Saturday, June 28, 2025

My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 45 Part 3

Ji Taoyu nodded: "Right. So how do you prove it?"  

Huo Shu uttered two words flatly: "Heads."  

Low-ranking soldiers in the army relied on enemy kills for advancement. They would sever enemy heads and carry them with them. After battle upon endless battle, accumulating a certain number would allow a lowly recruit to rise to a higher rank.  

To climb even further, besides collecting enemy heads, one also needed military merit.  

Ji Taoyu’s lips parted slightly, and suddenly the dumplings in his bowl seemed to lose their flavor.  

He knew war was cruel, but he hadn’t realized just how brutal the reality was.  

Some scholars looked down on military men who rose through battlefield achievements, dismissing them as crude and brutish, as if relying on martial prowess was easier than enduring years of scholarly hardship.  

Little did they know that failing an imperial exam meant a chance to retake it, but failing on the battlefield meant death - no second chances.  

"I was young and reckless once, eager to climb the ranks. But the court was corrupt, and the military was even worse."  

Huo Shu had fought fiercely, cutting down countless enemies, and quickly rose to a higher rank among his peers.  

Back then, he truly believed that bravery alone could propel him forward—until he encountered a fellow soldier who slacked off even during training but got promoted over more capable men simply because he had connections.  

All around him, officers of various ranks were paying soldiers to kill enemies for them, using those heads to claim promotions for themselves.  

Only then did he realize that true fairness didn’t exist.  

Huo Shu remained stuck in the same rank for years. No matter how capable he was, without backing, others kept leapfrogging over him.  

After many such disappointments, his edges were worn down.  

He wasn’t stubborn or inflexible. He understood that without connections, no matter how many enemies he killed, he’d just be a stepping stone for others.  

Money or rank, he needed at least one in hand.  

"So every time someone in the army offered money, I took the job."  

Huo Shu looked at Ji Taoyu’s silence and sighed: "It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you. It’s just that growing up in a place like Tongzhou, these things aren’t easy to accept."  

Otherwise, low-ranking soldiers earned no pay. Only those with some rank received a monthly stipend, along with rewards for military achievements.  

On the frontlines, survival alone was hard enough. Saving up any money required ruthless methods.  

Ji Taoyu pressed his lips together, his emotions tangled.  

On the battlefield, human life was as cheap as grass - kill or be killed. No one could blame soldiers for being merciless.  

But hearing about lives being traded for promotions still left him shaken.  

The saying "Better a dog in peacetime than a man in war" existed for a reason. If the world could just be at peace, such cruelty would lessen.  

"I... I understand."  

"Finish your dumplings."  

Huo Shu gently ruffled Ji Taoyu’s hair.  

"It’s getting late. After breakfast, we should head over."  

Ji Taoyu gave a small nod.  

By the time they arrived at Ji Yangkai’s place, many people had already gathered.  

Most were Ji family siblings, along with their children and sons-in-law. Half the courtyard was already filled, and if everyone came, there’d be several dozen.

"Xiao Liu, it’s not that I’m scolding you, but we’re family. What’s the point of signing some life-and-death document that only hurts your own kin? Your third sister has doted on you since you were little, whenever there was something good to eat, didn’t she always save it for you? And now you’re bringing all those rigid rules from being village head into family matters. Don’t blame me, your eldest brother, for getting angry."  

Ji Yangkai stood in the courtyard, with Ji Wanglan by his side. Clearly, after being rebuffed yesterday, she had gone straight to her eldest brother, Ji Yangkai, to complain.  

Now, Ji Yangkai was earnestly persuading him: "Today, Yuan Fei is coming too. As the eldest brother, I’ll make the decision, let him go out and make his way in the world alongside your son-in-law. They can support each other. How about it?"  

Ji Yangzong watched the two of them tag-teaming him, just like when they were kids. The real question was, who was the one who actually got the good things in the end?  

His anger flared up, but he reminded himself that the whole family had finally gathered together after so long, and it wasn’t the time for a big argument. So he just crossed his arms and refused to respond.  

"Eldest Uncle, Third Aunt."  

Ji Taoyu stepped forward to greet them.  

"You two are here."  

Ji Yangkai was shrewd. Knowing that Huo Shu was an immovable nail, he immediately dropped the earlier topic and changed the subject: "Go inside and have some fruit. Your cousins and younger siblings are all chatting in there."  

Ji Taoyu smiled and agreed but didn’t move.  

Instead, he said, "It’s been a while since I last visited Eldest Uncle’s place. How’s everything with the construction team you lead, building sheds and houses? A while back, I heard from Li ger that the team even went down to the county town for work. He said the scenery there was beautiful, I was so enchanted listening to him. Eldest Uncle, you’re really impressive!"  

"Our Tao ger is so thoughtful, always asking after the family. Everything’s going well."  

Ji Yangkai’s face wrinkled into a smile from the praise. "The county job was just a small project. We built a house for a merchant earlier, and he was so pleased he referred us to his relatives in the county."  

Ji Taoyu grinned, then turned to Ji Wanglan and abruptly shifted the topic:  

"Third Aunt, didn’t you come by yesterday saying Cousin Yuan Fei was looking for work? With how unsettled things are outside, sending him so far away would not only be hard on him but also make it difficult to take care of things at home."  

"If he could work under Eldest Uncle’s construction team, wouldn’t that let him stay close to home while still getting to travel for projects and gain experience?"  

"Who knows...maybe while working in other places, some local girls or ger might take a liking to him for his talent and diligence and follow him back!"  

Ji Taoyu added, "Third Aunt, don’t you think so?"

1 comment:

  1. That's what I'm talking about Taoyu!!!!

    Thank you for the chapter!!!!

    ReplyDelete