Xue Bao pushed open the gate to his courtyard.
Then they saw a fire burning in the courtyard, and Xue Laohu was sitting on a small stool with an arrow cage next to him.
He was using a piece of soft leather to vigorously wipe the ancestral bow and arrow.
Without even looking up, he greeted Xue Bao, "You're back. Sit down."
Neither the father nor the son spoke. They sat on the stool, one wiping the bow and arrows with a soft leather cloth, and the other wiping the arrowheads in the quiver with a soft leather cloth.
Wu and Han Yuemei were busy in the kitchen preparing dry food for him.
Han Yuemei glanced at him, her eyes constantly darting towards Xue Bao in the courtyard.
"The provisions are almost ready," Wu said, looking up at Han Yuemei.
"Yueming, go to your bedroom and prepare a change of clothes for the snow leopard."
Then he turned to Xue Bao, who was sitting in the courtyard, and said...
"Leopard, go back to your room with your wife and get your change of clothes."
Both of them knew this, but their mother was giving them some time alone.
Xue Bao stood up, dusted himself off, and said to his father.
"Dad, I'm going in first, don't bother wiping anymore. It's bright enough!"
Xue Laohu didn't look up, just grunted an "Mmm," and continued working.
The two entered the bedroom, and Xue Bao closed the door with his foot, then pulled Han Yuemei into a tight embrace.
Han Yuemei also reached out and hugged Xue Bao's waist, holding him tightly.
She pressed her face against Xue Bao's chest, listening to the familiar heartbeat.
Han Yuemei silently shed tears. Xue Bao knew she was crying and patted her back tenderly.
He lowered his head and kissed away her tears.
"Honey, it's alright now. Don't worry about me. Wait for me at home."
Don't go into the mountains alone, and don't go to the riverbank alone. Stay close to your mother whenever you go out. Understand?
Han Yuemei dared not open her mouth to speak, afraid that if she did, she would burst into tears.
She nodded repeatedly, agreeing with him.
Xue Bao's eyes also reddened. Although he told them not to worry, anything could happen on the battlefield, and who could guarantee that they would be completely safe?
Han Yuemei stepped out of Xue Bao's arms, wiped away her tears, and smiled at Xue Bao.
She knew that her smile was harder than her tears.
Han Yuemei opened the cabinet on the kang and took out several sets of clothes for Snow Leopard to change into. It was winter, so she took out a cotton-padded coat to change into with the one she was wearing.
We prepared two sets of jackets and two sets of summer clothes for him.
She didn't ask Xue Bao how long he would be gone, so she prepared everything for him.
Han Yuemei put the clothes into a cloth bag, tied it into a bundle, and placed it on the kang (a heated brick bed). She then turned around and looked at Xue Bao.
"Xue Bao, remember I'll be waiting for you at home."
After saying that, tears started flowing again.
Xue Bao stepped forward to wipe away her tears, gently embraced her, and patted her back repeatedly.
Neither of them spoke, yet it seemed as if a thousand words were contained in their tight embrace…
After an unknown amount of time, Xue Laohu shouted from the courtyard.
"Xue Bao, Han Mingjiang is calling you."
He didn't want to say, "Sons, you should set off!"
My heart aches!
Han Yuemei knew Xue Bao was leaving, so she hugged him tightly, wiped away her tears, and gave him a big smile this time.
That bright, sunny smile was forever etched in Xue Bao's heart.
"Go in peace, I will take good care of Mom and Dad. We are all waiting for you to come back!"
In Li Lanzhen's courtyard, Han Minghai, Han Mingjiang, and Han Mingxiang's grandsons were all there.
Knowing that time was short, Han Mingjiang said to Li Lanzhen.
"Mother, your son is leaving. Take care of yourself."
He turned to look at Han Minghai and Han Mingxiang and said.
"Big brother, little brother, I'm entrusting Mother and the whole family to you two."
“Mother, Brother Xuanshen told me to tell you that after we left, we blocked the south gate of Peach Blossom Spring, guarded the mountain pass on the river, and made sure the patrols never stopped.”
Adults and children should stay in the village if they can avoid leaving Peach Blossom Spring.
Li Lanzhen nodded and went up to hug her tall, robust son, who was 1.8 meters tall.
She patted his back and said, "Mother knows, son. Swords have no eyes. Be careful on the battlefield and protect yourself. Your wife, son, and I are all waiting for you to come back."
Han Mingjiang patted Li Lanzhen on the back, "Okay, I understand, Mother."
Turning around, I saw Xue Nizi with teary eyes.
He was heartbroken. His wife, who was usually quite fierce, had been following him around in the yard, sobbing.
He walked over, squatted down, and spoke to Han Yisong and Han Yibo.
"You two are both men now. Your father is out on the road, so protect your mother, do you hear me?"
The two sons puffed out their chests and said loudly.
"Yes, Dad. We'll protect Mom. We'll be waiting for you to come home!"
Just then, everyone heard the crackling of firecrackers outside the dining hall and saw fireworks blooming in the sky.
These are the firecrackers that Han Dazhong instructed his young men to set off.
This is a wish for those who go out to return safely.
Xuan Shen led his people directly from the forest onto the road to the capital.
Han Mingjiang and the Crown Prince led their men out of the south gate of Peach Blossom Spring and headed south to Youzhou City to meet up with General Yan.
They all left, and the adults and children of Peach Blossom Spring stood in the valley watching them.
They stood there for a long time, unwilling to leave.
Later, Han Dazhong shouted.
"Alright, let's all go back to the dining room and gather there. We'll eat dumplings, and after that, we'll go visit relatives and friends for the New Year."
The adults, carrying the children, then turned and went into the dining room.
No one spoke along the way, and the children seemed to know that their families were unhappy, so they also kept their little mouths shut.
This somber atmosphere persisted until the Lantern Festival.
Li Lanzhen and the village committee members all knew that things couldn't continue like this.
Let's have a lively Lantern Festival in Peach Blossom Spring!
On the day of preparing to make lanterns, Peach Blossom Spring was once again filled with laughter.
Adults and children gathered in the dining room, where tables were placed against the wall on both sides, leaving a wide aisle.
Everyone worked together to prepare a set of materials for the lantern frame.
A set of lantern frames.
Master Xu, along with several women and children, drew and wrote on red paper, and cut out a set of flower patterns.
Another group pasted these red papers of various shapes onto the lantern frame.
The candle burning in the middle was brought out by Li Lanzhen.
A candle was cut into three sections and fixed to the frame in the middle of the small lantern.
After the lanterns were made one by one, the children took them out and hung them on a rope outside.
On the morning of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, both adults and children have six round and plump glutinous rice balls in their bowls.
Wishing everyone a smooth and successful year ahead! May your days be sweet and your children grow up chubby and healthy.
That evening, the children were so eager to release the lanterns that they didn't even have time to eat properly.
As night fell, Peach Blossom Spring came alive with activity.
Each child was carrying a small lantern.
Some are shaped like rabbits, while others are shaped like pumpkins...
The adults were also carrying lanterns, which they planned to hang in their courtyards when they got home.
Despite the freezing weather, the children weren't afraid of the cold.
The adults joined in the fun, carrying their lanterns and visiting each other's homes to see what other people's lanterns looked like.
Laughter and playful shouts echoed through the Peach Blossom Spring.
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