Жениться на государственном служащем династии Северная Сун - Глава 70

Глава 70

"Is that so?" Junyu looked at the distant sky and said calmly, "There are too many things in this world that I can't do. For example, even if you were standing right next to me, I wouldn't know who you are."

She couldn't see the man's expression, only hear his soft breathing, which was clearly not calm, as if he were excited. After a long while, there was still no sound from the other side. She sighed inwardly in disappointment, but the thought that he was walking beside her, and seemed destined to always be, made her happy again. She turned around and slowly walked forward.

There are many wild vegetables on the lakeside meadow. The aroma of water celery is so strong, while the subtle fragrances of water lily, water fern, and water wormwood are also so unique.

Junyu, having grown accustomed to these smells during his youth living with Mr. Nongying at Mirror Lake, and later, through years of fieldwork in the army and the experience of famine, became even more familiar with various wild vegetables. Now, smelling the rich aroma of these wild vegetables, he stopped and pointed ahead: "Is that water lily?"

Following the direction she pointed, the man walked over and gathered a large handful of water hyacinth, stringing it onto the stick. Then, following her directions, he gathered several handfuls of water celery and water fern, stringing them onto the stick as well.

A patch of golden and blue wildflowers bloomed beautifully ahead, but Junyu couldn't see them. The man picked a large handful, took a few steps closer, seemingly wanting to hand them to her, but then restrained himself, simply holding them silently in his hand.

Since she couldn't see, her hearing and sense of smell became exceptionally sharp. Junyu smiled and asked, "Did you pick a lot of flowers?"

The man watched her silently, but couldn't help himself. He handed her a large bunch of flowers and said in a hoarse voice, "I thought—they were wild vegetables."

"Is that so?" Junyu stared at him, seemingly knowing that he was not used to lying, and after a while he smiled and said, "You are truly a remarkable person, able to mistake wildflowers for wild vegetables."

The man's face turned bright red, and he turned away in embarrassment, as if Junyu could see his disheveled state.

Junyu held up the flower and walked forward, laughing heartily.

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Chapter 232: In this way, we can avoid betraying each other (2)

This is a beautiful day.

The radiant dawn has unknowingly given way to the serene and tranquil dusk.

Junyu sat on the grass, gazing at the distant lake. Above her, the clear, azure sky radiated the last warmth of dusk. Though she couldn't see it, she knew deeply that by this lake in Northwest China, the sky was always an emerald blue, and the clouds resembled wisps of smoke.

Behind her, there was a faint firelight and the aroma of simple fish soup. A person was busily doing mundane tasks related to firewood and rice, things they had never imagined doing before. Judging from his expression, he was far more interested in these trivial matters than in cultivating profound martial arts.

Finally, the fish soup and wild vegetables were placed on the flat grass. Junyu smelled the wonderful aroma and was somewhat surprised by the rapid improvement in this person's cooking skills.

The man looked at her nervously, like a child waiting for his teacher's evaluation. Only when he saw her beaming smile did he breathe a sigh of relief and smile happily as well.

Junyu shook her head. These past few days, she had been enjoying the meticulous care of this stranger, and she felt completely at ease. Holding the fish soup, she "gazes" at the person opposite her, and she could feel very clearly that at this moment, that person was also gazing at her in the same way.

The moon slowly climbed into the sky, and the lakeside seemed to be shrouded in a thin veil.

Junyu lay on the grass, resting her head on her hands, closing her eyes, her mind as calm as the lake beside her.

The man lay down not far from her, mimicking her posture, and silently gazed at her. Then, he began to sing a song:

The best thing is to never meet, so that we can avoid falling in love.

The second best thing is not to know each other, so that we won't miss each other.

Thirdly, it's best not to be together, so that there's no debt between us.

Fourthly, it's best not to cherish each other, so that we won't remember each other.

Fifthly, it's best not to fall in love, so that you won't abandon each other.

The sixth best thing is not to face each other, so that we will not meet.

The seventh point is that we should not make mistakes, so that we will not let each other down.

…………

His voice was so hoarse, and his singing so helpless. Junyu turned his head and suddenly said, "What song is this? I've never heard it before."

The man said, "I just made it up, please excuse my foolishness."

"Can we not meet if we don't face each other? Can we not fall in love if we don't see each other?" Junyu murmured these two lines of lyrics over and over again, then suddenly sighed and closed her eyes.

The long sigh seemed to make even the moonlight on the lake seem melancholy. The man whispered, "Why do you sigh like that?"

"I remembered an old friend."

