The Domineering Cultivator Farmer

Chapter 7: Fang Yun Is a General!

“Fang Yun, where have you been all these years? Why didn’t you even call? Do you have any idea how worried your family has been?” After dinner, everyone cleared away the dishes and drinks, brewed a few pots of tea, and began asking Fang Yun in detail about his whereabouts over the past few years. “Actually, I’ve been in the military these past few years. I was assigned to a highly classified mission, and contact with the outside world was prohibited during the operation. The mission was ordered very suddenly, so I couldn’t even notify my family. Now that the mission is over, I’m finally able to come home,” Fang Yun said, pointing to the military uniform he was wearing—an excuse he’d already thought up on the way there. Seeing the soldiers sitting outside and taking in Fang Yun’s military uniform, everyone believed him. Realizing that Fang Yun had lived under a false identity for six years in the service of his country, the villagers—who had previously harbored some resentment toward him—couldn’t help but look at him with a newfound sense of respect. Fang Yun felt a pang of unease; he really didn’t want to deceive these kind-hearted villagers. He could only resolve in his heart to do his best to help them from now on. “So how long will you be staying this time?” Grandma asked Fang Yun, a hint of anxiety in her eyes. “My mission is complete, so I’ll be able to stay home from now on. I’ll only have to leave for special assignments, but they won’t take as long as this one did. Even if I’m sent on a mission in the future, it’ll be no more than a month or so,” Fang Yun replied, knowing that Grandma was afraid he’d stay home for only a few days before leaving again—just like this time—and not return for several years. Just then, the officer in charge walked over and snapped to attention with a sharp “Snap!” “Advisor Fang, our mission is complete, and we need to head back now. Do you have any final instructions, Advisor Fang?” “Oh, you’re leaving already? No, no—you absolutely have to stay at least one night before you go,” Fang Yun said, jumping to his feet. “Advisor Fang, as you know, we’re very short-handed right now. The team leader gave special approval for us to escort you back, so we must return immediately.” Fang Yun knew that Team Long was truly short-handed right now. They were preparing to mobilize the entire team to surround and capture the martial artists who had invaded from abroad. If it weren’t for Fang Yun’s concern for his family, Long Fei would definitely have insisted on keeping him there. “All right, then. I won’t keep you any longer. Please go back and thank Team Leader Long for me.” “Yes, sir.” After saluting, the officer waved his hand, and the entire group got into the vehicles and left. After seeing the soldiers off, Fang Yun chatted with everyone for a while longer and was just about to go to sleep when the sound of a car engine came from outside the door, followed by a booming voice: “Fang Yun, you bastard—you’ve finally decided to come home, huh?” He turned to see his older brother, Fang Ping, and his sister-in-law, Wang Qun, walking in through the door with a little boy. Fang Ping stepped forward, punched Fang Yun hard in the chest, and then hugged him tightly. The three brothers were very close, and over the years, Fang Ping had worried a great deal about Fang Yun. As soon as he got a call from their father saying Fang Yun was back, Fang Ping—who ran a small restaurant in the city—immediately closed up shop and took a taxi back with his wife and child. At that moment, Wang Qun said to the little boy beside her, “Yeye, didn’t you say you’d never met your second uncle? This is your second uncle. Go say hello to him.” “Second Uncle, I missed you so much!” Yeyue suddenly threw himself into Fang Yun’s arms. Fang Yun, looking completely taken aback, hugged the little guy. With his round, chubby face, the boy was incredibly cute. He remembered that when he left, Yeyue had just turned one—the little guy hadn’t known anything back then and certainly didn’t recognize him. But judging by this reaction, the little guy seemed a bit too affectionate. Wang Qun looked at Fang Yun’s expression and laughed. “Yeye is a very mischievous and troublesome kid—a real headache. But he does have one good quality: he’s so sweet-talking—he’s a master at cheering people up.” Fang Yun hugged Yeyue. “Yeyue, Uncle missed you too. I brought you some presents. They’re right inside. Take a look and see if there’s anything you like—you can pick one out yourself, okay?” “Presents, presents! Yeyue loves them best. Yeyue’s going to get them!” Yeyue struggled to get down and dashed into the house in a flash. These gifts had been prepared for Fang Yun by Long Fei—a whole box full of them. Just as Fang Yun was talking with his brother and sister-in-law, the little guy came