Sun Zhongshan rescued Huo Shiqi from the knife of the defeated soldiers, and before he had time to talk to everyone, he only told two words, "Hurry up into the courtyard and close the door", and he and Bao Kan hurried to clean up the mess.

Huo Shiqi let the women into the house, and led a few subordinates of the merchant mansion to lock the courtyard door and lock the latched door pole to death, but he was still not at ease, and ordered the men of the mansion to carry sticks to surround the hall, and he carried a waist knife, and stood on the steps with a grim expression to quietly observe the movements around him. He has been a secretary in the Yamen Military Department for more than 10 years, and he knows very well the truth that "bandits are like fences and soldiers are like grates"; in addition, he saw with his own eyes the tragic scene left behind by the defeated troops after crossing the border more than 10 years ago, and he knew that these defeated soldiers who fled back from defeat were actually worse than bandits.

“…… Since the day the military order was issued, the officers and non-commissioned officers scattered in various places immediately reported to the nearest barracks! ……”

The heralds were still galloping back and forth along the streets, announcing military orders over and over again. Gradually, the barking of dogs in all directions became less rapid and intensive, and the fires in several places near and far were brought under control, as if some order had been restored to the disturbed town. It seems that Sun Zhongshan Baokan and their bullet pressure have worked. However, just when people's hearts were slightly relieved, there was a sudden noise of people in the direction of the street, and it seemed that many people were shouting and shouting. Far away, there were so many people shouting that they couldn't hear anything clearly in a hurry. Huo Shiqi's fingers holding the handle of the knife suddenly tightened, and he wanted to listen carefully to distinguish it, but he heard two or three near-death howls tearing through the night sky and suddenly jumping up and stopping abruptly. Then there was a long howl, and in an instant the whole market town fell silent......

It wasn't until the short orders of the officers and soldiers to reorganize the ranks came one after another that his clenched heart slowly let go. He wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, only to find that his underwear had long been soaked with sweat, the cool breeze of the autumn night blew, his hands and feet were cold and stiff, and the jacket and pants rolled in the muddy water were even more dirty.

There was an oil lamp lit in the hall, the wick was very small, and the fire head the size of a bean supported a small cloud of dim light, which reflected everything in the room in a dark and hazy light. The seventeenth aunt was half-leaning over, and the old hen was like a baby guard, hugging her brother and the four girls one by one. Several young girls stood behind her tremblingly.

Hearing the knock on the door and seeing him come in again, Aunt Seventeen raised her face and asked, "Are you okay?" ”

"Hmm." Huo Shiqi should arrive. He sat down on the back of his chair, put the knife on the generous table with a clatter, let out a long sigh, and said, "It should be fine." ”

Aunt Seventeen exhaled with relief. It's finally all right! The rout just now really scared her enough, and she was still frightened. Oh my God! If Sun Zhongshan hadn't come in time, the man would have ......

Huo Shiqi sat on the chair and meditated for a while, as if he was also thinking about the thrilling scene just now, and said for a while: "The blanket is with you, right?" She hurriedly asked Erya to go to the stove room to boil ginger soup, and asked Yue'er to find clean clothes for Huo Shiqi.

"Yes. What's wrong? Aunt Seventeen lifted the blanket containing the copper coins at her feet and put it on the table.

"The subordinates of the Manchu Mansion, regardless of men, women, and children, are all 500 wen per person."

Aunt Seventeen glanced at her husband in surprise. The reward of the monk's family, how can he let his family pay for it? What's more, even if you give out a reward, you have to wait until dawn, one by one, this black light is blind, how to count the heads, who knows if you make a mistake or not? But she didn't dare to contradict her husband, so she handed the blanket to Yue'er and said, "Hurry up and do as your uncle says." He also instructed Yang Pan'er, "You light a lamp and go with your sister-in-law." She gives a reward, and you shine a light for her. He asked Erya to take someone to the stove room to boil a big pot of ginger soup and share it with everyone to relieve the cold, and then said to Sun Zhongshan's daughter-in-law Yang Dou'er, "You go to the room to find clean clothes and let your uncle change them." "When they went out in a hurry, they didn't bring extra clothes, but fortunately, Sun Zhongshan's figure was about the same as her husband's, and she lived here for almost the winter last year, she felt that there should be a few thick clothes left in the bean room.

