Chapter 56 Life Changes
Noon, Hekou Town.

During the three-day holiday after the end of the war, the reservists who rushed back from Pingdingshan returned to the town.

The return of these serf soldiers was like a stone thrown into the water, bringing ripples to the peaceful town.

They hold in their hands a prize so great that they have never before possessed it.

They were gathering in the only open-air tavern in the town to continue the celebration.

"Give me five glasses of white beer, the best kind! Old Maitou, don't use that old beer that's so good, mix it with your urine, no one would drink that stuff!"

One of them, Mike, picked up the wooden wine glass, took a sip and rolled his eyes.

He then pushed him roughly to the ground, slammed the table and started yelling at the tavern owner.

The other companions around them started to make a noise, laughing at the tavern owner, Old Maitou, for making his beer taste bad, as he mixed half a cup of beer with water.

"You piece of shit, pay the money first!"

Old Mac, with a pipe in his mouth, glanced at them askance, accustomed to such rudeness.

Small town drunks have never had good manners.

At this time, handfuls of copper coins were thrown casually on the table and piled up into a pile.

The crisp sound of the copper coin made Old Maitou's ears prick up instantly. He couldn't help but stand up and stretch his neck to move forward.

"Mary, bring out all the beer barrels in the pub! Let these rich bastards drink to their heart's content today!"

Amid the laughter of the crowd, Old Maitou ran into the house.

Together with a woman, they grunted and carried out a wooden wine barrel.

The wooden barrels were smashed open and the serf soldiers clinked their glasses joyfully, totally ignoring the spilled wine that soaked their clothes.

They were talking loudly about their achievements in the war.

The lively discussion and the table full of copper coins soon attracted passers-by.

Noticing the curious looks from other residents around them, the serf soldiers unconsciously raised their voices a little.

The banquet in Pingdingshan had a warm environment and rich food.

But these small town serfs don’t know the residents there, Mike thought.

The celebration inevitably felt a little less satisfying, not as refreshing as it is now.

Seeing his neighbors coming to join in the fun, Mike laughed and raised his glass.

"Cheers to our victory, guys!"

"Cheers, oh!!!"

A group of soldiers shouted excitedly, bringing the lively atmosphere in the tavern to a climax.

Only then did Mike suddenly notice something different.

Maud, the youngest of them, fidgeted and did not touch her glass.

"I'm sorry, Brother Mike, I feel a little dizzy. Can I go home first?" Maude apologized embarrassedly when she saw him looking at her.

Seeing him so spoil the fun, Mike and his other companions were a little unhappy.

But he didn't say anything, just nodded and let him go.

Maud breathed a sigh of relief, bowed to them and apologized, then left in a hurry.

"What's wrong with this kid? Didn't he have a good time drinking that night? It's incomprehensible." Someone shook his head unhappily.

"That's because you haven't seen how crazy he was on the battlefield. This kid must be not very smart. He actually rushed to the front in the battle."

Mike said with lingering fear when he thought of the brutality of the Wolf Chief's soldiers.

"Come to think of it, didn't the Lord mention that merit increase? Um, what's it called?"

"The military merit promotion system says that if we kill three barbarian soldiers, we can become free citizens."

Mike couldn't help but shake his head. "That gentleman was quite happy to give us the money. He's a good man, but this is unreliable. How could the lord be willing to let us go free? Isn't he afraid that we will run away? It sounds like a lie."

"That makes sense. Only Maude is so foolish as to believe it and rush forward without even thinking about what would happen to his sister at home if he died."

"Mike, didn't you say before that you wanted to marry someone's sister? Will you take care of her when the time comes?" The people around laughed.

"I was comforting him out of pity for him, and his face was not injured at that time, and he was quite pretty. Now?"

Mike rolled his eyes, "You haven't seen the condition of that kid's sister. It's scary."

the other side.

After Mod left the crowd with his head covered, he finally relaxed, holding the copper coins in his pocket.

He walked back down the street to his house, opened the door and stooped to enter.

