After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth] Chapter 25

Inside the room, Li Chanxiu was spreading the mulberry root bark flat, carefully peeling off the flexible white inner bark with its fibers.

Suddenly, a miserable eagle’s cry came from the courtyard outside the door, followed by the sound of wings flapping desperately and bowls and basins being knocked over. The eagle cried out several more times in succession, each cry shrill.

What happened?

Li Chanxiu looked up, quickly set down the mulberry bark, got up, and hurried outside.

In the small courtyard, Pei Er held a blade in one hand and was gripping the golden eagle with the other, his entire body seeming to radiate killing intent.

Several of the beautiful feathers on the eagle’s neck had already been plucked. At this moment it was desperately flapping its wings, struggling with an extremely strong desire to live, as if its throat might be cut and its blood let at any moment.

Li Chanxiu was slightly stunned and asked, “Why are you pulling out its feathers?”

Pei Er stared at the constantly flapping golden eagle, his gaze gloomy. “Cut its throat. Let the blood.”

Li Chanxiu: “…”

He quickly stepped forward and rescued the golden eagle from Pei Er’s hands, saying, “This morning I saw that this golden eagle seemed to understand human nature. Perhaps it belongs to someone. If you kill it and the owner comes looking for it later, we won’t be able to afford the compensation.”

In Li Chanxiu’s dreams, he later also had a golden eagle like this, so naturally he could not bear to see it killed. Of course, Pei Er might only be saying it to frighten the eagle.

This golden eagle indeed understood human nature. Realizing now that its life might be in danger, it actually knew to hide behind Li Chanxiu, its injured wing drooping. Its pair of eagle eyes were no longer as fierce as before and even seemed somewhat aggrieved.

But Pei Er showed no mercy. His gaze still fixed on the golden eagle hiding behind Li Chanxiu, the gloom in his tone undiminished as he gritted his teeth and said, “It ate the chicken meat.”

Li Chanxiu was puzzled when he heard this. Golden eagles naturally eat meat.

He glanced down at the wooden basin knocked over on the ground and thought to himself: Isn’t there still plenty left? The golden eagle doesn’t seem to have eaten much.

So he said again, “We hunted quite a lot today, and we won’t be able to finish it all for a while. If it wants to eat, just let it eat. Golden eagles need to be fed meat anyway.”

Pei Er: “…”

“It ate the wild chicken breast meat that I specially cut off,” Pei Er said gloomily, his tone seeming to emphasize the point.

Li Chanxiu found it amusing. He felt that although this man was usually steady and taciturn, looking cold and distant, occasionally he was somewhat childish, actually arguing with an eagle that understood nothing.

The golden eagle also seemed to know who could protect it. At this moment it kept hiding behind Li Chanxiu, refusing to come out no matter what, completely lacking the arrogance and fierceness it had when it was first caught the other day.

Helpless, Li Chanxiu said to Pei Er again, “It’s only a few pieces of meat. If it ate them, it ate them. If you like wild chicken meat, tomorrow we can go into the mountains and hunt some more.”

Naturally, Pei Er did not want to eat the wild chicken meat himself. It was just that this golden eagle was too hateful, deliberately picking the best parts, that was what he had specially prepared for Miss Shen.

But hearing Li Chanxiu say they could go hunting in the mountains again tomorrow, his heart could not help but stir slightly. Wouldn’t that mean he could once again ride the same horse with Miss Shen and teach her archery hand in hand?

Thinking this way, when he looked at the golden eagle again, it seemed much more pleasing to the eye.

After being frightened like this, however, the golden eagle seemed somewhat wary of Pei Er. To be precise, it was like a two- or three-year-old child throwing a temper.

When they ate in the afternoon, Pei Er threw meat to it, but it refused to eat a single piece, only eating what Li Chanxiu fed it.

Pei Er: “…” Whose eagle is this? Acting like an ancestor.

It eats if it wants to eat and refuses if it doesn’t. Who spoiled it like this? Should the meat thrown on the ground just be wasted?

