『Chronicles of the Heroes of Groups Two and Three: The Legend of Tiger Tooth Tomato』 - Cricket Boy

#LittleIntel# Here it comes, here it comes, another important character in the Tancheng incident. After boasting about it for a long time, Tomato's account of the Tancheng incident is finally going to be revealed to friends. (Hehe, for those who really waited a long time, please give flowers~) Writing such novel plots really cost me quite a few brain cells. I hope the plot I've come up with will be liked by friends. The concept of “Tiger Fang” is something I thought of recently: unlike in the earlier Tomato Chronicles where it was a profession, it can be said to be more of a metaphor or symbol. Heroes naturally rise in times of war and chaos, and on the 7723 Continent, there are outstanding talents such as strategists and wise men. And among the strategists, there are four major ones named after sacred beasts, praised by people: Dragon Whisker, Tiger Fang, Sparrow Wing, and Martial Shell. Hey, just mentioning it for now. \(The plot is purely for novel purposes. If Tomato himself is reading, just a heads up, please don't mind some of the plot arrangements.)\ Taking up the pen again to continue is very important to prove that Aoxiang is still here on 7723. —Blessings to Aoxiang.\_____In an environment surrounded by smoke and turmoil, Tancheng keeping itself intact is not easy.\_____Many people relying on Tancheng have risked everything for it, even their lives, yet Tancheng has not returned their efforts in equal measure… not even what they deserved.\_____Tomato's father was one of those “forgotten” by Tancheng.\_____Tomato's family is one of many low-level families in Tancheng. Like many common families, because it was a period of frequent wars, all able-bodied young men went to reinforce city defenses, leaving the farm work to women and children who were not yet grown. Influenced by traditional education, believing that joining the army is honorable and working hard can lift them out of poverty, young Tomato and his mother, though living a hard life, still lived with hope.\_____In fact, after seeing his father wear soldier armor, young Tomato secretly envied it, planting the expectation of growing up to become a majestic general.\_____But the hope that Tomato's family held seemed to change completely after sudden misfortune struck.One day, after Tomato and his mother finished a day of hard work, a relative came to their door, panting, to inform them that just the day before yesterday, a group of roaming bandits had climbed the walls of Tancheng, but were discovered by the patrolling soldiers. They then drew their knives and fought with the soldiers. Among the soldiers responsible for guarding that part of the city was Tomato's father. There was still no news on the outcome of this incident. At first, Tomato's family felt that this was something to gain merit from, something honorable. However, when this relative came to visit again, the entire family fell into a suffocating silence. The news the relative brought was that the bandits were successfully suppressed: the vast majority were arrested on the spot, while a few jumped off the city wall and fled into the wilderness outside Tancheng. Some of the soldiers wanted to take advantage of the situation to eliminate the potential threat, so they went down from the walls to pursue the fleeing bandits. But they did not expect that there were still more bandits. The pursuing soldiers were hit by arrows shot from the forest and all fell… Later, other soldiers carried them back, and after roll call, it was confirmed that Tomato's father was among that group of soldiers.\_____When listening the first time, Tomato's mother's expression froze; she did not cry. She had the relative repeat the story again without explaining why. When the relative hadn't finished, she let out a 'woo' sound and collapsed unconscious. The relative bit their lip and said, 'So tragic!' Yet Tomato, tears streaming down his face, gritted his teeth and shouted in protest, 'No! Father isn't tragic! He did exactly what he truly wanted to do!' Everyone in the house stared in shock at Tomato, who was both furious and crying. After shouting this, Tomato ran out, crying bitterly. Someone in the house tried to stop him and say something, but ultimately gave up.\_____Tomato cried for a long time beside the creek where his father used to take him fishing. When he was exhausted, he lay down on the grass and fell asleep unconsciously. All night, Tomato did not return home. In a hazy dreamlike state, Tomato heard his father calling out to him. He got up and, in the distance, saw scattered points of light. He recognized the reflection—the light came from his father's usual military uniform. Was this his father coming to him, calling him to go home together? Tomato immediately stood from the grass and hurried toward the shining light, almost stumbling. His tear-streaked face showed panic, yet joy.However, when Tomato got closer, he didn't see what he hoped to see. No, to be precise, he didn't see his father.