Ji Changze was still refusing, “Forget it, I’ll buy a cheap one. It’s just clothes, in fact, I’m not picky. “
“If you don’t pick, we’ll pick. Shopkeeper, hurry up, bring out the most expensive literati clothes in your shop for us brothers to see.”
“No no, it’s too expensive.”
“Eh, what a waste of money? You scholars all know how to whine. Shopkeeper, hurry up!”
Ji Changze, “But my body is all covered in dust and dirt, and my face is covered in blood. Even if I change clothing, I’m afraid the appearance wouldn’t match.”
“Shopkeeper, where’s the bathhouse?”
So finally, by the time the three people came out of the bathhouse together, Ji Changze looked like a different person.
He was wearing a new and elegant tunic, the tops of his shoes were white and clean, and his body was scrubbed clean in order to remove the dead and dirty skin on the outside, revealing the whiteness on the inside.
The two young soldiers had a look of confusion from the moment he started washing his black arms into white ones. They were even more confused when Ji Changze changed his clothes and tied his hairband, then stood in front of them again.
This person was so different before and after taking a bath.
He does look like a scholar and a bit like a young master of a wealthy family that they saw when they went to the city when they were young. With that temperament, he obviously looked very gentle, but they were both afraid to approach.
Ji Changze smiled at them, and both of them also smiled but they didn’t dare say a word.
They thought that this might be the awe of a scholar.
In awe of the scholars, they returned to the village and dug graves for a long time before they finally asked, “Why don’t you come down and help?”
Ji Changze stood on the edge of the pit and looked at them working inside. He replied in a warm voice: “I am afraid to get my clothes dirty. Won’t it be in vain? “
As they were thinking, they saw the scholar at the top gesture to come down, “You guys seem tired. I might as well come down and help you.”
“Don’t, don’t if your clothes get dirty, we’ll have to buy them again. We can’t afford to buy them.”
Ji Changze was discouraged, so he could only stand at the edge of the pit with a good attitude and said, “Then I’ll stand here and help cheer you on.”
Waiting for the bodies to be carried in wrapped in straw mats one by one, the two got together and looked at him. After putting on a suit, Ji Changze, who really looked like a scholar, stood by the pit and lifted up a handful of soil in his hand.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. After coming to this world for a while, someone has to send them off.”
Ji Changze patted the dirt on his hands, looked at the two again, and smiled, “Since they have been properly handled, let’s go to the barracks.”
The two men followed him; “Didn’t you not want to go to the barracks?”
“The two of you are benevolent and kind, so you would never harm me.”
The two little soldiers felt guilty.
They thought of taking Ji Change for military merit, and as a result, this man actually thought they were benevolent.
“Cough cough, in fact, the bookkeepers in our barracks were each somewhat short-lived.”
“Short-lived, it’s their destiny.”
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll have a short life too?”
When he heard this, Ji Changze turned back and smiled at them, “People with short lives were squeezed by others, but mine is in my own hands, how can it be short?”
“Brother, what is he saying?”
“I do not know, but the meaning should be that he isn’t afraid of a short life as the bookkeeper, or to go to the barracks.”
“Then he’s a good man, willing to go like this.”
“When we go to the barracks, let’s try to take care of him. By the way, what’s his name again?”
Wearing the clothes they bought for him, Ji Changze readily accepted their ‘good man’ comments and exchanged names.
The two soldiers turned out to be brothers. The big one was Wang Da and the little one was Wang Er. Their names were very easy to understand.
(TNote: Da = big/ eldest. Er = little/ small/ second.)
After Ji Changze understood it, he asked again, “Do you have younger siblings in your family that is also named according to their rank?”
The two nodded, “We don’t have a sister in my home. Our parents gave birth to younger brothers. There are seven brothers in total. When we left home, there was another one in our Mother’s belly.”
Ji Changze didn’t need to ask what their parents were going to name the one in the belly.
In a word, it wouldn’t be far from calling him Old Eight.
On the way to the barracks, he asked in passing what other civilian jobs were available there.
Then, he got the answer that the only civilian left in the barracks at the moment was the Military Advisor, who was still alive.
The others have died for various reasons.
So, every time their barracks wanted to recruit clerical people, no one would dare to come.
Everyone guessed that it was because the Military Adviser, who grew up with General Hou as a child and was General Hou’s book boy, grew up to follow the General campaigning. So, his body was more or less, stronger than those civilians to some extent.
This was why he survived until this day.
Wang Da and Wang Er felt that Ji Changze was indeed a good man, and didn’t hide it from him. They told him clearly that if he was afraid and didn’t want to go, then they wouldn’t stop him.
