Spring comes to the desperate place

Chapter 132 Returning to Beijing

The old marquis was buried halfway up the mountain. At noon the next day, after eating the breakfast "brought" by Song Chunlin and his companions, Fu Nian led the way, and Lu Ming carried him on his back in a huge bamboo basket. The group climbed to the mountainside and could clearly see three tombs standing there.

The tomb with the best location and the longest view is naturally the old marquis's tomb. There are no words engraved on the tombstone. Lu Ming said that they are not the old marquis's descendants and cannot help him erect a tombstone.

Gu Fengyue has visited the old marquis's tomb many times over the years, but it was just a cenotaph, and inside it was the old marquis' favorite set of armor.

In front of the old marquis's real tomb, there were shriveled fruits, which were brought by Lu Ming when he came to pay homage last time.

"This place is not far. We will come here often when we are free to see Da Sima and our former brothers. When the weather is warmer, Da He's condition will be better and he will come with us."

Lu Ming put Fu Nian down, and Fu Nian pointed to two graves at the back: "That's Song Liu, he can be considered Song Dahao's cousin. They had the best relationship when they were in the military camp. The one next to him is Huang Mengjiang. He said that when he was born, his little dad dreamed of a very big river, so he named him Mengjiang." Speaking of his former brothers, Fu Nian's face was very gentle, with a hint of nostalgia for his past life. It seems that their relationship was very good back then.

"Meng Jiang was only 25 years old when he died. He was the second youngest among us. The youngest was Song Dahe."

Lu Ming groped for the tombstones of Huang Mengjiang and Song Liu. He took out a clean cloth from his arms and wiped the dust off the tombstones one by one.

There were still no words engraved on the tombstones of the two men, and they were much simpler than the old marquis's. They were basically just a large flat piece of stone standing there.

After cleaning the tombstones of the two, Lu Ming sat aside to rest: "Second Master Gu, you came here alone. Have you decided when to bring Sima back to the capital?"

Gu Fengyue was squatting in front of the tombstone of the great Sima. Hearing this, he replied, "It will be soon."

Before they left, Gu Fengyun had people prepare the coffin, and the memorial to welcome back the old marquis was also submitted. As there were many things, they moved slowly, and by now, the team with the ceremonial guards were probably almost halfway there.

"Come back with us." This was said by Song Dazhuang. Song Dahao drank a cup of spiritual spring water last night and this morning. Song Chunlin also gave him a Lei Feng hat to protect his head. Now his head doesn't hurt anymore, his mind is clearer, and he can give Song Dazhuang some basic responses.

At this time, he was also brought to the cemetery, and was being led by Song Dazhuang to weed the old marquis' grave. When he heard what Song Dazhuang said, he rarely agreed with his brother.

"go back!"

It was the first time Song Dazhuang heard Song Dahao speak after meeting him, and he was so excited that he burst into tears.

"Well, okay, okay, let's go back. Listen to what Dahe said. Let's go back together. You have taken care of Dahe for so many years. I, Song Dazhuang, have no way to repay you for your kindness. You should go back with us. I, Song Dazhuang, promise that as long as I have a bite to eat, I will not let you two starve!"

Lu Ming and Fu Nian were both a little hesitant, but they had no relationship with Song Dazhuang, and both of them were disabled. It would be okay to take care of him in a short period of time, but over time, they would inevitably develop resentment, so they were a little hesitant.

Gu Fengyue also said, "You don't need Uncle Song to take care of you. You two were injured while escorting my father, and you were once soldiers of the Gu family army. It is only right that our Gu family should provide for your retirement. Of course, I hope that you two can return to the capital. It is not as cold there, and we can take care of your life."

Lu Ming was obviously shaken. He had become accustomed to the darkness over the years. Although he was stumbling in his movements, he was always able to take care of himself and the remaining two. But Fu Nian was different. His legs were disabled and he had difficulty moving. It was inconvenient for him to go anywhere or do anything. It would be great if he could return to the capital and have someone to take care of him.

Fu Nian held Lu Ming's hand tightly. Because he had been bedridden for many years and could not go out, he was always prone to wild thoughts. When he heard Gu Fengyue's proposal, he was not without any emotion. However, when he looked at his legs, he couldn't help feeling a little inferior. It was also human nature to be afraid of being disliked.

Song Chunlin seemed to see what they were thinking. He thought about it and decided to start with their bodies.

