Chapter 553 – Kill the Chicken to Warn the Monkey (Part Four)
“Big Sis, from now on, please take good care of Mom at home…” The Centurion helped her sister pack her belongings, as the order for her discharge from the troop had already been given. Naturally, her sister had to collect her things and leave the female camp. “Focus on your recovery at home, don’t worry about spending money. I’ll send my salary home for you to manage. If Mom holds it, those black-hearted relatives will surely swindle her again…”
“Got it, I understand,” her sister replied.
The older female soldier occasionally glanced up at her little sister, regret glimmering in her eyes.
She didn’t know what was going on during that period. Relatives were constantly bombarding her, insisting that getting married was more reliable than being a soldier. Get married, and she could be in charge, the main wife. If she bore a son, who knows? Maybe she could inherit family property and have hope for the rest of her life.
They provided numerous examples, convincing her that the promise from the Lord was just a bluff…
All this confusion swayed her heart toward her family.
Now, here she was, stripped of her military status, returning home without being pestered by her family?
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but reflect on her own sister, obedient and sensible, far more reliable than this older sister.
In this era, a fifteen-year-old sister, if she hadn’t entered the female camp, could probably already be a mother.
“I’ve seen through it. To put it bluntly, Mom can be quite clueless. For half a year, I sent her my entire salary, hoping she could stand firm with that money at home, not be constantly manipulated by Grandma, bullied by Aunties, or hit by Dad…”
The more she said, the angrier she got, her teeth grinding in frustration.
The military camp provided three meals a day, and the food was decent. With no place to spend the rice and silver they received monthly, the sisters secretly sent it home to their mother. But who would have thought that this mother would turn out to be such a burden, attracting a swarm of bloodsucking leeches?
With those black-hearted relatives making a ruckus, now that her sister had lost her military status, that was like losing a layer of protection. What would they do from now on?
The wedding plans fell through, the fiancé dashed off faster than a rabbit, and the family would surely blame her sister for the trouble.
Realizing the predicament, the little female soldier felt overwhelmed.
“Big Sis, don’t be foolish this time. If they try to bully you, stand up for yourself. I’m still a Centurion, who dares to mess with my big sister? And with Mom too, you need to be tough, that’s how you can protect both yourself and Mom from being bullied…”
Compared to her softer sister, the younger sister had a much tougher and braver character.
As the sister continued to nag, she noted that the female troop only had one day off each month. She could only return home once a month at most.
The older female soldier remained silent, quietly accepting the belongings her sister handed over.
Besides a few changes of clothes and two blankets, there was hardly anything else.
Stepping out of the tent, she found around ten familiar comrades gathered, all somewhat silent.
The older female soldier moved her lips, “I’m leaving now…”
Many comrades had come to see her off, but there were also some less familiar female soldiers watching curiously.
After all, she was the first to be discharged from the female troop since its establishment.
The older female soldier felt almost humiliatingly awkward escaping, even though no one said anything. She couldn’t shake the feeling that countless pairs of eyes, half-smiling and half-mocking, were staring at her, laughing at her weakness and how she willingly wasted her promising future, being worn down by her relatives.
Seeing those curious gazes, the younger female soldier couldn’t help but feel furious.
“What’s there to look at? If it weren’t for my big sister, could you all have gotten your household registrations settled so quickly?”
A female soldier teased, “Even without your sister, maybe another person’s big sister would have helped. Every girl knows the recent mess in the female camp. And yet your family’s parents couldn’t hold themselves back; your sister’s just out of her mind. Honestly, it’s probably better she left the female camp early; she doesn’t care, there are plenty who would love to join. If she hadn’t doubted the Lord, would there even be this problem?”
Taking the position without contributing, she claimed not to care about those who did care.
If this situation were to be scrutinized, it was clear that the older female soldier had been disloyal and distrustful to the Lord. What purpose did a person like that have in the female camp?
The younger female soldier was left speechless.
“Come on, didn’t Lieutenant Jiang always say that those who want to save themselves still have hope, while those who just go with the flow are definitely beyond saving? Your sister’s skills are among the best in the female soldiers; if your family bullies her, do you think she will just sit there and take it? You should wake up too; instead of bickering here, go and hammer some sense into your parents. Lest you come back next time and find your sister’s body already cold.”
No matter how skilled one is, if they don’t resist, they’ll still get beaten to death.
This talk was harsh but made sense, leaving the younger sister’s face a mix of green and red.
This situation only stirred up excitement for a couple of days, after which the attention of the female soldiers was captivated by another significant event.
The female soldiers who had distinguished themselves in previous battles were the first batch to receive their independent household registrations, with their names written as the head of the household!
Although all female soldiers could eventually obtain independent household registrations, the timing varied. The first batch was comprised of those who had achieved merit.
Unbeknownst to them, this ignited a desire among female soldiers to achieve more merit.
This policy also stirred dissatisfaction among many female soldiers’ families, leading to some opposition.
The head of the household is the one in charge; if these worthless relatives kept running away, how would they have leverage over anyone in the future?
Yet, under Jiang Pengji’s strong suppression, the voices of dissent quickly faded into nothingness.
Feng Yi County was one of the rare places of refuge; if they angered the county magistrate, would they risk being expelled? What life would their family have left?
Reluctant as they were, this policy was smoothly enforced, only to leave the department managing household registrations in dire straits.
The number of female soldiers wasn’t too small, but certainly not large either. Thousands were separating from their original household registrations, and it was far more than just a simple transfer; property and inheritance matters were involved. The officers were overwhelmed, working themselves to exhaustion, and it was still the hot summer, practically draining their energy away.
While taking care of the female camp, Jiang Pengji didn’t forget about the male camp. One policy after another was rolled out to greatly reduce their concerns during battles. As a result, the male soldiers hardly had time to envy the female camp, each one grinning from ear to ear. Even while training under the scorching summer sun, their spirits were high, and the sounds of their roaring slogans could be heard even from afar.
After the female camp incident, Jiang Pengji realized that most soldiers had fixed mindsets; their subtle influence was too slow to effect change, and in the short term, it would be tough to achieve results. In that case, she preferred to choose a more straightforward and forceful brainwashing technique. Whether for morning exercises or evening training, everyone had to loudly shout military regulations, treating them as training slogans, both in the male and female camps.
One or two days didn’t matter; she didn’t believe that doing this day after day, they wouldn’t be affected.
【Today’s Comments】: Anchor, are you leaning towards my party? There’s potential here, I’m rooting for you.
【So painful】: Anchor, have you considered establishing a political commissar position in the military camp? Given the differences between ancient and modern military systems, you don’t have to worry too much. Just tell the troops some simple battle stories, instill useful ideas, and occasionally oversee domestic issues, like being a capable housekeeper, teach illiterate soldiers how to read, and help boost their education…
【Not sure how many updates】: Hahahaha—upstairs, you’re slandering my party too much; be careful or you might get a visit from Dongfeng Express at your door!
