novelSusiti Chapter 63 The Greatly Compassionate Soldier Grandpa
Chapter 63 The Greatly Compassionate Soldier Grandpa
In the dim afternoon light of the twelfth lunar month, the gates of houses were knocked or smashed open. A series of terrified screams erupted from inside the houses, then stopped abruptly as if someone had choked them.
Outside the door were fully armed soldiers. Inside the house, the doctor who had been forced in and the homeowner looked at each other awkwardly.
Although doctors held a low social status, and were considered disrespectful to gentlemen as so-called shamans, doctors, musicians, and artisans, they were undoubtedly influential figures in the eyes of ordinary people, and very few dared to offend them.
So the homeowner broke the awkward silence first, asking indignantly, "Doctor Le, have you joined the army? We're all neighbors, and you know our family's situation—we can't squeeze a drop of profit out of us. We used to respect you, and now that you've become an official, you're bringing people to ransack our homes? Isn't that incredibly heartless?"
Dr. Le's expression was complicated. He walked to the seat and sat down, saying, "Don't overthink it. I've been practicing medicine for over ten years since I graduated. Every penny I've earned is through my medical skills and reputation. Why would I bring soldiers to confiscate your property? This table and chair are the most valuable thing in your house. Do you think the soldiers would run all this way just to carry these back to chop firewood?"
"To tell you the truth, the day before the Northern army entered the city, the military governor's office conscripted all able-bodied men in the city to fight on the city walls. It was a cold night, and many caught colds. After the Northern army entered the city, these men with colds all ran home. The Northern army officials, fearing a plague, ordered us doctors to be rounded up and treated from house to house. 'Quickly bring out your family members; I need to question and examine them one by one. Don't do anything rash; the knives outside are very sharp.'"
The homeowner exclaimed in surprise, "We didn't hear about the Northern army looting the city; instead, they brought a doctor to treat us. It feels like a dream!"
The doctor said impatiently, "Hurry up, I still have many families to visit today. The soldiers have ordered that the entire city be searched before dawn tomorrow, without rest or sleep. I feel like I'm dreaming. Were these soldiers monks before? Where did the emperor of the Northern Dynasty find such compassionate soldiers? It's truly a wonder."
The initial unease and confusion did not last long. City dwellers' houses were often connected, and they could see what was happening in their neighbor's house by climbing over the wall.
Soon, news of the Northern Army's erratic behavior—arresting doctors and sending them door-to-door to treat patients—spread like wildfire. Some families found it novel and amusing, while others were relieved that their possessions had been temporarily saved.
Families whose loved ones actually catch a cold, however, are overjoyed and weep with joy, experiencing a very different feeling. Limited by income and savings, most people try to tough it out with their bodies for common illnesses like colds, at most resorting to some unknown folk remedies.
Only when the cold has penetrated the body and the illness has become terminal will families be willing to spend their savings to hire a doctor. Often, by this stage, doctors have no better options. Therefore, there are indeed many men in residential areas suffering from fevers while lying at home.
They are often the pillars of a family, the hope of their wives and children. If they fall, the family falls. In chaotic times, a family without a man has almost no right to survive.
In a family home, a man lay on the bed groaning in pain. His wife anxiously changed his damp towels to lower his body temperature. As his condition worsened, both his wife and mother became frantic with worry.
The wife said to her mother-in-law, "Mother-in-law, nothing can happen to Dalang. I want to go and ask a doctor. We still have a few coins at home, and I think we can get some medicine."
The mother-in-law stopped her, saying, "There are soldiers coming and going outside, they're all lawless bastards. Stepmother, you're young and full of life, don't go out. I'm an old woman, I have nothing to be afraid of. I'll take the money to fetch a doctor, just make sure you take good care of Dalang. If I don't come back, you can do whatever you want, just make sure you take good care of the children, Dalang's bloodline can't be broken."
"Mother-in-law!"
As they talked, the old woman and the woman who called her "Mom" embraced and wept bitterly. If the old woman were unlucky enough to be killed by some soldier outside, who would take away all their savings...
If the men in the family fall apart, a woman alone cannot support the family. Remarrying with the children will be almost the only way out.
In those chaotic times, the old woman had seen it all and was no longer as particular about rules and regulations as women in peaceful times.
