Chapter 18: Squad Leader

Looking at the bowl full of fish soup, little Xing'er could not help but swallow her saliva. She climbed down from Wang Wu's arms and took the small bowl from him. However, instead of drinking the soup immediately, she carried the bowl over to Wang Hu.

"Father, you drink first."

Little Xing'er held the bowl up to Wang Wu, insisting he have the first taste. Wang Wu was instantly moved to tears. He crouched down, carefully took the bowl, and wrapped his other arm around little Xing'er once more. Leaning against his chest, she used her small, delicate hands to wipe away his tears.

"Don't cry, Father. Please don't cry..."

As her innocent voice rang out, the others present felt their eyes grow moist. Even Zhao Mu couldn't help but tilt his head back, struggling to keep his own tears from falling. Having seen so much deceit and treachery in his previous life, when had he ever witnessed such a scene of warmth? Especially in these chaotic times! Throughout his journey, he had seen nothing but people exchanging children to eat and burning bones for fuel. Seeing a family like Wang Wu’s and little Xing'er’s was a rarity indeed.

Wang Wu fought back his tears, stroked her cheek, and said, "Be a good girl, Xing'er. You drink first, okay?"

She shook her head, remaining stubborn. "Father drinks first. After you're done, Mother and Brother can drink."

In that moment, everyone was deeply touched. Zhao Mu walked over and gently patted little Xing'er’s head. "Xing'er, be good. There is plenty of fish soup; tonight, everyone can drink as much as they want."

She paused for a moment, her eyes curving into crescent moons. "Really?"

Zhao Mu smiled and nodded. "Of course. Your brother never lies." He pointed to the table. "Look there, isn't there plenty left?"

She leaned forward to peek, then beamed with joy. "That's wonderful! Brother, did you make all this soup?"

"I did," Zhao Mu laughed. "If what's on the table isn't enough, there's more in the pot. If that runs out, I still have my fishing net. I can go catch more. Whatever fish you want to eat, I'll cook it for you, how about that?"

"Yes, please!"

Little Xing'er jumped for joy, but after a couple of hops, she felt dizzy and nearly fell. Zhao Mu quickly caught her. "Alright, everyone, don't just stand there. I'll go find a few more bowls in the kitchen so we can all have some."

He soon returned with more bowls. Although they were chipped, no one minded. After washing them, he served everyone a portion. Seeing that her parents and brother now had their own soup, little Xing'er finally curled her eyes into crescents again and took a cautious sip.

Everyone smiled and began to savor the soup as if it were a rare treasure. Though it lacked seasoning, it tasted incredibly delicious to them all. Having gone hungry for days, the family didn't drink too much. Once a single bowl warmed their stomachs, they set them aside.

"Wang Hu!" Wang Wu suddenly called out. "Kneel!"

Wang Hu was startled, but without hesitation, he knelt down.

Wang Wu commanded, "Kneel before Master Zhao."

Wang Hu turned and knelt toward Zhao Mu. Unsure of what was happening, Zhao Mu instinctively stood up.

"Master Zhao, please don't move," Wang Wu urged. "Just let him kneel."

Zhao Mu stood in place, vaguely understanding the intent but still hesitant. Wang Wu looked at his son and said, "Huzi, Master Zhao is our family's great benefactor. If not for him and Miss Huang, we would have starved to death on the road to Taiping County. Give Master Zhao three kowtows."

Zhao Mu waved his hands, trying to refuse and pull Wang Hu up, but the boy had already followed his father's instructions, pressing his forehead firmly to the ground three times. When he rose, his forehead was not only covered in dust but also bruised, showing just how forcefully he had kowtowed.

"Wang Hu, you must always remember Master Zhao's kindness," Wang Wu said with firm conviction. "For the rest of your life, you must repay him. Even if it means walking through fire or facing a rain of blades, if he ever needs you, you must do it!"

Wang Hu nodded solemnly. "Father, I will remember!"

He stood up, turned to Zhao Mu, and bowed deeply. "Master Zhao, I will never forget your great kindness. Should you ever have need of me, I will go through fire and water for you without hesitation!"

Zhao Mu quickly helped him up, feeling quite moved. "Huzi, I only shared a single meal with you, while your father is the one who saved my life. You and your father are being too serious."

Even in these chaotic times, he felt that what he had done for their family was nothing. In fact, when they first met, Zhao Mu had been wary of them, and there had been some friction. It was Wang Wu who had cast aside past grievances to save him and Huang Wan. If anyone owed a debt of gratitude, it was Zhao Mu. But he understood that this was simply the kind of man Wang Wu was; even if he refused, they would honor their word.

Some men, though not scholars, are true gentlemen. And a gentleman's promise is heavy as a mountain.

"Let's say no more of this. Meeting as we have is fate," Zhao Mu said, patting Wang Hu's shoulder. "Also, you don't need to call me 'Master Zhao.' If you don't mind, just call me 'Brother Zhao.' We can treat our relations separately."

Wang Hu looked at his father, who nodded, and he agreed. Zhao Mu knew from his predecessor's memories that he was in his early twenties, while Wang Wu was about thirty-three or thirty-four. Since Wang Hu was around fourteen or fifteen, the age gap was manageable.

Zhao Mu sat back down. "Brother Wang, since you are also heading to Taiping County, why don't we travel together? We can look out for one another."

Wang Wu immediately agreed. "Good! Don't let Huzi's age fool you; I've taught him many martial skills. If we run into bandits again, we can handle them."

Curious, Zhao Mu asked, "Brother Wang, where did you learn your martial arts? Was it passed down?"

A look of reminiscence crossed Wang Wu's face. After a long moment, he replied, "To tell you the truth, I served in the army for several years and spent two years as a squad leader."

In the Great Qi Dynasty, a squad leader was a low-ranking officer in charge of about ten men—roughly equivalent to a sergeant in Zhao Mu's previous life.