mtl008 Chapter 222: Join the army here
Chapter 222: Join the army here
The dinner was very rich. It was obvious that Fourth Aunt had put a lot of effort into arranging this meal, and all she cooked were home-cooked dishes.
Although there is a cook at home, Yang Shangyue also cooks and helps.
Zong Yanli ate with a mouthful of praise and added more rice to the bowl. Zong Yanfeiyi laughed out loud when he saw this, and Yang Shangyue's eyes were full of smiles. She had been worried that Zong Yanli would not be able to get used to the food at home, but now she felt relieved to see her eating so happily.
Wen Nian is not a talkative person, and Zong Yan Feiyi has long been accustomed to the two of them being inseparable.
He did not feel strange when chatting with Wen Nian, who treated him like his own brother. Laughter could be heard from time to time. Yang Changyue went downstairs with the children to wash and put them to bed, and told them to eat and drink more.
The night was comfortable and enjoyable, and Zong Yanli woke up at a certain time the next day.
Hearing the sounds of sweeping, fetching water and walking outside the guest room, she turned over in bed. For the first time in her life, she did not get up to practice swordplay, but she found it difficult to fall asleep again. After lying there for a while, she felt unbearable and got up to wash up.
"General, you got up so early!" When he opened the door, he met the old nanny. This was Yang Shangyue's wet nurse, Li, who was now doing some chores at home.
"There is an open space behind the courtyard that few people walk on. If the general wants to practice martial arts, he can go there." Aunt Li understood very well. She looked at Zong Yanli with a smile and said, "Son-in-law also often goes there to practice martial arts."
"Thank you." Zong Yanli nodded in thanks, then went out with his long sword.
Looking at Zong Yanli's tall and straight figure, Li A'niang couldn't help but admire in her heart. This great general was polite and friendly to others without any airs at all. The men in Zong Yanli's family were all excellent husbands!
Just as Li A'niang said, the back of the courtyard was sparsely populated and undisturbed. The grass was trampled a lot and there were several scratches from swords and knives on the tree trunks. It turned out that Fourth Uncle often came here to practice martial arts, and the ground had been trampled a lot harder.
Zong Yanli concentrated on practicing swordplay, listening to the sounds of people talking and chatting, their hearty laughter, the tofu vendor calling out his tofu, the crowing of chickens and the barking of dogs, this side was the smell of life.
"Ali! Time for breakfast!" Just as Zong Yanli was standing quietly and enjoying this rare moment, she heard her fourth uncle's head popping up from the top of the wall and calling out to her.
Zong Yanli: “…”
Yang Shangyue's voice of laughter and scolding could be heard: "You lazy man! Why are you climbing over the wall? Why don't you go out and shout? Come down quickly..."
Zong Yanfeiyi laughed: "It's just a two-step walk, it's convenient here!"
Zong Yanli laughed and shook his head, put away his long sword and went back to the yard, only to see Wen Nian chopping wood in the yard with his sleeves rolled up.
"General." Wen Nian straightened up slightly and leaned forward to lower his head.
"I twisted my waist while fixing the leaky roof two days ago, and I had no time to sort out the firewood." Zong Yanfeiyi scratched his head and said, "Wen Nian got up early and insisted on helping, so I let him go."
"Nothing, let him move around." Zong Yanli smiled. Although Wen Nian didn't talk much, he was still quite perceptive.
Zong Yanfeiyi was leading troops outside, and all the chores at home were taken care of by Yang Shangyue's two brothers. Now that Zong Yanfeiyi has returned home, he would naturally invite his father-in-law and his family to a simple meal, so that Zong Yanli could get to know them. Therefore, when Zong Yanfeiyi mentioned this, Zong Yanli did not refuse, but nodded in agreement.
The Yang family had long intended to host a banquet for Zong Yanli, but Zong Yanli did not want to be so polite, so he told his fourth uncle that the whole family could just have a simple meal together.
She had no intention of making a big fuss, otherwise she would not have come so lightly, and she also did not want to disturb the peace of her fourth uncle's family.
Zong Yanfeiyi understood, and after discussing it with his wife, he scheduled a family dinner for two days later.
After breakfast, Zong Yanli helped to organize the firewood pile in the yard, and then took Wen Nian to the street.
Shouxi County has changed a lot. Zong Yanli's memory still remains at the time when King Xuan granted the county a fief here. Now a new prefect has taken office in Shouxi County. He governs strictly and the people live in peace. With the demise of Qing State and the expansion of territory, and trade with Gao State and Jin State, Shouxi County will only become more prosperous in the future.
"General, you have really good taste!" At the market, Zong Yanli fiddled with his horsewhip and looked at it, while the vendors next to him tried hard to sell their products and praised him.
"The military households in our Pingnan Camp all come to me to buy things. They are definitely good stuff!" said the vendor with a smile.
Zong Yanli did not deny her identity. Even though she was wearing a warrior's short shirt, without any military armor or sword, she looked like a soldier who had been through mountains of corpses and seas of blood and lived in the army for many years and observed military discipline. She was different from ordinary people.
