Chapter 550 – Killing the Chicken to Warn the Monkeys (1)
“Lord, you truly are…”
Naughty!
Feng Jin was left speechless but had no choice; after all, if the lord was happy, the people under her could live peacefully.
“I understand that people can be terrifying, and striking an old person will bring criticism. However, the rules of the military camp are such; if I show leniency today, won’t anyone come to stir up trouble? The elderly should understand their place; should I indulge someone who is so shameless at their age?”
Feng Jin understood the importance of killing the chicken to warn the monkeys; if this troublemaker was not dealt with, it would be hard to manage later on.
Jiang Pengji glanced at the younger female soldier, noticing her expression of slight worry, which only made her more pleased.
“You should be grateful that you and your sister made completely different choices; otherwise, you both would have ruined your lives.”
Seeing Jiang Pengji speaking to her, the female soldier quickly suppressed her worry for her sister, lowering her head in a listening posture toward the lord.
Only then did the audience in the live stream come to their senses, realizing the deeper meaning of Jiang Pengji’s words.
【Hide-and-seek Baby】: I just remembered, this family obviously doesn’t treat these sisters as relatives, but more like goods. Thinking about what that old hag cursed earlier, calling them enemies wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Just as the streamer said, so what if you have martial power? That female soldier’s resistance against the guard was impressive, but her heart is shattered and unable to rise again. Now that she’s expelled from military service and will never be hired again, this family doesn’t even know how they’ll torment her. Thankfully, her sister is smart and didn’t act foolishly…
【Phantom City】: Honestly, I’m quite displeased with this female soldier’s actions. The streamer said she supported her, so she should know how her family operates, yet she still chose to submit to the situation. Given this development, I think her prospects after marrying will not be good.
How could it possibly turn out well?
The husband’s family sees her military position and finds her useful; now that she’s expelled from the military, she becomes an ordinary common person—this marriage is definitely doomed to fail. Even if it doesn’t fail, married into their family, she’ll be worked to death.
【Twilight Sunset】: That’s why the streamer said her sister is smart, not foolish like her sister. The sister is still in the military, a centurion, which isn’t a high rank but is impressive for common people. With her sister in the military backing her, no matter how tough it gets at home, she shouldn’t end up in dire straits. If the sister were also foolish… heh.
No need to say more; the audience in the live stream understood what was implied.
If the sister also acted foolishly, got expelled from military service, lost her centurion position, they would return home as dutiful daughters expected to unconditionally obey their family, with whatever happened to them being taken for granted—including selling them off.
Remember how that old hag cursed her granddaughter earlier?
Directly calling her a worthless girl, what kind of ending could they have upon returning home?
The younger female soldier finally understood the deeper meaning in Jiang Pengji’s words, her eyes slightly reddening with worry for her sister’s future.
Seeing through her feelings, Jiang Pengji said, “If you truly care for your sister, focus on strengthening yourself. Only by becoming stronger will she have a better life at home. If you’re not strong enough to make your family respect you, she will only be trampled on.”
The female soldier bit her lip, mustering the courage to plead for her sister.
“Lord, my sister actually…”
Jiang Pengji interrupted her, saying, “In this situation, the smartest thing to do is to remain silent; it’s the best for your sister. The all-female camp, in this world, is indeed somewhat radical and not accepted by society.”
Upon hearing this, the female soldier bowed her head even lower.
As one of the first female soldiers in the camp, she had also experienced the misjudgment and misunderstanding that came with that period.
Jiang Pengji seemed oblivious to her reaction. “To truly stand strong and gain acceptance for the all-female camp, you can’t make a single misstep. If I show favoritism to your sister, what will happen to the others in the camp? The military is a place of strict order; if commands can’t be followed, what will happen? Don’t think that only your family is clever. There are countless others with the same calculations behind the scenes. Do you know what it means to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys? Your sister and your family are the chickens that need to be slaughtered for the monkeys to see!”
In other words, if Jiang Pengji couldn’t handle this situation perfectly, the all-female camp would truly become a pre-marriage training camp.
“Of course…” she suddenly let out a chilling laugh, her tone sending shivers down spines, “If you can’t control yourself and your mind goes fuzzy, you could also find yourself among the slaughtered chickens. There are plenty of talented people in this world, but opportunities are limited. Too many monks, not enough porridge. If your sister doesn’t seize her chance, others certainly will… Don’t you think what I said is correct?”
The female soldier broke out in cold sweat; despite the long summer without rain, she felt as if she had plunged into an icy cavern.
At the same time, a sense of relief rose within her.
Based on her understanding of those relatives, if the two sisters lost all their support, they might indeed be driven to death.
However, thinking of her once-vibrant sister, she couldn’t help but feel sorrowful.
Meanwhile, on the other side, that family was putting on quite a show.
The old woman had to endure twenty-three strikes but nearly fainted at the sight of the stick meant for punishment.
Since the punishment was to be carried out in public, a good number of common people were gathered.
It was rumored that the female soldier’s family wanted to force her into marriage, but due to the initial contract, the instigators would have to publicly endure a hundred strikes, and the female soldier would also be expelled from military service. This caused many among the common people to tremble in fear.
Just as Jiang Pengji said, there are plenty of shrewd families in the world; not just the female soldier’s family, but others also started eyeing the daughter. So what if she’s in the military, she’s still their child; if the parents demanded marriage, wouldn’t she have to obey?
However, upon hearing of the hundred strikes and the expulsion from military service, many dropped that thought.
Being expelled means becoming a liability—the costs would outweigh any benefit; who would help the family then?
Not to mention the hundred strikes; just a few of those could easily send someone to meet Yama, so who would dare commit such a crime?
The onlookers abandoned their thoughts of harming the daughter but continued to watch the spectacle, some even feeling clever and smug.
If they didn’t suppress their greed, they could have been the ones stripped and punished in front of everyone.
The old woman saw the scene unfolding and realized she could not escape today; she shouted, cried, and yanked her granddaughter’s arm as if trying to twist the flesh right off, causing those nearby to wince as they saw that spot turn quickly black and blue.
Oh, my! What strength! This must be from a grudge!
“You filthy wretch, a thousand riders and ten thousand grasses, ruining our family! Why don’t you die? You’re planning to kill your grandmother, aren’t you…” The old woman beat and kicked her granddaughter, leaving the female soldier dazed and not daring to retaliate, causing the crowd to gasp in astonishment.