"You two uncles have been injured for so many years, you must not have been able to see a doctor properly, right? Uncle Fu has been feeling phantom limb pain for many years, which is a symptom after amputation. If you can find a doctor to take a good look at it, maybe the pain can be alleviated."

Upon hearing that Fu Nian could be treated, Lu Ming immediately agreed to go back with Gu Fengyue and the others.

"Let's go back, An Nian, let's go back. The pain in your legs has been getting worse over the years. I see it with my own eyes and naturally feel bad. Let's go back and ask the prince, oh no, the marquis, to find someone to heal your legs. If nothing else, at least it won't hurt you so much anymore."

Thinking of the pain he had endured over the years, Fu Nian couldn't help but have tears in his eyes. From the anger and reluctance he felt when he first discovered he had become disabled to the resignation he had later given up, it was not only his body that was in pain, but more so his soul. However, he knew that among those who survived, he was not the only one who was suffering. The same went for Lu Ming and Song Daha. Lu Ming was a sharpshooter in the military camp, but he became blind. Song Daha, once such a lively and cheerful young man, was now stupid and dull, and would go crazy and self-harm from time to time.

Fu Nian's fingertips were cold, and only when Lu Ming held them tightly did he feel a hint of warmth.

Looking at the eagerly expectant crowd, Fu Nian nodded gently and said, "Okay, we will go back with you."

After deciding to leave, Fu Nian and Lu Ming both seemed relaxed. When they returned, they started to make arrangements to see if there was anything in the house they wanted to take away.

"Although these furs are not valuable, they are tanned quite well. Take them with you. They will be softer if you use them as a mattress."

"These are some wild delicacies picked from the mountains. They can be kept for a long time after being dried. Take them with you. I don't know if I can still taste this flavor when I return to the capital."

Fu Nian sat on the bed and gave orders while Lu Ming walked around the house, packing up everything that could be taken away from the house.

"Hey, take the dried meat you dried earlier with you. You can eat it on the way back. And there's some silver at home. Brother Lu, please dig it out."

Lu Ming worked tirelessly behind the door, got a small hoe, and started digging a hole in the house.

Song Chunlin came in after washing some green dates and saw Lu Ming digging a hole. He curiously leaned over to see what he was doing.

"Brother Song, come here quickly, be careful not to get mud splashed on you and dirty your clothes."

Song Chunlin retracted his little head, holding the green dates and showing them to Fu Nian: "Uncle Fu, eat the dates."

"Is this a jujube?" Fu Nian picked up a green jujube. Green jujube is a variety from later generations, so he naturally had never seen it before.

Song Chunlin fooled him: "Yes, it is a date. Doesn't it look like a date?"

Fu Nian said: I have little experience, don't lie to me.

Song Chunlin laughed dryly: "Hehe, eat it, it's delicious, I'm not lying."

Fu Nian didn't bother with him, but lowered his head and took a bite of the green date. He found that the taste of this fruit was completely different from that of dates. It was crisp, juicy and quite sweet.

"Well, it's really delicious, Brother Lu, you can try it too."

When Lu Ming heard the voice, he naturally leaned over. Fu Nian put the bitten date close to his mouth. There was a crunch. He took a bite and turned back to his work.

Song Chunlin's eyes rolled between the two of them, then he walked out with a blank face.

Gu Fengyue was pulled aside by him to gossip: "Have you noticed that Uncle Lu and Uncle Fu are a little bit like that?"

Gu Fengyue was speechless, thinking to himself, you can actually see that? I thought you were as blind as Uncle Lu.

Song Chunlin still doesn’t know what Gu Fengyue has planned for him in his mind. If he knew, he would probably beat him up.

After a few days of treatment with the spiritual spring water, Song Dahao has gotten much better and can barely recognize Song Dazhuang. However, Song Chunlin checked his brain and found a large blood clot inside, which shows how serious the injury was.

The three of them did not plan to stay here for long. Song Qin's belly was getting bigger and bigger, and Song Dazhuang was very worried. As soon as the people from the Marquis' Mansion arrived, Song Dazhuang wanted to set off immediately.

Gu Fengyue knew Song Chunlin's abilities, and he had to stay here to supervise the progress of the grave digging, so he planned to let Song Chunlin go with Song Dazhuang and the others to send Lu Ming and Fu Nian back to the capital first.

