Chapter 638: Growth!
Translator: Lordbluefire
Surrounded like this, Shen Ruojing turned her head to look at the noble ladies around her.
Some of them could no longer bear the teasing. Their eyes were turning red, and they looked around in fear and unease. Some had even crouched down, hugging their knees and gazing painfully at their surroundings.
Shen Ruojing watched them.
Yan Zixuan, standing nearby with his arms crossed, also looked at them.
He first noticed that Shen Ruojing had no reaction, probably because she had seen many men in China and was not afraid at all. This was not surprising, but what Yan Zixuan hadn’t expected was that besides the little maid who was always closely following Shen Ruojing without fear, Luo Yan didn’t back down either.
Although she covered her waist with one hand, she also glared back at the group of men with a fierce look in her eyes, like a little puppy with its claws out, not realizing that her appearance had no deterrent effect.
Compared to the other noble ladies who were frightened and crouching down, hugging their bodies, Luo Yan seemed… cute?
…..
Cute again?
Yan Zixuan immediately discarded the thought in his mind. What was wrong with him today? Maybe it was because he hadn’t seen a woman for so long that he was developing feelings for such a rude and ill-mannered woman.
Yes, it was time to go home and pamper his two concubines.
His mother used to say that a man should not always be cooped up in the barracks, or he would go mad.
He didn’t believe it at first, but now he thought that it might be true.
As Yan Zixuan was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Shen Ruojing’s voice. “What are you afraid of?”
Shen Ruojing stared at the noble ladies who were crouching on the ground, trembling and hugging their knees. After she finished speaking, they raised their heads and looked at her.
Shen Ruojing’s eyes were gentle and polite. She knew that it took courage for these women to escape the inner courtyard, and not everyone could be fearless like Luo Yan.
Just like in China’s feudal society, would you let a woman raised in a secluded chamber go to the barracks and be stared at by many men?
Modern people might not think it was a big deal, but for these ladies, they might feel that their innocence had been lost.
So, after saying that, Shen Ruojing encouraged everyone. “Nowadays, men and women are equal. Don’t be afraid. If they look at us, we can treat them like cabbages, or we can lookback at them!”
Treating them like cabbages was a phrase of encouragement used in China when people go on stage for the first time.
At this moment, the phrase seemed quite fitting for the situation.
The noble ladies couldn’t help but raise their heads, looking at the people around them. If the person staring at them with malicious eyes was a cabbage, maybe it wouldn’t be so scary?
Perhaps it was the deterrent power of Shen Ruojing’s words, or perhaps it was the comforting meaning in her voice, but the noble ladies gradually calmed down. When they looked at the group of men again, there was much less fear in their hearts.
Seeing that they were no longer trembling, Shen Ruojing continued, “Can you stand up?”
There were two meanings in this sentence.
One was the literal meaning. “Can you stand up now? How can you move forward while crouching like this?”
The second meaning was… “Can the women of Country A stand up?”
The noble ladies understood and exchanged glances, seeing encouragement in each other’s eyes.
These noble ladies had received systematic and high-quality training, having attended aristocratic girls’ schools and possessing impressive personal qualities.
So, they helped each other stand up.
One by one…
Eventually, everyone stood up, gathering their courage to look at the group of men around them.
The soldiers were a bit confused, not understanding what was going on, but that didn’t stop them from joking around.
“Wow, this girl has guts! She dares to look at me!”
“Hahaha, these ladies seem pretty feisty, interesting!”
“Hey, General, aren’t women not allowed in the barracks? So, who are they? Did the army invite celebrities to perform for us? Is it because they think we’ve been training too hard lately?”
“Yeah, General, we haven’t had a proper rest in half a month for the upcoming martial arts competition. Is this a day off for us?”
Everyone was talking and making comments.
Just as Yan Zixuan was about to say something, Luo Yan immediately snapped. “Perform for you? You wish! I think you should demonstrate a formation for us first. Do you even know who we are?”
After saying that, Luo Yan pointed to Shen Ruojing.. “Upon seeing Princess Shen Ruojing, shouldn’t you kneel and pay your respects?”