I returned to my hometown adorned with military medals, and the whole city erupted in celebration.

"mom……"

Gong Jian swallowed hard, trying to use reason to wake his mother, his voice dry as if he had swallowed a handful of sand.

"Stop arguing, okay? This is the military; it's all about rank and position. Erniu... he's just a private, and I'm a captain..."

"So what if he's a captain? Does being a captain give him the right to disown his ancestors?"

Li Guifang abruptly turned her head, her previous submissive demeanor towards Li Erniu vanishing instantly, replaced by the domineering aura of a rural old woman upholding clan dignity:

"Gong Jian! Let me tell you! You can't forget your roots! Although you've changed your surname, the blood of the Li family flows in your veins! Your third great-uncle may be a private now, but in the family genealogy, he's your elder! An elder you have to kowtow to!"

"I……"

Gong Jian felt a sudden dizziness, and his blood pressure soared.

Li Guifang ignored all that. She grabbed Gong Jian, who was still in a petrified state, dragged him in front of Li Erniu, and pressed down on his neck, about to force him down:

"What are you standing there for? Haven't you greeted your third great-uncle yet?!"

The entire company of nearly a hundred people held their breath at that moment.

All eyes were focused on the usually imposing and ruthless instructor who never used a dirty word when he cursed.

This scene is even more exciting than watching a special forces movie!

Li Erniu looked at the instructor in front of him, whose face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and he was secretly delighted.

[Ding! Detected that key figure Gong Jian is on the verge of a breakdown. Host, please keep up the good work! Shock level doubled!]

"Ahem!"

Li Erniu cleared his throat, put his hands behind his back, and tilted his head to look at Gong Jian:

"Um... Xiao Gong."

"puff--"

At least half of the company burst out laughing again.

Xiao Gong?

The political instructor of the 4th Sharpshooter Company of the Iron Fist Regiment was called "Little Gong" by a private?

This title sounds exactly like calling a eunuch or a lackey.

On Gong Jian's forehead, veins bulged and throbbed.

He wanted to get angry, to roar, and to make this arrogant private run five kilometers to calm down.

However, looking at his mother's stern and unquestionable gaze, he... chickened out.

Li Erniu completely ignored Gong Jian's murderous gaze and continued speaking in a tone characteristic of an elder:

"Little Gong, since Guifang has brought you here, I, your third uncle, can't really say anything. Although you're usually so domineering in the company, punishing people all the time, and always saying I'm stupid, and even wanting to send me to the farm to feed the pigs..."

"I...I did that to train you!" Gong Jian argued through gritted teeth.

"Let your elders finish speaking! No manners! Why are you interrupting adults?" Li Erniu glared and scolded.

Gong Jian felt a tightness in his chest and almost fainted.

grown ups?

Child?

You're only twenty!

I'm almost thirty!

Li Erniu sighed, his expression one of utter disappointment:

"Although you have many flaws and a bad temper, you wear this military uniform reasonably well, and you haven't brought too much shame to our Li family. However, the most important thing in life is to be filial and to maintain a proper order of respect for elders."

"Your mother raised you with great difficulty, so you can't forget your roots just because you've become an official. If you dare to put on airs in front of your elders just because you're an official, hmph..."

Li Erniu raised his muscular arm, honed from years of honing his wok-flipping skills, and shook his fist:

"Don't think that just because Third Uncle is your soldier now, I can act according to family law. I have the right to clean house for our ancestors! Even if you're a captain or a general, I'll still beat you without hesitation! Guifang, don't you agree?"

Li Guifang nodded repeatedly: "Third Uncle is right! If this kid dares to disrespect his elders, you can beat him! Beat him to death without hesitation! I'll hand you the stick!"

Gong Jian felt his blood pressure had soared to 280.

A mother handing someone a stick?

Is she still her biological mother?

He, a top student from the National Defense University and a model cadre of the entire regiment, was actually scolded like a grandson by a cook in front of the whole company.

And he can't even talk back!

Who the hell can I complain to about this?

Li Guifang shouted at Gong Jian, "Your third uncle is asking you a question, didn't you hear me?"

"I...I heard it."

Gong Jian practically spat out those three words through gritted teeth, each word seemingly dripping with blood.

"Hmm, their attitude is fairly proper."

Li Erniu nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at Li Guifang, his eyes becoming kind again:

"Guifang, although this child is a bit dull and doesn't seem very bright, he is still a soldier. With proper guidance, he still has the potential to become a useful person."

Gong Jian: "..."

Am I not smart? Am I dull-witted?

I'm the commander with the highest IQ in the entire group, okay?!

At this point, Li Guifang suddenly seemed to remember something, her expression turned serious, and she slapped Gong Jian on the back:

"Oh right! You were so busy listening to the lecture! According to the rules, when meeting an elder for the first time, especially someone of such a high generation, you must perform a full bow and address them respectfully! Hurry up and call him Third Uncle! Bow to your Third Uncle!"

