Anping Calendar, Year 350.
Su Clan.
The moment Su Yu entered, he could smell the fragrance of cooked dishes. Hence, after throwing his school bag down, he walked to the dining table and picked up a piece of braised meat with his hand, tossing it into his mouth.
As he chewed, Su Yu glanced at the kitchen and murmured, “Father, cook another type of soup tomorrow, so we won’t get weary of eating meat.”
“It’s already very good that we have some things to eat. Stop being so picky!”
Su Long’s grumbling voice rang out from the kitchen. “Say, you are already 18. When can you learn to take care of yourself? I, your father, acted as a father and mother and have taken care of you for so many years. I ought to be free now.”
Su Yu continued chewing the braised meat as he laughed. “Father, your culinary skills are great, almost at the level of a master chef. I really want to cook for you too, but the thing is the meat will be so burnt that it’s impossible to eat!”
“Heh!”
Su Long chortled. (This fellow only knows how to talk. Why doesn’t he enter the kitchen and try?)
Very soon, Su Long, who had an apron on, walked out while carrying a dish.
His figure was close to 1.9 meters tall, and his body was sturdy, filled with power. Because of that, the apron was a complete mismatch with him, and he looked exceptionally comical.
Su Yu nagged him about it every time and today was no exception either. Su Yu shook his head and said, “Father, can you change to a larger apron? Our family doesn’t lack the money to purchase one more apron!”
“What do you know!”
Su Long couldn’t be bothered. He then placed the dish on the table and didn’t bother to take the apron off as he sat down. “Start eating! Every penny saved is a penny earned. In addition, this apron is new…”
“You have been saying this for three years!”
Su Yu rolled his eyes. (It’s one thing if you told me this was new three years ago. But you are still saying that now?) This father of his was really capable of spewing bullshit.
However, Su Long didn’t mind it. He immediately started eating after he sat down, and his eating speed was as ravenous as wolves and tigers.
Su Yu was used to it, and he also didn’t care about this. He then sat down as well and sighed while he ate, “Father, war is happening on the frontlines again, right? I saw a soldier-recruitment vehicle below when I returned earlier. Why did they come to a small district like ours to recruit soldiers? I wonder which military unit they are from…”
Upon hearing this, Su Long’s eating movements turned slightly sluggish. He soon put his bowl and chopsticks down and spoke with a straight face, “Protecting the country is the responsibility of everyone! From the tone of your voice, you feel that being a soldier isn’t good, huh?”
“Nope!”
Su Yu hurriedly made things clear. His father was a retired soldier, so he couldn’t speak randomly. The palm of his father that resembled a bear’s paw wasn’t a joke.
Hearing this, Su Long snorted lightly. Only then did he pick his bowl and chopsticks up to continue eating.
As he ate, Su Long’s mood also changed. He then spoke in a slightly lower voice, “A`Yu, the frontlines are in turbulence, and the various major armies have issued recruitment orders again and again. They want to recruit new soldiers and summon old soldiers back…”
Su Yu’s chopsticks that were in the midst of lifting a piece of food slowed. He then lifted his head and looked at his father. His expression was no longer as normal as before and he frowned. “Father, this has nothing to do with us, right? You have been discharged from the military 18 years ago. Also, I’ve just become an adult and still have to take the college examination. Even if the military wants to recruit soldiers, they won’t target our family…”
“18 years…”
Su Long sighed. (Yes, it has been 18 years.)
“I’ve been gone for 18 years. In addition to now, the number of times the devil suppression army has recalled the old soldiers reached five times. And after one becomes 50 years old, they will never be recalled again.
“For the first four times, I was worried about you because you were still young. I was afraid you couldn’t take good care of yourself, so I, your father, didn’t answer the summons.”
Su Yu’s expression changed. “Father, no one in our family needs to go. This is something approved by the government policy!”
“Yup, it’s allowed by the government policy!”
Su Long grinned. He then looked up and stared at his son. “That’s why I didn’t go. I’ve been recalled four times in the past 18 years, but I didn’t go. However, today, my son has become an adult. He’s 18 years old!”
“Father!” Su Yu’s expression completely changed. “What do you want to say?”
