Chen San's home is in a place called "Stone Gully Village" in Longxi.
It was evening when we arrived. The village was very small, with more than a dozen families scattered in the ravine. The houses were all made of adobe, with thatched roofs and thickly covered with snow. There was an old locust tree at the entrance of the village, with a few rags hanging on the bare branches, fluttering in the wind.
Qin Tiexin knocked on the door of the first courtyard. The person who opened the door was an old man with a stooped back and deep grooves on his face.
"Old man, where is Chen San's home?"
The old man squinted his eyes and looked at him, then looked at the carriage and the people on the horse behind him, his eyes wary. "Are you... a member of the official family?"
"We are comrades of Chen San." Qin Tiexin said.
The old man's expression changed, and he pointed to the west end of the village. "The shabbiest house has a jujube tree at the door."
The most dilapidated house was indeed dilapidated. Half of the earthen wall had collapsed and was barely held up by branches. The courtyard door was made of a few broken wooden boards and could not be closed tightly. The jujube tree at the door was also half dead, with ice hanging from its branches.
Qin Tiexin got off his horse, walked to the courtyard door, and knocked.
A woman's voice came from inside. "Who is it?"
"Chen San's comrade." Qin Tiexin said.
The door opened a crack, revealing the face of a woman. She was in her thirties, but she looked like she was fifty. Her hair was half white, and her eyes were red and swollen. She looked at Qin Tiexin, then at the person behind him, and wiped her hands on her apron.
"Come in." Her voice was very soft.
The yard was small, with some firewood piled up, and it was all wet. The door of the main room was open, and it was dark inside. An old woman was sitting on the threshold, staring straight ahead, her pupils were cloudy and unfocused.
"Mom, Chen San's comrades are here," the woman said.
The old woman didn't respond and still looked ahead.
Qin Tiexin walked into the yard and took Chen San's ashes urn from the car. The urn was wrapped in red cloth. He held it, walked to the old woman, and knelt down on one knee.
"Auntie, Chen San... we brought it back."
The old woman slowly turned her head and looked with her cloudy eyes in the direction of Qin Tiexin. She stretched out her hand, fumbled around, touched the jar, then hugged it tightly and held it tightly in her arms.
She didn't cry. She just hugged her and pressed her face against the cold pottery altar.
The woman came over, knelt down opposite Qin Tiexin, looked at the urn, and shed tears silently. Behind her, a five or six-year-old boy poked his head out of the room and looked timidly.
"How... how did you die?" the woman asked, her voice trembling.
"He died in battle." Qin Tiexin said, "He was very brave. He killed more than twenty Di People alone on the battlefield, buying time for the large army."
This is the truth, but it is not completely true. Chen San Team A's identity needs to be kept secret.
The woman nodded, her tears dripping onto the red cloth of the jar, spreading into a dark stain.
Qin Tiexin took out the pension from his pocket. It was fifty taels of silver, wrapped in cloth. He handed it to the woman. "This is the pension from the imperial court. And..." He took out another bag, also fifty taels, "This is collected by the brothers."
The woman looked at the two bags of silver and didn't take them.
"Take it." Qin Tiexin put the silver at her feet, "Chen San's child... must be raised."
The woman finally took the silver, held it in her arms, and cried again.
Qin Tiexin stood up and walked to the firewood pile. The firewood was wet and difficult to split. He found an axe, rolled up his sleeves, and began to chop firewood. One axe, two axes, and the wood split open. Tu Dazhu came over and helped stack it with one hand. Zhou Cang limped and carried the chopped firewood under the eaves. Zhou Nan silently swept the snow in the yard.
They worked for two hours. They chopped all the firewood and stacked it neatly, enough to burn for a winter. They briefly repaired the collapsed earth wall, nailed the courtyard door securely again, and filled the water tank.
After finishing the work, it was already dark.
The woman left them to eat. The meal was very simple, consisting of a pot of glutinous rice cakes and a few black flour cakes. Qin Tiexin was not polite and sat down to eat. He didn't eat much, only ate two cakes and drank a bowl of glutinous rice cakes.
After finishing the meal, Qin Tiexin stood up and said goodbye.
