As night deepened, Fusu sat at his desk and lit an oil lamp.
The candlelight flickered as he turned the pages of a book. With his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and his flowing white robes, he looked like a celestial being descended to earth.
"Squeak!"
The door was suddenly pushed open a crack, and a small head peeked in.
The girl, with two small braids in her hair, looked at Fusu with a smile and asked, "Brother Fusu, may I come in?"
Fusu glanced at her. "Come in, the door is open."
A lone man and woman, especially at night, would inevitably be the subject of gossip if they kept the door closed.
The girl sat down opposite Fusu, curiously examining the scroll in his hands. "What book is so interesting?"
Fusu looked at the book in his hand and said, "If you want to learn to read, I can teach you later, but you should go to sleep now. You are at the age where you are growing."
Xiaoya pouted, "I won't learn it, it's too difficult. Brother Fusu is just like Mother, always nagging."
Fusu put down the bamboo scroll and picked up another one. "I brought plenty of supplies this time. It's getting cold, so take some warm clothes."
The girl looked at him, "Brother Fusu, you should worry about yourself, okay!"
As she spoke, she took out a bundle wrapped in a white cloth.
Fusu's gaze fell on the bundle, quite puzzled. "What's this?"
Xiaoya opened the bundle; inside was a light blue cotton-padded coat.
White silk threads outline lotus blossoms, and the inside of the garment is made of soft, snow-white fur, which looks very thick.
Xiaoya picked up the cotton-padded coat. "I'm not very good at embroidery yet, so please don't mind, Brother Fusu."
Fusu hesitated for a moment, "I have enough clothes, you should keep them for yourself."
He knew that the girl must have had a hard time getting this dress.
She was a refugee with little money and could only rely on helping others to earn small rewards.
Making a garment of such high quality must require countless hours of effort.
The girl looked at him with sincere eyes, "Brother Fusu, please accept it, otherwise I won't be able to sleep."
Fusu hesitated for a moment, but decided to accept it anyway, saying, "I will cherish it very much."
He looked at the girl and said, "You'll be seeing your mother soon, so you need to make sure you're in good spirits. If you look listless, she'll worry."
When her mother was mentioned, Xiaoya lowered her eyes slightly, her expression dimming.
That separation occurred during a war.
The Xiongnu invaded, burning, killing, and looting. Flames lit up the sky, and cries of agony filled the air. Within half an hour, the peaceful village was transformed into a living hell.
If Fusu hadn't saved her, she would have perished in that hell long ago.
Her mother disappeared in that hellish place, and she never thought she would see her again, but recently, news came that the Xiongnu were willing to release her, giving her hope again.
Her eyes reddened as she looked at Fusu, "Will I really... ever see my mother again?"
Seeing her unease, Fusu smiled gently and comforted her, "Yes, very soon."
"That's great! That's great!" The girl's emotions collapsed instantly, and she couldn't help but burst into tears.
Someone important to me whom I thought I would never see again, I am now able to reunite with.
This feeling is something that those who haven't experienced it won't understand.
After crying for a while, the girl calmed down and said goodbye to Fusu, "I should go back to sleep now."
She got up and walked to the door, the cold wind hitting her delicate pink face.
As if she had just remembered something, she stopped in her tracks and said, "Thank you, Brother Fusu."
"Everything."
Fusu rescued her, settled her in, brought her supplies, and taught some refugees to read when he had time.
This time, the Xiongnu even demanded that a high-ranking person serve as a witness in exchange for supplies.
It was because Fusu stepped forward without hesitation that we have the hope we have today.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
