Chapter 7: None of them are easy to deal with

In the front courtyard of the post station, Li Sanlang, accompanied by Li Wuya and Li Qilang, was taking medicinal herbs one by one from over twenty wooden chests. Every time he opened a chest, Li Sanlang would grab a handful of herbs from inside and place them into an empty chest beside him.

"Brother, take more *Sanqi*."

"Brother, pack it tighter."

At the entrance of the main hall, Zhuang Yutang and Xu Chengkun stood side by side, silently watching the three Li siblings as they busied themselves.

"The younger sister seems to understand pharmacology better than her brother. For a five-year-old girl, she is quite clever!"

Zhuang Yutang watched with great interest as Li Wuya kept directing Li Sanlang to take this or that.

Xu Chengkun snorted, "Of the three siblings, that little girl is the craftiest!"

When the older brother and younger brother heard the General was going to reward them with twenty taels of silver, they were overjoyed, but that little girl wasn't tempted at all.

She even had the audacity to ask for a promotion for her father, and when that couldn't be done, she demanded medicinal herbs instead.

Medicinal herbs are hard to come by at the border; a chest of herbs is worth far more than twenty taels of silver.

Xu Chengkun looked at Zhuang Yutang, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke up: "General, the secret letter had been opened."

Zhuang Yutang remained unmoved, his gaze still fixed on the three siblings: "And so?"

Detecting the indifference in Zhuang Yutang's tone, Xu Chengkun frowned: "The defense map is of vital importance. The military bases mentioned are all top-secret locations. If outsiders were to learn of them, the losses would be incalculable."

Only then did Zhuang Yutang turn to look at Xu Chengkun, his expression calm: "What are you trying to say? Do you think the three Li siblings saw the defense map and you want to kill them?"

Xu Chengkun pursed his lips and said nothing, but it was clear he was tacitly agreeing.

Zhuang Yutang’s eyes were somewhat indifferent, but a smile played on his lips: "To defend our home and country, there are times when we can do things that are unconventional, but we cannot become people devoid of humanity."

"Without those three siblings, the military defense map would likely be in the Northern Yan camp by now. Whether for us or for the Great Chu, those three children have earned their merit."

"Yet now, you want to kill them. Doesn't that make one's heart grow cold?"

Xu Chengkun’s expression shifted repeatedly. He stiffened his neck and defended himself: "General, I am merely worried about the safety of the border."

Zhuang Yutang chuckled and patted Xu Chengkun on the shoulder: "I understand your thoughts, but..." His gaze shifted back to the three Li siblings.

"Even if they opened the secret letter, I don't believe they could understand it. In this border region, few people are literate, let alone capable of reading a defense map."

"What do you think?"

Xu Chengkun looked at the three Li siblings still picking through the herb chests and lowered his head: "It was my own groundless fear."

Zhuang Yutang nodded with a smile and said no more, his gaze falling once again on Li Wuya.

Was he seeing things just now?

The look that little girl gave Xu Chengkun seemed to carry killing intent.

Is that even possible?

She is just a five-year-old child; it must have been his eyes playing tricks on him.

However, thinking of the late Huyan He and his men, Zhuang Yutang felt a bit uncertain.

They, the border guards, had been on the battlefield too many times and carried a certain aura of ferocity. Even some adults would tremble when seeing them, yet none of the three Li siblings showed any fear. On the contrary, they even dared to take the initiative to ask for rewards.

Putting everything else aside, their courage was far from ordinary!

"Brother, pack it tighter."

"It’s already as tight as it can get!"

After filling a chest full of herbs, Li Sanlang didn't want to stay a moment longer. He felt that the deputy general seemed to harbor hostility toward them.

Bowing to thank Zhuang Yutang, who was standing at the hall entrance, Li Sanlang pulled the chest and led his younger brother and sister out of the post station.

At this moment, a crowd had gathered outside the post station, all from Tianling Village.

"Sanlang! Wuya! Qilang!"

As soon as the three siblings emerged, Jin Yue’e, who had been waiting in a state of extreme anxiety, rushed to their side.

She had arrived early, but the soldiers guarding the post station wouldn't let her in.

"Sanlang, are you hurt?"

Jin Yue’e immediately spotted the arrow wound on Li Sanlang’s shoulder, then saw Li Wuya covered in blood, and her body swayed in terror.

