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

The next morning, when Qin An woke up, Yang Yuyan had already prepared breakfast.

Cai Yan and Cai Zhen sat around the table, chattering as they asked him if his wound still hurt. The meal was lively and warm.

After breakfast, Qin An thought he would go out for some fresh air and check on the situation in the village.

As soon as he stepped out of the hospital, he saw several villagers looking at him from a distance, their faces showing a mixture of awe and curiosity.

When they saw him looking over, the group quickly lowered their heads and hurried away, but they would occasionally turn back to steal a glance.

Just as Qin An was wondering what was going on, he ran into Aunt Wang, who was carrying water.

"Brother Qin'an, have you eaten yet?" Aunt Wang put down her water bucket, her face beaming with a warm smile. "You're truly remarkable!"

"Aunt Wang, what's wrong?"

"Are you still pretending to be confused?" Aunt Wang whispered, leaning closer. "That kid Li Zhuang told us all that you single-handedly killed over a dozen Baiji spies this time you went into the mountains! Our Baishan Village hasn't had such a capable young man in a long time!"

Qin An then realized that it was Li Zhuang who had spread the news.

As he walked towards the village entrance, the way the villagers he encountered, regardless of age or gender, looked at him was different from before.

Although people knew he was a skilled hunter, they still regarded him as an immigrant and maintained a certain distance from him.

Now, however, his gaze is full of awe, and his words reveal a deliberate attempt to be close.

"Brother Qin'an, I heard you're going to be a constable at the county government? That's impressive!"

"Brother Qin'an, please take good care of us from now on!"

"Uncle Qin An, could you teach us a few moves?"

"..."

Flattery and fawning words kept pouring in, to which Qin An simply nodded in response.

He knew in his heart that this was reality.

Strength determines everything. When you are strong enough, respect and flattery from others will come naturally.

If it were someone else, they might have gotten a little smug in the face of such flattery.

But Qin An was a little unaccustomed to the enthusiasm of the crowd.

Of course, he didn't choose to give them the cold shoulder.

No matter what, we'll see each other all the time.

More importantly, Yang Yuyan and the others still live here, so for their sake, I need to get along well with the villagers.

Just as Qin An was dealing with the crowd, his gaze inadvertently caught sight of Li Zhuang talking to some villagers.

Upon seeing Qin An, the latter greeted him with a smile: "Brother Qin An, you've finally come out! You're now a great hero in our village!"

"Don't talk nonsense." Qin An waved his hand.

Li Zhuang chuckled, then his expression turned serious: "By the way, Brother Qin An... Zhang Ergou and Zhou Tie didn't come back. Their bodies have been found, and their families have already taken them back for burial."

Qin An's heart sank.

Although I knew there would be casualties, hearing the specific names still made my chest feel tight.

Although Zhang Ergou and Zhou Tie didn't have much interaction with him, they left together.

"How are their family members...?"

"What can we do?" Li Zhuang sighed. "Zhang Ergou still has a blind old mother, and Zhou Tie has been married for less than half a year... This world is tough."

Qin An fell silent.

He gazed at the distant, rolling mountains, then at the low houses in the village and the numb, fearful faces of the villagers, and his resolve to climb upwards grew stronger.

In this world, the strong prey on the weak, and those without power or influence are like roadside weeds, easily trampled upon.

Zhang Ergou and Zhou Tie are living examples.

Hearing the government's summons, they risked their lives for a small reward, leaving behind orphans and widows. What did they gain in the end?

If you don't have enough strength and status, you might be the one lying in your grave today.

Yang Yuyan and her children will suffer the same fate.

"I must become stronger, I must take control of my own life," Qin An silently told himself.

Becoming a constable is just the first step, and joining the army is just a stepping stone; there is still a long road ahead.

Seeing his silence, Li Zhuang didn't say anything more and patted him on the shoulder: "Brother Qin'an, don't be too sad. It's all fate. If anything good happens in the county government in the future, you should think of the people in our village."

Qin An nodded: "Understood."

He had already made up his mind to report to the county government office as soon as possible and become a constable.

……

The three days I spent recuperating at home were peaceful and warm.

Yang Yuyan prepared nourishing meals for Qin An every day in different ways.

Cai Yan and Cai Zhen were also sensible. Besides helping their mother with housework, they stayed by Qin An's side.

Qin An's injuries were not serious to begin with, the wound medicine was effective, and he was enveloped in the warmth of this family, so he recovered very quickly.

By the evening of the third day, he moved his shoulder and found that the wound was only slightly itchy. He had also regained most of his strength and planned to report to the county town early the next morning.

With this in mind, Qin An prepared to get a good rest that night so that he would be in good spirits before reporting for duty.

Just as he took off his clothes, Yang Yuyan came in carrying a basin of hot water, placed it by the bed, wrung out a towel, and wiped his body.

"My lady, I can do it myself." Qin An reached out to take the handkerchief.

Yang Yuyan avoided his hand, lowered her eyes, and said in a voice as soft as a feather, "My husband is going to the county town tomorrow. Let me serve you one more time."

As she said this, her ears had already subtly turned pink.

Qin An looked at her lowered eyes and felt a warmth in his heart, so he let her be.

But as she wiped, Yang Yuyan's clothes disappeared without her noticing.

The handkerchief had long since been thrown aside.

