"Strategist!"
A group of children bounded like little white puppies let loose, rushing up to Ouyang Li in his mechanical wheelchair. Their little faces tilted upward as some clutched the wooden chair, some tugged at his hands, and others helped tuck the blanket over his legs so the wind would not lift it.
Every so often, the children stole glances behind Ouyang Li's waist.
Smiling, Ouyang Li reached behind his waist with his right hand and pulled out a cloth bag.
"Wow..."
The children cried out in excitement.
"Here, one Sorghum Taffy each," Ouyang Li said with a smile.
The children eagerly raised their hands, like a patch of little flowers blooming before him.
Ouyang Li took out the sweets and handed them out one by one. Only after every child had one did he put one in his own mouth and gently suck on it.
"Thank you, Strategist!" the children said politely.
Some popped theirs straight into their mouths, some tucked them into their sleeves, and others clasped them in their hands and skipped home.
Watching this scene, some of the nearby adults gently wiped the sweat from their foreheads.
Ouyang Li watched the children's retreating figures and smiled.
His gaze settled on a little girl with red ribbons in her hair. Her floral clothes, patterned over a red background, made his vision blur for a moment.
He suddenly reached out, as though to touch something, but stopped halfway and slowly lowered his hand.
"Back to the command tent."
"Yes."
His guard pushed the wheelchair slowly onward.
Along the way, children occasionally ran up with grins, calling out "Strategist!" Each went away delighted with a piece of Sorghum Taffy.
Sometimes Ouyang Li secretly slipped them an extra piece, making a few children grin from ear to ear, showing gaps