Chapter 1083.2: Start to Finish (I) - Part 2

“There has already been one battle in the north, and another great battle is coming soon. But I may not even be able to make it there in time.”

Wang Xi gave a bitter smile. “I hope I won't.”

Xiao Du didn't understand the implication behind his words. He merely asked, “Elder Brother Xi, if you can't go north, then why are you going to the prefectural government now?”

Wang Xi looked at Xiao Du and smiled. “Because if I don't go to the prefectural government now, I won't be able to go north in the future.”

Xiao Du was utterly confused. It seemed like he understood, and yet it seemed like he didn't.

Wang Xi explained in detail, “Right now, they don't lack soldiers. But who knows whether they'll be short of them in the future? If you don't go when they don't need people, then when they do need people, there won't be anyone available.”

After a pause, Wang Xi said, “Actually, I don't want to go either. But I have to.”

As the son of an educated person, Wang Xi had spent every day surrounded by the teachings of the sages and the principles written in books. Naturally, he had no interest whatsoever in enlisting or going to war. But sometimes, what you do isn't determined by whether you're interested in it. It's determined by whether you're needed.

Wang Xi understood this, as did that Tutor Wang. Now that the imperial court needed them, they should go.

“My father says that the world is in a very good state right now, and we all have to do our best to keep it that way. Scholars have their own responsibilities, and the sons of scholars should have their own responsibilities too.”

Wang Xi smiled. “This isn't studying.”

Xiao Du didn't quite understand. He gritted his teeth, untied the wooden saber from his waist, and held it out to Wang Xi. “Elder Brother Xi, an old man gave this to me. I was going to take it with me to the north to kill demons, but since you're going first, I'll give it to you!”

Wang Xi was both amused and exasperated. “Xiao Du, a wooden saber can't kill demons.”

Xiao Du held the saber up and muttered, “Of course I know. It's just... it's just...”

Wang Xi pushed the saber back toward him. “Keep it. Someone gave it to you, so you should take good care of it...”

As he spoke, Wang Xi glanced at the sky. It was already getting late, and the children in the small stream had long since carried their wooden buckets home.

“That should do. I'm heading back. You should hurry home too. I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Don't come to see me off.”

Wang Xi stood up and waved at Xiao Du before heading home.

Xiao Du instinctively waved back, but then he suddenly remembered something, “Wait, Elder Brother Xi...”

Wang Xi turned his head and looked at this younger brother.

“That day, Elder Sister Jia Cao told me that she likes you too. She wants to marry you, as soon as possible!”

Xiao Du blurted it all out, finally saying the things Wang Xi had interrupted him and stopped him from saying earlier.

Wang Xi's eyes widened. He stood there in a daze, looking completely lost for a moment.

Xiao Du didn't know what was wrong with him, so he simply stayed there with him.

After a long while, Wang Xi finally said, “Xiao Du, just pretend you never said any of that, and I'll pretend I never heard it.”

"Why?"

Xiao Du couldn't understand at all.

Wang Xi said nothing and only shook his head.

Perhaps at that age, a boy simply couldn't understand why sometimes, after learning certain things, you had to pretend you didn't know them. Perhaps that was the only way to force yourself not to change your mind.

......

......

Early the next morning, as soon as the tavern facing the street opened its doors, a customer arrived.

The young woman who was still removing the door panels saw the unfamiliar young man in black walk straight into the tavern as though no one else were there. She kindly reminded him, “Customer, it's best not to drink in the morning.”

Taverns generally didn't see customers until the afternoon. For someone to arrive this early was really too early.

The young man in black casually found a place to sit and smiled. “It's fine. Just give me a little.”

The young woman gave an acknowledging hum. She had deliberately opened early today because she had been wondering whether that fellow might come to see her before he left. In fact, she had even deliberately put on some lip rouge that morning.

After filling a unit of wine, the young woman returned to the counter, deep in thought.

The young man in black smiled and asked, “Waiting for someone?”

The young woman was distracted and didn't react at first. After a moment, she finally realized what he had said and replied, “N-No...”

The young man in black drank his wine and said casually, “Waiting for a beloved.”

Only then did the young woman curiously raise her head and look at the young man in black. After sizing him up, she asked, “Guest doesn't seem to be from around here. Have you come to visit relatives?”

The young man in black nodded. “You could say I'm visiting an old acquaintance. It's just that I can't seem to find him.”

The young woman smiled. “Then that's convenient. The town isn't very big, and I know where everyone lives. Why don't you tell me about him?”

The young man in black thought for a moment. “His surname is Xiao. He left home to make his way in the world many years ago. He should have returned only a few years ago.”

Listening to his description, the young woman tried hard to think for a long while, but couldn't come up with anyone who fit. “There was an old man who returned home a few years ago, but he's been gone for several years now. Was his surname Xiao? I don't really remember.”

The young woman frowned. That old man had left home to make his way in the world at a very young age. By the time he returned, not only had the older generation passed away, but almost everyone of his own generation had died as well. As a result, very few people actually knew much about him.

She couldn't even remember whether his surname had been Xiao.

“But while that old man was back, he often came to my family's place to buy wine. One day, he even asked me to deliver some wine to him the next day. But when I went over the following day, I found the old man had passed away peacefully in his reclining chair. In the end, several of us neighbors pooled some money together to buy him a coffin and buried him in the mountains outside the town.”

The young woman spoke on her own, her voice tinged with sadness.

That old man had been such a good-natured person, too.

The young man in black said, “Could you take me to see where he lived?”

The young woman hesitated. “But the tavern still needs...”

The young man in black smiled. “If you don't leave, there's a fellow hiding around the street corner who might make it so you don't even get to see him before he leaves.”

The young woman froze. Then she bit her lip, made up her mind, and nodded.

When they left, the young man in black noticed that the young woman hadn't closed the door. He looked at her curiously.

The young woman explained, “It's fine, we're all neighbors, nothing will happen.”

The young man in black nodded.

The young woman said, “My name is Mao Jiacao. May I ask your name, Sir?”

The young man said, “My surname is Chen. My given name is Chao.”

After thinking for a moment, he added, “Chao as in the chao of the dynasties throughout history, not the chao in morning sun.”

Mao Jiacao said, “Chen is the imperial surname. Your name...”

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