Soon after, Meng Yuxiu left Duanzhou, and almost no one knew that General Meng had been there.
Chang Lili was distraught all night and felt that she couldn't just obediently wait for Meng Yuxiu to come back; she had to do something for him.
He summoned someone and said, "Let's go find Xu Yuandao."
"Miss Chang, what the general means is..."
"I just wanted to hang out with him; staying in the restaurant was too boring."
The people Meng Yuxiu left behind couldn't control Chang Lili; they would follow her around whenever she went out.
Now that she had returned to her daughter's attire, and was accompanied by guards but without any maids, it was somewhat strange, but also didn't attract attention. She went to the riverbank, randomly found a small boat, and said, "Boatman, I need to cross the river."
We soon arrived at the small island on the other side. It was quieter than the island on the other side, with more elderly people and a sense of tranquility, almost like the sounds of chickens and dogs.
According to Meng Yuxiu, after the war ended, most of the people who came here were old women and children. So the bridge was not repaired and they rarely went across anymore. They wove and embroidered on this side and had their children take it to the other side to sell. Over time, the old people here almost never set foot in Duanzhou again.
Perhaps it is because their loved ones all died on that land that the elderly living here are dressed in simple and frugal clothes, but their eyes are calm and distant, a tranquility that comes after experiencing great sorrow.
Chang Lili asked her way to Xu Yuandao's house. As she walked, she suddenly realized that this place was a scar from the war. Although it was not as shocking as those wounded villages, the people here were unusually peaceful and had aged prematurely, silently enduring the pain brought by the war.
Although Chang Lili grew up in the city, she had always lived in peace. This was the first time she had ever truly experienced the cruelty of war.
When Xu Yuandao returned, he saw Chang Lili helping her neighbor dry silk, and she was very approachable.
After helping out, Chang Lili saw Xu Yuandao and said, "Brother Xu, you're back. You don't think I came uninvited, do you?"
Xu Yuandao smiled, and Mao Zhi, who was following behind him, looked at him strangely and said, "This older sister looks a bit familiar."
Kids have such sharp eyes.
Chang Lili held her index finger up to her side and made a quiet gesture.
Mao looked at her with a strange and suspicious expression.
Xu Yuandao led Chang Lili to his ordinary little house. Once inside, Chang Lili discovered that there were people home.
"Cough cough. You've come back from a long journey?" A woman's cough, accompanied by the bitter smell of medicine, wafted over. Chang Lili saw a somewhat pale woman sitting on the bed.
Xu Yuandao said, "It's my mother. Please wait a moment while I go and get the medicine for her."
While Xu Yuandao was taking care of his mother, Maozhi sat outside chatting with Chang Lili, telling her that his aunt's health had always been poor and her hearing was not good. When he and Brother Xu went out, she was alone at home.
Chang Lili asked, "What kind of illness is it? Is it serious?"
"Brother Xu said it's about birth, aging, sickness, and death."
Chang Lili remained silent, but Maozhi said, "It's only natural. Auntie has suffered so much, it's good that she can go to see Uncle Xu sooner."
"Did Brother Xu teach you that?"
Maozhi smiled, too embarrassed to admit it.
Chang Lili peeked inside and asked quietly, "Then let me ask you something. Does your Brother Xu have a girl he likes?"
Maozhi said, "I'm still young, I don't know."
"I'm telling you, his mother is in poor health and must want to see him get married and have children. Why doesn't he seem to be in a hurry? He's such a handsome man, why hasn't he gotten married yet?"
Mao Zhi then secretly said, "Brother Xu swore a solemn oath that he would never marry in this life."
"!" Chang Lili exclaimed in surprise, recalling Bai Cha's tearful face that night and the many years of waiting, "Why?"
"I don't know either, it happened a long time ago."
Chang Lili looked troubled and asked, "Do you know about white tea?"
"Sister Acha? She's so beautiful, I know her."
Do you think your brother Xu likes her?
Maozhi glanced into the room and said, "I don't know, but Brother Xu buys a pot of Daughter's Red wine every month and sends it to Wenxiang Pavilion. The selection of the most beautiful courtesan here is to send Daughter's Red wine."
Chang Lili wasn't sure if Xu Yuandao had truly seen through the illusions of the world. She stroked her chin, pondering: There are many kinds of oaths, but she didn't know how Xu Yuandao made his, or whether it could be broken.
She's been here for a few days now and has encountered many important events, but there hasn't been one she's been able to get involved in. Now that she sees that Xu Yuandao is a good person and Bai Cha is so beautiful, Chang Lili's matchmaker heart is burning hot.
Before Xu Yuandao came out, he and Maozhi made a pinky promise to keep their discussion a secret.
What are you talking about?
"It's nothing. How is your mother?"
"**He's sick, took his medicine and went back to sleep. What do you need me for?"
Chang Lili looked around. Xu Yuandao led her to the backyard, where there were two small stone stools. Xu Yuandao brewed a pot of tea, poured the clear tea in front of Chang Lili, and said, "Has the general left?"
Chang Lili nodded and said, "I came here because I have something to ask you. Do you know who the person was that night?"
Xu Yuandao said, "The general said he should know that person, which means he has fought against him on the battlefield. He doesn't know anything else."
Chang Lili frowned and asked, "Have they made any progress on what they're looking for?"
Xu Yuandao also shook his head and said, "Let's see if the general brings back any news from the northern border."
Nothing is more disappointing than useful news.
She looked down at the stone table and said, "His Majesty originally only sent Meng Yuxiu to investigate the Three Pages Gate, but now one thing after another is happening, making people uneasy."
Before the Three Doors could even find a way in, the barbarians appeared again.
Even if Meng Yuxiu had three heads and six arms, he wouldn't be able to handle it all.
Xu Yuandao said, "He has his own methods, and many things are not without reason. They can't just appear out of nowhere. There is a deeper connection between them. We just don't know it now. Maybe he will make some discoveries when he comes from the Northern Border?"
That's the only way to think about it.
Since they were already here, Chang Lili followed Xu Yuandao and walked around the small village.
The more I look at it, the sadder I feel.
Whose ghosts are those small villages, separated from Duanzhou by the river, watching over them for so many years?
"It's so quiet here."
"I know, there's a lack of vitality, and people don't like to talk."
“I feel a little uncomfortable in my chest as I walk here. If only there hadn’t been a war back then, this place would still be a plum grove, and the people here would still be admiring the flowers across the river. You would still be in the capital.”
Xu Yuandao smiled slightly and said, "You have a compassionate heart, but nothing can remain unchanged. Without everything in the past, there would be no us today. Only history can judge right and wrong."
“You’re right, but we are the ones who bear the pain of history. Sometimes I think God is really cruel.”
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