Chapter 5 2/2

She looked at the tall and imposing Huo Shu, trying to see a glimpse of her son in him. But the difference between the two was too great, and she couldn’t see any resemblance to her son, who was always smiling.

However, the fact that Huo Shu had traveled so far to deliver a message and bring gifts meant that the bond between him and Changsui was very strong. Even though she couldn’t see her son again, knowing that Huo Shu had been with him in some way over the years brought her comfort.

“In a place like the Northern Frontier, I wonder how Changsui has been living all these years.”

Life in the army was tough. Besides the physical training and exhaustion, those who were conscripted, especially those from poor families, often faced abuse from their comrades and were sent to the front lines to fight.

Huo Shu saw tears in Mrs. Zhao’s eyes, and though he had learned to be silent and reserved during his years in the army, he couldn’t help but speak a few more words to comfort her, thinking of his friendship with Changsui.

“Changsui and I joined the Northern Frontier army at the same time.”

Ten years ago, Huo Shu had just turned fifteen. He was born in a small village in the Northern Frontier, and his family was also poor.

The Northern Frontier was vast, but plagued by yellow sand and constant invasions and wars. Almost all adult men in the villages and counties of the Northern Frontier were conscripted into the army.

When he reached the age, Huo Shu’s parents had passed away, and he couldn’t avoid conscription any longer, so he entered the army.

That year, soldiers from the South were also conscripted to the Northern Frontier, and Huo Shu and Zhao Changsui happened to be placed under the same commander.

Both newcomers and still young, they were often bullied by the older soldiers, and hunger and punishment were common.

In such harsh conditions, they became friends, helping each other, sharing meals, and standing up to the bullying soldiers together.

After enduring for two years, they were sent to the front lines when the border conflicts intensified.

From trembling at the sight of blood on their robes to killing without hesitation, they became seasoned soldiers.

They rose from being bullied new recruits to respected veterans with a group of brothers under their command, and later became squad leaders and even reached the rank of corporal.

Huo Shu, who spoke little, would often listen to Zhao Changsui talk about the food, drinks, and beautiful women of the South during sleepless nights in the camp.

The two had agreed that once the war ended, they would come to Jiangnan together.

“Unfortunately, two years ago, during the Battle of the Sand Dunes, he was seriously injured. The medical supplies were scarce in the army, and he couldn’t hold on.”

As Huo Shu spoke, cracks appeared on his cold, rigid face, and his tone, which had been calm as he recounted military anecdotes from over the years, became somewhat stagnant.

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhao’s heart ached, and tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Suddenly, there was a muffled bang from the courtyard, as if something had been forcefully kicked down.

Yuan Huiru reflexively turned pale.

“Old lady, what are you thinking about? October is coming, and it’s time to pay taxes. Are you planning to let the days pass like this, or what?”

Mrs. Zhao hurried out and saw that the fence gate had fallen to the ground, with two strong men stepping into the courtyard over it.

“Why are you here again?”

Ignoring Mrs. Zhao’s tears, one of the men grinned. “Oh, crying again? Is the magistrate here to talk about taxes? If you don’t have money to pay taxes, some people will be crying even more.”

The man with bull-like eyes said, “As we said, sell us the three acres of land to the east of the village. This will settle your debt, and you won’t have to worry about taxes anymore.”

Mrs. Zhao gritted her teeth. “That three acres of land is the most fertile, producing at least two stones of grain per acre every year. It’s prime farmland. You think you can buy it for just ten taels of silver? Forget about it! That land was cultivated by my husband, and I won’t sell it.”

“Oh, not selling?”

The man with bull-like eyes sneered and kicked over a nearby basket. “What’s the use of you, an old widow, guarding so much land? You don’t even need that much land for burial when you die.”

His companion followed suit, picking up a low stool from the courtyard and throwing it.

Mrs. Zhao screamed and ducked, but instead of hitting the door, the stool was intercepted midway by a hand.

Seeing a tall figure emerge from the house, the two men raised their gazes to meet his stern, threatening eyes.

Feeling an overwhelming pressure, the two men instinctively halted their movements and unconsciously softened their breaths.

The man said nothing as he walked toward them.

As the intimidating aura approached, the two men exchanged a glance, feeling that something was amiss.

The man with bull-like eyes took two steps back. “Oh, there’s a guest here. Madam Yuan didn’t even say anything. We won’t disturb you today. We’ll come back another day.”

With that, the men turned to leave. However, as they turned around, they suddenly felt a tightness in their necks, as if someone was gripping them, and they found their feet leaving the ground.

“I’ll let you go?”

The man with bull-like eyes, held up by his neck, couldn’t see the expression of the person behind him. But he could feel the deadly seriousness in the words spoken, and being a troublemaker himself, he knew that the more ruthless the words, the fewer they were.

The heart was inexplicably panicking, and he shook his legs trying to break free. However, the more he struggled, the tighter the hand around his neck became, and he felt as if his skull was about to be cracked open.

