MHNEB 36 (2/2)

Book 2: Generals die after a hundred battles; heroes return after ten years’ time.

Chapter 36: Bad Father or Bad Son? [Part 2 of 2]

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On the way back, He Guang was drearier than before.

He Mulan thought that he was worried that their actions would cause trouble in his maternal cousin’s jurisdiction area. After hesitating several times, she comforted him:

"Don't worry about the county magistrate. The wandering swordsmen know their limits. They wouldn’t cause too much trouble."

"That man said that people can’t afford to eat the official salt. Is this issue really that serious?" He Guang could not help asking.

"You can buy several carts of corn with two beads, but similarly, you can only use the beads to buy a big bag of salt only. And this is private salt. " He Mulan didn't inquire the price when shopping, so she stretched out her head and asked Hua younger brother.

"Lil’ bro, what is the rate of exchanging official salt now?"

"A litre of salt can be exchanged for a bucket of rice." Hua younger brother heard his elder sister's question and shouted out. He asked elder sister anxiously, "Sis, this salt is private salt. How can I explain it to father when I reach home?"

"Then don't tell him." He Mulan replied casually, "Don’t worry, just say it's from my old friend."

"To be honest, I have no idea on the in and outs of buying or selling things. Every time I go out, I can only take my bro with me. I always have a headache when it comes to cloth and rice millet. " He Mulan looked at He Guang and said with some emotion, "but I know that the people are really suffering from His Majesty's war for so many years."

"When I left the country to join the army, two-foot-thick hemp cloth was able to change to four litres of rice. Now it is hard to just get two litres. The price of food is high, and the price of salt is even more frightening. It is just that if you do not eat rice, you can eat other things. But if you do not eat salt, you will be weak and be unable to survive... " He Mulan gazed at He Guang, who was listening seriously to her. "Therefore, private salt must exist. Without these people selling private salt, if the people cannot afford salt, there will be even more trouble. "

"County Magistrate You may not be unaware that someone under his jurisdiction is selling private salt..."

"You mean, You……Does my maternal cousin know that people are selling private salt? "

"Who knows..." He Mulan did not continue to speculate. "He may know, or he may not know..."

"As long as someone can't afford official salt, private salt will always exist."

He Mulan's words seem to have a great impact on He Guang, and that cause A-Dan Zhuo's worship of his "Aunt Hua" to rise even further.

With just a few words from her, made this He family’s young master buried in deep thought, as expected only Aunt Hua would be able to accomplish this!

As for A-Dan Zhuo, how much salt it sold and how many people have private salt are issues that are distant for him. What he needs to think about is to practice his martial arts well, and when he receives an enlistment edict from the army, he will start his career in the army and become the pride of his family.

He Guang is obviously not a child born from ordinary people, because he knows more and thinks more. A-Dan Zhuo knows that although the two shared the same room, they are still two unrelated people after all. When He Guang's family comes, he will no longer be the "Big Brother A-Dan" that he called politely.

Because of the delay while they waited and bought "private salt", these people came back home in the afternoon. At noon, they settled their lunch with dried food. 

When they got back home, Fang-shi and Yuan-shi hurriedly came out to welcome them back. He Mulan coaxed them to return to the house. The four people unloaded the cart together and then place the different items according to different areas.

He Mulan thought He Guang was a nobility son that lacked the strength to truss a chicken. Unexpectedly, he could also carry rice bags and frozen pears.

"I have to learn to ride and shoot since I was a child..." He Guang responded to the question of He Mulan desolately. "But I seldom use it."

"It’s illogical that you can’t use it!" A-Dan Zhuo heard He Guang's words, and laughed playfully, "heard that your Majesty's personal guards’ army and YuLin army have many sons of you Han families! If you are really good at riding and shooting, there's no reason why you can't get ahead!"

"Don't randomly comment, A-Dan Zhuo. He is from a wealthy Han family. Naturally, he wants to be an official. Why should he be a soldier?" Hua MuTuo secretly shoved a big bag of salt into the ingredient storage room where the grains and beans were placed in. When he turned around and heard A-Dan Zhuo's words, he laughed harder than he did before.

"At that time, we are going to call He little brother ‘Lord’."

"Who can give me a hand..." He Guang was almost being pressed down by a bag of beans. "Your ‘Lord’…… cannot manage to lug it! "

He Mulan is now moving all kinds of big stones back to their original position to block the door of her warehouse. She then returned to the warehouse to count the quantity of silk, brocade and other kinds of stuff.

