Stored Grain

Lin Xuan cupped his hands in salute. "Many thanks to the Hundred-Household Commander for granting this. My old mother has injured her leg recently and needs looking after, so she cannot work. May I return home first?"

Commander Zhang laughed heartily. "Such filial devotion is rare. Go on, go back."

The two Squad Leaders were dumbfounded. They had never seen anyone summoned for Military Farming only to be sent home midway.

The other officers at the Drill Ground had no intention of currying favor with Lin Xuan. He had dared to openly defy his superior, making them feel that this youth was beyond control.

A lowly military household with no foundation to speak of already dared act like this. Once he truly grew powerful, would he still respect his superiors?

Having spent their lives in the ranks, they preferred obedient commoners who endured whatever came their way, not thorns in their side.

Rather than make an uncontrollable investment in a stranger, it was better to invest in their own descendants.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Xuan said, "Then I'll be heading back first."

He did not touch any of his luggage and simply turned around for home.

Lin An was gathering field snails by the irrigation ditch. The Grand Ancestor Internal Strength stated that field snails were decent food that commoners at the Bone Binding realm could eat, beneficial for tempering the body, so she had come to collect them.

Because they were troublesome to eat, few people liked them.

As a result, the ditch was full of field snails, with plenty of large, tender ones among them. Old and young snails had differently colored shells, which made it much easier for Lin An to pick out the tender ones.

While Lin An was gathering snails, Lin Jie's grandson, Lin Li, slowly approached from behind her and spoke. "It's Lin An."

"Lin Xuan was taken away by the officers for Military Farming. He may not be coming back for a long time."

Hearing that, Lin An turned to glance at him. Once she saw who it was, she stood up, stopped gathering snails, and slung her basket over her arm, preparing to head home.

Seeing that Lin An did not react, he continued.

"With him gone, you two will be living hard days. You might as well follow me. At the very least, you won't have to worry about food or clothes."

Lin An sneered inwardly. Given her poor impression of Lin Jie, she had no favorable feelings toward this man either.

"None of your business," Lin An snapped.

"Hmph. Lin Xuan will probably be conscripted by the Garrison for the front lines before long. When he dies on the battlefield and you can no longer survive, don't come begging me!" Lin Li resented her poor attitude.

He had actually approached Lin An many times before, but she had always clearly rejected his goodwill, and even now, nothing had changed.

He could not understand why she was so devoted to Lin Xuan. That boy was poor as a church mouse and dull as wood, and now he had even been sent off for Military Farming. How could he compare to Lin Li?

"Little brother, you're back?" Lin An was overjoyed when she spotted the youth in the distance, carrying a bow and arrows on his back and bedding in his hand.

"Lin Xuan? Weren't you conscripted for Military Farming? How dare you sneak back on your own?"

Lin Xuan had spotted him from far away and knew he had approached Lin An with no good intentions. He gave a cold laugh.

"What does it have to do with you whether I return or not? You seem remarkably well informed. Could it be that you were behind forcing me into Military Farming?"

"I... Those two banner officers were blocking your door. What neighbor wouldn't know?" Lin Li felt that even Lin Xuan's way of speaking had changed, carrying a sharp edge.

"Fine, let's say this has nothing to do with you.

Don't harass my wife again. Otherwise, my arrows may end up in your head."

Lin Li's heart skipped a beat. How could such threatening words come from Lin Xuan's mouth?

He panicked at once and hurried away.

"Little brother, how did you do it? How did you get back so quickly?" Lin An could not help asking curiously.

"I used this bow to shoot three arrows at the targets on the Drill Ground. Three arrows, three hits.

The military households at the Drill Ground all saw that my martial skill was extraordinary. I'm made for martial arts, not for being a farming slave.

At the same time, I said that I was both the only son and still underage. No matter how one looked at it, making me do Military Farming made no sense.

That mastermind, Commander Zhang, gave up on making me do Military Farming."

"Well? If I hadn't insisted on learning martial arts, I probably wouldn't even be able to draw a bow by now, much less come back!" A trace of pride hung on Lin Xuan's face.

Lin An saw at once that he wanted praise, so she indulged him. "My little brother is the best. Still, hitting three shots out of three with this kind of bow should be difficult for an ordinary person to achieve in ten days, right?

Could it be that you are exceptionally gifted, little brother? A born Martial Prodigy?"

Lin An had carefully studied the contents of the Grand Ancestor Internal Strength. She felt that Lin Xuan's rate of improvement was simply too fast!

If his aptitude had been mediocre, ten days of training would likely have made little difference from before. It seemed they had made the right gamble—Lin Xuan had chosen an exceptionally correct path.

"Of course. Come on, let's go home." Lin Xuan draped an arm around Lin An's shoulders.

When Chen Fang saw that her son had truly returned, she was overjoyed and hurried off to prepare lunch.

There was still enough meat from that pig to last several more days. Aside from its hide, fur, and intestines, everything else—organs and bones included—had been stewed.

The hide was fairly intact and could fetch two hundred copper coins.

The price of grain had risen by another copper coin.

While eating, Lin Xuan suggested, "Mother, why don't we stockpile more grain now? The rise in grain prices is not too fierce yet. In a few years, we may not even be able to afford grain."

Chen Fang was reluctant to part with the silver. "Oh, but what if there's a bumper harvest this year? Wouldn't grain prices fall then? Grain is so expensive now. If there's a good harvest and prices drop, wouldn't we lose out?"

Lin An added, "Mother, I agree with little brother. This disaster has been going on for more than a year or two. If it continues, even if there is a bumper harvest this year and grain prices fall a little, what about next year? Or the year after?

Besides, the Qiangqu People have left the northern farmlands abandoned. Even if prices fall here, they won't fall over there."

After hearing her, Lin Xuan silently approved. Her ability to analyze things this way was worthy of having resources tilted toward her.

Seeing both her son and daughter-in-law say so, Chen Fang wavered. It did seem to make some sense.

"Fine. We'll do as you say."

Chen Fang then took out the savings she had hidden away.

Last time, she had hidden them in the rice jar. This time, she took the money from a clay pot beneath the bed. Before, she had worried that her son had earned money through improper means, so she had kept her guard up and changed where she hid it.

Now, it seemed she had overthought things.

She took out ten taels of silver and handed them to Lin Xuan, keeping only five taels in reserve.

"Be careful. I heard bandits have been causing trouble around the county town lately. Take a knife when you go out. If they only want money, just give it to them," Chen Fang reminded him.

"You're saying that brat Lin Xuan came back from the Garrison? He didn't go do Military Farming?" Lin Jie frowned. This was not good news. How could the Garrison let someone return so easily?

"Could there be someone behind that brat? No, his family is so poor. What could anyone possibly want from him?"

"Tomorrow, go to the Garrison and ask around. I'm determined to get those twenty mu of land!"