Seeing Song Dazhuang so carelessly taking his brother and the three disabled people on the road, Lu Ming and Fu Nian felt that it was a bit unreliable. Lu Ming even suggested to Gu Fengyue that they take a few guards with them, but Gu Fengyue waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, Uncle Song... um, is still very powerful. I feel relieved to let him take you back."

Well, since the other party had said so, Lu Ming and Fu Nian didn't say anything more. They just thought that in case of any emergency, they must give priority to protecting Song Chunlin.

Before leaving, Song Chunlin stuffed a lot of good things into Gu Fengyue's pockets, including a multifunctional Swiss Army knife, Snickers bars that could quickly increase calories, and some compressed biscuits. He even left the military water bottle to Gu Fengyue, which was filled with diluted spiritual spring water.

"If you feel uncomfortable, just drink a sip. And this Snickers bar is good for fighting hunger. Don't be reluctant to eat it. I have more here."

Song Chunlin muttered some instructions and demonstrated to Gu Fengyue again how to tear open the wrapping paper, and told him that the wrapping paper was not edible.

"Remember to burn the wrapper after you finish eating, okay? Even if it stinks, you have to burn it!"

"Got it. Don't worry, I will do my best to keep your secret. And I should be done soon. I will probably be back in Beijing half a month later than you. I will check you again then, okay?"

Song Chunlin was barely satisfied. He raised his chin and said proudly, "Okay, you have to remember to eat on time."

Gu Fengyue looked at him and smiled gently. Perhaps Song Chunlin did not realize at this moment that he looked very much like a little wife who kept giving instructions to her husband before going out.

Song Dazhuang stood aside with his arms folded across his chest. His face was so dark that ink looked like it could drip from it. Seeing that Song Chunlin was still hesitating, he simply grabbed him and pulled him over.

"Hurry up, if you keep dawdling, we'll have to leave tomorrow."

"Okay, Dad, stop pulling my clothes. Remember what I said, don't forget it!" The first sentence was directed to his old father, but the second sentence was directed to Gu Fengyue. Song Dazhuang took a deep breath and restrained his urge to beat his son.

It's time to prepare a dowry for Song Chunlin.

The Song family's carriage was quite spacious, and all the things were stored in the boxes under the bed. Those that couldn't fit were smuggled into the space by Song Chunlin.

There were only three people when they came, but there were five when they left. They were taking care of three patients, and the carriage moved slower than when they came.

Along the way, Song Chunlin would feed the three people spiritual spring water. The amount was not much, but it could help them relieve some of their physical discomfort to a certain extent.

Of course, the most obvious effect is on Song Dahao. He is awake more and more often and can have simple exchanges with Song Dazhuang. However, due to the pressure of blood stasis, his reaction speed is very slow. It usually takes him half a day to understand the meaning of a sentence. It takes more than half an hour for Song Dahao to truly "hear" a simple "good morning".

Song Dazhuang was driving the carriage, and Song Chunlin and Fu Nian were in the carriage, guiding Song Dahao to speak. Before he said a word, Song Chunlin praised him loudly and exaggeratedly. It was a long time after the praise that Song Dahao showed an embarrassed smile.

Fu Nian and Lu Ming were amazed by this: "As expected, you still need your family by your side. Da He has finally gotten his wish after all the hardships."

"Well, it's all over." A smile appeared on Lu Ming's lips. In the past few days, he laughed more times than in the past ten years combined.

Not only was the eye pain that had troubled me for a long time relieved, but I also gained a new vision for my future life.

If they had been the walking dead in the past, then at this moment, the two of them truly felt that they were alive and there was hope.

Fu Nian and Lu Ming had discussed this. They still had some money on hand. If the Marquis's Mansion paid out pensions, the two of them would probably get about 180 taels of silver in total. They didn't need to live in the capital, so they could look at the surrounding towns and if they found a suitable one, they could settle down there.

Although Lu Ming looks like a man in his fifties or sixties, he is actually only in his early forties. Fu Nian is only one year younger than Lu Ming, and Song Dahe is even younger, he is only in his thirties. After Song Dazhuang's careful care over the past few days, he looks much younger than before.

The carriage traveled on the official road, stopping and starting along the way. After more than ten days, it finally returned to the capital.

As the saying goes, one becomes homesick when close to home. Although Beijing is not their hometown, Lu Ming and Fu Nian are obviously getting nervous. Song Dahao's thinking is slow and he can't think of these things, but Fu Nian thinks more.