Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1479: The Largest Share

"Company Commander Cao, step forward!"

Vice General Fang shouted, making Company Commander Cao’s heart jolt. He steeled himself and walked out, bowing: "Sir, this lowly general is here."

Vice General Fang handed him a list: "Company Commander Cao, the supplies you’re allotted are five horses, five sacks of grain, five tents, ten weapons, and some other small items. Take your men to collect them."

The Company Commanders and Chief Commanders present almost burst out laughing... This was way too little; it was basically a slap across Company Commander Cao’s face in public.

Company Commander Cao’s face went green, then white, then dark. Damn it, he knew he was going to get cut down!

But Company Commander Cao knew what he’d done. The night the bandits were being killed, he hid with his own soldiers instead of helping. Anyone would hate him for that.

Besides, he’d already gotten quite a stash of gold and silver jewelry in White Wolf Village, made a windfall. Even if he lost face now, he didn’t dare hold a grudge. He cupped his fists and said, "Many thanks, sir... This lowly general will surely make more contributions in the future!"

With that, he took the list and led a few of his Section Leaders to the supply camp to pick up items according to the list.

Vice General Fang continued calling: "Chief Commander Tang, step forward!"

"Sir." Chief Commander Tang was a soldier from Yongtai Prefecture, one of Vice General Fang’s men. Seeing that the list had only ten horses, two mule carts, ten sacks of grain, tents, and some weapons, he didn’t say anything, just respectfully accepted it and led his men to collect the supplies.

Vice General Fang had told Chief Commander Tang that Company Commander Qin had rendered great merit but hadn’t taken any soldiers from Yongtai Prefecture. Because of this, he and Chief Commander Lao had picked up a huge bargain, getting to act as main generals leading troops to the Northwest, so they had to remember Company Commander Qin’s favor.

And Company Commander Qin was formidable; he also secretly kept a large group of powerful men. They needed to wise up and not set themselves against Company Commander Qin; they should curry favor with him so that once they reached the Northwest, they’d have someone to rely on.

So Chief Commander Tang had no complaints.

Chief Commander Lao was the same. Though he got fewer supplies, he held no resentment, just wanted to find a chance to speak with Qin San Lang and build a good relationship.

Vice General Fang: "Company Commander Liu, step forward!"

"This lowly general is here!" Company Commander Liu was excited. He’d actually been called after Company Commander Hu and Company Commander Jin; the stuff he got must be quite a lot.

Sure enough, the list Vice General Fang handed him read: thirty horses, one carriage, four mule carts, five bags of medicinal herbs, twenty sacks of grain, twenty broadswords, twenty suits of armor, twenty tents, twenty bows, one hundred arrows, and other cold‑weather supplies.

Company Commander Liu’s old eyes went round, and he almost fainted on the spot... But last night Niu Dabao and the others had brought him two bags of valuables. After being "trained" by those two bags of gold and silver jewelry, he managed not to keel over this time.

"Thank you, sir!" Company Commander Liu was overwhelmed with excitement, shouting loudly as he led his Section Leaders, practically flying on his feet, to bring back the supplies he’d been allotted.

Company Commander Cao was consumed with envy. Damn it, if he’d known Ding Ge was that useless, if he’d known Qin San Lang would win, if he’d known he could get this much stuff, he wouldn’t have taken his soldiers to hide.

But it was too late for anything now; all he could do was be jealous.

Vice General Fang kept handing out lists: "Company Commander Niu, step forward!"

"Oh, madam, it’s our Company Commander’s turn!" Han Sansong’s mother shouted at the top of her lungs, face full of excitement as she waited to see how much they’d get.

Mrs. Kuang, however, was unhappy: "How come my Old Niu is only third? If not first, he should at least be second. Now that he’s ranked in front of Company Commander Xie, doesn’t that mean the Xie Family Camp will get more than our camp?!"

As soon as she said this, the women in the Niu Family Camp realized what she meant and started clamoring: "Yeah, how can that be? Our Company Commander is way more capable than Company Commander Xie! We’re more capable than Mrs. Ji too, and we didn’t make Company Commander Qin worry about us."

