Chapter 76 Sparks of Affection Guo Jia finally realized how he had fallen into...
A small boat drifts gently, pushing through the waves as it slowly moves forward.
A gentle little donkey stood at the stern, and Deng Jie sat beside it, softly singing:
He sat by the stream, a man of great virtue and magnanimity. He awoke alone from his sleep, and vowed never to forget.
The Buddha dwells in the abode of the great man. Alone, I sing in my sleep, vowing never to succumb.
Kao Pan is on land, a pillar of great men. Alone I sleep and wake, forever vowing never to tell. [1]
Guo Jia, punting at the bow of the boat, watched his wife enjoying herself and couldn't help but hum along softly.
Now, more than a decade later, new life has sprung up again amidst the ruins of the past. Although not as vibrant as before, it is a perfect place to welcome the two of them.
"The Star Lord and the Fairy are back!" The boy herding cattle at the village entrance saw the two, abandoned his cattle, and ran into the village, shouting to the villagers.
Soon, a crowd gathered around them enthusiastically, greeting them all at once. They had long regarded this immortal couple as their guardian deities.
Guo Jia responded with a smile to the villagers' concern, his gaze sweeping over their tense faces. He said gently, "Please rest assured, everyone. I have observed the stars and the weather, and I have also obtained reliable information. Most of Sun Quan's army ships have been moved upstream. This great battle will take place in the Jiangxia and Chibi area, which is still a hundred miles away. This place is safe for the time being."
Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief.
An old man was still worried: "Star Lord, then...should we go away for a while?"
"There's no need for the entire village to relocate."
Guo Jia waved his hand, then said seriously, "However, once war breaks out, there will be many refugees and wounded soldiers. We need to prepare early, store up plenty of grain, fodder and medicine, and repair places in the villages that can accommodate people. The location of the granaries must be well hidden to prevent problems before they occur."
Deng Jie replied, “That’s right. I have already checked the medicinal herbs planted by the fields and at the foot of the mountains, and they are ready to be harvested. Please come with me these next few days to pick and process them. Every household should prepare some hemostatic, fever-clearing, and disease-preventing medicines in case of emergency.”
That night, a charcoal brazier burned in Guo Jia and his wife's thatched hut, and Deng Jie used the firelight to sort through the medicinal herbs they had gathered during the day.
She glanced at Guo Jia, who was sitting at the doorway, staring blankly into space, and called out, "Fengxiao."
She walked to Guo Jia's side, leaned on his shoulder, and looked up at the sky with him: "This place is ultimately a sensitive area that the Cao and Sun families have repeatedly fought over... Was our return this time too risky?"
Guo Jia glanced at her, then placed his hand over hers and replied, "You once said you wanted to go home... This is what I should do. Although I don't have the ability to let you return to a grand mansion like the Deng residence, at least we can stay in a place we know well."
“Home…” Deng Jie’s eyes welled up slightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed, “Actually, being with you makes anywhere home. The country is in turmoil, so there’s no need to be attached to one place… When war breaks out, we can’t escape the plague… Your body can’t suffer any more.”
Guo Jia felt a warmth in his heart, yet also a deep sense of reluctance. He tentatively asked, "Leaving is not impossible... but... how about we stroll along the river and take another look at the scenery upstream?"
To ensure their safety, Deng Jie prepared face masks and medicines for epidemic prevention overnight, filling a cloth bag to the brim.
The next morning, the two bid farewell to the villagers and left the village with their little donkey.
The two took their time, taking turns riding the donkeys, enduring wind and rain in the mountains, and it took them more than half a month to reach Xunyang.
However, during the journey, Guo Jia keenly noticed the unusual winter wind direction, which made him feel uneasy.
The once clear water along the river now seems to have been tainted with the smell of rust and smoke.
Deng Jie was worried about Guo Jia's health and tried to persuade him, "Fengxiao, this place is still too dangerous. Why don't we head north instead?"
Guo Jia stopped, his gaze sweeping over the wounded soldiers groaning in pain by the roadside, then looking into the distance where desolation was everywhere, before finally settling on Deng Jie's face, which was etched with worry.