Perhaps it was precisely because of the old woman's open-mindedness that the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was quite harmonious. The woman called Wan Niang genuinely couldn't bear to see her mother-in-law go out and take such a risk. But the mother-in-law's decision was very realistic. What would happen if soldiers with weapons encountered young women? It hardly needed a storyteller to make up a tale; everyone knew the tragic ending.
Despite her tears, Wan Niang still saw her mother-in-law to the door. The old woman quietly opened the door, turned around and gave Wan Niang a gentle look, but saw that Wan Niang's face was full of fear and she was too nervous to speak.
The old woman turned her head in confusion to look outside the door. Several soldiers stood far away, holding their swords and spears, looking around suspiciously. The old woman was so shocked that she couldn't catch her breath, cried out in pain, and fainted.
"Grandma! Wake up, Grandma!" The stepmother couldn't help but rush forward to catch her mother-in-law, shouting for help without thinking. "Heaven is going to destroy my family!" The adults cried, and the children cried along with them.
A few soldiers were chatting nearby: "Damn it, we fought a bloody battle and didn't even get our reward money. Instead, we were sent out to treat the whole city's residents. I don't even know how my family is doing yet, but I'm already taking care of someone else's parents."
"You're not being filial to other people's parents. You're being filial to other people's husbands."
"Hahaha"
"Get lost, you're on my team, so my filial piety is your filial piety too? Damn it, it's almost Chinese New Year, don't let me get sick."
"If you fall ill, we'll grab other men to take care of you."
"Forget it, if you're going to arrest someone, arrest a young woman to serve me. Who wants a man? You've all had enough of looking at men."
The soldiers who were chatting happily in the distance were already paranoid from the so-called plague. Suddenly, a family started wailing. The soldiers immediately trembled and quickly huddled in the street corner, shouting for the doctor who was treating patients next door to come out and take a look.
The soldiers were afraid, and so was the doctor. After visiting so many doctors, he had become quite reassured, as the symptoms suggested a simple cold, not an epidemic. But suddenly, a commotion and shouting erupted outside. Had something happened?
Regardless, there's no rule for a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to run away at the first sign of illness. Forcing himself to remain calm, he carefully closed his medicine box, giving the family a final reminder to take their medicine on time and drink plenty of hot water. Amidst the family's profuse thanks, he hurriedly ran outside, looking around and calling out, "Who's in trouble? What's that all about?"
The doctor was alarmed, and the surrounding villagers, especially those who had already received treatment and screening, came out of their homes to help or check on the patients.
The neighbors all rushed to help carry the old woman home, some patting her face, others pinching her philtrum. By the time the doctor arrived to examine her, the old woman had already regained consciousness thanks to the neighbors' frantic "treatment."
Just as the doctor was about to step forward to speak, the old woman recognized him and quickly jumped up, grabbing him and saying, "Old sir, please save my eldest son! He fell ill less than an hour after returning home from the city wall today."
The doctor patted his forehead and said, "Don't panic, don't panic. That's exactly why I came. You've met a good soldier. They called me here to treat people suffering from the cold from house to house. Where is your eldest son? I'll go see him. Don't worry, the government will subsidize three doses of medicine. Your eldest son is strong; three doses should be enough."
Although the old woman felt that the world had suddenly become unreal—where in the world could there be such a good government?—she was determined not to let the doctor leave without writing a prescription or leaving any medicine.
The old woman's eldest son's illness was simple, like most able-bodied men who caught a chill last night; he just needed medicine to induce sweating.
The doctor skillfully took out three doses of Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) from his medicine box and said, "These three doses are specifically for treating wind-cold. Each dose should be decocted three times, and you should take one dose every day. You should be almost fully recovered in three days. Be careful at home, as I still need to go and check on other people."
The old woman took out a string of coins from her sleeve and said, "Although the official will give money, my family can't just leave empty-handed. I only ask the doctor to do his best for us, considering we've been neighbors for so many years."
The doctor was helpless. Normally, he would be happy if customers were willing to tip him. But for some reason, he didn't like the villagers secretly slipping him money today.
The doctor sighed, "Keep it, keep it. It's rare for the government to do such a good deed, and it's also rare for me to do such a good deed. I'll keep the money to help the eldest son recover. Food is worse than medicine, so I won't keep it. I'll come back to visit him again when he's able to get out of bed in a few days."
After the doctor left and went to other people's houses, the soldiers did not understand the local dialect. They just saw that so many people were helping the old woman's house, so they figured it probably wasn't the plague.
