“That won’t do.” Although Fang Heng was generous, he also had his principles. “Their things have to be divided by themselves.”
After saying so, he truly called Jiang Wu and others over and emptied the entire carriage.
He also helped the unconscious young lady into the tent.
Soon after, Jiang Wu and the others did divide things up, only leaving a pack for themselves.
Zheng Ruqian watched this happen, completely speechless. He could only look up at the sky and keep his sorrow to himself.
“Second brother.” Third Old Fang carefully approached, revealing the last package of pastries he had left. “Look, I kept a package.”
Yes, he did keep one.
Jiang Sheng and the two younger brothers had struggled over for nearly an hour. This was the only thing left from the things he had brought over mountains and seas.
“If you have the ability, make them give up the letter from big brother too.” Zheng Ruqian maintained his head-raised posture and took out a letter from his clothes.
Fang Heng smiled wryly and opened it. Inside was eldest brother’s usual tidy handwriting, recounting what had happened over the past half year, along with exhortations and regards.
Further below was actually news of the Fang family's circumstances, including Fang Yuan’s upcoming civil service exam.
He really hadn’t expected this. The Fang family was a martial family, generation after generation producing military generals. Yet in second uncle Fang’s hands, they were now taking the path of civil servants.
But this was good too. Like this, he could let his eldest brother soar freely over the borderlands.
Fang Heng closed the letter, his expression apologetic again. “Second brother, don’t be angry. It’s not that we don’t cherish the things sent from home. It’s just that the borderlands are bitterly cold, especially in winter with insufficient food and clothing. As the squad leader, I can’t be eating meat while everyone else drinks broth.”
Zheng Ruqian didn’t make a sound.
“Just now second brother asked why there were so many people in the fifth squad, right.” Fang Heng deliberately sighed. “Actually there’s a secret here that shouldn’t be leaked out. But since you’re my second brother after all...”
Zheng Ruqian immediately sat up straight, eyes large with curiosity.
Fang Heng knowingly laughed. “It’s because I share blessings and hardships equally with these boys. There are always people who admire us and come over. And we’ve taken in many survivors from villages, so numbers just grew bit by bit.”
After experiencing tremendous grief, almost all young men were willing to pick up long swords and fight the Northern Nomads to the death.
The elderly, weak, sick and disabled stayed in the tribes to clean up, allowing returning warriors to drink hot soup and eat hot meals.
Everyone was doing their best to contribute something to the war. From old to young, from men to women.
Zheng Ruqian followed behind Fang Heng and saw the lame villagers peeling cabbage, women missing an eye kneading dough, even children around ten years old washing mud off radishes.
“There isn’t even a shred of meat?” Zheng Ruqian asked in astonishment.
Fang Heng just smiled without answering, continuing to lead him to see the newly rescued villagers. Army doctors were currently cleaning everyone’s wounds and dressing them. Some with broken legs needed bone setting, the crisp “crack” audible even outside. Yet those inside didn’t make a peep.
Weren’t they in pain?
No, they had experienced even more excruciating pain. Compared to that moment of slaughter, this level of pain was nothing.
They arrived at the soldiers’ tents. Having rescued many commoners and taken in quite a few raw recruits, the original space was no longer sufficient.
What to do? Squeeze in.
In the past three soldiers would share a tent. Now there were eight or nine packed together. On the narrow cotton mattresses everyone could only lie flat on their backs. Turning over was difficult.
Compared to them, even their days at the dilapidated temple hadn’t been this hard.
Zheng Ruqian didn’t speak again, just sniffled.
Finally they reached the squad leader’s large exclusive tent. Visibly it was a size bigger than ordinary soldiers’, but flipping open the entrance curtain revealed no less than ten quilts inside – proof that at least ten people slept here.
Zheng Ruqian looked back in shock.
Fang Heng laughed gently. “My tent is big and spacious. I can’t enjoy it alone right. Jiang Yi and the others are my personal guards, so we might as well sleep together. Occasionally there are also some injured soldiers.”
Zheng Ruqian wriggled his lips but didn’t get any words out in the end.
After some time, Jiang Yi came over to invite them for dinner. “Second young master, Captain, dinner is here. Just eat inside.”
Zheng Ruqian murmured, “You’ve all been emancipated from slavery and could even become proper personal guards in the future, maybe even generals. Don’t call me second young master from now on.”
“Second young master jests. We escaped slavery because of joining the army. Without the captain we wouldn’t even know which corner of the earth we’d be begging in.” Jiang Yi smiled. “In our hearts, you will always be our masters.”
“Yes, yes.” Jiang Wu also popped his head out from behind, grinning with his teeth showing.
Zheng Ruqian smiled too. But staring at Jiang Wu’s missing finger, then at his baby face that never aged, he finally couldn’t hold back the sourness and covered his face.
“Captain...” Jiang Wu panicked, not knowing what to do.
Why did second young master suddenly start crying?
Fang Heng waved him away, sitting down alone to quietly keep Zheng Ruqian company.
The hardships of the north exceeded everyone’s expectations.
They had thought those few years at the run-down temple were already difficult enough. They didn’t expect the north to be less than a tenth of that.
How could someone like Fang Heng, a pampered young master in prosperous Fengjing, from a prominent background and loving parents, not to mention endless silver, live this kind of life if disaster hadn’t struck?
Zheng Ruqian shielded his face with his sleeve, covering his heartache.
Fang Heng guessed what he was thinking and slowly said, “Second brother needn’t be too upset. It’s true I was the Fang family’s young master, and I did have an extremely high status. But the Fangs have always held to the family creed of fighting for the country and striving for the people to the very end. From birth I knew father succeeded grandfather’s will, just as I will succeed father’s.”
War was cruel. Fighting was ruthless. Lives could be lost anytime.
But when foreign enemies invaded, some people had to stand at the vanguard. Some people had to sacrifice.
Grandfather had no regrets. Father had no regrets. Fang Heng also had no regrets.
Silence filled the tent.
Zheng Ruqian was trying hard to calm down when Jiang Wu’s voice came from outside. “Captain, second young master, your meals are here. Just eat inside.”
Fang Heng went out and accepted two big bowls and pairs of chopsticks, bringing them back to Zheng Ruqian. “Eat up quick before it cools.”
Perhaps there was cured sausage and cured pork added, but today’s food smelled unusually meaty. Fang Heng ate with exceptional satisfaction, chewing and swallowing large mouthfuls.
Zheng Ruqian counted - these full bowls actually only contained five slices of cured sausage and three slices of cured pork. The rest was all cabbage.
Glancing again at Fang Heng wolfing everything down, the self-proclaimed strong Zheng Er felt his eyes redden once more.
He was too upset to eat, simply passing all the cured sausage and pork to his younger brother before leaving the tent to find some hot water to drink outside.
Some curious soldiers even brought their bowls over to offer him food.
Zheng Ruqian’s sharp eyes made out that these ordinary soldiers’ bowls only contained one piece of cured sausage and one slice of cured pork each.
Treasuring them so much, they first finished all the cabbage before finally clamping the last piece of cured pork around the sausage and stuffing it in their mouths, enjoying the oils bursting in their mouths before revealing satisfied smiles.
It was just a piece of cured sausage and slice of cured pork.
Yet Zheng Ruqian’s heart felt blocked up, unable to open no matter what.
