Listening to the old man boast, Li Huowang gradually learned the life story of the young gong-beater.
It was quite an inspirational tale. The Hou family hadn't always been so wealthy; in fact, they used to be dirt poor.
The few acres of low-quality fields they owned were nowhere near enough to feed their large family, so the youth had no choice but to go out and beg.
However, Li Huowang remained skeptical about the "General" the old man mentioned. In his telling, any officer in the camp was a "General."
"Sigh, the old days weren't this good. We had no food or drink at home and only one pair of pants for the whole family. Whoever was going out got to wear them."
Hearing the man's wistful sighs, Li Huowang offered a few absentminded replies.
After chatting for a while, his sense of pride fully satisfied, the old man clasped his hands behind his back and shuffled away toward a distant courtyard flanked by two stone lions.
