Chapter 498

The third watch. The moon hung high in the sky, continuing its night shift, yawning every now and then behind a cupped hand, while the sun lay fast asleep atop the clouds. All was silent, save for the overlapping chorus of insects—crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers. Fireflies wandered about with their lanterns, busy with some unknown errand. In the Wooden Courtyard, the villagers and the soldiers of the Si Family Army had already risen early to wash up. Si Boyan had specifically instructed that the children should come only after they were well-rested, as there were enough adults to handle the labor. However, the children, led by Song Xu, insisted otherwise. Clasping their sickles, they waited by the paddy ridges, their eagerness every bit as intense as that of the adults.