Fang Rui was engrossed in what he was seeing.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

The knocking pushed open the ajar main door of Caozhi Hall. The visitor was the pretty and charming Third Lady, dressed in a traditional dress.

"Third Sister?" Fang Rui stood up.

"Brother Rui, where’s your mother? Never mind. I can just tell you."

Third Lady didn’t beat around the bush and delivered the news directly: "A month ago, the Official Army left the city to eliminate the Taiping Bandits. They had a small victory at first, but then they were ambushed and completely wiped out... The county has been in a constant state of panic, and the County Magistrate is furious... If the reserve army hadn’t gone, who knows what things would be like now!"

"Thinking back, the reserve army probably already sensed something was wrong when they left the city. Sigh... now the news is finally out in the open!"

"Then my dad..."

Fang Rui’s heart skipped a beat.

Since transmigrating into this body, he hadn’t spent much time with Fang Baicao, but he was grateful and held deep respect for the man who had resolutely taken his place in the army...

From the bottom of his heart, he truly didn’t want anything to happen to Fang Baicao.

"Your dad is a good man; heaven will watch over him. Besides, he’s a Physician and an Entry Grade Martial Artist. Even if the army was defeated, he’ll surely be fine."

Third Lady said comfortingly.

She, too, was filled with worry. The first wave of the Official Army sent to quell the bandits had been defeated, so what about the reserves? Who could guarantee that nothing would go wrong?

And the Military Leader she relied on was in that very reserve army.

’If the worst should happen...’

As this thought crossed Third Lady’s mind, her heart sank.

It wasn’t that she was particularly fond of the Military Leader. But if he were to fall, how could a lone woman like herself fend off the malice of the world in these times?

’When that time comes, who else can I rely on?’

Third Lady subconsciously glanced at Fang Rui. ’I’ll just have to wait and see... wait and see...’

...

Having delivered the news and thus curried a favor, Third Lady quickly departed.

"Brother Rui,"

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family came out from the inner room. "I thought I heard Third Lady’s voice just now. What did she want? Our families are on good terms. If there’s something we can help with, we should..."

Fang Rui hesitated for a moment before relaying the news from Third Lady.

It wasn’t something he could easily hide. More importantly, the news would spread quickly, making it impossible to keep secret.

"Your father..."

Upon hearing the news, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family staggered, and the color drained from her face.

Tragedy is always a distant affair when it happens to others, an abstract sorrow. Only when misfortune befalls you does the pain become real, something you can truly empathize with.

When disaster struck the Chus’ and the Wang Family, for example, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family had sympathized, but it would have been a lie to say she felt any deep sorrow.

But now that the news concerned Fang Baicao, it was different. This was personal, a pain that cut to the bone. Hearing it so suddenly, she felt as though she had been struck by lightning.

"Mother!"

Fang Rui quickly steadied Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, using the same words of comfort Third Lady had offered him: "Dad joined the expedition as a Physician. They’re usually in the rear guard. Even if the army is defeated, he’s much safer than most... Besides, Dad is an Entry Grade Martial Artist..."

"I know, I know..."

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family forced a smile.

If she were alone, she certainly would have broken down and cried her heart out.

But with Fang Rui and Fang Ling there, she had to be strong. She was their mother, the only adult left in the Fang Family, and she had to set an example. She couldn’t lose her composure—at least, not in front of her children.

So she fought back her grief and pretended that everything was fine.

A woman may be weak, but a mother is strong!

Fang Rui let out a huge sigh of relief. His mother’s reaction was better than he had expected.

Was he not sad?

He was.

But far less so than Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family. After all, as a transmigrator, he had spent relatively little time with Fang Baicao.

Still, Fang Rui had come to accept Fang Baicao as his father, and his hope for the man’s safety was genuine.

Most importantly...

He knew that grieving wouldn’t help. What he needed to focus on now was how to handle the impending chaos.

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family had the same thought. "Brother Rui," she asked, "do you think we should go out and buy more grain?"

Fang Rui considered it carefully before shaking his head. "Mother, if we’ve thought of it, so has everyone else. Even if we went out now, we probably wouldn’t be able to buy much grain."

"Besides, once the news gets out, it’ll be chaotic outside. With the turmoil of war, it will be extremely unsafe... Now is not the time to go out!"

"That’s true. We’ve already stored plenty of grain. There’s no need to take a risk at a time like this."

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family thought for a moment, then gave up the idea of buying more grain. She turned and went into the back room, waking Fang Ling from her afternoon nap and telling the girl to stay at home and not run around outside.

...