HBBMAWH Chapter 107

"Well, about that..." Jiang Manyue took the clothes handed over by Yan Cai and glanced at another bundle. "These were salvaged from the lake. Some things can deteriorate if left in the water for too long, so I had someone retrieve them earlier. Here are some of the items—"

As Jiang Manyue spoke, he helped his son change clothes. His son had a good appetite; as long as there was food, he would eat it eagerly. So, with such a good appetite, the result was that his son's chubby body was plump and round.

With his round little belly and chubby arms, Jiang Manyue skillfully dressed his son while feeling fortunate that the clothes made by Hong Yu were slightly larger in size. 

Otherwise, they wouldn't have fit.

Yan Cai set the dirty clothes aside and sat cross-legged on the bed. Jiang Manyue had just mentioned the origin of these items, but he hadn't yet explained why he brought them over. They must be quite heavy to carry around.

"I noticed that all the ones you picked have this emblem..."

"I have a guess." As he deftly dressed his son, Jiang Manyue leaned in close to Yan Cai and whispered his speculation in his ear.

Upon hearing it, Yan Cai turned to look at him.

"Are you suggesting that you suspect..."

"I heard that the King of Beirong has always coveted the gold and silver treasures of the Chen Dynasty. Now, thinking about it, perhaps the story got twisted during retelling. He doesn't covet the treasures of the Chen Dynasty; he covets the treasures of the previous dynasty."

Yan Cai understood why Jiang Manyue had such a guess. It was because the location of the Beirong people's invasion was too coincidental. In the previous life, it was Qingchang, and in this life, it was Qingyang, which was indeed a subtle coincidence.

"I speculate this, but it remains to be confirmed. As for why these were brought here..." Jiang Manyue lowered his voice and said to Yan Cai, but suddenly, he paused, his palm pressing against Yan Cai's waist.

"I'm ticklish, don't touch my waist!"

"Caicai, how's your appetite been lately?" Jiang Manyue asked inexplicably.

"It's... alright." Their son's good appetite was inherited from him, and they both ate a lot. It was because of this that Jiang Manyue didn't notice immediately, assuming that Yan Cai had always had a good appetite.

"Have you felt uncomfortable recently?"

"Hmm? What do you want to ask?" Yan Cai looked at Jiang Manyue strangely, finding his question rather odd. He didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

"I mean... I feel like you've gained some weight around your waist." Jiang Manyue paused for a moment. "Maybe I'm just imagining things. Our son's tendency to gain weight must have been inherited from you."

Jiang Manyue's words were simply nonsense. Yan Cai didn't have a tendency to gain weight at all; he was so thin that there was barely any flesh left to pinch on his buttocks.

Yan Cai panicked and sat up straight, his body tense. He was afraid of this.

Everything else was tolerable, but he dreaded this. He had seen all sorts of inhuman experiments before, and growing a plant in his stomach wasn't a big deal, but along with the appearance of the plant came the disappearance of his powers.

Just like last time when their son was conceived, for three months he would have no powers. Yan Cai didn't want to return to being powerless again.

Why was he able to shrug off others' contempt and continue to joke and laugh naturally when they mocked him for being weak? 

It wasn't because he was magnanimous. It was because he didn't need to pay attention to those people. The facts proved that he wasn't weak.

But what if he was?

He really didn't want to go through this process again.

Jiang Manyue regretted bringing up such an unpleasant topic. He hugged Yan Cai, feeling the stiffness in his body gradually dissipate in his arms. Only then did he speak.

"Don't panic. Maybe it's not— I was just overthinking. I just casually mentioned it. Even if you've gained some weight, it might just be because you've been eating more lately. Let me feel." Jiang Manyue stroked Yan Cai's belly, unashamedly uttering false words, "Hmm, I've felt it. There's no flesh at all. You should eat more and get plump."

Yan Cai shook his head. He had just felt his own body, and indeed, he sensed the presence of an extremely tiny life form. 

This life form was as weak as a flickering candle in the wind, elusive and fleeting, as opposed to the incredibly strong existence of their son in the past.

