Chapter 137 Before Departure 1
Jiang Yuan did not agree to let Atai join the army with him, even though the boy already knew very well what joining the army meant and had carefully made arrangements for his sister in case he died on the battlefield.
Jiang Yuan's reason for rejecting Atai was simple: "You're too young."
He suggested to Atai, "You should train in martial arts for a few years first. Once you've completed your training, if you still want to join the army, either I or Uncle Hao can help you find a way."
Currently, there is a military household system, and the vast majority of soldiers in the army come from military households. Only 20% to 30% are recruited through other means.
Even if ordinary people wanted to go to the battlefield and make a name for themselves, they had to see if there were any generals willing to recruit them. If not, they would never be able to enter the army.
Jiang Yuan dared to make a promise to Atai because he and Hao Yu both knew that Atai not only had good martial arts talent, but also came from a clean background and had no connection with foreigners or spies.
They believed that Chang Yao would definitely be willing to take in such a promising young talent with a clean background.
Atai was rejected and had no choice but to reluctantly settle for second best, choosing to go to Yi County with Xie Wanniang and the others.
Although he was young and hadn't received much education, he had a stubborn streak of trying to seize opportunities to change his destiny.
***
After the New Year, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, the day Wang Xiaozhi returned to her parents' home with her husband and children, Jiang Yuan told her about his plan to join the army at Zijing Pass.
“If you brothers still want to farm the forty mu of land that Wan Niang and I have, then continue to do so. If you don’t want to farm it, then help us find a suitable family in the village to rent it out.”
"I'll give you my cow, sister. And my house, you can move in anytime you want."
"As for Wan Niang and Uncle Hao's family..."
"I'll take care of everything for you." Wang Xiaozhi's eyes were red. She had just had a good cry, and her voice was trembling with sobs. "Don't worry, whatever the house looked like when you left, it will be exactly the same when you come back."
Jiang Yuan found it both funny and heartbreaking. "As long as no one else takes over the house without permission, feel free to use any of the tables, chairs, cabinets, or other items in the house that you can."
Wang Xiaozhi shook her head vigorously, "No, I'll save them all for you."
She had a feeling that if these three houses were really gone, or left dilapidated and empty, her brother would probably never come back.
Even if Jiang Yuan leaves and may not be able to return to the village for three to five or seven years, she still wants to hold onto the thought that "his home is here and he will come back."
This obsession may no longer be for Jiang Yuan, but for herself.
Wang Xiaozhi wasn't someone who could deeply analyze her own feelings. All she knew was that she wanted to help Jiang Yuan and the others take care of these three houses and then wait for them to occasionally return to the village.
Jiang Yuan couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he simply didn't force her, "Alright then, keep it."
He planned to inform the village head and his second son's family when he was about to leave, asking them to help look after the place.
Otherwise, he was afraid that if any of the three families lost something, his sister would feel guilty and upset.
It just so happened that the village head's second son lived in the house closest to the three families, the original house of his adoptive parents, making him the most suitable person to keep an eye out for thieves.
Holding the two children who were startled by her sudden crying, Wang Xiaozhi asked Jiang Yuan, "When are you planning to leave? Let me know, and your brother-in-law and I will come over to help you pack."
Jiang Yuan gave each of his two nephews a piece of steamed rice cake, saying, "It's the sixteenth day of the first lunar month."
Wang Xiaozhi couldn't help but feel sad again. The sixteenth day of the first lunar month—it's gone by too fast.
She scolded Jiang Yuan, "Why didn't you say so sooner? This is so sudden."
Jiang Yuan smiled wryly, "I told you long ago that you can't even have a good New Year."
Chen Zhaoxin said, "Then you know your sister too well."
After the family of four left, Jiang Yuan went to find Xie Wanniang, Hao Yu, and Chen Shi and told them about Wang Xiaozhi's decision to refuse to take anything and insist on keeping the house as it was originally.
Xie Wanniang, Hao Yu, and Chen Shi all felt a little uneasy.
Firstly, they all had deep feelings for Wang Xiaozhi, and she couldn't bear to part with them, so how could they not be sad?
Secondly, this is a house they painstakingly built, their former home. Even though the decision to leave was their own, the feeling of reluctance to leave will still linger.
Especially Chen, although she was unable to return to her parents' home on this day due to her pregnancy, Hao Yu went to her parents' home alone with gifts.
Although her family was afraid that she would bring them bad luck, they only wanted to marry her off and did not want her to leave her hometown.
But they couldn't say anything to Hao Yu. In their minds, a married daughter should prioritize her husband's family. Since her husband had already decided to move out, all they could do as her family members was to inquire about the specifics.
Knowing full well how her family would react, Chen felt confident enough to let Hao Yu tell them about the matter.
If her family members weren't so "conformist," she would worry that her husband might get beaten up by them.
"Alright, everyone, stop looking so downcast. It's not like we're not coming back." Xie Wanniang was the first to cheer up. She slapped her face twice and then said to Jiang Yuan and the others in a seemingly relaxed manner, "We also need to go and explain things to the village head, my master, and Xiao Yang's parents."
Jiang Yuan nodded, "Let's go to the village head's place first, and then I'll accompany you to the other two places."
Ms. Chen doesn't need to go; Xiao Yang can stay at her house to keep her company.
The three of them pushed open the door and went out, arriving at the village head's house before it got dark.
When the village head heard Jiang Yuan say that he, Hao Yu, Chen Shi, and Xie Wanniang would move out on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, he was initially shocked, but then felt that it was a matter of course.
Although he wasn't very experienced, he could tell that Hao Yu, Jiang Yuan, and Xie Wanniang were vastly different from ordinary villagers like them. It would be strange for him if such people stayed in their Mingfu Village their entire lives.
The village head readily gave them a pass and then gave them some instructions, such as "Be careful when you're out and about" and "If you don't have a good time outside, come back to the village."
The three exchanged pleasantries with him and then asked him to help look after their newly built houses.
When the village head heard them say that they had already asked Wang Xiaozhi for help and would ask her second son's family for help later, he immediately realized that he was mainly there to serve as a deterrent.
He stroked his beard and nodded to the three men. "Don't worry, I'll have the people living nearby keep an eye out."
He paused for a moment, then asked, "Xiao Yang, are you going to take him away?"
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