Chapter 645 Past Events
Looking at Li Dalang's eyes and expression, Commander Guo knew that Li Dalang knew about these things!
Yes, Li Dalang did know.
This was because when Li Dalang was preparing to leave home last year, on the night before his departure, Li's parents only invited the eldest son's family into the house to talk.
That evening, under the dim light, accompanied by her father, Li's mother carefully recounted to her elder brother and sister-in-law, as well as her two sons, Li Dalang and Li Erlang, what had happened before she married Li's father.
The reason was that Li's mother's ancestral home was in a prefecture near the border city. Due to a severe drought that year, Li's mother and her entire family fled to the border city in search of food.
Fortunately, Li's family settled down in the border town and lived a few years of peace.
However, in the border region, various tribes were scattered, and there were also many small kingdoms in the Western Regions, which led to wars.
Li's mother's father and brothers were successively conscripted and lost their lives on the battlefield, leaving Li's mother and her widowed mother to depend on each other for survival.
However, Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) later used ruthless methods, sending a large number of powerful troops and generals to fight to the death, and finally won the battle. Only then did the border city gradually begin to stabilize.
Inside the house of Mr. and Mrs. Li, Mrs. Li stared unfocusedly at the lantern beside her, recalling events from decades ago. "Back then, things had just settled down. Although it was relatively peaceful, there were still soldiers stationed outside the city."
But at least we can go out now, and a few shops in the city have reopened.
Only then did a little bit of life begin to appear.
I had just turned 14 at that time, and my family consisted of only my widowed mother; my father and brothers had long since died in the war.
However, due to the continuous wars in the border town, women were scarce. Once I turned fifteen, even though I had no father and only a widowed mother at home, many men came to my door to ask for my hand in marriage.
My mother only hoped that I could live a good life, and among all the suitors, she chose your father, Sun Datou.
After all, it happened decades ago, so it's not as sad or upsetting as it was back then.
However, Li's mother was still somewhat saddened. When she talked about her first husband, Sun Datou, she looked up at her eldest brother Li and then at her youngest brother Li, before stopping and letting out a sigh.
At this moment, Mr. Li reached out and gently patted Mrs. Li. Mrs. Li nodded to Mr. Li before continuing to tell everyone about the past.
"The reason my mother chose Sun Datou was because he was tall and strong. Although he was seven or eight years older than me and had already married and had a daughter, he was still a cook in the army and would definitely be able to feed me."
Secondly, although he was a military household, the Tang Dynasty had won a major battle at that time, and although there were still small-scale wars outside the border city, it was still relatively peaceful.
Moreover, if she marries a military family and lives in this city, those wandering knights won't dare to provoke her; she'll be safe and sound.
The four members of Li's family, sitting opposite Li's parents, listened to what Li's mother said without saying a word. They all understood that in such a place, survival was the top priority.
"So, my mother agreed to your father's request, and I got married in just three months."
That day, I also saw the little girl left behind by your father's first wife, who was led there by her maternal relatives.
I was young and very shy at the time, so I just kept stuffing pastries into the little girl's hands and didn't dare to say a word.
All I remember is that her name was Hongniang, and she had a small vermilion mole between her eyebrows.
The border town had just emerged from the war and was not yet prosperous. Hongniang only stayed with me at home for about ten days before being taken away by her maternal family.
The matchmaker's family were itinerant merchants who lived in other prefectures; they only had a shop in the border town.
Upon hearing this, Li Erlang looked puzzled, sensing that something was amiss, but he didn't ask directly.
Li's mother naturally saw Li Erlang's appearance. After pausing for a moment, she thought for a while before saying to Li's eldest brother, "I also wondered why a merchant's daughter could marry your father."
I asked the question, and that's when I learned that when your grandfather was still alive, he was a brigade commander in the army. Because of this identity, the matchmaker's family arranged for their daughter to marry your father.
Who would have thought that your grandfather would later die on the battlefield, but by then there was already a matchmaker.
However, your father is very capable. As the head of the group, he can support his wife and daughter well. It's just that Hongniang's mother is not healthy and has fallen ill. In a place like the border town, where can you find good doctors and medicine?
He had been ill for a long time, but ultimately couldn't survive the winter and left behind the matchmaker.
Sister-in-law Li and Brother Li exchanged a glance. Brother Li was thinking to himself, "So I actually have a half-sister?"
Sister-in-law Li was thinking, "I wonder if this aunt is still alive?"
Li's mother took the cup handed to her by Li's father, took two sips, put it down, and continued to say to everyone, "I've already told you about what happened next."
Later, I became pregnant. I thought I could give birth to the child smoothly and live a peaceful life.
Unexpectedly, war broke out again, and your father was summoned back to the military camp that very night.
I had a bad feeling right then and there, but there was nothing I, a woman, could do at that time.
I counted down the days, and even when I was about to give birth to my eldest son, it was my neighbor's aunt who brought her grandson to boil water for me.
But even after I finished my postpartum confinement, your father only sent someone back with a message and some money, but he never came back.
I didn't see your father until you were six months old.
Brother Li tried hard to recall, but couldn't remember anything from when he was six months old. He was too young then and couldn't remember anything.
"In this way, your father could come home once every one or two months. When you turned one year old, your elder sister's maternal family also sent a congratulatory gift."
But the good times didn't last long, and the war started again when you were one and a half years old.
The thing I feared most has happened: your father died on the battlefield, and his comrades brought back his body.
I carried you on my back and used all the money my family had to pay for your funeral.
To make matters worse, my mother also passed away just over a month later.
Thinking of all this, Li's mother could no longer hold back and began to sob.
Mr. Li took out a handkerchief, stepped forward, and held Mrs. Li's hand. After a while, Mrs. Li finally calmed down.
Wiping away her tears, Li's mother looked at her eldest brother and the others who were looking at her with concern and said, "It's alright, I just feel a little sad when I think about it."
I should have told you these things long ago, but I always thought that we should just live peacefully in Chang'an, and there was really no need for you to suffer these things.
But since Tiger Head is going to the border town this time, I thought I should tell you.
"In case we get there...it's possible we'll meet a matchmaker."
Brother Li nodded. He understood the main purpose of his mother's summons tonight: to let them know about the past of their branch of the family, and especially to let Li Dalang know that if he ever met Hongniang in the border town, he shouldn't treat her as a stranger, but as family.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com