Chapter 26: The Moon is Bright and the Stars are Sparse

  In the dead of night, the wind stopped and the snow settled. The convoy also came to a halt. Grain sacks were laid out everywhere, and the porters and laborers lay scattered about on top of them, their faces covered with animal hides, leaving only a small gap at the nose, sleeping extremely soundly.

  Ding Hao's entire body felt like it was going to fall apart, yet despite being exhausted to the extreme, he couldn't sleep. His heart was like a burning flame, his spirit remaining in an excited state, unsure if it was due to the wine from Feng Da's gourd or because he was commanding over a thousand people to accomplish such a feat, and thus giving rise to unprecedented passion.

  The little pig had fallen asleep, curled up in his clothes and bedding, making soft breathing sounds. Ding Hao quietly got up, tiptoed out of the tent.

  The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, a gentle breeze comes, and my mind becomes clear. The fire in my heart seems to have been suppressed as well. Next to me are several grain sacks used to weigh down the account books, it's just a place to avoid the wind. Ding Hao wraps his fur-lined jacket tightly around him, walks over and lies down on the grain sacks, lets out a long sigh, and gazes up at the stars in the sky...

  Ding Yuluo hadn't slept yet. After the troops settled down, she dragged her tired body until the entire camp was completely quiet. She walked back and forth, sometimes deeply and sometimes shallowly, but soon returned to her tent. However, she couldn't calm down and walked out of the tent again, wandering around the camp for a long time.

  She didn't know how long they had been traveling, or how far they were from Guangyuan. The whole area was covered in white snow, and they had gotten lost again, cutting directly through the wilderness. They could only vaguely determine their direction, and even Feng Da's whip hand didn't know exactly where they were. How could she feel at ease?

  With a worried heart, she wandered for a long time, thinking most about the safety of the Ding family. This also made her think of her father's difficulties. She had only transported grain once and encountered so many problems. If it weren't for Ding Hao suddenly stepping in like a changed person, relying on these inexperienced masters and stewards who had never been far from home, the whole team would probably still be stuck in Qing Shui Town. How much hardship must her father have endured to build this family business from scratch?

  A person wandered aimlessly, feeling heavy-hearted. After a long time, she walked back into the camp and towards her own tent, when suddenly she heard a faint singing voice. Ting Yuluo was startled, it was late at night, everyone was exhausted to death, how could someone be singing? Was it a ghost?

  Ding Yuluo suppressed her shock and anxiety, listened carefully for a while, then gripped her treasured sword tightly and walked away quietly.

  I am a wolf from the north...

  Walking in the vast and endless wilderness

  A shrill north wind blows by

  Endless yellow sand sweeps by

  I can only grit my teeth in the cold silence

  Respond with two long whistles

  Not for anything else

  For that legendary beautiful prairie...

  "Who?" A low shout, the singing stopped abruptly, Ding Hao suddenly sat up, quiet for a moment, and called out in a low voice: "Big sister..."

  "Ah-Dai? Ding Hao!" Ding Yu Luo followed the sound and walked towards: "Why haven't you rested yet?"

  "I...can't sleep."

  "I am too..." Ding Yuluo let out a light sigh and sat down beside him: "What you're singing is some strange tune, but... it sounds nice..."

  "Oh, this is a... song from the northern grasslands. It was sung by that old beggar who told me about the crawling li, and the tune is very... special, so I remembered it."

  Ding Yuluo said, "This beggar not only recognizes the sled used by the people of the extreme north, but also sings such a desolate and stirring song. His vision is not like that of an ordinary person. What's his name?"

  "Uh... his name is Hong Qigong."

  Ding Hao casually told a lie, and Ding Yuluo didn't suspect anything. She curled up her two weak legs and sighed softly: "It's still you men who have broader minds than us women. In this situation, with such pressure, you can still sing songs, but I...can't sleep or even eat."

  Ding Hao smiled wryly and said, "Sister is overpraising me, I'm also worried about this."

  Ding Yuluo said with a sneer: "You're just talking nonsense, and yet you still have the nerve to sing?"

