Eternal Empire

Chapter 28 - Just Go Then, Just Go

Mr. Shen said that a gentleman should be humble and modest most of the time. Shen Leng felt that he himself was a perfect person - for such humble words to come out of his mouth.

The rest of the competition was nothing significant. In truth, even if the new recruits, who passed both segments, were to fight each other, there was nothing much to praise or admire. Compared to Shen Leng, they were way beneath him - not just a level beneath him; they were worlds apart.

When the sky was about to be dark, Shen Leng walked into Zhuang Yong's tent. He greeted the general with an exceptionally embarrassed smile.

Zhuang Yong shook his head slightly. "Fake. Save it."

Hence, Shen Leng laughed, feeling pleased with himself.

Zhuang Yong nodded his head. "Young man, allow yourself to be happy if you're happy.

Shen Leng replied, "It's not good if you let yourself grow dizzy with success and get too carried away. After all, I had won that wager. I should restrain myself a little."

Zhuang Yong suddenly felt like he was a joke. Shen Leng was a child who had not turned sixteen and yet he had to scheme on his behalf to deal with Du Weiming.

"If you came here to boast that you won the competition and came in number one, you can leave. That's very immature."

"No, I.find it really hard to bring this up."

When Shen Leng said that, Zhuang Yong's first response was to shut him up and stop him from continuing his sentence. However, Shen Leng did not give him the chance to do that.

"Even though I find it hard to bring it up, I still have to say it. I want to go to Changan, but I'm embarrassingly short of money - I don't have enough travel expenses for even one person. Not to forget, I have to take Du Weiming along with me. So, I would like to ask if you could."

"No."

He got interrupted by Zhuang Yong before he could finish his sentence. "It's not payday yet. Besides, even when you get your pay, it wouldn't be enough for the one-month expenses for two people for this trip. Just forget about it.besides, don't you have a gold ingot? How dare you have the cheek to ask me for your pay in advance?"

"General, you've misunderstood me."

Shen Leng said earnestly, "As a qualified soldier, of course, I know that we are not allowed to break the rules as we wish. Nobody has ever gotten their pay in advance before. How would I have the cheek to borrow money from my country? What I meant was, could you lend me some money privately?"

Zhuang Yong felt as though he was about to explode.

"The gold ingot is for sir and Master Cha."

Shen Leng had a sincere look on his face, "You can deduct it from my future pay?"

Zhuang Yong replied, "I did not agree to your request."

Shen Leng responded, "I used to be a porter who delivered shipments of goods to the river bank. I earned some money every day. Even though it was very tough, I did earn my keep. If you are not willing to lend me money, can I bring Du Weiming with me to be a porter for a few days?"

Zhuang Yong took out a money pouch from his drawer and tossed it towards him. "Get out."

Shen Leng caught the money pouch, and realized that the embroidery on it was extremely beautiful. When he was younger, he was greatly exposed to brocade cloth. Naturally, he was very familiar with embroidery. Nonetheless, the embroidery work on the small money pouch before his eyes stunned him. The eagle with wings spread was so vivid and lifelike.

"Skilled embroidery. General, who did this? Can you introduce her to me? In the future I can import some goods for her and sell it to merchants elsewhere. That way, I will be able to return you the money earlier."

Zhuang Yong wanted to do a facepalm.

"This was done by my daughter, Ruo Rong."

"I'm sorry."

Shen Leng quickly apologized. He wanted to make the awkwardness go away and casually said, "With a distinguished father like you, no wonder your daughter is capable too."

Zhuang Yong responded, "Are you trying to say that I'm better at embroidering than leading troops?"

Shen Leng's hands trembled. "I better count the money."

He poured out all the silver within the money pouch. He estimated that there were at least 50 taels worth of silver in it. He squatted there and carefully counted. He took out 20 taels of silver and put the rest back into the pouch.

"I don't need that much."

Great Ning was a rich country; Zhuang Yong had a high salary. He intended to give those silver to Shen Leng without getting him to pay him back. However, that fella actually counted earnestly. Evidently, he had the intention to pay him back. This somewhat contradicted with his shameless nature.

