between the two could not be disclosed to others?

Song Xian said to Cheng Yanzhao, "Go to the front and check if the carriages and horses are ready."

This was a dismissal. Cheng Yanzhao glanced into the yard a few more times before finally leaving with his men.

As soon as Cheng Yanzhao left, the yard became quiet.

Xie Liangchen looked at Chen Zigeng beside her. Her younger brother was inseparable from her, and she couldn’t find a chance to speak with Song Xian alone.

Lowering her voice, Xie Liangchen instructed Chen Zigeng, "Go and find Second Uncle."

Chen Zigeng thought Sister wanted Second Uncle to accompany the General and, with a word of agreement, turned and walked out.

With no one else around them.

Xie Liangchen stepped forward respectfully, "Is the General preparing to leave?"

Song Xian thought of Xie Liangchen’s friendly and obedient manner both in public and private, as if she truly wished to see him.

Song Xian wasn’t someone fond of talking, but at this moment, he finally didn’t need to hide: "What? Have you prepared a meal?" Cold pots and stoves, the sincerity or pretense could be seen at a glance.

Xie Liangchen was taken aback. What did General Song mean by this?

"This time was too rushed," Xie Liangchen said, "I’ll be sure to prepare next time the General comes."

Song Xian turned to leave but suddenly remembered something. He looked at Xie Liangchen, "Can you swim?" In his dreams, he remembered the scene when he fell into the sea years ago, recalling how a small figure swam towards him.

At the mention of swimming, Xie Liangchen’s chest tightened, as if she couldn’t breathe. Without any hesitation, she shook her head, "I can’t swim, I’m afraid of water. Even on a boat, I feel uneasy, so I’ve never thought of swimming."

Song Xian was silent at first, then asked, "Why are you afraid?"

"I don’t know," Xie Liangchen replied, "Seeing water makes me uncomfortable." In her past life, her brother wanted her to see the sea, but she was too timid to agree. After her brother was killed by Ji Yuan, it became a regret in her heart. So, in this life, she secretly decided to overcome her fear and travel the seas with her brother in the future.

Xie Liangchen asked, "Why is the General asking me this?"

Song Xian’s gaze deepened, "The family who saved me back then, their daughter could swim."

So that’s how it is. Xie Liangchen said, "I’m sorry, General Song, I couldn’t be of help."

Song Xian did not respond and turned to walk away: "No one is born afraid of something. Either you’ve heard some frightening stories related to it, or you’ve experienced it yourself. Think carefully, which one is it for you?"

Xie Liangchen’s mind was blank, "If I can remember, I’ll report back to General Song."

Chen Yongsheng walked over with Chen Zigeng, and as Song Xian finished speaking, he took a step forward and walked out.

Song Xian rode away from Chen Family Village, and the people of the village looked at the piled-up grains, not knowing what to do for a moment.

After a while, someone finally sat down, wiping tears, and others brought out their elderly family members to see.

The oldest woman in the village, Mrs. Zhao, whose eyesight was long gone, reached out to touch the rice in the sack, tilting her face, "Is this this year’s harvest? Good, we can eat rice now."

Old Mrs. Chen stepped forward, "Fourth Grandma, didn’t you eat rice yesterday? I brought it to you."

"No way," Mrs. Zhao waved her hand, her mouth toothless, her words unclear, "I didn’t eat... I haven’t had it in years..."

Old Mrs. Chen felt both sad and amused, "Denying after eating it. If I had known, I wouldn’t have fed you yesterday."

"Yue Ya," Mrs. Zhao called Old Mrs. Chen by her nickname, "Was this year’s harvest really good?"

Old Mrs. Chen replied loudly, "Yes, everyone can eat now."

"Cook rice for the children tonight. My three boys are always hungry, and your Brother Jing is growing too. Let them eat well."

Old Mrs. Chen’s nose tingled, and tears fell. Mrs. Zhao was confused, not remembering current events, only the past...

Mrs. Zhao’s three sons and her Brother Jing had long grown up. They went to war, leaving their lives there, never to return.

They can no longer eat the rice cooked at home.

The sound of someone choking back tears came from the crowd. It wasn’t just them who died; every family had men who went to war. How many came back?

Initially, everyone wanted Mrs. Zhao to be happy, but suddenly the scar was revealed.

Mrs. Zhao laughed, "What’s everyone standing still for? Cook..."

"Did you hear that?" Old Mrs. Chen wiped away her tears and instructed, "Today, cook rice, no mixing in other things."

Old Mrs. Chen spoke with boldness, "Eat your fill of rice."

Xie Liangchen looked at Chen Zigeng, "Let everyone go to the kitchen to start the fire, quick, before grandmother regrets it."

...

Song Family Mansion.

Song Yu lay on the wooden couch, while the doctor applied new medicine for him.

The burning pain made Song Yu take a deep breath, followed by a fit of coughing.

Tears welled up in Madam Rong’s eyes as she tightly gripped her handkerchief. Seeing Yu hurt like this was like someone stabbing her in the heart.

After the doctor left, Madam Rong finally spoke, "Didn’t they say they’d be gentle? How can he be so cruel..."

Madam Rong wanted to confront Song Qizheng, to ask him, wasn’t this his flesh and blood? She painstakingly raised the child to this age, only for him to be treated like this?

"Mother, don’t go," Song Yu held Madam Rong’s hand, "Father had no other way. Without doing this, he couldn’t silence Li You."

"Is it about silencing Li You, or not letting Song Xian be satisfied?" Song Min placed the medicinal bowl on the table, "Clearly it’s Song Xian harming Second Brother."

Song Min sneered, "They say Second Brother secretly gathers officials, is Song Xian not doing the same? Just using different methods, Mother, Second Brother doesn’t even know that Song Xian is walking around Zhenjiang with Li You, inciting a group of ruffians to curry favor with Li You."

Madam Rong frowned upon hearing this, "What do you mean inciting ruffians to curry favor with Li You? Explain yourself."