Feeling the pain, Xiao Wei gritted his teeth and said, "It’s a small injury; there is no need to be so fussy."

Fu Chen’an ignored him and used the alcohol swab to clean the wound. Xiao Wei let out a hiss and asked, "Chen’an, where did you get this?"

"It was bought by my wife from the divine physician. This cloth is made of special materials and soaked in strong wine for a long time. It’s expensive but convenient to use."

Hearing this, Xiao Wei let out a sigh and said with envy, "Your wife treats you so well."

This time, Fu Chen’an nodded in agreement but said nothing.

After he cleaned the wound, he took out a small bottle of wound medicine. This wound medicine was also given by his wife, and she said that she mixed something that could help reduce the pain.

Using a small bamboo stick, he smeared a thin layer of wound medicine on the wound. Then, he took out a roll of bandage from his spatial bag.

This bandage was waterproof and stuck to itself, ensuring no pain during removal. The color was yellowish, but it was clean.

Xiao Wei looked at the bandage with curiosity, but he didn’t ask anything. He knew that even if he asked, his brother wouldn’t tell him anything. Rather than prying into his secret, he should just thank him properly.

After he finished taking care of the wound, Fu Chen’an kept everything in his spatial bag and said, "You rest. I will go see if the food is distributed yet."

"Okay."

As he sat on the ground covered with a thin cloth, Xiao Wei took a sniff at the bandage. The scent of medicinal herbs was strong but not overwhelming. He even felt his mind clearer after he took a sniff.

After his brother applied the wound ointment, the throbbing pain stopped almost instantly. He also felt the fiery sensation that caused by the wound had lessened considerably.

"This medicine must cost a lot of money," he sighed.

In the past months, it was his brother who saved his life again and again. He even used such expensive medicine on him. He would keep this in mind and make sure to repay him.

Meanwhile, after leaving the tent, Fu Chen’an went to the area where the soldiers prepared the dinner. Since there were a total of 100,000 soldiers in this expedition, their marching speed was much slower.

The amount of food needed to be prepared every time was also a lot. Therefore, it took several hours just to prepare one meal.

When he arrived, he saw two rows of big pots filled with porridge simmering on top of the fire.

Seeing that it was him, the youngest cook walked over and asked, "Squad Leader Fu, the meal is almost ready. Do you need anything?"

Fu Chen’an glanced at the coarse-grain porridge and asked, "Are we having porridge tonight?"

The cook nodded and replied, "The General said that after this rest, we won’t be able to have a hot meal until we reach the northeast area. So, he ordered us to prepare porridge and some side dishes."

Knowing that they only brought some vegetables and dried meat, he nodded and said nothing. He joined the rest of the soldiers and waited for dinner.

10 minutes later, the cook finally shouted, "Dinner is ready!"

As soon as the soldiers heard this, they stood up and carried their own bowls. Those who didn’t have bowls needed to find other alternatives to replace the bowls. Some were using big leaves and shaping them into bowls.

Fu Chen’an took two bowls from his spatial bag without anyone noticing and joined the line.

When it was finally his turn, the cook filled the bowls to the brim with brown, yellowish porridge, and another cook added a few salted vegetables and a small piece of meat to the bowls.

Looking at the simple and crude food, he didn’t complain and brought them back to the tent. He handed a bowl to Xiao Wei and sat across from him. Both of them ate the porridge in silence.

After they finished their meal, Xiao Wei sighed and said, "I wonder if we will be able to return safely this time."

Hearing this, Fu Chen’an glanced at him. "We will make it out alive."

Everyone knew that their chance of surviving was low since their weapons and armor were damaged. But it was the Emperor’s edict, and none of them could refuse it.

While he was still thinking about making a simple weapon from the dried trunk he found, Fu Chen’an handed him a blade. Xiao Wei stared at the blade for a moment before he asked, "Chen’an, what do you mean by this?"

"I have another weapon. This one is for you."

Thinking that he was talking about the bow and arrow Yao Zhi bought for him, Xiao Wei shook his head and refused. "Even if your marksmanship is good, a bow and arrow can’t do much in close combat. You still need your blade."

"Brother Wei, I have a warhorse, a bow, and arrows. You have nothing," Fu Chen’an reminded him.

Meeting his friend’s firm gaze, he hesitated for a long time before he finally accepted the blade. "Thank you, Chen’an. I will definitely repay this favor."

Fu Chen’an returned to his bed and replied, "The best way to repay me is to stay alive. Your mother, wife, and son are waiting for you back at home. If you die, I won’t take care of them."

Even though he knew that his friend would definitely take care of his family after his death, Xiao Wei still had his own worries.

After all, Fu Chen’an had a wife now. No one knew if she would be generous enough to let her husband take care of another man’s wife and son.

With this thought, his previous negative emotions disappeared, and he regained his fighting spirit.

Even if their chance of survival was low, he wouldn’t accept his fate passively. He would fight for a way to survive and return home!