Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 351 Returning Home
It was almost noon on Cangqian Street in Guangzhou. At the entrance of the alley, a slightly plump woman was holding a kitchen knife and a wooden basin, pouring the dirty water from washing vegetables out the door.

The woman poured out the dirty water and was about to go back into the house, but at this moment she suddenly found a strange man standing at the entrance of the alley. When the woman saw the man looking around, she stopped in her tracks.

At the entrance of the alley, there is a big locust tree. A man in a red military uniform is standing under the tree. He is holding a few sea bass in his left hand and two jars of old wine in his right hand. He is looking into the alley.
It was almost noon, and the sun was blazing brightly. Under the clear sky and in broad daylight, the woman was not afraid. She walked towards the tree with a kitchen knife in her hand and shouted:

"Where are you from, and why are you sneaking around in Yongfengfang?"

Xu Wu heard the voice and subconsciously looked forward. When he saw the slightly plump woman, he was also stunned, and then he said
"Aunt Wang, I'm not a stranger. We've been neighbors for more than ten years, and you don't recognize me."

The woman was also surprised when the strange man called out her name. Seeing the look on the woman's face, Xu Wu spoke again.
"Xu family at the corner of North Street, Xu Wu"

The woman was also startled when she heard this, and looked at him for a while, but the more she looked, the more familiar he seemed to her. Then she realized, wasn't this Xu Dalunzi from the Xu family at the corner of the street?
The year before last, the Tartars attacked the city, and dozens of young and strong men in the neighborhood were conscripted to defend the city. Looking at the narrow-sleeved red shirt on Xu Wu in front of him, it was exactly the style of the military uniform.

Although the woman recognized Xu Wu, she was still amazed at this moment.
Although Xu Dalangzi was tall before, he was as thin as a stick. But now he was big and strong, standing under the tree like a bear.

Aunt Wang looked at the perch in Xu Wu's hand with surprise and said:

"It's really Xu Dalengzi, you are so rich now"

Fresh fish in the waters off Guangzhou are not considered rare, but the perch in Xu Wu's hand are half an arm's length long. Such big fish are not cheap and are not affordable for ordinary people.
Hearing this, Xu Wu waved his hand and said

"What's the point of being rich? It's just that I was laid off in the military, and now I'm going home to visit."

Aunt Wang looked at Xu Wu, who looked honest, and her eyes turned, but she said

"You've been gone for two years. Now that you're back, why are you standing under this tree? Come to Aunt Wang's house and have a seat."

Aunt Wang glanced at the big fish in Xu Wu's hand, and a shrewd look flashed in her eyes. This stupid Xu has always been shy. When he came to her house, why didn't she keep one of the big fish?

Aunt Wang came forward with a kitchen knife in hand, and was about to reach out to pull Xu Wu into the house. The sunlight fell through the branches and leaves, and a burst of white light was reflected on the blade.

The white light from the blade shone on Xu Wu's face, and Xu Wu's expression changed immediately. He almost subconsciously stepped back.

Xu Wu's left hand suddenly loosened, and the wine jar hit the ground with a click and broke into pieces.

But Xu Wu didn't care at all. He subconsciously held the shield in front of his chest with his left hand, and suddenly swept out with his right hand, slashing several sea fish forward like blades.
Aunt Wang stretched out her hand but found nothing. She was also stunned and subconsciously looked forward.

Xu Wu was slightly bent, his left hand protecting his chest, veins popping out on his right arm, staring fiercely ahead, like a ferocious beast ready to devour anyone.

Aunt Wang was startled when she saw Xu Wu's ferocious expression. She screamed and retreated to the back, falling to the ground.
Xu Wu was also startled when he saw the woman lying on the ground. He subconsciously raised his head and looked around. He saw the afternoon sunlight was bright, the breeze rustled through the shadows of the trees, and there was a quietness all around.

Xu Wu shook his head and then stood up. He looked at the woman lying on the ground with a cold expression on his face and said

"Hold your knife and don't wave it around"

The woman on the ground heard the voice and came to her senses.
The woman looked at the expressionless Xu Wu in front of her, and thought of the panic in her heart just now. A trace of anger flashed in her eyes. When had Aunt Wang ever suffered such a big loss?
Aunt Wang got up from the ground, then pointed at Xu Wu under the tree with her hands on her hips and started yelling at him.

"Neighbors, come and see! Xu Dalengzi has become rich and has come back to bully us old neighbors."