"Are you really paying me back?"

"Yes, I am. Borrowing is borrowing after all."

Shen Leng put the rest of the silver inside the pouch and did a military salute before leaving.

Zhuang Yong said, "Initially, I thought that even if you're more shameless than Shen Xiaosong, it was only by a little. Who knew that you're much worse.leave my money pouch behind, if not you will get hit twenty times by a whip."

Shen Leng had an awkward look on his face and returned him the beautiful money pouch. "Eh, how did I forget about it."

Zhuang Yong had no idea what he was thinking - he was too lenient with this young man. He realized that he let slip a sentence without giving much thought.

"This was embroidered by my daughter. Naturally, I cannot give it to you. If she is free, I will ask her if she can make one for you."

After he said that, Zhuang Yong regretted it. He secretly chastised himself. How did I turn into a mother hen in front of that fella? That chick is not even my biological child.

Shen Leng hurriedly shook his head and dissipated the awkwardness between them. "No, no, it's ok. I'm a boor, a money pouch specially embroidered by a young lady like her is not suited for me. It is a valuable item that cannot be exchanged for with money."

Before Zhuang Yong even had the time to be moved by his words, as expected, Shen Leng's next sentence followed. "Even though I don't want it, I can't possibly overlook your kind intentions. Young lady's embroidery work is matchless, and this money pouch cannot be exchanged for with money. Since I don't want it, can it offset my debt of 20 taels of silver?"

Zhuang Yong answered, "Get out. Immediately. Get out, right now."

Shen Leng ran off, holding onto the silver.

After Shen Leng returned to the barracks, he packed up his things before looking for DU Weiming. He explained briefly to him and told him to wait for him at the ferry crossing by the river bank. Thereafter, he rushed out like a hyper and overjoyed dog who got freed.

When he got back to the Daoist temple, Shen Leng realized that without him, the two of them did not lead a decent life. Naturally, Mr. Shen did not know how to cook. If Mr. Shen did not know how to cook, how would Shen Cha Yan be able to cook?

In the past couple of days, both of them made do with what they had for meals. When Shen Leng entered the door, he saw the two of them staring at the steamed buns and salted vegetables on the table in a daze.

If other people saw them, they would definitely be moved, because their family scrimped and saved on food just to send them into the military camp. How touching? However, Shen Leng knew that with those two people, it was because they were lazy. Extremely lazy.

Hence, Shen Leng dumped his belongings and headed straight for the kitchen, as they were taken by surprise. That was when he noticed that there was a seal pasted on both of the vegetable knives.

'Let's see who caves and uses it first' was written on one of the seals, and 'Alright, did you think I'm scared?' was written on the other.

Shen Leng thought to himself: What a loving pair of father and daughter.

Mr. Shen was a little embarrassed and followed him into the kitchen. "We have sealed the things that you frequently use, because we're scared of ruining them. Or else, what if you're not used to using them when you're back?

Shen Leng replied, "General Zhuang Yong often praised you. He said that in the entire world, when it comes to being shameless, you're number one, sir."

Shen Cha Yan squatted by the door and laughed. She laughed to the point that her eyes were a little red. "Stupid Leng."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. Just calling you for fun."

"Ok."

"Stupid Leng."

"Yeah."

"Stupid Leng."

"Yeah."

He swiftly laid out the meat and vegetables that he bought on his way home, while continuing to answer her repeatedly. Whenever Shen Cha Yan called out to him, he answered without feeling annoyed at all. One called out without feeling tired, and the other answered without feeling tired. There seemed to be several underlying meanings to this.

After around half an hour later, the stone table was filled with dishes. It was very aromatic. Mr. Shen took out a pot of wine. "Here's to celebrating your first visit back home. Drink a little."

Shen Cha Yan said, "Or is it because there are dishes that go well with alcohol?"

Mr. Shen replied, "You should show your father more respect. Don't forget, there's no way you are going to get married."

