In the evening, Zhao Ger went to bathe Gungun and Dandan. Today at the Yan residence, the four little ones had been led around playing by the Yan family's children for half the day and came back covered in sweat. They had to be washed, and besides, they were setting off back tomorrow. Following the same route as when they came, they would definitely have to spend a night on the road. If they could wash up today, they should.
Zhao Ger was busy, and Fang Zichen wasn't idle either. He was packing things in the room. The children's toys were everywhere. Just as he was picking them up and tossing them into a hemp sack, Guaizai climbed onto Fang Zichen's back and wrapped both arms tightly around his neck.
When they came back in the afternoon and he told Zhao Ger about Old General Qin, he hadn't avoided Guaizai. After hearing the news, the little guy had been unhappy ever since, filled with worry.
Fang Zichen stopped picking up toys and turned to hold him in his arms: "What's wrong, my little treasure?"
Guaizai rubbed his face against his and said: "Grandpa is hurt."
Fang Zichen paused, looked at him carefully, and pretended not to understand: "And then?"
Guaizai's eyes reddened, tears swirling in his eyes: "Guaizai doesn't want Grandpa to be hurt. Father, Guaizai misses Grandpa."
Fang Zichen: "..."
There's no point in missing him!
I can't just materialize him out of thin air.
Fang Zichen could only comfort his son, saying that Old General Qin was blessed with great fortune and a great fate, and wouldn't kick the bucket.
Seeing that Guaizai was still gloomy, he had no choice but to take some silver and bring him out to a restaurant to eat chicken. Nowadays, probably only good food could soothe his son's little soul.
Guaizai ate joyfully. When he saw Fang Zichen looking over, he even smiled brightly, looking completely harmless. After demolishing two chickens, he came back and climbed onto the bed to sleep, but suddenly stood up again.
"Daddy, Father."
"What now?" Fang Zichen raised a hand to rub his little belly and asked: "Too full from eating?"
Guaizai: "No way. Only two chickens. How could Guaizai be too full?"
Fang Zichen: "......"
Only a little rice bucket could say such a thing.
"Then what do you want to do? Still not sleeping? At your height, you should sleep more. Otherwise, you're not even qualified to be a little dwarf."
"Guaizai wants to go see Grandpa." Guaizai said decisively.
Zhao Ger got up and took him into his arms. He didn't directly say no, but explained the situation clearly: "But your father doesn't have time."
Fang Zichen: "......"
"Damn, how do you talk, Ger!" Fang Zichen patted Zhao Ger: "You make it sound like I'm about to croak."
Zhao Ger hurriedly changed his wording and explained the current situation to Guaizai. After hearing it all, Guaizai didn't throw a fit. He lowered his head, plucking at his clothes. Thinking back to how worried his father had looked when he mentioned it at noon, he knew Old General Qin must be hurt badly. After a long while, he seemed to make up his mind and said, "Then can Guaizai go by himself?" He added, "Guaizai is really worried about Grandpa."
"This......" Zhao Ger couldn't make up his mind. But Guaizai looked as if his mind was made up.
Over the years, the Qin family had always exchanged letters with Guaizai. As for Zhao Song's place in Guaizai's heart, it probably wasn't even as high as the Qin family's.
Although Zhao Song also doted on Guaizai, he wouldn't let Guaizai and all his grandchildren ride on his neck. At most, he held them a bit more often. But Old General Qin would. Back at the Qin residence, he often let Guaizai sit on his shoulders and play with him.
And it wasn't just for this reason either. Although Guaizai hadn't spent much time with the Qin family, during that period, the Qin family had truly poured almost all their affection onto Guaizai. Zhao Ger had seen it clearly, let alone Guaizai.
Every time Qin Hengxuan and Meng Ruqing wrote back, occasionally there would be one from Old General Qin too, with obvious longing between the lines.
Back then they were far away, so it wasn't convenient. Now that they were in Shangyang, much closer, Guaizai felt he had already grown up — he was a big boy now — and wasn't afraid to go by himself.
Zhao Ger fell silent.
The Qin family had treated them well all these years, giving gifts, people, and shops. Now......
"Husband, the child wants to go."
Fang Zichen lifted Guaizai under the armpits and raised him up: "If you want to go, you can only go by yourself! Father has to hurry back. Otherwise, if something happens in Hezhou, our whole family will be done for. Will you be scared going alone? Will you cry if you can't see Father and Daddy?"
"Yo! Father, why are you asking something like that? Guaizai is already a man. Next year Guaizai will be able to marry a wife. If not for Guaizai's saved-up silver being all spent, your grandson would already be big enough to run errands for soy sauce. How could Guaizai still cry?"
Guaizai pouted, his little feet swinging: "Father, don't look down on Guaizai!"
Zhao Ger couldn't help laughing at this and pinched his little bottom.
Guaizai also giggled.
Fang Zichen nearly choked.
This damn kid, always thinking about puppy love: "Aren't you afraid of running into bad people?"
Guaizai clenched his little fists: "Not afraid. If there are bad people, Guaizai will fart and stink them to death."
Fang Zichen said no more. He coaxed him to sleep, then discussed things with Zhao Ger.
The border was in chaos now. With him not around, letting the child go alone made Fang Zichen a little uneasy.
But Guaizai had this intention, and it was filial. Every time Old General Qin sent a letter, he read it too—every word and sentence was full of concern.
If he didn't let the child go now, that would be heartless. And the fact that Guaizai could say such things made him feel more comforted than anything. If Guaizai knew but said nothing and didn't think to visit, then he'd have to worry when he got old.
"How about you go with him?" Fang Zichen said. "Let Zhang Quan go with you. I'll head back to Hezhou first."
Zhao Ger thought for a moment: "I'll go back with you."
The first shipment sold well, so of course they'd increase production once back. But since they sold at high prices, the purchase prices for sweet potatoes, wheat, and such would have to be raised too.
Otherwise, when the common folk found out, they'd probably feel resentful.
If Jizhou really went to war, Fang Zichen would definitely be busy. Someone had to handle these matters! Zhao Ger didn't want to dump everything on Fang Zichen.
Besides, the Qin family doted on Guaizai so much—they definitely wouldn't let anything happen to him.
"That works too, then!" Fang Zichen turned on his side and touched Guaizai's face. "This kid is my flesh and blood! I could go to and from school by myself at seven. My son definitely won't be any worse."
Zhao Ger: "......" Are you sure?
He still remembered hearing his husband say that when he was little, he was terrible at getting out of bed and couldn't be woken up—his older brothers had to carry him to the car, call to him the whole way, and only when the driver dropped him at the school gate did he barely wake up?
Now how did it become him going to and from school by himself at seven?
Probably bragging again.
The next day, before dawn, Zhao Ger got up. He took a few managers and unloaded the goods that hadn't sold yesterday. By now there was only a bit of sweet potato noodles and instant noodles left—not much. Zhao Ger didn't sell them, thinking they'd eat them on the road, but now he packed them separately for Guaizai to bring along.
Fang Zichen called Zhang Quan over and told him to pick eight capable fighters from the imperial guards to escort Guaizai to the border. After thinking it over, he had Uncle Tang go along too—first, to look after the child on the road, and second, Fang Zichen wanted him to go back and visit.
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