Chapter One: Confusion

  "From today on, you must remember one thing in your hearts: what I tell you to do, you must do. My words are right, even if they're wrong! You just need to obey and that's it! What I let you do, you'll do; what I don't let you do, you won't do. Here, you won't have to worry about going hungry or freezing anymore. Here, you can learn a lot of things. But if you forget my words, you'll be punished until you're kicked out and back on the streets, struggling to survive! I don't want any lazybones here. You must also forget your past; reminiscing about those things is meaningless now. Just remember that you are people under my care, High Hua Yuan. Have you remembered my words?" High Hua Yuan stood in the courtyard, his hands behind his back, loudly speaking to the dozen or so young men standing before him.

  The young men were taken aback for a moment, then under Huang Yan and Zhou Huan's lead, they began to answer: "Yes!"

  "What's wrong with you guys these past few days? Why are your answers so lifeless? I can barely hear what you're saying!" Gao Huaiyuan glared, his neck stretched out, as he fully embodied the drill instructor's demeanor he had learned from movies.

  The boys then answered in unison again: "Yes!"

  "Too soft! I still can't hear!" Gao Huaiyuan put his nose against Zhou Jun's in the middle and bellowed loudly.

  "Yes!" This time everyone used all their might, hysterically shouting out loud, the sound echoing in the courtyard for a long time.

  Damn it! These guys are really loud! It's shaking my eardrums and I'm almost deaf! Gao Huaiyuan used his fingers to dig into his ears, muttering to himself with a belly full of complaints, but on his face, he revealed a satisfied expression, nodding repeatedly.

  "Alright! I believe you all have taken note! Now, I announce your schedule from tomorrow morning onwards. You must wake up at the crack of dawn, line up and go out for a run. Anyone who is late will not get breakfast!"

  After breakfast, you will go down to work the land, because this land will determine whether your rice bowls can be filled in the future! It will determine whether you have clothes to wear in the future!

  From now on, Zhou Jun will be your literacy instructor. This afternoon, you'll follow Zhou Jun to learn characters, then practice boxing with Huang Yan and Zhou Hao, and finally do loaded running until dinner time when you'll assemble again!

  In the evening, it's your free time to relax, but remember that your clothes must be kept clean and your bed must be kept tidy. If you can't even do these things well, then you don't deserve to stay here!

  "My words are finished, have you all remembered?" Gao Huaiyuan asked them loudly again.

  This time a dozen or so young people all learned their lesson and shouted loudly: "Yes!"

  "Huang Yan, Zhou Hao, take your respective teams and have them memorize what I said today. Don't let them eat until every single one of them has it down pat! Zhou Jun, stay behind!" Gao Huaiyuan waved his hand.

  Huang Yan and Zhou Huan felt both surprised and proud of themselves, so they stepped forward loudly and shouted: "Yes!" Then they took their respective subordinates away and began to let them recite what Gao Huaiyuan had said today on both sides of the courtyard.

  Zhou Junli stood in front of Gao Huaiyuan, his eyes consciously maintaining a level gaze, not looking up at Gao Huaiyuan, this was something he had learned over the past few days.

  Towards his master, he felt both gratitude and awe. Although they were all young men of similar age, Gao Huaiyan knew many more things than them, and had an indescribable aura about him that made Zhou Jun admire him. Even though Gao Huaiyan sometimes appeared very fierce, Zhou Jun knew that beneath his exterior lay a fiery heart!

  If it weren't for Gao Huaiyuan, his brother would have died a long time ago and probably even the body would have been gnawed away by wild dogs. He himself wouldn't know where he had died either. It was only because Gao Huaiyuan encountered him that day that he managed to scrape together a life. Gao Huaiyuan also gave them clothes, letting them regain their human dignity. That's why he would unhesitatingly sell his body to repay the debt of gratitude. In his eyes, no matter what Gao Huaiyuan asked him to do, he would go and do it without hesitation. This life and his brother's life were both given by Gao Huaiyuan; even if he was told to go die, he would still go and do it.

  "Can you tell me about your family background? I noticed on the way that both you and your brother are literate, so why did you end up here?" Gao Huaiyuan walked in front of Zhou Jun, asking him in a relatively gentle tone. From the day he took in the two brothers, Zhou Jun had written his own contract to sell himself, handing it over to Gao Huaiyuan. Therefore, Gao Huaiyuan looked up to Zhou Jun and his brother, paying more attention to them. After observing them, he could sense the feelings Zhou Jun held for him, otherwise he wouldn't have arranged for Zhou Jun to be the literacy teacher for these children today.