The man immediately softened, hastily pleading for mercy: “Misunderstanding, please spare me, warrior.”

Huo Shu remained indifferent, allowing the man to plead and show weakness.

Seeing the man stiff-necked and motionless, Zhao’s mother knew he was accustomed to killing on the battlefield, fearing he might inadvertently break the man’s neck.

Although these people often came to harass, deserving death for their crimes, she couldn’t let Huo Shu get involved in a manslaughter case.

She hurriedly intervened, “Forget it, Huo Shu, just drive them away.”

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a dull thud, and following Zhao’s mother’s suggestion, Huo Shu released his grip, tossing the man to the edge of the fence like a discarded chair.

The man, still in shock, realized the urgency of escape, but one foot accidentally stepped on his neck.

“Do you still want to buy land?”

The man lay on the ground, his neck pinned, dare not move, forced to look into the cold, indifferent eyes, repeatedly saying, “No, no. We won’t come to bother Madame Yuan again and disturb her peace.”

Huo Shu remained expressionless, “If I catch you causing trouble again, you’ll part ways with your neck.”

“Yes, yes.”

The man was on the verge of tears. The pressure on his neck made him realize that these were not just empty threats.

However, Huo Shu didn’t release his foot. He looked towards the fallen fence gate.

The man hurriedly said, “I’ll immediately fix it for Madame Yuan.”

Seeing this, another man with the group, without waiting for Huo Shu to speak, nervously picked up the broken stool and carefully inspected it.

“Wait, I’ll bring Madame Yuan a new stool and basket later.”

Huo Shu neither confirmed nor denied, looking towards Zhao’s mother on the side, “Aunt, is that acceptable?”

Zhao’s mother quickly nodded, “Yes, yes.”

Only then did Huo Shu lift his foot. The man, relieved, dared not say a word, crawling over to fix the fence gate.

The two men hurriedly tidied up the damage, while cautiously observing Huo Shu’s demeanor. After apologizing to Zhao’s mother several times and bowing to Huo Shu, they finally ran away in fear.

“What kind of people are they?” Zhao’s mother said, “They’re thugs. They target families they think are struggling and demand to buy their land at a low price, then resell it at a higher price to others, making a profit.”

“In recent years, with our family struggling financially, they’ve set their sights on us. If we refuse to sell, they resort to violence.”

“The local authorities don’t intervene?”

“They do, they scold them, but they continue unabated. They always bully the weak and fear the strong, especially when confronted directly, they become slick and deceitful, making them difficult to manage.”

After finishing, Zhao’s mother added, “But after your lesson today, they surely won’t dare to cause trouble at our home again.”

Huo Shu said, “If there’s a next time, I won’t go easy on them.”

Zhao’s mother’s expression stiffened slightly. Although she knew Huo Shu was helping, at heart, he was still a simple farmer. Hearing about violence made her uneasy, awed by the aura of a seasoned warrior.

“It’s alright now, let’s go inside.”

Back in the house, Zhao’s mother hugged the pair of kneepads to her chest.

Seeing this, Huo Shu took out a large purse from his bag and pushed it towards Zhao’s mother, “I didn’t have a chance to give these things to Aunt earlier.”

Zhao’s mother opened the purse, revealing shiny silver coins.

“These coins were saved over the years. He always said he would take good care of his parents when he returned home. They had toiled their whole lives, they deserved some good days.”

“We had saved more, but in recent years, whenever there was an opportunity, he would send money back, but much of it was lost on the way.”

Looking at the substantial amount of money, at least one or two hundred coins, Zhao’s mother felt even more sorrowful. “The army is tough, yet he still thought of home. It’s a pity his father didn’t live to see his filial piety.”

She wiped her eyes, which were already sore from crying too much over the years. One red eye was particularly painful. She endured the sorrow and said, “Child, thank you for taking care of us all these years and for bringing back things from the north. I really don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

The government did provide compensation for soldiers who died in battle, but corruption meant that very little actually reached the families. Without reliable hometown friends, there wouldn’t have been anything sent back.

Seeing so much money, nearly a couple of hundred coins, Zhao’s mother felt even more that Huo Shu was a person of high moral character, cold on the outside but warm-hearted inside, and she no longer felt the fear she had when she first met him.

Huo Shu said, “After years of life and death together, we already consider each other as brothers. If it were me who died, he would surely take care of my affairs. Aunt, there’s no need to thank me.”

Zhao’s mother sniffed, “Okay, okay…”

“You must be tired from the journey. Go rest in Long Sui’s room, and I’ll prepare some food for you.”

Huo Shu wanted to decline, but Zhao’s mother convinced him, “I’ll make some dishes Long Sui used to love. You can see if they suit your taste. Although my cooking isn’t excellent, I often help in the kitchen when there are events in the village.”

Watching the busy figure of the woman going to cook, Huo Shu thought if his own parents were alive, they might not have eagerly busied themselves to prepare a feast upon his return.

He might as well enjoy Zhao Changsui’s hospitality.