Gao Wu Da Ming: Starting as a military household and ascending to the rank of Martial Saint

Next, Yu Shaowu bought some grain, pork, two live hens, and fish and shrimp, which temporarily solved his food problem.

Only now did Yu Shaowu's tense nerves begin to relax slightly.

After purchasing these items, Yu Shaowu had spent most of his money, leaving him with only two strings of copper coins.

A thought suddenly occurred to him: in the past, his wife, Wan, had always been the one making silent sacrifices. Should he give her a small gift so she could also feel his warmth?

To be honest, it's still quite awkward for the two of us to be together. Aside from some necessary conversations about survival, we basically have nothing to say to each other, and we even have separate rooms.

Rather than being husband and wife, they were more like roommates in a master-servant relationship.

Living like this would be both boring and awkward.

Thinking of this, Yu Shaowu made a special trip to the cosmetics shop and bought a bottle of almond honey hand cream. Considering that Wan's hands suffered from various chilblains and were prone to cracking in winter, this hand cream contained almonds and oils and was specially designed to care for women's hands.

He learned this little bit of knowledge from the girls at Lanyue Tower.

After preparing everything, Yu Shaowu packed all the grain into the large bag that had previously contained the bow, sealed it tightly, carried it on his back, and walked towards home.

Although he had made a small fortune, he absolutely could not flaunt it now. In the days to come, he would have to keep going up the mountain to hunt, as this grain could easily attract the covetous eyes of others.

Upon entering Yaomaodun, the soldiers working in the fields noticed Yu Shaowu's return, glanced at him briefly, and then continued their work.

Over the past year, the original owner had become arrogant and had offended almost all of his neighbors, so no one was willing to greet him.

Yu Shaowu didn't care about any of that and continued walking home.

At the door of her house, Wan was sitting on a stool by the door, wearing a worn-out light blue coarse cloth shirt and a plain pleated skirt. Her head was wrapped in a faded indigo headscarf. She was twisting cotton slivers for spinning while looking towards the village entrance.

Upon seeing Yu Shaowu appear in her field of vision, Wan was stunned for a moment, then almost jumped up from her stool and rushed to greet him, even dropping the basket she was carrying on the ground.

When she reached Yu Shaowu, she became reserved again, only whispering, "Husband, did we encounter any danger on the mountain?"

Hearing his wife's immediate concern for his safety, Yu Shaowu felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He smiled and said, "I'm fine, we'll talk about it when we get back."

The two entered together and then closed the door. Yu Shaowu put the cloth bag he was carrying on the ground and went to find some water to drink.

When she came in, Wan had already smelled the delightful aroma. She took out the food from the bag one by one, and her smile grew wider and wider until she couldn't stop smiling.

She gently stroked the two hens that had nearly suffocated in the cloth bag and said, "Husband, were all these things obtained by trading wild animals from the mountains?"

Then she saw the box of almond honey hand cream at the very back of the bag, paused for a moment, and blushed slightly.

Seeing that his wife had discovered the gift, Yu Shaowu seized the opportunity to squat down, took Wan's hand, and said, "My wife, you've suffered with me these past two years. This hand cream has no other meaning than a small token from your husband."

Yu Shaowu had almost never held Wan's hand before, and at this moment he felt that her hand was very soft and also very hot.

He then took out the remaining two strings of copper coins from his pocket and placed them in Wan's hand, saying, "Keep these copper coins safe. I'll go up the mountain a few more times and collect the summer tax sooner or later."

When Wan saw that the two strings of coins were the kind of ten-cash coins manufactured by the Ministry of Works, a look of sadness immediately appeared on her face.

Yu Shaowu, observing her expression, asked, "Wife, are you thinking of your father-in-law?"

Knowing that her husband had always hated her father, Madam Wan dared not admit it and quickly said, "I was just feeling sentimental when I saw so many copper coins."

Yu Shaowu said, "It is only natural for a person to miss their father; I was too harsh on him before."

Then, he said very solemnly, "Actually, I know that Lord Taishan dared to fight against Wei Zhongxian for the sake of the country and justice, which shows that he is a man of unyielding integrity. There are few in the entire court, or even the entire country, who can compare to him."

Wan raised her head and looked at Yu Shaowu with disbelief.

Yu Shaowu gently patted Wan's shoulder and said softly, "Compared to the suffering he has endured, what is our temporary setback? Heaven's justice is clear, and the court will surely exonerate him in the future. Wan will surely regain her former glory!"

Upon hearing this, Wan's eyes instantly turned red, and she completely lost control, throwing herself into Yu Shaowu's arms and bursting into tears.

It's unclear whether she's crying for her deceased father and brother, or for the hardships and grievances she's endured over the past year.

In the evening, Wan cooked a fish, cooked a pot of white rice, and also made two cups of yellow wine.

Although it wasn't as lavish as it had been in the mansion, it was still a delicious meal I hadn't enjoyed in a long time.

Especially that fragrant white rice, which you don't get to eat often, makes you feel like you've been reborn when you taste it.

After the meal, Wan went to clear the dishes. Yu Shaowu, meanwhile, sipped the remaining yellow wine and sat on the millstone, pondering what to do next.

Although the hunt was quite fruitful, it was still far from the five taels of silver required for the summer tax. Even at the current pace, it would take at least ten more trips into the mountains.

Moreover, he had previously thought that the Tumen Mountain was inhabited only by small animals like squirrels, but now that he had discovered traces of wolves, he could no longer be so complacent.

While my archery skills are barely enough to deal with gray wolves, those beasts like to stick together. If they manage to get close to me as a group, it will be extremely dangerous.

Although he was a descendant of the Yu family, Yu Shaowu had been studying since his father's death. He only remembered some of the incantations of the family's close-combat sword and knife techniques, and it would be very difficult for him to practice them again.

For now, the only option is to continue training in archery. Fortunately, training in archery will also improve one's physical strength. And as long as one's archery skills are perfect, the wolves will naturally not dare to approach.

Since we have cheat codes, we can't waste time.

After finishing the last sip of wine, he took out the candles he had bought at the market that day, lit them, and took out his bow and arrows again to continue practicing archery.

This time, he stopped limiting himself to basic exercises and began to constantly adjust his strength and angle, from the millstone to the earthen wall, from the ground to the crossbeam, and then to the distant tree. All sorts of things around him became his targets, highlighting a comprehensive approach.

Moreover, he constantly adjusted the force of his arrows, striving to ensure that each shot perfectly achieved the desired effect. For example, he could penetrate the soil with force, while he could just pierce through the dried radish hanging in the kitchen.

After finishing her housework, Wan moved a small stool and continued twisting cotton strips during the day while watching her husband constantly change his position and shoot whatever he wanted.

Even when she was still unmarried, Lady Wan had always harbored a special affection for warriors who could fight on the battlefield. This was also the reason why her father was willing to marry his beloved daughter to the Yu family.

At this moment, seeing her husband's heroic movements and figure, Wan's eyes became fervent.

Before they knew it, it was already late at night. Worried that her husband was tired, Madam Wan said, "Husband, it's getting late, why don't you rest?"

She emphasized the word "rest" and gently bit her lip, hoping her husband would understand what she meant.

However, Yu Shaowu was focused on practicing martial arts and did not notice Wan's meaning at all. He only said, "You go to sleep first, I'll practice for a while longer."

Ms. Wan felt a little disappointed, but she could only take the small gift that Yu Shaowu had bought for her that day and return to her small room alone once again.