Several girls went separately according to her assignment, and Brother Zhao and Siya also went to the stove room with their second sister to help, and Huo Shiqi and his family were left in the house.

Aunt Seventeen took a tin hairpin from her head, raised the wick of the oil lamp, and the room suddenly brightened, and asked thoughtfully, "...... Just now, when the Dou'er man came, do you remember what Bao Kan said? ”

Huo Shiqi, who was a little distracted, said blankly: "What? ”

"Just now Bao Kan said, what is Sima in Yanshan, what do you mean?"

Huo Shiqi was silent for a moment before he said, "It's Sima of Yanshan Weizhongjun." ”

Aunt Seventeen looked at her husband suspiciously.

Huo Shiqi stretched out his tongue and licked his dry and crusted lips, lowered his gaze and looked at the piece of foot in front of him illuminated by the light, and said, "The monk is now a general." ”

"What? What general? Aunt Seventeen asked again. She couldn't figure out what "general" meant. But she understood right away. She opened her mouth wide in surprise, puffed out her eyes and glared at her husband One by one, the monk is already a general? Her mouth opened and closed ridiculously, but she couldn't make any sound......

It was late at night. The half-curved moon hung on the blue-black sky, smiling coldly and looking down at the earth. In the dim moonlight, Huojiabao, which had just been disturbed by the defeated army, looked extraordinarily quiet.

Sun Zhongshan, who had been busy for half the night, had just returned. There was no way, there was a large group of routs that flowed to Huojiabao, almost four hundred people, almost all of them had guys, and the more than twenty horsemen brought by him and Bao Kan almost failed to suppress it. Fortunately, he responded quickly and cut down five troublemakers in a row, which stabilized the situation. Moreover, the composition of this rout is also very complicated, not only those who escaped from the grassland, but also the soldiers of Qizhai and Beizheng; There are not only guards, but also border troops, and some are the brave people of the countryside who are coerced by the chaotic army; There are also several groups of ruffians who fish in troubled waters under the banner of rout. It took a lot of effort for them to finally identify these people. Because he was afraid that these people would make trouble again, he would have to arrange food and lodging for them. He knocked on the doors of more than a dozen small restaurants and restaurants on the street, and finally settled these guys properly. Now Bao Kan is still guarding there with soldiers, while on guard, while urging the owner of the shop to hurry up and make a fire. Alas, hundreds of mouths are waiting to eat......

Now, Sun Zhongshan, who has changed into clean clothes, is holding a large bowl of mutton noodle soup and eating so much that he hardly cares about talking to people.

Except for Siya, who was lying in her second sister's arms, everyone else hadn't slept yet, and the room was full of people watching him.

It wasn't until he put the fifth bowl of noodles in his stomach that Sun Zhongshan burped with satisfaction, and said to everyone a little embarrassedly: "It's been a long time since I've eaten such a fragrant dinner......

Everyone laughed. They can understand his feelings, where can the outside food compare to the smell of the home? Looking at Sun Zhongshan's face with his cheeks slumped, they could also guess the hardships he had endured in the past six months, he was going to fight on the grassland, not to mention the danger, just getting up and sleeping in the middle of the night in the middle of the night, I am afraid that it is not easy to eat even a hot and full meal.

Sun Zhongshan handed over the bowl and chopsticks to his daughter-in-law, who had been waiting for him to eat and drink. Dou'er took the bowl and asked distressedly, "Is it enough?" Not enough, I'll go give you another pot. Sun Zhongshan touched his slightly bulging belly, and he still felt that he was not full enough, and he wanted two more cakes to fill the gaps, and he didn't want to snub a room of people, so he shook his head.

Dou'er packed up the bowl and chopsticks and noodles and quietly walked out of the hall. Sun Zhongshan turned sideways and looked at Huo Shiqi, waiting for him to ask.

