Seeing that there was not the slightest trace of sympathy in everyone’s eyes, Chen Youzai began crying weakly again. Apart from crying, he could not think of any other way to vent. These people could not understand what he was saying, he did not understand this place, and he did not even dare imagine what suffering prisoners would endure… The moment he thought of all this, Chen Youzai felt as if he were already on the verge of collapse.
Such tearful, delicate sobbing even softened the gaze of the burly man who was resting. He had not expected that such an ugly face could actually make such a soul-stirring sound.
While the commotion was still going on, a group of officers walked over from not far away. Everyone present consciously knelt properly, and even those who had been making the most noise at first hurriedly lowered their heads, quietly waiting for instructions. Chen Youzai realized that everyone around him had fallen silent, so he also stopped crying loudly, crawled up as if rolling around, and knelt on the ground in a strange posture.
Listening to the conversation between the officers and runners, Chen Youzai more or less understood the general idea. Specifically, most of the people here would be sent to garrison the frontier, open up wasteland and farm, build bridges, and repair roads… Among the newly arrived batch, those with strong bodies would be picked out to join the army. As for young people with proper looks and quick movements, they might also be reduced to household slaves for local officials.
When Chen Youzai heard this, it seemed that among these possible outcomes, only the last one could be considered somewhat easy. Setting aside his emotions, Chen Youzai realized that the most important thing right now was to find himself a slightly more comfortable path.
The moment Chen Youzai heard the words “proper looks,” he knew hope had arrived. If the most handsome person in the world could not be considered proper-looking, then was there anyone here whose mouth was not crooked and eyes not slanted?
Chen Youzai had originally been kneeling at the back of the line, but once he heard what the officers in front said, he immediately straightened his back and shifted on his knees toward a more conspicuous place, trying to attract the officers’ attention.
One officer did indeed notice Chen Youzai not far away and walked directly to his side, lowering his head to take a look. Chen Youzai also very confidently raised his head for him to see. After quite a while, that officer turned and went elsewhere. Other officers also came over to examine Chen Youzai. After going back and forth like this for several minutes, those officers finally left the crowd.
It should be practically certain now, right? Just now, I was the one who received the most attention, Chen Youzai secretly thought, unable to help sighing that a person’s face really was a revolutionary weapon.
After a while, the burly man who had whipped Chen Youzai earlier walked over again and roared for everyone to set off and move stones.
Upon hearing this, even those who looked sickly and weak had no choice but to struggle quickly to their feet. In an instant, not a single person remained on that patch of ground. Only Chen Youzai still knelt there without moving, appearing extremely conspicuous.
Watching the burly man walk toward him, Chen Youzai could not help feeling lingering fear. He secretly clenched his fists. No matter what, he would risk it. How many chances did one get in life to fight for something?
“If I’ve been chosen, then I don’t have to move stones now, right?”
The burly man sized up this person whose behavior had been strange all along with an odd gaze, making no movement at all.
Seeing the burly man’s face full of confusion, Chen Youzai immediately guessed that perhaps he could not understand what he was saying. Thinking this, Chen Youzai hurriedly activated those billions of brain cells and organized his words in the shortest possible time.
“This humble commoner has a matter to inquire. Earlier, those officers selected candidates here. When shall notice be given? If I am fortunate enough to be chosen, must I still continue laboring with others among these mountains and fields?”
Seeing that the burly man’s expression still did not look good, Chen Youzai quickly added, “After you answer, just stick a ‘ye’ at the end and that’ll do… No, no… sorry!… It shall also suffice if thou addest the word ‘ye’ at the end of thine answer.”
Elio’s Notes: Here, Chen Youzai is trying to imitate “ancient-style” speech because he thinks the people in this world cannot understand modern language. The joke is that he assumes adding the Classical Chinese sentence-ending particle 也 to the end of a sentence will make his speech sound properly ancient. In translation, this can be shown by keeping “ye” in quotes, since it is not meant to be translated for meaning but to preserve the comedy of his awkward imitation.
Chen Youzai grinned broadly, only to scream miserably in the next second. The burly man’s whip lashed mercilessly across this delicate body, leaving savage brown marks behind. As he whipped him, he roared loudly, “Go move stones! You don’t get any food today.”
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment