Volume 1, Chapter 65: Expecting a Child

Finally, I am going back to Zhang Family Village!

In the blink of an eye, it had been more than half a month since leaving home. It felt longer than the past dozen years or so, and there was no telling how things were back at home.

Clack, clack, clack!

A flurry of hurried hoofbeats shattered the usual tranquility of Zhang Family Village.

Cavalry?

Are those cavalry?

The villager on sentry duty on the slope at the entrance of the village felt a shock in his heart, his complexion changing abruptly.

With border warfare tense, the appearance of any unidentified cavalry was enough to strike terror into people's hearts.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Without hesitation, the villager struck the bronze gong!

The elderly clan elder and the villagers hurriedly ran out of their homes in panic. Many able-bodied young men had already grabbed their hunting bows and wood-chopping sabers, and the atmosphere instantly became tense to the extreme, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"What happened?"

"Could the Rong tribe have attacked?"

"Quick, quickly hide the old folks and the children!"

The villagers discussed in a flurry of panic, each and every one of them wearing grave expressions.

Zhang Muyang took the lead, riding at the forefront as he galloped over with more than twenty cavalrymen, including Zhang Xiaobei and Gou Sheng.

As they drew closer, the sentry finally made out the faces of the arrivals.

"Zhang Muyang?"

"Brother Muyang is back! Brother Muyang is back!"

As they came closer still, the sentry's tension instantly transformed into wild joy. While striking the bronze gong, he ran frantically toward the village, his voice cracking out of tune: "They're back! Muyang and the others are all back! And they've become high-ranking officials!"

What?

Zhang Muyang is back?

The clan elder and the villagers were both shocked and overjoyed, surging toward the village entrance one after another.

When they saw Zhang Muyang and the others clad in gleaming armor, mounted on tall, spirited horses, and looking imposing and majestic, everyone was stunned.

Zhang Muyang pulled on the reins, causing his warhorse to rear up on its hind legs with a neigh, and shouted loudly, "Clan elder, we have returned!"

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"

The clan elder's voice trembled with emotion, his wrinkled hand tightly gripping Zhang Muyang's arm as he looked up and down at the once sickly young man.

Zhang Muyang now stood tall and upright, with a healthy, ruddy complexion and an air of heroism between his brows. His dark-glinting armor emitted a piercing cold light in the sunlight, giving him entirely the bearing of a general.

The clan elder exclaimed, "Good heavens, our Zhang Family Village has truly produced a true dragon! You... have all become officials?"

Zhang Muyang smiled faintly and said in a clear voice, "Thanks to the clan elder's blessing, I am now a corporal commanding a hundred men!"

"I am a platoon leader!"

"I am a squad leader!"

"I am a section leader!"

Zhang Xiaobei, Gou Sheng, and the others reported their ranks one after another, their faces beaming with supreme glory.

All twenty-nine young men who had left the village together had actually become military officers! And it had only been a little over a month! This was simply a sign of exceptional fortune bestowed by their ancestors, something they wouldn't even dare to imagine.

The villagers immediately boiled over with excitement, crowding around to inspect the young men.

Their families were even more moved, their eyes brimming with hot tears as they pulled on their hands and stroked the armor on their bodies, laughing and crying all at once.

This was truly returning home in glory and bringing honor to one's ancestors!

Among the crowd, a few villagers anxiously looked about for a long time, unable to hold back their tears as they cried out, "Muyang, where is our Tiezhu? Why don't we see him?"

"That's right, our Daniu didn't come back either. Did something... happen to them?"

"No! Rest assured, everyone, absolutely nothing happened!"

Zhang Muyang explained the matter of troop recruitment to them and smiled, saying, "They are recruitment officers now, and they have heavy responsibilities! In a day or two, we'll go over and relieve them so they can come home and visit too!"

"Are they really alright?"

"Alright."

"That's good, as long as they're alright, as long as they're alright..."

Only then did the few villagers break into tears of relief, letting out long sighs.

Husband?

Yang Wenxiu and Yang Juan also ran over. Seeing Zhang Muyang, they could no longer contain their emotions and threw themselves directly into his arms, their delicate bodies trembling uncontrollably.

During these days, they had lived in constant fear and trepidation, dreading the arrival of any grim news.

Zhang Muyang pulled the two sisters tightly into his embrace and said with a smile, "Alright, alright, aren't I back now? Let's go home and talk."

"Mm, let's go home." Yang Wenxiu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded forcefully.

"These days, Sister Han and Old Man Han have been busy forging iron in the cave and don't even know you're back yet. I'll go call them right now!"

"No need."

Yang Juan was about to run off, but Zhang Muyang pulled her back.

Later on, he would go over personally to bring Han Li back.

Zhang Muyang took out five taels of silver, handed them to the clan elder, and smiled. "Clan elder, please arrange to buy two fat pigs. Tonight, the entire village will make braised pork and celebrate properly!"

"Consider it done! Leave this matter to me!"

The clan elder took the silver, his mouth split wide in a grin, and immediately beckoned a few young men to get busy.

The entire Zhang Family Village instantly boiled over like the New Year, filled with laughter and cheers, more lively than any festival.

Zhang Muyang held a wife in each hand as he returned home.

