Chapter 121 Never give up, cherish and protect yourself, and achieve what you have been hoping for...
Jiang Ce had only been back for a few months, just over August, and had only been reunited with Xue Chan for a few days when he received an imperial edict from the capital to Chaoxi.
He was ordered to send his father's remains back to the capital to meet the emperor immediately.
Jiang Ce held the imperial edict, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
In fact, he knew as soon as he returned that there would be such an imperial decree, and that his trip back to the capital was something he should do as a son.
But it happened so fast, so fast that he hadn't even had a chance to say a few words to Xue Chan, or to help her recover her health.
They didn't even have time to celebrate the New Year.
The round trip will take at least eight or nine months. They have already been separated for so long and suffered the pain of separation, and now they have to endure this again after their reunion.
"Heaven has no mercy..."
Jiang Ce raised his head, stood on the stone steps, looked up at the sky and exhaled a long breath, holding back his hot tears.
This matter should be discussed with Xue Chan, but how should we bring it up?
Jiang Ce decided to keep the matter to himself for now, at least until they could have a happy reunion for two days.
He thought it, and he did it.
Xue Chan remained unperturbed, while Jiang's fourth uncle and aunt helped with the preparations.
Jiang Ce's birthday is in early September.
Xue Chan's small family, along with her fourth uncle and aunt's extended family, gathered together to celebrate her birthday.
The birthday banquet was prepared in a hurry, but Jiang Ce had just escaped death and suffered greatly. So even though time was limited, it was still prepared to be lively and festive.
In addition to celebrating his birthday, it also celebrates Youyu's return.
Jiang Ce, as always, loved excitement and never missed a drinking game or any other fun activity.
Yu Yu, who has always been shy, seems to have grown up a bit since her return. She followed Jiang Ce around, joining in the fun and even winning quite a few prizes.
The banquet continued into the night, with toasts still being exchanged and laughter filling the air.
Xue Chan was still recovering from a serious illness and shouldn't have been burdened with such an ordeal, but she still did her best to prepare a birthday banquet.
She held on until almost midnight before quietly having someone help her back home.
The autumn chill in Chaoxi is much more intense, and at night it feels even more like the wind is sharp and the frost is biting.
"Cough cough cough"
As Xue Chan walked, she couldn't help but cough a few times.
Yun Sheng supported her with great concern: "Alas, so much joy and so much sorrow."
In truth, everyone kept it a secret from Xue Chan, not wanting her to suffer the pain of separation again when she recovered from her illness. But Yun Sheng, who had endured it for so long, could no longer help but feel so sorrowful.
Xue Chan smiled and said, "Don't worry, I just caught a bit of a chill. I'll be fine after I drink some hot tea when I get back."
Yun Sheng simply lowered his head and said nothing.
Just after passing through the Treasure Bottle Gate, a glimmer of light appeared in the distance, followed by a series of footsteps.
Before anyone could react, Jiang Ce had already walked up to them with a lantern and was speaking resentfully to Xue Chan.
"How could you leave without saying goodbye, leaving me alone at the table to be forced to drink? You really have no conscience."
He didn't forget to poke Xue Chan's heart.
The others quietly stepped back, letting Jiang Ce accompany Xue Chan.
Xue Chan smiled helplessly as always: "Seeing you having so much fun, I don't want to disturb you."
Jiang Ce rubbed his hands together to warm them and then used them to comfort her: "I just want to be with you..."
As they walked, Xue Chan suddenly stopped, tilted her head, and smiled at him.
"My legs are so tired, can you carry me?"
Jiang Ce immediately carried her back.
Xue Chan put her arms around his shoulders and leaned her head against him, looking somewhat tired.
The two of them remained silent, leaning on each other as they walked back to the house.
The room was warm and cozy, so warm that Xue Chan was already starting to feel sleepy.
"Go to bed and sleep."
Jiang Ce gently shook her, but only a soft, muffled sound came from the crook of her neck.
"I don't want to walk, I'm too lazy to move, you serve me."
Jiang Ce said, "Alright, I'll serve you."
He served her extremely well, without troubling Xue Chan in the slightest and without her having to exert any effort.
Xue Chan, wrapped in a blanket, leaned against him, letting Jiang Ce comb her hair.
Her long hair was loose, and he combed it gently and slowly. Perhaps it was too gentle, because Xue Chan couldn't help but curl up in his arms.
