On a windy and snowy night, the dim light of the lantern illuminates the area three feet below.
A maid held a lantern to light the way. Jiang Yushu walked briskly, approaching a little closer. Suddenly, a few words of conversation drifted down the wind:
“No, no, no!”
Tuning County Magistrate Sun Jie shook his head repeatedly and patted his chest, "Don't worry, I didn't say a word. I just came to consult your wife about a difficult official matter."
Guo Honglei was a little worried, "Are you serious?"
"Absolutely true!"
The wind was biting cold. Sun Jie raised his hand to hold down his hat and sighed regretfully. "This should have been a mutually agreed-upon matter, but it's pointless if you're so eager. We've tried to negotiate several times before, and I've lost heart. I won't force anything."
Guo Honglei whispered, "I'm sorry."
"What's there to apologize for? Alas, it's all because I'm unlucky." Sun Jie's thoughts raced, but he pretended to be relieved. "I've been so hasty in trying to match them up a few times before. I hope you'll forgive me for any impoliteness I caused."
"That's fine." Guo Honglei said politely, "Actually, it's just that I'm unlucky."
The wind was howling and the conversation was vague. Jiang Yushu could only hear fragments of what was said and didn't quite understand.
What were they talking about? She felt suspicious and stopped half a meter away. She said calmly, "It's cold outside. Come into the hall and sit down and talk."
Guo Honglei was dressed in a neat military uniform, smiling and nodding at his wife. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and was tall and handsome.
"No, no." Sun Jie waved his hand and said apologetically, "We came uninvited and disturbed you for so long. It's already very rude. It's getting dark, so it's time to leave. I'll ask Special Envoy Jiang about farming another day."
Sun's wife, with her entourage, stood behind her husband and echoed, "I'm really sorry to bother you."
Jiang Yushu said politely, "Madam, you're welcome. It's getting dark, and if you two don't mind, how about staying for a quick meal?"
"Why would I dislike it? It's just that unfortunately, I still have some unfinished business at the government office, so I have to take my leave."
"Is that so?" Jiang Yushu smiled and said, "Well, official business is more important. I dare not force you to stay."
The host invited the guest to leave, and after a few polite words, the couple escorted the guest out.
Night · Westinghouse
It is the dead of winter and the nights are extremely cold.
With his parents by his side, Guo Ye played excitedly for a long time and fell asleep early due to exhaustion. As usual, he followed Aunt Pan and the wet nurse to rest in the east room because the baby needed to be fed in the middle of the night.
The couple lived in the west room.
The kang was heated just right, driving away the severe cold and bringing warmth.
Jiang Yushu stared intently as she carefully applied the medicine. Suddenly, she said, "Oh! So, County Magistrate Sun wanted to marry his daughter to you?"
"He has some friendship with General Song. He mentioned it several times, but I declined." Guo Honglei's shirt was wide open, revealing his broad and strong chest. There were several old scars on his chest and abdomen, and a new wound on his left shoulder. It was not healed yet and was bleeding slightly.
"Is the madam angry?"
Jiang Yushu smiled. "You've already rejected me, so why are you still angry? I'm not jealous!" She leaned in to examine the wound. "Does it hurt?"
Guo Honglei downplayed it, saying, "It's just a minor flesh wound, it doesn't hurt."
Jiang Yushu was worried and sighed, "With flesh and blood, how can I not feel pain? Oh, you're injured again. The scars on your body are getting more and more every year."
"Isn't it ugly? Does my wife dislike it?" Guo Honglei was calm.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Jiang Yushu glanced at him with a hint of anger, bandaged the wound carefully, and said softly, "Scars are a man's medal, proving you're a brave hero. I admire you so much, how could I despise you? But you're not just 'Captain Guo,' you're also the head of the family. Everyone in the family, from top to bottom, must be worried about you."
"The Beiqi people live deep in the grasslands. There are many tribes, and they live wherever there is water and grass. They are cunning and use many tricks to attack us. It's hard to defend against them, and the danger is thriving." Jiang Yushu had been worried for a long time and couldn't help asking:
"I often wonder, when will you be able to return home?"
"Return home?" Guo Honglei was stunned.
Without waiting for the other party to react, Jiang Yushu sighed inwardly, quickly cheered up, and said lightly: "Hahaha, just a joke! You are young and at the right age to serve your country. It's too early to talk about retiring and returning home."
"It's not impossible for me to retire, but considering my future and the family, I have to fight for a few more years."
