Chapter 1108: Chapter 1107: Choosing Not to Choose Chapter 1108: Chapter 1107: Choosing Not to Choose The general wore a kindly smile, “Today, Counselor Zuo came to report to me, saying that you, Centurion, have collected a large sum of silver for the army. That’s truly remarkable! Tell me, what kind of reward would you like?”

Reward?

Fan Ying almost thought he was hallucinating!

He was merely a centurion, and it was already a great honor just to catch a distant glimpse of the general on any ordinary day!

Today, not only had the general summoned him, but he also spoke so amiably to him and even asked what kind of reward he desired. This was all so surreal that it felt like a dream!

“Hmm? Has the centurion not decided what he wishes for?”

The general’s face was teasing.

Fan Ying’s face immediately flushed, and he hurriedly knelt on one knee: “General, your subordinate, your subordinate doesn’t know… The general’s reward came so suddenly, and I was too overjoyed for a moment. For any misconduct, I hope the general will forgive me!”

“Hahaha…”

Such straightforward words immediately amused everyone at the center of the scene.

Counselor Zuo stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly, “The child’s natural temperament remains unspoiled, truly remarkable indeed!”

As he spoke, he turned toward the general and gave a slight fist greeting, “Mr. General, I find this young man quite extraordinary. So I take the liberty to ask a favor for him. Allow him to go back and thoroughly consider what kind of reward he wants. Once he has decided, he can then come and receive it from Your Honor.”

“This is a good idea! I was thinking the same thing!”

The general slapped his hand on the tea table, then burst into laughter: “Fan Ying, you understood what Counselor Zuo said just now, didn’t you? Go down and think it over carefully, and once you’ve decided what you want, come to find this general. Ah! You may leave.”

“Yes! Your subordinate obeys. Thank you, general, for your great kindness, and thank you, Counselor Zuo, for your strong recommendation!”

Fan Ying hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

It wasn’t until he had left the main tent for a while that he still hadn’t recovered from the series of surprises that just unfolded in front of his eyes.

Dizzy, he made his way toward his own camp tent.

Even as the Deputy Centurion called out to him several times, he didn’t hear him.

“What’s the matter? Centurion, do you have something on your mind?”

Something on his mind? What could he possibly have on his mind.

Fan Ying finally came to his senses and walked briskly back to his tent.

Inside the tent, Fan Baor was pouting and rolling her eyes. Seeing him enter, she turned her head the other way, saying nothing.

Fan Ying paused, looked around, and then turned back, disappointed, “Why aren’t you staying in your own tent? I’ve told you however many times, this is a barracks! It’s not a place you can just roam in and out of as you please! Get out!”

“Why should I get out? Don’t forget what Dad and mom said when we came here, that you are to take good care of me! But look at you! Is this how you take care of me? You treat outsiders way better than you treat me, your own younger sister!”

She couldn’t help but shout.

Fan Ying’s eyebrows instantly knitted together, “You… you are being unreasonable. Get out! Don’t make me say it a third time!”

“Fine, I’ll get out! Do you really think I want to stay in your stinky, smelly tent? You’re the one who’s being unreasonable!”

As Fan Baor spoke, tears cascaded down her face.

She turned around and ran out, crying.

The Deputy Centurion beside him wanted to speak several times but stopped himself, “Your Honor, the miss just came because she was worried that Mr. General might make things difficult for you. She also said that if Mr. General were to hold you accountable, she would take all the blame onto herself. She claimed that the properties were found by her.”

“What a joke! I’ve collected so much silver for the army, why would anyone punish me?”

Fan Ying only now came to his senses, and the expression on his face was slowly returning to normal.

Truth be told, he didn’t care about the intrigue and scheming among those big shots, nor what it might lead to.

What he cared about was the lives of his hundred or so brothers under his command! As long as they could leave the camp tents safe and sound and return in one piece each time, he was satisfied!

“That may be true, but didn’t General execute those clerks and Centurions a few days ago because of these military funds?”

As soon as the Deputy Centurion brought up the matter, the smile on Fan Ying’s face disappeared.

How could he forget such a thing?

It was precisely because he remembered that he was so worried.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Where’s Ah-Niu? Why haven’t I seen him?”

“Naturally, it’s because of your sister’s presence here.”

The Deputy Centurion said teasingly, “You know, although Ah-Niu is a bit simple, his face is really handsome and attracts the eyes of girls. Besides, he seems to be like a lucky star; whenever something happens, as soon as he shows up, the danger turns to safety, and we get through without harm. If he really could become your relative, Mr. General, from now on, you’d have a great help.”

Though he said this, at present, he really didn’t know how to tell outsiders about Fan Baor’s love that had wilted before it could even bud.

“Better not to mention this matter in the future; Ah-Niu never had any such intentions. Forced melons are not sweet, and my sister Fan Ying has to marry an honest man to be right.”

Seeing that Fan Ying seemed uninterested in pursuing the topic, the Deputy Centurion casually talked about other matters in the camp tents before leaving.

Fan Ying’s excitement still hadn’t subsided. He sat in the tent for a while, reliving every facial expression in the main tent in detail, and then quickly ordered someone to find Ah-Niu.

Ah-Niu was slow to arrive.

By the time he got there, Fan Ying had been pacing around the tent for dozens of rounds.

Seeing Ah-Niu enter, he dragged him to the center of the scene and sat down, “Ah-Niu, you’re simply incredible! You don’t know, but let me tell you something that happened today…”

He recounted the events in the main tent that day, including everyone’s reactions.

Ah-Niu listened quietly, his face as dull as ever, without even blinking.

“Ah-Niu, you say… Mr. General said I could choose any reward I wanted, should I really take it? What reward should I pick? Ah-Niu! Ah-Niu, say something!”

He raised his hand and waved it a few times in front of Ah-Niu’s eyes.

Only then did Ah-Niu slowly raise his head, “Don’t pick.”

“Oh, alright, if you say don’t pick, then we won’t… What? You said don’t pick?”

Fan Ying suddenly stood up, looking at him in astonishment. After a while, he finally came to his senses, “Ah-Niu, it was initially your idea to transport all these properties back, and it was you who suggested I donate them to Counselor Zuo. Now you’re telling me not to pick; what exactly do you mean?”

Ah-Niu was still unresponsive as usual, just looking blankly ahead, not moving at all.

Fan Ying, feeling defeated, sat back down, his face filled with dejection, “I really don’t know whether to say you’re pretending to be silly, or if you’re really that foolish… No, wait! You’re not foolish; you simply can’t be bothered to deal with people, right? Sigh…”

Ah-Niu remained motionless as before, not saying a word more.