She had wanted to buy a new whip for a long time, and seeing the vendor spending so much time trying to sell it, she paid for it without much hesitation.
Zong Yanli didn't want to buy much at first, but as he walked around, he thought to himself that since he was living with his fourth uncle and aunt, there was no reason not to buy them gifts.
I followed my heart and spent a lot of money without realizing it...
Zong Yanli called a boy to run errands, and asked him to help deliver the things back to his fourth uncle's house for a few copper coins. He then took Wen Nian to find a teahouse to sit down and inquire about the situation in Shouxi County in recent years.
Unexpectedly, before I could even sit down, I heard a loud noise of tables and chairs breaking below.
Zong Yanli held his teacup and looked over. He saw two groups of people arguing below. They were wearing short shirts of soldiers. Although they were not wearing armor, one could tell at a glance that they were soldiers from the Pingnan Camp. Three or five of them seemed to have had an argument and were fighting in the teahouse.
"General, does it matter?" Wen Nian glanced and turned around to ask.
"Let them finish the fight and then pay for the tables, chairs, and teacups." Zong Yanli took a sip of tea slowly, apparently having no intention of taking action.
They are all young men full of vigor and such fights are common.
There is nothing to worry about if soldiers and generals are fighting each other, as long as they don't bully the people.
The two groups in the teahouse quickly determined the winner. Looking at the two groups of people limping, they came to the counter, suppressed their anger and took out the copper coins in their pockets, and they pooled their money tacitly to compensate the store for its losses.
The shop owner seemed to be used to it and even kindly sent them out.
"Fourth uncle mentioned that Pingnanying is now managed by Qian Zhixing?" Zong Yanli couldn't help but laugh when he saw this and said, "He's managing it well."
"General, do you want to go to Pingnan Camp to take a look?" Wen Nian also smiled and asked sideways.
"Some other day." Zong Yanli wanted to revisit her old place. Pingnanying had carried her entire teenage years and was extremely precious to her.
The Pingnan Camp today is not the same as before. Most of the soldiers have been transferred away. Now Pingnan Camp is just a small camp with more than a thousand soldiers. Apart from the occasional prisoners of war, there are also soldiers recruited every year who are trained and sent to various places. It has become a breeding ground for new recruits.
After Qian Zhixing took over, the new recruit camp was well planned, the training results were remarkable and it is now well-known in Daqian.
Young men from all over the country came here to join the army.
This also affected Shouxi County. There were quite a few soldiers in the county who fought like this. After all, they were young and full of energy. Fortunately, Qian Zhixing had strict discipline. If they did not pay compensation today, they would be tied up and brought in tomorrow. Not only would they be beaten, but it would be really embarrassing!
What Zong Yanli didn’t know was that there was another reason why Pingnanying was so famous, and that was herself.
Zong Yanli came from Pingnan Camp. He fought his way out of Pingnan Camp and established countless legendary exploits. Most people admired his strength and naturally flocked to him in an endless stream. If it were not for the strict restrictions on the number of new recruits to be recruited each year, I'm afraid no one from other places would sign up.
"Where is General Qian going?" Zong Yanli finished a pot of tea and was about to go home. As soon as he walked out of the teahouse, he saw the war horse riding towards him in a hurry. The people looked at the war horse but did not seem to be afraid. Some people even called out to it enthusiastically.
"General Qian, have some tea!"
"Oh, this gray one..."
Seeing Qian Zhixing riding his horse on the street from afar, the young man in the past is now nearly 30 years old. With a short beard, he said to the people on the street: "I'm sorry! I have something urgent to do. I will apologize to the villagers another day..."
Zong Yanli just watched Qian Zhixing riding his horse anxiously, running across the street without looking back, and running away.
The people in Shouxi County were obviously very familiar with Qian Zhixing. In the early years, Qian Zhixing stayed in Shouxi County as a city guard. Year after year, day after day, he patrolled inside and outside Shouxi County to protect the safety of the people. How could he not be familiar with him?
Zong Yanli looked at the direction Qian Zhixing was heading...
Sure enough, when Zong Yanli and Wen Nian returned home, they saw several horses tied at the gate of the courtyard.
Zong Yanli's eyebrows relaxed, and he walked into the courtyard. He saw Qian Zhixing talking to Zong Yanfeiyi. He turned around and saw Zong Yanli. He was overjoyed and walked forward to greet Zong Yanli, kneeling and saying, "Greetings, General!"
"It's really you." Zong Yanli's brows relaxed and he reached out to help Qian Zhixing stand up.
"General..." Qian Zhixing looked at Zong Yanli, as if he had a lot to say. His eyes were red with excitement, and he said in a loud voice with joy: "General Feiyi said that the general would come a long time ago. I have been looking forward to you day and night. Finally, you are here!"
"Brother Nian, you are still inseparable from the general." Qian Zhixing looked at Wen Nian and smiled foolishly.
