When it was almost dusk in the afternoon, Zhu Ping'an returned to the general's tent from the training ground. He just lifted the tent curtain and stepped inside when he saw a dark shadow rushing towards him. Before Zhu Ping'an could react, someone grabbed his thigh.
Zhu Ping'an looked down and saw that the person clinging to him was Hu Wei.
"Master Zhu, Master Zhu, I am ashamed of your appreciation and trust, wuwuwu..."
Hu Wei hugged Zhu Ping'an's thighs, tears streaming down his face. His voice was so sad that it made anyone who heard it feel sad and cry.
"Mr. Hu, what's the matter? Why has it come to this? Please get up quickly." Zhu Ping'an stroked his hand.
Zhu Ping'an pulled Hu Wei but failed to lift him up. Hu Wei held onto Zhu Ping'an's thigh and pleaded with tears streaming down his face, "Master Zhu, I was walking in the camp just now and met a fellow villager who came to Suzhou from his hometown to do business. The fellow villager told me an unfortunate bad news, saying that my old mother was seriously ill at home. The old lady was lying on the sickbed, unconscious, but kept calling my nickname 'Bao'er. The fellow villager asked me to go home quickly, otherwise I might not be able to see my old mother for the last time. After hearing this, I felt as if my heart was being cut by a knife, I was in a state of confusion, and I couldn't stop coughing up blood. I want to repay your kindness and trust, but before that, I want to go home to see my mother. I would like to ask for your approval, Master Zhu. If you don't agree, I will kneel down and not get up, cough cough..."
As Hu Wei was talking, he started coughing, took out a white handkerchief, and wiped the corner of his mouth. The middle of the handkerchief was stained with blood.
Hu Weishu tried to put the handkerchief into his arms tremblingly, but accidentally dropped it on the ground.
"Brother Hu, why are you coughing up blood again? It's because of grief that you are coughing up blood. The sorrow is deep and the pain is severe. You have to mourn me, Brother Hu. Your body won't be able to bear it if you cough again." Xia Qiang rushed over to pick up Hu Wei's handkerchief, and said with great concern.
"Oh, I really can't bear to leave you..." Zhu Pingan sighed and suggested, "There are many famous doctors in Suzhou Prefecture. I will contact the governor and ask him to recommend a famous doctor to go to your hometown to treat your mother."
"No need. The war is imminent. My Lord and the Lord are busy with many things. Please don't distract me from my work. Otherwise, I will feel guilty. I will just go home. I am my mother's panacea."
Hu Wei shook his head repeatedly, saying, "You must be joking. If we send a famous doctor back, the secret will be exposed."
His mother was not sick. Although she was nearly sixty years old, she could eat, drink and sleep well. When she scolded the servants, she was full of energy. Every day, one could hear his mother beating and scolding the servants. She was in very good health.
"Ah..." Zhu Ping'an looked at Hu Wei and sighed in embarrassment, "But the camp needs you now."
"I'm afraid this will be the last time we meet. I hope you will fulfill my sincere filial piety. After I finish my family affairs, I will come here to continue to serve you. I will do whatever you command and will go through fire and water until I die." Hu Wei repeatedly expressed his opinion, "I hope you will allow me, otherwise I will kneel down for a long time."
"Well, then, sir, you have to go early and come back early." Zhu Ping'an nodded reluctantly.
"Of course, of course." Hu Wei was overjoyed and expressed his opinion repeatedly.
"Fortunately, we still have uncle and Mr. Xia..." Zhu Ping'an looked at his uncle Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang, and said with a little comfort.
Well, I don’t know if it’s because of preconceived notions, but Uncle Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang always feel that the way Zhu Ping’an looks at them is like a butcher looking at a fat pig to be slaughtered.
This made them even more convinced of their guess that this guy just wanted to borrow our heads.