There are not many things in the storehouse. In fact, most of them have been moved to other places by her. But even so, the stuff in the storehouse is much more substantial than the storehouse of ordinary officials.

"Why don't you sell your fields?" A somewhat husky male voice came from behind her. "In general, the generals who removed their armour and return to the fields are all farming landlords. These dead things are not easy to upkeep and are also easy to decay. With a big fire, all will be gone. If you are planning to stay here, it's better to set up a range of fields and rent them out... "

He Mulan was shocked by the voice that came behind. Looking back, He Guang was standing at the door.

The young man stood there against the light, looking like a black shadow that lacked a face. He Mulan narrowed her eyes, lowered her head and glanced again. After confirming his identity, she closed the lid of the box, and gently nodded back to him:

"It’s not as if I don't know it's the best option. But……I’m not able to do it now. "

At present, she cannot do it. She will not assign these things at will until she is sure that “Hua Mulan” cannot return.

Don't Hua Mulan know that it is better to use these things to rent out the fields? Doesn’t she know that it is not a long-term plan to be watched and guarded by the wandering swordsmen every day?

But there must be some reason why she did not spend money, or did not set up a family business, but placed so many golds, silver, pearl, jade, cloth and fur here.

And the half-empty box……

She won't do what He Guang suggested until she found the memory regarding it. 

"Unless General Hua has other plans?" He lengthened his intonation. "For example……You don't plan to continue staying here... "

In that case, she would naturally place her possessions where she lived for a long time.

"Well, I am planning to go on a long trip somewhere…..." He Mulan rubbed her chin. "I want to go around and visit my former military friends..."

"But now I’m burdened by you, this lad. Perhaps, I need to wait until after the Spring Festival."

She pushed He Guang out of the warehouse and placed some big locks on the warehouse. She did not answer his questions directly.

This kid talks too much. She is a little bothered by him. 

At dinner time, after a day's running, A-Dan Zhuo and Hua MuTuo had a big appetite, they ate just like the savages on the mountain. They ate seven or eight pieces of wheat cake.

Glancing at He Guang again, not only doesn’t he drink the broth, he doesn’t even touch the vegetables on the table. He merely ate the wheat cake.

"What's the matter with you, you’re not even eating the vegetables?" A-Dan Zhuo took a bite of cabbage.

The Chinese cabbage fried with lard made from fatty pork tastes very delicious. A-Dan Zhuo has eaten several chopsticks serving of it, and he even ate meat lesser because of it.

"Nothing……Maybe I'm tired and have no appetite... "

He Guang looked at the cabbage, but he didn't have the courage to pick it up with his chopsticks. 

"Speaking of which..." He Mulan took a few mouthfuls of wheat cake and asked him curiously, "I haven't asked you why you left home?"

Looking at his performance today, he is not like a child full of indignation.

"Well..." He suddenly showed a very sad look, even his hands holding his chopsticks are lowered. "That's because..."

"My father treats my son much better than me."

“What?”

Hua MuTuo and Hua Father almost choked on the wheat cake in their mouths.

"My God! You have a son? "

This guy has such a great life! He is already seventeen, and he has not found a wife! 

"Did I heard it incorrectly…..." He Mulan observed He Guang as her sight scanned him up and down. "How old are you this year? How old is your son? "

She knew that boys are precocious in this era but are they precocious to that extent!

He abandoned his wife around the age of starting middle school, leaving his family behind and running away from home! This kid probably has eighth-grade syndrome! 

"I……I will be 15 next month. " He Guang looked at He Mulan sheepishly, "My son......"

He Mulan looked at him with concern, thinking that he would say "one year old" or "several months old" or something akin to it.

As a result, He Guang smiled shyly.

"My son just turned three years old this year."

Heave……

He Mulan spouted out a mouthful of meat broth.

Three……

Three years old?

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Mini Theater: 

Going out this "Aunt Hua", it would be alright if you merely bring another person to choose the goods. He Mulan paid for the money and carried the things. She was very patient and even waited as she stood aside as Hua MuTuo is picking and choosing……

He Mulan: (helplessly raises her hands up) when you have a best female friend who loves shopping and can bargain, you will become like me.

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Fleur's Corner:

And...this is the last chapter I will be translating till! Thank you all so far for joining me on this journey! If anybody is taking over this novel translation, please let me know so I can link it up here. 

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