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

Han Quan was indeed quite pessimistic.

The monthly conscription meant that he could never win the hearts of the people like Qin An.

Without subordinates to back you up, unless you're a true genius, you have to start from scratch.

In response, Qin An could only comfort him, saying, "It's not too late now. Once we get to the logistics camp, I'll let you come with me, and we brothers will fight side by side."

Han Quan looked into Qin An's sincere eyes, and his own eyes reddened again.

He nodded emphatically: "Alright, Brother Qin, I trust you!"

The two drank a few more bowls of wine, and Han Quan gradually became more talkative, from trivial matters in the county to his worries about the future.

Qin An listened patiently, offering words of comfort from time to time.

Before we knew it, it had gotten dark.

Han Quan glanced at the sky and laughed, "Look at me, I was so busy drinking that I forgot you had to go home to see your wife and children. Go on, don't keep them waiting."

Qin An also stood up: "Then I'll be going now. I'll have someone pick you up early tomorrow morning."

"Alright." Han Quan saw him to the door, then suddenly sighed, "Brother Qin, take care. This world is getting more and more chaotic."

Qin An nodded and mounted his horse.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed through the quiet street. He glanced back at Han Quan's house, his heart heavy.

Han Quan's words were like a thorn, piercing his heart. Was chaos about to descend?

He shook his head, trying to stop thinking about it.

The most important thing now is to go home and see Yu Yan and the children.

He spurred his horse, and it galloped off towards Baishantun.

Qin An lay prone on horseback, with only one thought in his mind: Go home!

……

Horse hooves pounded on the familiar country road, splashing up mud that carried the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Qin An reined in his horse and gazed at the smoke rising from Baishan Village ahead, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

The feeling of trepidation upon approaching home is probably just like this.

He couldn't even imagine what he would look like if he opened his door and didn't see those familiar faces.

The horrific scenes along the way were like a nightmare, causing him to repeatedly visualize the worst possible scenarios in his mind.

Ruins and ruins, deserted...

"Whoa—"

The warhorse seemed to sense its master's hesitation and slowed its pace.

Qin An took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress those chaotic thoughts, and spurred his horse forward.

The old locust tree at the village entrance was still lush and leafy. Several children were chasing and playing under the tree. When they saw Qin An riding a tall horse and wearing blood-stained armor, they were so frightened that they hid behind the tree and peeked timidly.

Qin An smiled; this was the Baishantun he knew.

As he walked along the village road, getting closer and closer, he could even smell the aroma of food wafting from the chimneys of every household.

Finally, the familiar little courtyard came into view.

The gate to the courtyard was ajar, and one could see busy figures inside.

A woman dressed in coarse cloth was sitting on the stone steps washing dishes with practiced and efficient movements; it was Yang Yuyan.

Not far away, a young woman, Cai Zhen, was chopping wood with an axe, her forehead glistening with fine beads of sweat.

Meanwhile, Cai Yan was adding firewood to the stove and blowing on the fire with her cheeks puffed out.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the three of them in a warm golden glow. It was an ordinary yet heartwarming scene, but it instantly brought tears to Qin An's eyes.

He dismounted, walking very quietly, as if afraid of disturbing this hard-won peace.

Perhaps startled by the footsteps, Yang Yuyan looked up, and the moment her gaze fell on Qin An, the bowl in her hand crashed to the ground and shattered. She stared blankly at Qin An, her lips moving but no sound coming out, and her eyes quickly welled up with tears.

Cai Yan and Cai Zhen looked over at the same time, and the axes and firewood in their hands fell to the ground.

"Ah... Father?" Cai Zhen rubbed her eyes, seemingly unable to believe what she was seeing.

Cai Yan pinched herself, wincing in pain, before realizing it wasn't a hallucination.

"Father!"

"Father!"

The two girls realized what was happening and screamed as they rushed towards Qin An.

Qin An opened his arms and hugged them tightly.

Cai Zhen threw herself on his left, hugged his waist and burst into tears, her tears and snot smearing all over his chest.

Cai Yan leaned against his right side. Although she didn't cry, she gripped his clothes tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"You're back, Father's back." Qin An patted their backs, his voice choked with emotion.

Six months of bloody battles and countless brushes with death cannot compare to the warmth of this moment.

Yang Yuyan also walked over quickly. When she reached Qin An, she finally couldn't hold back her tears and they fell down.

She reached out, wanting to touch Qin An's face, but stopped in mid-air, as if afraid it was just a dream.

"My wife." Qin An released his daughter and pulled Yang Yuyan into his arms.

The familiar fragrance lingered around his nose, finally allowing his nerves, which had been tense for half a year, to completely relax.

"You...you're back?" Yang Yuyan cried in his arms, her voice filled with deep grievance and longing.

"I missed you all, so I came back." Qin An smiled and wiped away her tears. "Let me see, have you lost weight?"

Cai Zhen peeked out from his arms, looking up at him with her little face: "Daddy, you've gotten darker and stronger! Your armor is so cool!"

In half a year, although the two girls grew up quickly, Qin An grew up even faster due to his continuously strengthening physique, barely reaching his chest.

Cai Yan nodded, "Father, you've grown so much taller, you're getting bigger and bigger."

Qin An was amused by them and playfully pinched Cai Zhen's nose: "You have such sharp eyes. Come on, let's go home and talk."

Once inside the courtyard, Yang Yuyan belatedly remembered the broken bowl on the ground and hurriedly went to clean it up.

Qin An pulled her back: "Never mind that, let's rest first."

"Yes, yes, Mother, pour Father some water first!" Cai Zhen pulled Yang Yuyan's hand. "Father must be thirsty."

Cai Yan also said, "I'll go boil some water; Dad must be exhausted from the journey."

Watching the mother and her two daughters bustling about, Qin An leaned against the doorframe, feeling a warm glow in his heart.

The courtyard was still the same, and the furnishings hadn't changed much, except for a few newly planted vegetable seedlings in the corner, which Yang Yuyan must have planted.

"Father, why did you suddenly come back? Did you win a battle?" Cai Zhen leaned closer to him and asked curiously, "Are you an official now? I heard from Uncle Wang in the village that only officials can wear such fine armor."

Qin An smiled and nodded: "You could say that. I'm a centurion now, leading over a hundred men. I came back this time to pick up a new batch of recruits in the county, and also to visit you all."

"A centurion!" Cai Zhen's eyes lit up. "Isn't that higher than a county magistrate?"

"Silly girl, the magistrate is a civil official, and your father is a military officer. They're not the same." Yang Yuyan brought over a cup of water, gave Cai Zhen a reproachful look, and handed it to Qin An. "Hurry up and drink some water. You've been traveling a long way."

Qin An took the bowl of water and drank it all in one gulp.

"I'll go boil some water, you should take a shower, look how dirty you are," Yang Yuyan said, heading to boil the water.

"I'll go," Cai Yan said, already picking up the bucket. "Mother, you stay and talk to Father."