—
Old Man Ji laughed at his granddaughter trying to read him, "Little girl, don't even try it. You'll never be able to guess what the noble me is thinking"
Yue Ling: "..."
She could already guess what he was thinking. His expression said it all, but since she was a kind person, she'll not ruin his dignity.
Yue Ling nod her head, "Mm. No one can ever read you."
Hearing this, Old Man Ji stuck his chest out and his chin raised high.
Yue Ling press her lips together and smile.
"Young Miss, where should we put all of these?"
Both Yue Ling and old man Ji turned to Housekeeper Hu.
Housekeeper Hu and a young soldier around 19 years old held the shopping bags from Yue Ling's car. Well, more like the young soldier.
"Set it down there." Yue Ling stood from her seat and pointed to the empty sofa.
Housekeeper Hu and the young soldier did what Yue Ling asked.
Once everything was set down, Housekeeper Hu dismisses the young soldier.
Just when the young soldier was about to turn and leave, Yue Ling was reminded of something. She calls out to the young soldier.
"Ah, I just remember something. Hold on."
He turned around hesitantly and point a finger at himself, "Miss... y-you mean m-me?"
"Mm"
Yue Ling at this moment was checking inside each bag, trying to find something.
The young soldier felt as if his soul had left his body. Sweat starting to form on his smooth forehead. He gulped and thought,
'Oh god! I didn't take anything! I swear on my innocent life that I didn't steal anything from the Miss!'
Old Man Ji sat quietly and his lip curl upwards as he observe the situation.
Housekeeper Hu was just as confused as the young soldier. He wanted to say something but he was only a housekeeper, so he decided to keep quiet.
Seeing Yue Ling still rummaging through the bags, the young soldier became even more nervous. His lips tremble in fear. He didn't know what was going on.
"M-miss, I... t-this one didn't t-take a-anything."
Yue Ling glance at the boy indifferently, then she glance back to the bags.
While Yue Ling continued to find what she was looking for, everyone else, besides Old man Ji, stood nervously. Not just for the young soldier but for themselves as well.
After who knows how long, Yue Ling's eyes lit up and a smile appear across her face. She turn and face the young soldier.
Being looked at attentively, out of habit, the young soldier straighten his posture and takes one small step forward with both his hands at his side.
Looking like the real soldier he is.
Yue Ling arch a brow at the boy. She wanted to laugh, but seeing how he turned so seriously, she decided to play along.
She place both her hands behind her back and look the young soldier in the eyes.
Yue Ling: "Name."
Young soldier: "Xue Yi!"
Yue Ling: "How long have you've been in the army?"
Xue Yi: "12 months and 23 days! Miss!"
Yue Ling nod her head. She reached down for two shopping bags and handed it to Xue Yi.
"Help me pass these out to the soldiers here at Ji Mansion."
Xue Yi: "Yes.. ahh, pass what?"
Housekeeper Hu: "....."
Old man Ji: "pfffffahahahahah!"
Yue Ling smiles and puts the bag handles in Xue Yi's hands.
"Pass these out for me."
Xue Yi was so shocked he didn't know what to say. Yue Ling had been so intimidating that he was scared of her. Far more scarier than the general!
"That's all, you can leave."
Xue Yi nod his head and turned to leave with his feet dragging.
Old man Ji watch his granddaughter and shook his head.
"You're a girl, don't scare the soldiers like you're a man."
Yue Ling wasn't bothered at all by the old man's words. She laughed inside because it was actually her two grandfathers who taught her how act tough like a man!
She grabbed two more bags and handed them to Housekeeper Hu,
"Help me pass these to the servants. It's for all their hard work working here."
Housekeeper Hu's eyes moisten with tears. He quickly wipe away the tears that have yet to fall and nod his head, "Young Miss is too good."
"It's the least I can do for everyone's time in past three years."
—-
Outside the Ji Mansion, Xue Yi walked back to the break room for the soldiers.
In his hands were the two bags Yue Ling had given him. He was still shocked that he didn't even bother to look at what was inside.
