The God of War Who Protects the Nation: Starting with Saving a Mother and Daughter in Distress

The blacksmith shop in Xingye County was not small. A huge iron sword hung at the entrance as a signboard, and the clanging sound of hammering iron could be heard constantly inside the shop.

A shirtless blacksmith was busy beside the furnace, sparks flying everywhere.

As Qin An entered the shop, his gaze was immediately drawn to the several bows hanging on the wall.

There were ox horn bows, mulberry wood bows, and an old iron-rimmed bow that looked very powerful.

"What would you like to buy, sir?" a waiter asked, stepping forward.

"Let me see the bow," Qin An said, pointing to the bow on the wall.

Seeing that Qin An's gaze was more focused on the iron-rimmed bow, the shopkeeper enthusiastically began to introduce it.

"This iron-rimmed bow is something else. Our shopkeeper went through a lot of trouble to get it through connections. It has a range of two hundred paces and costs ten taels of silver."

Upon hearing this number, Qin An's lips twitched slightly.

I only have a little over three taels of silver in my pocket, so I definitely can't afford it.

The shop assistant was quick to read people's expressions and immediately started introducing other bows.

"Sir, you have a good eye. This ox horn bow is one of our best-selling models. It has great draw strength and a range of 150 paces. It's only five taels of silver."

"That mulberry wood bow is cheaper, three taels of silver, and its range is a hundred paces."

Qin An's heart pounded with anxiety.

He picked up the mulberry wood bow and tried it out. It felt much better than the wooden bow he made himself, and it was much easier to draw.

At least you don't have to worry about things going wrong at crucial moments.

Although I could afford the mulberry bow, after buying it, I had very little money left.

The weather is getting colder, so we need to make more preparations.

More importantly, he felt that with his strength and growth rate, this mulberry bow probably wouldn't last long.

If you really want to buy one, it's best to go for it the first time.

Thinking of this, Qin An hesitated.

"Never mind!" Qin An put down the mulberry bow, feeling somewhat disappointed. "Give me ten feathered arrows instead."

Although the waiter was somewhat surprised, he quickly took out ten feathered arrows and handed them to Qin An.

"One hundred and ten coins."

Qin An paid and walked out of the blacksmith's shop with the arrows. Although he couldn't buy a bow, having new arrows was better than nothing.

Next, Qin An began purchasing supplies.

He first went to the grain store and bought some rice, flour, and salt, which cost him one tael of silver.

Then, he went to the cloth shop and bought three bolts of coarse cotton cloth, which cost two taels of silver.

Although this coarse cotton cloth is not as comfortable as silk, it is sturdy and durable, just right for Yang Yuyan and her two daughters to make winter clothes.

After buying these necessities, Qin An strolled around the streets again.

I bought Cai Yan a bamboo flute.

This eldest daughter is very talented in literature, which is a good way to pass the time for her.

He also bought Cai Zhen a dagger, so that she wouldn't complain every day about not having a suitable weapon.

After browsing around for a while and buying some snacks, Qin An stopped in front of a jewelry stall.

The stall was displaying all kinds of hairpins.

Although none of them were particularly valuable, the craftsmanship was quite exquisite. Qin An remembered that Yang Yuyan always went about her day without a face and didn't even have a decent piece of jewelry, so he picked out a hairpin inlaid with light blue beads and spent 150 coins.

Everything was put into the basket, which was now stuffed full and heavy.

Qin An touched the few dozen coins he had left in his pocket. Although it wasn't much, he felt at ease.

After leaving the city gate, Qin An hurried towards Baishan Village.

As the sun set, it cast a long shadow of him.

When we returned to Baishan Village, it was still early.

When the villagers saw Qin An, they whispered amongst themselves.

"I thought this kid couldn't even support himself, let alone his family. I was wrong. He's actually living a very comfortable life."

"Who says otherwise? Who would have thought he'd be such a skilled hunter? He's never come back empty-handed. Look how well-fed and healthy he is. His wife is truly blessed."

"Heh, young man, you don't know your place. That woman in his family is obviously a slut, always looking radiant. He's so young and doesn't know how to control himself, he'll be drained sooner or later. Hunting is dangerous, who knows when something might happen!"

"That's true. An older wife and a younger husband isn't a good thing. Women that age are incredibly demanding; he definitely won't last long!"

"..."

Qin An ignored the prejudiced views around him and could see three figures busy in his yard from afar.

He quickened his pace, walked to the courtyard gate, and pushed open the gate made of rough wood.

It's been a month, and there have been quite a few changes at Qin An's home.

The dilapidated thatched hut was gone, replaced by a brand new log cabin.

