Young Eagle Spreads Its Wings
The news of Hu Zi joining the army was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in the Shen family.
Ten days really go by!
On the eve of his departure, Ling Zhan summoned Hu Zi to his courtyard.
On the stone table, several items were spread out, and Ling Zhan handed them to him, introducing them one by one:
Two pairs of marching boots made of multi-layered oil-soaked cowhide and durable coarse cloth. "These boots are lined with thin cotton. It's cold in the north, so you can wear them alternately."
"Thank you, Mother." Tiger carefully put the shoes away, knowing their importance.
A specially made water bladder, with an outer layer of ordinary sheepskin and an inner lining of treated fish bladder, made of a light, tough, and translucent material.
"This water bag can both keep you warm and prevent the penetration of venom. It cannot be given to anyone else."
"Mother, I've remembered."
Seeing that Hu Zi had put everything away, she handed him a bundle of dark, cold-to-the-touch, yet exceptionally strong rope.
"This rope is mixed with black gold thread, making it difficult to break with ordinary swords and blades, and it can bear a weight of a thousand pounds."
Tiger's eyes lit up; he simply couldn't believe it.
Ling Zhan then took out three small knives forged from fine steel. The blades gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light under the moonlight, thin as willow leaves yet exuding a chilling aura. "These blades have been tempered and sharpened to an extreme edge; they can cut iron chains, carve wood into nails, and...use them for self-defense." She paused, her sharp gaze fixed on Hu Zi's eyes. "You are still too young and weak; many in the army are eager for merit. Remember, observe and listen carefully, don't try to stand out, and don't be greedy for credit. Preserving your life is paramount."
Tiger met his mother's gaze and nodded vigorously.
He carefully tied the rope and dagger together and put them into his bag.
Every word of his mother's advice weighed heavily on his heart.
Ling Zhan took out another leather pouch containing medicine and poison, divided into several small porcelain bottles with clear labels: "Wound Medicine (Quick Hemostasis)," "Insect Repellent and Snake Repellent Powder," "Heart-Clearing Pill (Prevents Miasma and Drowsiness)," and "Detoxification Powder (General Use)." There was also a smaller black porcelain bottle without a label. Ling Zhan cautioned: "In dire situations, a single drop in water will cause all people and animals within a hundred paces to collapse. Use with caution."
Tiger opened his eyes wide for a moment, then quickly stuffed the small leather bag into his hidden pocket.
Ling Zhan then casually pulled out a small cloth bag and handed it to him; inside were a dozen or so thin gold leaves.
"You are at the age where you are growing, and the military rations are coarse and just enough to fill your stomach. Take this and buy yourself some meat, eggs, and dairy products on the way or when you arrive at your post. Don't deprive yourself of these essentials. A military officer's health is of utmost importance."
Tiger felt a warmth in his heart and quickly and carefully put away the gold leaf.
Finally, Ling Zhan opened a small cage covered with a black cloth.
Inside was a small bird, about the size of a fist, entirely white except for a ring of golden feathers around its eyes. It had a short, sharp beak and lively eyes.
“Snow Feather,” Ling Zhan said. “A spirit bird of the mountain peak, unafraid of the cold and with night vision. After a blood oath is made, it is released back into the forest. If you encounter danger, call it with a specific whistle, and it will find me.” She handed Tiger a bone whistle and a handful of grass seeds with a strange fragrance as birdseed. “Scatter some grass seeds around your camp. Don’t worry about it; the birds will scatter the seeds themselves across the grassland.”
Looking at the preparations that far exceeded his expectations, especially the wondrous snow-feathered bird, Tiger's eyes reddened, and he knelt down heavily.
"Thank you... thank you, Mother!"
"Let's bind it by blood." Ling Zhan handed over a silver needle.
"Yes, Mother."
Without hesitation, Hu Zi pricked his fingertip with a silver needle, squeezed out a drop of bright red blood, and carefully smeared it on Xue Ling's head.
The bird gently pecked at his finger, letting out a clear, short chirp, and seemed to show more affection in its eyes.
Tiger opened the cage door as instructed, and Snow Feather flapped its wings and flew out. Its pure white wings drew a beautiful arc in the night sky and disappeared into the vast darkness in an instant.
A strange sense of connection quietly remained in Tiger's heart.
Tiger's departure caused Bean Sprout to have nightmares for several nights in a row.
That day, after school, he unusually did not immediately go to review his studies or draw his sensory diagrams, but instead lingered at the family school.
Xuan Chenzi was sorting through several newly acquired Taoist classics, not even looking up: "Boy, you seem distracted, are you scared?!"