The house was just as it had always been, kept neat and clean. He deliberately checked the rice jar, and it was actually full. Evidently, during the days he was away, the two sisters had practiced strict frugality, reluctant to eat even an extra mouthful.

A pang of heartache struck Zhang Muyang, and he deliberately put on a stern face and said, "How can this do? I'm telling you, from now on, you are not allowed to be so frugal anymore! The next time I come back, each of you must gain a few pounds, do you hear me?"

"Ah?" Both sisters were stunned.

"Ah, what?" Zhang Muyang reached out, putting on a fierce expression. "Come here and let me feel if you've lost weight!"

"Husband, this... it's still daytime."

Yang Wenxiu instantly blushed to the roots of her hair.

Yang Juan was startled and dodged away like a frightened little rabbit.

Zhang Muyang paid no heed to such things, laughing out loud as he pulled Yang Wenxiu into his arms, his hand naturally slipping into the collar of her dress.

However, the sensation against his fingertips made him pause slightly.

Oh?

It seemed... there was some different change?

Zhang Muyang怔了一怔 (paused for a moment) and smiled, "Come, taste the pastries I brought you, and the freshly fried oil cakes. They're so fragrant."

He took out the pastries and oil cakes he had bought in the county town from his travel bag.

The pastries were soft, fragrant, and glutinous.

The oil cakes were fried golden, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with bean paste filling inside—such things were usually completely unobtainable delicacies.

Yang Juan picked up an oil cake, took a gentle bite, and her eyes instantly lit up. "Sister, it really is delicious, you should taste it..."

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, Yang Wenxiu could no longer hold it in and began retching on the spot.

Zhang Muyang quickly patted her back and asked with concern, "Wenxiu, what's wrong with you? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"

Yang Juan hurriedly said, "Husband, sister... I don't know what's been going on with her lately, she always has no appetite, lacks energy, and often retches like this... Could she be sick?"

What?

Zhang Muyang was startled, and a thought instantly crossed his mind. He had Yang Wenxiu sit down, took a deep breath, and placed three steady fingers firmly over her radial pulse at the cun, guan, and chi positions. Holding his breath and concentrating, he carefully felt the beating of the pulse beneath his fingertips.

After all, he was a special forces military doctor skilled in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine; this sort of matter certainly could not stump him.

The pulse was beating smoothly and fluently, round and powerful, like jade beads rolling in a dish...

This was a classic slippery pulse!

Yang Wenxiu and Yang Juan were somewhat bewildered and asked, "Husband, what is a slippery pulse?"

Haha!

Zhang Muyang abruptly raised his head, scooped Yang Wenxiu up into his arms, spun her around in a circle, and laughed heartily. "A slippery pulse is a pregnancy pulse! Wenxiu, you're with child! I'm going to be a father!"

What?

Yang Wenxiu froze instantly, and then she was overwhelmed by a massive wave of wild joy. Trembling with emotion, she asked, "Husband, is this true?"

"Of course! Wenjuan, come sit down and let your husband check your pulse too."

"Mm."

Yang Juan extended her hand somewhat nervously.

Zhang Muyang felt it carefully for a moment and smiled, "Your pulse is steady and strong, it's a normal pulse, you haven't conceived yet."

"Ah?"

A trace of obvious disappointment flashed across Yang Juan's face.

Hehe!

Zhang Muyang leaned in close to her ear and whispered mischievously, "It's fine. Over the next couple of days, your husband will work extra hard, guaranteed to get you pregnant soon too..."

"Husband..."

Yang Juan's face burned crimson to the tips of her ears, terribly embarrassed and shy, yet deep in her heart... she still felt an incomparable sense of anticipation.

In this era, extending the family line and passing on the ancestral incense for one's husband was a supreme honor!

Yang Wenxiu asked worriedly, "Husband, where is Sister Siying? Why didn't I see her come back with you?"

"She's busy with troop recruitment in the county town."

"Oh, oh, as long as she's alright."

"Alright, you two sisters rest first and get something to eat. I'm going to the back mountains to bring Han Li back!"

Zhang Muyang emerged from the house, vaulted onto his horse, and galloped all the way toward the back mountains.

Clang, clang! Clang, clang, clang!

From far away from the cave, he could already hear the familiar and rhythmic sound of iron forging, strong and resonant.

Zhang Muyang felt a surge of excitement as he galloped all the way to the cave entrance and shouted, "Han Li, Han Li..."

"Husband?"

Han Li had just quenched a newly forged swallow-tailed saber into the spring water, sending up a billowing cloud of white steam with a sizzling hiss.

However, she cared about nothing else. Taking two steps in one, she rushed out and threw her arms tightly around Zhang Muyang's neck with all her might, kissing him passionately and excitedly saying, "Husband, why have you come back? I've missed you so much."

Zhang Muyang felt the warmth of the person in his arms and smiled. "It must be because you missed me too much and made me sense it, so no matter what, I had to whip my horse and rush back!"

"I... let's go home together."

"Alright."

Zhang Muyang greeted Old Man Han: "Old Man..."

Old Man Han waved his hand and smiled, "Go on, go on!"

Hehe!

Han Li grabbed his hand and walked away, unable to wait even a single moment longer.