His pair of black eyes swept coldly toward the golden eagle.

The eagle had been stubborn a moment ago, but the next moment it suddenly became a little timid. Lowering its head, it pecked up the meat that Pei Er had thrown as well, though its sharp round eyes seemed somewhat aggrieved.

Pei Er calmly withdrew his gaze. Wasn’t it quite obedient? It seemed golden eagles were not that difficult to train.

Li Chanxiu laughed softly. “This eagle truly does understand human nature.”

“But its previous owner’s training level wasn’t good,” Pei Er said in a muffled voice, taking a bite of his flatbread.

Li Chanxiu was surprised. “What makes you say that?”

Pei Er: “…” Did he even need to ask? This eagle had been spoiled like an ancestor, who knows which dandy raised it.

***

After finishing the meal, Li Chanxiu went back to the military camp and brought the old bedding he had left in the pharmacy to the small courtyard. That night when they slept, the two of them would not have to squeeze into one quilt anymore.

Pei Er pressed his lips together, his dark eyes flickering slightly, his expression clearly disappointed.

When it was time to blow out the lamp and sleep, although the two of them lay on the same bed just like the night before, each slept in their own quilt.

Li Chanxiu lay under a soft new quilt, with a somewhat stiff old quilt pressed over it. It was naturally not as cold as the night before, but his hands and feet were cold year-round, and there was no charcoal brazier in the room, so warming the bedding was not easy.

He silently began practicing his breathing method. By the time he was about to fall asleep, there was still not much warmth in the bedding. In his drowsiness, he could not help recalling last night’s warm bed and…

No, he must not think like that. Some habits must not be formed.

He drove away the distracting thoughts and forced himself to fall asleep.

Pei Er lay in the other quilt, staring with open eyes at the pitch-dark room, feeling regret in his heart as well.

He had only remembered to take the old bedding from here to the military camp, but had forgotten that Miss Shen could bring the old bedding from the pharmacy.

After a long while, he gently let out a turbid breath and closed his eyes.

Only after the next morning’s breakfast, when he could once again go up the mountain to hunt together with Li Chanxiu, did Pei Er’s mood improve considerably.

But such days were especially short. Pei Er felt as if in the blink of an eye three days had already passed. It was time for him to return to the military camp, and Li Chanxiu also needed to return to the pharmacy to work.

Early in the morning, Pei Er fed some strips of meat to the golden eagle that was locked in the side room. Then he led his horse, stepping over the mud hardened by the cold, and walked with Li Chanxiu toward the military camp.

When they reached the fork in the road where they had to part, Pei Er’s steps gradually slowed.

Li Chanxiu unknowingly walked a few steps faster. Suddenly he stopped and turned back to look at him.

Pei Er abruptly lifted his head, a trace of expectation faintly showing in his gaze.

As if he had just remembered something, Li Chanxiu hesitated and said to him, “You ride a horse so it’s convenient going back and forth. If you have time during the day, remember to go back and feed the golden eagle once more.”

Pei Er was immediately disappointed. So it was only to remind him about the golden eagle.

He gave a dull “Mm,” and walked a few more steps with Li Chanxiu before they had no choice but to separate.

After only two steps, Li Chanxiu suddenly called out to stop him again.

Pei Er turned back, leading his horse, his figure tall and slender in the morning light.

Li Chanxiu smiled at him and spoke the encouragement that Pei Er had secretly hoped to hear the entire way: “You’re going to the training ground for drills today, right? Remember to perform well. In the future you’ll surely be valued more and more.”

Pei Er’s eyes brightened, and he unconsciously curved his lips, nodding at him.

Li Chanxiu said goodbye to him again and also walked toward the pharmacy through the morning light.

After entering the tent, he exchanged a few pleasantries with Physician Hu, then stuffed a few pieces of candy into Hu Yuan’er’s hand before going to the medicine cabinet to sort the medicinal herbs.

