Chương 39: Uncle Zhao

Chapter 39: Uncle Zhao"If I really can become a personal guard under General Zhang, perhaps your son can even obtain some official position or noble rank. At that time, our family can receive quite a bit more land. When the time comes, you must not complain that there is too much land and you cannot farm it all." Jiang Huanyu snorted angrily and glared at him without speaking. After a long while—"What does that girl Lingxiu think?"

"Is she willing to let you go to the army?" When Huang Lingxiu was mentioned, a smile appeared on Jiang Wenfeng's face. Then he said seriously, "Senior Sister Lingxiu said that a good man should defend his family and country, open borders and expand territory."

"The person she likes must be a great hero, a great general."

"Heh!" Jiang Huanyu suddenly stood and laughed while scolding, "That girl's ambition really isn't small!" The oppressive atmosphere eased quite a bit with this banter. Jiang Huanyu stood with his hands behind his back and let out a heavy sigh. He knew that having his son take his place in military service was indeed the best choice. At the very least, if Jiang Wenfeng went to the front line, his chances of surviving would be much greater than Jiang Huanyu's. Rationally speaking, the Divination System was on him.

As long as he lived, he could allow the Jiang family to keep growing stronger.

"Child, you have suffered." Looking at his son, whose height had already caught up to his own, Jiang Huanyu heavily patted his shoulder. As parents, who did not want to shelter their children from wind and rain for their whole lives? Jiang Wenfeng sensibly shook his head.

"Father suffers more than your son. The whole family, old and young, all depends on you to support them." At this moment, the father and son seemed like confidants to each other, smiling at one another. Jiang Wenping, who had been left to the side, clearly did not know what her big brother and father were thinking. She raised her head, looked at the two of them, then looked at the setting sun slanting westward and muttered, "Father, if we don't leave soon, we won't make it back for dinner."

Jiang Huanyu crouched down and picked her up.

"Eat, eat, eat. You are just a little foodie."

"Let's go. We're going home." The three got back on the ox cart and headed toward Golden Willow Village. At night, Jiang Huanyu tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Although the matter of military service had already been decided, he was still suffering the torment of family affection, and he did not know how to tell his wife.

"Do you have something on your mind?" Hu Yufen turned over and gently hugged his arm as she asked. The husband and wife had supported each other for more than ten years and understood each other very well. Jiang Huanyu looked at the darkness above his head and sighed slightly. In the end, he still told her about the military service. Hu Yufen clearly had not yet realized the severity of the matter. She only thought this military service was the usual corvée rotation.

The Great Yu Dynasty had a corvée service system. After male household members reached fourteen years old, during non-farming seasons, they had to perform corvée service for two months. This kind of corvée was nothing more than going to the county to become familiar with military camp life and undergo simple drills. However, after the new Emperor of Yu ascended the throne, he promoted a policy of letting the people recover and rest. This corvée service had not been carried out for nearly thirty years.

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"Our Stone still hasn't turned fourteen. Corvée service wouldn't fall on him. What are you worrying about?" Jiang Huanyu sighed.

"What I mean is military service, not corvée service." Hu Yufen froze.

"Is there any difference?" Jiang Huanyu explained, "Big Brother Yunxiao said that this time, the court is likely going to attack the Western Wasteland barbarians and recover the three commanderies occupied by the barbarians."

"The military service requirement says that all men who have not yet reached forty must go serve."

"This means that those who go to serve this time will most likely go onto the battlefield."

"What!?" After hearing this, Hu Yufen suddenly sat up.

"So Husband also has to go serve in the army!?" Jiang Huanyu nodded slightly, pulled her into his arms, and held her.

"During the day at the martial arts school, Big Brother Yunxiao suggested letting Stone go in my place."

"He said Commandant Zhang Bin has now become a general of the Cloudcenter Border Army, and he can think of a way to let Stone become his personal guard."

"Did you agree?" Hu Yufen asked nervously. Jiang Huanyu shook his head.

"Not yet, but Stone already tried to persuade me the whole way."

