I am not a seventh-generation descendant of Lord Wu'an from the Qin Dynasty.

"Madam Bai, Madam Bai! Your son, Da Xi, has made something of himself. His three strategies for suppressing bandits have won the favor of the commander of a thousand men, and he has been promoted to a full-fledged general."

"Lady Bai, your family is overjoyed! Lord Bai has defeated five thousand enemy soldiers in a single battle, captured three thousand six thousand prisoners, been promoted two to five hundred lords, and received a fourth-rank title without further change..."

"Lady Bai, your husband is very happy. General Wang Yi has valued him and promoted him to the position of magistrate of Tian County. From now on, he will have to call you Magistrate."

"Lady Bai, your family is overjoyed! Lord Bai has captured 8,000 thieves, and the population of Tian County is nearly 10,000. He has been promoted to the rank of Grand Master (a fifth-rank official) and appointed as the head of 2,500 officials, in charge of the affairs of Tian County..."

Outside the door, the sound of rapid hoofbeats could be heard.

The mute girl opened her eyes irritably and struggled to get up, supporting her nearly seven-month-old belly.

She knew that her remarkable Bai Langjun was getting married again; it was either a promotion or a title.

They live in the same county, yet are worlds apart. Why won't he come back to see her?

Or is it, as the gossiping neighbors say, that Bai Langjun has become rich and powerful, and now he despises his wife who has shared his hardships, and wants to marry a richer woman?

She knew she shouldn't overthink it, but when she had free time, she couldn't help but overthink.

She also learned to make several pairs of cork shoes and sew several new clothes for him, and asked someone to send them to him. Why didn't he send back a message?

With a creak.

That was the sound of two fair-skinned maids from her hometown, sent by her mistress, going out to check on her, saying they were there to take care of her...

"Hmph! In Aunt Sun's words, 'Isn't it just because her husband is rich and powerful that she hopes to one day climb into his bed?!'"

But seeing that the two women were quite diligent in taking care of her, and that having two more people in the house was good, she acquiesced.

The mute girl knew she shouldn't feel a pang of sadness, but she couldn't help it. Would he like it? With these two little girls, would he stop divorcing her?

"Huh? Who are you?"

"Bai Qi, who is Bai Qi?"

"Fool, it's our master, Bai Qi! Ah? Bai Qi? Madam, the master is back!"

The mute girl, who was secretly resentful just a moment ago, suddenly had tears in her eyes and hurriedly rushed to the bronze mirror to groom her slightly swollen and round face due to pregnancy.

"She's gained weight, she's swollen; the once radiant young woman who never wore makeup has now transformed into a plump young woman. Will he still like her? Perhaps she should put on some rouge?!"

Lost in thought, the mute girl was startled when Xiu'er burst open the inner room door. "Madam..."

The mute girl turned around, but there were no other voices around her, and all she could see was the young man leading the horse into the house.

"It's been over six months. Your face is a bit tanned, and you're a bit thinner, but you look more energetic, with a touch of the fierce aura unique to battle-hardened generals."

Only those eyes remained as bright as ever, like a garden in full bloom. Yet, he seemed even more lonely now. Was it just my imagination?

Their eyes met, and a single glance felt like an eternity.

Bai Qi looked at the smiling girl, his gaze softening as he looked at her protruding belly.

"I'm back!"

The mute girl turned her head away, as if she was blaming him for not keeping the three-month promise, but after only a second, she turned back, her eyes reddening, as if she was afraid he would disappear.

The two little girls quietly slipped away, closed the door, and stopped laughing.

Bai Qi helped the mute girl sit on the couch, knelt on one knee, gently rested his head on her knee, and listened with his eyes closed.

"It moved! Looks like the little guy knows his dad's home!"

The mute girl gestured with her hands, asking him how long he could stay at home.

Bai Qi's eyes flickered, feigning ignorance, and he reached out to pull her close to the headboard, looking sleepy.

"We've been riding horses all this way without a moment's rest. Are you tired? Would you like to sleep with me for a while?"

The mute girl paused for a moment, then nodded firmly in silence, though tears welled up in her eyes.

The two slept in each other's arms. The mute woman's gaze was resentful as she gently patted the older child in her arms, her breathing becoming deeper.

I don't know when.

The mute girl fell asleep peacefully.

In a daze, she woke up from a nightmare.

He instinctively reached for the side of the bed, only to find his palm empty.

The mute girl remained silent. "A dream?"

Outside the door, the clear, sweet calls of two girls from the same village rang out, carrying a fawning and coquettish air.

