Chapter 148 Let’s Become the King of Volumes
--boom!
All the girls widened their eyes!
The city lord said...men are afraid of them?
How is that possible? !
"So they've united to strip you of all your good qualities. They forbid you from showing off your edge, from being stronger than men, from resisting!"
"Girls, I am forming this women's army today not only to have you guard this piece of pure land of Lan County, but also to let the world know that we have done such a great thing! We want all the girls in the world to understand that women can not only join the army, but also work in politics and do business! From this moment on, you will fight on behalf of the women of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, fight for the honor of women in the world, and fight for the future of all women! If you can't do it, you can leave! But if you choose to stay now, you will have countless hard days in the future, there will be rumors like surging waves, and there will be abuse and ridicule from the world. Those who can withstand it will stay, and those who can't withstand it will leave as soon as possible! My Xu Zhenying's female soldiers don't need cowardly girls!"
There was dead silence in the square.
Xu Zhenying simply struck the gong!
A deafening sound!
This time, everyone's face was solemn and dignified, no longer as cheerful as before. They frowned, some were thinking, some were recalling, and some looked excited!
In the huge training ground, no one left!
"City Lord, I won't leave! I've already earned five acres of land on my own. This is my own ability! I want to let all the girls in the world know that we women are no less capable than anyone else!"
"City Lord, I won't leave either. It's just training, and I'm used to doing farm work at home. The instructors can yell at me, I won't even grunt!"
"The City Lord is right. We women are able to endure hardships and have great endurance. There's no such thing as a woman being unable to defeat a man. I don't believe I still can't defeat a man after training! I'm going to let those who just laughed at us know that girls are not to be bullied!"
Liu Pan'er looked left and right, and saw that the girls around her were all very excited, but she was trying to back down.
So she pulled Wang Sanniang and Gu Guihua aside and asked, "The city lord has said we can leave! So, do you want to go?"
Wang Sanniang shook off Liu Pan'er's hand, looked her up and down, and then snorted coldly: "Hmph, if you want to leave, then leave! Now the careers of all women in the world have fallen on my shoulders. I will fight for all women in the world! If you can't bear this hardship, then leave on your own!"
Liu Pan'er held her forehead with her hand. "Sanniang, you are the weakest among us. You get sick every other day when you're at home. With your body like this, you still want to train and set an example for all women in the world? Can you calm down a little..."
Gu Guihua pushed her away. "Go away, go away! You're in the same group as those stinky men. You just want us women to become weak. Men can practice, so why can't women? If you continue to spread rumors and mislead the people, I will definitely sue you for disturbing the morale of the army!"
Poor Liu Pan'er didn't even know there was a word called pyramid scheme in later generations. She was so angry that her cheeks flushed red. She covered her chest and said in a weak voice: "How could I be in the same group with those stinky men?"
"Hmph, if you want to leave, go ahead. If you want to hold a woman back, go ahead. The city lord said women can do anything. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean I can't. Stop trying to shake the morale of the army!"
Liu Pan'er was so angry that she collapsed backwards. Her stubborn temper flared up, and she glared at him, "Okay, I'm trying to persuade you out of good intentions, but you don't appreciate it. Fine, then the three of us will all stay and see who can outlast the other. Whoever makes a sound will be treated like a grandson!"
Female soldiers' enthusiasm for training is unprecedentedly high!
Everyone stopped laughing and looked solemn. Jiang Yongkang was also touched when he saw the female soldiers who were united as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
He looked at the person in the main seat, but that person had already retired and was supporting the crowd to mobilize the male soldiers.
Xu Zhenying, you have such a strong eloquence!
Others may not know, but Wang Sanniang feels that life in the military camp is very busy!
We have to get up before dawn every day, run around the city wall, and then do obstacle training, strength training, military boxing, etc.
She was raised in seclusion, and the farthest place she had been was a few towns in Lan County. Her only friends were Liu Pan'er and Gu Guihua.
But now it’s different.
Every day, as soon as the bell rang, a hundred girls would rush to the cafeteria. The food wasn't very varied, but the food was plentiful and filling. The girls piled in, and Wang Sanniang, so enchanted by the atmosphere, found herself eating two or three bowls of rice before she knew it.