"That stinky boy is so sensible it hurts." Hu Yufen did not speak, and tears had already appeared in her eyes. She was a smart woman and knew how dangerous it would be if her man went to military service and entered the battlefield. By comparison, although her son was young, his character was steady enough and his strength was stronger. Letting him go was the best choice. But he was still a piece of flesh that had fallen from her body. How could she bear it?

The husband and wife said nothing, falling into sleeplessness with guilt toward their son. The next day, when Hu Yufen got up with red and swollen eyes, she saw Jiang Wenfeng practicing martial arts in the courtyard and could not help walking forward.

"Mother?" Jiang Wenfeng ended his practice and looked at his mother with a smile, as if he had no worries at all. The more he acted like this, the more sorrowful Hu Yufen felt, and tears could not help flowing from her eyes.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Jiang Wenfeng hurried forward and asked with concern. Hu Yufen sobbed as she grabbed his arm.

"Your father told me everything last night."

"My son, you…" Jiang Wenfeng froze for a moment, then smiled and comforted her.

"Mother, it's fine. Don't you believe in your son's strength?"

"Take good care of yourself. Your son has already agreed with Senior Sister Lingxiu. When I return from the front line, I will marry her into our family. At that time, I'll give you a big fat grandson." Hu Yufen held back her tears and gently stroked his face. Just as Jiang Huanyu had said last night, this son of theirs truly was so sensible that it made one's heart ache.

"What do you want to eat this morning? Mother will make it for you." This matter could no longer be changed. She could only think of ways to fulfill a mother's duty during this period and let the child eat and drink well.

"Make some meat porridge. Little Sister and Third Brother both like it. Boil an egg for Anu too. That stinky boy is growing taller and needs nourishment." Hearing this, Hu Yufen felt another wave of heartache.

"All right. Mother will also boil two eggs for you later." As she spoke, she turned and walked toward the kitchen house. The matter of military service was like a great mountain, pressing down on the husband and wife until they could hardly breathe. These past few days, Jiang Huanyu had kept hoping that the divination would give him a hint. He had even thought about consuming his lifespan to ask the system whether his child would face danger after going to serve in the army.

Yet the moment this thought appeared, a line of blood-red text emerged on the system panel in his sea of consciousness. Ding! [System Notification: Deducing this matter requires the consumption of one hundred and thirteen years of lifespan.] The terrifying price forced him to dismiss the idea in his heart. More than one hundred and ten years of lifespan. This was simply asking for his old life! But precisely because of this, Jiang Huanyu vaguely formed a guess in his heart.

Perhaps his son's military service this time would not be as he feared, ending with death on the battlefield. After all, if it were merely a single outcome of death, the system most likely would not require so much lifespan. Over all these years, he had roughly figured out the system's rules. The greater the variables, and the higher the level involved, the greater the price he needed to pay. Looking at it this way, could letting his son join the army actually bring some other opportunity?

With an uneasy heart, he waited for half a month. At last, the village headman, Yang Changlin, rang the bronze chime. When the commoners heard the sound of the bronze chime, they gathered one after another at the square in front of Yang Changlin's house, each face full of curiosity. It was not yet time to pay taxes, so why had the bronze chime suddenly been rung? When Jiang Huanyu and his son Jiang Wenfeng arrived, Zhao Shuan was standing on tiptoe, craning his neck to look ahead.

"Uncle Zhao," Jiang Wenfeng called. Zhao Shuan turned back and smiled, giving him a punch on the chest.

"Stinky boy, you've grown taller again."

"A-Huanyu, what do you think the village headman gathered everyone for at this time?" Zhao Shuan's information was not as quick as his, so naturally he still did not know about the "military service" matter.

"I'm afraid the higher-ups have issued some new policy again," Jiang Huanyu said without explaining clearly. As soon as his voice fell, Yang Changlin, standing on the platform ahead, struck the bronze gong.

"Everyone, quiet down. The officer has an important matter to announce!" As his voice fell, a sturdy soldier wearing leather armor strode forward, holding a clear yellow scroll in his hand.