“If they didn’t take things from the common people, how would they live? They would starve to death. How could they have such excellent military bearing?”
There is an old saying: “soldiers eat grain and risk their lives for military pay.”
But in reality, during many dynasties, the imperial court’s conscripted soldiers not only received no military pay but also had to pay out of pocket, bringing their own money and provisions when they served.
Recruitment was somewhat better: recruited soldiers received military pay, but not much—about the same as farming income. After risking their lives and working themselves to the bone for so little money, they were naturally unwilling to accept it. Some soldiers therefore used their limited power to seize the common people’s money and grain.
However, things improved somewhat during the Song Dynasty. Although military pay was not high, the subsidies were substantial, making the total fairly decent. But people never complain about having too much money. If they could use their power to bully others, why would they not? Especially when most people around them were doing the same thing—if they refused, they felt they were losing out.
“Well, perhaps their military pay was high! Think about it: if the treatment were poor, would so many people compete to serve in the military? That must be why they didn’t need to take things from the common people.”
“Would anyone complain about having too much money?”
“Even if their military pay was high enough that they didn’t need to rob anyone, they still had no reason to treat the common people so well! Risking their lives for people they don’t even know—aren’t they idiots?”
“Who knows what they were thinking?”
“If Future Era soldiers really are like this, then I can understand why those people were so agitated.”
“People’s soldiers—does that mean sons and brothers? They treat soldiers like their own children and brothers?”
“Maybe the common people treat them well, so they return the kindness.”
“You’ve got it backward!”
After seeing the Military servicemen in the footage working hard to provide disaster relief during various calamities, and then seeing so many people in the Comments wanting to Serve in the military, some of the common people began to believe that Future Era soldiers really were that good.
But they still found it unbelievable. They could not understand why Future Era soldiers were like this. Soldiers served and fought to protect the Nation and their families—but why risk their lives for other people? If the imperial court had forced them to do so, that would be one thing. Yet they all seemed to volunteer. They truly could not understand it.
But understanding or not did not stop them from feeling envious and jealous.
“It’s like living in the future era!”
“That place is practically where immortals live.”
An Ran also learned for the first time that soldiers abroad could be so outrageous. After seeing how her own Soldier Brothers performed, she once again felt grateful to have been born in Huaxia.
She continued scrolling through some adorable pets and beauty compilation videos. When she checked the time, it was already past five.
She did not want to cook, but she did not want to order takeout either. Come to think of it, she had not gone out for barbecue in a long time. Acting on the thought, she called her best friend and invited her out for barbecue.
Her best friend was a second-generation rich kid with nothing to do every day. When her friend invited her to eat, she agreed at once.
An Ran changed clothes, put on light makeup, and went downstairs. She had planned to drive, but it would be crowded at night and traffic would probably be congested. She abandoned the idea and decided to rent a shared bicycle and ride there instead. It was not far, anyway.
Bicycles stood by the roadside just outside the Residential Complex. She took out her phone and scanned one. With a beep, the lock opened.
She hung her phone against her chest, swung one long leg over, and started riding.
The weather was not too hot yet, and the gentle breeze felt comfortable.
“What is this? You can ride it around!”
At first, the common people stared at the bicycle’s strange appearance and wondered what it was for. They never imagined it was a means of transportation. But it had only two wheels?
“Two wheels, and it doesn’t fall over? How amazing!”
“Wow, this is so convenient. It doesn’t take up space, yet it’s fast. Riding it around is incredibly convenient!”
“How is this made? I want to make one too.”
The common people could only think about it, while wealthy people sought out craftsmen and had them try to reproduce it.
Liu Che was particularly enthusiastic. He was only in his twenties, a curious young man who loved to have fun.
He had been frustrated for a long time after failing to make that metal box from before. However, it looked complicated, so all he could do was stare at it and sigh.
But this one looked simple at a glance and should be easy to reproduce. He ordered his subordinates to study it, declaring that whoever made one first would receive a generous reward.
The other emperors did the same. They issued orders to their subordinates while sighing in relief. At last, they had found something they could be useful for.
So many wondrous things from the Later Generations had left them feeling somewhat inferior.
Mo Jiu received the task and was practically moved to tears. At last, there was something he could make.
He had spent the past few days terrified, watching one thing after another that he could neither make nor understand. He feared that Qin Shi Huang would decide he was useless at everything and angrily have him executed. Every day, he trembled as he prayed for his Senior Grandmaster Brother to arrive soon!
Now he could finally be of use. After accepting the task, he planned to begin researching and making it at once. However, the Heavenly Screen had not ended, and he did not know what other wondrous things might appear later, so he could only wait.
After riding for more than twenty minutes, she reached her destination. An Ran returned the bicycle, sent Lin Xue’er a message with her location, and stood there waiting.
Lin Xue’er arrived not long afterward. Upon seeing An Ran, she gave her a big hug.
The two walked several hundred meters. The sparse crowd grew denser as they went. By the time they reached their destination, a street lined with snack stalls, it had become tightly packed.
Most dynasties in the ancient era had curfews. Only the Song Dynasty did not.
As a result, most people found the lively night market novel.
“It’s so bright!”
“There are so many people!”
“Look at the lanterns by the roadside. They’re so bright!”
“Wow, there’s so much food! What are all these things? I’ve never seen them before.”
“It’s so prosperous!”
Ring-toss stalls also lined the roadside. Some quick-witted people spotted the business opportunity and planned to set up stalls on the streets next time. They could use inexpensive but novel items; even if they made no money, they would not lose anything.
The two arrived at a Barbecue Restaurant and ordered a huge assortment of food. The dishes arrived soon after.
The people of ancient times stared at the meat and vegetables threaded onto wooden skewers. There was only a little on each skewer, yet judging from the prices on the menu, it was not cheap. This was far too profitable!
The process was simple, too. They watched the ingredients grilling nearby. All they had to do was roast them over the fire and brush them with oil and seasonings.
They could do it too! Several merchants watched the grilling process with eager eyes, memorizing the iron rack and ingredients. These were all ways to make money!
Seeing how enthusiastically the people on the Heavenly Screen were eating, the People of Ancient Times began to feel hungry too. They ate early, so the common people could not possibly have another meal and had to endure their hunger. Wealthy people had already ordered others to try making the food, but the results were unsatisfactory.
After the meal, the two stayed out and continued strolling through the streets. Whenever they saw something delicious, they bought a little and shared it to sample the taste.
The People of Ancient Times followed along and discovered the sheer variety of food. They had never even seen more than half of it before.
The merchants were overjoyed. Their unfamiliarity with the food was good news. Once they knew the ingredients, they could have their chefs study them and recreate the dishes. All of it meant money! They had initially resented An Ran for wandering outside so late, but now they wanted her to stay out a little longer.
Along the way, everyone marveled at what they saw. Besides the food, all kinds of novel and strange objects gave them a thorough introduction to the Future Era.
Of course, some things displeased them as well, especially the young couples everywhere on the streets. The couples behaved intimately and affectionately. Modern people found this perfectly ordinary, but the people of ancient times could not accept it. They knew that customs in Later Generations were more open, yet they still could not tolerate such shameless behavior in public.
However, if they knew where the two were going next, they would become even more furious.
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