Chapter 198 - Goodbye to Scholar Wong (1/2)

Xiao Baozhu burst out crying again. Standing closer to her, Xiao Baoshan watched her with silent affection. She had finally realized her mistake. To be exact, her only fault was that she indulged too much in her delusion.

When she calmed down, Xiao Baoshan said, “But I also don’t know where our mom and Little Ye are.”

She asked, “Now that things have returned to normal, will they come back here? Can I see them again if I wait?”

He said, “It’s hard to tell. Perhaps they will come back but perhaps they won’t. If they find somewhere livable, they might settle down there. I know Little Ye can live a good life no matter where she is.”

Helplessly, she asked, “What should I do then? Do I have no chance of seeing them again?” Her tears poured once more. She truly regretted not going with her family.

“What do think I should do? If you were me, would you wait here or go to find them?”

He answered without hesitation, “I’ll go to find them.”

Hearing that, she made up her mind immediately. “Can I follow you wherever you go? Even if I can’t meet up with them, I’ll have you by my side. If you also leave me, then I’ll be alone.”

He gazed at her for a while and nodded in approval.

…

In the east of the residence was a shabby house. It was now scattered with some broken tables and chairs. But it had been a fine one in the past. Suns.h.i.+ne would pour through the windows in the morning, making even winter warm and cozy. Now, it was covered with a sorrowful atmosphere of family decline. The listless face on the bed was part of the heartrending sight.

Xiao Baozhu entered the room and said, “Yanbo.”

But he remained still.

Having antic.i.p.ated his nonchalance, she gave a wry smile. What a silly girl she had been to place an ungrateful man in her heart.

“Yanbo, my brother is back. I’ve decided to go with him,” she continued.

Scholar Wong crooked his fingers imperceptibly and didn’t move anymore.

Suddenly, she felt a surge of bitterness exploding from her heart which hit her deeply. “Maybe I should call you ‘Scholar Wong’. You and your name have never belonged to me. I know you don’t like me, but I like you very much. I’ve pestered you for so long, but my affection could only affect myself.”

She wiped away her tears and continued, “When I was a.s.saulted that day, you didn’t stand up and save me. I know in your eyes I’m just a pile of s.h.i.+t buzzing with flies. You don’t care whether I’m alive or dead. You don’t care whether I’m happy or sad. I’ve been so stupid! I’ve done so much for you regardless of my reputation and my family.”

The man was still motionless on the bed. Xiao Baozhu had said all she wanted to say. “I have to go now. I won’t pester you anymore. Take care.” Then, she closed the door slowly. A creak separated their two worlds forever.

…

When Xiao Baozhu went out of the room, Xiao Baoshan asked with concern, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” She sighed with relief. “I’m finally relieved. The world seems quite different now. Look, the sky is bluer than ever before!”

Xiao Baoshan smiled and stroked her hair gently. “Good girl. Let’s leave this place then.”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

He said, “The army barracks.”

Army barracks?

She was confused. But she still followed him out of the county to the barracks. She wanted to stop her brother.

Why have we come here? Isn’t he afraid of being arrested by soldiers?

Just then, the soldiers around the barracks greeted him respectfully, “General Xiao!”

General Xiao?

Xiao Baozhu was totally bewildered.

Her brother stood right before her and said, “Baozhu, come with me.”

She followed his steps slowly. It was as if she was dreaming. There were many soldiers inside the barracks. Wherever Xiao Baoshan went, the soldiers would greet him respectfully and cast a curious look at Xiao Baozhu. But he didn’t give any explanation.

When they walked into a camp, a deputy general called Biao stepped forward to welcome them. Xiao Baoshan said, “This is my sister from Qinghe county. I want to take her to Baoning city. Please help me find a carriage.”

“Got it!” Biao replied.

Only then did Xiao Baozhu let out a deep breath. “Brother, what happened? How did you become a general after disappearing for a while? Am I dreaming?” she asked.

Xiao Baoshan thought for a while and let her sit down. “It’s a long story. I was a general before I went back to our hometown. But in a war, my troops were defeated and only I survived. After I went back home, I was mistaken for a traitor. Some people think the battle failed because I disclosed information to the enemy.”