Chapter 10 Commends Filial Piety and Courage

Before the morning mist had dissipated, Lin Changning had already wrapped the linen binding around her chest three times.

The bronze mirror reflected the boy's thin face. She used stove ash to draw rough eyebrows and applied a light brown rouge to his Adam's apple.

As I pushed open the door, icicles were falling to the ground with a thud from under the eaves, startling the sparrows on the corners of the eaves into fluttering flight towards the gray sky.

Frost clung to the branches of the old locust tree at the village entrance, and the sound of Uncle Lin Qi's oxcart wheels shattered the silence.

The old man squinted at the person in front of him: "Changping, this trip to the county government..."

The words took a turn on his tongue, and the pipe struck the cart shaft, producing a few sparks, "Is everything settled at home?"

"After Liulang left, Mother took my sister-in-law and elder sister to live with my uncle. The family's farmland was entrusted to my third uncle. Shilang and I went to the border together, so that we could look after each other."

Lin Changning clutched the purse in her sleeve; her mother had given her some loose silver coins before she came out.

As the oxcart swayed, she caught a glimpse of the newly calloused palms. Her martial arts skills hadn't deteriorated recently; she could still wield the carrying pole as a knife.

The newly set up pancake stall in the East Market was steaming. Uncle Lin Qi took out two copper coins: "Add minced meat."

The stall owner paused as he lifted the steamer lid, his cloudy eyes lingering on the boy's thin shoulders.

Old Li suddenly coughed heavily, his pipe stick clanging against the cart shaft.

When the oil paper package was handed over, the meat filling inside was so puffed up that it almost burst through the dough.

The two men ate the meat pies as they walked toward the county government office.

The bronze rings of the mythical beast on the vermilion gate of the county government office gleamed coldly. Lin Changning swallowed the last bite of the cake, the salty and fishy meat juice mixed with coarse tea churning in his throat.

The village head knocked on the gate, and the constable glanced at him briefly before letting him in.

They're all familiar faces, so it's convenient to get things done.

"Join the military?"

The jade paperweight on the magistrate's desk was pressing down on the Ministry of War's documents; this year, Qingshui County was still short 30% of the required number of soldiers to be recruited.

He sized up the young man below, his gaze lingering for a moment on his overly delicate knuckles.

"Do you know that once a military household is registered, even generations of officials can never escape this label?"

"The remains of my father and brothers are still outside Yanmen Pass."

Lin Changning bowed deeply, his slender body standing as straight as a bamboo shoot.

"This humble subject is willing to sign a military pledge: I will not return home until I have obtained the head of the Tartars!"

The magistrate in the hall was tapping on the table, the sound like a thud that resonated in people's hearts.

"I heard that Liu Lang is studying at the private school under the county government office?"

"Yes, Your Excellency, that's right."

"So, Liu Lang is going to abandon his literary pursuits and take up a military career?"

"Indeed!"

"To avenge my father?"

"Indeed!"

The magistrate suddenly beamed with joy: "Sixth Brother is a loyal and brave man. Although he is not yet twenty, his filial piety is pure and sincere. He can be regarded as a model of filial piety and brotherly love in Qingshui County!"

Lin Changning bowed again: "Thank you for your praise, Magistrate. I am unworthy of such praise."

As soon as you leave the county government office, the village headman is all smiles and kindness.

Lin Changning asked, "Seventh Uncle? Why are you smiling like that?"

The village head looked at Lin Changning and patted the child's thin shoulder:

"The change of household registration should be completed by tomorrow at the latest!"

As dusk settled over the eaves of the ancestral hall, Lin Erniu was squatting on his doorstep picking his teeth.

His wife came running over: "Honey, something terrible has happened! I heard that sickly Liu Lang has been enlisted in the army!"

"What did you say!" Lin Erniu threw the toothpick on the ground.

"Has Lin Changping gone mad?!"

This night was destined to be a sleepless one for Lin Erniu.

The county magistrate took this matter seriously and processed the household registration quickly.

Opinions within the clan were divided on the matter. Those who were slightly more distant from Lin Changning felt that although his actions were rash, they were not difficult to understand.

Lin Erniu's family didn't want Lin Liulang to come back alive, so they sabotaged him by having him marked as a conscript.