"I wish it could stay like this forever."
Jiang Ce paused slightly, choked up a little, exhaled quietly, and laughed, "Think about it, I'll comb your hair every time from now on, and I guarantee it won't be any worse than your maids'."
Xue Chan chuckled and blew her head onto his shoulder.
Jiang Ce put down the comb and wrapped his arms around her.
The coals in the furnace crackled and popped, and he felt his heart pounding.
After hugging for a while, Jiang Ce raised his hand and cupped her face. He just looked down at her, his eyes slightly filled with tears, but he couldn't say anything.
What should I say?
Wait for me to come back?
But to be separated so soon after meeting is so cruel.
Xue Chan blinked, waiting for him to speak.
Jiang Ce shut his mouth and earnestly rubbed Xue Chan's face until it turned red.
"I……"
Xue Chan raised her hand, hooked her arm around his neck, pulled him down, cupped his face, and kissed him hard, saying earnestly.
I'll wait for you to come back.
"Green Eyebrow and I are both waiting for you to come back."
Jiang Ce simply pulled her into the tent and said, "After this parting, it will probably be a long time before we meet again. Please give me a farewell gift."
The tall candle burned all night, and tears flowed intermittently.
Jiang Ce still left, taking with him the things Xue Chan had prepared for him in advance, and headed to the capital.
With him gone, Xue Chan's days became busy and mundane, as she lost her source of amusement.
He traveled around with Xue Chenghuai, played with the younger sisters of the Jiang family, and corresponded with Xiao Yangjun.
In his spare time, he tends to flowers and plants, plays the zither and paints, and occasionally opens letters sent by Jiang Ce and displays descriptions of the scenery along the way.
This farewell was quite different from the past. Last time, she left with pain, finding solace in nature and seeking healing.
This time, there is more anticipation than expectation.
Xue Chan felt that she could be considered an honest person, and she looked forward to the reunion and the days to come.
Perhaps what we carry with us is no longer pain; the days pass quickly and we are busy.
Jiang Ce has been gone for three months and has already arrived in the capital.
Xue Chan spent the New Year happily with everyone in Chaoxi.
Fireworks burst forth in the snow, each spark a reminder of her past and her future.
Bright and beautiful.
Spring begins right after the New Year; the old year has passed and the new year has begun.
Jiang Ce, however, was still in the capital, too busy to spare any time.
She didn't know at first, but she couldn't resist the complaints in his letter.
The letter, sent in early spring, was received by Xue Chan in early spring, by which time the morning stream was already warm.
Willow branches hang long and deep crimson, peach blossoms bloom like rosy clouds.
This letter was actually quite different; it contained no complaints, only her concerns.
"Xi Tuan has grown a few years older and gotten fatter. As for Niannian, I don't know who led her astray, she has also become naughty. Lan Yu still has a sharp tongue. Who do you think taught her that? Was it Zheng Shaoyu or You Yu? It should be one of them. I feel it's my brother. He likes to do this kind of thing, and he has a history of it."
Xue Chan didn't know who it was either, but this matter was likely to remain a mystery for many years.
Neither of them could figure it out.
In the same spring, a parrot appeared at the Taoist temple on the banks of the Qinglan River.
The young Taoist priest argued with it every day, complaining that the parrot's mouth became twice as venomous whenever Lord Xiao came.
That's strange, really strange.
I can't figure it out, I really can't figure it out.
Xue Chan put away Jiang Ce's letter, opened the window, and a bright blue bird suddenly jumped in. It hopped and skipped around, its beak never idle.
Did you miss me?
Did you miss me?
Did you miss me?
Xue Chan initially thought she was hallucinating from playing cards with her fourth aunt and the others all night, but then she heard those sleazy, sleazy voices.
Besides their Lan Yu, there's no one else.
She was still processing this sudden situation, unsure whether it was a pleasant surprise or a problem, when a large, snow-white creature darted to the window, its fluffy tail constantly swishing against her.
Xue Chan picked up Xi Tuan, pressed it onto the table, and took two deep breaths.
A woman slowly approached from the side path, holding a rabbit and smiling at her on the stone steps.
"mother"
Standing outside, Madam Yu nodded with a smile: "It's been a long time."
Xue Chan pushed open the door and came out carrying Xi Tuan, then patted the well-behaved Niannian in her arms.