She casually took out the withered flower from her bosom and held it in her hand.

The man glanced quickly at the flower and couldn't help but ask, "You old friend?"

Junyu laughed: "I thought this old friend had long since passed away!" She sat up, facing the hoarse voice, and said, word by word, "Even if he hasn't passed away, I suppose he despises me for becoming a useless blind woman, and even if he were to face me, he wouldn't want to meet me!"

The man closed his eyes, tears welling up in his eyes. After a long while, he whispered, "Don't worry, your eyes will get better soon."

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Chapter 233: In this way, we can avoid betraying each other (3)

Junyu kept her eyes wide open, staring in his direction. For the past three days, she had been drinking the herbs he had gathered for her every day. Although her eyes were still dark, she could faintly see a hazy light.

"The poison your friend used wasn't too severe, and it would have healed on its own after some time without treatment. However, it looks like your eyes were seriously injured earlier, so you can't delay. You should reunite with your family as soon as possible and use those special medicinal herbs to restore your sight quickly."

Junyu felt even more melancholy thinking of Sun Jia and his elderly mother who had been held hostage. She had long known that Sun Jia had no intention of harming her; if he truly had, he would have done so long ago during his time in Phoenix City. This time, she was only able to escape because he hadn't used enough poison.

Seeing her sorrowful expression and silent demeanor, clearly distressed, the man finally spoke softly after a long while: "We're setting off tomorrow. Where is the person you're looking for?"

Junyu had long suspected his identity, so she was cautious and didn't tell him the location she had arranged with Mr. Nongying. Now that he was pressing her for details, she simply said, "If you have something to do, please go ahead and do your own thing. I don't want to leave."

"Why?" The man also sat up.

"I like this peaceful place. I also like these peaceful days. During this time, I don't want to see outsiders; I want to be alone."

"But how can you manage alone?"

“Not all blind people starve to death. I’m confident I can survive on my own.” Junyu laughed, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “I’ve already troubled you for several days; I’m truly sorry. If you have any urgent matters to attend to, go ahead and do them. I don’t think I need your help to find people…”

"Your loved one is waiting for you. He has found the medicine that can cure your eyes immediately. Don't you want to see the light again right away?"

Junyu retorted loudly, "But what if I can't be cured? Wouldn't I become a nuisance and a burden? In that case, I'd rather stay here by the lake and live a peaceful life. Think about it, who would want to take care of a blind person for the rest of their life?"

Over the past two or three days, her hallucinations grew stronger and stronger, and she was almost convinced that this person was Tuosang. However, no matter how she probed, he refused to acknowledge her. Now, with their separation imminent, she could no longer care about anything else and deliberately pestered him. She was certain that if it really was Tuosang, he wouldn't leave her alone by the lake. So, even though she knew that seeing Mr. Nongying could cure her eyes, she was unwilling to leave easily.

Since he refused to acknowledge her, she feared that once she left, it would be even more difficult to see him again.

"Think about it, who would want to take care of a blind person for the rest of their life?" Even though it had been diagnosed that her eyes were fine, these words still pierced the heart! Looking at her dimmed eyes and sorrowful brows, the man felt a weakness and fear he had never seen before, and suddenly felt the same way about how afraid she was of the dark world!

An irresistible urge welled up within him, and he almost immediately reached out to hold her tightly, to comfort her, to cherish her, and to tell her that no matter what she became, he would never leave her.

Seeing his prolonged silence, Junyu shook her head as a gust of wind blew by, seemingly regaining some clarity. Tuosang was clearly dead, yet this person's voice and hands were so unfamiliar—how could it be Tuosang? If it truly was Tuosang, no matter what she had become, he would never deny recognizing her.

Chapter 234: In this way, we can avoid betraying each other (4)

She suddenly felt extremely ashamed that she had tried to use "blindness" as leverage to gain the sympathy of a stranger! When did "Flying General of Fengcheng" become so weak and ridiculous?

Is it possible that just because a stranger who has done me a great favor cares for me and makes me feel like I'm a savior, I can act recklessly and rudely?

What if he really isn't Tuosang? Wouldn't my actions and words be a huge affront to his kindness in saving me?

Besides, the time I had agreed to meet with Mr. Nongying was fast approaching, and if he didn't arrive for a long time, I wonder how anxious he would be!

She couldn't help but immediately say, "I'm sorry..."

The man's outstretched hands paused in mid-air, and after a long while, he murmured, "Your loved ones can't find you, they'll be worried about you..."

