The Blessed

chapter 96: Military Service of the Court (1)

Over the next few days, Ling Jingxuan buried himself in making jam and wine. In the morning, he would go with Ling Jingpeng and others to go pick wild fruit. In order to let them have sufficient strength, he'd stay home to make lunch. Their food was not bad. Except fish he caught, they'd have meat to eat almost every day. What's worth to mention is, the little bun Ling Wen stopped nagging him, which was really a once-in-a-blue-moon thing, although he still showed flesh-cutting expression when costing money to buy food. In the afternoon, he usually wouldn't go up to the mountains, but stay home to clean and airing those wild fruit.

Because after the wine was brewed, it should be sealed immediately, plus the old Ling family was almost done with the farm work, these days, Ling Chenglong and his wife often came for help, one helped him make wedges, while the other helped take care of the kids, or wash those wild fruit for him. Yan Shengrui who was getting better day by day also often came out for a walk. He wanted to help, but every time he would either get driven away by Ling Jingxuan, or be stopped by Lady Wang. Having no choice, he would only watch his wife aside, and taught the three buns some simple knowledge now and then. Don't ask how he who had lost his memories could teach others knowledge, he himself also had no idea. Anyway, every time it just came out of his mouth, and everybody had been used to it.

Days were busy, but they really had some fun and substantial days. While on the other side, under Ling Jingwei's inciting, the old lord Ling took his first son's whole family and stormed into town, but finally came back in frustration, and, by the way, brought back Ling Jingwei and Zhao Suhua's peaceful divorce certificate. And, they had thought that they would save some face for them since they were relatives by marriage anyway. But they had gone too far there, Shopkeeper Zhao who meant to save them some face got pissed off, and took out the diagnosis from Xinhe Hall in town, which clearly wrote that Ling Jingwei was born with cold sperms and could never get a woman pregnant.

As the saying goes, there is no impermeable wall, this thing soon spread to the Ling village. For a time, Ling Jingwei, and even the whole old Ling family had become the laughing stock of everyone. So the Ling family fell in sorrow. The unreasonable old lady cursed her second son's family from morning till night, like having taken them as enemies.

Five days later, with the help of everyone's concerted effort, the whole fifty jars were all filled with jam, one hundred jars of wine was also brewed, all stored in the cellar.

As everyone felt much relieved and was about to take a few days' rest before going on, the court's conscription announcement was issued. Ling Chenghong and his wife and Ling Chengpeng all got called back home. Zhao Dalong and his husband also looked not in the mood. They court wouldn't care whether they are a couple or not, they only acknowledged whether you are able-bodied person. In fact, they were both labors, so one of them had to serve in the army.

"I wonder what happened to my parents."

Tomorrow, Shopkeeper Zhang would come fetch those jam. Sitting under the roof, Ling Jingxuan who was watching the little bun practiced his calligraphy lightly frowned. The old Ling family had three sons. The big son had two sons, the second also had two, while the third son had three, but the youngest one was only 12 years old and had met the condition of military service. That is to say, they'd choose among the six of them. Given the old lady's partiality, she'd definitely let her second son's sons to go. Ling Jinghan had gotten much better. But under Ling Jingxuan's advice, he had been pretending that he was still that ill. So the only one left was Jingpeng. These days, if it hadn't been Jingpeng, with his thin and weak body, he could never have done such a big order. So, from deep of his heart, he felt appreciated and also worried about this younger brother.

"Didn't you already know? We can pay twenty taels of silver to offset the military service at the worst."

Yan Shengrui, who was teaching the little buns fist position, came next to him and sat down. Sometimes he really could not understand him. He is worried about his younger brother, but he has money, why bother?

"I'll certainly use money, but not now. This may be the best chance to let my parents divide up the family."

Giving him a glance, Ling Jingxuan held the head with a hand, eyes deep. Watching that Ling Jinghan's illness gradually got better, and their days were getting better and better, some people would definitely get jealous and generate some evil idea. So dividing up the family is imperative.

At this tim,e Ling Jingxuan had no idea that any opportunity needed to pay the price, and the price would let him regret for a lifetime.

"Yeah, right, this thing can't be delayed, but Jingxuan, after the delivery, we should repair the house, shouldn't we? If our parents move here, this small three thatched rooms won't be enough."

Nodding, Yan Shengrui took him by the hand suddenly. After losing his memories, he looked purer, and wouldn't mind whether it'd embarrass him as the man of the family since it wasn't he who earned money to support the whole family. In his eyes and heart, he simply cared about him and the kids, and wouldn't want to see them live such miserable life. And part of the reason is Jingxuan always slept with kids. He even couldn't find a chance to do some nasty thing with him. If going on like this, he'd get sick down there.

Of course, he would never say it out.

"Well, I'd like to buy all the land at the entrance of Yuehua Mountain and build a garden-style manor directly, but I'll wait until the family dividing stuff is decided. I'm not in the mood to plan for that now."

"As long as you have a plan yourself. But, shouldn't we talk to Xiaowen and Xiaowu about it first?"

Pointing at Xiaowen who was practicing his writing on a sand table not far away meaningfully, Yan Shengrui gave Ling Jingxuan a helpless but doting smile. What could they do? If they build a big house behind the big bun's back, god knows how long he would nag them. So for the sake of future, anyhow, they should talk sense into him first.