Occupied with his spouse’s being pregnant, Yang Tiexin couldn’t cease smiling. He thought, “Father right here is aware of poetry, then which means he excels in all sides.” So he instructed, “Brother Guo’s spouse is pregnant as nicely. May we vex Father to consider two names?” Qiu Chuji thought for a bit and stated, “Brother Guo’s little one can be referred to as Guo Jing, and Brother Yang’s little one can be referred to as Yang Kang. It does not matter if they’re boys or ladies, they’ll nonetheless use these names.” Guo Xiaotian replied, “Nice! Father’s reminding the 2 of them to recollect the Shame of the 12 months of Jing Kang, the humiliation of the seize of the 2 emperors.”

Qiu Chuji replied, “That is proper.” He reached into his shirt, took out two daggers and positioned them on the desk. This pair of daggers is totally the identical in each manner with inexperienced leather-based sheaths, gold hand guard, and ebony handles. He picked up one of many daggers and carved the phrases “Guo Jing” on the opposite dagger’s deal with. Then he carved “Yang Kang” on the deal with of the primary dagger. He carved with nice pace and quickness, sooner than most individuals can write. Earlier than Guo Xiaotian and Yang Tiexin can work out what he was doing, he had already completed carving the phrases. Smiling, he stated, “I do not need something worthy with me, solely this pair of daggers. Why not go away them for the 2 youngsters?” The 2 males thanked him and took their respective daggers. When the daggers have been unsheathed, a sinister coldness got here from them. Their blades have been clearly very sharp.

Qiu Chuji defined, “This pair of daggers got here into my possession by coincidence. Though they’re sharp, their small design doesn’t match me in any respect. However the youngsters can use them to guard themselves. Ten years from now, if I’m fortunate to be nonetheless on this world, I’d come to this place once more and train the youngsters some kungfu. How about it?” The 2 males couldn’t be any happier and thanked him repeatedly. Qiu Chuji concluded, “The Jins are occupying the north and torturing the individuals there. This case can not final lengthy. Gents, please care for yourselves.” He picked up his cup of wine and downed it in a single gulp. Then he acquired up and walked out of the door. Guo Xiaotian and Yang Tiexin jumped up and tried to ask him to remain. However his steps have been quick and regular as he was already very distant.

Guo Xiaotian sighed, “Masters like him are at all times coming and going just like the wind. We have been fortunate to satisfy him at the moment, I used to be considering of speaking to him and asking for his views a bit extra, however alas, it was to not be.” Yang Tiexin smiled and replied, “Massive Brother, at the very least Father was in a position to kill so many Jins at the moment and vented out a few of our angers for us as nicely.” He held up the dagger and unsheathed it once more. Gently stroking the blade, he abruptly spoke up, “Massive Brother, I’ve a silly concept, inform me what you consider it?”

Guo Xiaotian requested, “What’s it?” Yang Tiexin defined, “If each our youngsters are boys, then they are going to be sworn brothers. If they’re ladies, then they’re going to be sworn sisters….” Guo Xiaotian cuts in, “And if it’s a boy and a lady, then they’re going to be husband and spouse.” The 2 of them grabbed one another’s hand and laughed heartily.

Bao Xiruo got here again out from inside, smiled and requested, “What has made you two so completely satisfied?” Yang Tiexin repeated what they only stated to her. Bao Xiruo blushed, however she was completely satisfied in her coronary heart as nicely. Yang Tiexin instructed, “Let’s commerce our dagger proper now as a pledge to the engagement. In the event that they develop into sworn brothers or sisters, we are able to nonetheless swap again. If they’re just a little couple….” Guo Xiaotian joked, “Then I am actually very sorry, for each daggers would belong to my household then.” Bao Xiruo laughed and replied, “You by no means know, possibly they might each belong to our household as an alternative.” So the 2 males switched daggers proper there. Really, arranging marriages earlier than a baby is born occurs fairly often, there was nothing uncommon about it.

Guo Xiaotian took the dagger and fortunately ran again house to tell his spouse. When Li Ping heard it she was fairly completely satisfied as nicely.

Enjoying with the dagger and consuming by himself, Yang Tiexin was drunk earlier than he knew it. Bao Xiruo helped her husband onto the mattress and picked up the dishes and cups. Noticing that it’s fairly late, she went out to the yard and picked up the hen cages. As she was closing the again door, she abruptly noticed some drops of blood within the snow simply in entrance of the door. Startled, she thought, “So not the entire blood was taken care of. If some official sees this, then we might all be in bother.” So she hurriedly grabbed a brush and began sweeping.

The drops of blood lead all the best way to the woods behind the home. There have been additionally traces of somebody crawling alongside within the snow. Bao Xiruo’s suspicion rose as she adopted the blood into the pine bushes. She arrived behind an outdated grave and noticed one thing black curled up on the bottom.

Bao Xiruo walked nearer for a greater look. It turned out it was a corpse. The person was coated in black, clearly one of many males that got here for Qiu Chuji earlier. He most likely did not die immediately after being wounded and crawled right here. She was nearly to go wake her husband to care for this corpse when she abruptly thought, “What if somebody got here and noticed him proper at this second?” So she summoned up her power and went over to the corpse. She wished to drag it right into a bush shut by after which go get her husband. However simply as she gave a pull, the corpse abruptly twitched and groaned.

This scared all of the wits out of her, considering it was a zombie, she wished to show round and run for her life. But it was as if her ft have been nailed to the bottom, she couldn’t transfer in any respect. After a protracted wait, seeing that the corpse didn’t transfer once more, she gently nudged it together with her broom. The corpse groaned once more, however this time a lot weaker. Solely now did she understand that the individual continues to be alive. She regarded nearer and noticed that the again of his shoulder was hit by a wolf-fanged arrow. The arrow is embedded deep and the arrow shaft is roofed in blood. Snow continues to be falling and there’s already a skinny layer of snow on his face. It might solely be a short while longer earlier than he’s frozen to demise.

She has at all times been kindhearted ever since she was little. If she noticed an injured sparrow, frog, or perhaps a bug, she would simply should take it house and care for it till it has totally recovered. Solely then would she launch it again. If for some motive she will’t nourish it again to well being, she can be sad for a whole day. This little quirk of hers by no means modified together with her age and led to her home simply crawling with small critters of every type. Her father, being the time-tested nation scholar that he’s, gave her a reputation that goes together with this persona of hers, XiRuo, which means weak-pitying. The Bao household in Pink Plum Village had an unusually excessive quantity of outdated roosters and hens. It is because as soon as Bao Xiruo has taken care of a chick, she would by no means permit even one to be killed. If her dad and mom wished to eat one, they must go and purchase one on the market. So the chickens that the household raised all lived to a really outdated age earlier than dying. As a result of Yang Tiexin beloved this flower-like magnificence that’s his spouse, he at all times went together with no matter she wished. So naturally, the yard of the Yang home has grow to be the chickens and different little critter’s world as nicely. The little chicks have slowly grown to be grownup chickens and geese. There are no outdated chickens or geese as a result of she hasn’t been on this house-hold for very lengthy. But when issues proceed as they’re, it should solely be a matter of time.