Shen Xiao's Choice

Springtime in Linshan County is not as busy as spring planting in the villages.

Spring rain is as precious as oil, and today is a rare sunny day.

Inside the Shen family's mansion, it was bustling with activity and noise.

A dozen or so children, big and small, chattered like birds released from their cages around a stone table in the center of the courtyard. The table was piled high with snacks rarely seen on ordinary days: fragrant roasted peanuts, golden fried sesame leaves, and a large bowl of hawthorn berries coated in sugar. The air was filled with the scent of oil, sugar, and the warm, sweaty smell of the children.

Today is Tiger's birthday, the day we officially give him his formal name.

In this small town, a fifteen-year-old boy is considered almost an adult.

It's rare for Chen Yan to dress so simply.

She wore a sky-blue long robe embroidered with green bamboo, and her hair was tied back with a white jade hairpin, giving her a refreshing and noble air.

She worked as a clothing model in her own store for a year.

No matter how stunning his outfit, it seems he can't make a fuss at home anymore.

Shen Yan didn't care, and his face often wore a smile that was a mixture of pride and emotion, especially today.

He was directing a few older children to bring the last few dishes to the table.

"Bean Sprout! Don't steal those hawthorns! They're for your brother!"

With sharp eyes, Shen Yan slapped away the hand that the bean sprout had secretly reached for the candied hawthorn.

Douya is now fourteen years old. She has grown tall and slender, and her face has lost much of its baby fat, making her eyes even more lively.

He stuck out his tongue and dodged away with a grin.

"Dad, I'm the birthday boy today, so I'm in charge!"

A clear and steady young voice rang out, carrying the unique vigor of youth.

Tiger walked up to Shen Yan's side, and his height had already caught up with the slender man who raised him.

He has broad shoulders, and the childishness between his brows has faded, revealing a touch of dashing handsomeness.

Tiger was wearing a brand new indigo jacket, which Shen Yan had obviously prepared especially for his birthday.

He smiled and stuffed a few hawthorns back into Douya's hand, "Eat them, I can't eat that many."

Shen Yan looked at Hu Zi with a complex expression, a mixture of relief and a sense of disbelief that "the child has grown up so much in the blink of an eye."

Thinking about how I'm still young, and how I'm just lucky to have become a father at a young age, makes me feel much better.

He cleared his throat, and unusually straightened his expression: "Ahem! Quiet down! Be quiet!"

The children gradually quieted down and looked at him curiously.

"Today is our Tiger's fifteenth birthday! It's a big day!"

Chen Yan's voice rose a few decibels, carrying the energy of a street vendor's shout, yet it couldn't hide his solemnity: "From today onwards, our Tiger is no longer a little kid! He needs to have a resounding name, whether it's for making a living or getting married, it'll come in handy!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, finally settling on Ling Zhan, who had been standing quietly in the shadows of the corridor.

She had changed into a brand new light blue cloth dress today, and her dark hair was still simply tied up with that white jade hairpin, her posture upright.

A sly glint flashed in Shen Yan's eyes, as if he knew she would dress like this. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, carrying a hint of ingratiation and inquiry. Then he turned to the crowd and carefully pulled out a neatly folded red paper from his pocket.

"This name was given to me... cough, I spent a tael of silver to have this old Taoist priest, Xuan Chenzi, give it to me!"

He unfolded the red paper, cleared his throat, and read aloud, "Chen—Xiao! Xiao as in brave and skilled in battle! The old Taoist priest just said that this name is worthy of our Tiger's physique and ambition! From now on, our Tiger will be called Chen Xiao!"

"Shen Xiao! Shen Xiao!"

"Master! Master!"

The children immediately joined in the shouting excitedly, with Bean Sprout shouting the loudest.

Tiger—no, he should be called Shen Xiao now—smiled brightly and proudly, his chest puffing out even higher involuntarily.

The old Taoist priest smugly bowed and thanked the children for their cheers, automatically ignoring the fact that he had squeezed a tael of silver out of Shen Yan.

Shen Yan looked around smugly, then glanced at Ling Zhan, as if expecting something.

Ling Zhan simply nodded slightly.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Shen Xiao's youthful and energetic face.

Something extremely subtle seemed to flash across those deep eyes, so fast that it was impossible to catch it.

She didn't say much, but simply took something out of her sleeve and handed it to Shen Xiao.

It was a dagger with a sheath.

The scabbard was made of ordinary hardwood, polished smooth, without any decoration, and the handle was wrapped with non-slip hemp rope.

It looks simple and unadorned, but it feels heavy in your hand, with a cold and hard texture.

"Birthday gift." Ling Zhan's voice was clear and cold, like a cold mountain spring.

Shen Xiao's eyes lit up, and he took it with both hands.

He said solemnly, "Thank you, Mother!"

He drew his dagger, the blade flashing a bright, cold light in the winter sun, reflecting in his burning gaze.

The children gasped in amazement!

Shen Yan looked at the dagger, then at Ling Zhan, a wide smile spreading across his face, his smugness growing even stronger.

"Good! Good! Our Shen Xiao has a name and a reputation, and he even has a good weapon from his mother! He's bound to be a hero in the future!"

The children cheered again.

"Let's begin! Everyone sit down and eat to your heart's content!" Shen Yan issued the order with a magnanimous air.

The courtyard suddenly became lively again, filled with laughter, chewing sounds, and children's playful noises, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.

Shen Yan was busy serving the children dishes, calling out loudly, her eyes and brows full of smiles.

Ling Zhan sat in a corner a little further away, quietly eating his meal.

His gaze occasionally swept over the noisy children...

It glanced at Shen Xiao's spirited face, lingered for a few more seconds, and finally landed back in its own bowl.

They even slowed down their eating speed.

Unfortunately, this excitement didn't last long.

