At this moment, Li Man'er felt a surge of respect for Lu Dakuan. Though his body was disabled, his patriotic heart remained intact, making him far superior to men like Tong Qiao who lived solely on the blessings of their ancestors and possessed no abilities of their own.
Ah Qi's gaze towards Lu Dakuan also shifted considerably. Moreover, Lu Dakuan wasn't merely speaking empty words; his own disabilities were a testament to his service defending the nation.
"Lu Dakuan, you manage nearly a thousand people under your command, which is quite an official position."
Lu Dakuan immediately responded, "Miss, please don't say that. What official position is there? We're just a group of unfortunate brothers helping each other out. We wounded soldiers are all old, weak, and infirm, each with our ailments. If no one looked after us, truly, we could die in our rooms without anyone even knowing. Now that we live together, at least we have someone to look out for us. If something were to happen, there'd be people to help arrange our affairs."
This was a pact between them, a somber agreement.
"And the auxiliary staff for logistics, are they also under your purview?"
"Don't joke," Lu Dakuan chuckled. "Would they agree? I'm disabled; who would listen to me..."
Having spoken this far, Lu Dakuan sensed a different implication in her words. "Miss, you must have a reason for coming, right? If you don't mind my being disabled, speak your mind. Old Lu will definitely do his utmost to help you get things done properly."
"You sustained these injuries for the country and its people. Though your body is disabled, your heart is not. You are not crippled."
Li Man'er's solemn sincerity moved Lu Dakuan even more.
"So, do you have something to discuss, or not?"
"Mmm, I actually do have something, but perhaps you can't help with it," Li Man'er said. "I originally wanted to ask you about the logistics auxiliary staff, but since you don't manage them, you probably don't know this person. Never mind then."
Li Man'er turned to leave. Ah Qi felt his head spinning. She clearly had something to ask, so why wasn't she being direct? Her indirect approach was baffling.
He could only follow her out.
"Hey, hey," Lu Dakuan urged, scrambling off the kang and rushing to block Li Man'er. "Miss, you can't just say half a thing and leave the rest hanging. Just tell me first. If I can't handle it, I certainly won't pretend I can, alright?"
Lu Dakuan desperately wanted Li Man'er to give him something to do. He was eager to prove his worth, to show that even if he couldn't fight on the battlefield, he could still contribute to the army and the nation.
Li Man'er pondered for a moment, then asked, "Do you know an auxiliary staff member named Gao Yujuan? She has two sons, one named Damao and the other Xiaomao."
Lu Dakuan never expected Li Man'er to inquire about Gao Yujuan. His expression immediately became complex, tinged with red, then perhaps green, a myriad of unspoken emotions.
*Could it be?*
Li Man'er thought to herself. Gao Yujuan certainly didn't look like a respectable woman. Perhaps she was a player? Could it be that Lu Dakuan was also one of her conquests? Although Zeng Xiazi was also disabled, at least only one of his eyes was affected. But this Old Lu, even in his condition, she found attractive?
"I know this person," Old Lu said. "We've crossed paths a few times, um..."
His difficulty in speaking further fueled Li Man'er's misunderstanding.
"Just crossed paths?"
"Not exactly..." Lu Dakuan gritted his teeth. "She has a lover who is from our wounded soldiers' camp, named Zeng Huan, nicknamed Zeng Xiazi."
The reason he found it difficult to speak was that the words sounded rather... improper! To be talking about lovers in front of a young lady felt rather unsavory.
Now it made sense.
"Oh..." Li Man'er seemed to have grasped something else, and asked earnestly, "Does Gao Yujuan carry herself with some arrogance? Who is this Zeng Huan that he could capture her attention? That's not easy."
Lu Dakuan found it awkward to elaborate on such matters. He asked, "Miss, what exactly are you inquiring about Gao Yujuan? Have her two sons caused trouble again?"
"How did you know?" Li Man'er asked. "It's not a major issue, but the children are young, especially Xiaomao. At such a young age, he should be walking the righteous path."
Her ambiguous words led Lu Dakuan to misunderstand.
"You're absolutely right! Those two children were quite good when they were little, but who knew they'd turn out like this now?" He sighed and added, "It's also because their father died early, and their mother is a frail woman. Raising them was not easy. The younger two also suffered their fair share of bullying, and over time, their tempers became a bit unruly."
*So, that's what she was probing for.*
Ah Qi nodded subtly, indicating he understood.
Seeing Li Man'er remain silent, Lu Dakuan assumed the two boys had thoroughly angered her and cursed them under his breath. *Who else could they have offended but Li Man'er? Are they someone they can afford to provoke? Forget her noble background from a marquis's estate; the mere fact that she dared to lead dozens of people to raid a camp shows she must possess extraordinary skills.*
"Zeng Xiazi usually disciplines them, but the children's characters have already been formed. It's not easy to change them now."
Li Man'er then asked, "How many years has Zeng Huan known Gao Yujuan?"
*Known?*
Lu Dakuan realized. The young lady meant "been lovers," but she used a less vulgar term. *Indeed, she's educated and cultured. "Known" sounds so much better.*
"Two to three years."
Li Man'er let out a soft sigh. "Can you take me to see Zeng Xiazi? I have some questions for him. Is it convenient?"
It was almost time for dinner, so there was no inconvenience. Lu Dakuan readily agreed and led Li Man'er and Ah Qi to the row housing camp to find the man.
The row housing camp was crowded. Lu Dakuan worried Li Man'er might feel uncomfortable and said, "Perhaps you could wait here, and I'll go fetch him for you."
Li Man'er smiled. "No need for such trouble, I'll go with you."
"That's fine, but the environment here isn't very good. It's all single men, and we don't pay much attention to niceties."
"What does that matter? The soldiers in the army camps are all much the same. I'm leading the Iron Blood Camp now, so I'm not afraid of that."
"You speak the truth." Lu Dakuan genuinely admired Li Man'er. Such a delicate young lady who managed to defeat Feng Wuyun must indeed possess considerable martial prowess.
Lu Dakuan stopped Li Man'er in front of the second row of houses in the row housing camp. Many onlookers had already gathered nearby, though they kept a respectful distance, observing from afar, seemingly intrigued by Li Man'er's purpose.
Lu Dakuan lifted the straw curtain of one of the rooms and called out, "Zeng Xiazi, Zeng Xiazi, see what good stuff I've brought for you!"
Li Man'er was puzzled, but then heard Lu Dakuan explain, "He has a peculiar habit. If you look for him directly, he might not even come out to see you. But if you say you've brought something good, he'll definitely appear."