```
"Creak..."
Yang Ge pushed open his own courtyard gate, and Huang rushed in impatiently, its ears perked up like airplane wings, excitedly running back and forth in the house.
Seeing its lively form, Yang Ge smiled knowingly and turned to Zhao Miao behind him, making a "please" gesture: "Please come in!"
Zhao Miao gave him a big smile, lifted his leg over the dark threshold, and stepped into the bright sunlight of the courtyard.
Yang Ge followed her into the yard, gently closing the door behind them.
Zhao Miao stood in the center of the courtyard as if she were visiting Chaimen Street for the first time, curiously looking around this not very spacious but warm and inviting little courtyard.
In fact, she had been here more than once.
But this time, she wasn’t here as a guest.
She was coming home...
"Take a seat for a while."
Yang Ge put away Zhao Miao’s small bundle in the inner room and came out wearing an apron: "I’ll tidy up a bit and then start the fire for cooking."
Zhao Miao laughed, stepped forward, pulled off his apron from around his waist, and pushed him under the grape trellis: "Now that we’re home, there’s no need for you to work... Sit and drink some tea, I’ll do it!"
Yang Ge let her push him, a strange yet familiar feeling rising in his heart. He smacked his lips, tasting something that seemed a little bitter, yet somehow sweet aftertaste.
He suddenly laughed, "Let’s tidy up together."
Zhao Miao raised her little face to look at him and also smiled, nodding and saying "Okay."
Yang Ge took the apron, shook it out, and tied it carefully around her waist.
Zhao Miao turned around, took his arm, and slowly rolled up his sleeves.
One went to the kitchen; the other picked up a broom to sweep the courtyard.
"Second brother, the water jar is empty!"
"I’ll go fetch some..."
Soon, a hint of cooking smoke drifted into the yard.
"Knock knock knock."
A soft knocking sound arose.
The playful Huang in the courtyard perked up its head to look at the gate, then suddenly, wagging its big tail, "woof woof woof," dashed behind the gate and stood up on its hind legs to scratch furiously at the door bolt.
"Second brother, we have guests!"
Zhao Miao called out from the kitchen, shouting towards the inner room.
"Coming..."
Yang Ge, wiping his hands, walked out from the inner room, seeing Huang behind the door wagging its tail and scratching at the door, smiled knowingly.
He briskly stepped forward to open the door.
"Creak."
The courtyard door opened, and Liu Mang and his wife stood outside, holding little Guangzong in their arms.
Little Guangzong raised his tiny hands to mimic knocking, and upon seeing Yang Ge, he stretched out his arms with a joyful grin: "Uncle!"
"Hey!"
Yang Ge laughed and reached out to take little Guangzong from Liu Mang’s arms, mischievously rubbing his cheek against the boy’s with his stubble, making Guangzong push at his big face vigorously: "Uncle’s bad!"
"Hahaha..."
Yang Ge laughed heartily, stepping aside: "Brother, sister-in-law, come on in."
Liu Mang complained in a low voice: "You, after coming back, didn’t even stop by home for a meal and made us come find you..."
```
Liu Deng’s wife slapped him to cut off his chatter, suppressing a laugh she said, "Don’t listen to your brother’s nonsense. He was overjoyed to hear about your return."
Yang Ge gave a sheepish laugh.
Upon hearing their voices, Zhao Miao, who was in the kitchen, wiped her hands and came out, smiling and greeting, "Brother, sister-in-law."
When Xiaoguangzong saw her, he reached out with both hands as if seeing a savior, "Auntie!"
Yang Ge bent down to put him on the ground, and the little tyke shot into Zhao Miao’s arms like a bullet.
Seeing this, Liu Deng’s wife laughed and loudly said, "In the future, you can’t call her Auntie anymore, you’ve got to call her Second Mother."
Xiaoguangzong, who had perhaps been coached by his parents beforehand, immediately corrected himself upon hearing his mother’s words, "Second Mother!"
"Eh!"
Zhao Miao, a smile blossoming across her face, bent down to pick up Xiaoguangzong and head for the inner room, "Let’s go, Second Mother will get you something yummy!"
Liu Deng’s wife: "Geese, geese, geese..."
Liu Mang: "Hahaha..."
Yang Ge slapped Liu Mang, laughing yet sounding slightly annoyed, "You two haven’t even married yet, don’t joke about Miaomiao like that."
Liu Mang glanced at him, "Miaomiao hasn’t said anything, so why are you getting worked up?"
Liu Deng’s wife glared fiercely, chiming in, "That’s right, you better not pretend to be confused and bully Miaomiao; we won’t allow it!"
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
Liu Mang responded in agreement, "Yup, won’t allow it!"
Yang Ge rolled his eyes, "Is that what I meant?"
Liu Mang: "Then what did you mean?"
Liu Deng’s wife: "That just shows you have no point!"
As the couple bantered back and forth, they suddenly burst into laughter.
Yang Ge laughed along...
In the neighboring courtyard, Xie Yunzhi, with greying temples, sat against the wall in the shade, one hand propping her chin as she quietly listened to the laughter next door, a faint smile playing across her lips.
"How wonderful."
She murmured softly.
...
Two days later, in Datong, Shanxi.
Yang Ge stood atop Datong’s grand ancient city walls, clad in simple teal clothing, with the Cold Moon Saber hanging at his waist. He gazed over the undulating mountains beyond the Great Wall, a great suspicion slowly dawning in his mind: ’With terrain like this, could the Tartar army really make it through?’
"Second Master?"
A delighted shout echoed from afar. Yang Ge turned his head in response and saw Liu Tang, clad in armor, leading a group of embroidered guards and Colonels dismounting their horses and hurrying towards him.
A quick scan around... Aha, they were all the embroidered-guard brothers from the crossing to the east.
"Is it really the Second Master?"
"Second Master!"
"Second Master..."
Seeing Yang Ge, the Colonels from the embroidered guards also called out in surprise and joy.
Yang Ge went to meet them with a smile, "Long time no see, fellows!"
Liu Tang and the others came forward laughing and greeting with a fist palm salute, "Second Master, are you well?"
Yang Ge playfully punched him in the chest, "What’s with all the formalities... I thought you were in Liaodong? What are you doing here?"
Liu Tang looked around, grinning from ear to ear, "We are embroidered guards, not border army commanders, naturally we go where the fighting is. Just now, I heard from the guys downstairs that you were here, I couldn’t believe it, didn’t expect it’s really you... Why have you come to Datong?"