The Journey Home (Part Six)
One of the women replied, "No way. It's cold and noisy outside, I'd rather stay here and warm myself by the fire."
Another woman chimed in, "Exactly. The chestnuts are roasted, shall I peel one for you to try?"
"No, thank you, Auntie, but I can't eat anymore."
"Then you should sleep. Sleep is good for you during your postpartum period. Don't worry about the mountains. A-Guo will take care of them for you."
Nanu said with tears in her eyes, "Thank you so much, Aguo. I don't know how to thank her enough."
"No need to thank me, she's very happy. Dashan is easy to take care of; she cries when she's hungry, sleeps when she's full, and doesn't fuss at night. We could have a few more of these easy-going kids!"
Nanu burst into tears, and a woman from the Liao ethnic group reached out to wipe them away for her: "My dear, please take care of yourself. If you cry too much during your postpartum period, you'll prick your hand even when threading a needle later. Listen to my advice, we've already gotten through the worst days, don't keep looking back, move forward!"
Hearing this, I smiled and pushed open the door: "Yes, Nanu, the worst days are over. I've brought you good news!"
"Come sit down, Qingniangzi!" Two women stood up and vied to make room for each other by the bed.
Nanu forced a smile: "What's the good news?"
I leaned down and took her hand: "Promise me you won't get too emotional and won't cry, okay?"
"good……"
I gently pried open Nanu's fingers and placed the tassel in her palm.
Nanu clenched her fist, hesitatingly asking, "This is—"
I replied with a smile, "See for yourself."
Nanu slowly raised her arm, held the tassel up to her eyes, stared at it for a moment, then turned to me, her voice trembling with tears, "This, this isn't—"
"Did you make this up?"
“Yes…” Nanu’s nostrils flared, tears welling in her eyes, “You found Brother Zhuo’s body… right?”
"What?!" I exclaimed playfully. "We've found your brother A-Zhu alive! He was brought here by the Changning Army this morning. He's quite badly injured, but he definitely won't die. With Doctor Liu treating him, you can rest assured!"
"My God! The mountain god has appeared! Azhuo is still alive!"
"The Changning Army must be mountain gods descended to earth! They must be!"
The two women hugged each other tightly, excitedly patting each other's backs.
Nanu was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly began to sob silently, clutching the tassel in her hand tighter and tighter until her whole arm trembled.
I gently patted her and said, "It's alright, it's alright."
Nanu gripped my wrist tightly and asked urgently, "Qingniangzi! Am I really not dreaming? Zhebi Azhuo—is he really still alive?"
I took the tassel from her hand, placed it beside the pillow, and solemnly replied, "This is from Zhebi Azhuo's earring. Your brother Azhuo didn't lie to you; he's been desperately trying to live."
After delivering the message and stepping outside, the shadow cast by the outer wall had already grown quite long. I figured it was getting late and was about to head down the mountain when bursts of laughter came from the house next door. Remembering the big mountain I'd hugged yesterday, so fragrant and soft like a glutinous rice ball, I suddenly felt a pang of longing.
I walked slowly past the window, and a sharp-eyed woman immediately spotted me and called out loudly, "Qing Niangzi, come in and play!"
"Look at all of them grinning like that, what are they having such a good time about? Tell me." I smiled as I turned into the house and immediately spotted Tuanzi sleeping soundly in Aguo's arms. Pretending not to notice, I walked over and sat down diagonally opposite.
A-Guo, carrying Da-Shan, walked towards me: "Qing-Niangzi, shall we meet?"
I glanced at her, then crossed my arms and refused to take it.
The woman next to him egged him on: "Answer it quickly! Answer it and we'll tell you what's so funny!"
A-Guo lifted a corner of the bundle to show me Da-Shan's sleeping face: "He's just been nursed, I promise he won't fuss."
I sniffed, pressed my lips to my mouth, and took it: "If you make a fuss later, you'll have to carry me away."
“Ah Jin, you can talk now.”
The woman called Ah Jin was the same talkative woman from yesterday. She smiled and said, "We were talking about the mountains."
"It just so happens that the shamans from the nearby streams are all in Yanziping. Yesterday, I took the girl's birth chart to them for a reading. The elders said that she has a noble destiny and is a rare person with all five blessings."
"After returning, I was still wondering—where exactly is everything? Unexpectedly, a day later, A-Zhuo was not dead, and was even sent back by the Changning Army!"
“This little girl must be blessed by the mountain god, who couldn’t bear to let her be born without a father.”
One of the women exclaimed, "Yes! To fall from such a high cliff and not freeze to death, not starve to death, and not be eaten by wild animals—what incredible luck!"
Someone else said, "The triplets in Aguo's family are also blessed by the mountain god. Their two families are a perfect match for each other. There's no need for Bajiaodong and Niumendong to cause trouble anymore. It would be so much better if everyone could live peacefully."
Ajin said, "Ever since Lord Wei came to repair the bridge, there has been almost no trouble. This time, our Nanguang tribe was able to repel the Shimen barbarians, which is truly thanks to Lord Wei."
A-Guo said, "And that lord from the Changning Army, if it weren't for the timely arrival of the Changning Army, we probably wouldn't have been able to celebrate the New Year."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
I hugged Dashan and gently shook him: "If you two gentlemen knew that the people of Nanguang praised them so highly, you would surely be very happy. But then again, protecting the people is the duty of an official, and you two gentlemen are simply doing what you should be doing."
