Chapter 158: Unable to Go

Until dawn, the sound of falling stones stopped.

Lin Danniang said, "Based on my experience, if a night attack is launched, the fighting will cease at daybreak, so there should be no movement during the day—everyone go rest."

A young woman anxiously asked, "Can we know whether we were the ones attacked, or we attacked the other side?"

Lin Danniang gazed deeply at her, shook her head, and said, "I don't know, but either way our men will have to fight the Beili people; all we can do is wait at home."

A gentle smile rose in Lin Danniang's eyes; her tone was soft yet carried firmness.

At a time like this, don't let your mind wander—eat when you should eat, sleep when you should sleep, take good care of our children; just believe he will return home as usual, as he always has.

The young woman's eyes reddened, but she gritted her teeth and held back her tears, firmly nodding, "Huh!!"

The crowd dispersed, and Gu Xixi and He Jinglan also returned to the small courtyard.

He Jinglan entered the room and began tearing open the packages with determination.

Unfortunately, when she packed last night she was angry, tying the bundle into a knot that wouldn't come undone no matter how long she worked at it.

He Jinglan angrily tugged at it a few times, then turned to fetch a pair of scissors.

Gu Xixi had been calmly sipping tea and watching; seeing He Jinglan about to cut the bundle, she quickly rose to stop her.

Ah, this fine pomegranate-flower gauze is quite expensive—it would be a shame to ruin it!

Besides, if you ruin it, how will you pack your belongings for the return trip?

He Jinglan slapped the scissors back onto the table with a smack, then plopped down on the nearby seat, shouting, "You wooden-headed Meng! Rotten, stinking, useless wood! You go to the battlefield and don't even come see me once!"

Gu Xixi sighed, "I knew you were worried about him."

He Jinglan immediately retorted, "Who's worried about him! Even if he doesn't come back from the battlefield this time..."

Gu Xixi suddenly grabbed He Jinglan's hand.

He Jinglan winced from the pain, abruptly stopped speaking, opened her eyes in confusion, and saw Gu Xixi's stern expression.

"Xixi, why are you pinching me?!"

Gu Xixi said, "I'm telling you to watch your words—don't let anger make you say something you shouldn't."

He Jinglan calmed down at this moment, and after being reminded she also felt a bit of regret.

"I... I didn't mean to curse him."

Gu Xixi's eyebrows curved slightly, "Anyway, you didn't say it all out, so that counts as avoiding the taboo."

He Jinglan blinked, then laughed, "Xixi, I thought you feared nothing, heaven or earth, and never believed in such things."

Gu Xixi smiled without saying a word.

She had sworn an oath under the red flag and was a steadfast atheist; indeed she did not believe in these things.

Thus, in her understanding, avoiding the taboo meant not speaking words that might later cause regret.

On the battlefield, swords and arrows are blind; if something happens, anyone who utters a curse—even if they don't believe in spirits—will blame themselves, and the rest of their life will inevitably be spent in remorse.

Since the hostilities have already begun, the situation outside remains unknown.

Gu Xixi decided not to act rashly for now, staying put to wait and see whether the Northwest Army would send any notice.

As noon approached, the two women who couldn't cook had no face to keep waiting for the army's mess hall to deliver food.

They could only go to the kitchen and think about how to do it themselves.

Just as they were flustered, someone ran into the courtyard and asked, "Is Boss Gu still at home?"

Gu Xixi glanced at He Jinglan, signaling her to stay quiet, then walked to the door, lifted the curtain a crack, and peered outside.

In the courtyard stood a young soldier dressed in Northwest Army uniform, his face very familiar—he had previously done rotation guard duty in the village and had once brought food to the small courtyard.

Seeing an acquaintance, Gu Xixi relaxed, pushed aside the curtain, went out, and asked, "Is there any message from above for us?"

The young soldier clasped his fists and said, "The General ordered me to tell you two honored guests that outside is not peaceful; there may be small bands of bandits taking advantage of the chaos."

The army truly cannot spare personnel to escort you, so if you haven't left yet, you might as well stay a few more days. The commotion outside might frighten the young ladies, but there's nothing we can do—just consider it practice for your courage.

Gu Xixi had been listening seriously up to that point, but her face gradually darkened at the last two sentences.

"May I ask, young man, are these final words about letting us practice our courage really the General's exact words?"

The young soldier broke into a cold sweat, "... Yes."

Gu Xixi returned the salute, "Then please help me convey those exact words back: the courage of young ladies is no less than that of men; please trouble the General, amidst his busy schedule, to go to such trouble."

The young soldier lowered his head, his face flushing red, as if trying not to laugh.

He Jinglan politely said, "Go attend to your duties; it's already a hassle for you to run over at lunchtime—don't be late coming back, or they'll have eaten all the meat."

The young soldier acknowledged with a sound, turned, and ran out of the courtyard.

Only then did He Jinglan move close to Gu Xixi and say, "You see, he can still laugh—last night we probably didn't lose the battle."

Gu Xixi nodded, "I think so too."

Despite still worrying, they did not then press the young soldier for military news.

As civilians protected in the rear, at this time we should cause them as little trouble as possible.

Gu Xixi walked back toward the kitchen, her back resolute, if the soldier about to go into battle.

"Come on, let's keep cooking!"

After half an hour, a pot of meat and vegetable stewed millet rice was finally done.

Gu Xixi said weakly, "I adjusted the flavor from memory—taste it and tell me how it is."

He Jinglan took a bite, her expression gradually becoming complex: "Hmm... a bit salty, also a bit sweet, but the flavor is quite rich."

She paused, deliberately trying to find something praiseworthy.

"However, the meat is cooked through, and the vegetables are steamed until tender and crisp!"

Gu Xixi: "... There's nothing to praise; you don't need to force it."

He Jinglan fell silent for a moment, then laughed, "Forget it, let's eat!"

The two stuffed themselves haphazardly, then tidied up the kitchen, which looked as if it had been crushed by war.

After all that, looking at the sun outside, it's already past midday.

Gu Xixi said optimistically, "Anyway, stuck here we can't do anything; being idle is just being idle, having something to do makes time feel like it passes faster."

He Jinglan supported her lower back and nodded, "That's true, but I feel I've never done this much housework in my life."

Gu Xixi suggested, "Otherwise, shall we sweep the courtyard?"

He Jinglan refused to yield, "Let's sweep then—who's afraid of whom!"

The two had just walked into the courtyard when a woman came running in, voice urgent: "Boss Gu! Miss He! The Zhou family's lady is having a difficult labor! Please come quickly and have a look!"

Gu Xixi started; she remembered that in Dependents Village, the only young woman with a big belly.

Considering she still needed to recover after childbirth, at that time she was the only one who hadn't claimed a fruit tree.

He Jinglan stammered in shock, "A difficult birth? That's a huge deal! What should we do? Having us come over, but we don't know how to assist with delivery."

"At this time we should find a midwife, or a doctor!"

The messenger woman stamped her foot in anxiety: "But during wartime, nobody is allowed to leave the village!"