727 To Fight in a War (2/2)
”Even if the court wants to call the men up... it has to wait for the county government to organize it. Nothing has happened yet, has it?”
Yang Erxi said softly, ”It'll be too late by the time the county government organizes anything.”
His wife said with a shaky voice, ”But...what's the use of just you going?”
Yang Erxi said, ”Even if the Eastern Border falls, the imperial court will definitely set up a wartime yamen there. When I get there, I will naturally serve with them.”
The more she listened, the more uneasy his wife became. She screamed to the next room, ”Dad, come quickly! ”
Yang Erxi hit the table forcefully. His vegetable dish and the leftover pig's feet all fell to the ground.
He said angrily, ”Why are you shouting! I don't hear you shouting this loudly when I ask you to get dad over for dinner!”
The gate was pushed open with a creak, and a hunched back old man entered.
Yang Erxi stood up and asked, ”Dad, have you eaten yet?”
The old man looked at the mess on the ground and smacked his lips. ”No,” he said.
Yang Erxi said, ”Then let your daughter-in-law chop up some barbequed thigh for you.”
His wife looked at her father-in-law with tears in her eyes, thinking that she always gave the old man food. And he shouldn't be angry just because she didn't give him barbequed pork legs last time. Then again, if he could manage to keep the drunken man in the house, she would even give him her legs, much less pork legs.
The old man did not speak.
Yang Erxi grew anxious.
”You two were so loud. There's only one wall between us. How can I not hear?”
The old man said.
Yang Erxi was very strong and tall, but now he bowed his head just like when he made a mistake when he was a child. He mumbled, ”I am a retired member of the frontier army, and if I don't go now, what...”
The old man glared at him and rapped out, ”Is it that great to be a soldier? I was a soldier, too, and so was your father! I was even a field officer! What are you trying to show off here?”
When his wife heard this, she stopped crying and looked at her father-in-law hopefully.
The old man fell silent and suddenly said, ”Go if you wish. If I were not 60 and still 40, I would go with you.”
Yang Erxi retrieved a wooden bow from the cabinet that was in pristine condition.
Then he carried a sharp reflective straw fork on his shoulder. His wife tied a heavy leg of barbequed pork to one end of the straw fork and asked, ”Do you want another pot of wine?”
The daughters-in-law in the Tang rural areas were usually of this temperament. Seeing that the situation cannot be changed, she would accept it in silence and take care of her own man carefully.
Yang Erxi said, ”This is a war. Drinking is against military discipline.”
His wife put down the newly brewed wine and thought to herself that he was not a serious soldier, so why would he care about military discipline?
Their two children ran home at this time. The younger brother panted and flushed. He wanted to say something but could not say it. The older sister looked at Yang Erxi and said angrily, ”Father, the painting for the public school is not done yet. The lecturer is very angry. Do you want us to fail school and become like you?”
Yang Erxi would normally be very angry if he had heard his daughter speak like that. Then, he would finish the rest of his chores at the school with his paint bucket. However, he smiled today.
”Tell the teacher that I will finish painting it when I return.”
Yang Erxi looked at his father and said, ”Dad, I am leaving.”
The old man nodded and said, ”Be careful.”
Yang Erxi kissed his wife hard and loud.
The two children were not shocked, having seen this many times. However, they were very curious.
His son looked at him with wide eyes and asked, ”Father, where are you going?”
Yang Erxi said, ”To the east.”
His daughter asked, ”Father, why are you going there?”
Yang Erxi answered, ”To fight in the war.”
His daughter said excitedly, ”Father, you must win!”
”Of course.”
Yang Erxi laughed and walked out the door, carrying his bow, arrows, and pitch-fork.