Back home, she would only have half a bowl of rice and two chopsticks of vegetables. But in the military camp, whether it was the intense training or the fact that food tasted better when there were more people around, Wang Sanniang would rush forward with her plate in hand.
Gu Guihua, who was sitting next to her, had already finished her fourth bowl. She rubbed her bulging belly, looking both annoyed and regretful, but her hands kept moving. Wang Sanniang leaned in closer and heard her mumbling, "Training is too tiring. I have to eat more, but I'll definitely eat less next time."
Zhang Wanjun, the team leader over there, was even more exaggerated. Her appetite was no less than that of the men. She buried her head in the dinner plate, rolled up her sleeves, and was eating her rice with a grunt.
She was eating so happily that her face was covered in sweat!
The girls next to them were also eating in silence.
Wang Sanniang observed that the girls had only been training for three or four days, but the changes were already too obvious.
No one was joking around, no one was complaining, no one was pretending to be sick. Everyone seemed to have been drugged and was holding back their anger.
Even Liu Pan'er, who used to be the most fragile, seemed to have a hint of strength between her brows and spoke louder.
Wang Sanniang's feet had blisters since the first day, and she couldn't sleep at night lying on the hard bed in the military camp because of the pain.
When the instructor came to pick the blisters on everyone, Wang Sanniang discovered that some girls' feet had skin and flesh separated, but they still endured it and continued training without saying a word.
This small female army already looks like a regular army that obeys orders.
Life in the military camp is very boring. We have to train in the morning and study in the afternoon!
The things we learn are also very strange, such as arithmetic operations, pinyin, foreign numbers, and area calculations.
Wang Sanniang hated studying since she was a child, but she inexplicably liked the learning atmosphere in the military camp.
There was an in-class test after class every day. She had ranked first for four consecutive days and her name was written at the entrance of the military camp.
Liu Pan'er and Gu Guihua were naturally dissatisfied. The three of them had been comparing themselves with each other since they could speak, but the content of the comparison had changed from jewelry and clothes to academic performance.
On the day of the holiday, Mrs. Wang personally ordered the housekeeper to drive the carriage and come to pick up Wang Sanniang with tears in her eyes.
Mrs. Wang cried uncontrollably outside the military camp, thinking that when she saw her daughter later, she didn't know how much weight she had lost.
That damn Xu Zhenying!
Mrs. Wang cursed again in her heart.
Poor daughter, as pretty as a flower and as weak as a willow, but she had to be thrown around and beaten in the military camp. No one knew how much hardship and suffering she had endured!
However, the gate of the military camp slowly opened, and many girls came out and went home. Mrs. Wang looked around but could not see Wang Sanniang.
On the other hand, the girls who came out first were all in high spirits, not crying as she had imagined.
What's more, some of them even turned back every few steps to greet the people in the military camp.
Madam Wang pointed at the women at the camp gate, who were moving with swift and decisive action, and asked, "Who are they?"
The housekeeper took a look and said, "It seems to be the instructor. I heard that these female soldiers are divided into five classes, and each class has an older woman as the instructor, who is responsible for taking care of the girls' food and daily life."
Madam Wang tightened her handkerchief and snorted coldly, "Xu Zhenying still has some conscience!"
"Hey, hey, hey, the Third Miss is out! No, she doesn't look like her."
Mrs. Wang stretched her neck to look and found a girl with slightly dark skin, clean, cheerful and somewhat strong walking towards her.
"Oh, it's Sanniang?" Madam Wang quickly jumped off the carriage, wanting to hug Wang Sanniang and cry out her longing for her. However, Wang Sanniang started to criticize her mother without any hesitation. "Mother, what's wrong with you? Why do you come to the city gate every morning to stuff food into my mouth? Do you think no one can see? I'll be punished by the instructor if you do this! The other sisters will laugh at me too! Please don't wait there next time. Give me some face!"
Mrs. Wang never expected to be scolded by her daughter right in front of her. She clutched her chest in anger and said, "You heartless girl, who did I do all this for? I was just worried that you wouldn't be able to eat or sleep well in the barracks. It's fine if you don't appreciate it, but you dare to scold me?"