Guo Honglei hugged her, foreheads touching, and whispered, "According to common sense, unless I'm disabled or killed, I have to fight for at least two more battles—"
"Stop talking, it's unlucky!"
Jiang Yushu had experienced the chaos of war and was extremely averse to words like "disabled" and "killed in action." She said firmly, "Heaven has eyes, and our ancestors are spirits. They will surely bless you to be safe until you are freed from the army! Since the court trusts you and your superiors appreciate you, you should focus on guarding the border and realizing your ambitions."
"Guarding the border, defending the country and protecting the family is a man's duty, and it's only natural." Guo Honglei felt helpless. "But once I return to the camp, I won't be able to take care of my family. I'll leave all the big and small matters at home to you... I feel guilty."
"Captain, you are wrong!"
Jiang Yushu said seriously, "Although you can't go home often, as long as the pillar of the family is safe, the family will be safe. As for the housework, my sister-in-law and I will take care of it, and Ye'er's third and fourth uncles will take care of it. With the help of the experienced housekeeper, you can rest assured."
Guo Honglei hugged her tightly, leaning back against the pillow, his expression solemn as he promised, "It's only a matter of time before I retire and return home. I hope that one day I can lead my entire family back to the capital!"
“Although the frontier has beautiful scenery, simple folk customs, and most of my comrades are generous, it is not home after all.”
Guo Honglei's eyes were firm as he slowly said, "The capital is our hometown. Fallen leaves return to their roots. We must return home."
Who doesn’t like a stable and prosperous life?
Moreover, now that they have a child, the burden on the parents' shoulders becomes even heavier.
Jiang Yushu nodded in agreement. "Yes, fallen leaves return to their roots! The capital is the most stable and prosperous place in the world, and it's also where our ancestral graves are. Of course we have to go back."
Guo Honglei was full of fighting spirit. "Besides, we must return in glory and avenge our previous humiliation!"
Back then, the whole family was paraded through the streets and forced to leave their hometown in disgrace, which made the young boy extremely embarrassed. The feeling of shame was deeply engraved in his mind and he would never forget it.
"Return to the capital in glory?" Jiang Yushu rested her head on his right shoulder, looking up at him.
Guo Honglei said solemnly, "This is both my responsibility and my wish. Otherwise, I would be ashamed to face my father after I die. My mother never mentioned it, but I know she desperately wants to return home and misses her relatives and friends far away in the capital."
Jiang Yushu was worried that he would become ill from overwork, so she quickly comforted him, "I think our family is doing pretty well now. We have a house, land, and official positions. We are well-off and prosperous. Don't work yourself to death."
Guo Honglei smiled, "Madam, are you satisfied with this?"
"Being content is the key to happiness." Jiang Yushu, wearing only a thin nightgown, curled up in his arms. "What happiness would there be if we demanded perfection?"
Guo Honglei pulled the quilt higher to cover them. Young, strong, and full of energy, he held his head high and answered, "That's true, but as the saying goes, 'Buddhas fight for a stick of incense, and people fight for a breath.' I want to give it a try and see if I can give my wife and children a life of wealth and honor, and revive our family business!"
"this……"
Jiang Yushu calmed herself down and said seriously, "The old lady certainly misses her relatives and friends back home, but she's even more worried about your safety. Before I left, my mother-in-law repeatedly told me to tell you to take good care of yourself, rest whenever you can, and don't be too busy."
Guo Honglei readily agreed, "I know!" He half-sat down, picked up a strand of hair and twirled it around his fingers, then asked politely:
"So, Special Envoy Jiang, what about you? What are your ambitions?"
"ambition?"
Jiang Yushu thought seriously for a moment and said frankly: "If you mean a career in politics, I really don't like socializing. I'm not ambitious. It's probably impossible for me to get a high position and generous salary in this life."
"I guessed it a long time ago. You became an official just to make it easier to take care of the crops, right?" Guo Honglei knew it very well.
"The one who understands me is the Second Young Master!"
Jiang Yushu revealed: "I can say this without any shame: Actually, my ambition is to ensure that the people living on the border don't have to worry about food, and that every household has a full granary!"
"good!"
"Madam, you have great ambitions, and I admire you." Guo Honglei's eyes were bright, full of indulgence and appreciation.
"Thank you very much. I've already said that I'm boasting and it won't be easy to succeed, but like you, I also want to try!" Jiang Yushu was also full of fighting spirit.
The north wind is howling outside the window, but the room is warm.
