Chapter 5 Therefore, I am weak

Yue raised his head, set down his chopsticks, chewed and swallowed all the food in his mouth, and said: "Father is absolutely right, Mother. Father is doing the right thing. We can fill our stomachs; it’s not that we can’t. Since we can be full, why not use this grain to enhance our own reputation and elevate the reputation of the Yue family as a good and virtuous household? The young gentlemen in the capital love this kind of thing the most. Father, Mother, Brother, I have finished eating, and I will take my leave first"

But now, who believes? This peasant boy will become the pillar of the Southern Song Dynasty's small court in the future? The only general daring to confront the iron cavalry of the Jin army face to face, and even regarded as the only military strategist in the entire 300 years of the Two Song Dynasties with the courage to attack? Yue Fei is merely at the stage of practicing martial arts, and soon he will evolve into a stage of being brave and fierce; as for being a strategist and a renowned general? ... It is still a distant prospect ... Yue Fei is merely at the stage of practicing martial arts, and soon he will evolve into a stage of being brave and fierce; as for being a strategist and a renowned general? ... It is still a distant prospect ...

Yue Fan remained silent, while Yue's father furrowed his brows and looked at Yue Fan: "Liulang, what about you?"

Yue Fei immediately wilted, lowering his head in silence and focusing on his meal. Just as Mother Yue was about to say something, Father Yue shot her a glare: "It was you who started this. Don't you know how I usually educate my children? Such a woman's perspective!"

Mother Yue opened her mouth as if to say something, but Father Yue's expression grew increasingly unfriendly. In the end, Mother Yue still did not voice her thoughts, likely considering that if she did, it might force Father Yue to resort to disciplinary measures. For a woman who needed to maintain her maternal image in front of her two sons, this was not a worthwhile trade-off, especially since Father Yue was the head of the family. Thus, Mother Yue ultimately chose to remain silent and accepted the situation.

Father Yue furrowed his brow and said: "What a narrow-minded view! When our fellow townsmen are in trouble, how can I not extend a helping hand? Should I just stand by and watch my fellow townsmen starve to death by the roadside? With corpses lying everywhere? The granaries in the city are already stocked with a large amount of grain, and the county government is providing financial assistance. Regardless of whether it is a year of disaster or not, we can have food to eat and rice to sell. What about the people in our hometown? If we save a little, we can save a life! What a great act of kindness! Why can't you understand?"

Initially, Father Yue did not take it seriously, but countless experiences and stark realities informed him that Yue Fan did not act this way without reason; rather, truly terrifying events could occur. After the initial surprise and delight, Father Yue discovered Yue Fan's timidity

Mother Yue wore a look of grievance and ignored Father Yue, causing the atmosphere at the dining table to revert to the earlier awkward silence. Yue Fei glanced at Yue Fan, deeply impressed by his brother's remarkable composure. However, the silence was truly unbearable. Just as Yue Fei and Tu Shu could no longer hold back from speaking again, Father Yue broke the silence, addressing Mother Yue: "This year, there has not been much rain, and the land is experiencing drought. Prepare some food in advance; if the villagers have no food to eat, give them some to get by. Do you understand?"

No one knows a child better than their father

Father Yue even doubted whether he was truly a child, whether he was indeed his biological son, Liu Lang.

After the meal, Father Yue, while Yue Fei and Mother Yue were tidying up the household affairs, slowly walked to the outside of the room where the brothers Yue Fei and Yue Fan lived. This room originally housed six brothers, but unfortunately, natural disasters followed by man-made calamities led to the tragic deaths of the Yue family children one after another, leaving only the two brothers, Yue Fei and Yue Fan. He could not help but cherish these two brothers, especially the younger son, Yue Fan, who had a reserved personality from a young age. When he was six years old, he fell seriously ill, which made him even more introverted, with a pale complexion that showed no trace of the innocent and carefree demeanor typical of children.

Father Yue let out a slight sigh and turned to leave

Yue Fei said: "Hahaha, thank you for the compliment, Mother! I will definitely work hard in my studies!"

Or is it better to describe it as cowardice

Mother Yue smiled with satisfaction and said, "Ah, I see, that's wonderful, very good. Once you have mastered the martial arts of Duke Zhou, you can ask Duke Zhou to help you secure a position. Your senior brother Lin is still working in the capital, and he is a commander in the Imperial Guard, with limitless prospects ahead!"

