The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 101

Three years later.

“Brother, you’re doing it all wrong. How long can I tell you? It’s easy.”

“You’ve been doing this all your life. Of course it’s easy for you.”

“Farming is not that difficult. All you need is good land and enough warmth. And now, you see, the Sun shining over your head. What else is needed for the happiness of the plant and the fruit.”

Falling to the ground, Lei threw his head back. Sighing heavily, he rubbed his hands together and sand fell from his dirty fingers.

“Brother, you need to pull yourself together. It won’t go on like this. Don’t be lazy.” said Dewei, continuing to plant the apple tree.

Watching the clouds floating overhead Lei quietly so that no one could hear him said, “Today is exactly three years since he is gone.”

However, hearing him Dewei looked at him in dismay but said nothing. Remembering all those two years when Lei was completely lost, when his soul and heart were in complete chaos, he looked in horror towards the fields, which were now green and full of tranquility again.

Pretending that he hadn’t heard anything Dewei continued, “Here’s how to do it.”

Standing on his feet, Lei silently entered the small wooden house in which all these years he lived with Yun Qi. He went up to the round mirror and looked at his reflection.

Seeing in front of him only an empty shell of someone who once was alive, he looked into his eyes, which now kept only a quiet pain in themselves.

A slightly thin body dressed in a thin black shirt which sleeves were rolled up to the elbows and black pants covered in dirt. He no longer had a sword or knives. His shoulders were not covered with a thick layer of wool to protect him from the cold. On the contrary, he now had to wear a wide-brimmed straw hat to protect himself from the hot sunlight.

If earlier he wanted the stone with dragon fire, now he was waiting for the clouds to cover the sun and it would not be so hot.

Living in the house that Queen Li Hua had provided for him, Lei did not feel at home for a day.

Far from the kingdom itself, among trees and fields, he chose the life of a farmer. Working all day in the fields with his brother, he tried to overcome his pain which he himself did not want to let go.

And now that Yun Qi chose the path of a warrior, she left his tutelage and entered the Royal Academy. Sometimes she wrote letters to him, and sometimes, very rarely, she visited his house. But often, such visits were very short.

Between them, an abyss appeared which they were in no hurry to close. And the reason for this was the general pain. And in each other they saw nothing but eternal sorrow.

Missing the times when he taught Yun Qi her first fight, Lei would sit on a log outside his house and watch the sun go down over the horizon right in front of his eyes.

He liked such a life full of beauty and no war. Although nothing seemed beautiful to him anymore. Every stone and every beautiful flower on the way, every drop of rain, everything reminded him of him. And there was nothing he could do about it.

“Let’s get some rest.” said Dewei entering the house. Falling facedown on a soft sofa, he reached for a jug of water. “How hot it is.”

“And three years ago you always complained about the cold.” Lei said to his heavy sighs.

“What to do, you can never please a person.”

Taking the scythe, Lei straightened his hat on his head and wanted to leave the house, but Dewei stopped him.

“How’s Yun Qi doing? Does she write to you?” he asked.

“Yes.” Lei answered briefly and left the house.

Not wanting to talk to anyone was getting stronger and stronger every day. And everyone who was his friend knew that they were losing him.

Following him into the field, Dewei, leaning against the low gate, tore off a peach and began to eat it.

“If you are tired you can go home.” Lei said pretending he was working. Although with every movement of his scythe it was clear that he was simply killing time and wanted the night to come as soon as possible.

“I have nothing to do at home. And anyway, I’m a farmer too. I’ll come home and what will I do? My fruits and vegetables grow even without my supervision. So I better help you.”

“You’ve been helping me for three years. Maybe you should already trust me. After all, I planted these apple trees and these watermelons myself.” Lei said with a hint of a smile.

Approaching him, Dewei threw a peach bone aside and, putting his hand on his shoulder, asked, “Do you want me to leave?”

Lei nodded his head silently.

“Well then, I’ll go.”

“Brother.”

“What?”

“Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for?”

“For all.”

After patting him on the back, Dewei wanted to hug him, but noticing that Lei didn’t want to, he just left him.

After an hour of work in the fields, Lei, feeling hungry and tired all over his body, entered the house and, throwing off his dirty clothes, he went to the bathroom.

Pouring water on himself, he closed his eyes. Warm drops rolled down his sweaty back.

Suddenly turning the bowl of water over to the floor, he hit the mirror. Thin streams of blood ran down through the cracks in his fist.

He didn’t cry, he didn’t scream like he did before. He was just silent.

Removing his hand from the broken surface, Lei looked at his fist, which was covered in blood.

And all he could say in his head was just one name.

Longwei.

And at the very moment when he whispered this name out loud, someone suddenly knocked on his door.

Without hesitation, headlong rushing to the door, he abruptly opened it, in his eyes there was a light of hope, the hope that he had been carrying in himself for three years. The hope that Longwei will return.

And when the door was open, he looked ahead with a nervous smile and saw a tall figure in white.

But it was not Longwei.

“Lei, what happened?” asked Baofeng-Xue, grabbing his wounded hand.

Saying nothing, Lei entered the house.

“I brought you something.” said Baofeng-Xue, holding out the basket to him. “Rose made this. These are pies. Your favorites. And here’s the compote. I made this myself.”

“Thanks.” Lei answered coldly. But since he should show some respect for the fact that Baofeng-Xue had come all this long way to his home, he still asked, “How is Rose?”

To which he replied, “She is fine. She says hello to you. And she also wants you to visit us. At least once. She saw you only on our wedding day.”

“I’ll come. There is just a lot to do on the farm.”

“I thought so. I’m not forcing you. It’s just, Lei.” Baofeng-Xue said and stopped. Approaching him, with obvious anxiety in his voice, he quietly said, “We are worried. Lei, all of us.”

“It will not change anything.”

“Lei.”

“Don’t say anything. Don’t say anything.”

Hugging him sharply, Baofeng-Xue did not dare to say anything, although he had so many unsaid words since that very day.

Understanding the very message of this embrace like no other, Lei allowed himself a moment of weakness. Several tears fell down onto the carpet.

“I understand. I miss him too. So much. Very much.” Baofeng-Xue said.

“Let’s have some tea. I have such a delicious herbal tea with raspberries, you should try it.”

As if forgetting about that moment, Baofeng-Xue also nodded his head smiling.

“This place is so comfortable. Rose always says that we also need to move into the house. But I think that it is better for our future child to live in the city. And the school is closer.”

“Life in nature is not so easy. It takes a lot of work.”

“But you don’t have to buy food. Everything is growing here. Around you.”

“I already said that you and Rose can take fruits and vegetables from me. And you keep buying them at the market.”

“It’s too generous of you. But we can’t accept your generosity.” Baofeng-Xue said and after taking a few sips of sweet tea exclaimed, “Indeed it is delicious!”

Sitting in complete silence for the next few minutes, they both knew what everyone was thinking. But no one dared to fall into sorrow.

Brother Xue behaved cheerfully, as if life always moves towards the best. Well, Lei behaved as if the ice forever turned his heart to stone.

“Do you remember him?” Lei asked suddenly.

“I remember. How can I forget.” Brother Xue replied and all of a sudden asked, “Do you love him?”

To which Lei said nothing. But the answer was obvious.