Ren Ning turned his head and thought for a moment.
Men and women sit on separate tables at the age of seven. A few years have passed, and he really can't remember what this sixth sister looks like.
But the only thing I remember clearly is that when my predecessor was small enough to enter and leave the back house at will, most of his brothers, sisters or cousins in the whole family looked down upon him.
Only Ren Xi was willing to play with him.
Ren Ning read the letter in his hand carefully again.
The content of the letter is very simple.
Ren Xi is now thirteen years old. In ancient times, women could get married when they were fifteen years old.
Her aunt has already chosen a partner for her, a son from a small family in a remote town. She will be married off when she reaches the age in two years.
This letter from home is considered a routine announcement.
It would be best if Ren Ning could take leave by then and go back to see her get married. Otherwise, once the woman marries far away, she may never see her again in this life due to the high mountains and long roads and difficult transportation.
Nanshu City!
Ren Ning stared at these three words, the anger in his eyes emerging little by little.
He knows this small town.
If Yanchui Fortress is located in the western border of the Yunchui Empire, then Nanshu City is the southern border of the Yunchui Empire.
It is as far away from the imperial capital Star City and the Rock Frontier Fortress.
Although this small town has the word "Shu" in its name, living there is not comfortable at all.
It is located in a primeval forest, so access is difficult.
In addition, the local climate is hot and muggy all year round, and the miasma is overwhelming. In addition to the terrifying poisonous insects infested on the ground, there are also lawless bandits and robbers running rampant.
In previous years, it had been the place where the Yunchui Empire exiled prisoners.
Ren Xi, a girl who has never left the imperial capital, marrying her thousands of miles away is almost the same as sending her to death.
Ren Ning silently read the letter in his hand again.
The handwriting is ugly, but the lines are very plain. Even the patterns that replace the words are drawn smoothly, as if the owner has accepted his fate.
But what if you don’t accept your fate?
The difference between a single word and a single word can lead to completely different fates.
The aunt-in-law holds the lives of the concubines, marrying them to whomever she wants, and sending them wherever she wants.
Unless it's so exaggerated that the wife of the clan is forced to come forward, no one will care about the marriage or fate of a concubine.
After all, those who give birth to concubines are concubines.
Concubine means establishing a daughter.
While the master sits, she stands aside to serve him. This is his concubine. She is just a man's plaything and has no property of her own.
A aunt's mother uses her dowry or property to raise children for her husband's concubine.
It would be acceptable if there were only one or two, but if she had to raise ten or eight, she would be considered a good wife if she didn't kill them directly. Do you expect them to spend a lot of effort to find good marriages for their numerous concubine children?
Don’t even think about it!
boom!
Ren Ning slapped the bed board hard.
If he remembered correctly, his predecessor had promised before joining the army that when he became famous, he would return to the imperial capital to pick up Ren Xi.
From then on, the brother and sister formed their own mansion, drawing a clear line from the superior Taishi Palace.
It just seems that Ren Xi can't wait until that time.
Just as he was thinking about it, Ren Ning's superior Gao Deming walked in.
He was not surprised to see Ren Ning leaning on the bedside reading a letter from home.
"Hey, I'm reading a letter from home." Gao Deming pulled up a chair and sat down, "Didn't Mrs. Zhang want you to have a good rest?"
"I've seen the general." Ren Ning put down the letter, quickly gathered his mood, and struggled to get up to salute.
"Lie down!" Gao Deming held him down with a bluster, "Don't do it to me. It's just a courtesy, your body is more important."
This guy is the only one among the last batch of scouts who went west to come back.
Very precious.
Gao Deming chuckled, "Can you still hold on mentally? If you can, let's talk about what's going on in the west."
Ren Ning nodded and slowly talked about everything that happened after he moved westward. Hearing this, Gao Deming's face kept turning gloomy.
"Damn it, the fire on the grassland was actually started by people from Xiliang? Just to force you out?"
"Yes." Ren Ning nodded.
"Then the others..." Gao Deming's voice suddenly became hoarse.
He naturally knew what his scouts were capable of. Being able to force the enemy to set fire was enough to explain everything. But the fire was ruthless, and the chance of others coming back alive was infinitely close to zero.
It is not easy to train a qualified scout, and that time a total of ten detachments and fifty people were sent west, but only one Ren Ning came back.
Thinking of this, Gao Deming's heart became twisted.
Ren Ning turned a blind eye.
He just honestly told what he saw and heard, such as the fire and the flood. As for other things, he didn't say much.
In such a large fortress, there are countless generals with quick minds. When they come down to the fortress, it is not up to him and a small soldier to dictate what actions to take.
"Have a good rest. If you still think of anything, send someone to tell you." Gao Deming patted Ren Ning's shoulder and stood up to leave. "Your military exploits will be tallied up in the next two days. I believe it will be quite big."
Ren Ning nodded and lowered his eyes silently, neither happy nor sad.
As a scout, every time I set out on a mission, I dance on my blade and walk in front of the gate of hell.
However, no matter how great their military exploits are, they have no chance of promotion. If they survive to retire, the only way out is to work as a nursing home for rich people or generals...
Just as he was thinking about something, Gao Deming over there spoke again.
"By the way, Mrs. Zhang said that you need to rest for three or four months. Then you should take a good rest during this period."
"Yes. General!" Ren Ning handed over his hand.
Gao Deming nodded, his eyes falling on the wolf fang on the table next to him, "Is this the wolf fang that Liu Dashi entrusted to you before he died?"
"Yes!" Ren Ning raised his hand and pointed at the two wolf fangs, "That's the short one. The long one is what I got after I met a wolf and killed it."
Gao Deming walked over and looked carefully.
He had already known from other soldiers that Ren Ning had encountered a pack of wolves and was covered in blood, so he was not surprised. But a seriously injured soldier could actually fight his way out of a pack of hungry wolves.
It surprised him.
"This place is thousands of miles away from Liu Dashi's hometown. We can't send Langya back for the time being, so we have to wait. Let's wait for the Qingming Festival next year."
Ren Ning nodded.
Yun Chui emphasizes that people return to their families when they grow old, and fallen leaves return to their roots.
Every four years, Rock Frontier Fortress will send people to send a group of fallen heroes back to their hometown for burial. And next year happens to be the next year to welcome the spirits back to their hometown.
Gao Deming's eyes fell on the long fangs again.
"Such a long wolf tooth is very rare, so keep it well. When you have time, find an eminent monk to consecrate it. It is said that it can protect you for a lifetime."
"But why is there only one?" He laughed, "If it were a pair, I would be willing to ask you for one."
Ren Ning had a strange look on his face, "It was originally a pair. But I accidentally lost the other one."
"That's such a pity." Gao Deming sighed, put down the fang, shook his head and left.
Ren Ning watched him go away, his eyes returning to the long and short wolf fangs on the table, with a complicated look on his face.
He didn't tell the truth.
As long as anything goes into the ration bag on his waist, it will be impossible to throw it away unless he dies.