But clothes and shoes should be returned to them, which costs a lot of money.
Ji Changze didn’t want to leave at all.
When he arrived at the barracks, he waited outside, and the two went to report first.
After a while, Wang Da came out and called him to come forth.
Maybe this military barracks was really too short of clerical people, or maybe General Hou just happened to be free. He was actually going to take him to see the General.
Ji Changze didn’t have much of a surprised look on his face. He patted the dust that didn’t exist on his body and followed him.
The General’s tent looked no different from others, only a little bigger. Wang Da took him to stand outside, and the soldiers guarding the door looked Ji Changze up and down to make sure he looked like an ordinary civilian with nothing threatening before going in to inform him.
He waited until he was called in, Wang Da led Ji Changze in with trepidation.
As soon as the curtain was lifted, there was a rush of warmth to his face.
The General shouldn’t be the one afraid of the cold.
Ji Changze looked at the shirtless man who had just put his spear back in place. The man was strong, he was quite sure of it.
“Is this the person you said could be the bookkeeper?”
The strong man was still sweating, visibly showing that he felt very hot. He was good-looking. At first glance, two characters could describe him, Ying Wu.
(TNote: Ying Wu/ [英武] = heroic/handsome and brave/ handsome military man.)
General Hou, who had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a sturdy body with bulging muscles, and was full of valor, went up and looked Ji Changze up and down. He directly asked; “Where are you from? How come you came to my Hou army?”
Ji Changze slightly lowered his eyes, arching his hand and saluting. His attitude was quite indifferent; “My surname is Ji, my name is Qing, and the courtesy name is Changze. I’m a scholar with no fame in Huxian County. I was robbed of money on my way to seek medical treatment for my parents. Then, I was saved by my wife in Kexian County and married her as my madam. Now that she had been taken away by the rebels, I came to join the General, and wants to go with the army to eliminate the rebels and get my wife back.”
(TNote: courtesy name = A name used outside of the family. Because it was disrespectful for others of the same generation to address him by his given name. Used in formal occasions.)
The twists and turns of this experience made General Hou look back with interest at the man who was writing something at the table in the warmth of this tent, draped with a cloak over his body, “What do you think, military adviser?”
Ji Changze looked at him. The Adviser was pale, wearing heavy clothes, white face and not good looking. He could only say that he was ordinary, and his eyes were very bright.
He glanced casually, and saw that Ji Changze’s facial expression was still flat. His eyes slightly narrowed.
“Since this gentleman is willing to come and work as a bookkeeper, the General should keep him.”
“Good, from now on, you will be our bookkeeper here, and your share will be paid according to the previous bookkeeper’s. That, your name was Wang Da, right? Take this Sir Ji to the bookkeeper’s residence.”
Ji Changze arched his hand and followed Wang Da and Wang Er, who looked happy, out of the tent.
“You’re lucky, Sir. The last bookkeeper’s monthly income was the most out of all the bookkeepers before, and he lives in a separate tent, next to the General’s tent. In the future, you mustn’t forget us brothers ah.”
Ji Changze smiled and nodded, “Definitely, definitely.”
He turned slightly sideways, glanced at the tent behind him, and touched a handful of his still-damp hair.
“This Advisor of yours is a thoughtful man.”
The two were stunned, “Huh?”
Ji Changze smiled faintly, “Nothing. Since we have settled it, let’s go.”
In the tent, the General waited for them to leave before asking, “Well, is this man trustworthy?”
The Advisor coughed a few times and said, “His eyes are clear, he doesn’t look like a traitor. His clothes belong to the town. The white shoes should have just been bought, and his hair isn’t dry yet. He had just taken a bath. The two soldiers were very careful when touching his clothes, they should know that these clothes were newly bought. More likely, they paid for it. They acted like this just to leave a good impression on you, General. If they were spies, they wouldn’t do so.”
“So, this person is credible?”
“80% credible, when I consult the household registration, and have more contact … cough cough…”
The General nodded, picked up the hot water on the table and drank a few mouthfuls, “Just wait, I heard that there was a famous doctor in Wuxian County. After some time, we have to hunt down the rebels and pass by there. Then, I will invite this famous doctor to heal you.”
“No matter, I’m just weak, I won’t die for a while. But the military internal affairs still need to be handled. Since Sir Ji is here, let’s give it to him for now, and probe his true intentions while at it.”
The General gulped down several more sips of water.
“It just so happens that you have to recuperate. Even if it turns out that he is a spy, I won’t kill him for now.”
In the tent next door, Ji Changze, who was looking at Wang Da and Wang Er diligently helping him make the bed, perked his ears.
Looks like he could take advantage and look into that famous doctor in Wuxian County.