Cold wind blew across the desert. But the festive atmosphere inside the camps were unaffected. There are some soldiers dancing, others singing, it is about time these soldiers go home. It has been two month since the treaty between two kingdoms has been signed, there was no enemy invasion. The orders from their superiors arrived a week back saying their batch could go home now. Some left the camp and only the injured soldiers (most got injured during the final battle) are there in camp now. They are currently resting in the camp for their injuries to heal before going home.

“Ye Qui, you rascal, I think your fake letter of injury might have reached home by now, what do you think would have happened back at your village”, shouted by a thin soldier. “What else would have happened? Mother would have kicked out my wife. But since her precious younger son’s exam is coming soon, she will not be so cruel”. Two months back when the treaty was signed between the emperors he wrote a letter to his home saying he was badly injured and may not walk again. Even though it was true his leg was injured, the army doctor said it would be good in 3 months if properly cared for. He had been resting here in the border for 2 months now.

“Do you think your wife would agree to separation, she might think that you are hurt and if separated now then there would be no way to live in the future”, said an muscular guy sitting near Ye Qui around the campfire. Ye Qui thought for a while and confirmed “No, she is really soft, I don’t think she would have the courage to oppose mother. And my family will give her enough to live for a few months, and I will reach the village in that time”.

Ye Qui’s plan was separation, but if he went back and asked his parents for separation they would say he is unfilial and would not give him anything. But now, it is them proposing separation so they have to give Hui Juan some land. When he goes back home his plan is to sell the land in the name of medicine and take his wife to settle in Ping city. He has good strength and can work in the port as a dockworker and if his wife also got a small job then they could live happily there away from the clutches of Ye family.

Ye Qui has saved 15 sivers, along these years. Two years back he was promoted to cavalry and his salary increased to 8 silvers. There is a bonus of 2 silver given to the soldiers this year since they won the match. Some soldiers gained more for exceptional performance.

The only reason why he sent money back home all these years was because of Hui Juan. If he had stopped sending money, he was sure that his mother would starve her. It is not because he actually loved her that he sent his salary back home, but he felt responsibility towards her. Whenever he thinks about his wife, an image of a 15 year old girl crying and telling him ‘don’t go to war’ comes into his mind.

“How could you be so sure of it, maybe she has changed already. She might have become a much bolder woman, I mean she survived with your mother for 6 years right”, told back by the muscular guy. Ye Qui nodded “You are right, even the rabbits will bite if they stay with my mother for a year”. “Ha ha, ha ha”, many people laughed and the festive moment continued.

Suddenly a soldier came running towards the group shouting, “Ye Qui there is a letter for you.”

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In the Yanjia village, it had been 4 hours since I started cleaning. This house doesn’t look like a place where ghosts reside but much more like a spider castle. I may have discovered a new set of bugs here. I do doubt if there are any snakes at the top of the house. If it was me 2 months back, I would run 1 kilometer far by now. Now I know why they say humans are the most adaptable creatures in the world.Finally by evening I cleaned the house, I assigned Roulan to feed the poultry with corn.

There was a lot of furniture in the house, but some of them had been ruined by insects. There was also enough firewood in the store room to burn for the months. I cleaned the kitchen and was about to make some rice porridge. Then I noticed there is no processed rice with me. Well there is some corn, but I don’t know how to make corn porridge. I washed some corn and put it into water to boil it for some time. I bathed and cleaned Roulan and went back to eat dinner. And the dinner tastes horrible.

This house also has a vegetable garden but a much smaller one than the Ye Family, since it was left without care for a long time, it became a small forest. But still looking at that corn soup I got some courage from who knows where. I took a long stick and entered the vegetable garden and plucked some chilli and spinach, I fried some spinach and chill together in the pot and kept it as a side dish. Although my cooking was worse, Roulan ated it happily. Seeing the cute girl with bulging cheeks laugh at my jokes as we ate filled me with joy.