"Wh...what?!"

Gong Jian really couldn't hold back this time.

He took a step back abruptly, looking at his mother with a horrified expression, then at Li Erniu, who was pretending to be deep-seated but whose lips were curling up in a crazy grin.

If you were only scolded a couple of times just now, it was because you endured the humiliation out of filial piety.

But now, you want him to kowtow to this simpleton in front of nearly a hundred brothers in the entire company? And even call him "Third Uncle"?

If he did that, how would Gong Jian ever be able to stay in the Fourth Company again?

How can he lead troops?

Tomorrow, the whole regiment and even the entire military region will be buzzing with the news: "The political instructor of the fourth sharpshooter company kowtows to the cooks to acknowledge him as their ancestor!"

This is no longer a matter of social death; it's on the verge of requiring a military court-martial and a mental evaluation!

"Mother! This...this won't do! Absolutely not!"

Gong Jian lowered his voice, sweating profusely, and whispered in his mother's ear, pleading in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Mother, please forgive me! This is the army! This is a public place! I'm the political instructor, and he's a private! If I call him 'Third Uncle' and kowtow to him, I'll lose all my authority! I won't be able to lead the troops anymore! Can we... can we call him that in private? I'd kowtow to him a hundred times even when no one's around, but now... please, please leave me some clothes on!"

Seeing her son on the verge of tears, Li Guifang felt a pang of sympathy.

She was a reasonable person after all, and she knew that it wasn't easy for her son to be an officer in the army. If he really kowtowed, it would look bad.

However, Li Erniu was staring at the points bar on the system panel, which was just a little short of being able to exchange for "God-level Fighting Techniques," and his eyes were red with envy.

It was just one more shudder away!

The moment Gong Jian utters the word "Third Uncle," the level of shock will be off the charts!

How could we let things fall apart at this crucial juncture?

So Li Erniu sighed to Li Guifang:

"Guifang, it's alright if the child is in a difficult position. Whether or not you call her that, it's not a big deal. It's just a form of address, nothing serious."

"After all, my child is now my superior. And my performance in the military wasn't exactly great either."

"Maybe the child is ashamed of me. If he doesn't want to call me that, then he won't."

As he spoke, Li Erniu's expression suddenly turned dejected and sorrowful.

Upon hearing this, Gong Jian immediately burst out laughing.

He knew exactly what kind of person Li Erniu was!

Those words and that expression are clearly an attempt to play the victim, okay?

This guy clearly wants me to call him Third Uncle and kowtow to him!

But Li Guifang on the other side didn't think so.

Originally, he was thinking that, after all, Gong Jian was the company's political instructor, and it was really inappropriate for him to call his own "Third Uncle" in this setting.

But upon hearing Li Erniu's words, he immediately felt from the bottom of his heart that this was an absolute matter of principle!

When younger generations become successful, they start to look down on their elders.

This is a matter of morality and character!

If he feels ashamed of his elders today, what will happen when he becomes a general? Won't he look down on this old rural woman?

Moreover, it is only natural for juniors to address their elders and pay respects to them.

She can't control what others think of her, but she must ensure her own child has the right values.

We must not abandon our principles just because of other people's opinions!

then……

Snapped!

Li Guifang slapped Gong Jian's arm hard. "Gong Jian! You've really gone too far!"

"How dare you complain that your third great-uncle has brought shame upon you!"

"If your maternal grandparents find out about this, your mother will probably never be able to set foot in her own family home again!"

"I raised you with all my might, and supported you to get into the best military academy."

"Is this all you learned at military school?"

"Will you, when you become successful in the future, feel ashamed of my appearance when you see me in public, and refuse to greet me?"

Upon hearing this, Gong Jian quickly said, "Mother! What are you saying! How could I do such a thing!"

"But that's exactly what you've done! Gong Jian, let me tell you, if you don't call me 'Third Uncle' and kowtow, don't ever acknowledge me as your mother again!"

"boom--!"

The entire company was in complete uproar.

He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing hugged each other, laughing so hard they were sobbing, and tears streamed down their faces.

"Holy crap! Erniu is amazing! That's an incredible way to put a hat on someone!"

"The instructor has met his match this time. A scholar can't reason with a soldier, especially since this soldier is his third great-uncle!"

Gong Jian stood there, looking at Li Erniu with a "I'll cry if you don't call me" expression, and then at his mother beside him, who, although somewhat reluctant, clearly leaned more towards the clan rules and whose eyes were gradually becoming stern.

He felt a wave of despair.

He seemed to see his own tragic future.

His lips trembled as he looked at the large, dark face so close to him, a face that seemed to scream "Call me now!" He was experiencing the most intense internal struggle he had ever faced since joining the army.

To call or not to call?

this is a problem.

A question concerning dignity and ancestors.