Chapter 78

Zhong Shiwen's wedding was both grand and lively, but the穿越者们 (time travelers) saw no signs of her becoming a "fierce wife" from Xia Jinguì. Whether in appearance or in speech and behavior, she was very satisfactory, which was evident from Zhong Shiwen's beaming smile throughout the ceremony. Ever since he married his beautiful wife, Zhong Shiwen had been troubled by the story of the "fierce wife" named Xia Jinguì in the *Dream of the Red Chamber* as told by the time travelers. Eventually, under his persistent protests, Zhang Weixin had to change the name of Xue Pan's wife in the novel and have Wang Feng tell the story to Zhong Ziqi with the new name, to avoid offending his brother-in-law.

After the wedding, the time travelers stayed at the Zhong family residence for one night. The next morning, they bid farewell to the Zhong father and son, left Fan County, and split into two groups. Most of them returned directly to Liang County, while Wang Xiaojun, Xu Shaowan, and four others, along with Qingchen, headed to Feilong Fort to pay their respects to Xing Budé. Since they had just attended a wedding, everyone was dressed in bright colors, so Wang Xiaojun and his group did not go directly to Xiayun Ridge but first visited Yuxu Palace to borrow some plain-colored Taoist robes from Yuxu Zi. That night, they stayed at Yuxu Palace and informed the留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) of Feilong Fort via radio that they would arrive at Feilong Fort by noon on the third day of the third month, and asked them to prepare for their arrival. The留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) responded that everything was ready and they were waiting for everyone.

After finishing the call with Feilong Fort, the team members who usually had a good relationship with Yuxu Zi went to chat with the old Taoist after dinner. In the conversation, Wang Xiaojun asked Yuxu Zi about the Grand Master's recent situation.

Yuxu Zi took out a letter from his bedroom and handed it to him, saying, "This letter was sent by the Grand Master over a month ago. The content is simple, just saying that he is well. He has made some progress in his Tai Chi practice and might come to us one day to teach everyone Tai Chi when he is happy."

Wang Xiaojun nodded after hearing this. He took the letter and read it carefully with Xu Shaowan and the others. The content of the letter was indeed as Yuxu Zi had said, quite concise, with only a few words. Apart from mentioning his progress in Tai Chi, it didn't say much else. It only mentioned that he might come to Youzhou, but didn't specify when.

Reading such a simple letter, Wang Xiaojun and the others truly felt the carefree personality of their Grand Master Fuyaozi. After returning the letter to Yuxu Zi, Wang Xiaojun and the others continued to talk about martial arts practice. Yuxu Zi was very pleased to hear that the junior disciples had not stopped practicing since moving out of Yuxu Palace, feeling that his efforts had not been in vain and that these junior disciples were indeed talented in martial arts.

The brothers chatted until late at night before dispersing. The next morning, the time travelers bid farewell to Yuxu Zi and drove to Feilong Fort. When the convoy passed Liangshuiquan Village and was about two li away from Feilong Fort, they encountered the mountain patrol sent by the fort. From their behavior, it was clear that the two months of training had already shown some results. Both their mental state and physical fitness were far better than before the training.

After confirming that the people in the car were the leaders, the patrol leader immediately led the way very respectfully and sent a patrol member back to the fort to report.

When Wang Xiaojun and the others arrived at the fort gate, all the members of the留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) were already waiting there. Behind them, all the patrol members stood in neat rows, like a parade, looking spirited and well-dressed, with their weapons polished to a shine, resembling a crack unit.

Wang Xiaojun and the others were very satisfied with the state of the patrol members. After shaking hands with the members of the留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) who came forward to welcome them, they expressed their appreciation for their hard work over the past two months and praised them for training the patrol members so well. The members of the留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) humbly thanked them and invited everyone to the聚义厅 (assembly hall).

The furnishings in the assembly hall were the same as before, still with the same twenty or so chairs. Since only five people had come this time, there were plenty of seats. Although Zhang Weixin was not present and no one was responsible for seating arrangements, everyone basically sat in the same positions as last time. Wang Xiaojun sat in the center, Xu Shaowan and Liu Wanbao sat next to him, the others sat in the lower seats, and Qingchen stood behind Wang Xiaojun.

After everyone was seated, Qian Yuanshan, Zeng Zhilin, and the other members of the留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) first reported the recent training situation to the committee. Although they had already provided brief reports to the "Qingyuan" base via radio on time, a face-to-face report was still necessary. From Qian Yuanshan's and others' reports, the training was very successful. This was evident to everyone, as the patrol members' performance was clear to see. If it weren't for the fact that it was still the mourning period for Xing Budé, Qian Yuanshan and Zeng Zhilin would have arranged a demonstration for the patrol members.