"Why is Mother here? Why didn't anyone tell me? Why wasn't there even a letter?"
She asked several questions in a row, and Lady Yu explained them to her gently and slowly.
"His Majesty and the old lady wish that Erlang's father be buried in his hometown of Chaoxi. As his widow, it is only right and proper for me to return. I didn't tell you this in order to give you a surprise. Erlang asked me to bring them all here first, in anticipation of our reunion."
The two looked at each other and smiled as they walked down the corridor.
With the arrival of Madam Yu and Xi Tuan Nian Nian, the family was almost complete, except for Jiang Ce.
But because they were by her side, Xue Chan's life became more and more fulfilling.
Spring goes and autumn comes, and more than half of the year has passed.
During this long period of time, Xue Chan traveled almost all over Chaoxi, and even worked with Yu Niangzi to renovate the house and build a new home for Xi Tuan and Niannian.
Although Xue Chenghuai used crutches, it didn't hinder him from walking around at all. He even brought new climbing frames and toys for the children.
Days passed by, and another year went by.
My fourth aunt's sixth sister got married.
As the Lantern Festival approached, Yun Sheng and Chu Tao made new clothes and wove new knots for Xi Tuan and the others.
On a whim, Xue Chan and Madam Yu went to the kitchen to prepare glutinous rice balls for the Lantern Festival.
She remembered the old custom of eating sugar cakes during the Lantern Festival in her hometown. So she set up a separate table and started kneading the sugar cakes with a rolling pin. After kneading all the glutinous rice flour into a dough, she divided it into small portions and prepared to roll them into small round cakes.
Lan Yu jumped onto the windowsill and started chattering.
"The annoying guy is back."
Everyone blinked, somewhat puzzled, as Xue Chan left before even putting down her cane.
After passing through two doors, the "annoying little devil" came right in front of me.
Xue Chan stood on the stone steps without moving, but Jiang Ce ran as soon as he saw her, only to suddenly stop when he got close.
He stared at the rolling pin in Xue Chan's hand, then coughed: "I know we were delayed on the way, but you don't have to hit me..."
You deserve it!
Xue Chan swung the rolling pin and hit him with it.
Jiang Ce dodged the stick, caught it, and with a grin, stepped forward and grabbed Xue Chan's hand, putting her on his back.
Xue Chan was startled by his shameless and sudden action, but she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and lay down steadily.
As they walked, Jiang Ce asked, "Did you miss me?"
Xue Chan smiled, reached out and smeared some powder from her hand onto his face, and said with a smile, "Guess."
Jiang Ce nodded and said affirmatively, "Then you miss me."
The two walked through door after door, their figures gradually blending into the deep flowers and trees.
Only the conversation could be faintly heard.
"What are you doing?"
"Mom is making Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls), and Dad went to get some wine. I want to make Yuanxiao cakes like Yuchuan's."
"Great, it seems I've come back just in time."
"You really know how to enjoy life, doing nothing but eating."
"Who said I just ate? Wait until I go into the kitchen and make you some glutinous rice balls, and I'll show you that I'm quite good at it too."
"OK"
"Look, it's spring."
"Yes, it's spring."
Everything—what I liked, what I lost, what I'm waiting for.
They will all return on a day when the willows sprout new buds and the spring streams thaw.
The spring scenery of Chaoxi was captured, painted, and sent to Shangjing and Changzhou, which are thousands of miles away.
She and Jiang Ce presented Li Wu with a wedding gift.
By then, it was already late spring in the capital.
Consort Xue's child has already learned to walk and is very healthy.
As soon as Cheng Huaizhu got home, she received a letter from Xue Chan.
Although she missed Xue Chan very much, she didn't rush to open the letter this time. Instead, she calmly looked at the paintings that had been sent.
Xue Chan sent a total of twelve paintings, depicting the scenery along the route from Shangjing to Chaoxi, representing eight scenes of the four seasons in twelve sections. Xue Chenghuai wrote a postscript for the album titled "Album of Landscapes in the Four Seasons".
Upon seeing the painting, Cheng Huaizhu smiled while tears streamed down her face.
She knew it, she just knew it.
Cheng Huaizhu put the painting away and sat by the window to read the letter.
My sister Huaizhu:
Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person; it's been so long since we last met. I wonder how you are doing? Is your appetite still the same as before?
