The conscription documents were filled out quickly. He Yan's handwriting was pretty good. The red-faced man looked at it and asked, "Can you read?"

"I've learned a little." He Yan answered modestly.

Most of the men who enlisted were strong men who sold their strength, and few of them could read. The red-faced man softened his expression towards her and said, "Go to the back room to read first. Once you pass, get a document and sign your name, and then you will be enlisted."

He Yan thanked him and went to the back tent.

This tent was closer to the inside of the horse farm and was also larger. He Yan lifted the curtain and went in. There was one person standing and one person sitting inside. A chubby shirtless man was sitting on a horse putting on his shoes. He smiled and asked the standing man, "How am I? Am I still strong?"

He Yan pretended not to see anything and walked in without looking away. When the fat man saw her, he was surprised and asked, "How can such a weak person join the army?"

The doctor in charge of the screening urged him: "Put on your shoes and go out quickly. I want to check the next person."

The fat man walked away, looking back at He Yan as he walked, looking puzzled.

"Come here," the doctor said, "take off all your clothes and stand here."

He Yan: “…”

When enlisting in the army, one must have a physical examination to see if he has any disability or infectious diseases. In his previous life, He Yan almost got exposed when he enlisted in the Vietnamese army. This time, he was already prepared. He took out a silver coin from his sleeve, held the doctor's hand, and stuffed the silver into the doctor's hand.

Doctor Zeyue was startled and looked at her with a frown: "This..."

"Doctor, I have to tell you that I have a hidden illness," He Yan lowered his head, looking embarrassed, "It is precisely because of this that I am not welcomed by others and often bullied. I couldn't stay at home any longer, so I came out to join the army. Right now, I really don't want my defects to be seen by others. I hope that the doctor will give me some convenience. Even if I die on the battlefield in the future, I will remember your kindness and repay you by working like a slave for the rest of my life."

Doctor Xie Yan thought he was going to talk about some disease or something, but he didn't expect it to be a hidden illness. This was the first time he encountered such a situation. He was stunned for a while, and when he looked at He Yan again, he had a bit of sympathy. He looked young and handsome, but he was actually a useless person? What a pity, no wonder he came to join the army, I'm afraid if he did anything else, he wouldn't be able to do anything in his life.

He squeezed the silver in his hand, which was heavy. He looked at He Yan, who was in good spirits and did not look sick. Doctor Zeyan said, "In this case, I will not force you. You can go now. Be careful when you live with others and don't be seen by others. If you are found by others, you can't blame me."

"Thank you, doctor." He Yan clasped his fists towards him with tears in his eyes.

After passing through so smoothly, He Yan heaved a sigh of relief. When she came out of the tent, she found that the fat man was sitting on a stone beside the horse field, stuffing a steamed bun into his mouth. When he saw her, he waved to her, as if to say hello.

He Yan thought about it and walked over.

"Little brother, I just saw you in there." The fat man finished the pancake in his hand in a few bites, with sesame seeds still on the corners of his mouth. He asked, "Are you here to join the army?"

He Yan nodded. Seeing the remaining biscuits in his hand, she felt a little hungry. She hadn't eaten anything since this afternoon, and after all the chasing, she was already starving.

"Are you hungry?" The fat man saw her staring at his hand and reached out his hand. "Here, take it and eat it! I just ate five and I'm full!"

He Yan was really hungry, so he stopped refusing. He took it and said "please" and started eating with big mouthfuls.

"You are so skinny, yet you join the army. Will your family be at ease?" the fat man muttered. "You are not as brave as my ten-year-old brother."

He Yan swallowed a mouthful of steamed cake and answered leisurely, "Well, I just look thin, but I'm very strong. I'm sixteen this year."

"Why did you join the army?" the fat man asked, "You don't look like a rough man."

"My family has fallen on hard times and I have nowhere else to go." He Yan only said eight words.

The fat man then understood and spoke sympathetically, "Things in life are unpredictable, little brother, you don't have to take it too seriously. In the future, just follow me and be my little brother. I will protect you."

"Thank you, big brother." He Yan responded readily.

The fat man was pleased with the "big brother" and said with a smile, "My last name is Hong Shan. You can call me Brother Shan in the future. What's your last name, little brother?"

"My last name is He, Heyan. The He in firewood."

"He? This surname is quite rare. From now on I will call you Ah He."

"Yeah!" He Yan nodded. While she was talking, she had already finished the pancake. She wiped her mouth, found a former stable, and sat down against the railing. Seeing this, Hong Shan asked curiously, "Little brother, aren't you going home?"

"I'm not going back." He Yan put his hands behind his head, "I'm just living here."

Hong Shan's eyes were filled with sympathy. He sat next to him and said, "I have nowhere to go either. Let's just stay here for one night and set off together tomorrow."

"It couldn't be better."

There was a torch lit outside the tent in the distance, swaying in the rain, as if it would go out at any moment. The two sat silently in the dark, each thinking about their own thoughts.

I wonder what happened to He Yunsheng, and whether he got home safely. He Yan thought about this and fell asleep unknowingly.

…

Countless things happen in the capital every day. No one pays attention to the affairs of the poor, but if they are related to the rich and powerful, everyone will know about them.

Last night, a murder occurred on the Chunlai River. The young master of the Fan family in the capital was killed in a boat. The murderer escaped and his whereabouts are unknown. He has not been caught yet. The daughter of the captain of the city gate was also on the boat. She was also killed by the murderer and drowned in the river. Her body has not been found.

There was such a brutal murderer in the city, and people were panicked for a while. However, some people applauded. The young master of the Fan family had always relied on his family power to bully and abuse civilian girls. The girls did not dare to speak out when they were wronged. Now someone was enforcing justice, and perhaps the heavens were enlightened.

The He family was in a miserable state.

He Sui seemed to have aged ten years overnight, sitting in the hall blankly, like a clay sculpture. Qingmei and Shuangqing hid in the yard, Shuangqing looked miserable, Qingmei wiped her tears and whispered: "How could he suddenly disappear..."

In the simple stable, He Yunsheng sat next to Xiangxiang.

The fodder was still the same as yesterday, and he had no intention of adding more. The horse walked around in a somewhat impatient manner, but He Yunsheng remained unmoved.

No news is good news. At least until now, He Yan has not been caught. He remembered that on that boat, the night rain covered the bloody smell. He was confused and helpless. The girl in a long dress had clear eyes. She touched his head and said to him, "You know, I'm fine every time."

It'll be alright this time too, for sure.

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

Happy Dragon Boat Festival everyone!