“You know what Father wants to say.”
Su Long looked at his son and felt gratified and unrestrained. He smiled. “18 years ago, although your father was useless, I was still the captain of a small team in the devil suppression army, and 30 men were under my command.
“At that time, your mother wanted to give birth, so I took leave to come back. Who would have known that…your mother would leave us just like this? You were just born and there were no other adults in the family who could take care of you, so I truly couldn’t walk away…
“There’s no solution. I’ve already quitted the army!”
Su Long gritted his teeth and smiled bitterly. “When I left the devil suppression army, not a single one from my team of brothers came to send me away! It wasn’t that they hated me so much and wanted nothing more than for me to leave. Rather, they were afraid I wouldn’t be able to endure it and wanted to be with them!
“For 18 years, no one contacted me for fear that I wanted to join them again. Even in my dreams, I could hear them shouting at me to go home and take care of my baby…
“My team of 30 men…During the first year I left, nine of them died…
“Not a single one of them chose to leave after all these years. Do you know how many of the remaining 21 are left?
“All of them are still on the battlefield!”
Su Long’s eyes grew red. “I was selfish, so I didn’t dare to ask them or check information related to them. For the previous four recalls, I didn’t answer the summons. But this time…A`Yu, Father is thinking that even if I die, I have to die fighting on the battlefield. Your father doesn’t want to die cowering behind the protection of others!”
Su Yu fell silent.
He knew that his father always wanted to be on the front lines. He always had his old band of brothers in his mind. Back then, if it wasn’t for the fact that his mother passed away due to a difficult childbirth, his father wouldn’t have left the devil suppression army.
However, Su Yu felt that since it had been 18 years, his father ought to have forgotten all these and let things go.
But today, his father told him no!
He couldn’t let things go!
“Father…”
Su Yu’s expression was unsightly and his countenance was a little pale. “The turbulence in the frontlines has intensified, and the number of deceased soldiers kept on increasing. In just 18 years, the military has sent five recall orders for old soldiers, doing so once every three to four years. You have been a soldier before and should know what this means…
“I…I have yet to get married, I have yet to enter a university, I have yet to give you a grandchild…”
Su Long gritted his teeth and smiled. “No problem, Father will wait! Don’t tell me you think that I will send myself to death if I return? No, this daddy will return there for the sake of winning the war!”
“Father!”
“Brat, stop talking crap and eat!”
Su Long interrupted his son. As he ate, he mumbled, “After finishing this meal, you will have to cook for yourself in the future! If you have no food ingredients, go out to eat at food shops. There’s some money in the card, you know the password, right?
“The vehicle below is still waiting for me, I cannot delay things for too long.
“After you enter a high-grade academy, remember to write a letter to me. I will be able to receive it if there’s time.
“Why don’t you choose the Great Xia Civilization Academy? If you manage to enter, you will really make me proud. You should have a 90% chance of success. Your teachers have spoken to me before, and as long as there are no unexpected incidents, you will definitely be able to enter. A genius has finally appeared in our Su Clan!
“How did you have such brains? You are just too smart to the point where I’m suspecting that you are not my true son…But fortunately, your appearance is very similar to mine when I was young…”
Su Yu’s face was somewhat pale. But when he heard this, he involuntarily mocked, “Father, are you sure you look similar to me when you were young?”
“Of course, how can this be fake?!”
Su Long lifted his head and showed his boorish face as he grinned. “You can check with our neighbors to see if we look similar or not.”
Su Yu was helpless, knowing his father was changing the topic. He then shifted the conversation back in the original direction. “Father, it isn’t that I’m looking down on you, but you are an old man who has stopped fighting on the battlefield for 18 years and you no longer cultivate. At your age, you are merely at the ninth level of the Thousand Pound Realm. Would you be of any use even if you went?”
“Who are you looking down on?”
Su Long angrily spoke, “So what if I’m at the ninth level of the Thousand Pound Realm? On the battlefield, one doesn’t solely depend on martial strength. If one really wanted to only look at martial strength, there wouldn’t be a need to fight a war ever! A battlefield contains all sorts of possibilities. Back then, this daddy was only at the seventh level of the Thousand Pound Realm, but I’ve killed an expert at the Ten-Thousand Stone Realm before!”