Please convey my regards to my uncle and aunt.
Now that I think about it, it has been almost two years since we parted, and I miss you terribly, hence this letter.
This great victory has resulted in the recapture of the three cities of Mu'an, Linshui, and Pingtai.
I've heard from old friends that Mu'an was originally an ancient city, home to many famous scholars. At the end of the previous dynasty, due to war, it fell into the hands of the Western Barbarians for many years, and the people suffered greatly from enslavement and hunger.
The elderly with gray hair yearn for their homeland, while the young children with their hair in tufts cannot read.
Not to mention that during his travels, he found the Confucian Temple overgrown with weeds, its walls collapsed and broken, with only birds chirping merrily.
What a pity, what a pity.
Pity, pity.
I feel even more strongly that today's peace is hard-won and should be cherished.
Therefore, the day before yesterday, I went with Bozhou to the countryside of Mu'an to dredge ditches and help with farming and planting. We repaired the Confucian temple, rebuilt the school, and taught the children to read and write. It happened to be Qingming Festival, so we restored the festival rituals and played Han music again. Although the days were ordinary, we found peace and joy.
On a rainy day, I rode my horse across the spring plains, seeking ancient paths and visiting secluded places. I discovered an old stone wall with poems and inscriptions written by distinguished scholars a hundred years ago when they gathered and drank together.
Looking at the scene and reading the inscription, one seems to sense the joyous revelry of yesteryear. Yet, long ravaged by war, weathered by rain and frost, and overgrown with moss, this place is desolate and bleak, a far cry from its former glory. A profound sense of loss arises within me, making me realize that a hundred years of life is but a fleeting moment. Just as the Orchid Pavilion Preface says, 'In the blink of an eye, it is all history.'
In my youth, I was arrogant and overconfident, believing that everything I saw and walked to was the whole world. Now, at twenty-four, having traversed mountains and rivers, I realize the vastness of the sky, the immensity of the earth, and the breadth of my own heart. I also feel that people are like a speck of dust on a river, a grain of sand in the vast ocean, small and adrift.
The world is so vast, and we are so insignificant; a sense of melancholy arises from this.
That night, I tossed and turned, then rose to drink with Mo Zhou under the moon. We talked of the eternity of the sun and moon, and the permanence of the stars. Drunk, we walked on the rooftop in the wind. Feeling lightheaded, I spontaneously recited Meng Dongye's poem "Yong Huai," particularly the line, "If this joy is not fulfilled, this heart will never rest," which deeply moved me.
Even if the heavens and earth are vast and the events are fleeting, what does it matter?
My ambition should be like the Yangtze River flowing into the sea, never ceasing.
Huaizhu, recently I've had a recurring dream of the past. Back then, we were young, and in spring we'd wander through flowers and willows, in the height of summer we'd gather lotus and float melons, in the clear autumn we'd chase fireflies and fish for crabs, and in the winter solstice we'd gather around the stove to roast chestnuts. We'd also sit side by side under the window, reading and practicing calligraphy, and at night we'd sleep in the same bed. The memories are hazy, and my heart is filled with longing.
Little sister, don't be sad. It's not that I'm heartless to leave you, but separation and reunion are common occurrences.
Though we are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, our hearts are close. Our love is as steadfast as a rock and as fragrant as an orchid. Through autumn geese returning in spring, through winter's withering and summer's flourishing, we will surely meet again.
I imagine that by the time you receive this letter, spring has already passed and summer is approaching in the capital. The heat is gradually rising, so please do not consume too much cold food or drink. At night, you may feel hot and crave coolness, and if you do not cover yourself with a blanket, you may attract cold and fall ill.
May you enjoy many delicious foods, sleep soundly through the night, and live a long and healthy life.
When we meet again, the willows along the Wei River will be swaying gently, and the spring sunshine will be brilliant. At midday, the weather will be fine, and we will stroll hand in hand, just like before.
Please take good care of yourself and pray for what you have been hoping for.
Sister, you're too plain.
On a spring night in the year Dingmao, I stayed at my secluded residence in the countryside near Mu'an, beneath my window.
"over"
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The author's note: After many stumbles and trials, and numerous experiments, I've finally finished writing this.
Xiao Xue and Xiao Jiang will stay with their furry friends for life.
Sprinkling flowers! Sprinkling flowers!
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