Zheng Ruqian's long and eloquent speech suddenly stopped.
All the children's eyes turned to him instantly.
Xiao Jiang Sheng didn't even notice when the roast duck leg in her hand fell. She just stared blankly at Fang Heng, asking incredulously, "Third Brother? What are you talking about?"
Fang Heng felt a bit of pressure, but thinking about what he would have to face in the future, he straightened his posture and said sincerely, "Although Wang Yuyao only spoke ill of me to protect the marriage contract, what she said makes some sense. As long as I am alive and as long as I am still in Anshui County, the Fang family will definitely not let this go."
"Rather than enduring their constant harassment and harm, and being wary of their slander and framing that may appear at any time, it would be better to leave far away and put the Fang family at ease."
The boy analyzed each word carefully and attentively.
This caused Zheng Ruqian, who was about to get angry, and Jiang Sheng, who was about to pout, to both freeze in their tracks.
"But where can you go?" Xu Mo asked softly.
The whole family's attention was focused on it again.
Fang Heng pursed his lips and looked north. "Three years ago, my father was stationed on the northern frontier, vowing to drive out the Tartars and protect the dynasty."
Unfortunately, until his death, the borders of the Dayu Dynasty remained in dire straits. Every cold season, when the nomadic tribes lacked food and water, they would rush into villages with sharp weapons and slaughter and rob without restraint.
This kind of suffering can only be understood by those who have experienced it firsthand.
The villagers of Shilipu Village live in poverty and can't get enough to eat, unaware that people on the frontier could lose their lives at any moment.
Just as the homeless Jiang Sheng could not understand, besides hunger and cold, there would also be a group of people riding fast horses rushing over and nailing innocent children to the wall.
Life has many kinds of hardships, but happiness is only found in the ordinary.
During these three years, Fang Heng diligently practiced martial arts, harboring hatred for the Fang family and also cherishing General Fang's wishes.
Guarding the borders ensures peace throughout the land.
These eight words sound simple, but they are incredibly difficult to put into practice.
“I used to dream of becoming a great general, leading thousands of troops to crush the Tartars and defend the border.” Fang Heng smiled bitterly. “But now I’m just an ordinary person. I’m not Young Master Fang. Without the Fang family as my backing, I may never have the chance to become a general in my entire life.”
"But I can't give up. I want to go to the cold, desolate north. I want to go to the battlefield and kill the enemy. Even if I only save one person, it's better than struggling to survive in this treacherous world, better than being watched like a target and allowed to run rampant, and better than bringing suffering and harm to everyone."
If one is alive, one must realize self-worth and value.
Fang Heng's value lies in going into battle, killing enemies, and saving lives.
Instead of tediously practicing martial arts in Anshui County and waiting for the Fang family to scheme against him time and time again.
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Zanhua Courtyard fell silent.
Smart people know that Third Brother's choice is right and he shouldn't be stopped.
But emotionally, who can accept their loved ones facing danger and living in constant uncertainty?
a long time.
Xu Mo stood up, breaking the silence of the flower-adorned courtyard.
Although he was also reluctant to part with Fang Heng and worried about him, he was the eldest brother and a role model for all his younger siblings. He should set the best example. "Third brother, your eldest brother supports you. We were born on this land, grew up on this land, we love this place, and we should dedicate ourselves to this land."
Without the sacrifices of our martyrs, how could we have a peaceful life?
Now that time has flowed to their generation, it is time to contribute their modest efforts to ensure the peace and tranquility of future generations.
“But…” Xu Mo’s tone changed, “You are our family. No matter where you are, please take care of yourselves, cherish your lives, and wait for our reunion.”
With that start, Zheng Ruqian swallowed his profanity, walked up to Fang Heng, and punched him.
“You brat, you have to come back every year for Chinese New Year from now on. I don’t want the house to be empty without you.”
Fang Heng grinned.
Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan stepped forward.
One of them stammered, "Third Brother, I've prepared medicine for you, lots and lots of medicine. You mustn't get hurt."
One of them gritted his teeth and said, "Third Brother, the world will be at peace again, and you will come back."
Fang Heng patted one of the little heads with one hand, "I'll come back when you two grow as tall as me."
Wen Zhiyun paused.
Chang Yan turned his head away angrily.
Finally, our attention fell on Xiao Jiang Sheng, the only little girl in the family. She should have been pampered and spoiled, but in reality, she was a sweet and bubbly girl, and sometimes she was a bit like Zheng Lao Er, with a chubby and adorable face.
She sat there, seemingly wanting to laugh, but her eyes were red and glistening with tears that seemed to want to fall, yet she was forcibly held back in place.
Finally, Jiang Sheng pursed her lips and whispered, "Third Brother will come back, right?"
Unlike that nine-year-old brother, he won't disappear from Jiang Sheng's life, right?
She was so lonely; she wandered for seven years before finding five older brothers.
They depended on each other for survival, they laughed and joked, they earned money to make a living, they resisted tyranny, and they cleverly thwarted schemes.
Three whole years! Jiang Sheng once thought that her brothers were embedded in her life and would never be separated from her.
Just like they promised that day, they would never be apart.
As a result, during the Spring Festival when she was ten years old, her third brother decided to leave.
A wave of panic washed over her, causing Jiang Sheng's body to tremble uncontrollably. She was terrified of separation and loss. If all affection was destined to disappear, she would rather have been a homeless child from the start, starving and freezing to death on the streets.
"Jiang Sheng," Fang Heng said in a serious voice, breaking her fear, "not all separations are losses. We will meet again, and we will still be family."
"Third Brother will always be your Third Brother, and he will always be at the forefront to protect our little Jiang Sheng."
The little girl with her hair in a bun was wearing a bright red new dress. Her round face and the tip of her nose were red from the cold. Her big eyes were filled with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
The boy bent down, gently rubbed her cheek, and wiped away the tears that had slid down her cheeks.
Jiang Sheng's heart finally couldn't hold back her emotions. Her small mouth trembled, and tears rolled down her cheeks like a waterfall. "Waaah, Third Brother is a bad guy, Third Brother is a big bad guy. He broke his promise and left. Third Brother is a liar."
The little girl's innocent accusation echoed in the flower-adorned courtyard.
Even strong-willed people like Xu Mo and Zheng Ruqian had tears in their eyes, not to mention emotional people like Aunt Zhang and Aunt Cui'er, who had long been sobbing in the corner with handkerchiefs in their hands.
No matter how sad they were, the farewell was still inevitable.
In Fang Heng's memory, because the nomadic people also wanted to have a prosperous New Year, they were most active around the time of the festival. He originally planned to spend the first day of the New Year in the Zanhua Courtyard before heading to the northern frontier.
This makes time extremely tight.
Wen Zhiyun rushed back to the clinic, not only digging out the wound medicine made in previous years, but also grinding up piles and piles of it again. Wang Xiaozhu and Wang Xiaosong, the brother and sister, came to help, and didn't complain even though their fingers were blistered.
Perhaps because the time was shorter than expected, Jiang Sheng stopped making a fuss and choked up, clutching Fang Heng's sleeve, "Third Brother, you must spend time with us before you leave."
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