\_____But, there was indeed someone in a military uniform in his sight, and he even bumped into him. The frail Tomato fell on his backside after hitting someone, and squinting up, the smile on his mouth froze. Through the thin pre-dawn mist, Tomato saw a serious and unfamiliar face with pursed lips and a sidelong glance staring at him, and his dim expression instantly turned to terror. He… isn't going to hit me, is he? Seeing that the soldier was about to speak, Tomato didn't dare to look at him again and scrambled to run home.\_____Once he got home, he found his mother, who should have already been in the fields, was at home. Tomato silently ran straight to his own room. He squatted by the door, catching his breath. Now, that soldier couldn't catch him. As he gradually calmed down, Tomato thought of something: he had only seen those selected to become soldiers leave, and up until now, he hadn't seen anyone return. How could there be a soldier coming to this poor place? At that moment, a voice came from outside the door, a strong male voice that Tomato had never heard at home. Tomato was stunned for a moment, turned around, and slightly opened the door, peering out through a gap no wider than one eye. When he realized who the voice belonged to, Tomato gasped.\_____It was the soldier he had bumped into! He was at the doorstep, talking to his mother about something.\_____Why? Why would that soldier know where my home is? Just for bumping into him, would I be caught? Would I be killed, and then die like Dad? No! I don't want to, I don't want to die like that—it's too humiliating to die like that… Tomato quickly glanced at the open window, thinking of escaping, but then he thought of his mother, his only remaining support. Right! I have to face it courageously like Dad! Tomato put his gaze back through the gap in the door, but his expression instantly turned pale.\_____Tomato watched helplessly as his mother, after hearing what the soldier said, suddenly fell to the ground with an expression of utter disbelief. Without thinking any further, Tomato pushed the door open, ran forward, and stood between them, blocking his mother and stopping the soldier from reaching out to her. The soldier widened his eyes and looked at Tomato: “You are…” Tomato glared at him angrily and shouted, “I! I am her son!”“Why are you looking for me? Don't even think about hurting my mom!” The soldier paused for a moment, then gave a slightly bitter smile: “So it turns out, the person we met before was his son. Was all this arranged by fate? Seems like father and son share the same traits…” Tomato noticed the soldier was somehow sighing with emotion, and as his gaze shifted away from her, she quickly turned to her mother and said, “Mom, let's take this chance to leave quickly…” However, her mother seemed to have been struck by some shock and didn't recover, muttering her father's name and the words ‘Your death was wasted.' Tomato anxiously pushed her mother and asked, “Mom! What's wrong? What about Dad?”\_____“I am a squad leader in your father's unit.” While Tomato was questioning her mother, the soldier behind her placed his hand on her shoulder. Tomato trembled, trying to shake off his hand, shouting, “Let go of me!” But the soldier held her shoulders with both hands, turning the struggling Tomato to face him. “I'm here to convey the city lord's notice regarding the handling of deceased soldiers. As family members of soldiers, it's necessary for you to know…” Tomato deliberately turned her gaze away from his face, but upon hearing this, turned to listen. Tomato saw that he was looking at her too, but with a furrowed brow, that slightly serious expression on his face. Did he just say he was ‘his' son? So this person really knew her father? “Your father was an outstanding soldier. He was brave and skillful in battle. During the previous bandit attack incident, he played a major role in successfully repelling the bandits… It's a shame that such a valiant man met a tragic end.” Tomato lowered her eyes slightly, remaining silent. “However, acting on one's own without reporting or following orders is a serious violation of military discipline… So the city lord received two reports: one reporting the violation of discipline, and the other reporting their deaths. And in the end, the notice I received was that, including your father, the soldiers who disregarded orders and acted on their own died, but due to their merits in defeating bandits and protecting the city, their deeds and faults balanced out, so there would be no further punishment. Families are to be informed to claim the bodies on an appointed day and arrange burial. It is for this reason that I am here…” Tomato's eyes widened. She didn't fully understand what the soldier meant, but his words made her uneasy. “So what does that mean? Was Dad praised?”