Section 8

The umbrella seller nodded and set down his precious basket.

The situation in the Xie family is even more chaotic. Every few days, Xie Ling would send someone to deliver a letter back to report on their safety, but now the letters have ceased. Madam Xie kneels in the Buddhist hall day and night, and the servants are also fearful, leaving the entire household in a state of anxiety.

The umbrella seller looked at him and said, "I want to eat fish"

Xie Ling looked at his submissive demeanor and felt even more frustrated, rudely asking: "Raise your head and speak, what are you thinking?"

Seeing that person once again shouldering the bamboo basket and preparing to leave, Xie Ling sighed: "Those who have entered the military camp are temporarily not allowed to go outside to prevent the spread of the epidemic; you cannot leave."

Where do fish come from in the barracks

"Xie Ling, thank you." said the umbrella seller, "No one has ever cared for me like this."

The umbrella seller emerged with a bamboo basket on his back, so thin that one could almost grasp his entire body with a single hand. Looking at him, he said, "Thirty-six days ago, I heard the sound of the war drums signaling the expedition."

The lady kneels in the Buddhist hall every day, and the master no longer goes to the teahouse to compose poetry and engage in wordplay, while the wet nurse weeps incessantly

Thinking of this, Xie Ling felt both happy and bittersweet. They were all men, and what was it about the moths fluttering towards the flame, it was almost a chaotic mess

The umbrella seller nodded honestly

"Xie Ling, fight well, or the family will soon be gone," said the umbrella seller with a sigh, continuing to eat.

During this period, Xie Ling fought another battle, and out of six thousand elite soldiers, fewer than five hundred returned. He lay in the tent like a blood gourd, suffering from a high fever that would not subside, and nearly did not survive.

"Ahem!" Xie Ling said, "I have already mentioned that it was done effortlessly."

Xie Ling leaned against a tree, holding a long spear, waiting for him at the entrance

The umbrella seller, Shishiran, set down his bamboo basket and said: "No one in town is buying umbrellas anymore. It rains a lot in the mountains. I would like to inquire if the army needs to have raincoats made?"

He shook the bell to create a sound, and the soldiers on guard directly brought him to Xie Ling's tent

Why come here

The umbrella seller recalled their first meeting, where he was carving wood to make small trinkets, appearing quite skilled at it. This hairpin felt smooth in hand, like a little snake slithering, clearly made with care.

Madam Xie’s eyes were bloodshot and seemed on the verge of collapse: "The plague is rampant in the army; if you go, you will not return."

Knowing that he had been wandering alone in the deep mountains like a headless fly for two days, Xie Ling sent someone to bring him hot meals to eat

Half a month passed in this way, and all the doctors in the town were taken away by the soldiers. Rumors began to spread throughout the town, with only one saying: an inexplicable plague has broken out among the Liu Cang army, and it is feared that they cannot withstand it.

This is entirely a matter of sulking

Xie Ling looked at him, abruptly placing the gun he was cleaning onto the weapon rack, almost in a fit of rage: "What on earth are you doing here?!"

The townspeople were filled with anxiety in an instant

Xie Ling only thought that he was young and somewhat foolish, not understanding these matters, but was suddenly exposed by a single remark, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

The umbrella seller lowered his head, still repeating the same phrase, a bit of a trick: "I want to eat fish"

Xie Ling squinted at him, grinding her teeth in anger, as if he was deliberately provoking her. "You are not even a girl, what kind of pretentiousness is this for a boy?" With that thought, she still took him on horseback to the edge of the pond where they first met

The deep mountains resembled a labyrinth, and the umbrella seller, neither arrogant nor impatient, searched for two days before finally reaching the heavily guarded military camp. At this time, the camp was filled with a sense of desolation, as the soldiers infected with the epidemic had all been isolated. Many of the accompanying doctors had succumbed to this situation, and in addition, the doctors from Jiujiu Bridge Town had been caring for the patients day and night, strictly controlling the water source to prevent contamination, and the epidemic had basically been brought under control

The umbrella seller said: "Just arrange for the little person to be placed in the horse pen, with hay I can sleep."

