Chapter 237 Farewell
This jade pendant was obtained by Xiao Fubao when he saved a pregnant woman.
Just as the two of them put away the jade tokens, Wan Laosan rushed in first, followed by Wan Shuang.
"Quan'er, are you going to join the army?"
"Brother, you can't go. It's my fault for not finding out everything. I scared you. But don't be afraid. Su Changsheng's body might have been eaten by wolves. No one will find it. You must not join the army."
Wan Shuang was so anxious that tears came out of his eyes. He now blamed himself very much. It was all his fault. If it weren't for him, his elder brother would not have gone out, and if he hadn't gone out, he wouldn't have joined the army.
Wan Laosi also followed suit and tried to persuade him.
Wan Laoer was already driving his ox cart towards the village in a hurry. He wanted to go back quickly to inform Old Lady Wan. Maybe Old Lady Wan could stop Wan Quan.
It is already past lunch time, and the gathering time at the town entrance is the end of the day, so there is not much time left for Wanquan.
"Uncle San, Uncle Si, I have already signed up, and our family is not divided. I just heard that every household has to send someone to the army this time. Since I am going, you don't have to go. Besides, you have already signed up. If you don't go, you will be treated as a deserter. So this matter cannot be changed. I have to hurry and pack my things now."
Mrs. Wan San also rushed over after hearing the news. When she heard Wan Quan's words, she immediately turned around and went into the kitchen.
Wan Lao Si and Wan Lao San were dumbfounded. They had never experienced conscription. In the past, Da Qi was quite powerful and the surrounding countries did not dare to invade. They heard that the emperor had been critically ill since the spring of this year. They thought that the news must have reached the enemy country, and the enemy country wanted to take advantage of the civil strife in Da Qi to invade.
Little Fubao asked Wanquan to carry her onto the kang, and she also helped Wanquan pack her things. The little girl was not even bigger than Wanquan's clothes, and she was tripped by the clothes and staggered forward.
Wan Lao Si and Wan Lao San were unwilling to face such a result. They wanted to persuade them, but Wan Quan's words kept echoing in their ears.
"Quan'er, but your father doesn't know yet? Our family can get the money, so you don't have to go at all. Besides, your eldest family has already separated from us, so even if you go to the army, we still have to send someone out. Why don't I use the money to arrange it?"
Wan Laosan still didn't give up and tried to persuade him.
"Uncle San, I am not interested in this. Joining the army is what I want. Ever since I started practicing Kung Fu with Brother Mo, I have been thinking about becoming a mighty general like Brother Mo one day. Even if I die on the battlefield, it is better than living in fear now. Uncle San, Uncle Si, I hope you can tell my father that no one is forcing me. I am doing this for the good of our Wan family. Our family is exiled and destined to have no chance to make a name for ourselves. But I think now is an opportunity."
Wan Quan had already packed a simple bag and put it on his back.
"Third uncle, fourth uncle, please tell grandma that I am unfilial and cannot serve you anymore, but I will definitely bring honor to the family."
Wan Quan walked between Wan Lao San and Wan Lao Si, entered the yard, and nodded in the direction of Shizi Village.
Wan Sansao hurried out of the kitchen, also carrying a bundle in her hands.
"Quan'er, you don't know when we'll meet again this time. This is the dry food Aunt San prepared for you. We are in a hurry, so we can only prepare these. Take them with you on the road. The swords on the battlefield are blind, so you must be extra careful."
Wan Sansao handed the bundle to Wan Quan. Inside was the steamed white flour buns that had just been steamed at noon, as well as the pickles and dried meat that Wan Sansao had made. The bundle was filled with all kinds of things.
Seeing that he couldn't stop it, Wan Laosi hurried to the front counter to get some loose silver and put it in a purse.
"Quan'er, take this money. If you want to eat something, you can buy it yourself."
Wan Quan refused to accept it. "Uncle, no need to pay. The government will give me money. I will send money home when the time comes. The army provides food and accommodation, so there is no place to spend money."
Wan Quan looked at Wan Shuang again, and seeing that he didn't say anything, he walked up and patted his brother on the shoulder.
