Chapter Sixty-Two: Wanting to Protect His Younger Sister

Hearing her son call out to Wei Ruo, Xu Zhushan also turned around. Upon seeing Wei Ruo, he immediately put away the stern look he had just worn. “Young Miss, what brings you here?”

“I heard that you and Brother Xiaoyong had a quarrel, so I came to check on things.”

“Oh, it was just this rascal being disobedient. A few lashes will settle him down. There’s no need for you to make this trip, Miss.”

Xu Zhengyong, full of grievances, could only protest with his eyes.

Hearing voices, Madam Xu came out from the house. When she saw Wei Ruo, her spirits lifted at once. She came forward and embraced Wei Ruo. “Miss!”

Though the distance wasn’t far, it had been some time since Madam Xu last saw Wei Ruo. She had heard bits and pieces from Xiumei, learning that the young miss had even been locked in the woodshed at the Commandant’s Estate. Only then did she realize life there was not as good as she had first imagined for her.

Worried that Wei Ruo might not be eating or sleeping well at the Commandant’s Estate, she often found ways to send things over. Still, she had not been able to see Wei Ruo in person, and her heart was never truly at ease.

Madam Xu examined Wei Ruo carefully for a while. Only after confirming that she was neither thin nor ill did she finally relax.

“Nanny, don’t cry. As for Brother Xiaoyong, let’s talk about it slowly,” Wei Ruo said.

“Sister Ruo, please talk to my mother for me. She listens to you the most!” Xu Zhengyong quickly chimed in.

“You have no manners! How many times must I tell you not to address the young miss that way?” Madam Xu corrected her son for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“I won’t stop! I don’t care if she’s the young miss of the He family or the Wei family. She’s my sister, no matter what! She said so herself!” Xu Zhengyong insisted.

“Yes, Xiaoyong is right,” Wei Ruo affirmed—it was at her request that he called her this.

Xiaoyong was a year older than her. After Madam Xu gave birth to him, she took the job as a wet nurse for the He family to help make ends meet. During their time living at Mo’s Stockade, Madam Xu spent most of her time caring for Wei Ruo, while her own son, Xiaoyong, was left at home.

Later, as Wei Ruo grew older, she deliberately arranged for Madam Xu to return home more often and even encouraged her to bring Xu Zhengyong to stay with them for a few days, claiming she needed playmates her own age. At that time, both she and Xiaoyong were still young children without any sense of separation between boy and girl, and they would play together in the manor.

As time went by, they became well acquainted, and the sibling-like address naturally took hold. No matter how many times Xu Zhushan and Madam Xu tried to correct them, the two refused to change.

“Meimei, untie Xiaoyong’s ropes. Let’s sit down and talk this through,” Wei Ruo signaled Xiumei with a glance.

Taking advantage of the moment before Madam Xu and Uncle Xu could react, Xiumei hurried over to untie Xu Zhengyong.

“Thank you, Meizi!” Xu Zhengyong grinned sheepishly at Xiumei.

“Don’t thank me yet!” Xiumei glared at him in mock annoyance.

Freed at last, Xu Zhengyong bounced over to Wei Ruo and began to complain. “Sister Ruo, tell me, isn’t a true man supposed to face life and death without fear, go to the battlefield, and make a name for himself?”

“The kind of man you describe is indeed admirable, but that’s not the only way to be a good man. Didn’t I suggest you study before?” Wei Ruo asked.

“I’m not cut out for it, Sister Ruo. I already consider myself lucky to recognize as many characters as I do. Those scholarly essays you want me to write—I just can’t do it,” Xu Zhengyong replied, looking miserable.

Wei Ruo knew well that, with his restless nature, he truly wasn’t suited to scholarly pursuits. Yet, in this era, studying was indeed the best way for ordinary people to break through social barriers.

“You little rascal! If you go off to join the army and fight those fierce pirates, your mother will be constantly worried sick at home!” Xu Zhushan scolded.

“Nanny, is it because you’re worried Xiaoyong will get hurt that you won’t allow him to enlist?” Wei Ruo asked Madam Xu.

She shook her head. “It’s not that I fear he’ll be wounded in battle. It's thanks to the soldiers guarding our city gates that ordinary folks like us live in peace. If my son doesn't go, someone else’s son will. If no one goes, we’re all doomed.”

She sighed. “If he truly wanted to fight and shed blood for his country, I could accept it. What I worry about is his temperament—he’ll get himself punished before he even sees battle for breaking the rules!”

Xu Zhengyong was headstrong. Not long ago, when he went to the Commandant’s Estate to see Wei Ruo, he got into an argument with the guards over the slightest disagreement.

With a temperament like his, Madam Xu truly could not rest easy if he joined the army.

Since that was the crux of the matter, Wei Ruo felt it was not an insurmountable issue.

Wei Ruo turned to Xu Zhengyong. “Brother Xiaoyong, you heard Nanny—she doesn’t object to you enlisting outright. Her condition is that you must learn to restrain your temper and not get into conflicts with others easily.”

“As long as no one provokes me, I won’t start any trouble. My mother just worries too much,” Xu Zhengyong replied carelessly.

“Brother Xiaoyong, even though I’m not exactly a stickler for rules myself, the army is different from anywhere else. It’s the strictest place of all, and you have no choice but to obey. You can’t just say you’ll behave if you feel like it—you must obey military orders and discipline, no exceptions,” Wei Ruo said with a serious expression.

Xu Zhengyong scratched his head, uncertain.

He knew his own temper—that he was prone to clashes with others.

“Brother Xiaoyong, if you truly want to go, then swear by me: after enlisting, as long as your own safety allows, you’ll control your temper, avoid conflict, and obey orders and regulations. If you break this oath, may I be struck by lightning.”

“No way! How could I swear such a thing on you? I wouldn’t even use myself for that kind of vow, let alone you!” Xu Zhengyong refused at once.

He added, “If that’s the case, I’d rather not go at all. I’ll just be a useless man for the rest of my life!”

As he spoke, his expression suddenly turned bitter. “I want to join the army not just to serve my country, but because I want to make something of myself. I want to bring you out to live with us. I know we’re only common folk, and no matter how much money we earn through business, we can’t compete with those in power, nor can we bring you home. But if I earn military merit and rise higher than the Wei family, I’ll have the means to get you out of there and live together again.”

With that, Xu Zhengyong wiped away a tear, gazing resentfully at a corner of the courtyard wall.

“You’re my sister. I ought to take care of you, to protect you, not just sit idly in this little house. You wanted me to study, and I tried, but I’m no good at it. But I’m strong, and you even found a teacher to teach me martial arts—I’m sure I’ll do well on the battlefield!”

Hearing this, both Xu Zhushan and Madam Xu fell silent.

Wei Ruo’s heart was jolted as well. She had never realized that Xu Zhengyong’s desire to become a soldier had so much to do with her.