Chapter 276: These Children Are Pitiful as Well
Having met the two, Old Madam Luo asked Xun Feng to accompany them to rest first while she pulled Wen Yao into the kitchen to whip up some food to fill their stomachs. Having traveled from far away—and hearing from Xun Feng that they had lived on dry rations along the journey—it would be a shame to leave them neglected.
Other people’s children were still children, and seeing the two men caked in wind and dust, Old Madam Luo felt a genuine pang of heartache for them.
Before long, an appetizing aroma wafted out of the kitchen. Xun Feng twitched his nose and blurted out, “Zajiang noodles!”
Mu Li and Wang Zhao shot a glance at Xun Feng. “What?”
Xun Feng jutted his chin toward the kitchen. “Miss Wen is making Zajiang noodles! Can’t you two smell the delicious aroma?”
The two: “…” They could smell it, and their stomachs were indeed rumbling with hunger. But as imperial guards, if their master didn’t give the command, they wouldn’t move an inch.
Seeing how tense the two were, Xun Feng—despite being the youngest among them—raised his hand to pat both of their shoulders, saying, “Now that you’ve arrived at the Wen household, just look forward to enjoying a comfortable, peaceful life. By the way, was it the King who sent you here, or was it the Heir of Prince Fu?”
The group had known each other back in the Guard Battalion. At that time, Xun Feng had been chosen by the King to accompany the Heir of Prince Fu, after which he rarely returned to the Guard Battalion.
The two replied, “The Heir of Prince Fu went in person.”
Xun Feng nodded with understanding. “I guessed it was my Young Master! Whenever Miss Wen assigns him a task, he’s sure to arrange it flawlessly.”
The two men glanced sideways at Xun Feng, hesitating for a moment before saying, “Xun Feng, you’ve only been away from the Guard Battalion for a few years, yet your boldness has grown immensely. You actually dare to gossip about our master behind his back.”
Xun Feng shrugged. “I say the exact same thing even when my Young Master is standing right in front of me! It’s just the truth!”
With that, Xun Feng nudged their stiff shoulders with his own and said, “Don’t be so tense! The Wen family is genuinely wonderful. Don’t go thinking it’s bad just because you weren’t assigned to serve in the palace or some noble prince’s manor—that’s only because you haven’t experienced life here yet. I dare say that even if they offered to take you back later, you wouldn’t want to go!”
Under Xun Feng’s constant chattering, the two gradually relaxed, though only a tiny bit; they still remained ready to respond to orders at a moment’s notice.
When Wen Yao and Old Madam Luo emerged carrying two steaming bowls of Zajiang noodles, the two men immediately stood up at attention.
“Oh my, what are you doing? Hurry up and sit down! We can’t prepare a grand feast on such short notice, so please make do with this for now,” Old Madam Luo said with a warm, gentle smile as she set the Zajiang noodles on the table before them.
Beside them, Xun Feng was practically drooling. “Grandma Luo, is there a bowl for me?” Although he had eaten quite a bit this morning, he still craved a bowl right now.
Old Madam Luo gave him a affectionate glare. “It’s in the kitchen! Fetch it yourself!”
“Alright!” Xun Feng dashed off as fast as his legs could carry him.
Looking at Xun Feng acting like this, the two men exchanged a glance, seeing sheer disbelief in each other’s eyes. Though still nervous, they ultimately couldn’t resist the mouthwatering food set before them.
The moment the Zajiang noodles hit their mouths, both of their eyes lit up.
Delicious!
Before long, the two devoured the large bowls of Zajiang noodles with a slurping frenzy, cleaning them out so thoroughly that not even a trace of sauce was left behind.
“Is it good? There’s still more in the pot—shall I scoop out another portion for you two?” Old Madam Luo asked.
The two hesitated for a long moment. They had indeed been rushing along the road without eating anything decent. Although the bowl of noodles was delicious, it hadn’t quite filled them up yet.
Recalling what Xun Feng had said earlier, the two wavered for a moment before finally loosening up slightly, giving a small nod with bashful expressions gracing their faces.