Ji Zhenniang was furious when she heard this. She lifted the carriage curtain and pointed at them, scolding: "Shut up! What nonsense are you spewing here? My Xie Cheng killed Company Commander Shi and saved a whole bunch of soldiers under Vice General Xue, he made great contributions. And you think you’re so capable? If Gu Xiaoyu hadn’t sent people to save you, you would’ve been hacked to death long ago!"

Zhang Ermin’s wife said, "Lady Xie, weren’t you making a fuss about divorcing Company Commander Xie so you could marry your childhood sweetheart? How come you’re speaking up for Company Commander Xie now? If Company Commander Xie has bad luck, won’t that make it easier for you to get divorced?"

Ji Zhenniang was stunned, pointing at Zhang Ermin’s wife: "You shrew, what nonsense are you spouting? Who said this lady wants a divorce? Who said this lady wants to remarry? This lady doesn’t have any childhood sweetheart at all!"

Ji Zhenniang was so angry she burst into tears: "Wuu wuu wuu, you shrews, you’re slandering me, ruining my reputation. Gu Xiaoyu, are you going to do something about this or not?!"

Ji Zhenniang turned around and yelled at Gu Jinli, who was sitting in the carriage.

Gu Jinli was just lifting the carriage window curtain to look at Qin San Lang when she got suddenly dragged into it and cursed at. Her face darkened as she glared at Ji Zhenniang: "What are you yelling for? These rumors didn’t come out of nowhere; they’re all because you used to look down on Company Commander Xie. Who else can you blame?"

However...

Gu Jinli stuck her head out of the carriage window and looked at Mrs. Kuang: "Aunt Niu, you can’t just spread this kind of gossip. Things like ’remarrying your childhood sweetheart,’ making up this sort of rumor out of thin air, will ruin a person’s reputation and cost them their life. Don’t talk nonsense like that again."

After hearing this, Mrs. Kuang raised her hand and slapped Zhang Ermin’s wife on the back three times, scolding: "Ermin’s wife, you grave‑robbing wretch, daring to gossip about a Company Commander’s Wife—do you have a death wish?!"

She added, "Hurry up and apologize to Lady Xie, or when we set out tomorrow, your whole family can run along the road; don’t even think about riding in the carriage, and forget about eating meat for New Year!"

Zhang Ermin’s wife was used to gathering with the others to gossip, and in a moment of loose lips she’d let the words slip. After being whacked, she hurriedly said, "Madam, madam, don’t hit me, I know I was wrong."

She then bowed to Ji Zhenniang, apologizing: "Lady Xie, please don’t be angry. This civilian woman just has a quick tongue and speaks without thinking. Please don’t be mad."

With that, she slapped her own mouth several times.

Ji Zhenniang snorted and said, "If I hear you spouting nonsense like this again, I’ll have someone seize you and give you twenty strokes with the army cane!"

"Yes, yes, yes, we’ll never say it again. Lady Xie, please don’t be angry." Zhang Ermin’s wife nodded over and over, her attitude of admitting fault as good as could be. She was terrified that Mrs. Kuang wouldn’t let her family ride in the carriage or eat meat at New Year.

Only then was Ji Zhenniang satisfied. She lowered the curtain and sat back down in the carriage.

Gu Jinli took the opportunity to remind her: "So you finally realize how badly you treated Company Commander Xie before, right? You’d better be nicer to him from now on, or once he earns merit and gets promoted, he’ll cast you aside and marry a noble lady from an official family."

"Gu Xiaoyu, you’re scaring me again!" Ji Zhenniang was furious and said, "I’m already changing my ways. If you keep scaring me, I’ll break off our friendship."

Gu Jinli burst out laughing: "Break off our friendship? God above, I should thank you for that. Taking care of you is more tiring than taking care of a baby. You’d better hurry up and cut ties with me."

"You!" Ji Zhenniang started crying again from anger.

Gu Jinli ignored her, letting her cry. Anyway, if Ji Zhenniang went a day without crying, she’d feel uncomfortable.

She looked toward the supply camp and, seeing that Xie Cheng had finished collecting his own share while there were still over a hundred warhorses and eight mule carts left in the camp, she was so delighted she almost burst out laughing.