Aunt Wang kept shouting, and the people in the neighborhood who heard the shouting also looked out. Xu Wu frowned slightly as he saw more and more people gathering in the neighborhood.
The crowd grew larger and larger, and Aunt Wang became more and more aggressive in her scolding. However, Xu Wu was unwilling to get entangled with her any further.

Xu Wu was about to leave, but at this moment, several figures approached from the alley entrance.
At the entrance of the alley, six soldiers in scarlet military uniforms walked towards the tree. Two of them pushed a cart loaded with pig legs, while the other two carried various pieces of cloth.
The people gathered at the alley entrance soon discovered the soldiers at the alley entrance. After everyone identified them, a burst of surprised voices soon came from the crowd.

"Isn't that Zhang Liuzi from East Street?"

"The guy pushing the cart looks like Liu Hou'er from the Liu family."

The common people were in doubt, but the soldiers had already walked under the tree. Xu Wu looked at Zhang Huan, the personal soldier in front of him, and said:

“How things went”

Zhang Huan bowed and said in a deep voice:
"General Bing, it has been done. The head of Yongfengfang, Zhao Jia, has received the news and is leading people to the Liang family to inform them. The incense table and other items are also being prepared."

The people watching nearby were shocked when they heard what Zhang Huan said. Although they did not understand what Zhang Huan was saying, they could clearly hear Zhang Huan calling them

Zhang Huan actually called Xu Wu a general. Could it be that this Xu Dalengzi really became a high-ranking official?
Xu Wu nodded upon hearing this and said

"Zhao Jia is familiar with the people in the town, so just let Zhao Jia do these things. Since someone has already prepared them, you can go home first."

Zhang Huan heard this, but he hesitated and said
"Military business is more important. Let's follow the general first and go back after we finish our business."

Xu Wu shook his head and said softly

"It's been two years since I left. Let's go back and report that we are safe."

After Xu Wu finished speaking, without waiting for Zhang Huan and others to respond, he took the cotton cloth from the car and distributed it to several soldiers.

Zhang Huan looked at the cotton cloth in his hand, but his face was stunned, and he said

"This is all the money paid by the general. How can we ..."

Several soldiers were about to refuse, but before they could finish their words, Xu Wu waved his hand to interrupt them.

"Don't say anything more. Divide the leg meat in the car among yourselves. Go home and report your safety and come back immediately. We have some important things to do later."

Xu Wu picked up the three pieces of brocade cotton on the cart, picked up the three sea bass, and casually took a pig leg, then walked forward.
When the people who had gathered in front saw Xu Wu coming, they immediately dispersed with a look of surprise in their eyes. Aunt Wang had already hidden in the crowd at this time, and looked at Xu Wu's back as he walked away with a look of panic on her face.
At the entrance of Xu's house, Xu Wu looked at the familiar courtyard with a dazed look on his face. The vegetable patch beside the courtyard, the bamboo cage chicken coop beside the fence, the loofah rack beside the house, everything in front of him was familiar yet strange.

Xu Wu stood at the door, and suddenly he felt as if he was in another world.

After the Battle of Guangzhou, according to the original regulations, the court should have let these young men return home. However, not long after the Battle of Guangzhou, news came from Fujian Province that Zheng's people had risen up and returned to the Ming Dynasty.

In order to rescue Fujian Province, the court even reorganized the defeated Qing soldiers who had just surrendered into an army. How could they let these good family boys who had experienced battles go back?
Xu Wu and his men were still waiting for rewards from the imperial court in the camp, but suddenly the imperial court issued an order to transfer them to the Longxiang Army. Xu Wu and his men took up arms again and followed the imperial court to attack Fujian Province.
In the past two years, Xu Wu followed the Longxiang Army to conquer Fujian and Zhejiang, Huguang, and Sichuan, and traveled almost half of the south.

Two years ago, Xu Wu was just a porter at the Guangzhou dock. In the first twenty years of his life, the farthest place he had been was the Xiguan Ferry Dock, ten miles outside Guangzhou.
If someone had told Xu Wu two years ago that he would go to Fujian, Huguang, and Sichuan in the future, Xu Wu would definitely think that person was crazy. He could be a laborer anywhere, so why would he go to such a far place?
Everything turned around when the Qing army suddenly invaded Guangdong Province two years ago.

