Chapter 123 The Ma Family Past
That year, he lost all his loved ones. He used a pheasant and a wild chicken that he had hunted down from the mountain to hold a less-than-dignified funeral for his family. Later, he entered the garrison and took over his father's position. Life was difficult. Then, when the Tartars raided the surrounding towns, he rode his horse through the streets and saw Liu and her brother, who had sold themselves to bury their father and mother. The two of them were kneeling together in the street in the winter, wearing only thin clothes. This immediately reminded him of his mother's younger sister that year.
He searched his entire body and borrowed three taels of silver from his colleagues, which he then gave to Liu so that she could properly bury her parents. Liu's brother and sister asked him for his name and place of origin, and then kowtowed to him, promising to become his servants in the future and to come and find him after burying their parents.
He didn't take it seriously, but when he thought of his family, he felt pity for them. He helped the siblings out, and a few months later, the King of Chu conferred titles and all the generals of Daxing were replaced. The King of Chu was strict in governing the army and had clear rewards and punishments. Only after that did things get a little better. It was almost half a year before he fully adapted to life in Daxing.
Liu and her brother came to his door. Their father was originally a scholar who passed the imperial examination and opened a private school in the countryside. They lived a happy life, but unfortunately, the Tartars came that year and both their parents died. After receiving his help, they settled their parents' funeral arrangements and came to find him.
Liu was extremely sensible and considerate, as was her elder brother. Both were well-versed in literature from a young age, and the three of them made a living together. When he went out to fight, Liu's brother would stay home to chop wood, fetch water, and tend the fields, while Liu would cook and do laundry for the two of them. When he returned home to recover from his injuries, Liu's brother would teach him to read, and Liu would prepare medicine for him on the stove. Scholars were rare, and literate generals were highly sought after in the army. He wasn't particularly bright, but Liu's brother was a reasonable man, and he would seize any spare time to teach him to read. Although he still didn't understand much about military strategy, he did recognize quite a few characters. The three of them lived a relatively easy life together.
Later, when he got a little older, he took a liking to Liu. Liu was gentle and virtuous, with a scholarly air that he liked very much. Liu's brother was also a trustworthy and good man. He saved up two years' worth of silver and gave it to Liu's brother as a betrothal gift, and that's how he married Liu.
Liu and his brother were satisfied with him. After the marriage, his brother-in-law even helped take care of his child for two years. However, he was of marriageable age but still couldn't get married, which worried Liu a lot. A year later, Liu's brother bid them farewell and returned to his hometown to take the imperial examination. He gave his brother-in-law some travel expenses. As expected, his brother-in-law passed the examination and became a student. Unfortunately, he caught a cold when he took the county-level examination that year, and his health was never good after that. He took the imperial examination for three years, and his health collapsed after he finished.
He stopped taking the imperial examinations and opened a private school in the countryside to teach children. Two years later, he married a widow with a child, and his life finally settled down.
The child the widow was carrying was the one Yan Yan had arranged to marry. Her biological father had died early, and she was later introduced to her brother-in-law. The two lived a decent life, and three years after their marriage, they had a son. However, Liu always felt that the second husband was not good enough for her brother. She had attended the wedding banquet back then, and the woman was shrewd and capable, and she was very devoted to her brother-in-law. It was a very good match.
Later, when Yan Yan had her accident, the family she was originally betrothed to never mentioned their children's marriage again. Yan Yan then started threatening suicide every day. Her brother-in-law felt sorry for her and wrote to say that his own son, the eldest son that his sister-in-law had brought over, could marry Yan Yan. He said that he and his wife would take care of the two of them.
However, Liu was too embarrassed to agree because she hadn't given her sister-in-law a good look in previous years. She was also afraid that her daughter-in-law would mistreat her if she went there, since they weren't family. After thinking it over, she didn't go back. Later, they thought of finding someone with no connections to marry their daughter to, and they chose Changping, who had saved Yanyan. Unexpectedly, the boy was not only decisive but also capable. He was only interested in his fiancée. They were angry and resentful for a while, but later, the boy rose through the ranks quickly and never showed his true feelings.
I always wanted my daughter's marriage to be arranged more carefully, but now it seems it would have been better to agree to my brother-in-law's proposal sooner and marry Yan Yan off to him as soon as possible. That way, things wouldn't be like this...
Commander Ma sat in the tavern, drinking cup after cup of wine in silence. As he drank, his eyes reddened. He felt that he, as a father, was incompetent and had dragged his children down with him.
They sat in the tavern until almost midnight, and the tavern was about to close, but Commander Ma still hadn't gone home. He loved Yan Yan dearly, but his eldest and second sons were also his children. If he sent Yan Yan away, what would happen to his two sons?
His family was a military household, a hereditary one, so even if the children wanted to escape, they couldn't, unless the whole family died in battle. Commander Ma sat at the entrance of the tavern, clutching his wine jug, feeling utterly humiliated.
The waiters behind him looked at Commander Ma, who was sitting at the door in the dead of winter, with some difficulty.
There are only so many generals in Daxing. They know most of them since they often drink together. It's so late and Commander Ma is still sitting here. It wouldn't be good if he caught a cold tomorrow. These people are regulars and we can't afford to offend them.
The waiter, after asking the manager for permission, brought down a thin cup from the second floor and covered it for Ma Qianhu at the door, his face showing a hint of worry: "Qianhu, if you want some, we'll save some for you tomorrow. The year-end isn't over yet, and it's still cold. Why don't you go home and warm up first? You'll freeze if you sit here any longer."
As he spoke, he tightened the quilt for Commander Ma. The shopkeeper was also preparing to send someone to Commander Ma's house to look for him. The shops and people in these border areas all relied on these border soldiers to live a good life. These soldiers never used their official power to oppress the people. They were always the first to charge when they encountered Tartars. Therefore, the border soldiers were extremely loved by the border people. Seeing Commander Ma sitting at the door in a bad mood, his face red from the cold wind, not only the waiter was anxious, but the shopkeeper was also anxious.
However, before the waiter could even leave the room, Lin Changning, Lao Zhang, and Lao Zhou came over together. They felt a pang of pity when they saw Lao Ma squatting by the tavern entrance, his face flushed as he drank alone.
When Ma Yanyan came to the garrison, she couldn't find Old Ma. But when she came out, she saw Old Ma drinking alone. She was about to go up with her mother to call for help when she was stopped. Her mother said that her father was feeling down and that's why he was drinking alone. Since he wanted to drink, she told him to let him drink. On the way back, she called a few commanders to come and comfort Old Ma, who was feeling agitated.
Lin Changning and the others were called out.
Upon seeing the person, Lin Changning walked over to the tavern manager and tossed him a loose silver coin: "Two superior rooms, and bring in some wine and dishes."
The innkeeper took the money and nodded: "Commander, it's the same room as before. Please go upstairs. The food and drinks will be served shortly."
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