He gently smoothed her slightly furrowed brow, his tone unusually calm: "But can you let go?"
He knew her too well; how much of her heartlessness could she possibly have in the face of this situation?
"Besides... Jia also wants to know... what the current situation of the battle is." These words were his true feelings.
Deng Jie was silent for a moment, then tightened his grip and resolutely instructed, "Then you must promise me that you will stay in the study, not go near the patients, and not wander around!"
"Okay, I'll definitely wear a mask before I accompany you during your consultations, is that alright?" He even gestured to his face as he spoke.
When they passed through Xunyang before, they left behind the name of the celestial couple. When they returned this time, the local gentry recognized them and warmly invited them to settle in a relatively quiet courtyard. They also spread the word: "The Big Dipper Star Lord and the Southern Dipper Fairy have descended to the mortal world to administer medicine and save people!"
The small, elegant courtyard has brought a glimmer of hope to the city.
Deng Jie worked tirelessly for days, treating wounded soldiers and patients with acupuncture. Guo Jia, relying on his familiarity with medicines, was responsible for prescribing and dispensing the medicines, and incidentally, he learned from them about the earth-shattering defeat at the front:
The iron chains linked the boats on level ground; Huang Gai feigned surrender using fire ships.
The east wind swept across thousands of miles, and the plague raged on, yet could not be eradicated.
Guo Jia listened to the wounded soldiers' desperate descriptions with a complex expression.
On one hand, he secretly resented Zhou Yu's methods, while on the other hand, he smiled and sighed that Liu Bei's strategic vision had finally improved. When he learned that the envoy who had formed an alliance with Liu Bei was none other than the young master Zhuge Liang they had met at the medical hut years ago, he was filled with emotion. Time waits for no one, and time has finally brought opportunities to the capable.
On the other hand, there was concern about Cao Cao's mental state in the face of such a defeat, and whether anyone was there to comfort him. This defeat likely laid the foundation for Sun Quan's policy of dividing the country along the Yangtze River, and Cao Cao might never have another opportunity to launch a full-scale southward campaign.
Having finally endured these past few days, the two exhausted individuals avoided the crowds and, under the guise of searching for medicine, came to the secluded banks of the Yangtze River.
The winter night was cold, and the river murmured, lapping against the icy banks.
Deng Jie looked at Guo Jia, who was silently gazing at the surging river, and asked softly, "Fengxiao, do you have any regrets or remorse?"
Guo Jia paused slightly, then turned to Deng Jie with a mocking smile: "Regret? I have no regrets. Without you, I would have died in Yicheng long ago."
If there's anything to regret, it's that you, Lord Ming, are missing someone as glib and eloquent as Jia. That's probably a bit of a shame.
However, it wouldn't be bad if he could treat Yi'er well even with this regret.
He chuckled softly, then quickly composed himself, gazing wistfully into the distance. "...Gongda, Zhongde, and Wenhe are all men of profound wisdom. I think that losing one of me wouldn't make much difference to the overall situation..."
As they were talking, Guo Jia saw several faint, strange lights appear on the riverbank on a cold winter night. They floated and danced in the air like specks of starlight, rising and falling.
"How can there be fireflies this season?" Deng Jie asked in surprise, his gaze following the fireflies as he reached out to catch them.
These points of light traced faint paths in the darkness, a mixture of light and shadow, as if carrying some indescribable sorrow and call.
Guo Jia stared blankly at the points of light, a wave of sorrow surging in his chest for some reason. He could almost hear the sighs of "Alas!" that accompanied the points of light. The scene of parting with Cao Cao appeared in his mind, and the words "I am in Ye City, waiting for your return" echoed in his ears.
“…Fengxiao?” Deng Jie looked up at his face and stood on tiptoe to kiss away the tears on his face.
Guo Jia then realized why he was crying and gently wiped it away.
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The author has something to say: [1] "Wei Feng · Kao Pan": A song in the Book of Songs that describes a hermit.
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