Jiang Pan stepped forward and pushed away the boatmen, unable to help but roar at Erlang, "Don't you have hands? Someone hit you, why didn't you hit back?"
Erlang had protected his head quite well, with no injuries on his face, but his body was covered in footprints, and his clothes were torn in several places, revealing skin that was bruised and tender, looking quite disheveled.
Hearing Jiang Pan's words, Erlang tugged at the corner of his mouth, "A boatman with no power or influence, if he injures someone, what will he use to compensate? You don't want me to know what hardship is? I'm just responding in the way of an ordinary boatman, is there any problem with that?"
Seeing the defiance in his eyes, Jiang Pan became even more incensed, "You did this on purpose! You deliberately didn't fight back, wanting me and your mother to feel guilty! Jiang Jiasheng! You... well done!"
With that, Jiang Pan turned and left.
The yamen runners who came with him were somewhat at a loss, "Brother Pan, what about these people?"
Jiang Pan waved his hand, "Let them go."
"Ah? Let them go? What if they bully Erlang again..."
Jiang Pan sneered, "If he's willing to be bullied, then let him be."
After speaking, Jiang Pan walked out of that corner.
The yamen runners looked at Jiang Pan's retreating back, then at Erlang, not understanding what this father and son were playing at.
However, before they left, they still warned the boatmen, "Dare to bully Erlang again, and I'll drag you to the yamen to eat prison food!"
The boatmen quickly scattered like birds and beasts, leaving Erlang sitting alone on the ground.
After a while, a small head poked out from outside.
"Second Brother, are you okay?"
"Minor problem, won't die."
Erlang pretended to be nonchalant and leaned against the wall, but he bumped his injured back, and the pain made him straighten up.
Jiang Wan couldn't help but grin, "So delicate, can you really go to the battlefield?"
Erlang immediately widened his eyes, "Who says I'm delicate? I don't care about this little injury at all!"
Jiang Wan smiled and pressed on one of his bruises. Erlang cried out in pain.
"Still saying you're not delicate."
Erlang's face contorted with pain, "You... are you really my sister?"
Jiang Wan rolled her eyes at him, "If I wasn't your sister, would I sneak medicine to you at night? If it weren't for the medicine I gave you, would you still have the strength to challenge Father here?"
It turned out that Erlang, after sleeping for a night, was back to his lively self because Jiang Wan had been secretly "delivering medicine" to him every night.
In fact, the medicine she sent was just pills she casually made with some nourishing medicinal powder. What truly made Erlang fully recover was her special ability.
Jiang Wan sat down beside Erlang and sighed, "Second Brother, have you really thought about joining the army?"
Erlang nodded heavily, "Of course."
Jiang Wan looked into his eyes, "Even if there's a possibility you might not return?"
Erlang hesitated, but still nodded, "I have confidence in my skills. Although I can't guarantee I won't get injured, I can guarantee that I will definitely come back alive."
Jiang Wan curled her lips, "Second Brother, even a seasoned veteran would not dare to say with certainty that they would return alive from the battlefield. Have you considered what the family would have to face if you were unfortunate enough to be buried on the battlefield?"
"Your Second Sister-in-law is not yet seventeen, her life has just begun. When she married you, she thought she would live a peaceful and ordinary life with you, but you turned around and decided to join the army. If you really don't come back, can you bear to let her remain a widow at such a young age? Or can you accept her remarrying another man?"
"As for Mother and Father, although there are two other sons in the family, there's no need to worry about their old age. But do you really think they can bear the pain of parents sending off their child?"
Erlang's heart tightened, and he suddenly didn't know how to answer.
These were questions he hadn't considered.
Jiang Wan patted his shoulder, "Second Brother, I won't stop you from joining the army, in fact, I support it. However, you need to think carefully about how to make your family feel at ease about letting you go, and how you will settle your Second Sister-in-law and Mother and Father. Because they are your responsibility, and you cannot let them bear the consequences of potentially losing you for your own dream."
After speaking, Jiang Wan got up and left, leaving Erlang sitting alone in the corner, unmoved for a long time.
By evening, Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi had both returned home, but Erlang was still nowhere to be seen.
Zhang Qiaoxiu, worried, kept looking out from the front door several times.
Jiang Pan said impatiently, "Why bother with him! He's a grown man, he won't get lost. Come inside and eat, don't wait."
Zhang Qiaoxiu was quite afraid of her father-in-law, Jiang Pan. When Jiang Pan spoke, Zhang Qiaoxiu didn't dare to continue looking out the front door and walked into the house, looking back repeatedly.
The family sat around the table, the atmosphere a bit strange. Just as they were about to eat, they heard Erlang's voice.
"Father, Mother, Qiaoxiu, I'm back."
Zhang Qiaoxiu quickly stood up to greet him. She saw that Erlang was neatly dressed and carrying several paper-wrapped parcels emitting the aroma of food.
Seeing Zhang Qiaoxiu come out, Erlang handed her the paper parcels, "Go to the kitchen and get plates to put the dishes on. I'm going to wash my hands."
He hadn't spoken properly to Zhang Qiaoxiu for several days, so Zhang Qiaoxiu was momentarily slow to react.
Erlang smiled and nudged her, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up, I haven't eaten all day, I'm starving."
Hearing this, Zhang Qiaoxiu hurried into the kitchen, put the dishes Erlang brought back on plates, and brought them to the table.
Erlang washed his hands and came to sit down, smiling, "Father, Mother, I won't be working at the dock tomorrow. I'll settle my wages. I only earned enough for these few dishes for the days I worked."
Chen Yuezhi raised her eyebrows, "You're not going to the dock anymore? What do you want to do?"
Erlang lowered his head and smiled, "I was ignorant a few days ago and made the family worry. I'll go back to the restaurant tomorrow. Sister-in-law is due to give birth in a few days, and Brother will definitely have to stay home to accompany her. The restaurant can't be left unattended."
Chen Yuezhi's heart stirred, "Are you saying..."
Erlang smiled, "I've thought it through, I'm not joining the army anymore."
Zhang Qiaoxiu was so happy she almost shed tears. She had been worried sick these past few days, unable to sleep soundly at night.
Chen Yuezhi and Jiang Pan also relaxed, but were still a little uneasy, "Really?"
Erlang nodded, "Really. Father and Mother's thoughts are correct. I was wrong before. From now on, I will work with Brother to manage the restaurant properly."
He then turned to Zhang Qiaoxiu, "Don't worry, I won't let you be a widow."
Zhang Qiaoxiu couldn't hold back her tears, and they rolled down her cheeks.
Erlang held Zhang Qiaoxiu's hand under the table, silently comforting her, then said to the family, "Don't just stand there, let's eat. I haven't eaten all day, I'm really starving."
After speaking, Erlang picked up his own bowl and began to eat heartily, as if he were enjoying it immensely.
Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi exchanged glances and couldn't help but smile.
Finally, they had persuaded the boy to change his mind.
Only Jiang Wan, looking at Erlang's ravenous eating, felt that everything Erlang had said since sitting down was insincere.