Volume 2 Chapter 3: Don’t tell me this is just before going to Xu state

TL: Apart from MCs who were thrown into tragic/harsh scenarios like Shield Hero, this guy has it pretty bad. Apart from his harem, whom he can’t really touch even if he wants to because having them go out of combat means a severe loss of fighting strength, his life quite literally sucks.

---

“Eh! Eh!” I swung my hoe over and over while sweat dripped down my head into the soil. Though it quickly evaporated from the heat, there was so much that some still seeped into the soil.

“Big brother, are you okay?”

“If you really can’t do anymore, then rest for a bit first.”

“Not everyone is suited for ploughing the fields after all, maybe Xuan De is one of those who isn’t.”

“Don’t say anymore, as a man, if I can’t even plough the fields while all you girls can, I might as well not live!” I squeezed out these words between gasps.

Except for Hua Tuo, all the other girls and the soldiers were ploughing the fields. We don’t know how long we will stay here but we can’t just eat without compensating the people here, and so we offered our labour in return for food and lodging.

Though the land allocations were basically the same, all my female comrades were at least twice as fast as I was in ploughing. Its been almost half a month already yet I have not been able to catch up to their speed in the least.

As expected, living a cushy city life has not prepared me at all for farm work. Leaving aside my chapped hands, the idea of being at the mercy of mother nature for my crops is highly demoralising for me.

But the troops were very happy when they received their allocated land, and even now they were hard at work ploughing the fields. Perhaps this is because of their roots.

But I too gradually understood their joy. In this era without pesticide, tractors and other tools and technology, one can only rely on his own 2 hands and the feeling when one sees the crystallisation of one’s hard work is truly fulfilling.

I raised my head and used the hand towel on my shoulder to wipe my sweat. I looked at the girls and saw that they were still looking at me with concern.

“Don’t worry about me. You all should take a rest when you finish your work. I’ll take care of my own.”

After I finished, I lowered my head and continued to plough while my sweat fell to the soil.

“Hu~~~” I got up and straightened my back after some time and looked around only to find that everyone had done their work and had left. At this sight, I once again returned to my work so I could finish before lunch.

It wasn’t that I was afraid that I wouldn’t get my share, rather, I was afraid that no one would start until I returned. Since we started ploughing, even when I returned in the late afternoon, especially in the first few days, after my work was done, the girls would still be waiting for me to eat lunch together.

I felt really bad about this and tried to talk them into eating first but they had no intention of doing so.

As I thought of this, I looked up to the sky. It was still quite a while before noon sharp so I’m still on time, I thought as I ploughed on.

“Yo~~ Lord Liu Bei is still hard at work huh.”

An old farmer from another field who had finished his work called out to me.

“Ah, yes because I’m slow.” I said with a helpless smile and continued my work.

“Take your time, no need to rush. Nobody was good at it when they first started.”

“Though you are an official, you are still willing to farm with rest of us. If only all the other officials were just like you.”

“I already said I’m not an official~~~”

I wasn’t being humble here, I really wasn’t an official anymore. I had even sent someone to Anxi county to check things out recently, and found that my name was removed. So the me now has no official rank at all.

“Lord Liu Bei is saying such things again. If you’re not an official, why would Lord Kong Rong let you stay here?” Another farmer piped in. “Though this part is not particularly developed, this is the most prosperous and peaceful place next to Beihai city. Not just any general would be allowed to stay here.”

“Eh~~~”

That is to say, Kong Rong is actually looking out for me?

If that’s the case then what I said before was really inappropriate. But this might also be because of my ‘righteous looks’.

Because it’s Liu Bei that everyone sees me as kind and benevelont? Because it’s Liu Bei that people think I’m worthy?

I don’t really want to acknowledge it but this might be a joke that history is playing on me.

“We’ll be heading back first, fight on Lord Liu Bei!”

“Oh!” I replied with gusto, though it didn’t have any effect on my actual stamina which was heavily depleted, and I could only struggle on with my hoe.

I looked at the unploughed earth left ahead of me. About 10 meters odd more, looks like I’m close to completion.

Maybe I should take a short break… Ah, no. Too dangerous, such thoughts are detrimental.

