Enlist or Farm?

Because of the deep impression left by film and television dramas, Liu Bei came across as rather incapable, as though his only skill was crying. Lan Tian did not think highly of him.

Looking at Gan Qian in the snow, a line suddenly surfaced in his mind: Empress Gan of the First Sovereign, a native of Pei. When the First Sovereign arrived in Yu Province and resided in Xiaopei, he took her as a concubine. The First Sovereign repeatedly lost his principal wives, so she often managed domestic affairs.

This girl was Lady Gan? No wonder the name Gan Qian had sounded so familiar.

Cao Cao spent great generals to build his career, Sun Quan spent his father and brother, Liu Bei spent his wives.

A few days ago, Lan Tian had still been upset over his poor start, but now he seemed to have become Liu Adou's uncle?

Hiss.

Gan Qian had grown into a beautiful young woman, gentle and kind by nature. Lan Tian now faced a choice: should he lie low and wait to become an imperial relative of Shu Han, or find a way to stop his sworn elder sister from marrying Liu the Imperial Uncle?

"Let's go home. That group doesn't seem to have any intention of entering the village." Gan Qian pulled Lan Tian to his feet.

"Oh."

The two returned home, where Gan Ji had shut the doors and windows tight like a startled bird.

"Don't go out for the next few days. Those Cao soldiers might come again." Gan Ji warned them.

Early the next morning, officials from Xiaopei City came to the village again, beating gongs and drums as they summoned all those still alive to gather at the village entrance. Gan Ji once more told Gan Qian and Lan Tian not to leave the house, then went out alone with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

As the saying went: the poor did not fight the rich, and the rich did not fight officials.

No matter their rank, the officials from Xiaopei were not people common folk could afford to offend. Gan Ji had no choice. When they had come to pacify the people and collect corpses, his name had already been entered into the records.

"Little Tian, do you think Father will be all right out there?" Gan Qian asked worriedly.

After several days together, Lan Tian's inadvertent words and mannerisms had made Gan Qian feel that this younger brother was far from ordinary.

"He should be fine. Don't worry, Sister Qian. Shall I sneak out and take a look?" Lan Tian said.

"Father told us not to go out. How about you secretly follow him?" Gan Ji had been gone for quite some time, and Gan Qian truly could not put her mind at ease.

"Mm. Then don't you go out." Lan Tian said.

"Be very careful." Gan Qian urged.

"I know."

Lan Tian shut the door and quietly made his way toward the village entrance. From afar, he saw dozens of dark figures.

When he drew a little closer, the group suddenly burst into cheers, then scattered and headed toward Wang Family Village.

What did that mean?

Lan Tian hid at a distance, unsure of what was happening. Yet judging from their expressions, everyone seemed quite happy. Could they be handing out relief supplies?

At that thought, Lan Tian shook his head inwardly. In this age, people could barely manage to sweep the snow from their own doorsteps. Why would officials care whether commoners lived or died?

After everyone left, Lan Tian shook the accumulated snow from his body. Instead of returning home directly, he headed for the small river east of the village to see whether his traps had caught anything.

Yesterday, he had set five fish traps. When he lifted them, there were actually two fish inside. Though neither looked particularly large, they would make a fragrant pot of fish soup.

After pulling out the fish, Lan Tian moved the traps to several different spots. He liked this sit-back-and-wait method of fishing; it gave him the anticipation of opening a blind box.

The moment he reached the door carrying the two fish, he heard Gan Ji speaking inside. "Why isn't he back yet? Did that child get scared and run away? What a waste of all that Millet he ate at our house."

"Father, Little Tian went out to look for you. Should I go out and look for him too?" Gan Qian argued.

"The wind and snow outside are fierce. Forget it, let him go."

Knock, knock, knock. Lan Tian knocked on the door.

Gan Ji's words had been unpleasant to hear, but in this age of food shortages and disasters, they did not make him hateful. After all, he had taken in and fed a stranger despite not having enough to eat himself.

"You're back? These are..." Gan Qian first brightened at the sight of Lan Tian, then grew even happier when she saw the two fish in his hands.

"I caught two." Lan Tian said with a grin, as though he had not heard Gan Ji's earlier words.

Gan Ji also saw the fish in his hands and asked in surprise, "You went fishing just now?"

"Yeah."

"Did your trousers get wet?" Gan Ji examined him as he asked.

"No. My shoes are a little wet, but I can dry them by the stove in a while." Lan Tian replied with a smile.

Although Gan Ji's earlier words had been rather calculating, this concern for Lan Tian was heartfelt. He was a typical ordinary farmer: kind, yet shrewd.

"A heavy snow promises a good harvest. Our family has hope for next year's livelihood. Tian'er caught fresh fish today, so Qian'er, take them and make a pot of soup. It has been a long time since our family had any meat." Gan Ji said happily.

Gan Qian took the two fish from Lan Tian and went into the back kitchen to prepare them.

"Godfather, did the people from Xiaopei say something?" Lan Tian asked in confusion.

Gan Ji answered seriously, "That force passing through yesterday belonged to Liu Xuande. Governor Tao ordered him to station troops in Xiaopei. I heard he has long been known for benevolence and righteousness. The people from Xiaopei City came just now to recruit retainers for him."

In that chaotic era, soldiers privately recruited by local powerful families were called retainers. Most were landless serfs who attached themselves to local magnates. Along with their family members, they farmed their master's land and ate their master's grain. These retainers were the private property of local magnates and could be inherited or gifted like merchandise.

Retainers' duties were divided into three categories. Strong young men served as private soldiers and fought for their lord; the elderly either worked in workshops or served as laborers transporting grain, fodder, and baggage; their family members generally farmed and paid grain taxes for the master.

Liu Bei had started from nothing and fully understood the misery of having no troops under his command. Thus, while suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion and serving as Chancellor of Pingyuan, he developed the habit of secretly recruiting soldiers. Even after later joining Yuan Shao, he continued secretly recruiting retainers.

Gan Ji had wielded a hoe all his life and no longer had the fighting spirit to take up blade and spear on the battlefield. So he voluntarily chose to farm and pay grain for Liu Bei.

Either way, he would be farming. The only difference was that Boss Wang had become Boss Liu. With a new master, there would be no problem obtaining seed grain for next spring's planting.

When Liu Bei came to Xiaopei, Tao Qian not only gave him four thousand Danyang Soldiers, but also allocated him considerable money and grain.

"Little Tian, you're already fifteen. Will you stay in the village and farm with me, or follow General Liu to enlist and eat army rations? You're skinny, but they should still take you." Gan Ji asked.

Enlist under Liu Big Ears? I don't think much of him.

Lan Tian decisively shook his head. As a graduate student of agricultural science, he felt closer to the land.

"I'll farm with you." Lan Tian answered firmly.

Gan Ji nodded in satisfaction. "Mm. Eating army rations is easier, but blades have no eyes, and it is easy to lose your life. Farming is harder, but at least you can survive."

Gan Ji indulged in thoughts of the future for a while. Before long, Gan Qian brought a pot of fish soup to the table.

In this age of food shortages, being able to eat meat was truly not easy. Yet with insufficient seasonings and Gan Qian's rudimentary cooking skills, the taste was merely passable.

With the occasional fish meal like this, Lan Tian stayed with the Gan family for two months.

As spring warmed the land and the ice and snow melted, spring plowing began in Wang Family Village.

Lan Tian stood in the fields and rolled up his sleeves. At last, my field of expertise. This time, I'll really show what I can do.

Three Kingdoms—let's start with farming.