Relieved, they quickly grabbed their knives and followed the doctor to a new location, where they continued chatting in a new corner.
Seeing that the soldiers' actions didn't seem so frightening, the experienced old woman and her neighbors said, "We've never seen soldiers like this in our lives. Even if they don't harm us, we can't be too careful. Why don't we make some soup dumplings at my house to treat them? As the saying goes, 'He who takes a bribe is bound to be grateful.' If they eat our soup dumplings, they probably won't feel comfortable bothering us poor folks in the future."
The neighbors all agreed that the old lady was really good, and everyone pitched in to help, starting to knead dough and cook in her kitchen.
Not long after, the old woman and several neighbors brought several bowls of soup noodles to the soldiers.
An old man, trembling as he held a bowl, said, "Sir, you have shown mercy and saved my family's lives. We are a poor family, and although we don't have much of value, we still have some pride. We specially made some soup dumplings for you to accept. It's freezing cold, and you've worked so hard for us. Please don't be shy about accepting them."
The soldiers, bewildered and unable to understand, exchanged confused glances. One soldier, looking at the soup dumplings everyone was holding, pointed to himself and asked, "Are these for me?"
Having apparently understood the gesture, the old woman nodded sharply, handed the soldier a large earthenware bowl and chopsticks, gestured to him as if kneading dough, pointed to the bowl of soup noodles and said, "Kneading dough, soup noodles, for you, I specially added sesame oil, it's delicious."
The soldier accepted the gift with a sense of surprise and delight. He felt the warmth of the freshly cooked soup noodles, smelled the sesame oil inside, and looked at the old woman's aged face. His nose tingled, and he thought of his own mother. He fell silent.
Not only was he silent, but the other soldiers also held their bowls, feeling the warmth from the bowls travel from their palms to their arms, and then, along their arms, the heat continuously flowed into their hearts. A strange, warm energy spread throughout their bodies, and the bone-chilling cold of the damp weather seemed to be dispelled.
The old man and woman assumed they were from out of town and couldn't get used to the food, so they anxiously asked, "What's wrong? Is it not to your liking?"
The soldiers still couldn't understand the Haizhou dialect, but the old man's sincere expression accurately conveyed his meaning.
Because when my grandparents, maternal grandparents, and parents were alive, they were just as worried about me not having enough to eat or wear. After so many years of fighting, I've rarely experienced that kind of care again.
A soldier grinned silently, tears streaming down his face. He held a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, eating voraciously. As he ate, he began to sob.
This applies to one person as well as several people; beneath their dark, chapped faces lie broken hearts, forged from years of hardship and loss of loved ones, having left their hometowns early.
Normally, they would exchange the rewards issued by the army for wine and nectar, and use the bodies of prostitutes to numb themselves. But the aroma of those wines, meats, and prostitutes could not compare to the bowl of soup noodles in their hands today, which exuded the memory of their family's cooking.
Although the soldiers' reactions differed somewhat from the old woman's expectations, the outcome was positive. After eating the soup dumplings while crying, these soldiers, who spoke a dialect she couldn't understand, visibly became much gentler.
After that, they would knock on doors instead of banging or kicking them. They also stopped hiding in corners and instead put away their knives, standing openly at the door, ready to go in and help at any time.
The next day, many soldiers scattered throughout the city returned to their camps happily, carrying large and small bags of food and various trinkets (even children's toys), as if it were New Year's Day.
They all started bragging as soon as they met: "You have no idea, the soup noodles here in Haizhou are incredibly authentic. They're exactly the same as the ones from my hometown."
"You're so short-sighted. The fried salted fish in Haizhou is the real deal; it's incredibly fresh."
"You're talking nonsense, the soup noodles are good."
"Forget it, pan-fried salted fish is the best!"
On the gate tower of the military camp, a group of officers from the Black Spear Dragon Cavalry Army, who had already received the news, stood with Commander Han Kun, watching through the windows as squads of soldiers returned to camp carrying large and small bags, their faces beaming with happy and proud smiles. They were all amazed.
Han Kun laughed heartily, "What's going on? Aren't I the only monk in the army? How come the brothers have been busy for a whole day and night, and instead of complaining, they're all so cheerful? What, did you become a Buddha before me?"