Bean Sprout jumped and blurted out, "Master...Taoist Master...I...I don't want to end up like Brother Tiger...going to war..." He was fourteen years old, and his height had increased, making him appear even taller and thinner. His face still carried the childishness of a teenager, but his eyes already revealed his own thoughts.
The old Taoist priest put down his book, stroked his beard, and looked at him: "Oh? So what do you want?"
"I...I want to cultivate the Tao!" Bean Sprout mustered her courage. "Like you taught me, I need to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. I don't want to go to the battlefield! I don't want to kill, and I don't want to...be killed!"
The last few words carried the straightforwardness and trepidation unique to young people.
A glint flashed in Xuan Chenzi's eyes, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
"Passing the imperial examinations could indeed exempt one from military service and corvée labor. But what about becoming an official?"
He shook his head, his tone suddenly turning sharp, "Kid, the officialdom is a hundred times more dangerous than the battlefield! It's a hellish arena where people are killed without shedding blood and devoured without spitting out bones!"
He changed the subject, his tone becoming calmer and more serious than ever before, "However... your brain is quite capable. As for your memory, while it may not be as good as that prodigy Little Stone's, you have the advantage of patience and a willingness to put in the hard work, which is rare. Your comprehension is also not bad. In the past three years, the insights you've made while reading 'Strategies' have often been quite unique, and you're not someone who just memorizes things by rote."
Bean Sprout was somewhat bewildered by the old Taoist's mixed praise and criticism.
He was simple-minded and straightforward, with a clear goal: "It doesn't matter whether I become an official or not, as long as... as long as I don't have to serve in the military!"
Xuan Chenzi stood up, lightly flicked his whisk, walked to Douya, and looked at her with piercing eyes.
As if piercing his soul: "If you truly have this intention," his voice was deep and powerful, "this old Daoist asks you, are you willing to become my disciple? Not as a teacher and student in this Shen family academy, but as a true master and disciple! Although this old Daoist is a free spirit, back in the capital I once instructed a few good-for-nothing fellows, who later became Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). If you are willing to put in the hard work, endure hardships that ordinary people cannot bear, and withstand loneliness that ordinary people cannot endure, this old Daoist will impart all the knowledge I have gained in my life to you, and send you on the road to success!"
This promise carries immense weight.
Looking into the old Taoist's deep eyes, which seemed to hold the swirling stars, Douya felt the weight of his words and the unprecedented expectation in them. Her heart trembled as if a thunderclap had struck.
He knew that once this door was opened, it would be a completely different world.
Without further hesitation, he knelt down on the cold floor tiles with a thud.
His forehead slammed down heavily, making a crisp sound, and he kowtowed three times in a row.
"Disciple Bean Sprout greets Master! Disciple is willing to endure hardship! Please teach me, Master!"
Tiger's first formal dinner away from home after joining the army was already somber due to his longing for home.
After much effort, Shen Yan repeatedly emphasized that "the children feel empty inside" and promised "absolute quiet and no disturbance," before finally persuading Ling Zhan to sit down at the head of the table with Xiao Shitou.
Once all the dishes were served, Shen Yan diligently served Ling Zhan, piling a high layer of stir-fried vegetables into her bowl, trying to create an atmosphere of "harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things".
Xuan Chenzi slowly sipped his wine, then suddenly seemed to remember something. He stroked his beard, a hint of deliberate smugness in his eyes, and said to Shen Yan, "Young Shen, there's some good news at the family academy today, but I haven't had a chance to tell you yet."
Shen Yan was about to put a piece of fish into Ling Zhan's bowl when she heard this and casually asked, "Oh? What good news does the Daoist have?"
"Today, this old Taoist priest has accepted a disciple for his final mission."
Xuan Chenzi smiled and glanced at Douya, who was engrossed in eating.
Shen Yan paused, dropping the fish onto the table: "Disciple? Who?" He had a vague feeling that something was wrong.
“Naturally, it’s Bean Sprout.”
Xuan Chenzi's voice was loud and clear, tinged with pride, "He has a calm and steady temperament and is a promising talent! He has performed the apprenticeship ceremony, kowtowed, and been offered tea! From now on, he is my personal disciple! I will certainly impart all my knowledge to him and help him achieve his goal. This is much better than blindly following some people!"
With his last sentence, he glanced meaningfully at Shen Yan.
"What?!"
Shen Yan abruptly put down her chopsticks, her voice rising, her face instantly turning bright red.
He jumped to his feet, pointing at Bean Sprout: "You! Bean Sprout! You want to become an apprentice?! Become this old Taoist's apprentice?! Such a big matter, did you even ask me?! Who gave you permission to make this decision on your own?!"