Huo Shiqi didn't know where to start. He had a brief conversation with Sun Zhongshan just now, and he already knew roughly about the defeat of the army and Shang Cheng's injury, and he also knew that Sun Zhongshan and Bao Kan came back this time, but in fact, it was not to report peace to their families. Shang Cheng's face was injured again, although he didn't hurt his eyes, but the problem of tears in the wind was even worse, and he often felt stinging pain behind his eyes, and the whole person trembled in pain every time he was sick, and he broke out in a cold sweat one after another, and the military doctors and the famous doctors in Yanzhou were helpless to take his problem, and finally Shang Cheng thought of Zhu Daichun, who had treated his injuries. The two of them came back to find the Divine Doctor. In the afternoon, they had already visited the doctor at his home; Zhu family said that the miracle doctor was idle at the in-laws' house in the county seat, and when they arrived at Yi County, the city gate had been closed, so they had no choice but to go back to Huojiabao first, and then enter the city early tomorrow morning......

Huo Shiqi thought about it, then put aside the monk's matter first, and asked, "How is the injury of the stone?" He heard that Shi Shi was also injured just now, and he wanted to ask in detail, but Dou'er brought the noodle soup, so he had to stop talking and let Sun Zhongshan eat first.

"Fortunately, the spear pierced in the chest and abdomen did not hurt the five organs, and the treatment was timely, and it will not be a big problem to be raised." Sun Zhongshan sat on the chair with his hands on his knees and leaned slightly, looked at Huo Shiqi and replied respectfully, "Before he came, he asked me to say hello to my uncle and aunt, saying that he would be well after a while, and he would come back to greet you and your aunt for the New Year." ”

Huo Shiqi smiled and shook his head. It seems that Zhao Shishi's injury is not serious, and he is relieved. Just as he was about to ask about the current situation of the captain surnamed Qian who had entered the grassland with Shangcheng Sun Zhongshan all the way, the seventeenth aunt who was sitting next to Huo Shiqi asked: "Zhongshan, has the monk been promoted again?" She has always cared about this matter, but her husband didn't ask about it, so she couldn't help it anymore at this time, so she simply interjected. Huo Shiqi glanced at her "dissatisfied", but did not speak, just picked up the teacup and lowered his head to drink water.

"Yes." Sun Zhongshan lowered his gaze and said respectfully, "My lord is now the general of Dingyuan on the fifth grade, and he is the Sima of the Yanshan Weizhong Army. After a pause, he added, "He opened the way for the whole army as the vanguard when he broke through the siege, and the army was attacked and killed first, and rescued thousands of soldiers from the encirclement of the Turbats. ”

The room full of people looked a little stunned and incredulous.

The second girl was quick to speak, and asked before her father spoke, "Can you please take credit?" Can the monk's eldest brother's official still be promoted? ”

Sun Zhongshan can't say this question well. He thought for a while and said, "The matter of asking for merit for the adults is the decision of Chen Zhuguo, the head of the camp leave. She said that it is normal to win or lose in a war, and we cannot not punish those who ignore military orders and discipline just because we have won a war, nor can we forget to reward and encourage those brave soldiers because we have lost a war. ”

Huo Shiqi was still pondering the truth in these words, and Yue'er had already whispered to Yang Pan'er and Erya beside her: "This sounds like the monk's eldest brother said it......"

Sun Zhongshan laughed when he heard this: "Miss Yue'er is smart, and the words in one word are indeed said by adults. ”

Yue'er, who was encouraged and praised, immediately said happily: "Look, I know that these words are what he said. ”

Everyone laughed at her words......

Before going to bed, Dou'er snuggled up to Sun Zhongshan and asked him, "When are you leaving?" ”

"I'm going to leave as soon as it's dawn." Sun Zhongshan said. Although it was dark in the room, he immediately noticed that his wife's mood was a little low, so he put his arm around her shoulders and explained to her softly, "I didn't have a chance to come back this time, and it was the reason that the adults specially found for me to give me the opportunity to come back." Now that you see me, your heart will be at ease. After a while, when my duties have been arranged and settled, I will send someone to pick you up, and then we will be able to live together and in harmony. ”

Dou'er stroked her husband's rough and strong arm, and after a long time, asked, "When will it be?" ”

All she could answer was her husband's subtle and even snoring.