Because the workshop was about to start, the Shen family had been very busy in recent days. Shen Yan was particularly excited and was about to write an inscription for the workshop. He practiced alone in the study for a long time but still felt unsatisfied. The table and the ground under the table were full of his wasted paper balls.
When Old Madam Shen saw him, she pretended to be calm and asked, "My study is freezing cold. What are you doing here? You're not feeling well. You should go back and warm yourself by the fire with everyone else."
Old Madam Shen casually picked up a piece of paper from the ground, looked at the ink still wet on it, and said with a smile, "I don't know what you've been busy with, old man. I just came to see if you've resolved your dilemma. Our Jia Niang can't wait for you for much longer."
She walked over to the table and looked at her husband, who hadn't even noticed the ink dripping onto the paper because of her words. She smiled in her heart. It was really worth it that she had come all the way from the main room. After seeing her husband who was so angry that he almost blew his beard, Mrs. Shen urged again:
"Your ink is almost dry, and I don't have anything else to do. Just write it quickly and I'll tell Jia Niang."
"snort!"
Looking at his old wife who came to laugh at his joke, the already nervous string in his heart became even tighter, and his hands almost began to tremble. Fortunately, he put down the pen before being discovered, stretched his muscles, and opened another piece of paper.
"Just watch, my handwriting is famous among my peers."
The two people smelled the fragrance of ink and the whistling north wind in their ears, watching the six big words "Shen's Tofu Workshop" emerge one by one.
Who knew that the originally bustling streets had suddenly become tense?
Shen Jia heard a commotion in the shop. Because the weather was cold, not many people went out, and the sudden noise immediately attracted people out.
As the crowd walked towards the most lively place in the town, Shen Jia saw in the gaps between the crowd what seemed to be quite a few soldiers and constables, who were posting something on the wooden board where notices were usually posted.
At the same time, his mouth was talking non-stop, but because the voices in his ears were too noisy, Shen Jia could not hear clearly what the other person said.
After the mouth finally stopped talking, the people gathered in the front were all dejected, with the sorrow and sadness on their faces unable to be concealed at all. The people behind him were also struggling to squeeze in. Shen Jia, who was worried about something happening, stepped back.
At this time, Shen Hao, who followed her to see the situation, had already squeezed to the front. He stood right in front of the notice, staring at the words inside. After reading it, he became excited and squeezed out of the crowd excitedly and walked towards Shen Jia.
She shouted, "Jia Niang, Jia Niang! Do you know what I saw?
On the way here from Shengjing, everyone was still saying that there hadn't been a war in the north for several years and there was no extra money to expand the army. I thought there was no hope for me to pursue a military career in this life.
Who would have thought that this opportunity would come today? The content inside was about recruiting soldiers. It said that because of the Xiongnu's sudden attack, countless soldiers on the front line were killed and wounded. General Yan decided to expand the army and start recruiting soldiers.
"Any family with two males aged 15 or above must choose one to serve in the military. Those who don't want to go must pay 20 taels of silver. It seems the casualties on the front lines are going to be very heavy."
While talking about Shen Hao, he began to imagine whether he could also have this opportunity to realize his ambitions?
Ask a martial artist, who doesn’t have the ambition to serve his country and defend his homeland?
There was no opportunity before, but now the opportunity is right in front of him. Shen Hao recalled what he had just seen, and a surge of energy surged in his chest.
However, after hearing his words, Shen Jia on the opposite side was not happy about Shen Hao's excitement and excitement. She knew the horror of ancient wars better than anyone else.
The weapons were outdated, all of them were cold weapons, not to mention medical care. Once the wound became infected, the soldiers would just have to wait for death. Moreover, Shen Hao was the youngest son in the family, so Shen Jia decided that his grandparents would not let him join the army easily.
The family's current financial situation would not allow Shen Hao to have the opportunity to join the army. Unless he disregards his parents' support and takes a gamble and signs up himself, his current idea would not work at all.
However, Shen Jia would not pour cold water on him at this time. As long as the person concerned can understand how the world works, you cannot trap an eagle that wants to soar into the sky.
She replied calmly, "I thought something big had happened, but it turns out it's the Yan Family Army recruiting soldiers. It seems that the Northern Territory really hasn't had military service for many years, otherwise everyone wouldn't be so excited to hear this news."
Seeing that look, Shen Hao didn't know how to express his thoughts.
Shen Jia, who didn't want to get involved, turned and left. Looking at Shen Hao, who stood there motionless for a long time, he shouted, "Uncle San, let's go! We know the news anyway, and there's still work waiting for us in the shop."
After returning to the shop, Shen Jia also told the few people who stayed there the news. However, in this dynasty, people of low status do not have to serve in the military, so this has nothing to do with the Yang family.
However, when they heard the news, the expressions on Fuqiu and Shen Yue's faces became unnatural for a moment, but they felt relieved when they heard that the problem could be solved with silver.