Because there was virtually no one around for as far as I could see, it was exceptionally quiet and all I could hear were the cries of insects–

“Eh~~~ Eh~~~”

— Another dry and tired voice from a fellow farmer.

Was there someone else hard at work ploughing as well?

Who could it be? The past few days I remember being alone by this time~~~

As I thought so, I searched for the source of the sound and found her in a large paddy field behind me

A girl?!

An ordinary girl about my age was ploughing what seemed to be a very large field by herself.

She was just as skilled as me, that is to say not at all, and was even wearing a dress which extended to her knees and had collected a fair bit of dirt.

“Oi!” Because it was a little distant, I yelled out to her and she slowly raised her head to look at me. “Are you ploughing such a large field by yourself?”

“Un? Me?” She looked left and right and found that no one was around. “Ah, yes I’m ploughing this part alone.”

She actually was doing all that alone.

By the looks of it, she was probably going to have to plough till night time.

“Is it always you who ploughs there?”

“No.” She shook her head, “My father passed away from illness just 2 days ago and I’m here today in place of him. I usually go pick herbs in the mountains.”

Passed away from illness? What illness? What about your mother?

I was a little shocked at this unexpected reply and what appeared in my head were logical follow-up questions which anyone would have. But I did not plan on asking these and tried to think about something else to say but couldn’t think of anything.

“… Let’s do a good job, fight on.” In the end, I could only say an utterly useless sentence.

“Un!” She replied with a smile.

… Maa, don’t think about her anymore, just keep at it and you’ll be done soon.

“Eh~~~… Eh~~~”

Even more helpless and tired cries than my own could be heard.

…

— Really.

“I’ll help you.” By the time I came to a decision, I had already walked over to her.

“Eh?” She was stunned for a moment and I held her hoe. “Have a short rest, you look even worse at this than I am. By the way, your dress is quite dirty already.”

Hai~~~ What am I doing huh?! I hadn’t even completed my own work yet I took up an even greater task.

“That isn’t an issue. If it’s dirty then I just have to wash it.” She looked at the dirt on her dress and then at the me who had begun ploughing. “How, how can I let you do that? This should be my work.”

“Maa, as a fellow beginner to farming, take it as a sort of encouragement from me.” I smiled bitterly at the words I said which seemed comical even to me.

I hadn’t even finished my own work after all.

“… You really are a good person huh~~~” She suddenly said after ploughing beside me for some time.

Eh?

I looked over and saw a radiant smile on her that was both warm and kind.

“… Because I’m Liu Bei?” I replied sarcastically on instinct.

“Liu Bei? So your name is Liu Bei huh~~~” She said with emotion in her voice.

“You didn’t know?”

Nods.

That is to say, that it’s not because of my name that she thinks I’m a good person.

“Is it because I’m helping you plough your field?” I asked as I swung the hoe down yet again.

“Un~~~ There is that.” She paused in thought. “But that’s not all. I could feel that you are a good person the moment I saw you.”

“Hahaha, were you brainwashed by an uncle called ‘history’ to ‘feel that this person is a good person when you see him’? How come I don’t feel like I look like a good person?”

“What is that?” She felt that I was joking, though I was indeed, but not in the way she thought. “If I have to say why, it’s your expression.”

“Expression?”

“Un, you give a dependable feeling, and you don’t have any sense of superiority or inferiority to others. You are confident though there is a hint of timidness in that confidence.”

“… You can go into the business of physiognomy.”

(TL: Reading faces.)

“What is that? She felt that I was joking, though I wasn’t.

To be able to read so much detail from a face, I must say I’m impressed.

“Big brother?~~~~”

Just then, I heard a familiar voice coming from the field I was supposed o plough.

Was it Yun Chang?

“Yun Chang~~ I’m here~~~”

I yelled out to Yun Chang and she came running over with a relieved look.

“I was still worried about what happened to big brother but it turns out you came over here to play.”

“I’m not playing, I came here to help… Though I haven’t completed my work yet.”

“Eh~~~” Yun Chang sighed as a helpless smile floated on her face. “Not even completing your own work before helping others, and the task you took on is not small either… But, as expected of big brother huh~”

“Are you praising me or scolding me huh~~~”

I said as I laughed but Yun Chang only smiled in response and neither affirmed nor denied it.

