Chapter 548 – The World’s Storms
Two female soldiers were sisters, the elder being seventeen and the younger fifteen, with a seven-year-old brother at home.
Last year, after the earthquake, Xiangyang was bustling with activity. To save on food, the family initially wanted to sell their two elder daughters into a brothel, but at that time, Jiang Pengji was busy dealing with matters, making it difficult for them to proceed.
Later, they heard that by sending their daughters to the female camp, they could receive a compensation of half a tael of silver for each. So, they “sold” their daughters there instead.
With two daughters, the family managed to save two mouths to feed.
As for the girls’ future, their mother had some concerns, but with a mother-in-law watching closely, she dared not show any unusual emotions.
Eventually, the two dutiful daughters secretly sent their monthly military pay to their mother, hoping she would hide it as private funds, strengthening her stance at home. However, this mother was accustomed to pleasing her husband and mother-in-law, often spilling everything she knew.
Now, one daughter had been promoted to Centurion, while the other became a squad leader in medical assistance, and their pay had doubled!
The family boasted about their achievements, and soon, matchmakers came knocking, offering high bride prices.
The husband picked was in his thirties, had lost two wives, and had four children. He had some money at home.
He looked down on women going to battle but was impressed by the status of female soldiers in the camp, believing it would be easier to manage with someone from the military.
As long as he could help the family, taking her home and treating her like a cash cow was fine by him.
The two families hit it off, leading to a ruckus at the female camp, where they tried to drag the daughters back to marry.
Nong Qin stopped them and urgently sent a message to Jiang Pengji.
Perhaps Nong Qin’s decent attitude gave the troublemakers some courage, as they acted bold and rude in front of Jiang Pengji.
However, Jiang Pengji was not one to be trifled with; she shot back fiercely, her mere presence radiating an intimidating aura.
She chose to ignore the troublemakers with a regal demeanor, but her feelings toward the female soldiers were complex.
“Tell me, what is your choice?”
The elder female soldier bit her lip, her eyes flickering, stammering, “Everything, it’s all up to grandma.”
Although the county magistrate promised the female soldiers that they could retire at twenty-four and establish their own households, those words felt distant.
Her mind was a whirlwind, bombarded by her father, mother, and grandmother’s nagging just days ago.
As soon as she spoke, the audience in the live stream erupted.
【Sang Que】: What the—this person must have rocks in her head! Going back to marry a man older than her father, who’s lost two wives and has four kids? How can she even say she’s willing? The host said she was backing them up, wow!
【Sai Pu】: I’m ready to explode! Do they not trust the host? If I were the host, I’d be freezing cold inside!
【Miao Miao Da de Tu】: Let’s not get too worked up! What good does cursing do? If it were me, I’d just slap some sense into them!
【Akateris】: Pfft! Do you guys remember how the host trained those female soldiers? Better be careful, or they might strike back!
【Xuan Yue Zhi Die】: I can’t take it anymore! Why don’t these female soldiers trust the host?
【Kneel for Monthly Tickets】: This feels like a knife in the host’s heart! She’s preparing to reveal her true identity and wants to support the female soldiers. And this female soldier just slapped the host in the face! Insane!
Jiang Pengji wasn’t as distressed as the audience thought; in fact, her mindset was remarkably calm.
Yes, too calm.
Feng Jin cast a worried glance at Jiang Pengji, sighing inwardly.
If it weren’t for the female camp being Nong Qin’s territory, he would have loved to jump in and resolve this matter before Jiang Pengji returned.
He knew her temperament; she would never lose out.
Once she felt wronged even a little, she would take it back a hundredfold.
Jiang Pengji calmly shifted her gaze to the younger sister, asking, “And you? Do you feel the same as your sister?”
This female soldier was a Centurion. According to Nong Qin, she trained diligently, practicing even when others rested.
In the previous siege, an arrow had struck her arm, but she grit her teeth, yanked the arrow out, hastily stopped the bleeding, and continued fighting.
Her stubborn nature made Nong Qin secretly consider her as a candidate for a vice-captain in the female camp.
The soldier looked apprehensively at Jiang Pengji, while her grandmother shot her a glare that could pierce through flesh.
“I don’t want to, I don’t want to marry and have kids like my sister.” She stammered, “Wasn’t the county magistrate’s promise that female soldiers could retire at twenty-four, have independent household registrations, and their children would take their mother’s surname? So, I…”
Compared to being secretly squeezed by her grandmother at home, she preferred wielding weapons and engaging in combat.
Only in those moments did she feel like she belonged to herself, experiencing freedom.
Jiang Pengji suddenly smiled, saying, “I understand. What I promised will naturally come to pass.”
“You little brat, are you trying to give me a heart attack?!”
The old woman ignored the situation and reached for the girl’s waist.
With her long, discolored nails, imagining the pain if she pinched flesh was enough to make anyone shudder.
Smack—
A glass object shattered on the ground, the sound startling the old woman’s eyelids.
“What’s the punishment for attacking a soldier in public?” Jiang Pengji turned to Feng Jin.
Feng Jin replied, “They should receive three blows on the board.”
Jiang Pengji said, “Hmm, write that down.”
She motioned for the younger female soldier to sit at the lower end.
Calmly, Jiang Pengji declared, “The country has its laws, the family has its rules, and the military camp is a place of strict discipline. You all remember what kind of place the female camp is. When you sent your daughters here, did you forget about signing that document? The document clearly states that female soldiers under twenty-four are not to marry or conceive. Those who violate it or encourage such actions shall receive a hundred strokes, executed publicly. If a female soldier insists on marrying, she will be discharged from military service and never reinstated.”
Now, the common people kneeling below turned pale, especially the older female soldier, who went white as a sheet.
“As for you… you’re doing well, not disappointing the expectations of the female camp’s officers.” She looked at the younger female soldier, “You reminded me of something I neglected. You are both under twenty, and marriage may be too early, but the household registration is indeed something to address. From today onward, all female soldiers from the female camp shall transfer their household registrations and establish their own households!”
In Jiang Pengji’s eyes, a person is a person; as long as they can be of use, it doesn’t matter if they are men or women.
Those who cannot be used are, in her eyes, no different from trash.
Jiang Pengji coldly stated, “Hua Yu, carry out the terms of the female camp’s contract. No need to waste breath on them.”
Feng Jin sighed; he had known it would come to this.
Not to mention a hundred lashes, even ten would be quite severe for those common folks.
He said, “Understood, Lord. But I wonder, who is the main instigator?”
After speaking, he glanced at the dozen or so common people kneeling below, who looked as if they had seen a ghost.
