Identity

It was a shock to the people who were helping the Li family build their house when they saw Li Changsen, whom they believed had died in the Gobi Desert, return alive. The Li family members were dumbfounded, their mouths wide open in surprise.

Ignoring the reactions of others, Li Changsen quickly approached his tearful wife, Jin Yue'e. He hurriedly wiped her tears and anxiously asked, "What happened? Please stop crying. Has someone bullied you and our children? Tell me, I'll hold them accountable."

Holding onto Li Changsen, Jin Yue'e touched his face, his arms, and legs to confirm that he was alive. Then, she cried and smiled, saying, "I'm happy, I'm so happy they said you died, died in the Gobi Desert."

From Jin Yue'e's intermittent words, Li Changsen understood what had happened. It turned out that the people from Dieling Pass had presumed he was dead and sent someone to report the news to his family.

At this moment, the village head, who had heard the news, rushed over and was pleasantly surprised to see Li Changsen. He patted him on the shoulder with a big smile and said, "I knew you were tough, not so easy to die."

Other people also approached, expressing their joy.

While outsiders showed happiness, the Li family members didn't dare to approach him. The expressions of Li Laoniang and the others turned somewhat ugly.

To everyone's surprise, Li Changsen treated the Li family members as if they were invisible. In the past, even if he had a bad relationship with them, he would still put on a show of respect in front of outsiders.

But at this moment, he didn't even spare a glance or a greeting for the Li family members, not even for his father and mother.

Observing Li Changsen, Jin Yue'e faintly felt that her husband had changed.

The village head asked with concern, "Changsen, what happened? Weren't you chasing after the Northern Yan troops and got lost in the depths of the Gobi Desert?"

Li Changsen smiled and nodded, "We did venture deep into the Gobi Desert, and we did get lost. However, luck was on our side. After capturing the Northern Yan General Yelv Zan, we accidentally ended up in the defence area of Rong City, where we encountered patrolling Iron Cavaliers. That's how we escaped being trapped in the Gobi Desert."

In the courtyard, the expressions of Li Lao'er and Li Laoniang changed when they heard Li Changsen mention Rong City. They exchanged a glance and then quickly looked away.

Li Changsen continued, "Several soldiers were seriously injured, so we stayed in Rong City to take care of them, which delayed our return, resulting in this big misunderstanding."

Saying this, he looked at the village head.

"Uncle Bao, now that I've returned from Rong City, I have to report to Dieling Pass immediately. Everyone else is waiting for me at the relay station. Before I go, I want to know what happened here." He pointed to the charred Li family courtyard.

The village head looked at Jin Yue'e and then at the Li family members. He calmly recounted everything that had happened during this period to Li Changsen.

When Li Changsen heard that Li Lao'er had reported Li Sanlang to the authorities, his eyes turned sharp as a blade and shot directly at Li Lao'er.

Li Lao'er knew that he had handled the matter improperly and didn't dare to raise his head.

Li Laoniang, considering the presence of so many people, knew Li Changsen wouldn't dare to be disrespectful to them, so she spoke loudly, "Eldest, your second and third brothers are not in good health. We thought that Li Sanlang was physically robust, so we reported him to the authorities."

"As the eldest brother, don't you also want to avoid having Changlin and Changmu face danger on the battlefield?"

"And, now that you're back, you should take good care of Wuya. Do you know how unruly that girl is? She broke your second brother's leg and made your eldest brother spit blood."

"Also, this house, our house, was set on fire by Wuya. How can her heart be so malicious? She won't let us live."

"Shut up!"

Li Changsen shouted directly.

Li Laoniang saw the intense hatred in Li Changsen's reddened eyes and her heart trembled. She didn't dare to say anything further.

Taking a few deep breaths, Li Changsen suppressed his hatred and anger. Ignoring the Li family members, his priority was to protect his daughter's reputation.

"You all know that since I was young, they never liked me. As a result, even my children haven't received any kindness from them."

"My Wuya is the most obedient and gentle girl. She's so delicate and timid that she wouldn't even dare to step on an ant, so how could she have the courage to set the house on fire?"

Just as Li Er'ya and Li Qilang rushed over from Ye Mo's place, they exchanged a strange look upon hearing Li Changsen's words. Even Li Wuya herself felt a bit embarrassed and lowered her head. The way her father described her as not bothering to step on ants was simply because ants didn't bother her, and she couldn't be bothered to lift her foot, that's all.

Li Changsen continued, "You all saw it. Even a wet nurse knows how to treat her granddaughter better. Real parents wouldn't treat their son like a beast of burden, and even after their son dies, continue to exploit their grandson."

Hearing her father's determined tone, Li Wuya looked at him in astonishment. Previously, whenever this topic came up, her father either remained silent or changed the subject. It was evident that he didn't want to face this issue. So why was he openly speaking about it now? Had he become completely heartless, or had something happened?