After finishing that, he went to the wounded soldiers’ camp to check how their injuries were recovering. Perhaps because he had now gotten married and his husband was the well-known Pei Er, some of the wounded soldiers suddenly felt embarrassed to let him examine their injuries again.

By the time he finished, it was already afternoon. Before he realized it, more than half the day had passed.

Everything seemed no different from before he got married, except that when he went to the wounded soldiers’ camp, in that familiar corner he could no longer see a certain familiar figure.

He wondered how Pei Er was doing in training at the drill ground.

Back at the pharmacy, while moving the abacus beads at the medicine cabinet, Li Chanxiu subconsciously thought.

After thinking it, he paused in surprise and suddenly realized, was he paying a little too much attention to Pei Er? It had only been half a day since they had seen each other. Besides, their marriage was fake; they were not truly husband and wife. Moreover, the marriage had only been to deal with the marriage order. Could it be that he was actually treating Pei Er as…

But on second thought, that didn’t seem right either. Pei Er had helped him so greatly. Even as a friend, he should care about him. There was nothing wrong with that. How could he deliberately avoid such concern just because their marriage was fake?

Wouldn’t that be cold-hearted and ungrateful for the other person’s help?

Li Chanxiu shook his head inwardly while moving the abacus beads.

He had just finished calculating the account on the cabinet when Hu Yuan’er returned.

The child saw him and hurriedly ran over, still holding candy in his mouth, speaking indistinctly, “Sister Shen, Brother-in-law Pei came to look for you at noon.”

Li Chanxiu was startled. “Pei Er came?”

“Mm.” Hu Yuan’er nodded, his voice muffled. “He gave me this candy.”

Li Chanxiu laughed. Indeed, he had given Hu Yuan’er three pieces of candy in the morning, and the child had eaten them all at once. Yet now there was candy in his mouth again…

“You shouldn’t eat too much candy. If you eat too much, it will ruin your teeth,” he reminded him.

Hu Yuan’er widened his eyes, then hesitated. “Th-then I’ll give the remaining ones to little sister Ah Yun.”

He was referring to Aunt Xu’s daughter, little Ah Yun.

The last time Li Chanxiu’s cold poison flared up for the second time, when Aunt Xu came to take care of him, little Ah Yun had also come along. She was two years younger than Hu Yuan’er, and after the two children got to know each other, they were able to play together.

However…

Li Chanxiu shook his head again. “I already gave little Ah Yun some candy too. You can keep it and eat it yourself. Eating a little each day is fine.”

Then he asked, “When Pei Er came, did he say what it was about?”

Hu Yuan’er shook his head, indicating he didn’t know. “When he heard you weren’t here, he left. I thought he went to the wounded soldiers’ camp to find you.”

Li Chanxiu frowned. Pei Er hadn’t gone to the wounded soldiers’ camp, but it was possible it wasn’t anything urgent.

That night, Li Chanxiu returned to stay in the small courtyard, but Pei Er had to stay at the military camp and could not come back every day.

The next day, Li Chanxiu deliberately staggered his schedule and did not go to the wounded soldiers’ camp at noon.

But Pei Er did not come either. He only came in the afternoon. Li Chanxiu guessed that because Pei Er had not encountered him at noon yesterday, he had purposely changed the time today. It turned out they had thought of the same thing.

However, Pei Er still came at an inconvenient time. Li Chanxiu was stitching a wound on a soldier’s head. Because it was not a serious injury, the man did not need to stay in the wounded soldiers’ camp and had come directly to the pharmacy.

Li Chanxiu cleaned and stitched the wound, then bandaged it, and finally gave a few instructions about what to pay attention to in his diet.

Medicinal supplies in the camp were limited. For this kind of minor injury, medicine was generally not prescribed unless the soldier paid for it himself.

Pei Er had been standing to the side the entire time, his tall figure leaning slightly against the counter, unrestrained and handsome, his gaze quietly fixed on Li Chanxiu’s profile.

Only after the injured soldier left did Li Chanxiu raise his head, look at him, and ask with a smile, “What’s the matter?”