The woman arrived at the gate of the hospital, suddenly knelt down and kowtowed.
"Thank you for... sending him back."
Qin Tiexin helped her up without saying anything. He got on the horse, started the carriage and left Stone Gully Village.
After walking far away, looking back, you can still see the faint light, like a dying star in the dark ravine.
***
Shi Meng lives in Guanzhong, a small village near the mountains.
It was noon when we arrived. The village was larger than Stone Gully Village, with dozens of households. Qin Tiexin inquired about several houses before finding Shi Meng's house - the east end of the village, with a single house and a single courtyard, and an old elm tree at the door.
There was a man in the yard, about forty years old, who was chopping firewood. He was chopping slowly and hard, but the ax kept chopping crookedly. After a few chops, he stopped, tilted his head, and muttered something.
Qin Tiexin knocked on the courtyard door.
The man turned his head, his eyes a little dull. "Who is it?"
"Shi Meng's comrade." Qin Tiexin said.
The man was stunned for a while, then grinned. "Mengzi? Mengzi is back?"
Qin Tiexin's heart sank. He walked in and looked at the man. The man's face had similar contours to Shi Meng, but his eyes were distracted and drool was drooling from the corner of his mouth. He was obviously not very clear.
"Are you...Shi Meng's brother?" Qin Tiexin asked.
"I'm his brother!" The man puffed up his chest, then suddenly remembered something, leaned over and whispered, "Mengzi is going to be a soldier, he's awesome! He said he wants to be a general!"
Qin Tiexin's throat felt tight. He turned back and glanced at the urn in the car.
"Where is Mengzi?" The man looked behind him, "Didn't he come back with you?"
Qin Tiexin was silent for a long time, and then said, "Shi Meng... is still at the border. The battle is not over yet, and he can't come back."
"Oh..." The man was a little disappointed, but soon became happy again, "Then when he comes back, tell him that I have chopped all the firewood! It will be enough to burn for a winter!"
He pointed to the crooked pile of firewood in the yard, feeling very proud.
Qin Tiexin looked at the firewood - wet, thick and thin mixed together, some split, some only split half. He nodded. "I will tell him."
He took out the pension from his pocket. One hundred taels - Shi Meng is the coach, and the pension is higher. The other fifty taels were collected by the brothers. He wrapped the money and handed it to the man. "This is the money Shi Meng brought back for you to use."
The man took it, weighed it, and smiled, "So much! Mengzi is really awesome!"
Qin Tiexin took out another ten taels of silver and walked to the neighbor's house next door. The person who opened the door was a middle-aged woman. She was a little wary when she saw Qin Tiexin was dressed in a dirty look.
"Sister-in-law, I am a comrade of Shi Meng." Qin Tiexin said, "Shi Meng is still at the border and asked me to bring money back. But his brother... you have also seen it. Please help take care of these ten taels of silver and don't let him starve and freeze."
The woman looked at the money, then at the giggling man in the yard next door. She sighed and took the money, "Don't worry, we are all fellow villagers. If you can help, help."
Qin Tiexin bowed deeply. "Thank you very much."
When he returned to the yard, the man was still chopping firewood. When he struck down with the axe, he split the wood and the wood rolled to the side. The man chased after him and chopped again.
Qin Tiexin looked at him for a while, then turned and left.
When the carriage and horses left the village, he turned around and saw a man standing at the gate of the courtyard, waving to them and shouting, "Tell Mengzi! I'll wait for him to come back!"
Qin Tiexin raised his hand and waved.
Then turn around and never look back.
***
Li Zhenwei's home is in Bian Town, and his name is "Wuyang Town".
The town is not small, with city walls and garrisons. Li Household is a military household named Aristocratic Clan. There were three generals in our ancestors. When we arrived, a funeral was being held in the town - the news arrived before them.
Li Household The house is very large, with blue bricks and black tiles, and white flags hanging at the door. There are many people coming in and out, all wearing plain clothes. The mourning hall is located in the main hall, with white candles burning high and cigarettes lingering. In the middle is a spiritual tablet: Li Gong Zhenwei's spiritual tablet.
Qin Tiexin When the group of people walked into the yard, everyone looked over.