Li Sanlang quickly steadied her: "Mother, we are fine. The blood on Wuya isn't hers. I only took one arrow, and it’s already been pulled out; it’s not bleeding anymore."

Seeing Jin Yue’e about to inspect their wounds immediately, Li Wuya quickly grabbed her: "Mother, I’m scared. Let’s go home first."

Jin Yue’e came to her senses. Seeing the surrounding people watching them, she nodded quickly: "Right, let’s go home first!" As she spoke, she looked at the chest Li Sanlang was pulling.

Li Sanlang whispered: "These are the herbs the General rewarded us with."

Jin Yue’e didn't ask further. She took the chest from Li Sanlang and led the three children back to Tianling Village.

Most people living in Tianling Village, like the Li family, were military households for generations, with only a small number being criminals exiled to serve in the army.

Here, every family was relatively poor, living in yellow mud and thatched huts.

Because the Li family had Li Changsen, who served as a *xiaoqi* (small flag officer) in the garrison, their conditions were slightly better than others. Although they also lived in a yellow mud hut, they had the advantage of a courtyard and more rooms.

The Li family courtyard was a square *siheyuan* (quadrangle), with five main rooms, three rooms in each of the east and west wings, two rooms facing the entrance, a kitchen, and a woodshed.

At this moment, at the gate of the Li courtyard, Li Erya was stretching her neck, peering toward the entrance of the village, her young face full of anxiety.

Wasn't it said that the garrison commander of Dieling Pass had already killed the Northern Yan people who hijacked the post station?

Why hadn't Mother returned with Third Brother, Wuya, and Qilang yet?

Thinking of the messenger who said that the Northern Yan group had killed many people at the post station, Li Erya was frantic, wishing she could fly to the post station immediately.

Unfortunately, she had tripped by the well while doing laundry two days ago and sprained her ankle. It hurt terribly to walk even a few steps, so she could only wait at home.

Li Erya glanced back at the people sitting in the main hall, a look of resentment appearing on her face.

Father wasn't home, and her siblings were trapped at the post station, yet Grandfather and Grandmother wouldn't even tell Second Uncle or Third Uncle to go check on them.

"Erya, what are you doing standing at the gate? Why aren't you cooking dinner? Everyone is hungry."

Li Changsen’s second younger brother, Li Changlin, stood at the door of the main hall and shouted at Li Erya.

Li Erya was already seething with resentment, and hearing this made her even angrier. She turned around, furious: "If I don't cook, are you planning to starve to death, Second Uncle?!"

The Li family members in the hall were stunned.

The four children of the eldest branch were all very cunning. Usually, when the second and third branches tried to order them around, they never succeeded.

Although they were annoying, they had never openly defied their elders like this before.

After a long while, Li Changlin came to his senses. He picked up a stick from the side and walked toward Li Erya in a rage: "You brat, how dare you curse me! Let’s see if I don't teach you a lesson, you unfilial girl with no upbringing!"

Li Erya stood at the door without moving, looking coldly at the approaching Li Changlin: "Second Uncle, if you dare hit me today, when my father returns, I will tell him everything exactly as it happened."

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Changlin, who had been aggressive a moment ago, instantly deflated like a punctured balloon and stopped in the courtyard.

Whether it was the second brother Li Changlin, the third brother Li Changmu, or anyone else in the Li family, they all feared their eldest brother, Li Changsen.

Their eldest brother had killed countless people on the battlefield and carried an aura of slaughter. If anyone bullied the four children of the eldest branch, he would definitely settle the score when he returned.

Just then, a broom used for cleaning the *kang* was thrown from the main hall, hitting the ground in front of Li Erya with a bang.

"You ungrateful wretch, is that how you talk to your elders?"

"That is your Second Uncle! These years, with your father away, if it weren't for your Second and Third Uncles helping out, who knows if you and Sanlang would have even survived?"

"How can you curse him like that? Do you have no conscience?"

The speaker was Old Mother Li. She had been sitting on the *kang*, but now she stood at the door of the main hall, looking at Li Erya with a gloomy face.

Li Erya showed no sign of backing down, looking at Old Mother Li with stubborn eyes: "Grandmother, you’re wrong. All these years, who has really been helping whom?"

"It’s my father. It’s my father who risked his life fighting on the battlefield so that the family could have ten extra *mu* of military land. It’s also his monthly salary that feeds everyone."

"What have Second Uncle and Third Uncle done for this family?"