If the Qing invaders had not entered the country, had not conquered Nanjing, had not killed Emperor Longwu, had not broken into Guangdong Province, and had not trapped His Royal Highness the Regent in Guangzhou, then Xu Wu would still be the little porter working hard at the dock for a few copper coins.
But the mystery of the world lies here. The Qing invaders invaded Shanhaiguan, occupied the northern and southern capitals, destroyed the Longwu court, broke into Guangdong Province, and trapped His Royal Highness the Regent who suddenly moved the capital in the city. Xu Wu was also recruited into the army, and everything changed from then on.

The tide of the times is enough to overthrow kings and generals, but it can also allow an ordinary person to take advantage of the wind and embark on a completely different path.
Xu Wu was standing at the door in a daze when a half-grown boy suddenly walked out of the tile-roofed house. When the boy saw the big man standing at the door, he immediately became alert.

Xu Hu looked at the burly man at the door, a trace of nervousness flashed across his face, but the next moment, Xu Hu took a wooden stick and walked towards the door, shouting

"Who are you and why are you standing at my door? Let me tell you, I, Xu Hu, am not someone you can easily mess with."

Xu Wu looked at the boy pretending to be fierce, but a smile appeared on his face.

"Not bad, you look a bit manly now."

The young man was also stunned when he heard Xu Wu's voice. Although Xu Wu's appearance had changed a little, his voice had not changed.
After Xu Hu heard the sound, he immediately dropped his stick, turned around and ran back, shouting

"Mom, Uncle Five is back, Uncle Five is back." Seeing the boy running back, Xu Wu shook his head and laughed, then walked into the yard carrying the fish.
Xu Wu entered the main room. At this time, Xu's mother and Xu Liu also hurried into the room from the backyard.

Xu Wu looked at the white-haired mother Xu, his eyes sour, but he suddenly knelt on the ground
When Xu's mother saw her son coming back, her eyes were red. When she saw Xu Wu kneeling on the ground, she was also stunned, and then she hurried forward.
"I'm glad you're back. What are you doing? Get up quickly."

"I have been away from home for several years and have not been able to serve you. I am unfilial."

After Xu Wu finished speaking, he kowtowed three times respectfully. Xu's mother wanted to pull Xu Wu up, but she couldn't pull him up, so she had to let Xu Wu kowtow.
Mother Xu looked at Xu Wu in front of her, and was a little dazed for a moment. Xu Wu was already tall, and he had been fighting and training in the army for many years. There was no limit on the food in the army, so Xu Wu became more and more burly in the past two years.
At this time, Xu Wu stood up, and his figure almost covered both Xu's mother and Xu Liu.

Xu Wu did not notice anything unusual about Xu's mother. He got up from the ground and took the brocade cloth beside him. He looked at Xu Liushi and said:

"I bought some cloth from a cloth shop on my way back. The shopkeeper said it was the finest blue satin from Songjiang Prefecture. I don't know much about it, so I'll take it and make some clothes for you."

Xu Liu stretched out her hand, but when she saw the shiny brocade in front of her, she suddenly pulled her hand back and finally did not dare to touch it. She said

"This is too expensive. How can our family afford such clothes? Let's keep it to make clothes for mom."

"It's just a few pieces of satin, not worth much. Sister-in-law, you can use it. Make a few for yourself and a few for mother. If it's not enough, you can buy more."

"Please prepare the wine and meat, sister-in-law. If there are neighbors who have taken care of our family, you can send some to them. You don't have to keep them."

Xu Wu directly stuffed the brocade into Xu Liu's hands. Seeing the young man watching from the side, Xu Wu also spoke

“Yours too”

Xu Wu threw the paper package on the table over to him. Xu Hu opened the package and saw the crispy candies inside. He looked dissatisfied and said:

"It's just some candies, I'm not a child anymore"

Although Xu Hu hummed, he kept stuffing the osmanthus cake in the paper bag into his mouth.
"Since you are not a child anymore, your uncle will give you what a man should have."

Xu Wu took out a black scabbard from his back. The boy's eyes lit up when he saw the scabbard.

Xu Hu took the scabbard and pulled out the long sword from the scabbard with a clang.
The sheath contained a broken sword. The front end of the blade had been cut off, leaving only two-thirds of its length.
Although the knife was broken, the blade was out of the sheath at this time, but it was shining with a cold light, and it was obviously very sharp.
Xu Wu looked at the half-long sword and said

"I got this sword when I killed a Tartar named Boshiku in Bozhou, Sichuan Province. He was also the first Tartar officer I killed. How do you like this gift?"