Well, it's convenient

Xie Ling looked at him under the light, eating like a squirrel, and found him adorable. He blurted out, "It's a pity you are not a woman." This thought, which he had secretly contemplated several times, surprised even Xie Ling when it slipped from his lips. Coming back to his senses, he felt his ears burning; the usually fierce and intimidating person felt quite embarrassed. He glanced at the Umbrella Guy, who was still eating earnestly, thinking to himself that he understood nothing at all.

The enchanting atmosphere that lingered in the air has completely dissipated, and no one brings up this matter anymore

After bidding farewell to Madam Xie, the umbrella seller set off for the mountains. He did not know the location of the military camp, so he held a bell in his hand and shook it as he walked.

It has come as expected

In the dead of night, a bonfire was set up, with two plump fish roasting over the flames. When the fish were cooked, he was unafraid of the heat and carefully removed the bones from the fish.

The umbrella seller took a look and found it to be a plain snake hairpin worn by a man

The umbrella seller remains silent, his head lowered, lost in thought.

Are you afraid that I will die

The umbrella seller said: "The little person never intended to come back."

How could the Xie family marry a girl who is constantly exposing herself in business? It is nothing but a joke

Xie Ling looked up and saw the Umbrella Guy squatting on a rock. Although he was trying to hold back, his shoulders shook with laughter, and his delicate, palm-sized face seemed to be filled with joy.

Xie Ling smiled, "Even if I die, what does it have to do with you?"

My letter has been cut off for ten days, how is my family?

This separation amounts to two months

The umbrella seller's expression was not at all surprising, as if he had anticipated this layer of meaning. However, still holding the basket, he remained frozen there, unable to walk away or stay put. From that calm face, Xie Ling finally discerned a hint of pity, thinking to himself why bully this foolish young man; he had merely come like a moth to a flame.

The umbrella seller stared at him intently, observing his predatory gaze, and nodded: "It seems that there are indeed supplies in the military requisition; I was reckless. Before leaving, I bid farewell to Madam Xie, who entrusted me with a letter from home." The umbrella seller took out a letter sealed tightly in cowhide from his bosom, completely dry.

Xie Ling took the family letter, feeling a bit upset again. How could San Ge not know that there were rainproof ponchos among the military supplies? He was merely delivering a message for the family, confirming his safety with his own eyes

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the umbrella seller spoke again: "Even if the little person is a woman, so what? She still cannot enter the gates of the Xie family."

Where did this damp place get the hay from? You can sleep in my tent, and when the Marshal lifts the order prohibiting leaving the camp in a few days, you can leave then

Two months later, the Marshal ordered the withdrawal of the epidemic area

On the second day, taking advantage of Xie Ling's absence to discuss military affairs in the marshal's tent, the umbrella seller wrote a note and left it on the table, then went to the quarantined area with his bamboo basket.

Such a person, just such a person

Xie Ling was burning with anger, wishing she could drag the person over and give them a good beating, so furious that she couldn't utter a single word

Xie Ling was carefully removing fish bones when she suddenly remembered something and took out an object wrapped in white silk from her bosom to give to San Ge Er

When Xie Ling returned, the situation was already set in stone. He did not appear to be in a hurry; he stood silently at the entrance of the epidemic area for a while before turning back.

The umbrella seller packed his belongings and went to the Buddhist hall to bid farewell to Madam Xie: "Madam, it is raining heavily in the mountains today. I wish to go to the military camp to seek some work making raincoats. Do you have any message you would like me to convey?"

The umbrella seller quietly watched him, a rough man whose palms were thick with calluses, yet he was engaged in work more delicate than embroidery. Although his face was filled with hostility, his eyes were filled with a tenderness that he himself was unaware of

Xie Ling said: "Life in the army is monotonous; apart from training, we just make some small trinkets to pass the time. On one occasion, I came across a nice piece of wood, so I casually made a hairpin. I didn't know who to give it to, so I gave it to you instead"