Their family does not need anyone to serve in the military to save this little money for the time being. Currently, the monthly income of the shop alone can exceed twenty taels, and it is expected to increase in the future.
However, both of them were a little confused about Shen Hao's inexplicable good mood after returning. This was not a good thing. Why was he so happy?
After returning home and having dinner, Shen Yan asked Shen Jia to look at the words he had written after a busy day. Facing the teasing look of Mrs. Shen, he looked straight ahead and put on a good look as he led people away from the table.
Shen Jia had long known that her grandfather's handwriting was very good, but this time, even though she was a modern person who was not familiar with calligraphy, she could still see the exquisiteness in this piece of calligraphy. It was obviously much better than the last Shen's tofu.
Shen Jia was not stingy with his praise and showered his grandfather with flattery, which made it impossible for him to maintain his pretentious seriousness and he burst into laughter in the study.
Now Shen Yan really felt that his granddaughter was really capable. It was worth it that he did not lose patience and wrote the calligraphy carefully under his wife's instructions this afternoon. Now it seems that this is the best reward for himself.
It really makes him feel satisfied to have someone who can praise him in a way that is not cliché.
Shen Yan's happy laughter also reached Shen Hao who was still waiting outside. At this time, he felt that Shen Jia was simply his benefactor. Since his father was so happy, the probability of him agreeing to his suggestion was much higher.
Shen Jia, who had received the items, left amidst his grandfather's happy laughter. As soon as he came out, he saw Shen Hao waiting outside. He knew why he came here. Shen Jia just said hello softly and left with the items.
Shen Hao walked into the study room and looked at his radiant father. He first mentioned the notice they saw outside today. After just a few words, Shen Yan knew what Shen Hao was going to say next.
The joy he had just felt instantly vanished, and the next second his worries came true. Shen Yan sat down heavily on the chair with a "thump", looking at his young and high-spirited son, with a mixed feeling in his heart.
That night, the lights in Chen Yan's study were on brightly. Old Madam Shen, who didn't like to listen to the father and son chatting, didn't remind her of the time, but fell asleep alone. It was not until dawn that she realized that she seemed to be alone in bed last night.
Originally, the four of them were going to the tofu shop together in the morning, but today when they arrived at the front yard, there was no sign of Shen Hao. Shen Yue looked at the closed door and waited until she got angry, but there was no sign of anyone. She almost shouted loudly in the yard.
In an angry tone, he said, "Uncle San, why are you up so late today? It's already so late and you haven't shown up yet. If you don't come out, I'll go knock on the door."
Originally, Shen Jia still held a glimmer of hope in his heart, but now it seems that Shen Hao is determined, and no one else can influence his thoughts at all, not even his grandfather can keep him.
So he looked at the two anxious people and said, "No need to wait for Uncle San today. It's just the three of us. We can ask Uncle San what's going on when we get back today."
"You knew it, but you didn't tell me earlier. You've left everyone waiting here."
Shen Yue spoke these words of complaint in a very low voice. She now understood that Shen Jia's status in everyone's mind was much higher than hers. If her father heard it, he would give her another lecture.
Fuqiu only obeyed Shen Jia, so when she heard this, she quickly followed her, not caring about Shen Hao's reason. She just had to listen to the young lady.
Fortunately, Shen Hao is not responsible for too many things now, and everyone can still handle the work if the responsibilities are divided among them. However, a new person who is responsible for overall affairs like Shen Hao still needs to be trained.
A candidate suddenly emerged in her mind to be responsible for her next plan.
The Shen family was not peaceful that day. After Mrs. Shen found something wrong, she hurried to the study and saw the father and son staring at each other, neither of them willing to give in. It seemed that Shen Hao even knelt on the ground all night.
She was immediately heartbroken. This was her late-born son. Even if he had a little skin broken, she would still be worried. Now Shen Yan had made Hao'er kneel for a whole night. She immediately lost her temper and shouted:
"What are you doing? Is there anything you can't talk to me about? Hao'er is still young, just explain everything clearly. What if your body can't stand kneeling all night?"
Looking at Shen Hao, who remained upright even when kneeling, Shen Yan understood that during the night of their confrontation, he did not give in to his own ideas and was determined to join the army.
Seeing that his wife didn't understand him, Chen Yan, who had been up all night, spoke in a hoarse voice, "Ask your good son what he wants to do. He doesn't listen to me at all. Kneeling for a whole night is an extra favor from me. Otherwise, he would have to kneel in the ancestral hall right now."
Chen Yan almost roared the last few words. After he finished speaking, he was so angry that he couldn't suppress the discomfort in his chest and started coughing loudly in the room.
“Cough cough cough!”
Old Madam Shen looked at the father and son, neither of whom was willing to admit defeat, and sighed, "You two really have exactly the same temper."
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