running out, struggling to hold a small box. “Uncle, can Yeyue have this gun?” Fang Yun froze when he saw it. His service weapon and ID were in that small box—he was sure he’d put it in a different bag. How did the little guy find it? “Yeyue, this belongs to Uncle. Why don’t you pick another present?” “No, no! Yeyue wants this gun!” the little guy protested. Seven- or eight-year-old boys are exactly at the age when they love playing with toy guns. When Fang Yun was a kid, he used to run all over the hills and fields with a group of friends, playing war games with a wooden gun. “You’re too old for this now, but fine—you can have this gun, Yeyue,” Grandma said, coaxing him from the side. She doted on this great-grandson even more than she had on Fang Yun. “Grandma, this is a real gun—how could I possibly give it to him?” Fang Yun was at a loss for words. “A real gun?” Fang Ping’s eyes lit up as he snatched the box from Yeyue’s hands. After all, there aren’t many men who don’t love guns. “Yeyue, Dad will buy you a big gun tomorrow, okay? Let’s give this one back to Uncle.” “Oh,” Yeyue pouted, then went back inside to pick out another gift. Fang Ping opened the box and gently ran his fingers along the gun’s barrel. “Huh, there’s a little booklet in here too. What is this?” He picked up the document, opened it, and let out an “Oh!” His mouth hung open wide, and he stood there motionless for a long while. Wang Qun nudged her husband. “What’s wrong? You’re just standing there like a dummy, not saying a word.” “Major General! Fang Yun is a general!” Fang Ping jumped to his feet with a start and shouted. “What! A general?” The courtyard, which had been filled with chatter and laughter, fell instantly silent. In a flash, all eyes turned toward him, each wearing an expression of disbelief. A general! Qiaotou Village had never produced anyone of such stature—they’d never even seen anyone at the town mayor level, let alone a general. Not just Qiaotou Village—the entire county and city had never produced one either. If this were true, he’d have plenty to brag about when he went out in the future; he could hold his head even higher. “Is it true? Yunzi, is what your brother said really true?” Dad, Fang Changsheng, asked, his lips trembling. “Dad, look. It’s stamped with an official seal, and there’s even my brother’s photo on it—how could this be fake?” Fang Ping said excitedly as he handed the ID to his father. “Yeah, Dad, it’s real. He was promoted to major general after completing his mission,” Fang Yun replied calmly, though in truth, he’d been overcome with excitement for quite a while when he first saw the ID. Fang Changsheng was so moved that tears streamed down his face. “Wonderful, wonderful! The old Fang family has produced a general. Your mother, our little Yunzi has really made something of himself.” Standing nearby, Fang’s mother, Wang Jiu, also had tears of pride welling up in her eyes. “Mm-hmm, Little Yun has become a general.” Grandma was so overcome with emotion she could hardly speak; after a long pause, she said through her tears, “The ancestral graves of our old Fang family are rising in smoke now. I’m going to burn some incense for Little Yun’s grandfather and tell him this good news.” The villagers gathered in the courtyard immediately grew excited. “A general! Our Fang clan has produced a general!” “That’s right. Now our Fang family has finally made a name for itself.” Seeing his parents beaming with pride and the villagers’ excitement, Fang Yun felt truly happy inside. In fact, this was one of the reasons Fang Yun had chosen to return home in such a grand manner. People in the countryside tend to value their reputation and have a bit of vanity; as long as a family produces someone who makes them proud, it brings honor to the family, and they walk around with their heads held high. For hundreds of years, the Fang clan had been confined to their small village without producing any notable figures, leaving them completely overshadowed by other villages. So, once the news of Fang Yun’s promotion to brigadier general spread, the villagers of Qiaotou Village would be able to speak even more loudly whenever they went out. Suddenly, a burst of firecrackers went off with a “crackle, crackle”—it turned out that Fang Ping, overcome with excitement, had grabbed a long string of firecrackers and run to the front door to set them off. The once-quiet village was instantly filled with the clamor of crowing roosters and barking dogs. Villagers who had already gone to bed all got up, and one by one, they made their way toward Fang Yun’s house, whispering to one another as they shone their flashlights. That’s just how things have always been in this little village: whenever a family has a problem, everyone pitches in to help. Once they figured out what had happened, everyone got excited, and the buzzing commotion carried far and wide.