Now, what needed to be discussed was the selection of new security forces after the training. There was no consensus on the selection criteria. Some suggested selecting based on martial arts skills, some based on overall training performance, and some based on loyalty to the team.

These suggestions were thoroughly discussed and analyzed, and the committee communicated with the "Qingyuan" base via radio to hear the opinions of other committee members and expanded meeting members. After considering all views, a comprehensive selection standard was established. The standard had three main points:

First, absolute loyalty to the team. This was the simplest requirement in terms of criteria, but the hardest to assess. After all, one cannot see into a person's heart or know their true intentions. Loyalty cannot be proven by words alone. Therefore, the committee decided to send Liang Ziyue to join the留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) to mainly review the patrol members' thoughts and psychology. Qian Yuanshan and Zeng Zhilin were to strengthen the patrol members' ideological education, instilling in them the need to be loyal to the leaders and to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the leaders and the fort.

Second, comprehensive mastery of basic combat skills, with top training performance and some martial arts skills. This was more complex than the first point but easier to assess. Each indicator could be quantified and compared, with no significant difficulty.

Third, intelligence, strong learning ability, adaptability to new things, and strong observational skills. They should be able to think and use their brains, work well with others, and preferably have some experience in the world. This requirement was the most complex and needed to be evaluated through actual work. Therefore, the committee made some adjustments to the selection of personal guards, deciding to adopt a survival-of-the-fittest approach, regularly rotating the personal guards to select the best and form a truly elite security team.

This selection standard and the corresponding evaluation criteria for personal guard performance were ultimately approved by the attendees and reviewed again by the expanded committee meeting after Wang Xiaojun and the others returned to "Qingyuan." It was then formalized as a team resolution and implemented by the留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) and the security group.

As a formal team resolution, the留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) or the security group could not make changes without permission. If they found any issues during the selection process or had objections to the evaluation criteria during the rotation of personal guards, they needed to propose amendments to the committee, which would then submit them to the expanded committee meeting or the general assembly for discussion and approval.

In theory, the selection criteria for personal guards or the evaluation of their performance did not need to be approved by the expanded committee meeting or the general assembly. It could be proposed by the留守小组 (留守小组,留守小组) or the security group and agreed upon by the committee. However, since the selection of new security forces involved all team members and their capabilities could affect the safety of team members, the criteria needed to be established with the participation of all team members. This would make team members more willing to cooperate with the security group's future work and more accepting of new security forces.

Moreover, although this process made changes to the criteria more cumbersome, since all team members participated in the discussion, it became a formal team resolution. The team's charter could not be easily violated, thus minimizing the possibility of favoritism in the selection or rotation of personal guards.

After the meeting, Wang Xiaojun and the others received a white cloth belt from Liu Wanbao and tied it around their waists as a sign of mourning for Xing Budé. Then, led by Liu Wanbao, they went to Xing Budé's memorial hall to pay their respects.

Xing Budé's memorial hall was set up in the main room of his residence. After entering the hall, the group divided into several groups, each going up to pay their respects in turn.

The first to pay respects were Wang Xiaojun and Xu Shaowan. They were the most influential among the new leaders in Liu Wanbao's eyes. Wang and Xu each held three incense sticks and bowed three times to Xing Budé's memorial tablet. Xing Budé's wife and son returned the bows. Then, they placed the incense sticks in the incense burner, walked to Xing Budé's wife and son, and expressed their condolences, comforting them to take care of themselves. Wang Xiaojun, on behalf of the new leadership of the fort, assured Xing's wife, "Madam, please rest assured. Although Xing is no longer with us, the fort will not neglect you and your son. We will take good care of your future life and be responsible for you."

Xing Budé's wife and son were very grateful. Xing's wife bowed to Wang Xiaojun and said, "Thank you, Leader Wang. If Xing knew this, he would be at peace."

After comforting Xing's wife, Wang and Xu were about to leave the memorial hall to let the others pay their respects. However, just as they were about to turn and leave, Xing's wife made an unexpected move. She suddenly knelt down and said to Wang Xiaojun, "Leader Wang, please wait. I have one more request."

This sudden kneeling startled Wang Xiaojun and the others. They didn't know what Xing's wife wanted to request that required such a gesture. Wang Xiaojun quickly extended his hand to help her up, saying, "Madam, please get up. We can discuss anything, no need for such a formal bow."

Xing's wife, however, remained kneeling and pleaded, "I only ask that Leader Wang grant this request. Otherwise, I will kneel here indefinitely."

