At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

Chapter 92 The Savior in His Heart!

Qingzhou City, East Street.

Shops lined both sides of the street, with wine flags fluttering in the breeze. The shouts of vendors selling cloth, grain, blacksmiths, and steamed buns rose and fell in a continuous stream.

Children chased and played at the alley entrance, old people basked in the sun under the eaves, and several women walked by chatting and laughing while carrying vegetable baskets.

The city, which had been occupied by the Northern Di people for nearly three years, has finally come back to life.

Su Mu walked slowly through the crowd with his hands behind his back.

He wore a faded gray robe, his white hair was tied back with a plain cloth strip, his back was hunched, and his gait was slow. He looked no different from any other ordinary old man on the street.

Qin Hao wanted to go with him, or have Gu Changfeng and Zhao Tieniu accompany him, but he refused.

He just came out for a walk today and didn't want to make a big fuss.

Since the recapture of Qingzhou, Qin Hao and Zhou Huchen have been extremely busy.

Recruiting soldiers, strengthening city defenses, inventorying provisions, and pacifying the people—one task after another awaited their attention.

Su Mu didn't get involved; he was happy to have some peace and quiet.

This old body needs to rest whenever it has the chance.

He may be resting, but he can't stay idle.

Whenever he has free time, he goes for a walk on the street.

This was a habit he developed from doing business when he was young: if you want to know the true situation of a place, don't go to the government office or ask the officials; just take a walk in the streets and listen to what the common people have to say. That's more reliable than any report.

As I passed by the entrance of an inn, a rich and lingering aroma of wine wafted out, carrying a subtle plum fragrance that made me want to stop and linger.

Su Mu stopped, squinted, and took a deep breath.

Good wine.

He also enjoyed this kind of drink when he was young, and he traveled all over the country, tasting wines from all over the world.

These years have passed, and with the arrival of the Northern Di people, there has been much war and chaos. We can't even get enough to eat, let alone have spare money for drinking.

Now that Qingzhou has been recovered, there's finally hope for the future. It's not too much to have a drink together, is it?

Su Mu touched the loose silver in his sleeve, then stepped into the inn.

"Waiter, bring this old man a pot of plum wine!" He sat down by the window and waved towards the counter.

"Okay!"

A young and efficient waiter jogged over, a white towel draped over his shoulder, a smile plastered on his face.

He looked Su Mu up and down. He had white hair, dressed simply, and had a slightly hunched back. He looked like an ordinary old man from the countryside.

"Sir, besides plum wine, what else would you like to order? Our braised beef is absolutely amazing, so tender and flavorful that even elderly people with weak teeth can enjoy it. Would you like to try a couple of ounces?"

Su Mu smiled and tapped his withered fingers on the table.

"Alright, then give this old man two jin."

"Two jin?" The waiter was taken aback. "Sir, two jin of beef is quite a lot, especially for one person..."

"What, don't worry, this old man can finish it." With that, Su Mu pulled a small piece of silver from his sleeve and placed it on the table. "Is this enough?"

The waiter quickly smiled apologetically, "That's enough! Please wait a moment, it'll be right there!"

As he made notes in the ledger, he casually asked, "Sir, you look unfamiliar. You're not from Qingzhou, are you? Your accent sounds like you're from Qinghe County?"

Su Mu nodded without saying anything.

The waiter glanced at Su Mu again, then suddenly frowned and glanced at him once more.

His gaze lingered on Su Mu's wrinkled face for a moment, his eyes widening and his mouth slightly agape, as if he had remembered something.

"You...you are..." His voice began to tremble.

Su Mu raised his head, his cloudy old eyes looking at him calmly, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, without saying a word.

The waiter was shocked when he saw the face clearly.

"Old Su...Old Su! You are General Su Mu!"

"Shopkeeper! Shopkeeper! Come quick! It's...it's Old Master Su! Old Master Su has come to our shop!"

This shout caused an uproar throughout the entire inn.

"Old Su? Which Old Su?"

"Who else could it be but General Su? It's the General Su who slew the Northern Di general and saved Qingzhou City!"

"Really?"

"Where is he? Where is he?"

The guests all stood up, craning their necks to look in this direction. Several men at the table against the wall stood up and stood on tiptoe to look in this direction.

The waiter pointed at Su Mu, so excited he was incoherent.