I feel that my "patriarchy" has been challenged and ignored like never before!
Tiger joined the army out of necessity, yet this Bean Sprout dares to abandon him when he becomes an apprentice?!
The dinner table fell into an instant silence.
Da Niu and Da Ya were too scared to touch their chopsticks.
Su Wan and Accountant Wang exchanged a worried look.
Little Stone looked curiously at the enraged Shen Yan.
Bean Sprout turned pale from the yelling and stammered, trying to explain, "Dad...I...I..."
"What do you mean, 'you'?!"
Shen Yan was already furious, and the pent-up frustration from Hu Zi leaving home exploded together. "You think you're all grown up now? Don't you even respect me as your father?! You want to become an apprentice? Did you even ask me?! I've worked so hard..."
"Bang!"
A muffled thud, neither too loud nor too soft, interrupted Shen Yan's roar. It was Ling Zhan who had put down the soup bowl. The sound of the bowl hitting the table was faint, but it seemed to freeze Shen Yan in place, abruptly stopping her angry shout. Everyone looked at her.
Ling Zhan picked up a cloth and slowly wiped his mouth without even lifting his eyelids. His voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable weight: "He chose his own path. Whom he worships is his business."
That short sentence was like ice water poured over his head, instantly extinguishing all of Shen Yan's anger.
He opened his mouth, but the rest of the words got stuck in his throat, and his face turned red and white.
He suddenly realized—it's over!
In his moment of anger, he forgot that his wife, who believed "rules above all else," hated nothing more than others interfering in her affairs!
It took him a lot of effort to get the person back to the table!
If I lose my temper and drive everyone away... will I ever have a chance to be with my family again?!
The anger on Shen Yan's face faded at a visible speed.
He put on an almost fawning smile, and his back unconsciously bent a little.
He rubbed his hands together, speaking to Ling Zhan in a soft, gentle voice, filled with utmost flattery:
"Ling... Madam is right! So right! I was so foolish! I was so foolish!"
He turned his head and forced a "benevolent father" smile at Douya. "Douya, Dad was just... just now, I was so surprised! Surprised! Happy! Yes, happy! Becoming Master Xuanchen's disciple is a wonderful thing! A great blessing! Dad supports you! A hundred percent supports you! But you should have told Dad first, so Dad could be happy for you too, right?!"
He was afraid that Ling Zhan would be dissatisfied.
He quickly added, his tone almost fawning: "However! Becoming a disciple is a big deal! It can't be taken lightly! Especially when it comes to a master like Master Xuan Chen! Just kowtowing and offering a cup of tea isn't enough! We need to hold a proper tea ceremony! We need witnesses, a written document, and to announce it to our relatives and friends! That's how we show our sincerity! That's how we show our respect for the Master! Douya is too young to understand these things, so Dad will take care of it! I guarantee it will be a grand and respectable affair! Master, what auspicious day do you think we should choose?"
Shen Yan's 180-degree turn left everyone stunned.
Bean Sprout looked completely bewildered. Xuan Chenzi stroked his beard, his lips twitching as he tried to laugh but forced himself to hold it back.
Da Niu and Da Ya secretly exchanged glances, thinking, "Dad changes his expression so quickly."
Ling Zhan simply picked up his chopsticks again and took a piece of green vegetable.
He said calmly, "Bean Sprout, apologize to your father before you eat."
These words were like heavenly music to Shen Yan!
She didn't leave! She's still at the dinner table! And she even ordered Bean Sprout to apologize to her!
This is clearly on my side!
Bean Sprout formally kowtowed three times to apologize to her father.
Chen Yan became increasingly magnanimous.
He quickly sat down and diligently added soup to Ling Zhan's bowl, his face full of a relieved smile after surviving the ordeal, and he kept muttering to himself.
"Come, come, let's eat! The food's getting cold! Daoist, please try this wine! Bean Sprout, eat more meat, studying hard will strain your brain! Big Girl and Big Girl, don't just stand there! Little Stone, you're the best at studying, you need to eat lots of fish every day to nourish yourself."
A storm that nearly overturned the dinner table.
The matter vanished without a trace amidst Shen Yan's swift and unexpected admission of weakness and Ling Zhan's casual words.
The atmosphere at the dinner table returned to a subtle "harmony".
He was disgusted by that overly bright smile and eager gestures, which seemed to convey a sense of lingering fear and an attempt to impress. He finally understood who truly set the rules and made the decisions in this family.
For this hard-won "reunion dinner".
What's with all this "patriarchal" airs? They're nothing to worry about, they're completely unimportant!
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