Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 1100: News from the Northwest

Qin San Lang smiled and said to Guo Qiang: "My authority is for outsiders, not towards your sister-in-law."

For Xiao Yu, he always harbored the most affection.

Although Xiao Yu was very capable and didn’t need his affection, he just wanted to treat her this way, holding and protecting her in the palm of his hand.

Guo Qiang frowned, honestly saying: "I don’t quite understand."

Then he waved his hand and smiled: "Let’s not talk about it, anyway, sister-in-law is Brother San Lang’s, and Brother San Lang can treat her however he wants."

Guo Qiang leaned closer to Qin San Lang and said mysteriously: "Brother San Lang, my mother has prepared an engagement gift for you and sister-in-law, do you want to know what it is? I also prepared a gift for you both, bought with the monthly salary I saved up."

Qin San Lang said: "It’s thoughtful of you, wait until the day of the engagement ceremony to give it to me. As for what Madam Guo sent, we’ll naturally find out when the time comes."

Guo Qiang was very disappointed, complaining: "Brother San Lang, why aren’t you curious at all? I was hoping to trade this tidbit with you for an animal trap and a bottle of alcohol."

Qin San Lang was very skilled at making animal traps. He led troops into Dawang Mountain, using traps to fend off many wild beasts, so even when the soldiers encountered packs of wild animals, they wouldn’t be bitten to death.

His father said these traps could not only hunt wild animals but also could kill enemies. Even if one day the Guo family fell, as long as he learned these traps, he could be a hunter in the mountains and never starve, so he should learn well from Brother San Lang.

As for alcohol, it was something new that Guo Qiang liked.

Qin San Lang said: "If you want to learn, I will teach you without needing a gift in trade."

Guo Qiang was very happy to hear this, clasped his hands and saluted Qin San Lang: "Thank you, Brother San Lang."

Qin San Lang smiled, tied up his still slightly damp hair, and said: "Let’s go, back to the camp, report everything about the mountains to your father, then we’ll set off back to the village."

"Sure." Guo Qiang, like a little tail, cheerfully followed Qin San Lang to General Guo’s tent.

General Guo was meeting with Zhong Yu, saying to him: "I am pleased you can mend your ways. After this lesson, I hope you will think clearly when facing matters in the future, don’t be confused again. Otherwise, you won’t find a place in any camp, let alone ours, with this temper."

Besides General Guo, only Vice General Lan, Qin San Lang, and Guo Qiang were in the tent. General Guo did not avoid anyone, telling Zhong Yu something Qin San Lang once said: "Only here in our camp, if it were on the battlefield, and you met those ruthless men who have seen blood, they would leave you dead on the battlefield... On a battlefield with many corpses, who would know who killed you? Even if your father and brothers are powerful, they couldn’t find out the truth."

Zhong Yu was startled to hear this, suddenly kneeling before General Guo: "Subordinate understands, thank you General for your guidance."

This kind of implicit matter, for General Guo to speak to him about, showed he cared for Zhong Yu, who was very grateful.

General Guo nodded, looking at his still awkward legs and feet, saying: "Go rest, take three days off and heal before returning to training."

Zhong Yu was very happy, the corners of his mouth nearly reaching his ears: "Thank you General for your kindness."

However, before he could celebrate for long, Qin San Lang said: "General, Zhong Yu killed a wild wolf in White Wolf Forest, and according to the regulations, he should be given fifty strokes with the army stick after his injuries are healed, please remember to have someone carry out the punishment."

"Qin San Lang!" Zhong Yu jumped up in anger, pointing at Qin San Lang as if to curse, but held back, instead saying aggrievedly: "Fifty army sticks would be deadly?"

The army stick isn’t just the big stick used in government courts, with his injuries, further hitting would really kill him.

Qin San Lang gave him a look, saying: "The army is a place of strict discipline, a mistake warrants punishment, and it’s only fifty strokes, you won’t die."

There is a technique for beating with the army stick, and if they don’t intend for you to die, even a hundred strokes wouldn’t kill you.

Zhong Yu was very depressed, clearly realizing those fifty strokes were inevitable.

Vice General Lan said: "Zhong Yu, behave like a man and stop whining. You just mended your ways, do you want to revert to that useless state again?"

"I don’t!" Zhong Yu loudly declared, clasping his hands to receive orders: "Subordinate obeys, after healing, I will endure the fifty strokes as punishment."

General Guo nodded, saying: "That’s better, you may leave."

Zhong Yu glanced at Qin San Lang, hesitating for a moment before leaving.

Qin San Lang reported on the special training in the mountains to General Guo. Before he finished, General Guo laughed: "Still, you have a way with those reckless soldiers, making them howl. Many said, as long as they’re not trained like this anymore, they’d follow camp rules, even dressing as women if told."

Each one of them thought they were a big shot, for them to say they’re willing to dress as women shows they received quite a lesson from San Lang.

Qin San Lang said: "Subordinate simply did his duty."

General Guo, upon hearing this, was very pleased, wanting to say they were all familiar, no need for such formality, but he looked at Qin San Lang and swallowed his words.

He was a born leader, and the Prefecture garrison might not be able to keep him. If there was a future opportunity to move to a better camp, he would have to start over, letting him be too casual now might harm his future.

Thus, General Guo didn’t say anything more, but instead, talked about Xiao Youzi: "During the days you were in the mountains, we used torture on Xiao Youzi. He wasn’t scouting for the Rongshan Gang, he was just heavily injured, and when his health worsened, they abandoned him. Unable to survive in such a fierce place as the Northwest, he came south seeking a livelihood."

Qin San Lang nodded: "That’s good, or else the southern people would suffer. The Rongshan Gang is the top bandit gang in the Northwest, they’re capable of any evil acts."

Things like raiding villages and county towns, forcefully taking women, were frequent. Additionally, the Rongshan Gang had Da Rong people as their backers, and while the Da Rong people despised the Rongshan Gang for having Da Chu women’s blood, they enjoyed backing the Rongshan Gang, letting its fierce bandits raid Da Chu’s villages.

This was the reason why the Rongshan Gang was impossible to eradicate for decades. Killing one Rongshan Gang only led to another appearing shortly, continually plaguing the Da Chu territory.

Qin San Lang then asked: "Why was Xiao Youzi so severely injured? Did something happen to the Northwest Rongshan Gang?"

General Guo said: "We asked, but nothing happened with the Rongshan Gang. After a major shift in leadership, the Northwest Army was less competent than before, so the Rongshan Gang grew bolder, leading their gang to raid the Prefecture city. Xiao Youzi was among those attacking the walls, sustaining severe injuries and was then discarded by the Rongshan Gang."

Qin San Lang was shocked to hear this: "What? The Rongshan Gang dared to raid the Prefecture city? Did they raid Longshan Prefecture?"