Li Hongmei suddenly became very excited. “Look! It’s Baoshan! It’s really him! Little Ye, Tieshu and Wong Wu are back too. Oh my! Baoshan isn’t dead! He’s not dead!”
The Xiaos were naturally thrilled to see Xiao Baoshan back alive. The Lius were also elated. Now that Ye Xiaoxian’s husband had returned, they didn’t need to worry about her future life or remarriage anymore. Besides, being with a one-time general and hero, they could also hold their heads high. They would not need to worry about the local bullies because they were now much stronger than before.
On the way back, Ye Xiaoxian met quite a few locals who saw this tall, robust stranger and asked who he was. Ye Xiaoxian didn’t want to introduce him and pretended not to hear as she sat in the carriage, but Liu Qianqian answered with great pride, “This is Little Ye’s husband.”
Humph, didn’t they think it difficult for a queen bee like Little Ye to marry? She’d already had a husband, right?
As such, the news that Ye Xiaoxian’s husband was back spread all over the tribe and also reached Tarico’s ears. Was that man really Little Ye’s husband? Hadn’t he died? Tarico fell into a long silence.
…
On returning, Xiao Baoshan was pulled by a crowd to sit down on a chair in the middle of a yurt. Li Hongmei was the first to cry, followed by the other Xiaos. The Lius tried their best to comfort the Xiaos, saying that it was something worth celebrating that Xiao Baoshan was back.
“Baoshan, what have you been through? It’s been so long! Why didn’t you send any messages?”
“Baoshan, do you know there was a period where I couldn’t even sleep? Every time I closed my eyes, I saw you bathed in blood!”
Squire Liu said, “Oh, Hongmei, don’t ask so much. Baoshan has only just come back. Let him have a rest and drink some milk tea first. Besides, this is a moment for laughter, not crying.”
Hearing that, Li Hongmei chuckled, though tears still ran out from time to time.
“…”
Ye Xiaoxian was the only person who was calm and quiet. Xiao Baoshan didn’t remember the past or these people, but from their cries, he knew it must have been the right decision to come back here. He’d found himself.
The woman whose crying was the loudest was his mother, and there were also his sister, uncles, aunts and cousins. The oldest was his grandfather who, in contrast, looked unfriendly and stubborn. They reminded him of his dreams. In the dreams, he also lived with his mother, uncles, aunts and cousins. They were busy with their own things, living a difficult yet peaceful life.
While the others huddled around in tears, Ye Xiaoxian stood to one side and just watched. Seeing this, Liu Qianqian stepped out and helped her friend explain. “Aunt Hongmei, Uncle Tongshu, Baozhu, don’t cry. You know, Baoshan fell off the cliff and hit his head, so he can’t remember anything from before.”
The others were stunned by her words.
“Kn-knocked his head? Where?” Li Hongmei stretched out her hands for Xiao Baoshan’s head but didn’t find any wounds.
Liu Qianqian said, “It’s been a year since then. The wound may have healed up. I figure we’d better tell him who we are first.”
Li Hongmei wiped away her tears and asked Xiao Baoshan, “Baoshan, have you really forgotten everything?”
He nodded.
“Do you remember me? I’m your mom.”
He shook his head.
She asked, “What about Little Ye? She’s your wife. Do you remember her?”
He said, “I didn’t remember, but now I know her.”
Tears welled up in her eyes again. “So… So there really is such a disorder… No wonder you…”
When she wanted to talk about his marriage with Jin Xiaoyu, she realized it was not the proper time to mention this. She thought she’d better ask Ye Xiaoxian about it later, in private. “Anyway, it’s not your fault. You’re a victim. A lucky one. It’s okay if you can’t remember now. You can take your time to regain your memories. The most important thing now is to have a good life with us and treat Little Ye well. She’s done too much for this family all these years.”
Xiao Baoshan had a look at Ye Xiaoxian. In theory, a widow was unavoidably disdained in this era, but the Xiaos all spoke well of her, which meant she was really a good woman and treated them well in daily life.
Li Hongmei said, “I’ll tell you who we are. Don’t forget us this time…”
Then, she pointed at every person present, including his sister, uncles, aunts, cousins and also the Lius. Humbly and politely, Xiao Baoshan greeted them one by one. But when he turned to Ye Xiaoxian, she looked away to avoid his gaze. It seemed her anger would remain for some time.
