That Certain Soldier

Chapter 2

It was a rather cold and chilling morning. You were asleep on the table with the candle light already burned out. Your mother slapped your head as you woke up. "Mother, don't slap my head..." you stretched out as your mother scoffed it off. "You need to stop making these dresses and start working on farmwork!"

"Mother. After this we'll get 10 gold ingots! Song Muxin is going into the Crown Princess Selection and Madam Song wanted me to make her a dress."

Her mother sighed. "(y/n), you have an appointment with the matchmaker in 2 days. What are you going to wear?"

"I'll just tailor an old outfit."

Chenjiao came down the stairs of your home, happily screaming and turning towards your mother. "Mother, can I go and play with Yongcheng?"

Your mother shook her head. "Jiao'er, you need to help your sister with field work. Yongcheng can help us with field work but you can't play with him."

Chenjiao lowered his head. "Okay..."

It often happened that Chenjiao couldn't play with his friends, so he was used to your mother saying no to playing with friends, especially since the doctor recently said they shouldn't put too much stress and labor on their father's leg.
You put down the dress and went off to the fields with Chenjiao. He was pouting and kicking rocks. "Jiao'er. Don't kick rocks, help me with the harvesting."

"Okay..." he said dejectly as he grabbed the sickle you brought on your bamboo basket. He cut the wheat, (which you used to make buns), corn, and baby corn. "Jiao'er, mother wants some crabs so, go get them, I'll get the bamboo."

Chenjiao nodded as you gave him a smaller bamboo basket and went into the bamboo forest.
Going into the forest, you were meant to cut bamboo shoots. The hard labor of just carrying them was enough to make you fall. Having to find Chenjiao in the mountains for small mountain crabs, you climbed. "Jiao'er! Jiao'er! Where are you?"

Going through trees and pushing back branches, you found Chenjiao, holding a lizard in his hands. "Older sister! Look! I caught a lizard!"

You sighed in relief as you walked towards him. "Jiao'er. Don't scare me next time!" You grabbed his ear as he said, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry older sister!"

Letting go of his now red ear, both of you walked down and back home.

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"How's he doing with the selection? Did he find anyone?"

A eunuch wearing red bowed. "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince didn't pick anyone."

A woman in her palace seat, slammed her hands. "Why doesn't he pick anyone? Empress Dowager is going to be yelling at my ear for it!"

Her maid, A'ruo shook her head. "Your Majesty, maybe the Crown Prince wants to choose someone he has a romantic connection with."