Chapter 14

For an honest and ordinary person like Letian, war is a power game for the big shots, and there is no qualification to participate in it. The only thing one can do is to go with the flow.

Xuhao was 100% sure that he was just an ordinary person, neither capable of making glass or other amazing things, nor skilled in agricultural technology. He could勉强 be considered a weapon enthusiast, but it was merely a hobby.

He had long been accustomed to the bad habit of asking Baidu for advice on internal matters, and even after asking, things remained the same. He was truly a modern ordinary person, always most concerned about work and interpersonal relationships at work, as well as issues like housing prices, oil prices, his girlfriend's mother, a certain car model being discounted, which classmate was about to enter the "grave" of marriage, and other trivial matters related to his life.

In his spare time, he would pay attention to the current hot news at home and abroad, such as the shameless printing of money by the Americans, the Japanese stirring up trouble under the protection of a powerful country, the Guangda football team winning the AFC Champions League, a certain celebrity getting involved in a scandal, and the Bitcoin being snapped up by the elderly. His favorite thing to do was to vent online.

Even if his brain was as muddled as paste, why should he use it? What consequences would he face if he did? For an adult like Xuhao, who did not intend to become a national hero, this was a prerequisite that had to be considered.

There is a famous saying: "The greater your ability, the greater your responsibility." In other words, the higher you climb, the more painful the fall will be.

Xuhao was a realist. He did not think he was particularly lucky and could not deal with the hurtful arrows that would come his way after rising to prominence through modern civilization. He also did not have the heart to put his enemies to death.

What? You say that time travelers are so lucky? Go to hell! Try giving up a comfortable modern life to experience a life without TV, computers, MSG in your food, no cell phones or magazines in the toilet, and no soft toilet paper. When you get sick, you have to rely solely on the words of an old Chinese doctor in the countryside?

Occasional experiences are called fresh, but if you do it for a long time, it's called being sick!

Xuhao, lost in thought as he walked, sighed. He was not without ambition and ideals. Since he was here, he had to make the best of it. He couldn't go back, so he had to choose a skill to rely on.

If he wanted a comfortable life, the obvious choice would be to study and become a scholar. But the problem was that he had no foundation. Studying for ten years in a cold room was easier said than done. Studying with a rope tied to the beam and a needle pricking his thigh? Let's not even mention it.

Alas, the Ming Dynasty was no longer popular for poetry. Moreover, the simplest and most effective skill for a time traveler was negated by the Ming Dynasty. Writing books and creating a pirated version of the four great classical novels? Forget it. That's something only a lucky person who brought a novel with them could do. Besides, without a computer to type, writing with a brush pen would tire you out.

It was said that the Zhu family loved to play with couplets. Over the years, he had learned a lot of dirty jokes from drinking and entertaining guests. He could be a court jester, and it seemed that being a eunuch in the Ming Dynasty was very promising, especially with the rich theoretical knowledge he had gained from watching Japanese action films.

No way! Without that, what's the point of living? He couldn't let down his ancestors, damn it! The ancestors hadn't even been born yet, what the hell.

How about opening a brothel? A very artistic and fashionable one. Combining his theory and practical experience, he could set up a sauna in the brothel, train a group of long, straight-legged dancers to perform on stage with fiery and hot moves, all in sync with popular music. And various stage plays with plots. As the saying goes, stewardesses, nurses in see-through outfits, double flights, ice and fire Persian girls! Hehe, it would bring in a lot of money and be his strong point.

Spit! Xuhao harshly condemned himself for his thoughts. No matter what, he couldn't engage in such a wicked and immoral business. Besides, the largest brothels were state-owned. For wealthy and disgusting officials, the most advanced enjoyment was the wives and daughters of former colleagues, and the Jiaosifang was the highest-end entertainment venue in the capital.

Spit! Xuhao condemned himself again, wondering what was wrong with him. Why was his mind full of inappropriate thoughts? He looked up at the blue sky, realizing he hadn't "fired" for too many days.

Actually, he knew the best shortcut very well. That was to join the side of his cheap uncle, Zhu Di, before the Jingnan Campaign. Even if he only served in a minor position in the rear, he wouldn't have to worry about not getting a position or even a title after the victory, since they were relatives.

The problem was how to arrange the entire family. He couldn't run to the north alone and put his family in danger. Go into hiding? But if the news leaked, who knows what would happen. Xuhao didn't want to take the risk.

In the chaos of war, following Zhu Di on a southern campaign would have a 50% chance of something going wrong. It was too dangerous.

I really am a person without courage and ambition! Xuhao once again despised himself. Suddenly, the old lady asked, "What are you thinking, Haoke?"

"Um." Xuhao returned to reality, looked up, and said, "Grandmother, I am thinking about the future."

"The future? Ha." The old lady looked at him with interest, "Tell me, I want to see what your aspirations are."

Xuhao slowly shook his head and said, "I'm afraid I will disappoint you. It's better not to say."

The old lady's smile faded, and her expression became serious. She slowly said, "You children have all grown up under my watch. I believe I can judge each person's character and personality. Your words have made me look at you in a new light."

Xuhao was confused and couldn't understand the old lady's words. As a grandson who had never been favored, he had nothing to lose and nothing to be cautious about.

So, Xuhao spoke freely, "In terms of literature, I can't match my second brother. In terms of martial arts, I can't match my eldest brother. In terms of wit and flexibility, I can't match my fourth brother. I think my future won't be very promising."

"Is that so?" The old lady's face suddenly turned cold, and she even had a hint of a sneer. "Haoke, are you saying that your second brother's literary skills are not so great, your eldest brother's martial arts are not so great, and your fourth brother's wit and flexibility are just a bit of cleverness?"

Xuhao was startled. He never expected the old lady to pick up on his hidden meaning. He indeed didn't have a good relationship with his brothers and now regretted his rash words. This was going to be trouble.

But he didn't want to argue. Even if he lacked courage and ambition, there was one thing he absolutely could not lack: integrity.

Xuhao looked at the old lady with a serious expression and said, "I am just speaking the truth. In terms of martial arts and military strategy, can my eldest brother match his uncle? In terms of literature and eloquence, can my second brother match his uncle? In terms of handling affairs, can my fourth brother match my father? If the previous generation is like this, the next generation, without special opportunities, will be the same. I believe you, with your lifetime of experience, understand this clearly."

The old lady stared at Xuhao for a long time and then said, "You can say these words, and among your four brothers, your insight is already far beyond the others! Hmm, this is quite unexpected. I wonder if your true talent and learning are also like this."

Bang! Xuhao's mood plummeted, and he couldn't help but laugh bitterly. The old lady's insight was truly remarkable! As someone who had lived two lives, he naturally had a foresight and judgment that ordinary people couldn't match. But when it came to true talent and learning, what could he compare? Literature, calligraphy, martial arts?

Xuhao, who was inwardly criticizing, couldn't express his frustration. Could he say that he could compare in Marxist philosophy, competitive games, football, driving skills, or debate?

Hmm? Debate might be a good option. At least he was a modern person who could talk about theories. Even if he brought in the founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, he could debate him into silence. Who in this world knew the course of history better than him?

Unfortunately, it would be in vain. Even a charge of spreading false rumors would be a light sentence. Truly, loneliness!

Suddenly, Xuhao lost all his bravado and said with a desolate expression, "Loneliness in the spring chamber, a tender heart filled with a thousand threads of sorrow; cherishing spring as it departs, a few drops of rain urge the flowers to fall.

Burying the past, burying the story, even if I know the past, what does it matter? The past is like a dream, the heart is locked, and the beautiful years are driven by the wheels, the fallen red traces, turned