ATPnovel Chapter 41 Old Yar's Strange Behavior
Chapter 41 Old Yar's Strange Behavior
Aunt Slin immediately adopted a defiant stance and began to say:
"Old Chief, look at my son Giss, he's covered in wounds, and it won't heal for at least two months!"
"Old Chief, I heard you're going to include Gis in the conscription list?"
"My son is covered in wounds, and he's being conscripted to fight pirates? I don't agree to it!" Aunt Slin threw a tantrum, looking like she was determined to fight to the bitter end.
Old Jarl's gaze fell on Gis, and seeing the strips of cloth wrapped around Gis's body, a look of regret and pity flashed in his eyes.
"Alright, alright, Slin, calm down. Gis won't be drafted."
"Gise is still young, and he was injured because of me, so he won't be included in the draft list. Don't worry!"
Upon hearing Old Yar's assurance, Aunt Slin immediately went from sorrow to joy, bowing slightly to Old Yar, her happiness impossible to hide.
She had also heard about the cavalry commander's demand that anyone who lost in the duel be included in the conscription list. How could she possibly agree to her son being conscripted?!
Earlier, she had told Giss not to get out of bed these days and to just stay in bed, but Giss didn't understand her good intentions and actually got up on his own, and now he's standing in front of her...
Aunt Slin cursed inwardly, "That meddlesome little brat went and told Giss..."
Listening to his mother and old man Jarl's words, Gis finally understood:
His own mother did all this to prevent him from being drafted!
In Gis's view, he had lost the game and should be selected as one of the players according to the rules. He was about to speak when his mother pulled him back.
Looking down, he saw his mother's wide, warning eyes.
Gis remained silent, his head bowed in shame...
Old Jarl noticed that Giss was looking down, his face full of shame. He softened his tone and spoke gently:
"Child, you have done very well."
Remember, don't feel even a trace of self-blame!
"The village should be grateful to you!"
"Anyone who dares to utter another word of nonsense about you from now on is going against me! Don't blame me for being ruthless then!"
Old Yar's voice grew louder and louder, his eyes glaring fiercely at the men who had just made sarcastic remarks, his face full of anger.
The courtyard fell silent instantly. The men who had been complaining and criticizing Giss just moments before all lowered their heads in shame, not daring to even breathe.
There are only a minority of scoundrels in the world, and while there are those who are unreasonable, there are also many kind people.
"If you have someone to blame, blame me! Don't try to shift the blame onto Geese!"
"If you have any complaints, come at me! I won't utter a single word of resentment!"
As soon as he finished speaking, old Yar's gaze suddenly locked onto the man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face in the crowd.
"Hank!!"
"You just said that if you lose, you have to accept it, and that you deserved to be robbed?!"
Old Yar roared like thunder, and the man named Hank trembled all over.
"Old...Old Jarl, that's not what I meant!"
"Then what do you mean?" Old Yar's voice was as cold as ice.
"I...I mean, we can't afford to mess with Gond Village for now!"
"Can't afford to offend them?" Old Yar sneered.
"We, the people of Duanpo Village, accept defeat in a duel, but we are not pushovers!"
"Just now, was it you who said I was senile?!" As soon as he finished speaking, old Yar grabbed his iron staff and raised it high.
Hank wasn't stupid; he knew the extent of Old Yar's dirty tricks, and he was terrified on the spot.
"Old Chief, I...I have some things to take care of at home...I'll head back first!" Before Old Yar could strike him, he turned and scrambled away.
……
After everyone had been persuaded to leave the courtyard, old Járrolf gently pulled away from his daughter Anya's support.
He had his daughter late in life, and she was his only precious daughter...
He walked back into the house on his own and finally calmed down. Old Yar clearly noticed something different about himself.
When he woke up, apart from being starving, he felt an unprecedented sense of comfort all over his body!
Previously, due to old age and physical weakness, my knees would ache on rainy days and the pain could last for a whole day!
Even though it had clearly rained outside, I felt no pain at all!
Old Yar could even clearly feel that his eyes were no longer as cloudy as before, and he could see things much more clearly!
My ears have become much more sensitive, and I can even hear the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the leaves outside!
It feels like... I've suddenly become seven or eight years younger!
His physical abilities are like they were when he was in his early fifties!
Old Yar subconsciously clenched his fist, feeling the power coming from his palm, and his brows furrowed little by little.
"Something's wrong, something's really wrong!"
"Anya! Come here and look at me, is something wrong?!"
Anya, a girl, was seventeen or eighteen years old. She was tall and graceful, with long brown hair and a height that was much taller than that of ordinary women in the village.
She had just seen Geese and his mother off when she returned to find her father no longer needed her help. Just as she was wondering what was going on, she heard her father calling out.
Anya came to her father and saw him looking up at her as if he were looking her up.
She looked closely at her father's face; it was still that old face covered in wrinkles.
But... you look much better?
"Nothing's different, except your complexion is much better!"
"Everything else is the same as before!"
The girl didn't notice anything unusual and her face was full of confusion.
Even his daughter couldn't see anything wrong, so old Jarl had no choice but to suppress his doubts for the time being.
He attributed it all to the fact that he had slept for a day and a night and had been well-rested.
"Dad, you're getting on in years, don't push yourself so hard anymore."
I was so worried about you! What would I do if anything happened to you?
As the girl spoke, she took old Yar's hand, her face full of heartache.
"What should you do?"
Shall I find you a good family to marry into?
Is Gis alright? He's only two years younger than you! You didn't even help me up first today, but instead ran off to see that mother and child off...
Many men in the village aren't as tall as you, so you probably don't like them...
Old Yar joked, his expression unchanged as he spoke, but his eyes gradually became more serious.
Old Jarre thought about how, at his age, his beautiful young wife had run off with a rich young man from the city, and her whereabouts were now unknown…
If something were to happen to me, my precious daughter would truly be left all alone.
As he recalled Silin's character and her fierce protectiveness, his eyes grew even brighter.
"They're just being polite!"
"No way! I want to stay with Dad forever!"
The girl blushed and shook off old Jarl's arm, refusing repeatedly.
……
On the dirt road in Duanpo Village, Gis carried his mother's fishing gear and limped along beside her, heading home.
"Gis, let me carry it, it's not heavy! You're still injured!"
Aunt Slin asked for it again.
But Kegis didn't give her what was on his shoulder and continued to carry it himself.
"It's okay! I'll do it!"
Aunt Slin knew Gis's temper well, so she let him be.
Walking ahead, Aunt Silin was filled with emotion.
"The old leader is still the most reasonable one, taking care of us, mother and child!"
My son, you're finally out of the draft! I was so worried about you!
"Mom, didn't you call old Yar a 'good-for-nothing,' a 'troublemaker,' and 'heartless' yesterday? Why are you praising him today?" Giss asked curiously.
"I...I got really angry yesterday when I saw you covered in injuries!"
"Alright, we're home now. I'll make you some fish soup!"
After a relaxed conversation, heavy worries once again weighed on Aunt Slin's mind.
"The area with the richest catch has been lost, and everyone is crowding into this lake area at the village entrance. We don't know if we'll have a catch tomorrow..."
O Goddess of Spring, please bless me with a good harvest tomorrow!
With heavy hearts and heavy expectations, two figures walked step by step toward home, facing the setting sun.
Two shadows, one long and one short, stretched long by the setting sun...