The courtyard gate was knocked on, neither too hard nor too softly.

A man dressed in the black robes of a county yamen runner stood at the door, holding a cardboard tube stamped with a red seal in his hand.

"Master Shen." The constable's voice was official but his attitude was amiable.

The noise stopped abruptly.

Shen Yan's smile remained unchanged. He put down his chopsticks, grabbed a handful of copper coins, and walked over to hand them to him.

"Sir, what a coincidence! It's my son's birthday. What brings you here?"

The constable, having received the copper coins, smiled more broadly. Without further ado, he handed him the cardboard tube: "The county government has issued a document regarding the conscription list for this year's military and labor service. Your son, Shen Xiao, is fifteen years old and registered in the household register; he is on the conscription list. Ten days from now, at 3:45 AM, assemble at the North Military Training Ground in the county seat to depart for the northern frontier. Failure to arrive by the deadline will be considered desertion."

After saying that, he added, "If Master Shen is reluctant to part with his child, he should hurry to the market and spend money to buy a spot."

The cardboard tube was like a red-hot branding iron, so hot that Shen Yan's hand trembled.

He suddenly unfolded the thin, yet incredibly heavy sheet of paper.

His gaze was fixed on the two characters "Chen Xiao," followed by the glaring words "military service."

The courtyard was deathly silent.

The children were terrified, staring blankly at Shen Yan's face, which had turned ashen in an instant.

Bean Sprout instinctively grabbed Shen Xiao's arm.

The color drained from Shen Xiao's face, but his eyes suddenly sharpened as he stared intently at the document in Shen Yan's hand.

"North...Northwest Frontier?"

The sullen voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, trembling with disbelief.

"Tiger... he's only fifteen! Just turned fifteen! Going to the frontier? That's sending him to his death!"

He suddenly looked up at Shen Xiao, then, as if grasping at a straw, looked at Ling Zhan under the corridor. His voice rose, carrying a caged beast's roar: "No! Absolutely not! Money! Yes, money! Go buy a substitute spot! We're not going! We'd rather die than go!"

As if ignited by this thought, he lifted his foot to rush out the door.

"father!"

Shen Xiao suddenly stepped forward and blocked Shen Yan's path.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, carrying a composure rarely seen in a young man: "I won't take your place."

"What did you say?!"

Shen Yan glared at him, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot, as if he wanted to devour him. "What do you know, you little brat! This is a battlefield! It's not as simple as delivering a cotton coat. Swords and spears have no eyes! How old are you? You haven't even grown your hair yet! What do you have to earn military merit with? Your life!"

Shen Xiao straightened his back.

Without flinching, he met Shen Yan's angry and fearful gaze, each word spoken with unwavering resolve: "I'm not a child anymore. My name is Shen Xiao! Shen Xiao will earn my own way, with integrity and honor! I will earn a future for myself and provide a stable life for my younger siblings! To take someone else's place? To let someone else die for me? I, Shen Xiao, cannot bear that disgrace!"

"you!"

Shen Yan trembled with anger. She raised her hand, looked at her son's stubborn and determined face, but couldn't bring herself to slap him.

He turned his head sharply, looking at Ling Zhan with his last glimmer of hope, his voice filled with helplessness and pleading: "Wife... Lady Ling! You... say something! Hu Zi... he can't go! He's... too young!"

All eyes instantly focused on Ling Zhan.

She slowly stood up and walked from the shadows under the eaves to the center of the courtyard, her steps steady.

She didn't look at the furious Shen Yan, nor at the agitated Shen Xiao.

His gaze fell on the military service document, as if he were analyzing every ink dot on it.

The courtyard was so quiet that only heavy breathing could be heard.

After a few breaths, she raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping calmly over Shen Yan before finally settling on Shen Xiao's face.

His gaze was sharp, carrying a penetrating power: "Have you made up your mind?"

Her voice remained cold and emotionless.

Shen Xiao met that gaze, his chest heaving, but his eyes were as firm as tempered iron: "I've made up my mind! Mother!"

Ling Zhan looked at him silently, and remained silent for a moment.

He said, "Your father is right this time. With your current level and age, you are no match for the nomadic tribes."

Xuan Chenzi leaned against the door frame, gently stroking the old whisk in his hand.

Her eyes swept over Shen Yan, Shen Xiao, and Ling Zhan before finally settling on Ling Zhan. She spoke slowly, her voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "A fledgling eagle spreads its wings, and the will of Heaven is hard to defy. Lady Ling, what you should teach is how to make him fly back alive."

Ling Zhan's gaze met Xuan Chenzi's for a moment.

Deep within his eyes, it was as if a cold program had been activated and was now running at high speed.

She stopped looking at Shen Yan's face, which had turned deathly pale, and fixed her gaze back on Shen Xiao and Douya.

"Pack up."

Her voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

"Tomorrow at dawn, bring enough dry rations for three days and come up the mountain with me."

Mountain? Which mountain?

Shen Yan suddenly looked at Ling Zhan; he knew, of course, which "mountain" she was referring to.

He had been curious countless times, but Ling Zhan never allowed him to set foot there.

Now, she's actually taking Tiger and Bean Sprout there? It certainly isn't to hide from the authorities! But—

"Go...go there for what?" Chen Yan's voice was dry.

Ling Zhan did not answer, but simply turned around, leaving everyone with a cold and resolute back view.

Shen Xiao clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fire and a hint of barely perceptible tension, but more than anything, they were resolute.

Shen Yan watched Ling Zhan's disappearing figure and roared, "Would it kill you to say another word?!"

Then I looked at my son's stubborn profile!

Looking again at the conscription document in his hand, which seemed to reek of blood, a tremendous sense of powerlessness and panic gripped him.

Silver... seemed to have lost all its magic at this moment.

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