Seeing that Ren Shijie had already climbed onto horseback, Bai Jinzhi turned her horse around and led Ren Shijie in a swift gallop to catch up with the main Yan Kingdom forces returning home.
Although Ren Shijie was physically weak and his vision kept going dizzy, the thought of returning to Yan Kingdom openly filled him with irrepressible excitement. He gripped the reins tightly and galloped wildly behind Bai Jinzhi, afraid of being left behind.
Xie Xun and Murong Yan were leading their army back to Mengcheng, but their speed couldn’t match Bai Jinzhi’s swift galloping, so she soon caught up with them.
When Murong Yan heard that Bai Jinzhi had brought Ren Shijie back, he quickly put on his mask, turned his horse around, and personally went to greet them.
As soon as Bai Jinzhi saw Murong Yan, she cupped her fists in apology: “I apologize. My elder sister ordered me to send this person back, but whenever I encounter a battle, I forget about everything else. I’ve delayed for so many days – please forgive me, Ninth Prince.”
“The High Righteousness Prince is too polite. It’s good that Master Ren can return! Thank you for your trouble, High Righteousness Prince!” Murong Yan also cupped his fists toward Bai Jinzhi.
Lu Yuanpeng looked at the Great Yan Ninth Prince, feeling an extremely familiar sensation, yet unable to say where this familiarity came from. Only when they finished the handover of Ren Shijie and turned their horses to return did he mention to Bai Jinzhi, “Why do I feel like this Great Yan Ninth Prince is particularly familiar?”
“Didn’t Murong Li used to be on good terms with you! It’s normal for a nephew to resemble his uncle…”
After saying this, Bai Jinzhi urged Lu Yuanpeng: “Let’s hurry back. Today is New Year’s Eve, and Fifth Brother said we’d eat dumplings tonight. It’s a tradition of our Bai Family Army… when spending New Year away from home, the commander celebrates New Year’s Eve together with the soldiers!”
“Right, right, right! I heard it’s elephant meat dumplings! I’ve never eaten elephant meat before. Wait for me!” Lu Yuanpeng spurred his horse to chase after Bai Jinzhi.
·
As night fell, the snow grew heavier and heavier.
The traces of last night’s great battle in Pingdu City had been completely cleared away. The city was brightly lit, and lanterns glowed in all the multi-eaved buildings that hadn’t been destroyed by the giant elephants, creating clusters of red halos spreading through the vast snowy night.
The soldiers were still working enthusiastically under the red lights, busily cleaning up the buildings destroyed by the giant elephants the night before.
“Almost done! Once we finish cleaning this up, we can go back and eat dumplings!”
“I heard that our Young Commander Bai is making dumplings in the medical camp right now, and she even put copper coins in the dumplings! I must eat a dumpling made by our Young Commander Bai – that way I’ll have good fortune all year!”
The soldiers chatted and laughed, their movements becoming even faster.
In the medical camp, the lightly wounded soldiers who had already been bandaged all gathered together and began making dumplings after the kitchen corps delivered the prepared filling.
Bai Qingyan and Bai Qingyu, Bai Jinzhi, Shen Qingzhu, Xiao Ruohai, Shen Kunyang, Yang Wuce, Cheng Yuanzhi, Shen Liangyu, including Lu Yuanpeng and Sima Ping, were all in the medical camp making dumplings with the soldiers to celebrate the New Year.
The soldiers of the Bai Family Army had long known that Bai Qingyan would come, because this was the tradition of the Bai Family Army when spending New Year’s Eve away from home.
After the Bai Family Army’s commander, Bai Weiting, and deputy commander Bai Qishan, along with all the Bai family generals, had departed, their Young Commander Bai had shouldered the banner of the Bai Family Army and become their commander!
Even though their Young Commander Bai had now become the Emperor of Great Zhou, in the hearts of all the Bai Family Army soldiers, Young Commander Bai… was still Young Commander Bai. They knew Young Commander Bai would certainly continue the traditions of the Bai Family Army.