"That's the old man!"

All eyes turned to Su Mu.

Su Mu sat there, his body hunched over, his white hair fluttering gently in the breeze seeping through the window cracks, his cloudy old eyes calm as still water.

He didn't stand up, didn't wave, and didn't say anything.

"It really is Elder Su!"

A burly man with a full beard was the first to recognize him, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears.

He rushed to Su Mu, knelt down with a thud, and kowtowed three times.

"Old Su, you are a great benefactor to the people of Qingzhou! You have no idea what kind of life we lived when the Northern Di were here. Our grain was stolen, our houses were burned down, and my wife... my wife was killed by them..."

His voice choked up, and he couldn't continue.

Su Mu reached out and placed his withered hand on the burly man's shoulder, patting it gently.

"Get up, let bygones be bygones, living well is more important than anything else."

The burly man wiped away his tears, stood up, and stepped aside.

Another elderly woman walked over, trembling, carrying a bowl of steaming soup in her hands, her voice trembling with sobs.

More and more people gathered around, but the shopkeeper stopped them all.

The shopkeeper was a fat man in his forties, with a round face and a big belly.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Don't disturb General Su's drinking!"

The shopkeeper spread his arms wide, blocking the crowd, and his voice was so loud that it could be heard throughout the entire street.

"How can Elder Su eat and drink with all of you crowding around like this? Go back to your seats! Anyone who disturbs Elder Su, don't blame me for being impolite!"

The crowd slowly dispersed, but everyone's eyes still couldn't help but glance in Su Mu's direction.

The shopkeeper turned around, bowed to Su Mu, and smiled broadly. His smile contained flattery, gratitude, and an indescribable pride.

General Su came to his shop for a drink; he could brag about it for the rest of his life.

"Mr. Su, please eat and drink to your heart's content! Come often from now on, and this restaurant will always be free for you! All you can eat, all you can drink, not a penny will be charged!"

He turned and yelled at the kitchen, "Waiter! Hurry up! Bring out our best plum wine and five pounds of the finest braised beef! Pick the tenderest piece! Quickly!"

Su Mu smiled slightly and cupped his withered hands in a gesture of respect.

"Thank you, shopkeeper, but I am an old man and cannot eat that much. Two catties of meat and a pot of wine are enough for me."

"No way!" The innkeeper shook his head vigorously. "You risked your life for us on the battlefield, and we wouldn't even give you a bite of meat? Are we even human? Waiter, bring it to us as I say!"

Su Mu shook his head and did not refuse again.

Soon after, the food and drinks were served.

The plum wine has an amber color and a fragrant aroma.

The braised beef was sliced as thin as paper and arranged on a blue and white porcelain plate, its bright red color making it very appealing.

Su Mu poured himself a bowl of wine and sipped it slowly, occasionally picking up a piece of beef and chewing it slowly.

After finishing his meal, Su Mu wiped his mouth, stood up, and walked towards the counter.

The shopkeeper's face changed when he saw him take out money, and he waved his hands repeatedly.

"Mr. Su, what are you doing? I told you I wouldn't take any money!"

Su Mu placed the loose silver on the counter and said:

"Shopkeeper, you run this shop to support your family. I'm here to eat, so I should pay. That's the rule."

The shopkeeper got anxious, pushed the silver back, and raised his voice several decibels.

"Old Su, if I take this money, won't the people of Qingzhou tear down my shop? You are our great benefactor, what's wrong with us treating you to a meal? Not just one meal, we'd be willing to do it for a lifetime!"

Several customers near the counter echoed this sentiment.

"Yes, Mr. Su, please don't refuse!"

"You saved the lives of our entire city, what's a meal compared to that?"

"If all else fails, we'll settle the score with you."

Looking at these eager faces, a hint of warmth flashed in Su Mu's eyes.

He paused for a moment, picked up the silver from the counter, put it back in his sleeve, and then bowed to the shopkeeper.

"In that case, I shall respectfully comply."

The shopkeeper was relieved and couldn't stop smiling.

"That's right! Mr. Su, please come again soon! I'll reserve the best seat and the best wine for you!"

Su Mu nodded, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked out of the inn.

People on the street stopped and bowed when they saw him.

Su Mu did not respond, but simply continued walking forward step by step.