Chapter 2: Chang Yuchun

The sunset sank completely.

On Fengyang Mountain Road, Shiniu walked in the dark for half the night.

When the moon rose, he finally saw lights ahead.

It was a small post station, with a flag bearing the character 'Xu' hung at the gate.

His stomach started growling again.

He felt his bundle; the last half of the flatbread had been gone since two hours ago.

After hesitating a moment, he shouldered his hammer and walked to the post station gate, naively calling out: 'Anyone there? I… I'd like a bowl of water.'

The post station chief came out holding a lantern, sizing him up.

Wearing straw shoes and coarse cloth, with two tightly wrapped long items on his shoulder, he looked like a refugee, yet his build was unusually sturdy.

"Come in." the post station chief said, stepping aside.

Shiniu thanked him, carefully leaned his hammer against the wall, and sat on the bench.

The post station chief poured him a bowl of cool water; he gulped it down, wiped his mouth, and said, 'Thank you, uncle.'

"Where are you headed?" the post station chief asked casually.

"To Xuzhou, to join the army," Shiniu answered honestly.

The post station chief blinked, then gave him a few more looks and said, 'Join the army? At your age… military life is hard.'

"I'm not afraid of hardship; I just… can eat; the village can't support me anymore, they say the army provides enough food." Shiniu said sincerely.

He spoke bluntly, and the post station chief laughed instead: "You're an honest kid; Xuzhou is currently recruiting troops, General Chang Yuchun is there—if you really have strength, you might make a name for yourself."

Chang Yuchun.

Shiniu noted that name.

Then he spent the night making do in the post station's woodshed.

Before falling asleep.

Shiniu again recalled the day of his birthday last year—actually he didn't know his exact birthday; Shi Laosan took the day he found him as his birthday.

That night he slept until midnight, when suddenly his body heated up, his mind gained some hammer‑wielding techniques, and his strength increased.

By dawn, that pair of hammers had appeared in the room.

Shi Laosan was frightened to his knees, kowtowing and saying this was a divine manifestation.

Shiniu, however, felt it was nothing—just… he was even hungrier.

"If there really are immortals, let the army's food… be plentiful!" he naively muttered to the moon outside the window.

The next day, at first light, he set out again.

Before leaving, the post station chief stuffed two steamed buns into his hands, saying, 'Take these, for the road.'

Shiniu naively thanked him, carefully wrapped the buns, and put them in his bundle.

On the seventh day at noon, the outline of Xuzhou City finally appeared on the horizon.

Shiniu stood on the earthen slope beside the official road, gazing at the distant city wall.

The city wall towered, its blue‑gray bricks reflecting light in the sun; a Great Ming flag flew on the watchtower, red background with gold characters, snapping in the wind.

The bundle on his shoulder was already empty.

The last half of the steamed bun had entered his stomach an hour ago.

His stomach began to growl again.

Shiniu patted his stomach and said, 'Stop growling, we're almost there.'

Shouldering his hammer, he descended the slope and walked with the crowd toward the city gate.

At the city gate a long line formed, with peddlers carrying loads, farmers pushing carts, and youths like him carrying simple packs.

While waiting in line, he overheard two men ahead speaking softly.

"... Have you heard? General Chang Yuchun is recruiting troops to attack the Northern Yuan!"

"That's right! My cousin went last month, saying the army provides enough food and even pays a stipend…"

The four words 'the army provides enough food' drilled into Shiniu's ears, and his eyes lit up.

After waiting half an hour, it was finally his turn for the gate inspection.

The gate guard, seeing he was young, asked a couple more questions: 'What's your business? Where's your household registration?'

Shiniu honestly replied, 'I'm here to join the army… I don't have any paperwork.'

The soldier frowned: 'No paperwork, no go…'

Before he finished speaking, an old soldier stepped over, sized up Shiniu, and said, 'Kid, how old are you?'

"Fourteen..."

The old soldier chuckled: 'Fourteen? With that build, someone would believe you're eighteen.'

He pointed at the bundled object on Shiniu's shoulder and asked, 'What's that?'

"A hammer."

"Undo it and let's have a look."

Shiniu undid the hemp cloth.

In the sunlight, two black‑gold short‑handled large hammers were revealed, their heads the size of a watermelon, the faces engraved with ancient patterns.

As soon as the hammers appeared, several soldiers gathered around.

