The 43rd Hexagram is Hsia

  He trudged through the snow, his feet making crunching sounds with each step, as he made his way towards the solitary tent. He could sense that someone inside was watching him, but he felt no fear. When a mountain dweller lives in solitude for too long, they naturally develop a sense of wariness towards outsiders, regardless of how much time has passed or how developed society may be.

  "Fellow countryman, I'm a traveling monk from Snow Mountain, may I come in and take a seat?"

  When they arrived at the tent, Xu De said a sentence in the local dialect. Although this was indeed a tent set up by the troops for them, since they had already lived inside, according to the rules of the plateau, this tent was their property and residence. If he wanted to enter, he naturally had to greet them first.

  The snow guest on the mountain can be understood as ordinary travelers, hunters or guides, etc., but Xu De emphasized the two words "snow guest" when speaking. He believed that if the people in the camp were really mountain people, they should know that they were snow guides.

  On the Gobi Plateau, although snow can be seen everywhere, not everyone likes to use snow to show off themselves, except for the proud Snowland Guides.

  "Snow guest? Uncle, come in quickly, it's cold outside."

  With a sound of surprise, the canvas of the tent was quickly lifted up, revealing the figure of a young plateau woman inside.

  As long as it's on the plateau, men and women's clothing doesn't have much distinction, but women's clothes are more ornate and colorful than men's. However, the woman in front of me is different, wearing a thick black-gray coat with no decorations, even with many holes. It can only be inferred from her pleasant voice and facial features that she is a woman. In her early twenties, with rosy cheeks, and some dark gray complexion on her face, she looks like a typical plateau woman, a standard mountain dweller. But because of her youth, there's still much joy in her eyes.

  "Thank you, daughter, I'll go in and warm up now."

  Although he didn't expect there to be a woman inside, and still such a young woman, but judging from her appearance, he knew that the other party was indeed a mountain dweller, so Xu De's heart felt much more at ease.

  As he entered the tent, there was nothing inside. Next to two bundles sat a middle-aged man with a white face and a mustache, about thirty years old, wearing a thick, tattered coat. His hair was messy, looking even more disheveled than the woman's long hair, but his hands held a somewhat new-looking shotgun, as if guarding the bundles, or rather, staring at Xu De who had just entered the tent.

  As soon as she saw the man, Xu De's heart skipped a beat. This was obviously an inland person, how could he be with a mountain woman?

  "Husband, stop staring at people like that and come over to greet him quickly. This uncle is a snowfield guide, not a bad person."

  Husband? The young woman's term of endearment made Xu De's heart skip a beat, and although he understood their relationship, it only added to his confusion. It wasn't unusual for people from the highlands to marry those from inland areas, but since this young woman was just an ordinary mountain villager, why would someone from inland be willing to stay with her? This wasn't some chaotic time of war that forced people to flee to the mountains.

  But before he could think much, the man on the other side opened his mouth and shouted "Ah! Ah!" several times, but there was no loss of dignity in his eyes.

  Mute? Just as Xu De was shocked, the woman's face showed a sly smile: "Yes, my husband is indeed mute now, but it was done by my father. Because at that time he always wanted to run away, my father caught him twice and got so angry that he made him mute. After that, he never ran away again and devoted himself to me."

  What's going on? Hearing such words, Xu De's heart actually skipped a beat. He wasn't unfamiliar with this kind of thing, but it had been rarely seen since the 70s.

  It's unbelievable that such things still happen nowadays, it really feels like something I've never heard of before. However, there were only two people, where did another father come from?

  "Where's your father?"

  "My dad passed away two years ago, chasing after my mom. He was over 80 years old and left just like that, without any regrets. By the way, Uncle, how long do you think this blizzard will last?"

  The woman's voice was bright and clear, with no hint of regret in her eyes, but Xu De could also see some attachment.

  However, when he heard that her father had passed away two years ago at the age of eighty, Xu De slightly understood. It seemed that the mountain people who actually ran away from marriage should be this woman's parents, but judging from her age, she should have been adopted back, and it was unknown whether there were any other twists and turns in between.

  "This blizzard! It'll take at least three to five more days to pass. Do you have enough food? If not, I can provide some assistance, including clothes and sleeping bags."

  "Then thank you, uncle! I knew snow guides were good people. Husband, are you still not coming over to kowtow together?"

  When the woman knelt down and kowtowed, although the man on the other side was still hesitant, under her glare, he also knelt down and kowtowed together.

  It seems that the mainland man, although dumbfounded, still has some respect for the highland woman, and Xu De also feels a little relieved. There's no need to rush into questioning, lest they become suspicious again. A mountain woman who can take her husband being made speechless as nothing, Xu De doesn't dare to be careless either.

  "Alright miss, you don't have to be polite with your uncle anymore. By the way, my name is Xu De, what are your and your husband's names?"

  "Hello Uncle Xu De, my name is Yixia. My husband doesn't have a name, he didn't tell me his name before he became mute and now he can't say it out loud either... Uncle, when can you give us food and clothes?"

  While answering Xu De's questions, she was led to her feet, and Yixia did not hide the longing in her eyes for food and clothes. She also knew that this blizzard would last a long time, otherwise she wouldn't have brought her husband back to see people with a hard heart. After losing her parents, the only one who could take care of herself was herself, and she didn't want her husband to die in the blizzard.

  "I'll give it to you right away. Oh, and I also have a flask of wine here, take it with you to warm yourselves up, I'll be back soon."

  "Thank you, uncle. I haven't had a drink in ages. Since my dad passed away, my husband doesn't know how to make wine either, it's been killing me with thirst."

  When Yixia saw the wine bottle that Xude took out from his bosom, her face immediately showed an excited light. This also made Xude sigh slightly in his heart. Yixia's isolation from the world was probably related to her father and mother's teachings. But she is already so old now, and Jingxian is also very cautious, this matter seems to need to be done slowly. Moreover, there is also the matter of her husband, which is not easy to clarify.

  When Xu De left the tent, Yixia was still excitedly waving at him, calling him to come back early. After drinking a mouthful of wine, Yixia's face also looked somewhat red and bright under the light of the kerosene lamp, looking exceptionally radiant.