"Brother, how are things over there? I just saw the news! You won another battle! You have to be careful! I've been talking to my classmates online, and so many of them have lost family members in the war. You have to stay safe!" Hu Jing urged, her voice trembling slightly.
"Mm, don't worry about me! Your brother is a Group Army Commander now; I command hundreds of thousands of troops. I don't need to fight on the front lines personally, so I'm perfectly safe! Has your university announced a reopening date yet?" Hu Hao quickly changed the subject.
"Not yet. We asked our professors, and they said the northwest region is still considered unsafe. Our village is flooded with refugees right now.
"Actually, a few of my classmates from the occupied territories managed to escape here. I let them stay in our old house. But... I still can't reach five of my other classmates. They were trapped behind enemy lines when the invasion started... they might already be dead," Hu Jing said softly.
"Mm. It's good that you're helping your classmates. Listen to me: if the situation at home ever feels unstable or dangerous, remember what I told you. Take Mom, Dad, and the grandparents and flee North! Do not go South, and do not go West! Neither direction is safe!" Hu Hao instructed firmly.
"I know. Dad already told me," Hu Jing nodded.
"Good. Stay inside as much as possible. With so many refugees around, the security situation is unpredictable. Stay within the village boundaries. In fact, head back home with Dad right now; it's not safe to be driving around the city!" Hu Hao added.
"I know, Brother. You stay safe too!" Hu Jing promised.
"Also... talk to Mom and Little Hui. Tell them to keep a low profile! This is a brutal war! The rules of civil society don't apply right now. Tell Mom to absolutely stop accepting money or 'gifts' from people trying to curry favor!
"If they accept bribes and promise favors they can't deliver, they'll bring disaster down on the family! And tell Little Hui to stop causing trouble! If he offends the wrong person in this chaos, I might not be able to protect him from out here! Just because I'm a General doesn't mean everyone will automatically grant me face. Tell them to keep their heads down!" Hu Hao warned her urgently.
"I've tried but it's useless! Mom goes out every single day to socialize with the wives of the local officials. They constantly flatter her and call her the 'General's Mother.' She won't listen to a word I say!
"And Little Hui is just as bad! He goes around bragging to everyone that you're going to make him a Lieutenant General as soon as you get back! All the wealthy brats in the city are treating him like royalty because of it!" Hu Jing complained bitterly.
"Lieutenant General?! My ass! He has absolutely no military competence! Why the hell would I make him a Lieutenant General?! It's pure delusion!
"If I actually gave him that rank, I'd be signing his death warrant! Do you know how many incompetent, nepotistic generals have been fragged by their own troops in this war?! If he doesn't have the skill to command, he has no business wearing stars!
"Furthermore, if I gave him a high rank, how could I ever justify it to the men who are actually bleeding and dying under my command?! It would destroy morale! Tell him this: because he has no skills, the most I will do for him is provide a yearly living allowance. He can forget about anything else!" Hu Hao said, his voice rising in anger.
"Mm!" Hu Jing agreed emphatically.
"Tell him and Mom that times have changed. Being a General isn't a cushy desk job anymore; it means leading men into the meat grinder. If he's so eager to die, he can enlist! Ask Mom if she's willing to send her precious youngest son to the front lines!" Hu Hao scoffed.
"Of course not! Mom dotes on him more than anything!" Hu Jing replied instantly.
"Exactly. So tell them to shut up and keep a low profile! Did the disaster with his last attempted wedding teach them nothing?! I seriously don't understand what Mom is thinking," Hu Hao sighed, rubbing his temples.
"What else would she think? She just loves him blindly. She wants to give him the world, regardless of the consequences," Hu Jing muttered.
Hu Hao could only sigh in exasperation. He chatted with Hu Jing for a few more minutes, then had Hu Xingjun get back on the line to reiterate his warnings before finally hanging up.
Hu Xingjun and Hu Jing drove back to the village together. The moment they stepped through the front door, Wang Xueying marched over and began complaining loudly.
"Where have you been?! You're the head of the household! The County Administration Office just sent representatives over to deliver gifts, and you weren't even here! I had to entertain them all by myself! It was so embarrassing!"
"They sent gifts? Did you accept them?!" Hu Xingjun demanded, his face darkening.
"Of course I did! They said it was to congratulate us on Little Hui's engagement! They brought some nice local specialties and a red envelope with cash!" Wang Xueying replied defensively.
"You... you... How much was in the envelope?!" Hu Xingjun pointed a trembling finger at her, struggling to contain his fury because there were several extended family members nearby.
"A hundred thousand! Plus a pair of solid gold bracelets and a gold necklace!" Wang Xueying announced proudly.
"Are you insane?! Are you trying to get us all killed?! You're pushing me to my absolute limit! I swear to God, I'll divorce you! You'll accept money from literally anyone, won't you?!" Hu Xingjun roared, finally losing his temper.
"Divorce me?! Fine! Divorce me then, Hu Xingjun! Oh, I see how it is! Now that your eldest son is a big, powerful General, you think you can upgrade your wife?! Fine! Let's get a divorce!" Wang Xueying froze for a second, then shrieked back at him, her pride wounded.
"Dad! Mom! Please, stop fighting!" Hu Jing pleaded, trying to physically step between them.