"Yes! Thanks for reminding me."

She suddenly realized an even more serious problem: after her escape, Sun Jia would surely dare not return to Phoenix City, leaving the Phoenix Army leaderless. Although Sun Jia had been forced to frame her by Prime Minister Zhu, he had no intention of betraying his country and was therefore of sound principle. Even setting aside their friendship, she had personally witnessed Sun Jia's outstanding military achievements over the years, recognizing him as a capable general. How could she let such a person be driven to his doom? Moreover, with the Crimson Gold Clan's army eyeing them covetously, the fact that a general of Phoenix City had become a traitor would be a major blow to their morale.

Junyu grew increasingly anxious and could no longer stay any longer. She smiled, stood up, and bowed deeply to the man: "Let's set off tomorrow. Thank you so much."

"Okay, you should get some rest."

Junyu listened intently to his reply, still clinging to a last glimmer of hope. However, his hoarse voice remained devoid of any emotion.

Junyu turned her head away in disappointment, her last shred of hope vanishing like smoke. She looked up at the sky, but all she saw was perpetual darkness. Two days of fierce fighting and escape in the desert had left her no time to grieve her blindness. For the past three days, that person had cared for her meticulously, and because she held onto the illusion that he was Tuosang, she had felt a strange peace and joy, completely ignoring the horror of her blindness. But now, her illusions were shattered, and for the first time, she truly understood how lonely and desolate this dark world was.

Looking at her pale, disappointed face in the moonlight, the man almost couldn't suppress the urge to run over. However, he didn't take a step. He just stared at her, watching her slowly walk into the small house and then gently close the door.

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Chapter 235: The Cry of the Flying General of Fengcheng (1)

Around midnight, the sky suddenly became overcast, followed by thunder, and the lakeside in the height of summer was greeted by a long-awaited downpour.

Junyu lay on the wooden plank, but she could no longer fall asleep as quickly as she had the night before. In the darkness, she could clearly smell the fragrance of various wildflowers wafting from the cabin, but she still tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The sounds of wind, rain, and thunder outside mingled in my ears, as if countless people were weeping unrestrainedly on this dark, stormy night.

She rose and gently pushed open the small wooden door. Besides the rumble of thunder and the sound of wind and rain, there was no other sound. She listened intently again, but still only the chaotic roar of the wind and rain. She looked up into the distance and thought, "In the end, there are no miracles in this world!" Tuosang, at this moment, who knows which cloud he has floated to, or perhaps he has been reincarnated in some strange place?

A bolt of lightning struck her face, illuminating her features and the desolate world around her. Her eyes widened; the darkness in her heart was as desolate as the world itself.

A man stood silently watching her from the other side of the cabin. For several nights in a row, he had silently watched over her, seeing her rest and listening to her tossing and turning, then he too would rest or toss and turn in the same way. The only difference was that on this night of parting, she came out and looked at the dark night and the torrential rain.

Another bolt of silver lightning struck her face. In that instant, he shuddered, a sharp pain shooting through his heart. He clearly saw the boy at the door, his face streaked with tears!

That renowned young man broke down in tears on such a stormy night!

She only dared to cry so unrestrainedly on nights like this, because she thought that the sounds of wind, rain, and thunder would completely drown out her cries, and only heaven and earth and she herself could hear such desperate cries!

After the lightning, the world was plunged into boundless darkness once more. The sounds of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning grew increasingly fierce, swallowing up all other sounds in the world. Yet, he still accurately discerned one sound: her weeping.

Her fame was so great, her character so resilient; she could remain calm and composed even when facing relentless pursuit by thousands of troops or the desperation of being blinded. Yet, this very person, this "Flying General of Phoenix City" who commanded respect among both Han and non-Han peoples, wept so desperately on this night, like a lost child.

Was this the first time she had cried on a night like this? Or had she cried on nights like this countless times?

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Chapter 236: The Cry of the Flying General of Fengcheng (2)

All his worries, hesitations, doubts, and doubts vanished. He rushed over like lightning, tightly embracing the weeping boy, his voice trembling as he asked, "Junyu, what's wrong...?"

The sudden embrace startled Junyu, causing her to immediately stop crying. The trembling voice and outstretched hands were still so unfamiliar. Yet, the earnest tone and tight embrace were so familiar, like a brand etched into her soul. Junyu suddenly remembered the embrace she had received that night when she returned to Namcha Barwa after taking leave from Beijing; Tuosang's hands had been so forceful, almost penetrating to the bone, and she still felt a faint pain from it.

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