Li Changsen stared at Li Laoniang with a face full of irony and said, "You all worry about the safety of Li Changlin and Li Changmu on the battlefield. What about Sanlang? Isn't he also exposed to danger?"

"And to call Wuya an unforgivable person, she's just ten years old. How much hatred and animosity do you have toward her to want to ruin her life?"

As he spoke, Li Changsen clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the village head and the people around him.

"Everyone, family matters shouldn't be aired in public, but I have no other choice. I've worked like a slave for the Li family, and you all have seen how they treated me and my wife and children."

"The soldiers from the garrison came to report the death not long ago, and they drove my wife and children out. To cover up their despicable actions, they even slandered my ten-year-old daughter."

"Now that the weather is dry, who knows how the house caught fire?"

"And Li Changlin broke his leg, and my eldest son was spitting blood. They are much bigger and stronger than my little Wuya, how could she have beaten them?"

"Now that they've driven us away, I'll make my stance clear today. We will no longer have any dealings with them. If you want to say I'm unfilial, I'll accept it."

"And to call Wuya an unforgivable person, she's just ten years old. How much hatred and animosity do you have toward her to want to ruin her life?"

As he spoke, Li Changsen clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the village head and the people around him.

"Everyone, family matters shouldn't be aired in public, but I have no other choice. I've worked like a slave for the Li family, and you all have seen how they treated me and my wife and children."

"The soldiers from the garrison came to report the death not long ago, and they drove my wife and children out. To cover up their despicable actions, they even slandered my ten-year-old daughter."

"Now that the weather is dry, who knows how the house caught fire?"

"And Li Changlin broke his leg, and my eldest son was spitting blood. They are much bigger and stronger than my little Wuya, how could she have beaten them?"

"Now that they've driven us away, I'll make my stance clear today. We will no longer have any dealings with them. If you want to say I'm unfilial, I'll accept it."

At this point, there was nothing more to say. The village head, as the person responsible for managing the military village, could only sigh repeatedly. There was no suitable advice he could give in this situation.

Seeing that no one stood up to criticize him, Li Changsen felt grateful and bowed again. "Thank you all for understanding my difficulties." After speaking, he took Jin Yue'e's hand and quickly left.

"We're leaving too!"

Li Wuya swiftly pulled Li Er'ya and Li Qilang away.

In this world, there was no shortage of people who liked to use moral pressure to manipulate others. Her father had set the atmosphere just right, and that was why no one immediately jumped in to speak. After some time, some self-proclaimed righteous and kind people would stand up and talk about the importance of harmony.

Though such comments wouldn't affect them, it was still unpleasant to hear, so they left quickly.

Soon, the family returned to Ye Mo's residence. As soon as they entered the house, Li Changsen handed the bundle he brought back to Jin Yue'e, then he handed the sword hanging on his waist to Li Er'ya.

Li Er'ya's face lit up with joy. "Dad, is this for me?"

Li Changsen smiled and nodded. "You've been practising with wooden swords for nearly five years. It's not good to keep using wooden swords. This sword was seized from a man from Northern Yan. You can use it for now."

Li Er'ya was extremely happy. "Thank you, Dad."

Li Wuya and Li Qilang saw this and also reached out their hands, eagerly looking at Li Changsen.

Seeing his youngest son and daughter looking like little puppies begging for food, Li Changsen's pent-up frustration vanished. He first took out a red hairband with four hanging bells from his pocket and gave it to Li Wuya. Then, he took out a bag of pastries from the bundle and gave it to Li Qilang.

With the desired items in their hands, Li Er'ya and Li Qilang smiled contentedly.

Seeing her daughter gesturing with the hairband to put it on her head, Jin Yue'e couldn't help but chuckle. "You, don't know who you've taken after. Why are you so fond of dressing up?"

Li Er'ya didn't feel ashamed at all and felt quite proud of herself. "I'm a girl, of course, I want to dress up. If I dress up beautifully, maybe I can attract a wealthy son-in-law."

Li Changsen burst into laughter and ruffled Li Er'ya's hair. "My Wuya is growing up. She's already thinking about finding herself a husband."

Li Er'ya smiled earnestly and said, "If I'm to find a husband, it'll still be a few years later. However, if I come across a good one, I'll first investigate where he comes from."

Seeing her daughter giving a serious answer, Li Changsen and Jin Yue'e couldn't help but laugh and cry.

Most girls would be shy when talking about marriage, but their daughter was proactive and enthusiastic. It was like she couldn't wait to get married. Fortunately, their eldest daughter was more mature.

Jin Yue'e looked fondly at Li Er'ya, who couldn't put down the sword and felt relieved.

Li Changsen had to return to Dieling Pass and couldn't stay long. After chatting with his family for a while, he prepared to leave.

"Dad, since you're back, does that mean San Ge doesn't have to serve in the army?"