Very frail. A weak life that seemed like it could be extinguished in an instant.

Yan Cai shook his head.

"It seems not. I—I've checked, and there really seems to be a tiny life. Because it's so weak, I didn't consciously sense it before, and I completely ignored it."

Weak as an ant. He had originally sensed life but thought it was just small insects like ants. After all, it was normal for one or two ants to crawl behind him when sitting on the grass for a while.

Just like in this tent, the lives he sensed were not just their family; they were lives under the bed, in the mud, hovering on the top of the tent, swarming towards the flames...

He could sense too many little lives, so he had always ignored them. Only now, upon careful sensing, did he become aware.

"Very small, I think only about a month old, perhaps just sprouted." Thinking of their son's birth, Yan Cai used the term 'sprouted'.

Qingke’s growth process starts from a seed sprouting, growing leaves, and finally blossoming and bearing fruit.

"I don't know." Yan Cai looked somewhat distressed. "I'm afraid of losing my powers." Even if it was temporary, it was enough to make him panic.

"I'm here." Jiang Manyue hugged him tighter.

Sure enough, a few days later, Yan Cai's abilities gradually disappeared like before. Initially, his sensing ability weakened, and eventually, he couldn't even make a seed sprout.

Along with the growth of the second grass in his belly, Yan Cai's appetite also increased. The appetites of father and son, one big and one small, were larger than the 1.8-meter tall, strong men in the entire camp, astonishing everyone.

"I never knew His Highness had such a good appetite."

"Seeing His Highness eat; I feel like my own meals have become more enjoyable. I even ate two extra bowls."

"You're just exaggerating. Your appetite was big to begin with. If His Highness hadn't brought in sufficient food this time, with your big appetite, you'd still be hungry, you can eat sh*t."

Two soldiers bantered back and forth while eating. Finally, they both agreed on one thing.

"His Highness is still the best. If it weren't for His Highness, we wouldn't even have enough to eat. And, His Highness is really kind, with no airs at all, and looks good too. Also, there's Jiang Brother who eats and stays with His Highness..."

"You still call him Jiang Brother!? Trying to establish a relationship! He's Jiang Tan Hua, who's your brother?"

"Who says he's not? We here in the same camp are all brothers. Jiang Tan Hua is also a brother! Tan Hua Lang is really impressive. He's the first scholar I've seen who can fight like this. I used to think scholars were all useless. Heh heh, don't say, Tan Hua Lang is quite something."

"That's right! If you hadn't said it, I would still think Tan Hua Lang was born into a martial family, but it turns out he isn't. If scholars nowadays are all this capable, we rough folks won't have a chance to shine anymore!"

"Anyway, thanks to His Highness for letting us eat our fill. Come on, let's just finish this bowl of rice without wine!"

Several people clinked bowls and said ‘cheers’, laughing heartily, creating an extremely warm atmosphere.

Liu Neng saw all of this.

His eyes turned red with anger, he grabbed onto nearby tree trunks, and left angrily. Once back, he vented his grievances to Gu Ren.

"Those ungrateful bastards! They don't even know who's who anymore."

"What's the use of being angry? They didn't say anything wrong. People have short memories. After eating someone else's food, they still don't feel like praising the one who provided the meal? You're just too impulsive."

"I'm just angry! I'd rather burn all the food he brought, and we'll all go hungry together."

Gu Ren's expression turned cold. "General Liu, watch your words! Don't forget, you're still a general, not an impulsive soldier. Your father would never have said such childish things."

Liu Neng paled, realizing he had spoken out of turn.

"I didn't mean that. I just spoke without thinking, I didn't really intend to burn the food." That would be too foolish. Besides antagonizing Yan Cai and Jiang Manyue, there would be no benefit to burning the food.

"I wouldn't do that." Those soldiers were also his subordinates; he didn't want them to go hungry. "I just spoke too quickly."

"Hmm. Be more careful with your words in the future. I understand, but others might not." Gu Ren looked elsewhere, his eyes falling outside the tent. There might still be eavesdropping mice nearby.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Table of Contents