  As soon as Gao Huaiyuan asked about his own life, Zhou Jun's face showed a hint of sadness again. However, he took a deep breath and suppressed the uncomfortable feeling, answering: "My family is from Henan, so I'm considered a northerner. My ancestors were all scholars, and my father was also a scholar. But our ancestors had a rule that we, the Zhou family, are not allowed to seek official positions in the Jin Dynasty. So, my father didn't participate in the Jin Dynasty's imperial examination and instead stayed at home to tend to our small farm of over ten mu of land. Although life wasn't rich, it was still passable."

  But at the beginning of the year, a wealthy family asked my father to go to their home as a tutor, but he refused. Later, he was actually beaten to death by a cruel slave sent by that family. My mother had no choice but to take me and my brother on a night escape south, and after many twists and turns, we arrived here. Originally, we planned to find a distant relative of our ancestors in Yongxiu County to seek refuge, but when we arrived in Yongxiu, we only found out that the relative had long since left Yongxiu and even sold their property.

  Mother took us brothers all the way south, spending all her money and exhausting herself to the point of illness. After arriving in Yongxiu, she fell ill and never recovered. The three of us were left wandering the streets.

  "My mother was very strict and didn't allow us to beg for food, saying it would humiliate the honor of our family. Later, until she died on the streets of Yongxiu County, we were driven out of the county again, and my younger brother also starved to death. At that time, I looked at my dying younger brother and vowed that if someone saved his life, I would repay him with my own life! Then I met you, Master!"

  After hearing Zhou Jun's background, Gao Huaiyuan sighed and said: "I can see that you are a gentleman who keeps his word. From now on, you will come to teach these people to recognize characters. I don't expect them to become sages or virtuous people, as long as they can understand the books, it's enough! Don't ask me why I'm doing this, in short, everything I do is for the consideration of our Han people in the future!"

  Zhou Jun stamped his feet and stood at attention, shouting: "Yes! I understand!"

  Gao Huaiyuan waved his hand, and Zhou Jun immediately made a standard right turn and ran quickly to the small team on Zhou Hua's side, starting to recite with those boys what Gao Huaiyuan had said today.

  Liu stretched his head and neck in the kitchen, looking outwards. Everything today made him feel surprised. This young master was so different from others everywhere. He was an honest man and couldn't understand why this third young master did things like that. However, since this third young master let him come here to be a cook, he had been very happy because he felt at ease following this young master and thought he wouldn't be bullied by others again, as he truly belonged to the third young master now!

  "Old Liu!" Gao Huaiyuan also saw Liu Dà looking out and beckoned him over.

  "Ah!......Oh! Arrived!" Liu Da also learned the tone of those young men, responded with a voice, and ran quickly to Gao Huaiyuan's front, bowed his waist and asked: "Young Master! What are your orders?"

  "Do you know why I called you here?" Gao Huaiyuan looked at Liu Da with a silly face and asked him.

  "I'm a foolish person and don't know why Master called me here to work!" Liu Da replied very honestly.

  Looking at Liu Dade's face, Gao Huaiyuan thought of the grievances he had suffered in the Gao family before. He was foolish back then, and this Liu Dade was too honest, so they both suffered bullying from people around them. For this Liu Dade who was sold to the Gao family since childhood, he felt sympathetic, that's why he called him here to work. Firstly, it saved those other servants from bullying him all the time; secondly, such honesty and strictness in speech would not lead to reckless talk. In fact, he planned to establish a military school for young people like in later generations, cultivating a group of usable soldiers for the future. If they were useful someday, this would be his foundation!

  These days he has been thinking about how to go on his own path, after thinking for a long time, he feels that he can't just muddle along for the rest of his life and end up getting beheaded by the Mongols when he's old, so after some thought, he summed up what he had done during this period of time and figured out a way to go.

  That's what he wants to do, otherwise it would be a waste of San Shan San Ren's expectations for him, and the effort he put in would be wasted. A great man comes to this world to make a difference, can't just muddle along. He's not interested in this Great Song Dynasty, which was originally a good country but was messed up by a bunch of incompetent emperors, causing so many Han people to become sacrifices under the Mongols' knives. It's really infuriating! So he didn't think about serving the country, just thinking that if one day he could do something for the Han people, these young men are like seeds to him, he wants to cultivate a group of fierce warriors, and one day they will bloom and bear fruit. Even if the Mongols come, they will see the ferocity of the Han people! So that the Han people won't be looked down upon by the Mongols!