Blood Ties

No matter what, the Chen Family had to send someone off to enlist. There was absolutely no escaping it.

Unless they paid two taels of silver in exemption tax.

The Chen Family could hardly afford that sum, especially since this year's harvest had been poor to begin with.

In truth, Wang Juan had long had a feeling that Second Brother would leave the village after this round of conscription.

There were only three men of eligible age in the family.

The Chen Family still needed Chen Dasheng, an honest farmer, to hold things together, while Eldest Brother's right hand had been crippled...

From the very beginning, Second Brother had been the only one who could go.

But Wang Juan couldn't bring herself to accept it.

She was afraid Second Brother wouldn't come back.

This woman, not yet thirty-five, had calluses on her fingers and wrinkles gathered at the corners of her eyes.

She had always been strong, raising four children and keeping their little household running.

But now, she seemed close to breaking.

Wang Juan slowly sank to the ground. She looked as if all the strength had drained from her body. Her eyes were vacant as she stared at the ashes beneath the earthen stove. After a long silence, she finally spoke:

"Yan, go. Your mother has failed you."

Lujiang Village had seven men conscripted in all. The oldest was thirty-one, and the youngest was fourteen.

The youngest, of course, was Chen Yan.

Under the laws of Great Yan, all able-bodied men over twelve and under forty-five were subject to conscription.

So there was nothing unusual about it.

Before Chen Yan set off, he went to see Grandpa Lin once more.

Grandpa Lin had always been fond of the boy who often came to chat with the old