Seeing them act like this, the smile on Old Madam Luo’s face grew even wider. “That’s more like it! Why stay so stiff all the time? Treat this place as your own home while you’re here. If you need anything, just say so directly, alright? You two sit right there—I’ll go get it for you.”
The two quickly followed behind her. “Old Mistress, we can do it ourselves.”
Old Madam Luo waved her hand dismissively. “Nonsense! Hands that wield swords and spears like yours aren’t meant for kitchen chores.”
The embarrassed expressions on the two men’s faces deepened even further.
Carrying his bowl, Xun Feng squatted at the kitchen doorway, merrily eating while watching the subtle transformation in the two, thoroughly enjoying his food.
Having eaten and drunk their fill, Old Madam Luo arranged for the two to rest for a while, as traveling was exhausting work.
This time, however, the two didn’t dare to idle any longer.
“Old Mistress, we aren’t tired. If there is anything you need us to do, please feel free to order us,” Mu Li said.
Old Madam Luo: “…” Suddenly, she didn’t know what to do. There wasn’t really anything that needed doing; practically everything that needed tidying had already been taken care of. Had they not arrived, she and Yao Yao would have been out strolling the streets by now.
After a moment’s hesitation, Old Madam Luo asked tentatively, “Then… can I order you two to go rest for a bit?”
The two: “…” Should they obey this command or not?
Beside them, Xun Feng held back his laughter for as long as he could before finally bursting into a loud hahahaha.
While laughing, he said, “Grandma Luo, stop torturing them! They just left the Guard Battalion and aren’t used to this yet. Oh, right—didn’t we need to send those duck eggs back home? It’s the perfect task for them to deliver the load back, while I stay here to protect you and Miss Wen.”
“Won’t that be too much trouble for them?” Old Madam Luo still wasn’t used to ordering people around.
The two, however, felt their eyes light up and nodded repeatedly. “Old Mistress, we can do it!”
Xun Feng shot Old Madam Luo another meaningful look, and only then did Old Madam Luo reluctantly nod. “Alright then. Xun Feng, take them to load the items onto the carriage. Be careful not to break the eggs!”
“Understood!” Xun Feng immediately led the two out to harness the carriage and load everything onto it.
Fearing that the rest of the Wen family wouldn’t recognize them and cause misunderstandings, Wen Yao wrote a letter and handed it to the two men: “Go to Yunwu Town, Gutong Village. Before you head to the village, step into the city first and go to Jishi Hall to find a physician named Wen Jun. Hand this letter to him, and he will accompany you there. Once you arrive at our home, just follow his arrangements.”
Mu Li received the letter, tucked it carefully near his chest, and bowed with cupped hands: “Yes, Miss.”
Old Madam Luo carefully urged them once more to drive slowly on the road, then handed them snacks and dry rations prepared by Wen Yao for the journey. Only then did the two slowly drive the carriage away.
After all, the carriage was loaded with duck eggs; if they drove too fast and the cart jolted too violently, the eggs would easily crack.
Once they had departed, Old Madam Luo let out a soft sigh and pulled Xun Feng aside to ask about their origins.
Xun Feng explained, “We’re all orphans who grew up in the orphanages. Of course, the Guard Battalion doesn’t consist solely of orphans like us—some officials also send their concubine-born sons to the Guard Battalion to be trained. However, their treatment is far better than ours. Aside from honing our own skills through hard work, we had no other way out, whereas they could just coast along, needing only to secure a formal title.
“As for the Royal Guard Battalion, those we protect are all imperial family and nobility. Naturally, many people want to use their proximity to gain favor. If one plays their cards right and becomes a confidant to some prince or heir, it’s equivalent to one person attaining power while everyone connected benefits.”
After listening to Xun Feng describe their life in the Guard Battalion, Old Madam Luo’s sentimental emotions surged once more, her eyes rimmed with red and filled with deep sympathy.
These children are pitiful as well.
She wouldn’t utter words of empty sympathy—because there was no need for them. Instead, she quietly composed her emotions, keeping every word tucked firmly in her heart.