“Un, this person is–”

“Ye, yes, I’m the one who owns this plot of land. He saw that I was slow and came to help me.”

“Hou hou~~~ But you really don’t know how to plough huh~~~” Yun Chang said as she took a look at her dress, “But never mind… Big brother, you aren’t too good at it either, so let me do it.”

“Ah…”

Yun Chang took her hoe and used highly adept ploughing techniques that were completely unlike my own to plough the field.

“Oh~~~ Impressive!” That girl sighed in amazement. “Even though she looks about as old as me~~”

“Maa, people are different in their own ways and you wouldn’t be considered inferior in any way, just ordinary.” I said to the girl as I stopped ploughing so I wouldn’t get in Yun Chang’s way, “Yun Chang and the others around me are all extraordinary people so don’t think about it too much.”

When I finished, that girl seem to sink into even deeper thought… Even though I’d just told her not to think about it.

Heh! Heh! Heh!

But speaking of which, how is Yun Chang doing it so fast? Could it be that she has been taking it slow on purpose during our usual work?!

Ah, that’s right. I still have my own work to finish!

“Now then, I’ll be heading back to my field.”

“Ah, let me come help.”

“No, I’m fine.” I turned and smiled, before I ran back to my plot of land.

Thereafter, I managed to struggle through and finish my work. Yet Yun Chang was able to complete ploughing a vast field in the time I took for just 10 odd meters.

“Yun Chang, is there some secret to ploughing?” I was tired to the point where I was soaked to the bone in sweat and just wanted to lay down there and then.

“Shouldn’t be, at least none that I know of.” Yun Chang replied nonchalantly as she wiped the sweat off her brow before turning to the girl. “That’s right we’re going to have lunch now, why don’t you come along?”

“Un? Can I?” She looked at me, then at Yun Chang.

“Why not, come on.”

And so, we invited her to eat with us.

“Aiyaya! I never thought you would be the Lord Liu Bei that everyone in the village has been singing praises of!”

Exactly what are the villagers saying about me huh~~

After lunch, everyone began chatting with the girl and only then did she realise who I was.

What followed was the inevitable questions about her household affairs which led to her recounting the sorrowful events.

“I see, so your father…” Yi De said.

“Un, it’s probably due to old age. He doesn’t get sick much usually.” She was talking about a sad topic though she didn’t seem very sad just looking at her face.

The girl was probably below 20 years of age and so her father was probably about 40 odd years of age. Looks like the life expectancy in this era isn’t very high at all.

“Is there no one else in your family?” Zhang Liao, who was sitting slightly in the back, asked.

“Un, mother died some time before.”

That is to say she now has no one she can count on.

“You may have that plot of land but you can’t work it yourself right.” Feng Xian said as she played with the Red Hare in her hands.

“Un.” The girl nodded with a helpless smile. “It’s true I can’t work it properly, but I plan on selling a portion of it soon.”

That was indeed a solution, since it was too much for her anyway.

“That was something your father left behind for you, to sell it just like that would be…” Yun Chang said with a difficult expression as she folded her arms.

“Un, it isn’t very good. But I have no other way.” She said with a helpless smile.

“Why you don’t find someone to marry.” Hua Tuo said somewhat jokingly. “This way, you have someone to help work your land and you can take care of each other.”

“That’s it!” Yi De suddenly yelled out. “Why didn’t I think of this, you are indeed of marriageable age as well.”

“Is, is that so…” She turned red on hearing this. “But I’ve never thought about such a thing.”

“Un, now is not too late to start.” Yun Chang said as she smiled. “If there is anyone you are interested in here, we can help you arrange something as long as you ask.”

We’ll be here for a while after all.

Yun Chang seemed to be very interested in this topic, even though I’ve never seen them discuss such matters before.

“Interested person huh… I’ve never had someone like that.”

The girl thought for a bit and gradually turned red… Un? Why does it feel like she is sneaking peeks at me?

“But…” The girl slowly continued.

“What is it? Thought of someone?” Yi De asked.

“I think this person is pretty good…” The girl was already scarlet red and pointed at the person she was interested in–

… Eh? Is the person in my direction?

