Chapter Seventeen: Men Zijian's Proposal

After two days of bumpy travel, the group finally returned to Gao City. Wang Xian went back with the Wang family, as there were matters to discuss regarding the return of the munitions. Meanwhile, Ma Yuan and Hou Xinjie returned to Quhe Academy. They had missed quite a few classes and needed some time to catch up; otherwise, they would embarrass themselves in the upcoming school exams.

Upon their arrival at the academy, they were informed that Mr. Men Zijian wished to see them. Standing outside his office, they saw Men Zijian engrossed in reading, so they quietly waited without disturbing him. After a while, Men Zijian looked up, noticed them, and chuckled softly. “Why are you just standing there? Come in quickly!”

“I heard from the Wang family that you actually took leave to go with their convoy to Jizhou City. That’s quite bold of you!” Men Zijian smiled as they settled down.

Hou Xinjie, more lively by nature, scratched his head. “Sir, you knew about this already?”

Ma Yuan felt awkward. Their recent trip to Tuoziling had been perilous, and they had not informed Men Zijian beforehand. They acknowledged their oversight.

“It’s alright. Seeing the world is good too. The world is vast. I used to think Gao City was big, then after going to Jizhou City, I thought it bigger still. Later, having traveled to many places, I realized the world’s expanse is far beyond our imagination. You couldn’t even fathom it,” Men Zijian waved his hand, showing no sign of anger.

Seeing Men Zijian’s leniency, Hou Xinjie’s expression brightened. He asked, “Mr. Men, do you think we should travel more then?”

Men Zijian nodded. “Exactly. I do recommend you go out more. You’re still young—you can’t spend your whole life wasted in such a small town.”

“Ma Yuan, have you thought about what I mentioned last time?” Men Zijian suddenly looked at Ma Yuan, casually inquiring.

Ma Yuan looked up sharply but quickly lowered his gaze, whispering, “Sir, this matter still needs to be discussed with my father. If he agrees, I will follow your arrangements.”

Men Zijian nodded. “Indeed. When I met your father last time, I could tell he’s a conservative man. If you want to apply to Huali Military Academy, you’ll need to persuade him.”

“In two days, the holiday begins—take advantage of this time to go home and settle this matter. The academy will soon submit the list of candidates to Huali Military Academy, so Ma Yuan, you must hurry!”

“Huh? Sir, isn’t the application for Huali Military Academy about a year away? Why submit the list now?” Hou Xinjie immediately hit the key point.

“No, no, no. According to the rules, the admission is a year later, but due to the urgent war situation on the front, they need to train a batch of outstanding military talents in the shortest time. So, the news we received...” Men Zijian paused, sipped his tea, and continued.

“Huali Military Academy is now calling on influential groups in society to recommend outstanding individuals. This time, Gao City’s candidates come from our Quhe Academy and the Wenxuan Society.”

The Wenxuan Society is a well-known youth organization in Gao City, established only in the past decade but has since grown into a large, influential group.

“Moreover, because of the special circumstances, the quota for our academy has doubled from fifteen to thirty. So, even those of you newly enrolled have a chance. Those admitted will undergo special training, and only after passing will they enter the army.”

Men Zijian spoke at length. Though not old, he had seen much and still held strong hopes for the battlefield, believing if he were ten years younger, he would have joined the army without hesitation.

Ma Yuan and Hou Xinjie listened, somewhat understanding. Hou Xinjie was passionate about joining the army, a desire born during their time at Mount Bahu.

Ma Yuan was different. Raised in Huixiang, his family were honest farmers, and even relatives rarely kept in touch. His thoughts were conflicted—he wanted to enlist but feared his father Ma Jianguo’s disapproval, torn between loyalty and filial piety.

Men Zijian could see Ma Yuan’s hesitation but was in no rush.

Two days later, with all tasks hurriedly completed, the holiday finally arrived. Early in the morning, Ma Yuan hired an ox cart and set off toward Huixiang, traveling slowly as ox carts were much slower than donkey carts. By the time he reached Huixiang, it was nearly noon, and smoke from cooking fires was already rising in the village.

After another half hour of rough travel, Ma Yuan saw his home—unchanged from before.

“Hey, isn’t that Ma’s boy? Why have you come back?” called out Song Lao Si, a neighbor, smiling warmly upon seeing Ma Yuan.

Ma Yuan quickly returned the greeting, showing great respect for these people.

Entering the house, Ma Yuan saw neither Ma Jianguo nor his mother. After putting down his belongings, he turned toward the large courtyard behind the house.

The courtyard had been built by Ma Jianguo. The Ma family had always been carpenters. In earlier days, business was sparse, and the space needed was small. But by the time of Ma Yuntian’s generation, the work grew steadily.

By Ma Jianguo’s generation, business was booming. He invested in building a large courtyard behind the old house, filled with carpentry tools.

When Ma Yuan entered the courtyard, Ma Jianguo was sanding a wooden plank, seemingly preparing a door for a client.

Holding a plane in both hands, Ma Jianguo rhythmically smoothed the board, frequently checking its level with professional precision.

“Father, I’m home!” Ma Yuan called out.

Hearing the voice, Ma Jianguo looked up. “Hmm? When did you get back? Why such a sudden visit?”

Setting down his tools, Ma Jianguo fired a series of questions at Ma Yuan.

Ma Yuan, feeling helpless, quickly explained that the academy was on holiday and he had a couple of days free, so he came home.

“Why come back? Isn’t it better to stay in Gao City? It’s more than twenty miles away, quite far,” Ma Jianguo scolded, brushing sawdust from his sleeve.

“I just wanted to come back...” Ma Yuan murmured. In front of his father, he never dared to speak too boldly, even after all he had experienced at Mount Bahu.