"Mom, I know you're worried, but you don't have to worry at all. The military camp is so much fun. We train in the morning, study in the afternoon, and play games at night. I can't even have enough fun, so how can I feel tired or exhausted?"
"Why are you pretending? Don't think I didn't see you. The past two days, you were always the last one to run. Your legs were shaking from exhaustion. It was because you were dragged along by the leader! Come on, come on, show me..." Madam Wang said as she rolled up Wang Sanniang's sleeves. Tears immediately fell from her eyes. "That damn Xu Zhenying, he tortured my daughter like this. I will fight him!"
"Oh, no, no, no!" Wang Sanniang rolled up her sleeves to hide the bruises, hurriedly helped Madam Wang onto the carriage, and wiped her tears. "Mother, I'm a female soldier now. It's normal for soldiers to have bumps and bruises. Other comrades in our barracks have fallen harder than I have. Take Liu Pan'er, for example. She looks so delicate, but she can run a mile carrying a sandbag! Humph, that damn girl only eats more than me, so she's stronger. It's okay that I lose to her in strength, but my academic performance is far superior to hers!"
Wang Sanniang became increasingly excited as she spoke, completely oblivious to her mother's sullen expression. "Mom, you know what? The food in our barracks is so delicious! I can eat three bowls of rice in one sitting! The first two days after arriving, I couldn't sleep because of the pain in my body, but now I'm used to it and can fall asleep right away! I hate that Gu Guihua. She's still two-faced. She even waited until everyone turned out the lights and then got up in the dark to read! It really makes me so angry! She's so despicable!"
Mrs. Wang listened to Wang Sanniang's chattering voices in her ears, and looked at her flushed face, her eyes sparkling when she mentioned the military camp, and her whole body was more energetic than before. She couldn't help but wonder: Is this still the girl who gasped for breath after walking two steps?
How come he looks like a completely different person after just a few days in the military camp?
Mrs. Wang suddenly felt that staying in the military camp seemed... not bad at all...
At this moment, Mrs. Wang had not even realized the seriousness of the matter.
As soon as she got home, she asked the servants to fetch water for Wang Sanniang to soak her feet. However, Wang Sanniang was not idle for a moment. While asking the maid to wash her feet, she took her father's book and wrote and drew on it with a charcoal pencil.
"The word for money is qi-an. The word for yu is yu——"
Mrs. Wang came over curiously and saw Wang Sanniang scribble peach charms on the book. She couldn't help but ask, "What are you drawing? You're scribbling on your father's book. Be careful, he'll beat you up when he gets back!"
Speak of Cao Cao and he will appear.
Wang Yin returned from a social gathering reeking of alcohol. The maids hurriedly lowered their eyes to help Wang Sanniang dry her feet. Wang Sanniang hurriedly put on her shoes and socks and immediately came down to greet Wang Yin, "Daddy!"
Wang Yin walked in quickly. He had originally thought that Wang Sanniang would be coming home today, and she would definitely cry and make a fuss again, so he didn't want to come.
But if he didn't come, Mrs. Wang would never let him go, so he had no choice but to hold his nose and go see Wang Sanniang.
It turned out that this first glance was not a big deal. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that Wang Sanniang seemed to be in better spirits than when she was at home. This girl's eyes were bright and she was full of energy, as if she had not suffered any hardship in the military camp.
Wang Yin couldn't help but be surprised and asked quickly, "How is my son doing in the barracks? Is the training very hard?"
"Daddy, it's not hard at all, it's so much fun!"
Mrs. Wang shook her head and said, "How can it not be hard? Her toes are covered in blisters, and her body is covered in bruises. And yet this girl is so stubborn, she doesn't even say a word!"
Wang Yin also felt a little distressed. After all, Wang Sanniang had been well-behaved and cute since she was a child, and she pleased him very much. "Sanniang, you have suffered!"
Wang Sanniang shook her head, "Daddy, it really isn't hard at all! The girls in the barracks are just like me. If anyone doesn't have blisters on their toes, it means they haven't trained hard enough. They'll be laughed at!"
Wang Yin was speechless for a moment, as if he could not adapt to the drastic changes in Wang Sanniang.
