Still half-asleep, Li Yan was roughly nudged awake. When he finally opened his eyes, the first familiar face he saw was that of his fourth sister, Li Xiaozhu. His third brother was nowhere in sight. With eyes red and puffy from weeping, she quietly said, "Fifth Brother, the village chief is here—Father wants you up and ready."
Li Yan hadn't slept much the night before; he'd only managed to drift off again after the rooster crowed several times. Sitting up a little straighter, he told his sister, "Sis, I'm on my way."
But Li Xiaozhu didn't move at all—she only continued to gaze at him as if she were unwilling to let him go. Smiling gently, Li Yan replied, "Sis, don't be like that. I promise, next New Year I'll come back to see you all. Although by then, who's to say you'll even be home?"
Startled, Li Xiaozhu paused for a moment before her cheeks flushed and she teasingly chided, "You chatterbox," then turned and stepped out the door.
Watching her receding figure, Li Yan let out a soft sigh. Deep down, he wasn't even sure he believed his own promise. How could he be so certain of returning next New Year when it was only the tail end of summer and the beginning of autumn? Who could predict what might change in half a year—or even in the years to come?
After a quick wash, Li Yan made his way to the front room. There, gathered around, were five people—his father, his mother, his third brother, his fourth sister, and a burly man in his forties. This robust fellow, Li Guoxin—the village chief—sat on a tall, sturdy chair. His square face was framed by a thick beard, and he wore a short-sleeved hunting outfit. Even in the chill of an early autumn morning in the mountain village, he showed no sign of cold. His sinewy, knotted muscles and imposing presence made it clear he was a man to be reckoned with.
Seeing Li Yan enter, Li Guoxin grinned and teased, "Li Yan, you're getting up a bit late today."
Stepping forward respectfully, Li Yan bowed and said, "Good morning, Uncle Guoxin!"
Li Guoxin was well known in the village—not only did he tend the fields, but he was also a superb hunter who regularly led the village's able young men on hunting trips in the surrounding hills. In recent years, when locust plagues had threatened their crops, it was largely thanks to him that the village fared better than others; at least, no one had starved.
Glancing from Li Yan to his mother, to his third brother, and then to Li Xiaozhu, Li Guoxin explained, "I was supposed to leave for the county town in two days—to see off the second youngest from the Lao Shan family and the eldest from the Li Tian clan, who are heading there as a kitchen helper and a blacksmith apprentice respectively. But last night, Changbo mentioned Li Yan's situation to me, so I've decided we leave today."
(For context, Li Yan's father—named Li Chang and known affectionately as Changbo—had already agreed that Li Yan should head out to work in the county. In the family's humble circumstances, the apprenticeship fee—even though it was only 500 coins—counted for nearly a year's income, since their monthly expenses barely reached 50 coins. Moreover, apprenticeship was grueling work with no freedom or dignity; masters were often harsh, sometimes even deadly.)
Changbo gave Li Yan a look and said, "Then it's settled." Turning to the village chief with a half-smile, he added, "We'll be counting on you now, Uncle Guoxin."
Almost immediately, Li Yan's mother, her eyes still sore with tears, hurriedly asked, "So we're leaving today?"
The village chief nodded. "Yes. Although conscription these days is common, I heard from someone in the county that as early as yesterday morning, Marshal Hong began conscripting soldiers. This time, they're drafting garrison troops—soldiers meant to guard the granaries, armories, and even the residences of officials. They're not usually sent into intense battle, so it should only take a couple of days to muster enough men."
At those words, Li Yan's mother gasped, "Ah—so they're going to fight a war?" Li Xiaozhu too looked anxiously at Li Guoxin.
Hearing his daughter-in-law's alarm and seeing his daughters' worried expressions, Changbo pounded his hand on the table in discontent, "Didn't Guoxin say these are garrison soldiers? They're here to guard and watch over the city—not to fight battles! What's gotten into you all?"