"You heartless bastard! Hao-er is my son too! I raised him! And you dare threaten to divorce me over a few gifts?!" Wang Xueying wailed, pointing an accusing finger at Hu Xingjun.
"What is all this screaming about?! Have you no shame?!"
The booming voice silenced the room. Hu Hao's grandfather emerged from a side room, slamming his heavy wooden cane against the floor.
Wang Xueying instantly clamped her mouth shut, tears streaming down her face, but she didn't dare utter another sound.
"You are both nearly fifty years old! Screaming like children in front of the whole family! Have you no shame?!" the old man scolded them harshly. He turned and hobbled back toward the main sitting room. Hu Jing quickly rushed over to help him.
Wang Xueying wasn't afraid of Hu Xingjun, but she was terrified of her father-in-law. For one, he had been the one to financially back Hu Xingjun's early business ventures in the city, holding the purse strings for years.
More importantly, Hu Hao was fiercely loyal to his grandparents. If Wang Xueying angered the old man, and he complained to Hu Hao upon his return, Hu Hao's wrath would be terrible. Wang Xueying knew better than to cross the people who had actually raised her eldest son.
The old man sat heavily in the main armchair. Hu Xingjun and Wang Xueying followed meekly and stood before him like chastised schoolchildren.
Hu Hui and his fiancée, Zhao Jingru, were also present. Because Zhao Jingru was pregnant with Hu Hui's child, her family had sent her to live with the Hus, terrified that the General's family might back out of the marriage arrangement. They had even sent a dedicated maid to attend to her.
"Jing-er, sit down," the old man commanded.
"Yes, Grandpa," Hu Jing sat quietly on a side stool.
"What is the meaning of this behavior? Xueying, you have been married into this family for over twenty years. I know your temperament. Tell me: is this family lacking in money? Are we starving? Why on earth are you accepting bribes like a starving beggar?!" the old man demanded, his eyes piercing her.
"Dad... I wasn't... it's a happy occasion! They came to deliver engagement gifts! How could I refuse and make them lose face?!" Wang Xueying stammered, staring at the floor.
"Accepting a token gift is normal. But a hundred thousand in cash and solid gold jewelry?! Do you think they are giving you that out of the goodness of their hearts?! They are giving it to you because Hao-er is a Full General! They expect him to use his massive influence to secure promotions and lucrative contracts for them in return! Do you think money just falls from the sky?!
"Hao-er is a Full General! Not a Major General, not a Lieutenant General! He holds immense power, and he walks a dangerous political tightrope! And you dare to accept bribes on his behalf?! Do you think you can dictate his actions?!
"How is Hao-er supposed to handle this when he returns?! Is he supposed to compromise his integrity and break Imperial Law just to repay the 'favors' you blindly accepted?!" the old man roared at her.
"Dad, please calm down, it's bad for your health..." Hu Xingjun tried to interject.
"Shut your mouth!" the old man snapped, cutting him off instantly. Hu Xingjun froze and remained silent.
"Dad, I... I just thought... Little Hui is getting married, and there will be so many expenses later on. And I didn't want to tarnish Hao-er's reputation! If the brother of a Full General threw a shabby engagement banquet, people would laugh at us!" Wang Xueying tried to justify her greed.
"Shabby?! Let me tell you something: even if Hui-er served nothing but plain rice and water at his banquet, not a single person in this county would dare utter the word 'shabby'!
"You cannot buy 'face' for Hao-er! Hao-er is the one who provides 'face' for this entire family through his blood and sweat! Do you truly believe your tacky banquet elevates his prestige?!
"And speaking of Little Hui!" The old man turned his furious gaze on his youngest grandson. "If I catch you out partying and throwing your brother's name around again, I will personally break your legs! I will call Hao-er and tell him to cut you off completely!
"You worthless brat! You refuse to do an honest day's work, but you're always the first to cause trouble! Your only job right now is to stay home, keep your head down, and wait for your brother to return! You are incredibly lucky to have a General for a brother! Without him, you'd starve in the gutter!
"And you!" The old man turned back to Wang Xueying. "Stop spoiling him! If you give him another dime to go out and play the big shot, I will throw both of you out of this house! I will have your names formally struck from the family registry!" the old man threatened, his voice trembling with genuine rage.
"Ah?!" Wang Xueying and Hu Hui gasped in sheer terror, looking up at the old man in disbelief. Being struck from the family registry was the ultimate disgrace; it meant complete social and financial excommunication.
"Hao-er is fighting for his life on the front lines to earn that glory, and you two are dragging his name through the mud?! Try me. Unless I drop dead right now, try me and see if I won't do it!" the old man challenged them fiercely.
"It's disgraceful! You spoil him rotten, giving him whatever he demands! What have you ever given Hao-er?!" Hu Hao's grandmother chimed in, glaring at Wang Xueying.
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry! I was wrong! I won't do it again!" Wang Xueying wept, finally realizing the severity of her actions.
"Mm. Xingjun, go outside and inform the guests. The Hu family is not lacking in money. Anyone attending the banquet may offer a red envelope, but the maximum allowed amount is 100 credits! Any envelope containing more than 200 credits is to be returned immediately! My family does not need their dirty money!" the old man commanded his son.
"Yes, Dad! I will write up a notice and post it at the entrance immediately so all the guests understand!" Hu Xingjun nodded fervently, immensely relieved that his father had taken control.
(End of Chapter)