She stepped onto the bed, placed her hands on Qin An's chest, and looked down at him.

Those usually gentle eyes now held a hint of inexplicable resentment and determination.

"My husband is going to see quite a bit of the world on his trip to the county town." She leaned down, her warm breath brushing against Qin An's neck.

Just as Qin An was about to speak, a finger pressed against his lips.

"Don't speak." Yang Yuyan's face was flushed crimson, yet she stubbornly continued, "Leave it to me!"

"My wife, you..." Qin An's breathing grew heavier as she teased him. He reached out to put his arm around her waist, but she grabbed his wrist.

"Listen to me tonight." Yang Yuyan's voice was already trembling a little, but she still maintained a defiant spirit.

She straightened up, gathered her long, loose hair to one side, and the moonlight outlined her voluptuous and alluring figure.

The two were already very familiar with each other, so Yang Yuyan was naturally very adept at handling the situation.

The lights inside flickered on and off due to a gust of wind from who-knows-where, and the shadows on the walls rose and fell.

At first, Yang Yuyan was stubborn and refused to show weakness.

But not long after, her body began to go limp, and her breathing became broken.

She was no match for Qin An to begin with, and tonight she was the one who took the initiative to provoke him, so her stamina was being used up even faster than usual.

Before long, she lay on Qin An's chest, her body as soft as spring water, all traces of her previous "fierce" demeanor gone.

"Can't take it anymore?" Qin An chuckled and flipped her over, pinning her down.

Yang Yuyan turned her face away, her cheeks flushed, but she still stubbornly insisted, "I... I'm fine..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qin An interrupted him with a suppressed groan.

That night, Yang Yuyan knew she was no match for Qin An, but she still pestered him for sex again and again.

Each time he was defeated, he would catch his breath and then grit his teeth and try again.

Later, she couldn't even lift her arms, but she still clung tightly to Qin An's neck, refusing to let go, and whispered intermittently in his ear.

"My lord...when we arrive in the county town...you are not allowed to look at other women..."

"I've heard those young ladies are the best at seducing men... You, you're not allowed to pay them any attention..."

"If you dare... I, I..."

The rest of his words were mumbled and slurred, tinged with a tired, nasal tone.

Qin An couldn't help but laugh out loud, wrapping her and the blanket in his arms: "Silly wife, what are you thinking about all day long?"

Nestled in his arms, Yang Yuyan was half-asleep, still muttering, "I don't care... you're mine alone anyway..."

At this point, Qin An understood perfectly well that Yang Yuyan wanted to squeeze him dry before she left.

To avoid getting involved in extramarital affairs once you arrive in the county town.

Qin An was both amused and exasperated. He hadn't expected her to have such thoughts. Feeling a pang of pity, he lowered his head and kissed her forehead, softly replying, "Yes, it's just for you."

Yang Yuyan finally fell asleep contentedly, a slight smile still lingering on her lips.

But her hand was still tightly gripping Qin An's clothes, as if if she let go, he would be snatched away by some young lady in the county town.

Looking at her sleeping soundly, Qin An felt both heartache and amusement.

He naturally understood why his wife was behaving so strangely tonight.

This is fear.

He feared that once he went to the county town and broadened his horizons, he would look down on her, a woman much older than him.

Qin An was utterly speechless at this.

Does she think her will is so weak?

Moreover, she underestimated herself too much.

In a small county like Xingye County, how could there possibly be a woman more charming than a former noblewoman like her?

But no matter what, Yang Yuyan's petty jealousy and possessiveness still warmed his heart.

This undoubtedly proves that her body and mind are now completely her own shape!

……

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Qin An got up.

Yang Yuyan had already prepared breakfast. Seeing that he was all ready, she handed him a cloth bag.

"Inside are a change of clothes and a few wheat cakes for you to eat if you get hungry on the way. When you get to the county town, listen to Officer Han in everything you do and don't act rashly."

"Okay." Qin An took the cloth bag, patted his two daughters' heads, and said, "Be good at home. I'll be back when I'm off work."

"Father, come back soon!" Cai Zhen clung to his arm.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon." Qin An replied with a smile, took one last look at his wife and daughter, and turned to leave the courtyard.

The journey from Baishantun to Xingye County was smooth.

There were already many merchants and travelers on the official road, most of them heading towards the county town.

Qin An walked briskly and in less than an hour, he could see the city wall of the county town.

After entering the city, he went to the clinic first.

Han Quan's injury may not have fully healed yet; I need to go see him first.

Sure enough, as soon as they arrived at the clinic entrance, they saw Han Quan standing on the steps, stretching his arms.

Although his left arm was still in a sling across his chest, his complexion was much better than it had been a few days ago.

"Brother Han." Qin An stepped forward.

Han Quan turned his head, a smile on his face: "You're here. Are you all healed?"

"That's about enough, it's alright."

"That's good!" Han Quan nodded. "Come on, I'll take you to the county government office to report for duty. It's time for me to go back to the office today; it's not good to just lie around all the time."

The two walked side by side toward the county government office.

The Xingye County Government Office is located in the center of the city. The courtyard is not large, but the two stone lions at the entrance are quite majestic.

The guards at the gate greeted Han Quan respectfully, but when their eyes fell on Qin An, they looked at him with a mixture of scrutiny and curiosity.