Concentricity

After worshiping Dr. Nie from the back mountain, Mo Jinyan wanted to go to the riverside to have a look, but Zhuang Xu didn't follow, he went with the head of the village to inquire about the resettlement of the survivors, which was asked by Lord Qianhu.

Mo Jinyan wondered if his tent boat was still there. Last time, because he was too hasty, he had no time to pack his things and went ashore.Although there were not many things on board, the boxing book that Yu Simian gave him was placed on board, if it can be retrieved, it will be the last thought for him.

He didn't see his own boat by the river, but there were a few tented boats parked in the opposite river bend, and he was hesitating whether to go and have a look.Suddenly I heard someone shouting loudly from the opposite side: "Is it Xiao Mo? Is it Mo Jinyan?"

Mo Jinyan followed the prestige and saw a covered boat coming across the river from the opposite bend. That boat was his own covered boat, and the person standing on the boat was Chen Pingsheng.

This was the first acquaintance Mo Jinyan saw after he came back. He suddenly had the urge to cry, and quickly responded: "It's Brother Chen. It's me."

Chen Pingsheng said a little excitedly: "So it's really you, kid. I thought you were dead." He rowed the boat to the riverside, and before the boat stopped, he jumped ashore, and stretched out his hand to hold Mo Jinyan's arm tightly. , "Xiao Mo, it's great that you didn't die, thank God!" Between the words, there was a bit of sobs.

It was the first time Mo Jinyan saw Chen Pingsheng express his true feelings like this, and he was very moved, and choked up and said, "Thank you Brother Chen, I am still alive."

Chen Pingsheng rubbed his nose with his hands: "After the accident in the village, I was still glad that you didn't come back. But the next day I saw your boat by the river, but I couldn't find anyone anywhere. Some people said they saw you at Dr. Nie's house. You were killed in the yard, I thought you had..."

Mo Jinyan shook his head: "Thank you Brother Chen for your concern. The night I came back just in time, I was slashed by a Japanese thief with a scarred face. I thought I was going to die, but I was rescued by the soldiers. It was a blessing." Great fate."

Chen Pingsheng grabbed him and looked up and down: "Where is the injury?"

Mo Jinyan pointed to his left rib: "It's healed now, there's nothing serious about it." The knife almost hurt the atrium, and if it was any deeper, he might die. It's a blessing in misfortune.

Chen Pingsheng looked scared, and patted his chest: "It's fine, it's fine. By the way, you're back, let me return this boat to you. I thought you were gone, so I rowed the boat to the opposite side." I’ve saved everything for you, lest someone ruin it. There is no one in your village, why don’t you move to our village, or live in my house, it’s up to the village chief to make arrangements.”

Mo Jinyan was very moved. He thought that Chen Pingsheng was at best an opponent who didn't know each other.He shook his head: "No, Brother Chen, I'm afraid I will join the army in the future, and I won't be able to use this ship, so you can use it first. I'll just take something." Although he was not a military household, Zhuang Xu should be able to help him if he wanted to join the army.

Chen Pingsheng looked at him, his mouth moved, and he wanted to say something, but he didn't say it, and finally said: "Everything is in the boat, you can find it yourself." Mo Jinyan's idea of ​​joining the army should be from It was born after the fishing village was ransacked by Japanese pirates. Based on what he knew about Mo Jinyan's temperament, he was a person who would take revenge, so I'm afraid he wouldn't just swallow his anger like this.

Mo Jinyan got on the boat, and the cabin was packed neatly. He found his package in the cabin, and all the copper coins and clothes in it were still there. This made him look at Chen Pingsheng again with admiration. It's quite a gentleman.The boxing score that Yu Simian left for him was also there, and he held it tightly in his hands, and couldn't help his nose turning sore.

Mo Jinyan looked at the neatly folded quilt on the bed, because it hadn't been used for a long time, the quilt was a bit damp, and Yu Simian's breath still remained on it.Mo Jinyan picked up the quilt with his hands, with a faint nostalgic smell lingering in his nose, after hesitating again and again, he finally put down the quilt, so what if he takes it away, the person who left will never come back.

