The Living Yama (Part 6)
I scrambled to my feet, cursing, "Are you crazy?! Why are you pulling me? I can get away on my own!"
Guazi jumped up and down a few times before collapsing to his knees again, panting heavily, which made my heart ache. Then I looked at Xiong Tu, who was still lying on the ground, and I couldn't help but get a little annoyed: "What are you still doing lying on the ground? Get up and think of something!"
Xiong Tu didn't move, but let out a low sigh.
"Why are you sighing?" I kicked him lightly and complained, "Do you know how much of my savings I spent and how many favors I had to ask for?"
Xiong Tu closed his eyes briefly: "I can see that."
"Sigh," I frowned at him, "Are you alright?"
"You—" Xiong Tu opened his eyes with a wry smile, "Could you help me up?"
How pretentious… I bent down and tugged at him.
Xiong Tu sat up and examined Guazi's wound. The burlap that hadn't been tied up had already been kicked off and was scattered on the ground. He stared at it for a while and said, "The blood seeping from the wound has turned bright red. It should be fine now."
I breathed a sigh of relief: "Thanks, I'm so glad you're alright."
Xiong Tu added, "However—"
"But what?" I asked impatiently.
Xiong Tu glanced at me, a look of embarrassment on his face: "The melon seed... is about to hatch."
She's not even at her due date yet!
I was shocked and went around to the back of the horse. Sure enough, a thin stream was flowing out between the two ends of the melon seed.
I stamped my foot and said, "What are you all standing there for? Go and get some dry grass!"
Xiong Tu got up and walked out of the stable, then suddenly turned back: "Where's the hay?"
I said angrily, "What are you doing wandering around the yard all day? Don't you even know where the hay is? It's in that little hut on the west side!"
Xiong Tu carried the hay back and forth several times. I found a moment and placed the hay under Guazi. After a while, Guazi finally lay down and started to exert himself. I took another handful of hay to the corner and divided it into two piles. Just as I was about to call Xiong Tu over to sit down, I saw him standing there, constantly rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.
I walked over and slapped his hand away: "Are you mesmerized?"
"Um."
"Close your eyes and squat down a bit."
Xiong Tu bent his knees and closed his eyes. I wiped my hands on my apron, pinched his upper eyelid with two fingers and flipped it open, then blew on it twice before letting go and asking, "Are you done yet?"
Xiong Tu lowered his head, his voice barely audible: "Alright..."
I rushed to check on my baby again. A section of white amniotic sac was visible beneath the horse's tail, and I could clearly see two tiny, slightly trembling hooves inside. Although it was premature, the labor wasn't slow, which reassured me a little. I leaned back against the wall and sat down cross-legged.
Xiong Tu slowly moved to another pile of grass, and I rolled my eyes at him: "Sit down!"
Xiong Tu sat down to the side and looked at Guazi: "This is a downgraded military horse, but it's in excellent physical condition and will be fine."
I snorted: "You make it sound so easy, but if anything happens, I'll be at a huge disadvantage."
Xiong Tu hesitated before saying, "If anything happens, I'll give you my yellow horse as collateral."
I scoffed, "Your horse has been castrated, I don't want it!" Realizing my mistake as soon as I blurted it out, I quickly added, "Your horse."
Xiong Tu blushed to the roots of his ears and awkwardly replied, "Then, then I'll take you to the military horse farm, and you can pick out another one you like."
"Who cares?!" I was even more displeased. "Since Guazi came to my house, I've fed it the best hay, groomed it during the day, and given it extra feed at night. I've carefully nurtured it for half a year, and we've developed a bond. How can any other horse compare? You—have you never cared for a living animal before?"
Xiong Tu remained silent for a long while before slowly saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken like that."
"Alright, alright." I kept an eye on the sunflower seeds and waved my hand impatiently. "I asked you for help, so I shouldn't have been talking to you about this. Don't take it to heart."
After what seemed like an eternity, the foal was finally born; my heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was finally able to settle down. I rubbed my numb legs and feet, and thinking of Lin Zhong, who hadn't returned from fishing, I couldn't help but feel quite annoyed.
I picked up the dagger and snake medicine from the ground and said angrily, "You brat, you've been gone for so long without even telling me!"
Xiong Tu also stood up and asked casually, "Lin Zhong—was he also rescued by Qing Niangzi?"
"Yes, I found it eight years ago when I was collecting herbs in the mountains."
"He doesn't look much older than Huai Xu or Feng Qiao, so why do they both call him uncle?"
I frowned at him: "What do you mean?"
“Nothing else,” Xiong Tu stepped back half a step, “I’m just a little curious. Did you tell them to call Lin Zhong ‘uncle’? But I’ve never seen Lin Zhong call you ‘sister’.”
"Xiong Botong, that's enough!" I yelled. "Are you trying to say I'm old by beating around the bush?!"
Xiong Tu waved his hand and stepped back to the fence: "No, no, don't misunderstand!"
I glared at him and asked, "How old are you?"
Xiong Tu paused for a moment, then replied, "Almost thirty."
"What do you mean you're almost thirty? What's your zodiac sign?"
"Born in the Year of the Rabbit."
"Heh! You're already thirty, aren't you?" I glanced at him sideways. "I really can't believe you're the same age as Lord Wei."
You mean—I look older than Ji Nian?
"Otherwise what?"
Xiong Tu's expression cracked: "Ji Zhou is half a year older than me. The only one who has misjudged my age is you."