"Don't stand here, come inside and talk." Zong Yanfeiyi invited everyone to come inside and talk.
After they sat down, Qian Zhixing couldn't wait to tell Zong Yanli about the recent situation. He mentioned that he was worried about the war between the Northern Army and the Lu Army. Then, when he heard the news of our army's great victory, Qian Zhixing was very happy and came to pay a visit to Zong Yanli after he came back.
Qian Zhixing was very happy to learn from Zong Yanfeiyi that Zong Yanli did not return to Beijing this year and came to Shouxi County to celebrate the New Year!
Zong Yanli listened to Qian Zhixing's words with a raised eyebrow and a smile, and asked about the affairs of Pingnan Camp from time to time.
Qian Zhixing's personal guards outside the courtyard all looked sideways when they heard their general's cheerful and talkative tone. Is this still the stern and serious general?
Qian Zhixing said a lot, but he still felt like he had more to say. He glanced at the sky and said, "The New Year is approaching and there are many things to do in the army. I can't stay any longer. I'll have a good chat with the general in two days."
"General, if you have time, you can come to Pingnan Camp to find me." Qian Zhixing left these words, politely declined Zong Yanfeiyi's offer to invite him to dinner, and went back with his personal soldiers.
"Ali, the soldiers you bring are all very powerful." Zong Yanfeiyi expressed his sincere admiration, whether it was Monk who defeated ten opponents with his own force on the battlefield, Bai Xiuyun who commanded the ghost camp's evil soldiers, or Qian Zhixing who retreated to the rear to guard Shouxi County.
They are all demonstrating the meaning of the four words "do my best" through their actions.
Qian Zhixing was not defeated by his broken leg and inability to defend against the enemy. He performed his duties conscientiously during the patrol and never slacked off, defending every inch of land with his tiny strength.
Although he is unable to go to the North-South war, he has inherited the fine traditions of Zong Yanli's rule since taking over the Pingnan Camp. The military law is strict and the laws are harsh, and everyone in the army obeys it.
"They are also very outstanding people." Zong Yanli smiled slightly, and then invited Zong Yanfeiyi to go back to Pingnanying after the family dinner. Zong Yanfeiyi naturally had no objection.
"Pingnan Camp has been rebuilt a long time ago. You haven't been there yet. It's a good opportunity to go for a walk and meet some acquaintances." While Zong Yanfeiyi was speaking, he heard his wife calling him, so he immediately stood up and went to help.
Zong Yanli and Wen Nian were also busy, either helping to chop wood or fixing the leaking tiles, or going to the back of the courtyard to practice swordplay. They didn't talk much, but if someone spoke to them they would respond gently. In just two days, everyone in the family liked them.
On the day when the Yang family came to visit, Zong Yanli met the relatives of his fourth aunt. Yang's father and everyone else greeted Zong Yanli respectfully.
Zong Yanli raised his hand and smiled, telling everyone not to be polite and to just treat her as a junior.
Having said that, the Yang family members did not dare to act recklessly and just relaxed a little.
Fourth Aunt's two brothers are both married, but they did not bring any relatives with them today. Perhaps they were afraid that too many women and children would disturb Zong Yanli, so they all came alone. They looked friendly and honest, and the eldest brother was full of witty remarks, and it was obvious that he was a good businessman.
The second brother was a little shy and honest, and the two elders were gentle and moderate, neither showing off nor trying to curry favor with him.
Such interactions made Zong Yanli relax greatly. Perhaps they were worried about making irresponsible comments on military matters, so they mostly talked about family matters. They also invited Zong Yanli to see how silk was made and presented him with three feet of silk cloth, which was perfect for making underwear.
I have to say that the Yang family knows how to behave. This silk cloth is really a good thing. If there is too much, Zong Yanli will not take it. If there is too little, it will seem that they are stingy.
Three feet seems just right.
Zong Yanli thanked him and accepted it. Everyone in the Yang family showed joy. Today's family banquet was a great success for both the host and the guests. It became even more lively after a few glasses of wine. When talking about the time when Zong Yanfeiyi married their younger sister, the two brothers-in-law had endless things to say.
After a noisy night, Zong Yanli was drunk and disoriented, so he let Wen Nian help him back to the guest room.
"My alcohol tolerance has become worse?" Zong Yanli shook his head, exhaled a breath of turbid alcohol, and felt very dizzy.
"Mrs. Yang has brought some sobering soup." Wen Nian squatted in front of Zong Yanli, looking at her cheeks that were flushed from the alcohol, and actually felt that Zong Yanli looked particularly beautiful at this moment.
"It's better to drink less in the future..." Zong Yanli was strong-willed. Even though she knew she was drunk, she did not show any shame. She drank the sobering soup, asked Wen Nian to close the door for her, and then went to bed.
The next morning, the uncle and nephew woke up from a hangover and faced each other in front of the well to draw water to wash their faces. They shivered from the cold water and seemed to be completely awake.