Chapter 844: Settlement
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Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Shame on her!
Shao Xiaoqi had decided to join the army? Something must be wrong with his head!
The entire first section of the family was nothing but a bunch of fools!
Well then, let him join the army and never return!
Ms. Zhang cursed silently within herself.
If it weren’t for the first section of the family’s coldness and meddling, she would not have ended up in this miserable state.
None of the Ding Family members were willing to step forward. Consequently, they had to resort to drawing lots.
Only the familys sole child would be exempt from this process, while the rest would be included.
In the end, it was Ding Jiazhu’s youngest son, Ding Jinshan, who was selected. Ding Jinshan and the entire family were in tears.
The others, who felt a mix of relief and sadness, approached them to offer their condolences.
And so, the matter was settled.
They would gather in the middle of February at the county and proceed to the province according to the government’s arrangements. From there, they would head north.
It remained uncertain which general would oversee them once they reached the northern region.
Normally, this journey would take five years.
The next day, Ding Jiazhu and Ms. Yang visited the first section of the Shao Family with their son. They believed that they were in the same situation and should foster a friendship together.
As soon as Ms. Yang saw Ms. Fang, she burst into tears and clutched Ms.
Fangs hands. “Sister-in-law, why are we so unlucky? Our poor child!”
Ms. Fangs expression changed, and she became displeased. She withdrew her hands and forced a smile. “Stop crying. Our sons will be fine! Perhaps they will return as officials, bringing us great honor, right?”
Ms. Fang didn’t actually expect Qi to become an official; she simply wanted her son to return home safely. But Ms. Yangs words seemed to carry a sense of bad luck, and she was trying to counteract that with her own optimistic remark.
Ms. Yang realized that she had misspoken, feeling a bit embarra.s.sed.
However, her eyes suddenly brightened. She exclaimed, “Oh, you’re right! Recommended man Shao is on his way to becoming an official, isn’t he? He will take care of Qi, won’t he? Let’s ask him to take care of our son too!
Jinshan, come and plead with Recommended man Shao!”
Ding Jiazhu quickly grasped the opportunity and pushed his son forward, saying, “Yes, Sister-in-law, we are all family! Please, Recommended man Shao, you have to take care of us!”
“You…’
Ms. Fang felt a sense of disgust rising within her.
“Uncle Ding and Aunt Yang, you’ve misunderstood me. I still have the spring examination next year, and it’s uncertain if I will even achieve the status of an Advanced Scholar. Even if I do, I won’t be relocated to the north as an official. When they join the army, they must rely on themselves, practice diligently, and take good care of themselves. I won’t be able to a.s.sist them.”
Ding Jiazhu wasn’t entirely convinced. “Really? Then why did you allow Qi to join the army? You must believe it’s a good opportunity..”
Qi couldn’t tolerate that. “Uncle Ding, it was my own decision to seek a broader world!”
Ding Jiazhu responded curtly, still skeptical.
“Seeking a broader world? What an excuse! This journey is fraught with danger!’
Ms. Yang chimed in, “Regardless, you two are the closest friends and family there. You must take care of each other. Qi, you have skills like archery.. My son, on the other hand, is helpless, so you must watch over him!”