"My dear nephew, Hu Wei and I have long since sworn an oath of blood and burned incense to become brothers of the opposite sex. We do not ask to be born on the same day of the same month of the same year, but we ask to die on the same day of the same month of the same year! His parents are our parents, and his mother is our mother. Now that his mother is ill, of course we have to go to see her together. If we don't go, what's the difference between us and beasts?!"
"Brother Hu is heartbroken and confused, and we are also heartbroken and confused. Please allow us to go home with Brother Hu to see our old mother, otherwise we will kneel down for a long time..."
Uncle Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang both knelt down without hesitation, each holding one leg.
“Hey, uncle, aren’t you embarrassing your nephew? And Mr. Xia, this, this, this…” Zhu Ping’an was very embarrassed and reached out to help his uncle Zhu Shouren and Xia Qiang.
“My dear nephew, if you don’t agree, we will kneel here and die. What’s the point of living for an unfilial person? It’s better to just die.” Uncle Zhu Shouren and his brother knelt for a long time, unable to get up, and cried loudly.
There should be tears here, but unfortunately Uncle Zhu Shouren couldn't cry no matter how hard he cried. At the critical moment, Uncle stretched out his sleeves and pretended to wipe his tears, and wiped his sleeves over his eyes.
It was a meritorious service. The pepper he had smeared on his sleeves in advance was a meritorious service.
Suddenly, a spicy taste rushed straight to my eyes, my eyes turned red, and tears flowed out uncontrollably.
Not only were there tears, but Uncle Zhu Shouren also made movements, hitting Zhu Ping'an's thigh with his head, as if he was going to commit suicide by hitting his leg.
"Okay, okay, uncle and Mr. Xia, get up quickly. I promise you. But you have to go early and come back early." Zhu Pingan said helplessly, repeatedly emphasizing that they should go early and come back early.
"Of course, of course. We will go early and come back early. After we finish Brother Hu's family affairs, we will come back together."
Hu Wei expressed his views repeatedly.
"My dear nephew, please rest assured that I will do my job. We will go back and take care of Brother Hu's family affairs and come back immediately without any delay."
Uncle Zhu Shouren patted his chest repeatedly and promised to come back as soon as he finished his work.
As for what was going on in their hearts, they sneered at Zhu Ping'an. They even wanted to coax us back to borrow our heads?! What a wish! Once they leave the camp this time, they will not come back even if the seas dry up and the rocks crumble, or the sky collapses and the earth breaks apart.
"My dear nephew, please quickly write us a letter of approval to leave the camp, so that we can return early, early."
Following the eye hints from Hu Wei and Xia Qiang, uncle Zhu Shouren grabbed Zhu Ping'an's arm and urged him to issue them a note.
There is no time to waste. If we delay, something will happen. What if Zhu Pingan changes his mind and insists on keeping them here? So, strike while the iron is hot!
Leave the camp!
Get out of camp now!
After leaving the camp, he rode home without stopping and without looking back, so as to avoid being caught up by Zhu Ping'an's men.
In fact, they tried to leave the camp in the afternoon, but without the approval from Zhu Ping'an, the guards at the gate would not let them leave.
It's no use saying nice things, giving money, or threatening.
The guards at the gate kept repeating the same thing over and over again: no one could step out of the gate without the adults' approval, otherwise they would be killed without mercy.
"It's already dusk. Why don't you have dinner, rest for a night, and leave tomorrow morning?" Zhu Ping'an tried to persuade us to stay.
"No, no, our old mother is bedridden, how can we eat or sleep? We are eager to go home, so we must leave now, leave tonight!"
Hu Wei and the other two waved their hands repeatedly.
"Okay, then you guys should be careful on your way, go early and come back early." Zhu Ping'an couldn't persuade them, so he had to give them a note.
As soon as my uncle and his companions got the approval slip, they left the camp without looking back, carrying their bags and running all the way, as if they were being chased by a dog, and disappeared at the end of the road.
Zhu Ping'an looked at their figures and smiled.