She spent most of her time reading medical books. Chen Li asked Ning Shu if she knew those words.

  Ning Shu said that she didn’t and that she sometimes had to go to the street to consult a scribe.

  Chen Li had a headache when he saw the squiggly words so he stopped paying attention to what Ning Shu was reading and said to her, “Ermei, I want to join the army.”


  Ning Shu said without even raising her head, “Father won’t agree. You are the sole son of the Chen family and must continue the family line. You must be dreaming.”


  Chen Li: …


  “I’m afraid of conscription. If things go on like this, I might be conscripted.” Chen Li said, “I want to join the rebel army.”


  “Keep it down.” Ning Shu couldn’t help but say, “Whether it is the imperial army or the rebel army, they are all deadly. If you don’t pass down the Chen family line, Father will break your legs.”


  Not everyone had Fang Yong’s luck to succeed in life. Based on Chen Li’s IQ, he would definitely be cannon fodder.

  Honest people were truly not suited to survive for long in the army. Not only must they face the enemy but also the politics and schemes of those from the same camp.

  It was hard to know what Chen Li looked like inside. Maybe he could be polished and become a sly old fox, but before that, he had to make sure that he survived.

  Moreover, the conditions of the rebels were not good. They were starving but had nothing to eat; they wanted clothes but had nothing to wear. They were only accepted by the commoners because they were waving the banner of justice.

  Chen Li sighed and said nothing.

  It was hard enough already to survive in troubled times, but he actually wanted to join the army? One could go fight for the sake of their future, but what would Chen Li be fighting for?

  “Boom, boom, boom…”


  Suddenly, the sound of gongs and drums sounded from outside.

  Chen Li stood up and said, “That’s the gong of the government officials. Something must be happening in the county government.”


  “It probably isn’t anything good,” said Chen Li with a frown.

  Not long after, the village constable came to the door. He said to Chen Li with a helpless expression, “Where’s your father? Go to the village entrance. Some official from the government has come to discuss matters.”


  “Uncle Constable, what’s the matter?” asked Chen Li.

  “It’s about the food tax.”


  “But it’s not yet time for the autumn harvest, and the grains have all died from drought. Why are they collecting now?” Chen Li said, “Even if there was no drought, it would take two more months to harvest the grain.”


  Ning Shu pursed her lips. This indicated that the treasury was now empty, but the war had intensified. Although there was not yet any direct impact here, the signs were already there. Many refugees were coming here to seek shelter.

  The gongs and drums became more insistent. Father Chen returned from the field to the entrance of the village to join the crowd.

  Ning Shu and Chen Li also followed. Two bailiffs of the yamen had come this time. One was beating the drums while the other was holding official documents.

  Ning Shu glanced at the people around her and spotted Fang Yong and Bai Yiqiao. After not seeing each other for a while, Bai Yiqiao’s mental state had gotten much worse.

  Her face was pale, and her whole person looked gloomy. She no longer had the aura of being proud and faintly superior.

  Li Gouzi was a man who destroyed beautiful things without any mercy. As long as a woman got involved with him, she would be drained of blood and life.

  Chen Ermei had suffered a similar fate. She was tormented to death by the age of thirty, and now, Bai Yiqiao was suffering the same. However, she was reluctant to part with Fang Yong.

  She was thinking of every method possible to hide this from Fang Yong, fearing that she would lose him. Her inner turmoil could be easily imagined.

  This was the taste of her own medicine.

  Bai Yiqiao felt that someone was looking at her and turned her head to see Ning Shu. She didn’t know if it was a misperception, but she felt that Chen Ermei had become more beautiful.

  She was calm and collected, neither hurried nor slow; her composure filled Bai Yiqiao’s heart with a sense of crisis.

  Bai Yiqiao’s heart was very sensitive. She always felt that Ning Shu was looking at Fang Yong. She couldn’t help but pull Fang Yong’s arm and put his attention on herself.

  Translator: Take

  #Take’s comments: “Chen Li had a headache when he saw the squiggly words.” Wow am I Chen Li?

  Translator: Kaho