Both Li Xiaozhu and Li Yan's mother exchanged nervous glances at Li Guoxin. After a reassuring nod to Changbo, Li Guoxin offered some comforting words, and they finally eased their concerns.
Li Yan, who had merely greeted everyone upon arriving, had remained unusually quiet. Now, seeing his mother and sister so distraught, a deep sorrow welled in him. A bitter, constricting ache rose in his throat as his eyes began to glisten. In his heart, he vowed that once he made his way in the world and earned enough money, he would return home to care for his parents and loved ones, never straying far again. He yearned to see their content smiles every day and to bask in the warm comfort of family.
In truth, though garrison troops seldom saw front-line combat in times of peace, if a war broke out and the city's defenses were stretched thin, no one would be spared—even these elite soldiers would have to man the walls. In the chaos of a siege, enemy blades, spears, and arrows show no mercy. They cannot tell a garrison guard from a high-ranking general, and before you know it, everyone is caught in the fray. There's even the possibility they might have to step out to meet the enemy head-on in brutal, close-quarters combat. Even so, service in the garrison was widely regarded as one of the best opportunities compared to ordinary conscription.
Nearby, Li Wei watched Li Yan with a look of quiet worry. He couldn't shake the feeling that things were far more complicated than the village chief's reassurances suggested.
Noticing Li Yan's silence, Li Guoxin turned to him and asked, "Do you have any questions?"
Li Yan answered, "Uncle Guoxin, you told us that this posting—guarding the granaries, armories, and the officials' homes under Marshal Hong's personal recruitment—is a fine opportunity. It's not every day a chance like this comes along. I promise to make the best of it."
At this, Li Guoxin frowned thoughtfully. He wondered if Li Yan had truly taken all his words at face value. In his heart he mused, "On the road I'll have to explain a few things to this young man—surely he doesn't believe that this job is utterly risk-free."
Then, addressing the entire family with final words of farewell, Li Guoxin said, "We'll depart in fifteen minutes. This time, I'm traveling with three other young men. No one else should see us off—if every family sent someone with extra luggage, our carriage wouldn't make it in time on this 200-plus mile mountain road. Today, it'd be impossible."
There were only two good horses in the village, and with the added weight of their belongings, reaching the county town by sunset was already pushing the limits.
Barely after sunrise, the carriage rolled out of the village, leaving the familiar mountain hamlet to slowly fade in the distance. As Li Yan glanced back, he saw a few homes at the village entrance and a cluster of women sobbing bitterly. Aboard the carriage, two children of barely thirteen or fourteen began to cry softly, wiping away their tears in a steady stream.
Li Yan watched in silence as his fourth sister and his mother wept among the onlookers, and as his third brother limped along, supporting their father. Not a word was exchanged—only forced smiles and heavy hearts.
By the time Li Yan finally climbed into the carriage, his third brother and father had said no more than a few parting words, smiling through their sorrow. Meanwhile, his fourth sister and mother clung to him, tugging repeatedly at his nearly new, coarse cloth jacket—insisting, even through their tears, that he remember every detail and to come back often. They reminded him that there were provisions packed inside—dried food and salted vegetables—to be eaten when hunger struck.
Holding back his grief, Li Yan forced a smile and waved weakly, "Father, Mother, Third Brother, Fourth Sister—take care. I'll bring loads of city goods back when I return. Third Brother, please look after the family."
"Fifth Brother, remember—remember… go on, go…" "Sis, once I'm settled, I'll even bring you some rouge and powder from the city." "Fifth Brother, please… wait…" "Fifth Brother…" And with one heartbreaking, anguished cry, Li Yan's mother collapsed into his fourth sister's arms.
All around, other families were crying one after another, and the sound of weeping inside the carriage grew louder. Li Yan could no longer hold back his own tears—they streamed freely down his face.
At last, the carriage slowly rolled away, carrying him far from the place where he had grown up—away from the foot of those familiar, towering green mountains, away from every cherished tree and blade of grass. As the carriage rounded a bend and the village receded into darkness, its outlines vanished from view, although the sound of laments on the breeze seemed even louder than before.