My younger sister Jasmine was sitting at the head of the bed, mending clothes for someone.

When they saw him coming back, they jumped up in surprise to welcome him.

"It's okay, I'm back, don't worry." Maude gently stroked Jasmine's little head. After the brother and sister reunited, Maude described to his sister the interesting things that happened during this period.

During the process, the rough feeling between his palms made him notice his sister's dull and withered yellow hair.

He looked at his sister's fingers, which were frozen by the icy water of Hanshui River after she washed clothes for others.

Maud pursed her lips tightly.

The scene he saw in Pingdingshan couldn't help but emerge in his mind.

It seemed like a legendary paradise, and the residents' homes were luxurious houses built with bricks and stones.

The ground magically exudes warmth, and the holy water of the god of mountains and lakes flows in the pipes, ready to be called at any time.

Maud came back to reality and looked towards her and her sister's home.

The hut was a simple, low hut no more than one person tall, with only two small holes in the skylight for light to come in.

There is no floor, the natural ground is bumpy, and the walls of the stone houses are filled with hay mud.

Cold and run-down.

"In a little while, it won't be long before I can lead you to a good life."

Maud held Jasmine in her arms, her hands in her pockets.

Inside was the bonus money he had saved, although it wasn't enough now.

But he firmly believed that as long as he worked hard enough, he would be able to let Jasmine live in a house like that soon.

Mod recalled the knight's squire who had greeted him politely and kindly left copper coins before the lord came.

I remember the lord who, after the war, observed a moment of silence in front of the army and erected the spears of the fallen soldiers in front of the monument to the heroes.

After seeing the hope of life, a smile slowly appeared on Maud's face.

At this moment, there were sudden sounds of footsteps outside the room, and it seemed that a large group of people were rushing here.

There was confusion in Maude's eyes. After asking Jasmine to stay at home, he went out to find out what was going on.

Outside the gate now.

Blue Hat Ma Lun, who is the chief affairs officer of Hekou Town, is rushing over.
He was also accompanied by the town's statistician and two clerks.

After seeing this big shot in the town come here, the residents on the road stopped working temporarily and came over curiously.

Even Mike and other soldiers stopped drinking, looked at each other, and came over in confusion.

Although the ruler of Hekou Town is the lord, that lord is a little too far away from them.

The person who manages them on a daily basis is the newly appointed director of affairs.

The other party can be said to hold the fate of the town's residents in his hands and is a real big shot in their eyes.

After discovering that Mullen and other officials actually stopped at Maude's door, Mike and others became even more confused.

There were all kinds of discussions in the crowd, suspecting that the Maud siblings had provoked this adult.

"Ah, Mr. Manager, you?" When Maude came out, he was startled to see a group of people gathered outside.

Especially after meeting the Secretary-General Mullen, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

But what he and other residents didn't expect was that when they saw him come out, Maren immediately smiled kindly.

He quickly came over and put a prepared high-quality cashmere cloak on him.

"Soldier Mod, the lord has witnessed your bravery on the battlefield and has sent me here to announce that from now on you will be freed from your status as a serf and become a glorious soldier!"

"On behalf of Hekou Town, I sincerely thank you for your contribution in the war. This is the reward bestowed upon you by the Lord!"

Maren handed Maude two identity records, which were proof that the brother and sister had become free people.

Then he urged him to bring his sister with him and follow him.

Maud, who had finally come back to his senses from the incredible surprise, did not dare to delay.

Holding the certificate, he quickly took Jasmine, who was also confused, and followed Maren.

They left the residential area inside the town and came to the commercial district beside the Hanshui River.

What comes into view are the completed brick and stone cottages, forming a luxurious complex.

"From today on, this place is yours."

Maren stood in front of a two-bedroom, one-living-room bungalow and handed Maude the keys with a smile.

Maud took the key with a dazed mind.

Beside him was his curious and excited sister, and behind him were the amazed and envious crowd.

Mike and a group of soldiers stared at him in a daze, and the wine glasses in their hands fell to the ground unconsciously.

(End of this chapter)