Erhei has another important task to do. With the year drawing to a close and the grasslands conquered, the husband must now fulfill the promise he made to his mother.
“I’m going to the grasslands for a few days to bring my mother home and find her a burial site deep in the mountains. We agreed that when her son became successful, he would bring her back to Dayan.”
Erhei was explaining to Erya what he was going to do these past few days.
The young couple are now staying at the Huo family's house. Er Ya, who was writing tomorrow's menu, looked up and said...
"When are you going? I want to go with you."
"What are you going there for? You must be exhausted from the long journey."
"I'm taking my mother-in-law home."
Erhei was speechless after hearing this, and then Erya put down her calligraphy brush and said to him...
“Mother already knows about this. We’ll set up a memorial tablet for Mother-in-law in the house and offer incense on holidays and festivals. In case we’re no longer in Pingyang, we can take her with us.”
The burly man felt a warmth in his heart. The Huo family had always treated him this way. Logically speaking, the debt of gratitude for saving Huo Xiaocheng back then had long been repaid. They fed him well, taught him martial arts, and even helped him become an official.
He Yi hasn't changed at all; when she calls out "Mother," she's always so sweet and caring.
He didn't have a name; it was the Huo family who gave him one.
He had no home, but the Huo family gave him a place to stay.
"What's wrong? Are you touched?" the round-faced woman teased him.
Er Ya is over twenty years old this year, but she still looks like a young girl, especially her face, which is round and fleshy. When she smiles, her eyes crinkle, and she looks blessed.
Although she wasn't as slender as other girls, she could still act coquettishly in front of her husband, and Erhei could even pick her up with one hand.
The man was indeed somewhat moved, but Er Ya's accent from the border town ruined the atmosphere.
He put one arm around Er Ya and said...
"Thanks to you."
"Me too."
Actually, there wasn't much of a passionate atmosphere. The two of them naturally expressed their feelings for each other from the very beginning. If they liked that thing, why didn't they say so? What were they shy about?
What can you do if you disagree?
There was no real loss to begin with.
"Shall we set off tomorrow?"
"good."
The grasslands are very different now than when I returned. Of course, there are still herders. Some places have grass suitable for grazing, but others do not. The grassland people are also learning to wield sickles like farmers.
If they encounter natural disasters and have a poor harvest, they can turn to the Imperial Court, which will help them make a living. They don't need to go out and fight for food; they can repay the debt later.
The wind was strong on the grassland, making Er Ya's face feel a little cold, and her nose was running from time to time. The man tightened the reins, pulled on the horse, and took the neck guard from the bundle behind him and put it on the woman.
“I told you to wear it a long time ago, but you wouldn’t listen. I’ve lived on the grasslands for so many years, and this is how it is now. You’d definitely catch a cold riding a horse.”
Er Ya was a little embarrassed and said
"Okay, where did you bury our mother?"
"Just this area."
"...?"
"Didn't you put any markers or anything on it?"
"It's all done, built with a ring of stones."
Er Ya pondered, "You've been building these stones for years, haven't they all been kicked away by people?" The man seemed to notice his wife's speechless expression and hurriedly explained...
"No, the people of the grasslands know this is a tomb. No matter what the person was like when they were alive, once they are dead, they are dead. They have great respect for the deceased and would never do anything reckless."
"That's fine then."
After many years, weeds had grown around the grave. Erhei muttered to himself as he shoveled at them.
"Mom, I've brought my wife to take you home."
"Didn't you say I was from the Great Yan?"
"I'm not just a member of the Great Yan now, your son is also a general. The grasslands have been conquered, and the one leading the charge is my sworn sister, she's incredibly powerful."
"Look at her, that's your daughter-in-law cooking over there. Isn't she plump and adorable? Everyone loves her."
"Wait a few more years, until our country is stable, and if we are lucky enough to have a few grandchildren for you, then we can have them kowtow to you."
"mother."
"I miss you."
Erhei felt somewhat guilty towards his mother. Countless times in the dead of night, he would think back to his mother and wonder if, if he had been more capable back then, his mother could be enjoying a better life with him now.
But there aren't so many "what ifs" in this world.
Meeting the Huo family had already used up all his luck, as if the hardships of his youth were all preparations for the day he would meet Huo Xiaocheng on the grassland.
As dusk fell, the stars tonight looked much like the ones on the day Erhei received his identity documents, when Erya and he lay on the grassland, gazing at the sparkling sky.
“My mother will definitely like you. When she took me to wander the grasslands, she said that she wanted to find a wife who always smiled, the kind of wife who would make you happy just by looking at her.”
"She wants to help me take care of my children in the future."
Er Ya put her hands behind her head and giggled, saying
"But you've been married to your wife for several years now, and you still don't have any children."
"Then we won't have one. Long'er isn't settled yet. Once she's done her business, we'll have one together."
"Okay."
The starlight was faint, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, as if it were quietly watching the young couple lying on the grass.
That year, Erhei lived a very hard life, often going hungry. He had a large appetite and could only do manual labor with his mother in exchange for food.
Their only possession was a tent that their mother had traded for with her embroidery.
They couldn't afford candles, and his mother's eyesight had deteriorated, so they could only collect cow dung to make a living.
His mother left him one night, peacefully. Erhei knew that his mother had always been ill, but fortunately, she passed away without much pain.
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