The God of War Who Protects the Nation: Starting with Saving a Mother and Daughter in Distress

"Modern society is so much better..."

In the dilapidated thatched hut, seventeen-year-old Qin An, dressed only in a pair of worn-out coarse linen trousers, curled up on the thin bed board with his skin and bones, letting out a long sigh.

He had just had a long dream, a dream of the short life of a modern-day cow or horse.

Those memories of modern society are etched into my mind like a brand.

Whether it was time travel or a fleeting dream, Qin An had no interest in distinguishing between them.

All he knew was that the prosperity of modern society made him feel as if he had witnessed a celestial realm.

This is because the world he is in is a chaotic place where even those who want to be servants may not have the means, and human life is as cheap as grass.

While I was still savoring the beauty of my dream, a voice urging me to hurry came from outside the door.

"Xiao An, are you up yet? Don't forget today is the day to pick your wives. If you keep dawdling, all the good wives will be taken by someone else."

Before the words were finished, a delicate young man with regular features, who also had a slightly feminine appearance, walked in.

This man's name is Chen Han, and he is from the same hometown as Qin An.

The words "fa po niang" (发婆娘, literally "fa woman") were like a thunderclap, instantly waking Qin An from his sweet dream.

Because the Daxing court suffered two major defeats in its eastern expeditions, it urgently needed to recruit immigrants to fill the border areas, reclaim wasteland, and defend the frontier. The conditions offered were quite generous.

Unable to survive in his hometown, Qin An became one of the immigrants and came to Baishan Village, a mountain village attached to this remote border town.

"Hair-giving wife" is one of the benefits for immigrants.

Years of war had drastically reduced the male population. In order to encourage childbirth, the imperial court forcibly paired immigrant males with local unmarried women and widows.

Qin An had no expectations whatsoever for his wife.

In the current situation, I can barely support myself, so how can I have the mind to think about anything else?

Chen Han, however, didn't think so, and kept urging, "Get up! If we can get a share of the inheritance, life will be much easier from now on!"

He reached out to pull Qin An, his voice full of excitement.

Qin An didn't say much, but got up and, shirtless, was about to go out with him.

It's not that I don't want to wear clothes, it's that I really don't have any.

Looking at Qin An, who was more than a head taller than him when he stood up, Chen Han sighed, "You're just too skinny. Otherwise, with that height, you'd definitely be in high demand."

Unlike Chen Han's frail appearance, Qin An was born with a large frame, a true hero in the making, but unfortunately he was so thin he was emaciated.

"All I want right now is to have a full meal," Qin An said in a muffled voice.

Chen Han knew he was a quiet person, so he didn't try to persuade him further and instead pulled him towards the training ground in the village.

When they arrived at the training ground, a large number of people had already gathered, with men and women divided into two groups.

All eligible men and women from Baishantun were brought here.

Most of the men, like Qin An, were immigrants who moved from the inland areas.

The women were mostly local women who were still able to have children, along with a few young girls of marriageable age.

As for the local able-bodied men, they had already been almost entirely exhausted in the two eastern expeditions.

This was almost a fatal blow to Baishantun, which led to the current forced pairing method.

"Xiao An, don't be stubborn later. It's okay to be a little older. If you can get a share of the inheritance, you'll have the means to make a living," Chen Han whispered to him.

He knew this fellow villager's temperament all too well: stubborn and lacking in social skills.

He caused a lot of trouble on the way here, offended many people, and even clashed directly with the escorting constables, suffering quite a bit.

"Let's see." Qin An remained as taciturn as ever.

As the two spoke, everyone gradually arrived.

The two groups of people sized each other up, their eyes scrutinizing each other as if they were picking through goods.

Qin An immediately noticed a special presence among the group of women.

Although the woman was dressed in rags and her face was weathered, her demeanor stood out from the crowd, giving her a unique and striking presence.

The other women ostracized her, whether intentionally or unintentionally. What was even more eye-catching was that she was accompanied by a pair of eight- or nine-year-old twin girls.

"Stop looking, she's no good." Chen Han noticed his gaze and gently nudged him. "Anyone with eyes can see that she's a family member of a convicted official, exiled here. Not only does she have no property, but she also has two burdens to support. She can't possibly survive."

Not only did they notice the woman, but there was also a lot of discussion about her among the crowd.

"Tsk tsk, being able to give birth to twins, that makes them easy to raise. But they look like they've never lifted a finger in their lives, how could they possibly do any housework?"

"Looks like you're not young anymore, right? Probably past childbearing age, going back to being a mother figure to be pampered?"

"It would be fine if it were just her, she could experience what it's like to be a rich lady, but she has two burdens to worry about, she can't afford it..."

"..."

The woman was indeed eye-catching; all the men's eyes were drawn to her, and many were tempted by her.

But the harsh reality made all the men shake their heads.

The woman was stared at by countless eyes, listening to the explicit comments. Her face turned as white as paper, and her head was almost buried in her full breasts.

Her body trembled slightly, and she instinctively hugged her two daughters even tighter.

"Quiet down!" Amidst the commotion, the village head of Baishan Village approached with a constable. "Everyone's here. Let's draw lots to find partners! Whoever's chosen is whoever gets paired up, and nobody's allowed to complain!"

Chen Han glanced at the constables behind the village head, his face changed drastically, his lips turned white, and his voice trembled: "Oh no, it's Zhao Erhu... This is troublesome."

Qin An's face also darkened.

Zhao Erhu was one of the yamen runners who escorted them here, and the two had previously had a conflict.

Zhao Erhu's gaze first fell on the delicate Chen Han, and he revealed a meaningful smile.

But when he saw Qin An next to Chen Han, he seemed to remember something unpleasant, and his eyes instantly turned gloomy.

This little incident didn't affect the main business.

The village headman took out two wooden boxes and shouted, "Everyone come up and grab a pebble. There's a number on each one. If the numbers match, you've made a pair!"

Under his arrangement, men and women came forward one after another to draw lots.

Soon it was Chen Han and Qin An's turn.

Chen Han stood at the front of the line, reached into the jar and took out a pebble with the words "Jiazi" written on it.

As soon as the number was announced, a huge commotion erupted among the women.

Immediately afterwards, a burly "hero" charged straight at them like a chariot.

Looking at the other person's massive frame, whose arms were thicker than his own thighs, Chen Han swallowed hard, a bad feeling creeping over him.

"You're my man, you son of a bitch?" The woman brandished a pebble in her hand, also marked with the number "Jiazi," and gave Chen Han a once-over. "He's alright looking, just a bit weak. It's alright, we're rich, he'll get stronger with some care!"

After saying that, she grabbed Chen Han and pulled him under her armpits with such force that he almost suffocated.

Chen Han, who had initially tried to struggle, went limp upon hearing the words "the family is rich," and let the other person carry him away.

Zhao Erhu looked at Chen Han being taken away, sighed reluctantly, and his eyes were full of disappointment.

He couldn't afford to mess with such a "hero".

Qin An looked at his fellow villager being forcibly dragged away, unsure whether to feel fortunate that he had gotten his wish or to worry about him.

Before he could think it through, the village head was already urging him to go forward and draw lots.

Just as Qin An was about to reach into the wooden box, Zhao Erhu suddenly grabbed his wrist!