Pei Er suddenly came back to his senses, quickly straightened up, and said with a light cough, “I’m injured.”

Li Chanxiu immediately frowned, thinking he had been injured yesterday, and could not help asking, “Why didn’t you say so earlier? If you didn’t find me yesterday, why didn’t you go to the wounded soldiers’ camp to look for me?”

After saying that, he asked again, “Where is the injury? Is it serious?”

Pei Er coughed lightly again. After a long while, under Li Chanxiu’s urging gaze, he somewhat unnaturally extended his hand and placed his right hand on the counter, the back of the hand facing up, he really was injured. The knuckle of his middle finger was bruised purple, and the skin was broken a little.

Li Chanxiu: “……”

“Why didn’t you come even later?”

He was momentarily speechless. Taking out a bottle of medicine for bruises and sprains, he applied it for Pei Er, thinking inwardly: If he had come any later, the wound would have scabbed over and healed.

After applying it, he raised his head and asked, “Anything else?”

Pei Er coughed again. His knuckles curled slightly, and he said in an unnatural voice, “No more.”

Li Chanxiu: “……”

He did not know that Pei Er had racked his brains before coming up with this method. Otherwise, once he entered the military camp they could not see each other often, and since their marriage was fake, there was really no reason to come without cause.

Li Chanxiu shook his head and helped bandage the knuckle as well.

After it was dealt with, Pei Er rose slowly and hesitantly. After a long while he said, “Then I… will go back first.”

Li Chanxiu sighed and helplessly took a porcelain bottle from the cabinet and handed it to him, saying, “If you get abrasions again in the future, you can apply this medicine first.”

Hearing this, Pei Er subconsciously moved to take out money. Li Chanxiu coughed lightly and said, “No need.”

He had bought it and was giving it to the other person.

Pei Er could not help pressing his lips together. A faint, barely noticeable smile flashed in his eyes as he tucked the medicine bottle into his chest. After looking at him a few more times, he finally turned and went out.

Li Chanxiu watched him leave, shook his head, and did not notice that the corners of his own lips were also curved.

Only after Pei Er had come did Li Chanxiu pick up the medicine box and go to the wounded soldiers’ camp.

As soon as he entered the tent, he suddenly heard Chen Qing’s indignant voice: “D*mn it, someone up above must be tripping him up on purpose, deliberately messing with Pei Er. The soldiers assigned to him are all bad ones, useless ones, making him get scolded during training all the time.”

When Li Chanxiu heard the words “Pei Er,” he unconsciously frowned and looked up.

Seeing him arrive, Chen Qing suddenly stopped speaking and did not say anything more.

Li Chanxiu had no choice but to ask proactively, “I just heard you say ‘Pei Er.’ Are people making things difficult for him at the training ground?”

“Uh…” Chen Qing did not dare speak, as if he had some concerns.

The people gathered around him gave awkward laughs, and for a moment some left while others dispersed.

“Speak,” Li Chanxiu suddenly said in a low voice. His expression was calm, yet it carried an inexplicable authority.

Chen Qing let out an “uh,” thinking to himself: Good heavens! Miss Shen really is a couple with Pei Er, how come their presence is both so intimidating?

He hurriedly stopped concealing things and explained the situation in full detail.

It turned out that after Pei Er was promoted to centurion, the higher-ups assigned him more than a hundred soldiers to manage.

General Chen had mentioned this matter to Pei Er at first, but he was a general and could not personally help Pei Er select soldiers one by one. Besides, if the good ones were all taken away, the other captains, thousand-man commanders, and centurions would also be dissatisfied.

So these hundred or so men, aside from Zhang Hu, Chen Qing, and a few others, were all assigned to him by Pei Er’s superior, Thousand-man Commander Bai.

According to Chen Qing, those hundred or so men were basically all poor soldiers. They did not train seriously and always wanted to slack off and cut corners.

More than a thousand of them trained together, and each time it was the hundred-plus men under Pei Er dragging everyone down, causing Pei Er to be scolded by Thousand-man Commander Bai quite a bit over the past two days.