He was wearing a military uniform - although it was borrowed, it was washed clean. Behind him were three people: Tu Dazhu with a broken hand, Zhou Cang with a lame leg, and Zhou Nan, a thin one. They carried the urn and wrapped it in red cloth.
An old man walked out of the main hall. He was probably in his sixties, his hair was all white, but his waist was straight and he walked with ease. His face was deeply wrinkled, and his eyes were sharp, like knives.
The father of Li Zhenwei. The old pawn Li Kuo.
Qin Tiexin walked up to the old man, knelt down on one knee, and held the urn with both hands. "Old General Li, I am humble Qin Tiexin, sending General Li... home."
Li Kuo looked at the urn for a long time. Then he stretched out his hand and took it. His hand was very steady, holding the urn like a mountain.
"Get up." he said.
Qin Tiexin stood up and took out five hundred taels from his arms, General Li's pension and silver reward, and Li Zhenwei's broken knife, which was wrapped in cloth. He handed it over.
Li Kuo took the knife and untied the strip of cloth. The two sections of the knife were exposed, glowing coldly under the candlelight. The old man stroked the broken parts with his fingers, his movements were very gentle, like stroking a child's face.
"How did it break?" he asked.
"In the last battle, he took revenge." Qin Tiexin said.
Li Kuo nodded. He put the broken knives together, wrapped them again with cloth, then held them and walked into the main hall. He placed the urn in front of the coffin and placed the broken knives across the altar.
Then he turned around and looked at Qin Tiexin: "Did you send him back?"
"Yes."
"How long have you been on the road?"
"Twelve days."
"Hard work." Li Kuo said, "Stay for a meal."
The meal is very simple, but the portion is large. There is a big bowl of meat and a big bowl of wine. Li Kuo is sitting at the head table, and Qin Tiexin is sitting at the bottom. Tu Dazhu, Zhou Cang, and Zhou Nan are sitting at the bottom.
Li Kuo didn't talk, just drank, one bowl after another. Qin Tiexin didn't talk either, just immersed himself in eating. He ate three bowls of rice, half a bowl of meat, and drank two bowls of wine.
After dinner, Li Kuo took Qin Tiexin to the ancestral hall.
Li Household The ancestral hall is very large, housing the tablets of more than ten generations of ancestors. Li Kuo placed Li Zhenwei's ashes and broken knives on the bottom floor - he was still young and not old enough to be put on trial.
After offering, Li Kuo lit three sticks of incense and handed them to Qin Tiexin.
Qin Tiexin took it and offered the incense respectfully.
After laying the incense, Li Kuo looked at his son's memorial tablet and said, "He died a worthy death and lived up to his sword."
Eight words. Very heavy.
Qin Tiexin stood aside, watching the candle flames dancing and the smoke curling up. He remembered the last appearance of Li Zhenwei - lying in the snow, facing north, with his eyes closed and his expression calm.
Perhaps, for Li Household people, such a death is really a "well-deserved death".
When leaving Wuyang Town, Li Kuo was sent outside the town. He patted Qin Tiexin on the shoulder, very hard, just like when Li Xun patted him.
"If you pass by in the future, come in and have a seat." the old man said.
"Definitely." Qin Tiexin said.
The carriages and horses started, heading south.
After walking far away, Qin Tiexin looked back and could still see the beacon tower at the entrance of the town. It was the beacon tower that Li Zhenwei had watched since he was a child, and it was the place he had guarded for twenty years.
Now, he stays there forever.
***
The car continued south.
Qin Tiexin sat on the shaft of the car and looked at the scenery on the roadside. The snow began to melt, revealing the yellow-brown land below. Occasionally, new green grass buds could be seen, timidly poking their heads out.
Spring is coming.
The war is over and spring has arrived. The dead lie in cold jars, while the living continue to move forward.
Qin Tiexin touched the customs clearance documents in his arms, and then touched the remaining banknotes. There is one last place to return - Ink City, Qin Household Blacksmith Shop.
It had been more than a year since he left Ink City. He didn't know how the shop was doing. But he knew that he had to go back.
The carriages and horses rolled, heading north.