There were also quilts and some linen clothes in this house (poor and ordinary families in Yanjia village wear linen). Well I don't think there is any need to throw it off, even though it belongs to dead people. I could use those as rags for cleaning and such.

After dinner we both went to bed. It was pure darkness in the room and I could hear the sound of some unknown insects outside. “Ma, is it true there are ghosts”, asked Roulan. I looked at the little girl lying on my side and said, “Who told you there are ghosts?”. “Well elder cousin said there are ghosts in the house they would come to catch us in the night”.

I could tell from her speech she is scared, “well baby there are indeed ghosts in the world, but not all ghosts are scary, have you heard the story of Gini”. “ No ma, what is it?”.Seeing her curious look I said, “if you promise to be a good girl and close your eyes then mother will tell the story”. Roulan closed her eyes and sharpened her ears to hear the story. “ It is the story of a mischievous devil who lived in a lamp”.

As the story progressed Roulan fell asleep. Next day morning, I woke up early in the morning and fed the chickens, piglets and goat with corn and milked the goat for 2 cups of milk. After eating breakfast, I woke up Roulan and told her to get up and be ready, we are going to town. Even though Roulan’s fear of ghosts has decreased, still I felt it is not safe to let her be alone at home. To go towards town we have to arrive in front of the village front to take the bullock cart. I went and sat inside a bullock cart with Roulan.

“You get out of my cart”, when I looked in the direction of sound I found an angry man. So this cart belongs to the people of Ye clan. In this village there are only 2 carts for public transportation. One belongs to a guy in Ye Clan and the other belongs to a member of the Hui clan. It seems due to the incident yesterday the Ye clan members have started isolating me.

I looked towards the other cart, that cart owner closed his backseat door and moved away from my sight. He also will not let me enter, probably do not want to anger the Ye patriarch or the village head. I took my child and started walking. There is no way I could walk with a weight of 50 pound and the child for 4 hours. I plan to get a cart in the neighbouring village.

Since after all those incidents happened, till now there is no movement from the Hui family. Did they forget they had such a daughter. If the Hui patriarch showed me some support, I will not at least be humiliated by Hui clan members like now.

I walked for an hour before reaching the neighbouring villages bullock cart. I was truly exhausted. It is because of this body's daily practice of walking that I could walk that long with carrying weight. For my luck the cart has not left yet, since today is not a market day (a particular day in which all the village people go to town to sell stuff), there were enough seats in the bullock cart. I told the driver, “brother, I want to get off in the Tu village’s mill.” He nodded back at me. After some time more people entered and the driver started.

People in this village seem to be in worse condition than Yanjia village. Their farmland is mainly low level and some medium grade. From what I saw all the people here are dressed in rough linen clothes. I asked the woman sitting next to me, “Sister, do you know someone in your village who could sell me some hens or ducks”.

That lady was particularly interested in hearing my question, “Oh why, do you want to buy some. My family has 7 hens and 3 roosters if you want.” I immediately agreed and asked her address. I got off near the mill and gave the 50 pounds to be processed for 20 copper. I told them I would collect the sack on my return journey. I entered the town and went straight to the shop where I sold paintings and ordered 2 meat buns.

The server boy who served me today seemed to be different from the other day. I asked him, “Hey, the last time I came here there seems to be a beautiful painting hanging here. What happened to that?”

The waiter immediately shushed me, “don’t say about that painting. It is the shopkeeper's sore spot. That painting was made by a con artist. On the third day after we bought it, one of the pictures got eaten by cockroaches. Those paintings always attracted bugs and the colour started soon fading in the sun. Shopkeeper had been looking for that thief all around the town, but he didn’t find it. We doubt it was a guy who came in ladies clothes to fool us”. I calmly finished the bun and left the shop after paying the bill with my daughter. So selling paintings is cancelled.

I have too soon come up with another idea to make money. Or my future would soon turn dark when Ye Qui arrives.