"Sir, Big Tiger and Little Tiger look fierce. Will they bite?"

"Master? Whose master?" The mute girl suddenly sat up, leaning against the door and window, resting her chin on her hand, staring blankly out the window. "It's not a dream! He's back!"

Under the golden sunlight, a dashing young man was teasing two tiger cubs, each about the size of a yellow dog from his village, as they fought over food.

Noticing her gaze, the young man laughed heartily, "Tian'er, come on, let's go together!"

Xiuer and Yu'er were startled by the sound. They immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Madam!"

The mute girl smiled sweetly and nodded vigorously.

She felt panicked when he didn't return, but he acted as usual when he came back.

Perhaps, this is what marriage is all about!

The mute girl got up, went out, moved closer to Bai Qi, and timidly reached out to touch him.

The two little girls disappeared into the kitchen in an instant.

The little tiger seemed to have smelled something, and lowered its mouth to make a growling sound.

Bai Qi slapped it, and with a "smack," the round-headed little tiger fell to the ground, rolled twice, and immediately became clear-headed.

The mute girl smiled and reached out to stop him, her eyes filled with reproach, as if she were blaming him for bullying the weak.

Bai Qi shrugged. "Wild ones don't learn their lesson until they're hurt enough. You can't tame them later."

The mute girl patted the big-headed little tiger that had been beaten, and then patted the lively little tiger that rubbed against her feet, her eyes and brows filled with smiles.

Bai Qi pointed to the two animals, one big and one small, and introduced them: "The big one is called Big Tiger, and the small one is called Little Tiger. They are a male and a female, and they are only two months old. They were given to us by someone to guard the house."

The mute girl's smile froze, and her eyes lowered.

Bai Qi pulled her small hand, placed it on his lap, and sat down directly on the ground.

"Tian'er, let me tell you about what happened after I joined the Qin army's new recruit camp."

The mute girl didn't care about these things, but as long as he spoke, she was willing to listen quietly.

If only time didn't pass so quickly.

"...Our commander of a thousand men, Li Tian, ​​is a big shot from the Prime Minister's residence in Xianyang."

"After the recruit training camp ended, General Li saw that my archery skills were excellent, and I hit the target seven times in a row."

Bai Qi reached out and touched her stomach, a wicked smile on his face, clearly taking advantage of her not understanding.

The mute girl blushed instantly, her charm a blend of girlish innocence and mature womanly allure that stunned and bewildered him.

Bai Qi paused for a moment, then said briefly, "And then, your man became a hundred generals."

"As soon as General Li said 'charge,' your man drew his bow, aimed, and shot, killing one enemy with each arrow."

"Look, all right, he was promoted to a high-ranking official position without even realizing it."

"This man never tells the truth; he tells less than she ever heard from Aunt Sun."

"They don't mention the dangerous parts at all, but they lavishly praise the glorious ones. Do they really think she's some naive country bumpkin being fooled?"

The mute girl reached out and hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder, and closed her eyes peacefully.

She knew he was afraid she would worry, and that he cared about her—that was enough.

The two spent some time alone in silence.

Smoke rose from the kitchen.

The two finished their dinner.

Bai Qi spoke, and the mute girl led the way, bringing with her a small amount of mountain goods and furs to give to the neighbors.

Especially the village head who had taken care of him when he was still a refugee, and the three elders, the village head, and the patrolmen who wanted to get close to him...

The villagers exchanged insincere pleasantries until nightfall.

Everyone knew that Bai Qi had just returned and didn't want to disturb him.

As night fell, the two walked hand in hand home, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

Xiuer and Yuer have boiled the water.

Bai Qi removed his battle robes, and just as the mute girl was about to leave, he grabbed her arm, "Together!"

The mute girl touched her round belly, shook her head violently, pointed to the two women outside the window, clasped her hands together, and pretended to be asleep.

Bai Qi shook his head, lowered his head to gently purse her cherry lips, and whispered in a chilling voice, "Tonight, I only want you!"

The mute girl pursed her lips, seemingly disagreeing, but her eyes actually lit up with joy.

Bai Qi reached out and picked her up, gently placing her into the bathtub and then slipping inside.

The mute girl gently combed his hair and washed his back, inch by inch, thread by thread, her eyes seeming to melt.

Bai Qi sensed it, reached out and gently picked her up, stepped out of the bathtub, and began to wash her.

Then I pulled her into bed, crawled in, lifted her up, sat her on my lap, and touched her cherry lips...

"If you can't take it, say so. Don't be stubborn..."