I turned back and saw… Only the wall.

No one said a word in the building. But unlike the silence before I could feel a strange pressure emanating out from everyone that was aimed at me.

… Wait a second.

Could the person she is talking about be–

“Me?” I took a long while to think before I realised this and asked as I pointed to myself.

She only shyly nodded in reply.

“Th, this can’t do!” Yi De spoke up before me and grabbed my arm, “Big brother is very busy, and does not have the time to think about such things!”

“*Ahem*, I’m sorry about this but big brother is the kind of man who will eventually go on to achieve great things and will not remain in this village.” Yun Chang said with a serious tone. I looked over at her, and she seemed to be sweating quite a bit, more so than even when she was ploughing the fields.

“You have good taste, Xuan De is indeed a good man.” Feng Xian said as she got up, “But now is too early for that, no?”

“Yo, you’ve only just met with us, won’t you reconsider this?”

“Lord Hua Tuo, you’re shaking me not that girl! This is the second time you’re mistaking someone else for me already.”

“Ah, sorry Lord Zhang Liao… Un? Are you crying over this matter with Lord Liu Bei?”

“Th, this is sweat!!”

Wh, what’s up with everyone? I haven’t even said anything in response, and yet why is everyone’s reaction even bigger than mine?

The girl seemed a bit shocked at the scene before her, but he recovered and slowly said, “… Umm, this is just my guess, but could it be that everyone likes–”

“No!!”

Everyone replied simultaneously, even though she hadn’t even completed her question.

“But it’s just as everyone has said,” I started speaking when I saw that no one else was going to say anything. “We’ve only known each other for half a day and don’t understand each other. Making a decision so easily isn’t too good…”

“Report~~~~”

Just then, a military courier came running in.

“What is–”

“Cao Cao has launched an offensive on Xu state. The Governor of Xu state, Tao Qian, has sought for aid from Lord Kong Rong who hopes for Lord Liu Bei to go on his behalf.”

I hadn’t even asked him ‘what is the matter’ and he already said it… Military couriers are getting way too impudent.

But, ‘hopes’… Is it?

I did say from the beginning that it would be a short stay but now it looks like it’s going to come true.

But why is Meng De launching an offensive on Xu state? Didn’t I save Cao Song?

Un… I don’t really know what Meng De is thinking right now.

“Un, I got it. Let Lord Kong Rong know that I accept his request and will be departing immediately.”

As I said so, the military courier left, and I turned to everyone, “Everyone please prepare to leave immediately. We’re heading to Xu state. It’s a good thing that it isn’t too far, let’s let the troops… Un?”

Everyone agreed to my words but they seemed to be concerned about something else. And that something else was the girl.

Ah that’s right, I nearly forgot.

Hu~

I exhaled to calm myself down.

“As you have seen and heard,” I said in a serious tone to the girl. “We have to leave shortly. While you’re alone here, please take care of yourself and when we have the chance we will come back to see you.”

Though I know we will probably never come back.

“And as for what you said before, as you can see I cannot give you a proper reply as I still have a lot of things to attend to.”

A lot of things indeed, some even involve space-time travel.

“… Un, I understand.” The girl sank into thought for a while before nodding obediently. Sh then replied with a look of resolve in her eyes, “I believe we will meet again.”

Un? She accepted it that quickly?

Though it’s a good thing, it does make one feel a bit sad.

So I thought, and tried to come up with a reply but found that I had nothing more to say.

“Well then, we will be making a move now.”

“Un.”

Even now as we are about to part, she is still wearing that radiant smile of hers. Only, I could catch a hint of sadness behind this smile. We had only known each other for a short time but now that we’re leaving, she will be left alone again.

As for the others, they seemed very relieved and went off to make their own preparations.

Seeing us leave, the girl also got up and made her way out.

“Ah, wait! What’s your name?” I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t even asked for her name. On hearing me, she turned and smiled as she said–

— My last name is Gan, Gan Qing.

(TL: Gan Qing, or Lady Gan as she is more commonly referred to, is Liu Bei’s first concubine. Liu Bei favoured her the most but never made her his main wife for fear of her being targeted.)