Chapter 1339: Who Is He

Chen Yuxin spoke coldly, her imposing aura pressing forward!

The town mayor was so startled that he lowered his body even further, tightly clasping his fists and not daring to make a sound.

He didn’t dare to speak, but the other party had already seen through everything.

With a cold glance, she began to reprimand him.

"Mayor Xu."

"Your Qinghe Town is under the jurisdiction of my Yecheng, so naturally, it is a part of Yecheng. As the saying goes, 'When one flourishes, all flourish; when one suffers, all suffer.' Now that Yecheng and Liangcheng are about to go to war, if Yecheng is defeated, do you think Qinghe Town can escape unscathed?"

"By then, the losses for Qinghe Town will likely be more than just a thousand able-bodied men."

"This reasoning, I presume, doesn’t require further explanation from me, does it?"

Her words were harsh, but they hit the nail on the head.

In the face of a war that concerns the interests of the city, the subordinate towns must do their utmost to assist. Otherwise, if the city falls, how can the towns survive?

This young lady, though seemingly youthful, was after all from the city lord’s mansion. Her focus was solely on the overall victory or defeat of the situation. The lives of ordinary people held little weight in her eyes.

This was the demeanor of those in power.

As for the ordinary people of Qinghe Town, they could only follow orders. The strong have always ruled over the weak since ancient times. Even the town mayor was nothing more than a servant in her eyes.

Faced with such a powerful figure.

The town mayor lowered his head, slightly closed his eyes, and could only respond with difficulty.

"Miss, you are absolutely right..."

"For the sake of the greater good, our Qinghe Town will definitely gather a thousand able-bodied men to join the army and ensure victory in this battle!"

Hearing his compliant words, Chen Yuxin nodded faintly and continued walking forward. A hint of concern appeared in her eyes as she inquired about the various conditions of Qinghe Town.

The town mayor and the old clan leader, with their rich experience, naturally knew these were just formalities, but they dared not disobey. They could only continue to respond, their hearts sinking to the bottom.

At the same time.

Under the big locust tree at the street corner.

Several old men, having watched the commotion, returned as usual to chat. Having toiled all their lives, they had long since seen through everything. Enjoying the leisure of each day was their greatest blessing. So-called important figures were nothing more than topics for after-dinner conversation, not something they needed to worry about.

Little did they know, before they had chatted for long, the legendary Mr. Yi Feng also arrived.

The old men immediately felt excited, and with their admiration for this "Literary Star," their chatter immediately opened up.

A few cups of tea, bursts of laughter.

Looking at the elegant young gentleman, who seemed as relaxed and at ease as they were, almost as if he were in retirement, the old men were surprised but also felt a sudden closeness, as if they had found a kindred spirit.

The more they chatted, the more they clicked.

A toothless old man even began to recount his glorious deeds from back in the day.

"Mr. Yi."

"To tell you the truth, don’t look at me now, an old man with no teeth, but back in the day, I was a handsome young man known throughout the villages! Fifty years ago, I had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and the matchmakers almost wore out our doorstep with all the marriage proposals!"

His animated expression, combined with his toothless speech, was quite comical, immediately causing a group of old men to burst into laughter.

"Hahaha..."

"Old Liu, at it again with his boasting!"

"Hey, it’s always the same old story, can’t you come up with something new!"

No matter how much the old men teased, the toothless old man remained proud, as if he was used to their banter, and just continued to ask Yi Feng.

"Tell me, wasn’t I a handsome young man back then? Guess what happened next?"

Yi Feng smiled and responded with curiosity.

"What happened next?"

The old man, satisfied with the response, sighed with emotion!

"Ah!"

"I was young and foolish back then, thought I was the cream of the crop, and looked down on the girls from our Qinghe Town, insisting on going to Yecheng to see the world!"

"It’s a pity, but I did make it to Yecheng and even became a servant for a wealthy family. The second young lady of that house was so kind to me, every time I led the horses, she would cover her mouth and laugh..."

"Tsk tsk, thinking about it now, that young lady was really beautiful!"

The toothless old man looked up at the sky, lost in reminiscence.

It seemed that the sweet smile from his memories was enough to smooth over all the disappointments, and even now, it felt as vivid as ever.

In this atmosphere of nostalgia, the old men beside him burst into laughter.

"You’re just boasting!"

"If she really liked you that much, you would’ve become the son-in-law of that wealthy family in Yecheng long ago!"

"Pah, you old fool, still daydreaming!"

"Young and foolish, didn’t appreciate the village girls, mistook the young lady for a treasure!"

"Regret it now, don’t you?!"

The sarcastic jokes flew, and the toothless old man glared back.

After looking at his old friends for a moment.

The dissatisfaction on his face finally turned into resignation, and he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Ah..."

"I regret it, I regret it!"

"I was really young and foolish back then. Now that I understand many things, I’m already old, and it’s too late for anything."

By the end, a hint of pride still shone in his eyes.

"What are you laughing at?!"

"At least I was a handsome young man back then, much better than you lot!"

His childlike indignation sparked another round of laughter.

Having lived to their age, they had already seen through everything in life. Chatting and joking every day, occasionally reminiscing about the past, was the happiest and most comfortable time for them.

Watching his old friends chat freely, Yi Feng was also infected by this down-to-earth atmosphere of life. He smiled and nodded in agreement, while personally pouring tea for the old men.

Tea is like life, bitter and sweet,孕育百味.

Life is like tea, each cup a world.

In the midst of this most ordinary life, Yi Feng felt a sense of peace in his heart. Everything became pure and simple, and even his favorite tea seemed to linger with a fragrant aftertaste, embodying the most genuine and tranquil flavor.

At this moment.

He forgot all about his past, and everything around him. He chatted and laughed, completely at ease.

Such leisurely scenes were not uncommon in the past. Every morning and evening, one could see old men chatting after meals, a scene that had become an indispensable part of life in Qinghe Town for generations.

However.

Today was quite different.

The arrival of the young lady from Yecheng had startled the townsfolk, and the streets were gradually emptying. Yet, there were still people calmly chatting and laughing, which inevitably stood out.

Seeing this scene.

Chen Yuxin, who was about to leave the long street, couldn’t help but stop and frown.

As the high and mighty young lady of the city lord’s mansion, ordinary people only showed her reverence and avoidance. She had never seen anyone so bold as to continue chatting and laughing in her presence.

Moreover, these were just poor townsfolk.

This was truly strange.

Chen Yuxin felt a sudden curiosity and couldn’t help but take a closer look.

Under the distant locust tree, among the old men, there was actually a young man. Dressed in white, his appearance was elegant and handsome. Though he seemed like a refined scholar, he was laughing and chatting with a group of decrepit old men.

The scene was like a piece of uncut jade lying amidst a pile of rubble and weeds, creating a jarring contrast. At the same time, it made the young scholar stand out even more, as if he didn’t belong in such a place.

Chen Yuxin grew even more curious and asked in a deep voice, her eyes fixed on him.

"Who is that man? Is he on the conscription list?"