A fierce wife enters the house: She helps up a house full of spineless people.

On the evening of May 14th, with the help of her sisters-in-law, Wang Jinzhu prepared a large table of dishes and invited family members from both sides to eat together.

The braised pork belly was stewed until tender and flavorful, the freshly bought live fish was simmered into a thick, milky white soup, and a plate of golden scrambled eggs was piled high, filling the entire courtyard with its aroma.

This is the most sumptuous dinner we've had since moving to the prefectural city.

The children sat around the table, swallowing hard, while the adults smiled. No one felt that this meal was anything special.

"Stop staring, everyone, start eating!" Old Chen picked up his chopsticks first and urged everyone to dig in.

"Eat meat, eat meat!" Wang Yuxuan was the first to act, picking up the biggest piece of braised pork and stuffing it into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel.

It was lively and bustling, just like celebrating the Chinese New Year.

Wang Jinzhu put down her chopsticks and cleared her throat.

The sound wasn't loud, but it silenced the noisy atmosphere at the dinner table as if someone had choked it. Everyone looked at her.

"There's something I need to tell everyone." Her tone was as calm as if she were saying she was going to the market tomorrow. "Tianfang has decided to enlist in the army tomorrow."

The lively atmosphere instantly quieted down.

"Clang!" Chen Yuxiang slammed the chopsticks in her hand onto the table, her face turning deathly pale instantly.

"What?!" Wang Xiaobao jumped up, overturning the stool in the process. "Little sister, say that again? He's going to join the army? Is he crazy?!"

"Jinzhu!" Wang Guilan hurriedly grabbed her daughter's hand, her fingers trembling. "Why would you want to join the army when you have a perfectly good life? People can die there!"

Chen Yuxiang snapped out of her daze, tears welling up in her eyes. She grabbed Wang Tianfang's arm tightly, refusing to let go: "Son! You can't go! How can your mother live if you go!"

Zhou Xifeng and Ye Xiaoyu also became anxious: "Yes, Tianfang, we have enough to eat and wear now, why take that risk?"

Although Wang Dali, Chen Shi, and Wang Jinbao did not speak, their brows were furrowed and their faces were full of disapproval.

"Brother, don't go. Give me a few more years, and I'm sure I'll pass the imperial examinations and achieve official rank. Then it will be my turn to protect this family!"

Chen Tianrun, who had been eating in silence, suddenly stood up. His face turned bright red, his fists clenched until they were white, and his voice was clear but firm.

Wang Tianfang looked at his younger brother, his Adam's apple bobbing, and he opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Just then, a hoarse but powerful voice rang out: "If you want to go, then go."

Old Chen held his bowl, his face calm: "A man can't rely on his wife his whole life. If Tianfang wants to go, I won't stop him."

"Father!" Chen Yuxiang cried out anxiously.

Old Chen raised his hand to stop her, and continued, "Our family is stable now, but who earned this stability? It's Jinzhu. Food, housing, the money for buying land—she took care of everything! What can you grown men do besides exert your strength?"

In short, he silenced all the men at the table, leaving them unable to lift their heads.

Wang Tianfang clenched his fists, his back taut.

"It's good that Tianfang has this ambition." Old Man Chen looked at his grandson, a sharp glint in his cloudy eyes. "The men of the Chen family can't be cowards forever. Once you're in the army, do your job well. If you can make something of yourself, then you'll have done right by Jinzhu."

Once those words were spoken, no one could refute them.

Chen Yuxiang's sobs gradually subsided, and Chen Shi remained silent. Although they felt heartbroken and reluctant to part with her, they knew that the old man was telling the truth.

The meal ended in a tense silence.

Back inside, Wang Jinzhu closed the door.

She crouched down, pulled a wooden box from under the bed, opened it, and took out a package that had been prepared beforehand.

One by one, the items were placed on the table—

A dagger that was entirely black, with a blade that gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light.

A breast protector the size of a palm.

Several neatly folded oil paper packages contained tightly packed dried meat.

"Keep the dagger close to your body; it can save your life in a critical moment." Wang Jinzhu picked up the dagger and shoved it directly into his hand. "The breastplate is sewn into the inner armor to protect your heart."

Wang Tianfang gripped the dagger, a chill running up his arm from his palm.

He looked down at what he was holding, his throat feeling like it was blocked by a stone.

"Remember, nothing is more important than your life."

Wang Tianfang felt a lump in his throat and suddenly reached out to pull her into his arms, holding her tightly.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in the faint floral scent emanating from her, and said in a hoarse voice, "Wait for me to come back. You should be 18 by then."

Wang Jinzhu didn't push him away; she simply reached out and gently patted his back.

On May 15th, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Chen Yuxiang got up an hour earlier than usual to cook. The white rice was steamed until each grain was distinct, the pork was stewed until it melted in your mouth, and a large pot of chicken soup was golden and rich, its aroma filling the entire courtyard.

Wang Guilan and Chen Yuxiang sat at the table with red eyes, unable to say a word, only desperately piling food into Wang Tianfang's bowl. One chopstick after another, the bowl was piled high like a small mountain.

Wang Tianfang was dressed in a brand-new set of coarse cloth clothes, with a breastplate attached underneath, and a dagger concealed at his waist. He looked energetic, yet was unusually silent.

He buried his head in his hands, shoveling large mouthfuls of rice into his mouth, eating quickly and hastily, as if racing against time.

After the meal.

Wang Tianfang put down his chopsticks and stood up.

He faced Wang Dali and Wang Guilan, then Chen Yuxiang and Chen Shi, took a step back, lifted his robe, and knelt down.

Three thuds, foreheads hitting the bluestone ground with dull thuds.

"Father, Mother, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law—your unfilial son is unable to serve you here. Please take care of yourselves."

"Get up! Get up!" The four elderly people rushed to pull him up, their hands trembling, tears streaming down their faces.

The family took him to the conscription office. It was already packed with people, and the sound of weeping was deafening. There were elderly mothers with white hair clinging to their sons' sleeves, refusing to let go, and pregnant women wiping away tears.

The officer in charge of registration looked impatient and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Name! Place of origin! Age!"

"Wang Tianfang, Houkou Village, age 21."

The officer glanced up at him, noticing his tall stature and composed demeanor, unlike the trembling recruits beside him. He nodded in satisfaction: "Put your fingerprints on the document."

Wang Tianfang dipped his finger in ink and pressed it heavily onto the roster. Someone next to him gave him two taels of silver for settling down and a rumpled set of military uniform.

He weighed the two taels of silver in his hand, turned around, and instead of putting it directly into his pocket, he stuffed the silver into Wang Jinzhu's hand.

"Wife, here you go."

Wang Jinzhu took the silver, keeping only one tael and stuffing the remaining tael back into Wang Tianfang's pocket.

"Keep this one or two taels." She looked him in the eyes, her tone leaving no room for argument. "When you're traveling, you can't get by without some money. Keep this money safe for emergencies."

Wang Tianfang's Adam's apple bobbed as he looked at her, a thousand words stuck in his throat.

The next second, he suddenly opened his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace. In this moment of parting, he finally no longer concealed his anxiety and longing for her upcoming journey. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice hoarse and deep: "Jinzhu, wait for me to return. When I've achieved military merit, I'll bring you back in grand style and make you an official's wife."

Wang Jinzhu didn't struggle, but gently patted his back: "Go on, I'll wait for you to come back at home."

Wang Tianfang nodded emphatically, turned around, and joined the torrent of new recruits, never daring to look back.