"I like it, I like it, thank you Uncle Wu"

Xu Hu's face was full of excitement, and he spoke loudly. However, when Xu's mother saw the gleaming sword, a trace of fear flashed across her face.

"How can you let a little kid mess around with this kind of thing? Xiaohu, why don't you return it to your uncle?"

Xu Wu laughed when he heard this and said

"Mom, if he likes it, let him play."

"It's time for him to go to school at his age. I will send him to school in two days to learn calligraphy and find him a martial arts master. If a man from my Xu family doesn't know swords and martial arts, how can he inherit my Xu family business?"

Xu's mother looked at Xu Wu who was laughing, but her face was filled with astonishment. Although she didn't know what kind of official Boshiku was, she knew that it must be a life.

From what Xu Wu said, it seemed that Xu Wu had killed this man to get the knife, but now Xu Wu seemed to not care at all. This was a life. Was he still the simple and honest son of his family?

Mother Xu looked at her somewhat unfamiliar son, her mouth slightly opened, but she still didn't say anything.

Seeing that Xu's mother was silent, Xu Wu thought that she was dissatisfied with Xu Hu's use of the knife, so he also spoke up.

"But what mother said is true. This weapon is a deadly weapon after all. Xiaohu's character is still uncertain, so it is not appropriate to let him use a knife."

"Let him play with it for a day today, and give the knife to me tomorrow for safekeeping. I will give it to him after Xiaohu is crowned."

Xu's mother looked at Xu Wu, who was respectful, with a more complicated look in her eyes. In fact, from the moment Xu Wu knelt down and kowtowed, Xu's mother had already discovered that Xu Wu was different from before.

But after hearing what Xu Wu said, Xu's mother became more certain that her son was different.

Although Xu Wu still followed her wishes as before, he would never have noticed the change in his emotions.

Seeing that Xu's mother still didn't say anything, Xu Wu also ordered Xu Hu to put away his sword.
Xu Wu put the sword on the table, his face became serious, and he said

"Mother, I came back this time because I have something important to discuss with my family."

"His Highness the Regent has granted land to the army. I am a sentry officer in the army and was allocated 70 acres of land. I came back this time to discuss this grant of land with you."

After hearing what Xu Wu said, Xu's mother could no longer care about the complicated emotions in her heart. She looked shocked and said

"Your Highness, the Regent? Why did the Emperor grant you land?"

"It wasn't me who was given the land. It was His Royal Highness the Regent who gave the land to everyone in the army. I was a sentry officer, so I got an extra 20 acres. But this is indeed a grace from His Royal Highness the Regent to me and other imperial guards."

Ten men in the army form a small flag, fifty men form a general flag, and a hundred men form a sentry officer. Above that is a commander of a division.

Xu Wu explained and continued

"The land granted to the army this time is not in Guangzhou, but in Chaozhou and Huizhou."

"Mother, what are your plans now? Do you want to continue staying in Guangzhou or go to Chaohui to manage those properties?"

There was silence in the room. Xu's mother sat in silence. Seeing that Xu's mother was silent, Xu Wu thought for a moment and then said:

"Mom, I have an idea about this matter. Do you think it will work?"

"After His Royal Highness the Regent moved the capital, Guangzhou has become the imperial capital. I am now a sentry officer. If the time is right in the future, it is not impossible for me to be promoted to a captain."

"If I can be promoted to captain, I will be considered a proper military official in the court. I think it is better for my Xu family to stay in Guangzhou."

"As for the land granted by the court this time, I think our family can go to Chaohui first to confirm the land allocated. After getting the land deed, we can find a trustworthy relative to go to Chaohui to manage these fields."

"My Xu family still lives in Guangzhou, and we can collect some land rent every year. What do you think, mother?"

Seeing that Xu's mother remained silent, Xu Wu added:

"Of course, if mother wants to live in the countryside, then moving to Chaohui is fine."

Xu's mother and Xu Liu below glanced at each other, but both of them looked confused. Chao Hui and the others had heard of it, but they only vaguely knew that the two places seemed to be east of Guangzhou.

Apart from knowing the vague locations of these two places, they didn't know anything else. Xu Wu had never left Guangzhou before, and neither had Xu's mother or Xu Liu.
As for what Xu Wu just said, it made them even more confused. Regent, Imperial Capital, Imperial Court, Imperial Guards, Sentinels, Military Officials, when would their family be able to be connected with these things?

(End of this chapter)