  "It's always like this, haven't you heard 'men worry about... uh... ah...'?"

  "Huh?"

  "Girl troubles... just go for a walk..."

  "Hmm...it makes sense. After walking around for half a day, I'm feeling much better."

  Ding Hao secretly wiped away a cold sweat and changed the subject, saying: "Eldest sister, worrying is useless. Since everyone has followed us to this point, you don't have to worry about anyone else betraying us. What we can do now is use up our last bit of energy to get into Guangyuan City and take a rest. As the head of the Ding family, you must calm down at times like these. If you panic, people's hearts will be lost. Moreover, even if the grain is delivered, it will inevitably be delayed for several days. You still need to muster up your spirit to coordinate relationships with those above and below, what if you fall ill?"

  Ding Yuluo sighed softly and said, "I know, but I just can't calm down." She gazed at the distant horizon, which was shrouded in a gray mist, and suddenly slapped her thigh in anger, saying, "Why don't these barbarians just die? From ancient times to the present, they've always been bandits. Even if they establish their own country, it's no different from being bandits. Every year, they come to 'cut the grass' and abduct my Han people, plundering our grain."

  Ding Hao sighed and said, "To say the least, if the Tartars had never invaded our borders, perhaps my family would not have achieved its current wealth and status. I heard that our army is severely lacking in warhorses, it's easy to build fortifications to resist the enemy, but when it comes to pursuing and annihilating them, how can two legs outrun four? So naturally, the initiative falls into their hands, they come and go as they please, what can you do about it? You don't have to always think that we're not doing our best. After all, the most prosperous and fertile lands are still occupied by us Han people, the most beautiful scenery and the most pleasant climate are still enjoyed by us Han people, who has ever taken them away?"

  Ding Yuluo has now become accustomed to Ding Hao's unique insights and is not surprised, only listening on the side. Ding Hao also gazes towards the vast mountains in the north, saying softly: "I have come to understand a principle - for every gain, there must be a loss. Heaven is fair; it gave you fertile land to cultivate grain and a life of ease, so naturally it won't give you the strongest military power as well. Otherwise, wherever the sun shines, wouldn't all become Han territory?"

  Those nomads live by water and grass, relying on the weather for a living, relying on water and grass to survive, their days are a hundred times more bitter than ours. A person who is often hungry is naturally more brutal than someone who has no worries about food and clothing. A person who has no food or clothing, and is willing to risk his life for a mouthful of food, is naturally braver than someone who has three meals a day without worry. A person who has been riding horses since childhood, with no fixed residence, relying on hunting and shooting to make a living, is naturally more skilled in horseback riding and archery than a well-trained soldier.

  Unless... there comes a day when fighting is no longer about individual prowess with fists, feet, knives, guns, bows, horses, and cavalry, otherwise, generally speaking, we are indeed inferior to them in terms of fighting and killing. So, whenever our Han Chinese leaders fail to live up to expectations, we suffer greatly at their hands; but when their Tartar leaders fail to live up to expectations, they suffer greatly at our hands.

  But we Han people have a solid foundation, no matter how hard we fall, we can always get back up and take back the family business that was ruined by the defeated families. But what about those Tartars? No matter how ferocious they are, once we knock them down, they will never be able to get back up again, and instead, another barbarian wolf will replace them.

  Ding Yuluo nodded thoughtfully and replied in a soft voice, "Yes, even the most illustrious ancestors will eventually meet their match when they encounter descendants who are beyond help. This is true for a country, a clan, and a family..."

  She said to this, her heart suddenly thumped: "Big brother's legs are both short, if he can't recover as before, as long as he doesn't become stupid or foolish, although still the eldest son in charge of the household, it will be inconvenient for him to deal with people and handle various matters. At that time, it will inevitably fall on Cheng Ye to do it. With his temperament and character, won't the Ding family... Ah-Dai should have been my second brother originally, if Father can recognize him as his son without being constrained by his mother's lowly status as a servant girl... But would Father acknowledge him?