Rebirth of a Star General

Chapter 7: Provocation

At night, the wind crept in through the gaps in the window, causing the candlelight to flicker slightly. Shadows danced on the walls, and He Yan looked at the broken pieces of silver in front of her and asked, “Is this all?”

“This servant already pleaded with the shopkeeper for more,” Qingmei hesitated, “but the shopkeeper said these accessories can fetch only this much.”

He Yan nodded, “You may leave now.”

Qingmei left the room.

He Yan picked up the pieces of silver, one by one, and placed them in her palm. In total, there were only two pieces, and she felt as if her heart had shattered along with them.

Back in the He family, money was never in short supply. Even if they ran out, they could easily use any piece of jewelry or jade pendant to get some money. Later, during the war, there was no need for money on the battlefield. When she returned to the capital, the Emperor’s rewards filled several courtyards of the He family.

She thought of the gold and silver jewelry bestowed upon Flying Phoenix General. Any one of those items could have solved the He family’s urgent needs. But now, she was no longer in that He family.

He Yan sighed heavily. Now she understood the saying, “A penny can confound a hero.”

Silver was silver, but there was another matter she wanted to attend to—going to the drill ground. Chopping wood on the mountain every day was undoubtedly strengthening her body, but it only enhanced her physical strength. If she wanted to recover fully, she needed to spar with others on the drill ground, practice archery, and ride horses. However, she wondered if her doting father, He Sui, would agree to this.

She extinguished the candle and laid down on the bed. Whatever it was, she would deal with it tomorrow.

…

The next day, after chopping wood and having lunch, He Yunsheng was about to go sell cakes.

He Yan looked at the large bamboo tray filled with cakes and asked, “Making so many, will you be able to sell them all?”

“The weather is getting warmer, and many people will come to buy them,” He Yunsheng replied. “In a few days, we’ll need to sell something else.”

He Yunsheng had really worked hard for this family. He Yan admired him and patted his shoulder, showing some appreciation, “Let’s go then.”

He Yunsheng’s body stiffened a bit. He Yan’s gesture was quite… masculine.

Once they arrived at the stall, as they came early, there were not many vendors around. They found a good spot near the street and displayed the da nai cakes.

It was early April, and in the afternoon, the sun was shining, giving a taste of summer. The da nai cakes were sweet and tangy, with the fragrance of plums. They were perfect snacks for this season. As He Yunsheng had expected, business was good. He Yunsheng handled the cakes, while He Yan managed the cash. They were busy when suddenly a group of people came marching aggressively towards their spot, with Wang Jiugui leading them.

With a loud “thud,” Wang Jiugui slammed his hands on the table. The surrounding people quickly retreated, not wanting to get involved in the confrontation.