\_____Looking at Tomato's anxious eyes, the sergeant seemed somewhat unable to face him. The sergeant was conflicted about something in his heart, but in the end, he sighed and shook his head at Tomato: 'No, your father did something wrong and cannot be praised; on the contrary, he is guilty. But the city lord did not pursue the matter. So you won't receive any “reward” either; you can only bring him back for burial.'\_____'Are you all brainless? You're all big jerks! How could Dad have done something wrong? Dad drove off the robbers and protected the city! He was the bravest! He died for the city, so why wouldn't he get rewarded, and why is he guilty instead?' Tomato's face turned red as he understood the words, and he directly yelled at the sergeant's face, mouth wide open as if to shout it out.\_____The sergeant endured Tomato's shouting, silently lowering his head.\_____Seeing that he didn't respond, Tomato grew even more anxious and grabbed the collar of his uniform with both hands, crying: 'You… you're lying! Lying… Dad loved this city so much. How could he be guilty for dying for it… Boo! It's you, it's you who killed Dad! Give Dad back to me quickly!' Tomato pulled hard on the sergeant's collar.\_____Suddenly, with a firm face, the man looked up. With a gaze that seemed to beg, he looked at the child, Tomato, and moved his lips: 'I don't dare to hope you can forgive us, because the ones truly deserving death are not the soldiers under my command but this useless commander… I only hope you understand, losing soldiers is extremely painful for me too, yet I could do nothing even if I deserved death…' After saying this, he turned sideways, took out a few ingots of silver from his waist, and placed them into Tomato's mother's hand, who was staring blankly. Then he turned back to Tomato, who was staring intently, biting his lip, and holding on, and continued: 'Your name is Tomato, right? Your father often spoke about you, saying you are brave and clever, even stronger than him, and that your future is boundless. He always believed having a son like you was something to be proud of. Now, I've met the son he spoke of, and he is actually much more impressive than how he described. I feel the same as he did. Now only you can protect your mother. Your father trusts you and believes you won't disappoint his expectations. Live well.'"Tom's wide-open eyes never left Sergeant Wu's face. This person in front of him originally had so many words to scold him with, and yet here he was letting him do it. However, at this moment, Tom couldn't speak; his lips trembled. The hand that had grabbed his collar loosened.\_____He stood up again and helped Tom's mother, who was sitting on the ground, up, and said softly: 'Sister-in-law, this is considered the funeral expenses and modest token from the people of Tan City and the city lord for your older brother. I hope you accept it carefully. Tom is still young, life must go on. In the future, whenever I have the time, I will surely come back to visit you.'\_____After that, Sergeant Wu left. But he never came again, for no reason; not even when Tom's father was buried.\_____During his father's burial, Tom watched as the soil covered his father's coffin and did not cry. Because his heart was no longer young. When the grave was firmly covered, Tom saw a small black thing trembling in the dirt layer—it was a cricket, seemingly injured. Tom bent down, picked it up, and gave a bitter smile: 'Cricket, we share the same suffering.'\_____Afterwards, this cricket became the most important thing Tom carried with him.\_____As for Tan City, what it looked like when his father protected it, Tom no longer recognized it in his heart.
(End of the main content)\Next plot keyword: Involvement\— — — — —\〖Mini Scene〗
(By the way, young Tom ran into a soldier on the road. Seeing the man looking ready to explode, Tom was the first to lash out.)\Tom: Can't you watch where you're going!? Just because you're a soldier and fat, you think you can take up the whole road! Your stomach bumped into my head, and it really hurts!\Soldier (face turning red): You… you!\Tom: What about me? Want to hit me? The soldier bumps into someone and still wants to hit them? Does that make sense?\Soldier (stomping angrily): Get… away!\Tom (squinting): What's wrong, in such a hurry? Whether you bumped into me or I bumped into you, the one who hurts more is the victim. Today, if you don't pay me, I won't let you leave!\Soldier (pushing Tom aside, clutching his groin, and running off down the road, then turning back in a fury, shouting): Damn brat! Death be upon you! Wait right here for the money; I'll deal with you after I go to the toilet!"\Tomato (first he disdainfully stuck out his tongue at him, then tossed the items in his hand, which were a money pouch and a belt. Boastingly): Running into a cheat like you is my bad luck, but, officer, you can take your time, no need to rush. I'm not in pain anymore, so I'll go ahead first.\Officer (grabbing his pants): Quickly... give me back the money pouch! No, return the belt first!