"Is that so?" I felt a little better and pulled open the fence behind him. "Perhaps because Lord Xiong is so powerful in the southwest, we don't often have the chance to hear the truth."
Xiong Tu remained silent, slowly walked out of the stable, and headed towards the inner room. When he reached the corner, he suddenly staggered.
I quickly reached out my arm and helped him up, scolding him, "Are you made of paper?"
Xiong Tu covered his mouth with his sleeve and coughed a few times, saying, "No..."
"Let me help you inside."
"Need not."
I noticed that he looked rather unnatural, and there seemed to be a little sweat on his forehead, so I moved to stand in front of him and said, "Put your hands down, let me take a look."
Xiong Tu lowered his eyes and remained motionless in his original posture.
I snorted and used my dagger to pry open his sleeve. Sure enough, there were mottled bloodstains seeping out from the collar of his shirt.
Looking back on these past few days, with three meals a day, good food and drink provided, I had hoped to nurse him back to health for a few more days before sending him away... but now—
I took a breath and said dejectedly, "The wound has reopened. I'll re-bandage it for you." I turned and rushed into Feng Qiao's room, rummaged through the wound and picked out the ointment and gag, placing them on the table.
Xiong Tu crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, asking, "Could we—wait for Feng Qiao to come back?"
"No!" I refused outright. "If he sees your injury, he'll definitely ask why. What will you do then? Tell him I hit you?"
I said—it was my own carelessness…
"Is this reasonable?" I slammed my hand on the table and said impatiently, "Hurry up! I still need to cook rice after you're done."
...
After treating the wound, Xiong Tu sighed softly, "Qing Niangzi's bandaging skills are comparable to those of a military doctor."
I took some clean clothes from the trunk and threw them to him: "I have no special skills, just practice makes perfect. Who would have thought that the 'southern half' would be in such turmoil for so many years? I never thought that this skill would be used on an adult today."
Xiong Tu clutched his clothes, his voice hoarse, "It's my fault, I'm sorry to you all..."
After I finished tidying up, I walked towards the door: "Sir, you have been conscientious in your duties and guarded the border for the country. What wrong have you done? There is no need to say 'I'm sorry' at all. Peace in the world is the result of the collective efforts of all people, and so is the peace on the border. It is not something that any one person can bear alone."
As evening approached, the inn's inhabitants gradually returned home. Huai Xu and Feng Qiao were overjoyed to see the newborn foal. From the moment they saw the pony, they began discussing names, and by the end of dinner, they still hadn't reached a decision. I thought to myself: If these two ever have a child, they'll definitely fight over naming it...
The young couple couldn't reach an agreement, and seeing Xiong Tu listening in, they went over to ask for advice. The "half-baked Taoist priest" told them that since the foal was born before the beginning of winter, it would be better to name it "Dongdong" (meaning "winter"). He added that whether the premature foal could survive its first winter was crucial, and calling it "Dongdong" more often would help break the prophecy. The couple believed him without question, thanked him, and happily went to the backyard to gather hay for the horse.
The moon was high in the sky, and Lin Zhong was still sitting on the steps drinking. We hadn't exchanged a single word since he returned late from fishing. To avoid bottling up my anger and harming my health, I planned to scold him before bed to vent my frustration. Perhaps sensing my approach, Lin Zhong suddenly stood up.
"Stop right there!" I shouted. "Where are you going so late?"
Lin Zhong shook the gourd in his hand: "The wine is finished, go get some more."
I stepped forward and snatched the gourd from it: "It's getting cold, drink less!"
Lin Zhong's eyes, bright as cold stars, looked at me and said, "Another cup?"
I was momentarily stunned, then said sternly, "Don't even think about a drop! Go back to your room and sleep!"
With the constant murmur of "long winters and short winters," the Beginning of Winter arrived quickly.
On this morning, everyone else had pickled vegetables and porridge for breakfast, but I had a bowl of fish soup noodles with "fighting rooster" added to it.
Huai Xu smiled and said, "Godmother, may you have good fortune and prosperity every year!"
Feng Qiao also said, "Aunt, happy birthday, may everything go well for you!"
I froze, chopsticks in hand, when I suddenly remembered that the early spring this year had coincided with my birthday.
Huai Xu added, "Godmother, Uncle Lin made this bowl of noodles especially for you, please eat it!"
I glanced at Lin Zhong, rubbed my forehead, and said, "Thank you so much. I told you two years ago not to bother me with these kinds of things anymore. I really don't want to remember my age. But you guys keep reminding me year after year."
Huai Xu pouted and muttered under his breath, "Godmother, you're such a spoilsport!"
Feng Qiao gently tugged at Huai Xu's sleeve, signaling her to be quiet.
I regret what I just said and don't know how to make amends.
In the awkward moment, Xiong Tu laughed and said, "Celebrating my birthday with my family is a blessing that not everyone has. If it were me, I would be more than happy to have it."
Huai Xu asked curiously, "Lord Xiong, is no one celebrating your birthday with you?"
“Yes.” Xiong Tu’s laughter was tinged with melancholy. “The people you cared about are gone, so naturally no one cares anymore.”
Huai Xu said sympathetically, "Then come to our inn, and I'll have Feng Qiao make you some noodles!"
Feng Qiao nodded in agreement.
Xiong Tu coughed softly: "Really?"
"Of course!" Huai Xu asked with a smile, "What's your birthday, sir? I'll remember it for you, so you can just come over on the day!"
"today."
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