"What a fine piece, this weight…" the old soldier tried to lift one, but the hammer didn't budge an inch.

He widened his eyes and shouted, 'You… can you lift it?'

Shiniu, one hammer in each hand, lifted them easily.

All around, there was a collective intake of breath.

The veteran's eyes lit up: "Good! Great strength! Wait here, I'll go get the recruitment office staff!"

Soon after, a Captain of the Guard in leather armor followed the veteran over.

The Captain of the Guard looked at Shiniu, then at the pair of hammers, and said directly, "Come with me."

Shiniu followed the Captain of the Guard around the city gate to the front of the adjacent makeshift shelter.

A wooden sign reading "Mubing Office" stood in front of the shelter; inside, a table was set with a clerk sitting behind it.

"Name, age, native place," the clerk said without looking up.

"Shiniu, fourteen, Fengyang."

The clerk's pen paused, he looked up at him and said, "Fourteen?"

This boy in front of him is half a head taller than him, broad-shouldered and thick-backed; he doesn't look fourteen at all.

"I'm born in the Year of the Goat, I really am fourteen," Shiniu said earnestly.

The clerk frowned, pointed to a Stone Lock in the corner of the shelter, and said, "Lift it up to see; if you can't lift it, go back—no lying about age in the army."

That Stone Lock looked small, but Shiniu knew this solid type weighed at least two hundred catties.

He walked over, grabbed the Stone Lock's handle with one hand, lifted it—it felt light as lifting an empty basket.

He hesitated, then switched to holding it with two fingers and easily lifted it over his head.

The inside and outside of the shelter fell silent.

The clerk's mouth fell open, and his pen clattered onto the table.

Those waiting in line nearby for inspection also stared dumbfounded.

Shiniu put the Stone Lock down and asked somewhat naively, "Is this… enough…?"

Before the clerk could answer, the sound of horse hooves came from behind.

Several warhorses galloped up; leading them on a reddish-brown horse was a general in Mingguang Armor, who reined in his mount and shouted loudly, "What's going on? Why are you all gathered here?"

The Captain of the Guard hurried forward to salute: "General Chang, this... this child…"

Chang Yuchun dismounted.

He was about forty, with a square face, thick eyebrows, eyes sharp as a hawk, and walked with a tiger's vigor.

He walked up to Shiniu, looked him over, and asked, "You lifted that Stone Lock?"

Shiniu nodded.

Chang Yuchun also looked at the pair of hammers at his feet, his eyes lighting up: "Are these your weapons?"

"Hmm."

"Pick them up so I can have a look."

Shiniu, one hammer in each hand, lifted them again with ease.

Chang Yuchun stepped closer, ran his hand over the hammer faces, tested their weight, and with an astonished expression said, "Fine hammers! Great strength, kid—what's your name, how old are you?"

"Shiniu, fourteen."

"Where are your parents?"

"My father passed away last year; I have no mother."

Chang Yuchun's laughter died away as he carefully examined the boy's eyes.

Those eyes were clear and pure, like mountain spring water, without a speck of impurity.

"Why join the army..." he asked.

Shiniu's stomach, as if in agreement, growled again.

He scratched his head embarrassedly and said, "I… can eat; the village can't support me anymore, they said the army provides full rations."

Several nearby soldiers couldn't help laughing out loud.

Chang Yuchun, however, did not laugh.

Looking at this honest, somewhat simple-minded boy, he couldn't help recalling the first time he met his brother-in-law Lan Yu, and his heart softened instantly.

Chang Yuchun firmly patted Shiniu's shoulder and said, "Good, join my Personal Guard Unit—you'll be fed!"

He paused, turned to the clerk and shouted, "Record this! Shiniu, fourteen, from Fengyang, assigned to the Marshal's Personal Guard Unit. Right, first go to the Kitchen and pass the word—prepare five portions of food for this kid, don't scare the Firehead Soldiers!"

He then looked at a nearby soldier and said.

The laughter grew louder.

Shiniu stood there, watching Chang Yuchun mount his horse and ride off, then glanced at the military service wooden plaque the clerk handed him—a small wooden plaque engraved with the words "Shiniu, Personal Guard Unit".

He carefully slipped the wooden plaque into his bosom and gave a naive smile.

It seemed he had truly found a place where he could eat his fill.