He came out with his bag: "Brother Chen, I've put away the things, and I'll trouble you to take care of the rest. Take what you see to use."

Chen Pingsheng looked at him: "Xiao Mo, are you leaving now? Aren't you going to Brother Chen's house for dinner?"

Mo Jinyan shook his head: "Thank you, Brother Chen, there will be a chance in the future. My savior accompanied me back, he is waiting for me, and we are going back soon. Brother Chen, let's not live here, there will be a period later!" Mo Jinyan went ashore, cupped his fists, turned and left.

Chen Pingsheng opened his mouth and called him: "Xiao Mo, take care of yourself!"

Mo Jinyan turned around: "Thank you Brother Chen for your concern, I will, take care!"

Mo Jinyan thought that those who left would never come back, but in fact, those who left did come back.One day at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, a foreigner came to Jiangkou fishing village looking for someone. The news he got was that the entire fishing village was almost wiped out by pirates, and the remaining survivors were few and scattered to various villages.

The outsider asked a villager from a neighboring village to inquire about the whereabouts of Mo Jinyan and Dr. Nie's grandparents. The villagers said that most of the people in Jiangkou Village were killed by Japanese pirates. Dr. Nie was not spared. Dr. Nie's granddaughter There was also a young man surnamed Mo who could have escaped, but rushed back on the night of the accident, and was also killed in order to save Dr. Nie.

The man got the news and went away worried.This stranger is none other than the follower sent by Yu Simian to visit the savior.The Chinese New Year is approaching, Yu Simian prepared a big gift and sent it to someone, wanting to repay them well, and also wanted to get news of their well-being, but unexpectedly, he got the worst news.

When the entourage returned, it was close to the end of the new year. This was Yu Simian's first winter in the south. Unlike the dry cold in the north, the winter in the south was humid and cold. The old wound aches.Yu Simian set up a blazing charcoal basin in the room, but still couldn't resist the cold wind that came in every corner.

The attendant Chen Liang stood bowed outside the study door: "My lord, I'm back."

Yu Simian was dealing with official business, and when he heard Chen Liang's voice, he was overjoyed and put down the pen in his hand: "Chen Liang, come in quickly. Tell me quickly, how is the situation?"

Chen Liang lowered his head and couldn't bear to look directly at Yu Simian's joyful face. He handed over the purse that Yu Simian gave him before he left: "My lord, this villain has not been faithful to what I entrusted. The person you are looking for is no longer here." The world is over."

"What?!" Yu Simian looked pale as if struck by lightning, stood up abruptly, and grabbed Chen Liang across the table, "Didn't you make a mistake? How is it possible? You went to Jiangkou, Xintian Town, Changle County Fishing village?" Dr. Nie may be dead when he is old, but Xiao Mo and Nie Yun are both so young, how could they be dead!

Chen Liang lowered his head and said bitterly: "On the fifth day of last month, Japanese pirates attacked Jiangkou Village. Nearly a hundred villagers died in the village. Only thirty or so people survived, and a dozen women were missing. My lord is looking for Both Dr. Nie and Mr. Mo were not spared."

Yu Simian let go of his hand, staggered, and sat down slumped. After a while, he couldn't stop his trembling lips, and said a word with difficulty: "Xiao Mo also died?"

Chen Liang said in a low voice: "Yes, they said that there was a young man surnamed Mo who could have escaped, but happened to go back that night. In order to save Dr. Nie, he was unfortunately..."

Yu Simian couldn't move at all, and after a long time, he shook his head with difficulty and said hoarsely, "I see, you can go down."

Chen Liang put the purse on the table, bowed and retreated.Yu Simian is still in a completely unbelievable state, as if yesterday, he was still on the small boat on the river, paddling the oar with Mo Jinyan one after the other, that stubborn and slightly thin figure was ups and downs back and forth , so fresh and powerful, but also angry with himself because he didn't make a bond with him as a brother, and he didn't want to talk to himself.However, that child is no longer alive.Yu Simian's eyes fell on the model ship on the table, and before he knew it, tears blurred his vision.