A woman from the village sighed, "It must be the mountain god's blessing that sent us such a good official as Lord Wei. Even the former 'living Yama' has changed his ways. It's no wonder we've been making offerings to him year after year."
Someone nearby chimed in, "To pray for a good harvest, our village slaughtered a cow for the spring mountain sacrifice!"
I chuckled and said, “Everyone, do you remember our Liao people’s old saying? ‘A fine horse runs fast on its own, and the gods will give it wings.’ This time, when we encountered the Shimen Fan, if we hadn’t been united and persevered, even if ten more Lord Weis and ten more oxen were sacrificed, it would have been of no use.”
Ah Jin clapped his hands and laughed: "Qing Niangzi, after hearing what you said, I feel that we are all like the eagles of Nanguang Mountain!"
I nodded and said, "That's right." Before I finished speaking, I felt a slight tremor in my arms. Looking down, I saw that Dashan had opened his eyes at some point, and his dark pupils met mine.
My hair stood on end, and I jumped up immediately: "A-Guo, come quick! Da-Shan's awake, and she seems to be gathering her strength. Is she about to have a big one?"
A-Guo leaned closer to me and said, "How can you tell? I've only known my wife for two days."
The crowd burst into laughter.
"You—" I glared angrily, about to hand the mountain back, "Take it away, take it away!"
A-Guo laughed and dodged, "We haven't even started making a fuss yet, have you hugged me a little longer!"
"Hey! What kind of wild man is barging in like this?" A woman's shout rang out from outside the window, the voice sounding like it came from the next room. "Who are you looking for? You stop right there! This isn't a place for women!"
At that time, two strong and healthy women had each taken a long bench and stood behind the door.
The woman outside said angrily, "If you dare to go in, you can expect to be beaten to death!"
Upon hearing this, the people in the room burst into laughter again.
A-Guo called out, "Auntie, open the door and let us see whose reckless wild man this is!"
I was also a little curious, so I embraced the mountain and turned to look at the doorway.
The woman beside her reached out and opened the door, letting in a slant of light. At the boundary between light and shadow, a familiar face came into view.
My heart skipped a beat—how humiliating…
I quickly turned my face away and heard people inside the room talking:
Who is this?
"You look completely unfamiliar."
A-Guo tugged at my sleeve and whispered, "Qing Niangzi, look! This wild man—this person looks like your friend!"
My heart skipped a beat—this girl has such good eyesight…
I lowered my voice and said, "Shut up! You've mistaken me for someone else."
I startled A-Guo, who quickly took several steps back.
The woman from Nanu's house rushed over and shouted, "You look dishonest! If you don't explain why you're here, we'll tie you up and take you to see Inspector Guo!"
The man in armor stood at the doorway without making a sound.
A-Guo came closer again, buzzing like a mosquito with colorful legs: "Qing Niangzi, take a closer look! They, they really went to get the rope."
It's disheartening—these women are just too decisive...
I took a deep breath, shoved Dashan into Aguo's arms, and called out, "Wait a minute. I remember now—this person is a Han Chinese friend I haven't seen in a long time. He doesn't understand the Liao language very well, which is why there was a misunderstanding." After saying that, I quickly walked out of the house.
The woman from before looked embarrassed: "I'm so sorry, Qing Niangzi, I didn't know he was yours—"
I waved my hand and forced a smile. "It's nothing, it's nothing. I just remembered." As I passed by the person, I said softly, "Aren't you leaving?"
The mountain wind rustled the branches, and the armor worn by the person behind him rose and fell with his steps, the iron blades clattering together, blending with the sound of the forest.
After walking for a while, I looked back and saw that the south-facing windows were all stretched to their maximum size, and the lower half of the window had been removed, with a row of heads piled on the window frame.
Remembering how sharp the eyesight of the "mountain eagles" was, I mustered my strength and climbed a little higher.
Standing under a tall camphor tree, I turned around, took his hand, and said, "The Changning Army is truly a timely rain for Nanguang. The villagers are very grateful to you, sir. I hope you will forgive my words just now."
Xiong Tu sighed softly, "Does Qing Niangzi have to be so distant from me? I'm afraid it's too late... Fortunately, you and your fellow villagers held on. The Changning Army and I should be grateful to you."
I smiled and looked him over: "Why are you wearing armor to go up the mountain? Isn't it heavy?"
“Because,” Xiong Tu’s face flushed slightly, “because I have to come see you… I dare not take it off.”
I joked, "I'm not 'Bear Butcher,' what are you afraid of?"
I'm afraid—I won't be able to resist pulling you into my arms.
"Hmph." I glanced at him. "The Shimen Fan have retreated, but who knows when they might come back? What do you plan to do next, sir?"
Xiong Tu said solemnly, “The Shimen tribe is plagued by internal troubles. After this defeat, Naremuze has failed to establish his authority and will surely be deserted by his followers. On the other hand, our army and people are in high spirits. We must seize this opportunity. Mr. Liu suggested that I and Ji Zhou jointly petition the court to quickly borrow troops from the imperial court in the name of Prince Nareado of the Wumeng tribe to quell the rebellion, drive out Naremuze, surrender the territory to the Song Dynasty, and return to the Song Dynasty’s control.”
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