Li Changsen nodded, "Of course, you can rest assured. As soon as I return to Dieling Pass, I'll find Sanlang and take him to get his name cleared."

After giving some instructions to Jin Yue'e, Li Changsen left.

Before leaving the military village, Li Changsen sought out the village head.

"Baoshu, I remember someone in the village mentioning that when my mother was pregnant with me, she and my father went to Rongcheng?"

The village head nodded, "Yes, that's right. What's the matter?"

Li Changsen's expression was somewhat obscure as he continued, "It's said that Northern Yan attacked Rongcheng at that time, and my mother was frightened. Was I born safely in Rongcheng?"

The village head nodded again.

Li Changsen hesitated before speaking with difficulty, "My mother had a difficult childbirth, but luckily, she encountered a noblewoman who was also in labour and frightened in a ruined temple. With that woman's help, I was born safely."

Hearing this, the village head seemed to recall something, his expression stunned for a while before saying, "That's right, your father came back then and happily told many people about this."

He paused for a moment.

"Changsen, are you suspecting something?"

Li Changsen smiled bitterly, "Baoshu, during this trip to Rongcheng, I saw someone who looks very similar to me."

"What?!" The village head was taken aback. "This..."

Li Changsen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and continued, "Baoshu, I've been away from home for a long time. In the future, if those people dare to bully the Jins and my children, I hope you can help them."

The village head quickly nodded, "Don't worry, I will."

Li Changsen stood up and bowed deeply, "Thank you, Baoshu."

That day, Li Changsen returned to Dieling Pass. After explaining everything to his superiors, he went to find Li Sanlang.

During these days, there had been constant battles, and Li Sanlang had already been on the battlefield several times.

Looking at his son, who had grown more resolute and determined, Li Changsen felt both happy and distressed. "Come, Dad will take you to find the centurion, let him clear your name, and you can come home today."

Li Sanlang moved his lips, wanting to say that he wanted to stay on the battlefield, but seeing the worried look in his father's eyes, he swallowed his words.

"What? Let Sanlang come home?"

"No way!"

"Changsen, you are still a sergeant in the army. Don't you know how urgent the situation on the battlefield is now? We're short of people, how can we let anyone go?"

"That's enough. I see that Sanlang is quite capable, and he must stay."

"But..."

"No 'buts.' Even if you go to the centurion or even the general, Sanlang still can't leave."

Seeing that Li Changsen wanted to argue further, Li Sanlang quickly pulled him away.

"Dad, I want to go to the battlefield!"

"You, child. You don't know how dangerous it is on the battlefield. Your mother and your siblings are waiting for you to come back."

"But if I go back, what can I do? Go to the horse farm to tend to the horses? Dad, I'm fifteen years old now, and I want to stay and use the martial arts I've been practising for so many years to achieve something on the battlefield."

Looking at his eldest son with anticipation, Li Changsen sighed, "Building achievements and making a name for oneself is not that easy, especially for us military households. It's much harder for us to be promoted than others."

Li Sanlang smiled, "But isn't it difficult to do anything? At least on the battlefield, there's a chance to strive upwards, right?"

Li Changsen still disagreed, as no one knew better than him how dangerous the battlefield was. "But... that requires you to risk your life. Dad would rather you live an ordinary life than encounter any mishaps."

The smile on Li Sanlang's face deepened, "Dad, I know you're worried about me, but I've grown up and can take care of myself. Now, I can't say that I'm stronger than you, but I promise to come back alive from the battlefield."

"Look, I've been to the battlefield so many times, and I've returned unscathed, right?"

Li Changsen felt proud of his son's excellence, but still snorted coldly, "That's because these battles were all minor skirmishes."

Li Sanlang reassured again, "Dad, you can rest assured, I'll take good care of myself." As he spoke, he clenched his fist, "After these few battles, I found that my martial arts have improved quite a bit. Dad, we martial artists need more actual combat to improve."

Li Changsen agreed with this statement.

Since his superiors wouldn't let Li Sanlang go, and Li Sanlang wanted to stay at Dieling Pass, Li Changsen could only compromise. The only thing he could do was transfer Li Sanlang to his own unit so that he could take better care of him.

As Li Sanlang couldn't come back home, apart from Jin Yue'e being quite worried, Li Er'ya, Li Wu'ya, and Li Qi'lang remained relatively calm. However, they increased their visits to Dieling Pass. They would go there every few days, either to deliver medicine or food.

After the incident at home, Li Wu'ya stopped going with Li Er'ya to Tianshan. She wouldn't stay for long either, returning after two or three days each time.

In mid-July, Li Er'ya and Li Qi'lang were waiting for Li Wu'ya at the inn after she returned from Tianshan. They were happily chatting while walking back to the military village when suddenly they saw an elderly man in his fifties or sixties standing at the entrance of the inn, staring at them in amazement.

Or rather, he was gazing at Li Wu'ya.

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