Commander Hu of the Left Wing clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "General, I've been in the army for twenty years and have never seen anything like this. Could it be that our dynasty is truly destined by Heaven and will soon unify the world?"
Commander Chen of the Right Wing said with a smile, "The commander-in-chief is truly resourceful. With just one move, not only have the people of Haizhou been won over, but our brothers have also quelled the resentment after the fierce battle. To be honest, the commander-in-chief, I've been on tenterhooks these past two days, fearing that the brothers below would rebel after entering the city. Now I can finally sleep soundly."
Han Kun exclaimed, "Don't even mention you guys. I've never heard of this before, I couldn't have imagined it even if I racked my brains. That's why I've been squatting on this gate tower all morning to see what's going on. Has Li Ji from the right wing arrived yet?"
Damn it, I forgot to call Li Ji. The Left Wing will benefit again. Old Chen, the Right Wing Commander, was furious. Li Ji was just a commander of a commander, not high enough in rank, so when Old Chen received Han Kun's order to go to the gate tower to enjoy the scenery, he didn't think of bringing him along.
Sure enough, Old Hu, the Left Wing Commander, immediately stepped forward and said, "The Li brothers are all excellent. Although Li Ji is not here, Li Xuan from our Left Wing is. Commander, you can ask our Left Wing people whatever you want." As he spoke, Old Hu winked smugly at Old Chen. Old Chen was so angry that he was breathing heavily, and his beard was blown off.
Han Kun was fully aware of his subordinates' ulterior motives. It didn't matter; that's how it was in the army. It was normal for the left and right wings to be at odds with each other. He had been like that before, even when facing Guo Rong and other equally ranked military commanders vying for tasks and credit, Han Kun would resort to various underhanded tactics to sow discord among them. Emperor Guo Rong, however, always turned a blind eye.
Han Kun directly ended the "struggle" between the two commanders by name: "Has Li Xuan arrived?"
Only then did Li Xuan step forward upon hearing this. Just now, the two commanders of the garrison had been dueling, and he, as a lower-ranking officer, had stood obediently, not daring to interfere and steal the limelight from the big shots.
Upon hearing the summons, Li Xuan stepped forward and said, "General, this humble servant is here."
Han Kun smiled and said, "You're an educated person. Have you ever seen anything like this before?"
Li Xuan replied, "Soldiers cherish the people, and the people support the soldiers. This is extremely rare throughout history. I have only seen it in the scriptures of the sages, and I do not know if it is true or not."
Han Kun exclaimed in surprise, "Could the scriptures of a sage be fake?"
Li Xuan said: "The sage said that during the pre-Qin period, the King of Yan abused his people, and the King of Qi led his army to conquer the tyrannical King of Yan. The people of Yan all believed that the Qi army was saving them from their suffering, so they welcomed the Qi army with food and drink, as if they were welcoming a king's army to attack their king."
The sage then countered by asking: If the Qi army did not do good deeds when it arrived in Yan, but only burned, killed, looted, killed the fathers and brothers of the Yan people, drove out and persecuted the sons and daughters of the Yan people, destroyed the ancestral temples and tombs of the Yan people, and robbed their national treasures and property, would the Qi army still be able to gain the support and help of the people of Yan, and would it still be able to defeat the King of Yan smoothly?
In my humble opinion, the rise and fall of a nation, and the peace or chaos of the world, lie within this principle. The will of the people is like water, vast and unrestrained; those who follow it prosper, those who oppose it perish. Therefore, Emperor Taizong of the previous dynasty said, "The people are like water, and the ruler is like a boat; water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."
Han Kun murmured, savoring the words: "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Alas, if only the descendants of Emperor Taizong could remember these words, we wouldn't be suffering like this. Well, anyway, what goes around comes around. Our Black Spear Dragon Cavalry's encounter with the people of Haizhou was ultimately without error. I am very pleased."
"When those able-bodied men from Haizhou return tomorrow, the people of Haizhou will know how benevolent we are, and our dynasty's foundation in Haizhou will be initially firmly established." - Li Xuan
Li Xuan cupped his hands in greeting and replied, "Your humble servant is here."
Han Kun ordered, "After the able-bodied men return home to reunite with their families, you will be in charge of selling the valuables in the Haizhou treasury to raise funds for the army's New Year's bonus. There must be no mistakes."
Li Xuan loudly replied, "This subordinate obeys!"