Shen Cha Yan was about to retort, saying that if other people could get married, why couldn't she. However, she quickly caught on and blushed. She lowered her head and started eating. When the food entered her mouth, she actually cried tears of joy, "So tasty."

Shen Leng said, "Before I got back, how was life for you two ladies?"

Mr. Shen was about to say something but he thought of the word 'ladies' and glared at Shen Leng hard. "When you weren't around.she didn't eat much."

Shen Leng laughed out loud. Shen Cha Yan blushed instead. In the past, Master Cha rarely blushed. She was a tough girl who could ram Shen Leng into a tree. Blushing was completely out of character for her.

After Shen Leng was done laughing, he ate as he spoke, "I need to go on a long journey tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

"You can't go!"

The person who asked where he was going was Mr. Shen, and the person who said he could not go was Shen Cha Yan.

Shen Leng put down his bowl and chopsticks. He said earnestly, "I've been very troubled over the past few days. My eyelids keep twitching. I keep looking at the night sky and tried to read the stars, but I just can't understand how it works.after that, I felt that perhaps something must have happened to Meng Changan. Hence, I must make this trip there."

Shen Cha Yan responded, "What would happen to that fella? He bullied you since you two were children. Why are you thinking about him?"

Shen Leng shook his head, "Since when did he truly bully me? Whenever he saw that his father was about to hit me, he would charge ferociously at me and hit me instead. His father would laugh smugly, thinking how amazing his son was. The people in our town would say the words 'like father like son'. However, I know Meng Changan's intention. He hit me with a lot less strength compared to his father."

Shen Leng looked up to the sky, refusing to let the drop of tear roll down his cheek. "That fella is harsh with his words, but has a kind heart."

Mr. Shen said, "Perhaps you think too much. Nothing will happen to him in Yanta Academy of Classical Learning."

Shen Leng replied, "I just want to see him. It's best if he's ok. I'll take it as a trip to Changan to widen my horizons. If something happened to him.I can lend him a helping hand if he's alive. If he isn't, I have to retrieve his body."

Mr. Shen was silent for quite a while. He got up and went into the house. Not long later, he brought a bundle out with him. "You cannot take your hengdao with you. It will easily be discovered as there is a mark engraved on it. There is an umbrella inside, if you twist it to the left, it will eject two blades. It is a thin-blade sword."

"I have prepared some silver for you. It's for your travel expenses."

Mr. Shen put the bundle next to Shen Leng. "There are some things that you should and should not do. If you feel that you need to do something, do it."

"Thank you, sir."

Shen Leng did not expect Mr. Shen to agree readily. After all, Mr. Shen could not necessarily understand the importance of Meng Changan to him.

Thereafter, he noticed that Shen Cha Yan was no longer objecting. Instead, she sat there, wolfing down her food. There was something amiss. If a chick were to leave the nest, how would the mother hen be unaffected?"

"I'm full."

Shen Cha Yan patted her tummy comfortable. "So tasty."

After she said that, she got up and entered her room. Mr. Shen looked at Shen Leng. "Something's wrong with her."

Shen Leng nodded. "Yes, something's very wrong with her."

After a moment, Shen Cha Yan came out of her room. She smiled at Shen Leng and said, "You need to go on a long journey. Sir has given you a bundle, so let me give you one as well."

Shen Leng reached out his hand. "Give me."

Shen Cha Yan acted as if she was performing a magic trick and took out a bed sheet from behind her back and wrapped herself in it. "It's bigger than his, but it will make things a lot more convenient for you. How's that?"

Shen Leng laughed. He looked at Mr. Shen. Mr. Shen shook his head helplessly, "Just go then, just go. Go together. I was initially going to let you fly solo, but I guess I gotta let you fly in a pair."

When Shen Leng heard him say 'fly in a pair', he thought of the idiom, 'a pair of birds flying close together' (note: it means two hearts beating as one). Thereafter, he thought about how the full idiom sounded better than simply saying 'fly in a pair', which was slightly weird to him.