During great battles, she would certainly charge ahead of her troops!
After great battles, she would certainly inspect the medical camp!
On New Year’s Eve, she would certainly spend it together with the soldiers she considered family.
Large tents were set up outside the medical camp, and the kitchen corps had built clay stoves outside with steaming large pots, boiling water ready to cook the dumplings.
With so many soldiers, everyone couldn’t sit together with Bai Qingyan to eat dumplings, but Bai Qingyan was working hard to ensure more soldiers could eat the dumplings with copper coins that they had made.
Bai Qingyan and the lightly wounded soldiers in the medical camp made dumplings very quickly. By the time the soldiers finished cleaning up Pingdu City and returned, they could already eat hot, steaming dumplings.
Bai Qingyan sat in the place of honor in the medical camp, with Physician Hong, Bai Qingyu and Bai Jinzhi, Shen Kunyang, Shen Qingzhu, Cheng Yuanzhi, Shen Liangyu, and Yang Wuce seated in order.
Plates of dumplings were served one after another, and many soldiers said they had gotten dumplings with copper coins, making them extremely happy.
Inside the medical camp, the glowing red charcoal fire crackled softly. Even with the doors wide open, the soldiers didn’t feel cold.
This year, because she wasn’t with her elders, Bai Qingyan, as the eldest sister, had prepared New Year’s money red envelopes for Bai Qingyu and Bai Jinzhi, giving them to both before coming to the medical camp to make dumplings.
Physician Hong cheerfully prepared several red envelopes as usual, distributing them to the children – Bai Qingyan, Bai Qingyu, and Bai Jinzhi.
Bai Qingyan quickly declined: “Physician Hong… I’m already married. How can I still be considered a child? I shouldn’t take a red envelope this year!”
Physician Hong smiled and placed the red envelope in Bai Qingyan’s palm, saying, “Miss, even if you’re married and pregnant, even if you become a grandmother in the future, in this old man’s eyes, you’re still a child. How many New Year’s Eves this old man can live to spend with Miss… I must give Miss red envelopes for however many there are. If one day this old man goes to follow the Duke of Zhenguo, I’ll want to give them, but won’t be able to!”
Under the flickering candlelight, Bai Qingyan looked at Physician Hong, whose hair had once been graying but was now completely silver. Perhaps due to following the army through wind and sun, the brown age spots on his face had become increasingly prominent.
Bai Qingyan tightly gripped the red envelope in her hand, holding back the moisture in her eyes, and said to Physician Hong: “Physician Hong must live to be a hundred years old. In the future… not only will I receive Physician Hong’s New Year red envelopes, but the child in my womb is also waiting to receive Physician Hong’s New Year red envelopes!”
“If your elder sister has ten or eight children, can your treasury still withstand it, Physician Hong?” Bai Jinzhi gripped the red envelope Physician Hong had given her and weighed it. “I can feel this New Year red envelope has quite some weight!”
Hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, Physician Hong smiled even more happily: “Can withstand it! Can withstand it! Will give them! Will give them…”
As he spoke, Physician Hong turned to look at Shen Kunyang: “Look at that – Miss and Fourth Miss are already asking for red envelopes for the little ones in their bellies!”
“I think Fourth Miss is right. Just for your red envelopes, our Young Commander Bai must have several more children. These red envelopes… however many you give, we’ll be happy! The more you give… the happier we’ll be!” As he spoke, Shen Kunyang also smiled and took out a red envelope from his chest, handing it to Bai Qingyan. “I was sworn brothers with the Deputy Commander, and Young Commander Bai calls me Uncle Shen. Taking this liberty… I consider myself of the same generation as the Deputy Commander. This is my New Year red envelope for Young Commander Bai – Young Commander Bai must not refuse!”
Bai Qingyan’s eyes grew moist with tears as she nodded with a smile and performed the junior’s bow to Shen Kunyang: “Thank you, Uncle Shen!”
“Fifth Young Master, this is for you!”