"Second brother, learn from Fourth Uncle. You are smarter than me. Maybe you can achieve great success in business in the future. Go back to see Huzi when you are free. If dad lives in the county town and doesn't come back, you should visit Grandma more often. If Aunt Chen has her own children, you should help take care of them. Just treat Aunt Chen's children as your own brothers and sisters."
The more Wan Shuang listened, the sadder he felt. When Wan Quan was at home, he still had a brother to talk to. Now that his brother is gone, he feels so lonely. The two of them have no mother, and now his father is going to marry a stepmother. He feels that that family may have nothing to do with them in the future.
"Brother, don't worry, I will work hard and take good care of Tiger."
Wanquan nodded with satisfaction, picked up two bags and walked towards the town entrance.
Wan Lao San followed Wan Lao Si, holding little Fubao in his arms, and the group sent Wan Quan to the entrance of the town.
A group of family members who were seeing off their loved ones walked slowly to the town entrance. Some of them were supporting elderly people, while others were carrying crying children. An expression of reluctance and worry was on everyone's face.
They held their bags in their hands, bowed their heads and sobbed. A mother held her son's hand tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, but she tried not to let them fall. She gently advised with endless concern in her tone: "My child, you must take good care of yourself. Mother is waiting for you to come back."
Another young wife handed the clothes she had sewn by herself to her husband, her eyes full of tenderness and reluctance. The two looked at each other in silence. The husband stroked his wife's black hair lovingly. Perhaps this separation would be forever.
The air at the entrance of the town was filled with a heavy atmosphere of parting. As the marching horn sounded, Wan Quan also joined the team. He smiled and waved to everyone, and his figure was submerged in the crowd and slowly moved forward with the team.
After all the soldiers left, the family members were still standing at the entrance of the town, staring for a long time. They kept waving their arms. Although the backs of their loved ones had turned into an unclear black dot, they were unwilling to go back.
When Wan Laoer hurriedly drove the ox cart and brought everyone in his family to the town, there was no one at the entrance of the town.
Even Zhao heard the news and her whole family rushed over. Wan Jinshu wanted to stop Wan Quan, but he was too late.
Wan Laoer directly pulled everyone to the shop.
"Quan'er, where is Quan'er?" Old Mrs. Wan was helped down from the ox cart by Old Second Wan, but she did not see her eldest grandson.
The old lady slapped her thigh in anxiety.
"Mom, Quan'er has been gone for an hour. You are late."
Wan Lao Si said in a muffled voice as he walked up to Old Lady Wan.
"Why didn't you stop him? How old is he? Even if he went to the battlefield, it wouldn't be his turn. Even if the family spent money, you couldn't let such a young child go to die. You uncles are really..."
"Mom, things are not as simple as you think, and Quan'er seems to have made up his mind. Even if he doesn't go today, he will go next time. He has great ambitions." Wan Lao Si patiently persuaded Wan Lao Tai.
"Bullshit, bullshit, you guys forced him down and tied him up, I don't believe he can still walk away, let me see how you will explain to your big brother?"
Old Mrs. Wan was furious and scolded Old Fourth Wan.
Wan Jinshu was afraid that Old Lady Wan would be really angry, so he quickly stepped forward and advised: "Aunt, if Quan'er signs up, there is really no way to get him. We don't know anyone, so even if we use the back door, we can't find anyone. And with my current status, even if it's someone I knew in the past, I don't think they would give me face. The key now is to quickly find out who Quan'er and the others are under?"
When Old Lady Wan heard this, she quickly grabbed Wan Jinshu's hand and said excitedly, "Jinshu, I am a peasant and don't know anything. You know a lot. No matter how much money you spend, can you help us find out? At least it will be convenient for us to communicate in the future, right?"
Old Mrs. Wan felt both angry and pity for Wan Quan. The child had not received much maternal love since childhood, so he developed a tough character and was not talkative, but he was a very opinionated person.
Although Wan Jinshu was a little embarrassed, he still agreed. Even if he was an exile, he must know more people than Old Lady Wan and the others, and perhaps he could be of help.
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