0149 Yearning for Home (Part 1)
More than half a month has passed since the doves flew to Chang'an, and Zhan Yaoguang has been waiting for a reply almost day and night.
He had never tired of looking at this beautiful landscape of green hills and soft waters in the South for eighteen years, but ever since he sent this letter, he has found it hard to sit still for even a moment.
Ah Guang also had the task of guarding the village gate, and he would wag his tail and go to the village gate every three or five days.
In the past, Zhan Yaoguang was left to its own devices, but now it seems to have a change of heart and wants to stay with A-Guang whether there's something to do or not.
Instead of causing trouble, he stood on the watchtower and gazed into the distance, seemingly trying to see something from the boundless blue sky.
Finally, on the twentieth day, when the boy had been waiting in vain and was almost completely despondent, several pigeons flew overhead from north to south, carrying clouds and mist.
When the woman in the tribe who raised pigeons saw this, a delighted smile appeared on her face. She quickly put her finger to her lips and blew a crisp whistle to call the pigeons to land.
When Zhan Yaoguang looked up and saw this scene, his mind, which had been in a daze for many days, suddenly cleared up. He quickly pulled his two legs, which had been idly hanging down from the stockade, and, under the puzzled gaze of Huang Gou A Guang, turned around and went down the stockade, heading straight for Zhan Yuheng's residence.
"Cousin—"
Zhan Yaoguang moved nimbly and climbed up the stilted building in a few quick movements.
Although he was burning with anxiety, he still stood respectfully at the door, knocking three times on the door panel, waiting for Zhan Yuheng to call him in.
Upon hearing the sound, Zhan Yuheng finally raised his head from his desk and squinted to look outside.
The boy stood by the door with dark eyes, dressed in an indigo Miao robe, surrounded by dazzling silver ornaments that shone brightly as if burning with light.
She chuckled, took out a thin bamboo tube, and handed it over: "This is from the young lady of Chang'an. I haven't removed the wax. You can take it and look at it elsewhere yourself."
The unease in Zhan Yaoguang's eyes completely dissipated, and a smile appeared in his dark eyes. He thanked her loudly and took the bamboo tube, putting it in his pocket.
He didn't go too far. He found a corner in the house, leaned against it, and took a couple of breaths of the cool, sweet air, which finally calmed his pounding heart a little.
The wax seal was peeled off, and what fell out first was a handful of dried cloves, pale purple in color, emitting a faint, bitter fragrance.
These are flowers from the North; they can't grow in their southern border regions.
But she plucked a handful of broken cloves, carefully gathered them together, and stored this unique springtime beauty belonging to the Han people in bamboo, sending it to him from afar.
She always has such ingenious ideas.
Zhan Yaoguang felt somewhat pleased, and his whole demeanor visibly brightened.
He peered further inside and finally managed to find a finely rolled-up piece of stationery.
As expected, Afu also had something to say to him!
I wonder what she will write to him.
He wrote eighty-eight lines on a short piece of paper, and even if Afu only wrote half... no, even if she only wrote one-third of the amount, he would still feel incredibly happy.
Zhan Yaoguang cursed himself inwardly for being so cowardly. To avoid further hesitation, he simply closed his eyes and quickly unfolded the Huanhua paper.
“…Autumn, Autumn…?” Someone beat him to it, craning their neck to peek at the note. “Thirteenth Brother, what did Sister Afu write? I only recognize the character ‘Autumn’.”
When Zhan Yaoguang opened his eyes, he saw Zhan Yinyuan with his round, dark eyes rolling around, looking up at him curiously.
Whether it was from the wind or from anger, the boy's stray hairs at his temples involuntarily curled upwards. He held back for a moment before managing not to pick up Zhan Yinyuan and throw him out immediately.
"Why are you here?"
"Why can't I sleep here?" the young man snorted, indignantly. "Sister Yuheng's room is the coolest and most comfortable for sleeping. I begged for so long before I could get this opportunity..."
He jumped off the bamboo bed, slipped on his boots, and went to Zhan Yaoguang: "None of that matters, but what does Sister Afu's letter mean?"
How many words?
Zhan Yaoguang was taken aback and quickly looked down to look. He saw four characters written cleanly and neatly on the paper, with ink dripping from them:
—Wishing you a blessed autumn.
Although he hadn't read many books, he roughly knew that this was a prayer, usually used at the end of a letter to wish someone well.
But what about the main text?
Zhan Yaoguang turned the entire note over and searched every nook and cranny, but he couldn't find the "main text" he was so eager to find.
His burning heart gradually cooled down, and he suddenly felt somewhat lost and helpless.
When Zhan Yinyuan looked up, he was immediately startled by Zhan Yaoguang's gloomy, rain-soaked expression. He quickly turned to call for help: "Sister Yuheng, help! Thirteenth Brother's heart feels like it's about to shatter on the ground!"
Zhan Yuheng was somewhat surprised and got up to walk over.
"What did Miss Shu write?"
“Only four words, ‘Wishing you a blessed autumn’…” Zhan Yaoguang lowered her eyes, her voice filled with accusation, “I cared for her so much, but all she ever said to me were these four words!”
Zhan Yinyuan observed the change in his expression, then leaned closer with a sly grin and said, "Thirteenth Brother is heartbroken."
"Shut up." The boy covered his eyes with his palm and forced him to turn his head away without saying a word.
Even with his eyes covered, Zhan Yinyuan remained restless, grumbling as he continued, "Will Brother Thirteen be angry with Sister Afu?"
"..."
"Forget it, it's the worst thing about Thirteenth Brother being angry. He used to get angry with me and it wouldn't last more than three days. But when it's Sister Afu's turn, I'm afraid that the moment she stands in front of Thirteenth Brother, his heart will soften..."
At this moment, Zhan Yuheng, who was resting his chin on his hand in thought, suddenly clicked his tongue softly and smiled.
Zhan Yaoguang looked over at the sound: "Cousin, what does she mean by this?"
She is wishing you a peaceful autumn.
The boy looked even more dejected: "I know that, but it's not autumn yet, summer hasn't even arrived!"
Zhan Yuheng burst out laughing: "Silly Thirteen, after this battle, all the southern regions are at peace. Vice Minister Shu will set off for Chang'an once everything has recovered. The Ministry of Rites has a complicated procession, and the journey north is long and arduous. With many stops along the way, by the time we arrive in Chang'an, it will be autumn."
Zhan Yaoguang was taken aback, vaguely realizing something, and stared blankly at her.
"She wishes you a safe journey and hopes you will arrive in Chang'an soon, Thirteen Lang, she misses you."
After this conversation, Zhan Yaoguang fell completely silent. The hand that had been tightly holding Zhan Yinyuan suddenly loosened, and she turned to tug at the ends of her slightly curly hair, lost in thought.
After a very long time, the boy slowly uttered an "oh".
He stopped speaking and stood motionless in place, like a jade sculpture.
Zhan Yuheng knew that he was being awkward and shy again. She smiled slightly, stood a short distance away from him, and spoke softly:
"Oh, by the way, Grandma asked me to tell you that once spring is over, we will slowly set off to take you to her side."
Sunlight rippled outwards through the small window, painting the mountains in vibrant colors and revealing endless greenery. Snow-white doves flew through the clouds, leaving behind a trail of chirping sounds.
"Thirteenth Brother's face is red, and so are his ears!" Zhan Yinyuan, no longer restrained, chattered even louder.
This time, Zhan Yaoguang didn't tell him to shut up. The boy suddenly turned around, and the silk ribbon adorned with silver beads was tied in his thick black hair, which fluttered high as he turned.
He leaped out of the wide-open window.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
