Chapter 2: Glacier (4)

The same night, different situations, same family affection, and different sorrow. Outside Jincheng Pass, thousands of miles away, a young man is bidding farewell to his mother in a simple house.

The dim candlelight had just illuminated the small accumulation on the table, and the plastered floor was barely flat. The young man knelt straight on the mud, looked up at the old woman sitting in front of him, and called earnestly: "Mom, son is leaving now."

The young man's face was mostly covered by shadows, but his delicate facial features and slightly weak eyes could still be distinguished. He wore a thick blue robe, with a slender figure and a full-length scholarly appearance. His clear forehead and straight nose were so similar to the woman opposite him, and he could tell at a glance that he was a mother and son.

Although the old woman opposite was old, she still had a good look. Her clothes were rough but very clean and neat. She looked at her son's eyes full of love and worry, and her face was full of sorrow. She stretched out her slightly trembling hand and put it on her son's shoulder. How thin her shoulders were, she could clearly feel her son's body shaking constantly. The old woman sighed softly: "My son, I haven't seen you come back for so long. Mom misses you." The young man trembled all over, gritted his teeth, and replied calmly: "Mom, didn't my son tell you that my son has been in Qinglu Academy outside the city, and he has been studying his homework with everyone." The old woman's eyes flashed with tears. She looked at her son's face carefully. After a long time, she squeezed out: "Lin'er, Mom has gone to find you there. They said you haven't been there for a long time..."

Yang Lin shivered again, and was silent for a while before looking up and showing a smile to his mother that was even worse than crying: "Mom, my son has told you many times not to look for it or not to look for it. You just don't listen." The old woman stared at her son's face: "Lin'er, where have you been these days? Tell me to my mother."

Yang Lin smiled faintly from his lips and said thoughtfully: "Mom, my son has been reviewing his homework. He just lives in his friend's house outside the city and is not in the academy. The academy is too mixed and cannot calm down." The old woman nodded slowly and said in a daze: "It's good. Lin'er, but why are you in a hurry to leave?"

Yang Lin reached out his hand, gently held his mother's old hands, put them back on her lap, and then held them tightly, whispering: "Mom, my son has finally finished his studies. Finally, he has the confidence to go to the exam. Haven't you been waiting for this day? When your son gets the exam back, you will no longer have to work day and night like this to drive those embroidery work that will never be finished."

The old woman raised her right hand, gently stroked her son's cheek, and said softly: "Lin'er, for you, my mother has been embroidered for the rest of her life, and she is willing to die. As long as you have a promising future, my mother will be satisfied." Yang Lin held her mother's hand again and shook her head and said: "Although this is the case, the son is not at ease. Mom, the son is leaving. Please wait for good news for your son."

Yang Lin was about to get up, but the old woman suddenly leaned out and hugged him tightly, saying in tears: "Lin'er, Lin'er, don't rush to leave in the middle of the night when you take the exam, right? Stay at home until tomorrow. Mom packs up your luggage before leaving." Yang Lin couldn't help but hug her mother's body tightly. After a while, she whispered: "Mom, my son and friends have made an appointment to set off together. We need to go to their place now and set off on time tomorrow morning."

"But, but it's snowy and ice, how do you cross the Yellow River?" the old woman asked urgently. Yang Lin sneered, "Mom, the Yellow River has been frozen, just walk over from above." The old woman said in surprise, "Lin'er, how can this be? Do you know that the river is frozen unevenly. Every year, pedestrians from above have stepped on the ice and fell into the water and died. Lin'er, you must not take this risk."

Yang Lin broke away from his mother's arms and said gritting his teeth: "Mom! My son is determined to walk today. Although it is dangerous to cross the river, it is the only way at present. My son will be careful. Don't worry, although there are people who make mistakes every year, countless people come and go successfully cross the river. It's okay." The old woman nodded frequently, and tears couldn't stop flowing down. Yang Lin felt sad and reached out to wipe the tears for his mother, but his mother grabbed her hand and pinched it to death. Yang Lin was sobbing that he suddenly threw away his mother's hand. He heard his mother choked and asked again: "Lin'er, the scientific examination is in November. What are you going to do now?!"

Yang Lin's face turned pale, and the blue veins on his forehead burst out. He gritted his teeth. He finally made up his mind, raised his face, showed a painful smile again, and replied: "Mom, it's Chang Ke in November. I was sick at that time, so I missed this year. But next February, the exam will be held in Luoyang. Now I can still live there to review. I don't want to delay it for a day!"

When the old woman heard this, she looked pleased and said, "This way I will know, Lin'er, you can wait for a moment and I will pack some things for you." "Mom, there is no need. My son's things are all placed in a friend's place and have been packed long ago." The old woman nodded, took out a small bag wrapped in silk from her arms, and stuffed it into Yang Lin's hand: "Liner, I still have some silver here, you can use it."

Yang Lin's hands were shaking violently, and he could hardly hold the bag. Tears finally poured out of his eyes. He kowtowed three times to the old woman, stood up and ran out of the door. The old woman sat in the original place for a long time, suddenly shouting: "Lin'er!" She shook and ran to the door, and opened the door suddenly. The howling wind blew towards her and the snow suddenly turned white, instantly dyeing her snow-white. The old woman stood still like a sculpture in the wind and snow, motionless.

At dawn, Han Bin was woken up. He reluctantly almost cried, holding the horn of the quilt tightly, not wanting to leave the warm quilt. But there was no way, how could he earn more than his brother? Li Yuanfang quickly helped Han Bin put on his clothes. Seeing that he was still there, he didn't wake up, so he carried him off the kang and threw it on the ground.

Han Bin fell to the ground with a gulp, and then he woke up. He got up and saw Li Yuanfang packing the last few pieces of clothing into his bag. He walked over and gently pulled the corner of his brother's clothes. Li Yuanfang patted his shoulder and whispered: "Bin'er, we're going to set off."

The two walked out the door, and Di Jinghui had already cleaned up and waited there. The three of them walked side by side through the cold lobby and opened the door. The wind that had been blowing for a night stopped. It was silent everywhere. In the dim light of the morning, the thick snow looked gray, and the ice hanged from the dead tree trunks. There was no star in the sky. The cold seemed to freeze the air.

Han Bin couldn't help but shrink his neck, and Di Jinghui whispered: "It's so cold! Can't we go when the sun comes out?" Li Yuanfang replied firmly: "No." He looked at Di Jinghui and said sarcastically: "As far as I know, you are probably the most comfortable exile in the world. Why, you're not used to it when you get up early and you're not used to it?"

Di Jinghui's expression changed, and he took a angrily step and walked. After walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned his head to look at Li Yuanfang who was still in the same place, saying, "Person Li, I forgot. I have to ask you to tie my hands up!" As he said that, he stretched out his hands in front of Li Yuanfang. Li Yuanfang smiled slightly, took off the bag on his back, and handed it to Di Jinghui's hand. Di Jinghui was stunned: "This is..."

"I won't tie you up. If you don't have a horse, you will be burdened with your luggage."

Di Jinghui was happy, and tried hard to put his luggage on his shoulders, and smiled and said, "Very good. I, Di Jinghui, have done more new things these days than in my previous half of my life. Li Yuanfang, you will be lazy!" Li Yuanfang ignored it and held Han Bin's hand: "Bin'er, don't you want me to carry you? Come on!" He lifted Han Bin up with force, and Han Bin shouted, "Brother! Brother!" Li Yuanfang had already pulled him onto his back. He hugged Li Yuanfang's neck hard, and was so excited that he couldn't understand why.
Chapter completed!