Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Master Zheng looked troubled, and finally sighed, "Wentong left a while ago. He said he was going to make a name for himself..."

"What merit or achievement are you talking about? The battlefield is not a game; it's a place where blood is shed and people die. Why didn't you stop him, Master?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou immediately became anxious. Zhou Wentong was her only son, and she cherished him like the apple of her eye, fearing that something might happen to him.

Zhou Boyuan was equally devastated and asked incredulously, "Why did you let him leave, Master? I had already paved a bright path for him. As long as he studied hard, he could follow that path. But the battlefield is a place where swords have no eyes; one wrong move and you could lose your life!"

The Zhou family was a family of scholars, with generations of scholars. Zhou Boyuan even held the position of instructor in Ping'an County, which gave him a ticket to take the imperial examinations. However, Zhou Wentong was an exception.

At this moment, Zhou Boyuan felt that all the plans and paths he had painstakingly devised for Zhou Wentong had been in vain.

How can this not be disappointing and heartbreaking?

"Alas!" Master Zheng sighed heavily. "Why must Your Excellency insist?"

"Can......"

Master Zheng waved his hand, interrupting Zhou Boyuan.

"Wentong is more interested in martial arts than literature. While I am giving lectures, he is secretly reading military books."

"He enjoys military campaigns and is determined to make a name for himself. Why should you be so stubborn, Your Excellency? Why not let him give it a try?"

"Just like you advised me that day, some things, the longer you suppress them, the higher they will rebound, so it's better to let them try."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Boyuan frowned even more deeply.

No wonder, no wonder Zhou Wentong read books every day but didn't make much progress in his studies. It turns out he spent all his time reading military books.

"What a rebellious son! How dare he defy me like this! When I catch up with him, I'll give him a good beating!"

Master Zheng said a lot, but Zhou Boyuan only took in one sentence: Zhou Wentong hadn't studied properly at school.

Having said that, he hurriedly went to fetch the horse and chase after the person.

Seeing this, Shen Qing said indifferently, "Even if you go after them now, you probably won't be able to catch up."

"Besides, do you even know his route? What if he's already joined the army? You can't exactly drag him down with you as a deserter, can you?"

According to the laws of this dynasty, deserters will be executed for any reason!

Two sentences were enough to make Zhou Boyuan stop in his tracks, and he collapsed to the ground.

Yes, he couldn't catch up with him, and he had no idea which route that rebellious son was taking.

Moreover, if he really entered the military camp, it would be useless for him to catch up with him there.

Even if he were an instructor, he couldn't save the life of a deserter.

"Master, please think of a way. Send more men to chase after them. We'll eventually catch up. That battlefield is too terrifying. What if Wentong doesn't come back..." Madam Zhou cried and shook Zhou Boyuan.

Zhou Boyuan sighed deeply: "It's too late to get it back."

"That kid is always smart and resourceful; he has a hundred ways to evade the people we send."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou cried even louder.

Why did she give birth to such a troublesome child? He didn't study properly and insisted on going to the battlefield.

She didn't even dare to think about what might happen if something went wrong...

"He will come back."

Just then, a confident voice rang out.

Zhou Boyuan and his wife both looked up, not understanding why Shen Qing was so certain.

"He was strong and powerful, often practiced martial arts behind the backs of others, and was well-versed in military strategy. Such a person would surely return from the battlefield."

"And..." Shen Qing paused, "He said before he left that he would continue to eat braised pork ribs when he came back. For the sake of the food he misses, and for the sake of his parents and friends, he will try his best to come back."

Sometimes, good food is a source of comfort and longing for those who are far from home.

The familiar taste reminds me of my hometown and my family.

She was certain that Zhou Wentong would come back.

This wasn't just casually comforting Zhou Boyuan and his wife; she could see that Zhou Wentong was skilled in martial arts and possessed a wealth of military strategy, so even in the most difficult times, he would have a chance to survive.

The rest is up to fate.

"I still have some medicinal-flavored braised pork ribs left at my stall. Why don't you try some? Zhou Wentong even took three braised pork ribs with him when he left."

Zhou Boyuan looked bitter, but since things had come to this, he could only accept it.

"Madam Shen is right, Wentong will definitely return safely."

He patted Mrs. Zhou on the back to comfort her.

He then helped Madam Zhou to Shen Qing's stall, saying, "Wentong loves to eat here, you should try some too."

As he spoke, he took out 120 coins and handed them to Shen Qing.

Shen Qing picked up two large pork ribs with a medicinal flavor and handed them to Zhou Boyuan and Madam Zhou respectively.

The bone was a light color, with a medicinal aroma mixed with the smell of meat and a slight hint of soy sauce.

Mrs. Zhou wiped away her tears and took the big bone: "It smells so good. He brought this braised pork bone home a few days ago. I never thought he would be gone so soon."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face again.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have forced him to study literature. If I had allowed him to learn martial arts, he might have even become a martial arts champion. It would have been better than him running off to the battlefield like this." Zhou Boyuan regretted it somewhat.

Unlike ordinary soldiers, martial arts champions are protected even on the battlefield and their lives are not in great danger.

"It's too late to say all this now!"

Madam Zhou took a bite of the braised pork bone with tears in her eyes.

The meat, carrying the aroma of medicine, fell into my stomach, warm and comforting, bringing a surge of heat.

She could tell that there was a medicinal herb in it called Angelica sinensis.

Angelica, angelica, she hopes her son will return soon...

Zhou Boyuan also started gnawing on bones. He was in a bad mood, but gnawing on bones was surprisingly satisfying.

At this moment, he no longer wanted to maintain the airs of a preacher.

"Wentong will definitely not be able to resist such delicious food. He will definitely come back. When he comes back, I will never force him again."

Tears dripped onto the braised pork ribs, leaving them slightly salty.

But it didn't matter; he still felt at ease because of the bone.

He knew this was his son's favorite food, and his son would strive to live for it.

......

The braised pork ribs were sold out, and Shen Qing pushed the cart home.

Zhao Wan also returned to the Zhao residence. It had been so long, but her family still hadn't agreed to let her move next door to Shen Qing. She could only go to that house every day.

As soon as Shen Qing knocked on the door, Old Chen, the gatekeeper, helped her push the cart back into the house, as usual.

He then respectfully reported, "Master, Song Wenqian crawled in through the dog hole in the backyard and went to the old lady to play the victim. The old lady was soft-hearted and not only gave him a new set of clothes but also served him a table full of food. He is eating now."