Su Yu was vexed, not knowing whether these words were true or not. However, his father had been saying this for many years, so the possibility of this being a lie was very low.
The main point was that he didn’t want his father to go to the frontlines.
The chaos on the frontlines caused large casualties every year, and the situation was growing increasingly dangerous. Moreover, his father was someone close to 50 years old. If he returned to the battlefield now…Su Yu didn’t dare to think any further.
“Father…”
“Shut up!”
Su Long interrupted. He then stood up and washed his bowl and chopsticks before speaking seriously, “I’ve registered myself. If I don’t return, I will be treated as an army deserter! It’s fine if I haven’t registered, but you should know the consequences of not returning after registration. Deserters are punished by death!”
“Father, couldn’t you have waited for me to return to discuss a little?”
Su Yu was annoyed!
He knew that there was already no way for him to change anything. Just like what his father said, it was fine if one didn’t register. To these old soldiers, the military wouldn’t recall them forcefully. Since these old soldiers could retire alive back then, it meant that they had some contributions on the battlefield.
But once they registered, this meant that they had rejoined the army and were part of the military. So, if they didn’t return, they would be treated as deserters.
“Discuss what?”
Su Long spoke in a disapproving tone; “Don’t worry, I won’t die. Even if I really die, the compensation payment won’t be little as well. You should remember to collect it yourself. It should be enough for you to marry and raise a kid. Your Father has already considered everything for you!”
After speaking, Su Long carried his luggage that had long since been packed. He then removed the apron and carried his backpack. “Do well in your exams. It’s the same even if you support the human race from behind. When you join one of the Civilization Academies, remember to make the Su Clan proud!
“Civilization Academies…when this daddy returns to the army, I must make sure to brag that my son can enter it. You are much stronger compared to the descendants of those fellows!
“It’s just that I won’t be able to see the written notice. Next time, take a photo and send it to me with the letter. If not, those fellows will surely think that I am making an empty boast…”
“Father!”
Su Yu hurriedly stood up and chased after his father, feeling a little panicked and at a loss.
His father was truly going to leave!
In these 18 years, both he and his father were used to relying on each other. Today, his father suddenly wanted to leave, so he wasn’t mentally prepared at all.
“You are an adult now and no longer a child. Stop acting childishly!”
Su Long chortled, “If you haven’t become an adult yet, Father won’t leave. But now, I have to go. 18 years ago, a few comrades in that team of mine were the same age as you now. A`Yu, Do you know? I dreamt of them…I dreamt that they cried and said that it was very painful, and that they wanted to kill those bunch of bastards…Your father truly feels some regrets…back then, those years ago, I should have sent you to the military center for the families of military personnel. In any case, there will be someone raising you.”
Su Long’s eyes reddened. “This is the fifth recall. In the previous four recalls, I’ve packed my luggage, but every time I looked at you, I became selfish. I felt reluctant to leave. This is the fifth time! Will there still be a next time? When I’m over 50, the devil suppression army will no longer accept me!
“I’m leaving…This daddy is heading back to the Allskies Battlefield!
“This time around, your Father will kill a few experts at the Ten-Thousand Stone Realm for you to see. I will definitely keep the evidence so that you cannot rebut it!”
Su Long waved his hands in farewell and continued on his way.
In the past 18 years, this was the first time Su Yu saw his father being so carefree and imposing.
But… this was not what he wanted to see.
“Father…”
“Don’t talk nonsense anymore…”
Su Yu stood in front of the door and bit his lips. He suddenly howled, “If you don’t come back, I will become someone that marries into the clan of a female and change my surname, breaking the flow of incense to our Su Clan’s ancestors! If you don’t mind it, I won’t mind either!”
“I…”
Su Long staggered and almost turned his head back to curse at his son.
Now, he suddenly didn’t feel like leaving anymore. He felt like returning home to beat this little brat up!
This brat could truly keep his words and do what he said!
It was tough for his Su Clan to finally have a genius. If his son married into another clan and changed his surname, Su Long would definitely feel reluctant even if he died!