12dz Chapter 401 The Desire to Stand Out
Chapter 401 The Desire to Stand Out
Fang's mother was very interested, but Fang's father frowned and said, "Isn't joining the army too dangerous?"
Joining the army means going to the battlefield, and going to the battlefield means the possibility of death. Fang's father only had two sons, and he didn't want to see his eldest son die.
"What's danger?"
Fang Hao, however, disagreed, saying, "What in this world isn't dangerous? Even drinking water can get stuck in your teeth, and farming can cause heatstroke. Are we going to stop farming just because it's dangerous? Impossible!"
Fang Hao looked directly at his parents and said, "Dad, I know you're worried about my older brother, but what good thing in this world comes without effort? If poor people like us aren't even willing to face the slightest danger, why should Chenjia Village treat us so generously?"
Fang Yong nodded upon hearing this. Was he afraid of death? To be fair, of course he was. But why did he join the army in the first place?
He was driven by a desire to make something of himself. He had witnessed his parents’ hard work since childhood and did not despise them. However, he was unwilling to spend his life like his father, muddling through farming and ending up with nothing to show for it, barely enough to keep his family from starving.
Therefore, Fang Yong strongly agreed with Fang Hao's words. That's how the world is. If you want to get something, you have to give something in return. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if there were, that free lunch would most likely be poisoned!
"Besides, I've never heard of any deaths in the Chenjia Village guard team."
Fang Hao added, "To be honest, the only reason I don't meet the age requirement is because I'm too old; otherwise, I would have signed up long ago."
After hearing what he said, Mr. Fang's brows relaxed. He looked at Fang Yong and asked, "Yong'er, what do you think?"
"I've decided to give it a try."
Fang Yong said in a deep voice, "I'm not afraid of death. If what Xiao Hao said is true, then why shouldn't I give my life to Chenjia Village?"
"Fine!"
Father Fang sighed, but finally nodded: "Then you and Hao'er can go to Chenjia Village tomorrow. Let's eat now!"
…………
…………
The next day, before dawn, Fang Hao and Fang Yong got up, had a simple breakfast at home, and then set off together for Chenjia Village.
As dawn broke, the two arrived at the entrance of Chenjia Village.
“There are so many people!”
Looking at the bustling crowd at the entrance of Chenjia Village, Fang Hao realized that he might have underestimated the attractiveness of Chenjia Village's recruitment efforts. The number of people at the entrance of Chenjia Village today was much greater than he had seen before.
"Brother, we need to hurry in, or we might not even get a spot!"
Fang Hao hurriedly pulled Fang Yong into Chenjia Village, and then they headed straight for the Chenjia Village drill ground with the crowd.
At this time, a recruitment booth had been set up at the Chenjia Village training ground, and there were crowds of people in front of it. Clearly, Fang Hao's family was not the only one attracted by the recruitment conditions.
"Why are there so many people?"
Fang Yong's eyes widened in disbelief. In the Xia Kingdom, where there was a custom that good men did not become soldiers, the people were extremely resistant to joining the army. As a result, the conscription offices set up by the imperial court were often deserted.
In contrast, the conscription point in Chenjia Village was packed with people, a stark contrast to the imperial conscription office.
"What else could it be? It's because the conscription benefits in Chenjia Village are better!"
Fang Hao replied, "One tael of silver a month, plus meat every other day—who wouldn't be tempted by that?"
"Too."
Fang Yong nodded, becoming more convinced of the benefits offered by Chenjia Village for conscription.
While the two were talking, the people who came to recruit soldiers on the training ground had already lined up at the instruction of the guards. Fang Yong did not dare to be negligent and joined the queue.
At the makeshift recruitment booth, Chen Da, who was in charge of registration, looked at the thin man in front of him and asked, "Name?"
"Wu Yong".
"age?"
"twenty-three."
"Who are you from?"
Chishui Village, Taiping County.
General Chen noted down all the information the man had provided, and then said, "Alright, you can leave now!"
"Uh……"
A man named Wu Han scratched his head and said, "So, does this mean I've been recruited?"
"It doesn't count!"
Chen shook his head: "This is just a temporary registration. You can go back and wait for news. If you are hired, someone will come to your door to inform you within three days."
This time, the guard team mainly recruited people from other villages, so it was impossible to determine them directly like in the past.
Today is just a preliminary registration. We will need to verify the information of these applicants and make the final decision only after confirming that everything is correct.
"All right!"
A look of disappointment crossed the man's face as he turned and left.
Then, the recruitment team continued forward.
"Name?"
"Niu Er".
"age?"
"twenty."
"Where do you live?"
"Taiping County Town".
"Name?"
"Jiang Ge".
"age?"
"..."
As the line moved slowly forward, it was soon Fang Yong's turn to sign up.
"Name?"
As Chen Da asked the question, he glanced up at Fang Yong, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
As is well known, most people in the Xia Kingdom were rather thin and short because they couldn't get enough to eat.
However, the man in front of him was completely different. He was about five feet three inches tall (one foot is 0.333 meters), much taller than Chen Da himself, and his body looked extremely strong, completely different from the skinny man who had signed up before.
Fang Yong.
"age?"
"twenty one."
Where do you live?
Tupo Village, Taiping County.
"it is good!"
General Chen noted down Fang Yong's information and then said, "You can go home and wait for further instructions!"
"it is good!"
Fang Yong nodded, left the group, and found Fang Hao waiting not far away.
"Big brother, have you been recruited yet?"
Upon seeing Fang Yong return, Fang Hao asked impatiently.
"do not know."
Fang Yong shook his head: "That person only told me to go back and wait, saying that if I was hired, someone would come to notify me within three days."
"Uh……"
Fang Hao scratched his head, "Then we can only wait!"
After saying that, Fang Hao suddenly said, "Brother, let me treat you to a meal. The food in Chenjia Village is absolutely amazing, and the price is cheap too!"
Soon, Fang Hao led Fang Yong to the canteen in Chenjia Village. They found that there were just as many people eating there as at the drill ground. Most of the young and middle-aged people who had registered chose to eat there.
"Brother Daredevil".
Fang Hao, who often dined here, was very familiar with Li Dadan and asked with a smile, "What dishes are served today?"
Li Dadan, who was busy stir-frying a large pot of dishes, looked up and smiled, "We have stir-fried chicken, stewed duck, scrambled eggs, and stir-fried cabbage. The staple food is steamed buns. What would you like to order?"