In Banan Prefecture in July, golden waves of rice undulated in the gentle breeze, heavy ears of grain swaying and rustling. Riding on a warhorse, Xia Huai'an felt his tense shoulders finally relax when he caught sight of the boundary marker of Banan Prefecture in the distance.
Behind him, the soldiers of the Huaxia Army unconsciously quickened their pace. The clanking of armor was mixed with a few muffled sobs—it was the choking grief of travelers returning to their homeland after two months on campaign. Some secretly wiped away tears at the corners of their eyes, only for their vision to blur again upon seeing the familiar mulberry trees by the roadside.
Along both sides of the road, harvesting farmers straightened up, letting their sickles hang by their sides. Sweat streamed down their tanned faces, glistening with tiny points of light in the sunlight. They silently gazed at the dust-covered procession, simple and honest smiles blooming across their weather-beaten faces.
Chapter 165