Yu Simian blinked vigorously, tears rolled down, brushed his face, and landed on the table, he reached out to take the boat, gently stroking every detail.For a moment, he seemed to see Mo Jinyan right in front of his eyes, but when he blinked again, he was gone.A tear fell on the boat, and Yu Simian murmured, "Xiao Mo, I'm sorry."

A monstrous regret rose from the boundless and wrapped him tightly. He knew that if he had agreed to Mo Jinyan at the beginning, then he would not have left, and there would have been no accidents.I'm sorry, Mo!sorry!Yu Simian tried his best to control his emotions, his teeth almost gnawed into pieces: Xiao Mo, I will avenge this revenge for you!

***

Zhuang Xu's grandfather was a pawn in the conscript army following the Taizu Uprising, and later rose to the position of a hundred households due to his military exploits. After the war subsided, he returned to his ancestral home to guard and became a member of the navy of the guard army. The family became a military household.The so-called military households mean that generations have joined the army, the father died and the son replaced, the brother died and the brother died, and the generations followed each other, and they were not allowed to leave the army easily.

Zhuang Xu's father, Zhuang Jin, enlisted in the army in place of his father, and was wounded in an anti-Japanese war, lost a left arm, and retired from the army.Zhuang Xu took the place of his father again, starting from a small soldier, he reached the position of a hundred households at a young age, and his future is limitless.

Military households are a major feature of this dynasty. Each household sends at least one man to join the army, and the rest farms. The task of corvee service is not as simple as that of civilian households, and each household can only have one examinee at most. There must be more than five males in the family. One person is allowed to serve in the yamen, so enlisting in the army is not such an honorable thing.Civilian households try their best to avoid marrying military households, because they might be drafted into the army one day, go to the border, and finally there will be no bones left.

So when Mo Jinyan proposed to join the army, Zhuang's father and son were very surprised.Zhuang Xu spoke first: "Xiaoyan, you have to think about it. Once you enter the military household, it will be difficult to get out from now on."

Mo Jinyan nodded: "I've thought it through very clearly." He felt that the possibility of him getting married and having children in this life was too small.

Zhuang Jin tapped his healthy right hand on the table and shook his head: "No, you need to think twice about this matter. In my opinion, there is no need to join the military."

Mo Jinyan lowered his head: "I want to join the army. Only in this way can I avenge my dead relatives and fellow villagers." At present, only the navy has the strength to fight against the pirates.

Zhuang Xu personally rescued Mo Jinyan from the pool of blood, so he naturally understood Mo Jinyan's hatred and anger. He nodded, "Xiaoyan, if you think it through, I'll go and naturalize you. From now on, you can Follow me."

Mo Jinyan raised his head gratefully: "Thank you Brother Xu."

Zhuang Jin slapped the table hard with his right hand: "No!"

Both Zhuang Xu and Mo Jinyan looked at Father Zhuang in surprise: "Father?" "Uncle Zhuang?"

Zhuang Jin sighed and waved his hands: "Jin Yan, listen to Uncle's words, don't join the army. If you want to join the army, you can join Xu Er as a non-staff soldier, but you don't need to be naturalized."

"Why?" The two young men looked at the old man in puzzlement.

The old man sighed: "In the eyes of outsiders, our military households are very beautiful. We have salary, military land, no job, and are not controlled by the local yamen. Most people dare not provoke them. But they don't know, these are ours. In exchange for human life, even if I am disabled today, my son will still have to join the army. If my son dies in battle tomorrow, my grandson will still have to join the army. After so many years, I have seen it very clearly: military households are not glory, but shackles. To put it bluntly, you enlisted for hatred today. I don’t think there is anything wrong with this. This is your ambition. Uncle supports you. But don’t limit yourself to military status, we have to take a longer-term view.”

Mo Jinyan was silent for a long time, and finally nodded: "Everything is according to uncle."