Mother Yue wore an expression of reluctance: "Are we going to give them more? The grain we have worked so hard to grow has all been given away to others. If we sold it to the wealthy in the city, it would yield several times the profit!"

However, the outstretched hand could not push open that door no matter what... Sigh...

Yue Fei's adversaries were not the Northern Liao, but the Jurchens, the future emperor Zhao Gou, the future chancellor Qin Hui, and the countless shameless and utterly foolish military and literary officials of the Song dynasty behind them. Yue Fei died as a result of collective murder, a murder perpetrated by the era.

Father Yue glared at Yue Fei and said: "At the dining table, how can one be so disrespectful! One should not speak while eating, nor talk while sleeping. Have you forgotten the teachings of your father?"

Yue Fan stood up, leaving the dining table, which left Yue Fei and Yue's mother exchanging glances, while Yue's father silently watched Yue Fan's retreating figure. After a long while, he sighed and said: "Let’s continue eating"

At the dining table, the atmosphere in the Yue family remained quite tense. Yue's father wore a serious expression and said nothing, while Yue Fan also had a cold demeanor and remained silent, leaving Yue's mother and Yue Fei caught in the middle, creating a somewhat awkward situation

A cold and distant expression, a mild temperament, an appearance of being free from desires and demands, when conversing with Magistrate Zhang, there is not the slightest hint of timidity, yet when faced with delicious food, there is a slight change in demeanor, and... the deep-seated timidity that Father Yue is unwilling to believe, yes, timidity, timidity, it is indeed timidity, arising for reasons unknown, a timidity that emerges in the face of something. Regardless of the time, Yue Fan has always regarded living as the most fundamental necessity. Matters that ordinary people would not pay attention to are of great concern to Yue Fan, who stubbornly believes that they pose a threat to his life and even to the lives of his entire family. Yes, timidity, timidity, it is indeed timidity, arising for reasons unknown, a timidity that emerges in the face of something. Regardless of the time, Yue Fan has always regarded living as the most fundamental necessity. Matters that ordinary people would not pay attention to are of great concern to Yue Fan, who stubbornly believes that they pose a threat to his life and even to the lives of his entire family.

Yue Fei was taken aback for a moment, deeply realizing that his father's actions were indeed correct, and thus immediately expressed: "I shall dutifully obey my father's command"

Then Father Yue turned to Yue Fei and Yue Fan, and said: "I will not say much more, as I am indeed considering both of you, but I am also thinking of our fellow townsmen. We are all the same people in our hometown; saving a life is more substantial than anything else. When someone is starving to the point of death, and we still have food to eat, if we can give them just a bite, a life can be saved. Which is more important, a life or a bite of food? I know that you both have studied more than I have, but in this matter, you must follow my instructions without fail."

Yue Fei was bold and outgoing, yet somewhat reckless, while Yue Fan was cautious to the point of timidity, never engaging in disputes. When faced with situations that required assertiveness, he would invariably retreat, with no exceptions. Unless prompted by others, he would remain silent, yet he possessed unexpectedly profound wisdom. One was literary and the other martial, one coarse and the other refined, one brave and the other timid, one large and the other small, one brother and the other younger brother. Is this truly a match made in heaven? Is this the will of heaven?

Ah, Fei'er, what gains have you made in your martial arts practice today? Has Master Zhou taught you any formidable techniques?" Mother Yue, holding a bowl of rice, deliberately spoke in a loud voice. Yue Fei understood her intention and immediately replied in a loud voice: "Mother, today I have made great progress in my martial arts studies. Master Zhou said I have already mastered all the staff techniques, and I will soon be able to learn spear techniques and archery. Master Zhou's skill in drawing the bow with both hands is renowned, and I greatly admire it!"

He intended to push open the door and have a deep conversation with Yue Fan about the matter he suddenly raised regarding moving south. His intuition, as a father, told him that Yue Fan would not say such a thing without reason; rather, the issue had become serious enough to necessitate abandoning their ancestral heritage for survival.

Father Yue sighed and said, "To submit outwardly but not inwardly is truly a woman's perspective. What is more important, a mere bit of grain or reputation? Considering the future prospects of Wulang and Liulang, the better the reputation of the Yue family, the greater their future will be. Do you not understand this? If we were to create a scandal by disregarding our fellow townsmen and allowing them to starve, the futures of Wulang and Liulang would be ruined!"