Xing's wife's determination was clear, and given the customs of the time, Wang Xiaojun couldn't directly help her up. He could only patiently persuade her, "Madam, please speak your mind. As long as I can do it, I will not refuse."

Hearing Wang Xiaojun's words, Xing's wife felt reassured and knew her request would be granted. She pointed to her son, who was kneeling beside her, and said, "I am not asking for myself, but for this child, who is Xing's only descendant. Xing usually took care of him personally. Now that Xing is gone, I am just a woman with little knowledge. If I fail to raise this child, how can I face Xing? Therefore, I humbly request that Leader Wang, for Xing's sake, take this child as an adopted son and guide him well, so that he can bring honor to the family in the future."

This request was a great surprise to Wang Xiaojun, not only to him but also to the other time travelers. They, being from the modern era, were unfamiliar with the concept of adopting an adopted son. Although they had seen such scenes in TV shows, novels, or historical books, they knew little about the rules and taboos involved.

From the heart, Wang Xiaojun had no interest in adopting an adopted son. However, seeing Xing's wife kneeling with a hopeful look and a determined attitude, he was afraid she would really kneel indefinitely. He looked at Liu Wanbao, hoping this old member of the fort could help persuade her to get up.

Liu Wanbao was also taken aback, clearly not knowing about Xing's wife's request beforehand. However, with his quick thinking, he soon understood her intentions. Since Yuxu Palace had merged with Wuhu Fort and renamed it Feilong Fort, the fort had undergone tremendous changes. The decision-makers had changed, the patrol members' organization had changed, and all the leaders had been adjusted. Although Xing Budé still held the title of leader, he no longer had any real power.

While Xing Budé was alive, even without power, the new leaders treated him kindly to appease the patrol members. They tried to meet his needs, improving his living conditions. Now that Xing Budé was gone, although Wang Xiaojun and the others had repeatedly assured his wife that they would continue to support her, she was not at ease. This was her chance to ask Wang Xiaojun to adopt her son as an adopted son, to ensure a future for her and her son.

Understanding this, Liu Wanbao knew what to do. Seeing Wang Xiaojun look at him, he knew he was expected to help. As Xing Budé's good friend, he naturally wanted to help his sister-in-law and nephew. He had his wife, who was helping in the memorial hall, help Xing's wife up. Then, he stepped forward, bowed to Wang Xiaojun, and said, "Leader, I think my sister-in-law is sincere, and the child is very smart and well-mannered. If you adopt him as an adopted son, he can become a valuable assistant in the future. I suggest you grant my sister-in-law's request."

Wang Xiaojun had hoped Liu Wanbao would help him out of this situation, but he was surprised to find that Liu Wanbao agreed. Wang Xiaojun was hesitant, but Xu Shaowan suggested, "Xiaojun, since Xing's wife is so sincere, why not agree? This is a common practice in China, and it's normal. Besides, you have no children, either in the overseas or in China. Having a son like this would be a good thing."

Seeing Xu Shaowan also agree, Wang Xiaojun was somewhat moved but still had concerns. He asked, "That's true, but I heard that in China, adopting an adopted son means the child has to change his surname. Xing is the only descendant of his brother. If he becomes my adopted son, wouldn't that mean Xing's lineage would be cut off?"

Liu Wanbao, seeing Wang Xiaojun's attitude soften, quickly explained, "Leader, you don't need to worry about that. In China, adopting an adopted son doesn't necessarily mean changing the surname. An adopted son is different from an adopted child, who might inherit the adoptive father's property and thus needs to change the surname. An adopted son is more of a nominal relationship and cannot inherit the adoptive father's property unless explicitly stated. So, you can adopt this child without changing his surname. He will still be surnamed Xing, and Xing's lineage will continue."

Hearing this, Wang Xiaojun's concerns were alleviated. He then said to Xing's wife, who was still kneeling, "Since you are so sincere, I will agree to this. I will adopt Zhengnan as my adopted son and will educate him well. I will not let your efforts go to waste."

Hearing Wang Xiaojun agree to be her son's adoptive father, Xing's wife was relieved. She finally stood up with the help of Liu Wanbao's wife, thanked Wang Xiaojun, and had her son tidy his clothes and bow to Wang Xiaojun, officially establishing their father-son relationship.

Only then did Wang Xiaojun have the chance to take a good look at his new adopted son. The boy was about ten years old, very cute. His father, Xing Budé, was not unattractive, and his mother was a beauty, so the boy would likely grow up to be very handsome. From his behavior, he seemed very smart and well-mannered, indicating that Xing Budé had taken