The candlelight flickered. Guo Honglei paused and said apologetically, "I'm so glad you and the children are staying in Tuning for the New Year. But I'm afraid I won't be able to come back on New Year's Eve."
"It doesn't matter. No matter when you come back, it's a festival at home, a reunion festival."
Instantly, Guo Honglei felt warm and satisfied, "Hmm."
In a moment, Jiang Yushu suddenly felt a hand reaching into her clothes, caressing and kneading her, and her breath was immediately disordered. She subconsciously struggled, but stopped through the quilt and warned, "Hey, don't move, you're injured, be careful not to open the wound."
He whispered, "Okay, I won't move. If you're worried, please sit down and do it for me."
"Hey wait, let go first... Wait a minute, listen to me——"
Clothes fell to the ground, the quilt was lifted again and again, the wind extinguished the candlelight, the room was dark, and the sound of wind and snow covered up all the sounds of love.
The next morning
A crisp "ding-ling-ling" sound came from the east room, followed by "dang-dang-dang" sounds, mixed with the sound of babbling.
Guo Ye held the railing with his left hand to steady his body, and held the bell in his right hand, shaking it from time to time, and sometimes patting the railing, making babyish sounds and gurgling sounds.
Jiang Yushu sat cross-legged in front of the table on the kang, dipped a little ink in the ink, and asked with a smile: "Ye'er, you have been standing for a long time, aren't you tired? Sit down and take a rest."
The baby turned around when he heard the sound and said, "Huh?"
"Haha, everyone answered the question with 'eh'!" Jiang Yushu couldn't help laughing.
Nanny Pan and the wet nurse were sewing nearby. She said cheerfully, "He'll sit down on his own when he gets tired of standing."
"The little boy is learning to walk. He doesn't need an adult to help him. He walks back and forth along the fence every day until he gets tired."
As soon as he finished speaking, the baby slowly sat down, threw away the bell, and quickly crawled towards the kang table using his hands and feet.
"Oh, you little rascal, you're making trouble again!"
"You can't play with the inkstone, and you can't understand the book. Be careful not to poke your eyes with the pen..." Jiang Yushu hurriedly put down her pen, hugged the child and coaxed: "Come, come, mother will teach you how to write."
So the baby grabbed the pen with his right hand, opened his eyes wide with curiosity, and watched every stroke on the white paper.
"Guo Ye." Jiang Yushu clenched her fists and said word by word: "These two words are your name, Guo Ye."
The baby gave a sudden effort, the pen tip dropped, and began to scribble happily.
Jiang Yushu was very patient. "Let's try and see what you can draw."
At the same time, the county government
County Magistrate Sun Jie urged impatiently, "Hurry up, let's go!"
"I'm coming." Sun's wife patted her clothes, touched her hairpins, and followed her husband.
Sun Jie put his hands behind his back and asked, "Did you bring the booklet?"
"I brought it, and the gifts have been prepared long ago." Sun's wife is very virtuous and regards her husband as her heaven.
As they walked, Sun Jie instructed, "Special Envoy Jiang is a woman, so I can't visit her alone. You must be present and accompany her for the discussion. We need her help, so your words and actions must be measured and appropriate. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Sun's wife nodded at first, then became worried and asked anxiously, "But, we just met yesterday. Wouldn't it be too hasty to propose marriage today?"
"We'll have to wait and see," Sun Jie thought. "Guo Honglei won't agree no matter what. Luckily, he has two younger brothers. I'm sure any of them would be a good match for Linlin."
Sun's wife paused, and said anxiously, "Master, you are traveling for official business and asking for help. I naturally support you, but you must not be careless about Linlin's marriage. I heard that Captain Guo's third brother was born with a disease and is very weak. I am afraid he will not live long. What if, what if——"
"What if? So what if he's a sickly person?" Sun Jie stopped and turned away, his face filled with displeasure. "As long as he's Guo Honglei's younger brother, he's worthy of our daughter!"
"I didn't say I wasn't worthy, but—"
Sun Jie waved his hand, impatiently interrupting his wife and refusing to allow her to argue. "Tsk, you're so short-sighted! What do you know? In my opinion, the Guo family will prosper sooner or later. If you don't marry now, you'll be out of reach when the gap between their social status and yours becomes too big. Do you understand?"
"but--"
Sun Jie interrupted again, chuckling, and said to himself, "Once the marriage is completed, Special Envoy Jiang will definitely be willing to help me out. By then, I think I can also achieve excellent political achievements and be promoted twice like the Heqin County Magistrate did back then!"
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