The ancient people, with reddened eyes, rushed towards the recruitment center in a swarm. Looking at this spectacle, one might have mistaken them for seeking vengeance rather than enlistment.
As thousands of men ran to sign up with grand aspirations, the elderly instinctively wanted to stop them. But this time, no one dared to speak up.
They were old now, unable to serve. But their sons could accomplish what they never could!
And if not their sons, then surely their grandsons!
Ever since the Divine Lady's broadcast reached them, their mindset had gradually changed.
Amidst their concerns and fears, there was also a glimmer of hope.
Perhaps the demise of old-fashioned thinking heralded the dawn of a new era!
"Mother, no matter what you say this time, I'm going."
"I may not be like the Elder Princess or the Divine Lady, but I have my own ideas. I don't need to compare myself to anyone. In the face of national duty, everyone is equal!"
"Everyone is great! We women are no less than men. I want to be a nurse!"
The girl who had been pulled back by her mother last time finally mustered the courage to express her true thoughts to her parents.
After speaking her mind, she felt a wave of relief wash over her.
It wasn't as difficult to speak up as she had imagined.
She had always been afraid to reveal her true feelings, backing down at the slightest hint of her mother's disapproval.
But this time, she wouldn't let anyone sway her decision.
Hearing these words, the girl's mother didn't immediately object. Instead, she frowned, sighing with endless worry: "Are you truly determined?"
"It's not that I forbid you to go, but this path is incredibly difficult."
"When I was very young, I too wondered why I was born a girl and not a boy. Why could men aspire to greatness while women could only live in the shadow of their husbands? Even the mistresses of noble families needed permission just to leave the house. That's why... that's why I chose to marry a common man!"
"At least I could go out and work in the fields, not spending decades confined to a single courtyard."
As she spoke, tears welled up in the mother's eyes, which she quickly wiped away.
Looking at her daughter again, she suddenly felt a sense of resignation.
Why should she stop her daughter? Perhaps there was a hint of selfishness in her thinking. She had never had the courage to escape her cage, so surely her daughter couldn't either.
She had brainwashed herself over and over again.
Being a good wife and mother was the most honorable life for a woman.
Just as her own mother had taught her before marriage, telling her to regard her husband as the center of her world, she was now passing on the same lessons to her daughter.
Enough.
Enough!
What was the point?
Women had been oppressed for so long that sometimes it was mothers who prevented their daughters from flying towards freedom. It shouldn't be this way.
The mother suddenly thought of Lin Lin's mother, the woman who had sought revenge against a scoundrel alone for her daughter's sake. That was a truly great mother. She realized her own narrow-mindedness.
Closing her eyes, the mother sighed and said, "If you want to go, you must overcome your timid and fearful nature. There will be so many injured people on the battlefield, with severed limbs..."
"Can you handle it? You used to tremble at the sight of blood."
The girl pressed her lips together and nodded firmly. "I can do it! Mother, I don't want to spend my life married off to just anyone, being a wife and mother. I don't want to spend my entire life confined to a courtyard. I want to see the wider world."
"Even if I die, I'm not afraid. I want to be a hero too!"
The girl's mother said nothing more.
Seeing this, the girl's eyes lit up. Had her mother agreed?
She had thought, she had truly believed that her mother would try to persuade her to find a good family to marry into. She had been prepared to fight to the death!
She never expected this!!
"Thank you, Mother!!"
"Mother, you're so good to me. I won't let you down." The girl cried as she hugged her mother, showing affection and gratitude so intimately for the first time.
The mother's body trembled, then she slowly patted her daughter's shoulder, a trace of relief and pride flashing in her eyes.
Nearby, a woman in ancient orange attire hurriedly chased after her friend.
"Hey, hey, where are you going? You're not planning to sign up for the women's guard, are you? Listen, the battlefield is no joke—it's extremely dangerous—"
"We should focus on finding good families to marry into, finding good husbands. That's what's important."
"If you expose yourself like that, people will laugh at you!"
However, before she could finish speaking, the woman in green clothing ahead suddenly turned around. The woman in orange, caught off guard, crashed right into her.
The woman in green said, "You don't need to try to persuade me anymore. There are many things more meaningful than just staying alive. I've made up my mind. I'm going to sign up for the women's guard!"
"I'm not afraid of being laughed at. What I fear is a life where my entire existence revolves around just my husband and children. If that's the case, I'd rather die on the battlefield!"
"Didn't the Divine Lady say it?"
"A single spark can start a prairie fire!"
"If millions of fireflies shine together, how can we not change this era? I insist on being that spark, even if it means death! I'm going! If I can't go to the future, I'll make this era slowly become the future!"
With that, the woman in green turned away abruptly.
The woman in orange felt her chest tighten, but she still shook her head resolutely and chased after her friend, trying to persuade her: "You're just one woman, what can you change?"
"Listen to me, don't go. It's really dangerous..."
"If you die, everything is over. All other women live like this, getting married and having children! Why do you have to be different?"
The determination of the woman in green in front and the anxious pursuit of the woman in orange behind became a unique scene in the plague-stricken city.
However, everyone was too busy signing up to appreciate this display of sisterly affection.
Was her close friend truly looking out for her best interests with such earnest persuasion?
She didn't know.
Perhaps.
But it didn't matter anymore.
Her future held infinite possibilities. She might die, she might live, she might be maimed, she might fly towards freedom. All were possible, so none of it mattered anymore.
-
Gu Sang's assigned scenes had finished, and she planned to observe the performances of other actors for a few days before returning home.
Cheng Yuanyuan had night scenes, so Gu Sang was alone in the hotel room.
After brewing a cup of tea with the hotel-provided leaves, Gu Sang curled up in the single chair by the bed and flipped through a history book.
"Ding!"
"Incoming connection!"
Gu Sang put down the book and accepted the connection.
The next second, the screen flickered!
Pei Changying saw Gu Sang sitting casually in a chair, wearing short-sleeved pajamas with her freshly washed hair falling softly down her back. This sight only intensified his agitation and anger.
His eyes were deep and passionate, his brows furrowed, his entire being exuding an air of resentment. "Sang!" he exclaimed. "Why won't you give me another chance?"
"Even sages can make mistakes," he continued. "I broke my promise to you only once, and it was just about a concubine! Yet you treat me with such finality."