Wang Yin and Mrs. Wang exchanged glances, and seemed to see doubt in each other's eyes.
"I can't believe you, a bunch of delicate women soldiers, have actually started training. Tell me, what do you do in the barracks?"
Wang Sanniang's spirits lit up when she mentioned the military camp. She recounted the events like a treasure trove: "We're so busy in the camp! We have to get up at 3:00 AM every day. After getting up, we have to fold our quilts into tofu blocks, and place towels, washbasins, and clothes neatly facing one direction. Then we have to assemble at the training grounds. After assembling, we have to warm up, and then run five miles around the city wall. Then there's strength training, obstacle training, close combat, etc. In the afternoon, we have to read and practice calligraphy—"
Wang Yin frowned and interrupted her impatiently: "Wait, you mean... you still have to study in the barracks?"
"Of course! The city lord said that illiterate soldiers are not good soldiers. We must not only be able to fight and know how to fight, but also be able to wield a pen to bring peace to the world and be able to ride a horse to determine the fate of the world."
Wang Yin couldn't help but burst out laughing, thinking that the self-proclaimed king was quite interesting. Not only did he risk the world's condemnation to form an all-female army, but he even made a group of young ladies learn to read and write.
What's going on? Could it be that the king wants these girls to take the imperial examinations to become the top scorer in both civil and military studies? Or does he want to train a few female generals?
Wang Yin shook his head and smiled bitterly. He felt that the king was acting on impulse, but he couldn't bear to dampen his daughter's enthusiasm, so he said perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, Sanniang is right."
Which woman who grew up in the harem is really simple-minded?
Even Wang Sanniang could sense the contempt and perfunctoriness in her father's tone.
The smile on her lips froze instantly. She was about to explain, but she remembered what the chief instructor Feng'er said. If a woman wants to achieve something, she must be able to endure humiliation that ordinary people cannot endure, and suffer pain that ordinary people cannot understand. Rumors from others, ridicule from loved ones, and bullying from the world are all common.
Only when you have truly achieved something will people listen to what you say.
Although she would feel confused and lost when it was late at night and everyone was asleep, where was their destination if they kept rushing forward like this?
As a woman, how could she achieve success?
Most of the girls in the camp probably had this idea, but they all tacitly agreed not to say anything or ask anything.
Wang Sanniang smiled slightly but did not argue. At this moment, for some reason, her heart had already flown back to the military camp.
She felt that even running another five kilometers with a weight was better than being kept like a canary at home.
The training of female soldiers is in full swing, and production in Lan County is also proceeding in an orderly manner.
In the blink of an eye, it’s time for the Chinese New Year.
Before the Chinese New Year, Xu Zhenying called everyone together for an annual summary meeting.
The county government office was packed with more than a hundred people, men, women, old and young.
Qian Zhenniang also carefully posted a seating chart outside the door. Since Xu Zhenying said he had something important to discuss, almost everyone dressed up and attended.
All the members of the Xu family must have attended the meeting. Except for Xu Deyuan who was absent due to illness, and several younger members of the second branch who were also absent, almost everyone else came.
Next came Xu Zhenying's confidants, Feng'er, Qian Zhenniang, Ming Xiaoshuang, Jiang Yongkang and others.
Finally, there are Mo Jinchun, Aunt Feng, Liu Jianlin and others who were previously recruited from Lao Liao.
As the New Year approaches, there is peace in Lan County. Although people have suffered from fleeing, hunger, and the death of loved ones, they now have a roof over their heads and hot soup to fill their stomachs, and they still feel satisfied.
Therefore, this meeting was extraordinary, and everyone had a lot of emotions, and this meeting made them feel very cordial.
A large number of local people from Lan County were also recruited, and the leaders were those who ranked among the top in cultural and training performance in the barracks.
These are all new faces.
The female soldiers were represented by Wang Sanniang, Liu Paner, Zhang Wanjun and others, while the male soldiers were represented by Lu Fei, Zhou Bo, Guan Tiezhu and others.
Xu Zhenying's Military Affairs Department had been established for a long time, but the male and female soldiers had been training separately for their own camps. It had been almost a month, and the two groups had never met each other.
Therefore, as soon as the two sides met, they couldn't help but look at each other.
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