…
After dinner, Li Hongmei asked Xiao Baoshan to have a bath and it pained her to know that he had only one suit. She went to ask Ye Xiaoxian, “Did Baoshan really plan to get married? Why did he come back with you? How long will he stay here?”
Ye Xiaoxian simply said, “Go and ask him.”
It would be too embarrassing to ask Xiao Baoshan, so she asked Liu Qianqian the same questions. After learning about what had happened, she said, “Baoshan is a sensible man. He knows how to make the right choice. I’m glad he didn’t marry that woman. Can you believe she didn’t even give him a good suit? If Baoshan married her, he would not have had a happy life.”
Seeing that some fabric was left over from last year, she couldn’t wait to make a robe for her son. Although there weren’t many yurts, she wanted to give Xiao Baoshan and Ye Xiaoxian a private place so that they could rebuild their relationship.
But Ye Xiaoxian refused it at once, saying, “He almost married another woman, which means he doesn’t have me in his heart now. Besides, he divorced me. I don’t want to cling to him or let him take advantage of me. Mom, you should be fair. You can’t make me do this because I’m a woman and he’s a man.”
Helpless, Li Hongmei decided to talk to Xiao Baoshan. He had just come out of the bathroom and had no idea where to sleep. So, Li Hongmei arranged for him to share a yurt with the kids for the time being.
Walking into the yurt, Li Hongmei said apologetically, “In theory, you should share a yurt with Little Ye. But you came so suddenly and we only have a few yurts, so I’m sorry that you have to sleep with the children. After we buy a new yurt, you can then move and live with Little Ye.”
Xiao Baoshan was not really a dumb man. He asked, “Little Ye is still angry with me, right?”
Li Hongmei paused and then replied, “She’ll certainly forgive you, though it’ll take time. She likes you the best.”
She began telling him a lot about Little Ye and him, such as how they got married, how they fell in love and how Little Ye had gone silent for a few days after hearing the news of his death.
She said, “Little Ye has done a lot for this family. You must not let her down. If you really can’t remember the past, you should chat more with her. Perhaps you’ll regain your memory one day!”
According to what she was saying, Xiao Baoshan was sure that the woman in his dreams was Ye Xiaoxian.
Solemnly, he said, “I see.”
“Well… are you done with that innkeeper? Baoshan, listen to me, you must cut your relationship with her. This is serious. Although a man can have several wives, you can’t. You’ve promised to Little Ye that you wouldn’t have a concubine, and she also just doesn’t allow that. If you marry another woman, she’ll never be able to forgive you.”
Xiao Baoshan praised her. “She’s also a fiesty woman.”
“Sure. You two often whispered on the roof before and I overheard it. That’s what you said then.”
Xiao Baoshan was speechless.
Li Hongmei said, “It doesn’t matter how I heard it. Anyway, heaven knows what you’ve said. If you don’t keep your promise, you’ll be struck by lightning. Understand?”
He nodded. He felt sorry for Jin Xiaoyu. But it would be the greatest disrespect to Ye if he married her.
Li Hongmei looked up at the dark sky. “You must listen to me this time. Be nice to Little Ye. Even if she snubs you, you should be unabashed about chatting with her. Don’t be as dumb as before. Try to win her heart back, okay?”
He nodded again.
…
After Li Hongmei left, Xiao Baoshan lay down on a mat. Like at Longmen Inn, the tribe was very quiet at night without even the sound of chirping. The sky seemed close to the earth. When he was in the inn, he often suffered from insomnia. His floating heart always made him feel uneasy. Indeed, he wanted to sleep, but he was afraid that he would dream of those who he had never seen or known. But that night, he was in a miraculous state of peace. After closing his eyes, he soon fell asleep.
The dream also became clear, with everyone’s appearance being recognizable. He dreamed of Ye Xiaoxian making him a delicious meal, Li Hongmei sewing clothes for him and Baozhu and Baofeng reading books – one somewhat lazy and the other diligent.
He slept through the night and when he woke, he heard the sound of cooking utensils from outside. He got up, lifted the curtain door and saw someone cooking porridge in front of a stove. It was Little Ye. He was amazed by the sight coinciding exactly with that in his dream. Some fragments of his previous dreams flashed through his mind. Involuntarily, he walked over to her.