Everyone looked at Ke Yuanda.
Brother Ke had been frowning the whole time, thinking seriously for the first time. After his younger brothers had all made their choices, he finally said, "I actually want to join the army..."
After saying that, he lowered his head, clenched his fists in suppressed anger, and felt that it was just wishful thinking on his part.
Back when everyone was toiling in the fields for a living, the brothers would get by together, without much difference between good and bad. After all, their parents would take care of them. The other kids around them had gone through the same thing, except they worked hard. Unlike them, they were unwilling to accept their situation but lacked the ability to make a living.
Every man harbors a dream of joining the army—the exhilarating feeling of sacrificing his life for the organization, and the carefree exuberance of youth. It's an eternally burning indelible mark on their hearts.
Now that he can suddenly go to university, his desire to join the army grows stronger. But he is already 23 years old, and many people his age have already retired from the army, gone home to get married and have children!
And he...
Seeing that the atmosphere was tense and that they were no longer of any use, the village chief and the others smiled and said a few more words of congratulations before heading home.
The old lady hurriedly directed Ke's mother to give everyone a porcelain basin, an enamel mug, a towel, a fountain pen, a notebook, and a flashlight!
The village chief and his entourage were flattered by the generous gift and quickly waved it back.
"Take it. Over the years, our children have troubled you a lot by taking care of them. Now that their luck has turned around, we should let you uncles and grandfathers share in their joy."
"We don't have any more; the rest we'll divide among our family."
The old lady was very generous with gifts to anyone she liked, after all, she had three large sacks of stuff in her house.
Bao also said that she could do whatever she wanted with the contents of that sack, and that was just the beginning.
Seeing that they really couldn't refuse, the village chief and the others smiled and accepted it, secretly thinking that they would take better care of the Ke family's fourth branch in the future!
After everyone had left, the old lady turned around and went to pick out the wick for the kerosene lamp on the table.
The joyful atmosphere at home has now largely dissipated.
The old man sighed deeply, his hands trembling as he reached for his pipe, only to remember that he had broken it.
Ke Meiyu hurriedly ran back into the house and handed over the pipe she had bought from the provincial capital, containing tobacco that, according to the salesperson, wasn't too strong. She had infused the pipe with lung-cleansing and breathing talismans, which would not only reduce the harm of the smoke to the old man's body but also gently cleanse the tar and dirt that had accumulated in his lungs over the years.
The old man stroked his shiny black pipe, sighed twice, and his eyes welled up with tears, filled with guilt: "Your grandfather was too strong-willed all his life. He would avoid being a burden to the organization if he could, and he would shoulder everything himself rather than beg for help."
"If only I had pulled some strings back then, wouldn't all of our grandsons be serving in the military by now?"
"It's also about serving the organization, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be fair to the others..."
Ke Yuanda quickly said, "Grandpa, how can this be your fault? Our village recruits soldiers from time to time. It's just that we didn't pass the physical exam!"
"Even if you pull strings and get us into the army, if it's discovered later, no one can escape the responsibility."
Ke Meiyu asked curiously, "How can I fail the physical exam?"
She was genuinely puzzled because she knew from her grandmother's words that when the village chief's younger brother joined the army, the recruitment office gave him priority admission because of her grandfather.
Why is it that it doesn't work when it comes to one's own children and grandchildren?
Her five older brothers were handsome, tall and strong, and were the best in the village in terms of running, jumping, smashing people and carrying things, except that they were unwilling to do farm work.
They're perfect for the military!
Ke Laosi explained to his daughter, "Back in your grandfather's time, as long as you weren't afraid of death, knew how to carry a gun, and were wholeheartedly devoted to the people and the organization, you could join the army."
"But now it's peacetime, and joining the army is a way out. With so many people in Xia Hua, how could the organization possibly take them all? The recruitment requirements are getting stricter every year."
“You five older brothers,” he paused, “are all colorblind…”
The old lady also sighed and said quietly, "Not only your five older brothers, but also the brothers of your eldest uncle and third uncle's families."
“Back then, there was a food shortage at home. These boys had big appetites, and they would cry out in hunger after drinking only thin porridge every day. Whenever the adults weren’t paying attention, they would run to the back of the mountain.”
"The tree bark and grass around the back of our mountain have been almost completely eaten away, there's nothing left to eat. So they... they've set their sights on mushrooms, secretly using a broken pot to make soup behind our backs!"
"After drinking a pot of poisonous mushroom soup, they started vomiting, having diarrhea, and having a fever. They even saw some kind of deity, which terrified us. We spent all our savings to pull them back from the brink of death."
"The people are fine, but their eyes are damaged. The doctor said they've become red-green colorblind!"
Ke Meiyu was stunned, turning her head in disbelief to look at her five brothers who were practically curling their arms and legs into a ball.
Qin Yuanjiu also frowned.
Brother Ke grinned, almost crying, "Sister, brother-in-law, does this mean I can't drive anymore? I heard that you have to watch traffic lights when driving in big cities..."
Brother Ke also said eagerly, "Although I don't understand finance, it seems that dealing with money involves drawing tables. I see that red, orange, yellow, and green are all yellow..."
"I heard that chefs are very particular about cooking, using a lot of ingredients and seasonings, and even the plating has requirements. I can't distinguish colors well, so will schools not accept me?" Brother Ke stared at the form dejectedly.
"It seems like you also need a physical exam to get a job at the police station..." Brother Ke's eyes also reddened.
They were overjoyed when they learned they could go to university, but now everyone remembers the frustration they felt during their medical examination years ago.
Color blindness prevents them from driving or joining the army, and they are destined to spend their entire lives tending to a small plot of land!
Even with such a great opportunity to go to university right in front of them, they are still being kept out.
Ke Meiyu pursed her lips, her consciousness frantically searching through various books and jade slips in her mind, as well as the medical encyclopedia of later generations that she had purchased at a high price.
She had organized the booklets in the space, categorizing them neatly, making it easy to find relevant content now.
Even though she was lazy and had no ambition, she still had to think about herself and her family, since she was guarding such an incredible space.
Therefore, she was bound to take the path of talisman medicine.
Drawing talismans is necessary, but she can't put the cart before the horse. She must first learn medicine so that she can draw talismans correctly for the illness!
So she also sets aside half of her time each day to read medical books, and she chews them slowly and thoroughly.
Otherwise, what's stored in her mind would be like a database, requiring a search to present a rigid, unstructured picture, rather than a coherent knowledge framework.
She soon found medical talismans for treating various eye diseases, as well as information and treatments for color blindness from later generations.
The brothers' color blindness was likely acquired later in life from accidentally consuming poisonous mushrooms that affect their nerves!
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