When Hongyan and the others returned in the evening, they all looked like they had made a great haul.
They went to the market with Doshihun and bought a lot of food and trinkets. They tried sugar paintings, bought mutton pancakes, picked out two vases for their father and mother, and also went to an old drill ground.
The old drill ground was in a somewhat remote location. It was snowing outside, and the road was a bit difficult to travel, but the children had a great time playing.
Dorsey also called his good brother, Chen Zhihuai.
Hutuli was excited to see him and told him about the day the two of them hunted the wild boar, which shocked Doshihun.
"Well, Chen Zhihuai, you actually went to the hunting grounds behind my back!"
Hongyan and Hongzhao carefully examined the young man who was a few years older but appeared to have a very refined and elegant demeanor.
There's no other reason than that Chen Zhihuai was just too handsome, like those pale-faced scholars in the stories Chunni told in her mother's tales, the pretty boys who would be seduced by vixens.
It's unbelievable that someone like that could actually smash a wild boar with force.
You really can't judge a book by its cover.
Hongzhao's mouth dropped open. He had originally thought that the man who had killed the wild boar would be exceptionally burly, like the tall, strong Mongolians with full beards he had seen before.
However, looking at the bright-eyed, handsome young man before him, he still couldn't believe it.
"Brother, have you been practicing martial arts since you were a child?" Hong Yan asked politely.
Knowing their identities, Chen Zhihuai dared not be presumptuous and quickly bowed, saying, "Brother, I wouldn't dare. I have had Mongolian and sword masters since I was a child."
"I see," Hongyan nodded, his eyes filled with admiration. "No need for such formalities. Your level of martial arts skill at your age is truly ashamed of us."
Doshihui put his right arm around Hongyan's neck and said casually, "Hongyan, stop showing off your knowledge. Chen Zhihuai is very capable, both in literature and martial arts! I think he should be called Chen Bin."
After finishing speaking, he was particularly proud and introduced them to Chen Zhihuai: "This is Hutuli, the second princess of the Fourth Prince's mansion, the third prince Hongyan, and the fourth prince Hongzhao. You can just call them by their names. Don't be so formal when you're out having fun. These are all my cousins."
The group exchanged greetings and then headed excitedly toward the old drill ground.
Hongzhao was most curious: "Is it really that fun there?"
Dorsey nodded: "Yes, there's still a training ground in there! It's dilapidated and unusable now, all abandoned. But you can catch birds there, and I even brought a slingshot!"
Hutuli exclaimed excitedly, "This is great! This is great! Let's grab a few. They say it tastes especially good when roasted over a fire!"
Hongzhao couldn't help but chuckle and tease her: "Sister, you don't know how to cook. Last time you wanted to make noodles for Mother, the ones you made would have made the salt seller furious."
Hutu twisted his ear, making Hongzhao wince in pain.
"If I can't do it, don't you all know how?"
"Ouch, ouch, that hurts! Brother! Brother, save me!"
Seeing the injustice, Hong Yan quickly pleaded with Hu Tuli: "Sister, sister, let him go. Fei Yang's ears are big, they'll get even bigger if you pull them any further."
Hutu pursed his lips before letting go.
Seeing this, Chen Zhihuai chuckled to himself. His chuckle was like the snow on Tianshan Mountain melting away. However, Hu Tuli shot him a sharp look, and he immediately coughed a few times to cover up his embarrassment.
Doshihui explained to him, "It's okay, Hutuli is a good person, she just has a bad temper, but that's nothing. She's very understanding and a good girl." He then gave her a thumbs up.
Chen Zhihuai nodded in agreement, and Hongzhao quickly followed suit, flattering his sister.
“My sister is even more amazing. She is exceptionally talented, able to shoot wild boars, and is also beautiful and kind-hearted. She can do needlework and write poetry.”
"Alright, alright, stop flattering us. Are we almost there?"
Dorsey looked at the road and said, "We're almost there. Just around the corner."
The boys rushed forward like monkeys returning to the mountain, and soon arrived at their destination.
This old drill ground looks very old. The massive foundation and the stone pillars that have withstood many storms must be over a hundred years old. However, through its vague appearance, one can still vaguely see the glory of yesteryear.
The children were all stunned for a moment.
The snow wasn't heavy; the drifting snowflakes seemed to cast a halo over this dilapidated, decaying training ground—a place that had once witnessed boundless glory, bearing witness to fierce battles but now exuding a restrained aura.
It was like a grand dream.
They slowly walked in to get a glimpse of the old drill ground's overall layout and details.
The Fourth Prince's residence has a drill ground, but it's only a fraction of the size of this one. That ground was used for horse racing, martial arts practice, and archery training, while this one was used for training soldiers and the army.
Hongyan stepped over the overgrown steps, touched the broken and cracked stone pillars, and stood on the high platform looking down. It seemed as if the entire city was spread out before him. Even the sky seemed more vast. Snowflakes were falling, and they didn't feel cold on him, but rather carried a sense of desolation.
"I want to be a great general."
Hongzhao had climbed up at some point, imitating his brother, and stood on the platform gazing into the distance, as if boundless pride was welling up in his heart.
"The general is the most free. He can lead his troops and armies wherever he wants and kill whomever he wants."
Hearing his younger brother's childish words, Hongzhao patted his little head.
Hongzhao felt broad-minded, unlike Hongyan, who felt infinitely sorrowful.
History changes, and the world is ever-changing.
All the palaces and pavilions have turned to dust.
Prosperity brings suffering to the people.
When the country falls, the people suffer.
Hongyan thought that he wanted to see the Qing Dynasty's rule last for thousands of years, a beautiful and prosperous land, but he also wanted to see the struggles of the common people, living such a weak yet resilient life.
Just like Grandpa Feng who sells sugar paintings.
He had no children.
Her son joined the army and died in the war against the Dzungars. Her daughter became someone's concubine, but died along with her unborn child less than two years later.
His wife also fell seriously ill two years ago and died.
He was the only one left in the house, living a lonely yet resilient life.
Day after day, year after year, he sold sugar paintings.
Perhaps one day, he will be gone too.
The Feng family's sugar paintings are gone too.
But there are always other vendors selling sugar paintings.
Not everyone may remember him. When they do, they might just say, "Old Feng, he passed away a couple of years ago."
Hongyan looked at the dilapidated old training ground and saw only white bones. He saw the decadent life behind the prosperous gates, while the roads were littered with frozen corpses.
Chen Zhihuai also came up and sighed.
"Yellow dust and clear water beneath the three mountains, a thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye. History is a cycle of rise and fall, Hongyan, there is no need to be too saddened."
He patted Hongyan on the shoulder casually: "The Manchus conquered the world on horseback, and now they are known for their civil administration. I wonder if you can compare to me?"
Hongyan snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at him.
"What are we comparing?"
"Let's have a bird-shooting contest."
Chen Zhihuai pointed to a spot not far away, where several birds flew overhead, making the old training ground appear even more desolate.
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