Old Mother Li was furious, slapping her thighs and wailing: "The world has turned upside down! I can't even speak to you anymore, you unfilial thing!"

"Second, what are you standing there for? Grab that money-losing wretch! Today, I must teach her a lesson!"

Li Changlin’s eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together as he walked toward Li Erya.

The four brats of the eldest branch were becoming harder to manage as they grew older; it was time for Mother to loosen their skin.

Seeing Li Changlin approach, a flash of fear crossed Li Erya’s face, but she stood her ground, refusing to bow to Old Mother Li.

"Who is Mother trying to teach a lesson?"

Jin Yue’e entered the courtyard with a grim expression, followed by Li Sanlang, Li Wuya, and Li Qilang. She had heard her mother-in-law scolding Erya from far away.

Seeing Jin Yue’e return, Li Changlin, who was about to grab Li Erya, immediately backed down.

The eldest brother was not to be trifled with, and the eldest sister-in-law was just as difficult. He decided it was better not to be the one to court disaster.

Old Mother Li glanced at Jin Yue’e and snorted, but said nothing.

Li Changlin saw the chest on Jin Yue’e’s back, rolled his eyes, and said with a smile: "Eldest Sister-in-law, you’ve returned just in time. You should really discipline Erya."

"You didn't see it, but she was just talking back to Mother. For every word Mother said, she had ten to retort. It’s truly unfilial. With a girl like her, who would dare marry her in the future?"

Jin Yue’e looked at Li Changlin indifferently: "Erya’s behavior is no concern of yours, Second Brother. If you have the time, you should manage Sanya and Siya better."

Li Changlin nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I’ll listen to you, Eldest Sister-in-law. By the way, let me help you carry that chest on your back!" As he spoke, he reached for the chest without waiting for a response.

"Bang!"

A wooden stick as thick as three fingers struck the back of Li Changlin’s hand hard.

"Ah~!"

Li Changlin’s pig-like scream pierced the air.

"Wuya! How dare you lay a hand on your Second Uncle!" Old Mother Li was so angry her face turned blue.

Old Father Li, who had been silent in the hall, also walked out, looking at Li Wuya with displeasure.

Just as he was about to speak to discipline Li Wuya, she spoke first.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, Third Brother and I are both injured. Did you not see?"

Only then did the rest of the Li family notice the bloodstains on Li Sanlang and Li Wuya, and their expressions changed.

Li Wuya walked toward Li Changlin with a smile.

Li Changlin, who was hunched over in pain clutching his hand, saw Li Wuya walking toward him and, for some reason, retreated a few steps in fear.

"Second Uncle, do you know how many people that group of Northern Yan soldiers killed at the post station? Do you know how my brother and I survived?"

Li Changlin swallowed hard, shook his head, and retreated again.

As he retreated, Li Wuya advanced.

"Second Uncle, don't be afraid. I’m not hurt; the blood on me isn't mine. But guess whose it is?"

Li Wuya looked down and tugged at her blood-stained clothes: "It belongs to a Northern Yan soldier. He was hiding behind a wardrobe, and I thrust my sword right into him."

"But one thrust didn't kill him, and he still wanted to kill me, so I pulled the sword out and stabbed him again, and then he died."

As Li Wuya spoke, she gestured with her hands. The wooden stick she held seemed to transform into a sharp sword. She thrust it toward Li Changlin, scaring him so much he fell to the ground.

"Hehe~"

Li Wuya covered her mouth and giggled, looking at Li Changlin with a hint of disdain: "Second Uncle, you are such a coward. It’s just a wooden stick; look how scared you are."

She paused, then added, "Even if it were a sword, Second Uncle, would I really kill you?"

Li Changlin opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Just now, when that wooden stick thrust toward him, he truly had the illusion of facing death.

Not only was Li Changlin terrified, but the rest of the Li family was also stunned into silence.

Li Wuya laughed twice, then her smile vanished instantly. She scanned the Li family members with a cold, indifferent gaze: "The chest contains medicinal herbs. My brother and I traded our lives for them. If anyone dares to snatch them—"

With a "thwack," she drove the wooden stick into the ground.

The Li courtyard fell into a deathly silence. After a moment, Old Mother Li looked at Li Changmu: "Third, go help your Second Brother up." After saying this, she glanced at Li Wuya and returned to the main hall without another word.

There wasn't a single easy person in the eldest branch, and the one she feared most was this little brat.

When those eyes stared at someone, they made one’s back go cold.