“Today, I have a few things to discuss,” Qing Mulian said, clearing her throat. “The day before yesterday, we lost three sisters forever. First, I’ll address the arrangements for these sisters and the support for the injured. Then, I’ll reflect on the battle that night.”
This was the female soldiers’ first loss, stirring a sense of shared grief among them. They awaited Qing Mulian’s decisions.
Most new recruits, from families without men, were their households’ breadwinners, joining the militia out of desperation. They didn’t fear death but worried that if they died in battle, their families would have no support. Promises were empty without action, and only tangible measures could ease their concerns.
The compensation for fallen soldiers and support for the injured were outlined in their contracts, which simply needed to be followed. In essence, it came down to money being delivered.
For Qing Mulian’s wealth, this was a small matter, but it relieved the female soldiers of their worries.
Then, Qing Mulian moved on to the battle itself. “We train alongside the male soldiers, and we’re not far behind in any task. So why, on the battlefield with real blades, did we perform so much worse than the men?”
Standing on the platform, she analysed the reasons for the failure. The female soldiers listened silently, many lowering their heads. They knew their overall performance was poor. The men held off most bandits without a single loss, while three female soldiers died.
Just as the women felt disheartened, Qing Mulian shifted tone. “Though our overall performance was lacking, a few sisters shone brightly, earning the men’s cooperation. I want to commend them here.”
All eyes turned to A-Mei, standing below the platform. “The master said the masses have sharp eyes, and it’s true. You all know A-Mei made a huge difference,” Qing Mulian said. “Without her, we’d have lost far more than three sisters.”
The female soldiers nodded in agreement, looking at A-Mei, who remained expressionless, as if the praise wasn’t about her.
“Besides A-Mei, two others deserve special recognition,” Qing Mulian said, turning to the ranks. “Xiao Yu, A-Pei, step forward!”
Xiao Yu and A-Pei exchanged a glance and stepped to the front.
“In this battle, Xiao Yu was the first recruit to take up arms against the bandits. She helped A-Ju and others kill one bandit and wound two others. Let’s applaud Xiao Yu!” Qing Mulian led the clapping, and the female soldiers followed eagerly.
Once the applause died down, she continued, “As for A-Pei, you all saw her performance. She was the second recruit to act, killing two bandits alone, wounding two others, and, with A-Ju’s help, taking down three more. Besides A-Mei, she killed the most enemies. Applaud A-Pei!”
The applause was even louder, making A-Pei blush with embarrassment.
“Our female militia is fair. Mistakes are criticised and punished, but merits are praised and rewarded,” Qing Mulian said. “For their outstanding performance, A-Mei, Xiao Yu, and A-Pei will each receive ten taels of silver. Xiao Yu and A-Pei are promoted to squad leaders, with doubled wages!”
The crowd gasped. For most female soldiers, the heavy silver was the best praise. Ten taels was a fortune for mountain folk, igniting excitement and regret among them. Why hadn’t they been the first to fight? They were all female recruits, yet A-Pei killed so many. If only they’d been braver, they might have earned ten taels and doubled wages, easing their families’ lives.
Xiao Yu and A-Pei were thrilled. A-Pei, who’d boasted to Qing Mulian about her strength surpassing men’s, indeed outmuscled most. This explained her high kill count. Bandits underestimated female soldiers, but A-Pei’s heavy blade overwhelmed them. Her ferocity and relentless attacks, fighting as if her life depended on it, left her with six wounds, though none fatal. She felt it was worth it.
A-Pei, from a family where the men died early, did all the heavy work, building her strength. Farming yielded barely a few coppers yearly, but killing bandits earned her ten taels—a bargain. Xiao Yu, meanwhile, was elated at her promotion, feeling she’d proven herself.
“Now, the second matter,” Qing Mulian said, striking a gong to quiet the crowd. “In this battle, many sisters didn’t know what to do against the bandits—a serious issue. After discussing with the master and Brother Liang, starting tomorrow, we’ll add combat drills to training. The losing side gets half rations for dinner!”
“What’s a combat drill?” the female soldiers asked, curious.
“It means treating the male soldiers as bandits and fighting them with full effort,” Qing Mulian explained.
“What if we get hurt?” a soldier asked. With real weapons and full-force fighting, injuries were likely.
“The master will have the smelting workshop make blunted training swords. Until they’re ready, we’ll use wooden sticks,” Qing Mulian said.
“Sounds good,” the female soldiers nodded.
“Since everyone’s fine with that, I’ll move to the next matter,” Qing Mulian said. “The master wants to select some of you to form a medical unit. Anyone interested can sign up.”
“Medical unit?” Many soldiers looked puzzled.
“Sir, why don’t you explain?” Qing Mulian said, smiling as she pulled Jin Feng onto the platform.
“A medical unit, as the name suggests, is a team of army doctors. Their main task isn’t fighting but treating wounded comrades in battle,” Jin Feng explained. “If you want to join, sign up with Mulian later. Those selected will skip afternoon training and meet me at the smelting workshop.”