He had thought that he was going to get kick out!
With a sniff, he lift one hand holding a bag and wipe his eyes.
"Hey Xue Yi, what's that you holding?"
Xue Yi turned to the person, it was another soldier, but older by 3 years. He glance at the bags in his hands then to the soldier again.
"Ye Fei, these are from the young Miss. I don't know what's inside."
Xue Yi lifted both bags up to his face and grinned, forgetting he was just about to cry earlier.
Ye Fei took one bag from Xue Yi and sat it down on the table inside the break room. Soon, some of the other soldiers gather around the table to watch.
Xue Yi sat down and rest his chin on his hand and observe attentively.
"Eh? What's in the box?"
Not long after, Ye Fei had pulled out a bunch of tiny gift boxes and set them neatly on the table for everyone to see.
They had no idea what was inside the boxes nor have they ever received such a tiny pretty box before.
Another soldier who was one of the oldest couldn't stand the silence and his curiosity was rising, so he grabbed a box and opened it.
His mouth opened into a 'O' and he quickly close it.
Everyone's eyes shift to him and their curiosity rose more.
"Liangcai, What is it?"
"Yea, tell us, what's in the box?"
Liangcai gulped and he looked back down to the box in his hand.
He said in a choking voice, "necklace...."
Everyone: "...."
Liangcai heart raced a thousand miles per hour and he gently opened the tiny box again.
Xue Yi tilt his head to get a glimpse and he gasped.
"It is a necklace!!!"
Everyone was shocked and in disbelief. Why would the young Miss give them necklaces?
Another soldier opens a tiny box and he frown, "This one is a necklace too?"
Shortly after, everyone grabbed a tiny box and confusion arose in them. Each box held the same necklace. A silver necklace with a pendant.
Ye Fei scratch his head and laughed sarcastically, "Xue Yi, maybe the young Miss gave you the wrong bags."
Xue Yi: "I don't think so, young Miss personally look through each bag and hand them to me."
Ye Fei: "But these are just necklaces. What are we—- ah! Who hit me?!"
Everyone: "....."
Ye Fei glare at all the soldiers. His hand rubbing the back of his head that was suddenly hit.
"I hit you."
"....."
Ye Fei pout his lips, "Liangcai, I didn't do anything to you, why would you hit me?"
Liangcai looked at Ye Fei with a cold and indifferent expression.
"Since you haven't been here for long, I won't beat you up for talking bad about young Miss' gifts."
"Liangcai, do you mean to say, young Miss actually wants us to wear these necklaces?"
Liangcai looked down at the box in his hand, his eyes moisten, but he held in his tears. He gulped and stretch his left hand out.
Ye Fei arch a brow, "Bro, what are you trying to tell us?"
Liangcai glare at Ye Fei, then he tug his sleeve and reveal a gunmetal bracelet.
"You all know I've been a soldier here for eight years under General Ji. This bracelet," he pointed to his wrist, "is a gift the young Miss gave me. Not just me, but all of us who have been here long. Young Miss treats each of us like her own brothers. She said, even though we are orphans that join the military, for us to always remember that as long as we have this bracelet, we will always be part of the Ji family."
"....."
Some of the younger soldiers mouths opened in surprise. They had always wonder why the older soldiers have a unique bracelet. They thought it was a reward in the military. Who would have thought it was actually a gift from the young Miss!
"The pendant on the necklaces have the Ji crest. It is the young Miss' way of saying you are family to her. Treasure it well."
Xue Yi and Ye Fei looked down at the tiny box in their hands. Their eyes turn watery and the both of them sniff.
Some of the soldiers in Ji Mansion don't have family. And it was General Ji who took them in and gave them a life to look forward to.
There are one hundred orphans, including Xue Yi, Ye Fei and Lingcai.
They had always thought the world was unfair, but that was until they met General Ji, who they look up to and thought of as a father.
Xue Yi, Ye Fei, and everyone else didn't say a word and just stare at the necklace in the box.
—-