Liu Lang then directly joined the military household. In any case, after he died, the Lin Erniu family would be the closest people to him. When the father died, the son succeeded him, and when the brother died, the younger brother succeeded him. If this lineage was gone, the Lin Erniu family would be the first to suffer.

Those who were closer to him cursed inwardly. Lin Liulang, that sickly fellow, didn't look like he would live a long life. What if Lin Erniu's lineage died out again? It would easily implicate them.

There were many different opinions, but the matter was settled after the county magistrate's praise of Qingshui Xiaoyou came out.

Lin Liulang, avenge your father, good!

Seeking revenge against the Tartars is a truly virtuous act!

The county magistrate praised him for his filial piety and bravery; who dared to contradict him?

In this way, the negative rumors in the clan disappeared instantly, and many clansmen even sent food and money to Lin Changshi overnight after hearing that Liulang was strong enough to lift a tripod.

When the third watch gong sounded, Lin Erniu kicked open the door to his room in the dark.

Under the oil lamp, the conscription roster was spread out, and a new vermilion circle had been added next to the three characters "Lin Changping".

He stared at the red circle for a long time, then suddenly grabbed the inkstone and smashed it against the wall.

Ink splattered on the ancestral tablet, like a winding trail of blood.

"You brat!!! How dare you!!!"

Knowing that he would not live long, Liu Lang took his family with him before he died.

With Liu Lang dead, only the women in the family remained. The next time soldiers were recruited, they would be recruited directly from their lineage.

Even if Sanlang passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, it wouldn't matter. Once he was enlisted in the military household, there was no turning back.

Liu held Fu Bao and wept bitterly, but ten-year-old Fu Bao did not understand what had happened.

Lin Changqing sat on the stool without saying a word. The dim light illuminated half of his face, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

"Husband, what are we going to do?!"

"If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have given that brat a chance to live!! I should have sent him to see his father and brothers!!! He claims to be strong enough to lift a cauldron, but his frail body would be lucky to survive a month or so in the northern frontier. Now, now he's dragging my son down with him!!!"

"Father! What's the use of saying this now! What's done is done, there's no turning back. I can only hope that Liu Lang can live a long life..."

"You brat!!! I will!"

Lin Erniu suddenly fell silent, looking at his eldest son's face:

"Sanlang, don't worry, your father is still here at home. Even if things get really bad..."

In short, study hard and once you pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, you won't have to join the army.

If something really happens to Liulang, his father can take care of him. If not, there's always your younger brother..."

Lin Changqing suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp: "Father? What are you saying?"

Lin Changxiao quietly looked at his biased father, his weeping mother, and his sternly reprimanding elder brother, and chuckled softly: "Brother, let Father speak..."

Lin Erniu suddenly lowered his head, remaining silent and not daring to look into Erzi's eyes.

Lin Changqing tried to smooth things over: "Si Lang, Father is just angry, don't take it to heart..."

Lin Changxiao glanced around and suddenly laughed:

"Father may not be angry; he probably planned this all along."

I know I am not as good as my brother, but I am not so bad as to be abandoned by my family.

My father is the pillar of the family, so he can't go. My elder brother is the family's hope, so he can't go either.

I know what Father is thinking, Brother, there's no need to rush to play the good cop. If Liu Lang really is dead, I will go..."

Lin Changxiao hugged his mother, who was crying as she embraced him: "Death is the only outcome. For my brother's sake, I will find a way to live a long life..."

Liu threw herself into her second son's arms: "My sons, you're piercing my heart! You and Sanlang are both our flesh and blood, how could we not feel heartache?!"

Lin Erniu remained silent for a long while before finally stammering, "Silang, once your elder brother becomes an official, he will naturally get you out of trouble..."

The light in Lin Changxiao's eyes suddenly went out: "Human hearts are truly biased, Father. If we wait for my elder brother to become an official, how could Silang be alive? Even if we were to bring him back, I'm afraid we would only end up with a cenotaph, just like my uncle and the others..."

After saying that, Lin Changxiao ignored the atmosphere inside the house, pushed open the door, turned around, and left the courtyard.

He knew his elder brother was promising and his father was greedy for life, but he never expected that before things had even reached that point, his family would already be thinking of giving up on him. He was heartbroken to some extent.

From childhood, he only knew that his parents were biased, but he never imagined that they would be so biased that they would even disregard his life.