The walls were made of polished wooden planks, and the roof was also supported by wooden planks and covered with thick hay, making it look much sturdier and eliminating any worries about leaks.

The interior of the house was also divided into several rooms.

There were also more furnishings in the room.

The first thing to be found was two sturdy wooden beds.

In addition, there are some wooden furniture such as wooden tables and stools.

There was also a lot of firewood piled up in the corner for the winter.

These were all modifications Qin An made to his home during his spare time while hunting.

Although it looks very rough and its workmanship and aesthetics are completely lacking, it is much warmer than the previous thatched house.

Although the transition from a thatched hut to a log cabin looked quite nice, Qin An was not satisfied with that.

In his mind, this was just a transition; his real goal was to build a sturdy stone house.

And it has already been put into action.

A larger stone wall has been built around the wooden house, with piles of stones stacked up.

He would use his spare time every day to build on top of it.

"Father's back!" As soon as Qin An returned to the courtyard, Cai Zhen's voice rang out first, followed by a small figure rushing out of the house and throwing herself into his arms.

"Run slowly, don't fall." Qin An smiled and patted Cai Zhen's head.

Yang Yuyan and Cai Yan also came out, and when they saw Qin An return safely, they both smiled with joy.

Qin An looked at Yang Yuyan, who was wearing a newly made coarse linen dress. Although it was simple, it was clean.

Her complexion had improved considerably; her previous haggardness had been replaced by a gentle and graceful demeanor. The beauty mark at the corner of her eye was faintly visible in the sunlight, giving her a unique charm.

Cai Yan had grown up a bit and was taller. With a girlish shyness on her face, she lowered her head shyly when she saw Qin An looking at her.

Cai Zhen was much more lively, chattering away the whole time.

"Husband, you've worked hard." Yang Yuyan stepped forward and naturally took the basket that Qin An was trying to take from him.

"No, it's too heavy. We hunted a big one today and bought a lot of stuff in town."

Qin An quickly took off his bag and showed off his spoils.

"Wow~ I bought so much stuff." Yang Yuyan's mouth dropped open in surprise as she looked at the full basket of things.

"Yes, I bought some rice, flour, and cloth to prepare for the winter," Qin An said.

As he spoke, he took out two sugar figurines and looked at his two daughters: "I bought you some sweets, here you go!"

Qin An knew that while they had plenty of meat when they followed him, they had very few snacks.

The two women's eyes lit up when they saw the sugar figurine in Qin An's hand.

This filled Qin An with a great sense of accomplishment.

"And there's more!" He then took out gifts for his two daughters.

"Wow, it's a dagger! Thank you, Dad!" Cai Zhen, who was about to lick the candy figurine, excitedly grabbed it. "Dad, you're so kind, muah~"

Overwhelmed with excitement, she forgot all about licking the candy figurine and gave Qin An a big kiss on the cheek.

Seeing her younger sister's actions, Cai Yan, who was holding a bamboo flute, hesitated for a moment, but still closed her eyes and kissed Qin An on the other side of his cheek: "Thank you, Father."

Yang Yuyan looked at her two daughters' happy faces and their closeness with Qin An, her eyes filled with smiles.

But she scolded him playfully, "You're wasting money again."

Qin An smiled but didn't say anything more.

When his two daughters eagerly ran out to familiarize themselves with their new toys, Qin An took out the hairpin from his pocket and handed it to one of them: "This is for you."

When Yang Yuyan saw the hairpin, she was stunned for a moment, then a blush rose on her face, and she accepted it somewhat shyly.

"Why buy this? I'm already this old, what use do I have for these things?"

Despite saying that, her fingers gently stroked the beads on the hairpin, her eyes revealing her delight.

She had owned the finest jewelry before, but none of them could compare to the one Qin An had given her.

"In my heart, you will always be the most beautiful," Qin An said earnestly.

Yang Yuyan's heart skipped a beat. She looked up at Qin An, whose sincere and ardent gaze made her feel flustered.

She had witnessed Qin An's changes over this period of time.

As he matured and became more responsible, his previously anxious heart gradually calmed down.

"Thank you for your hard work these past few days." Qin An gently held Yang Yuyan's hand. "From now on, I will make sure you live a good life."

Yang Yuyan's eyes were a little red. She nodded and gripped Qin An's hand tightly in return: "I believe you."

The two locked eyes, and an ambiguous atmosphere filled the air.

The two already knew each other inside and out; a mere glance was enough for them to instantly understand what the other wanted to do.

The next moment, the two embraced and kissed passionately, both appearing quite aroused.

Just as the two were about to roll onto the bed, two figures rushed in!