The seventeenth year went on, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past five moons after the small accumulating *thirty-ambush*, at the small accumulating *long-holding* shape of the master's hut.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past five moons — Yang Yichen at the southern garrison had, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler's saying, taken the small accumulating *eleven-survivors*' report of the small accumulating *thirty-ambush* and had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — laid in the small accumulating *no-further-patrol* shape at the past five moons. The Sui-court at Chang'an had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — sent a small accumulating *new commander* south to relieve Yang Yichen at the small accumulating *southern garrison's accumulating reorganization*. The new commander — a man called *Pei Renji*, perhaps the small accumulating *another Tujue-frontier veteran* — had taken the southern command at the past second moon and had, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three months, been at the small accumulating *consolidating* shape of the lower country before any small accumulating new offensive against the small accumulating Wagang's accumulating advanced lines.
The small accumulating *upper-hills sub-base of Wén Déxiū* was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — at the small accumulating *suspended priority* of an accumulating Sui-court that was, at the past three months, at the small accumulating *consolidation-not-offensive* shape.
The patrols would, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler, perhaps not come at the small accumulating *seventeenth year's accumulating remaining moons*.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the eleventh moon of the seventeenth year — six months after the small accumulating *thirty-ambush*, the seventh winter of Heizi's *return-to-the-hut* — the master at the cot held. The cough was, at the past five months, at the small accumulating *stable* shape under Ah Chou's accumulating *combined tea*. The blood had not, at the past five months, returned. The master sat at the small wooden stool at most fair-weather mornings; at the cot at the afternoons.
He read the *Daxue's seventh round* at the cot. He read the *Mencius's accumulating careful selection* at the small wooden stool's accumulating beside-the-cot's-arrangement.
He coughed without blood.
He held.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past five months — the household had grown by the small accumulating *additional-six recruits* Yan Wenshu at the cold-spring camp had, at the past three months, sent up at the small accumulating *replacement-recruits* request Heizi had laid at the past month's accumulating runner-arrangement after the small accumulating *thirty-ambush's accumulating cost-of-two-wounded* (now both healed, Cao Pingsheng at the small accumulating *limp-but-functional* shape and Liu Sanlang the second at the small accumulating *full-saber-restored* shape).
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past three months — the household at the master's hut was at the small accumulating *nineteen-and-master* shape: Heizi, Wang Er, An Ashi, Ah Chou, Lu Jingzhi, plus the eight original recruits, plus the six new recruits.
The new six were:
*Yan Wushi* (Hebei, twenty-seven, three years at the rebellion); *Liu Pengsheng* (Henan, twenty-five, two years); *Cao Erlang* (Henan, twenty-nine, four years); *Sun Wenchao* (Hebei, twenty-six, two years); *Tian Wenfu* (Henan, thirty, four years); *Wei Bing* (Hebei, twenty-three, one year).
By the small specific accumulating reading at Heizi's accumulating *one-mark-knowing* of the past three months, the small accumulating *nineteen* were at the small accumulating *six-of-ten* against the Sui-veteran-shape. By the small specific reading I am giving, by the small accumulating fifteenth moon, they would be at the small accumulating *seven-of-ten*.
Lu Jingzhi at the small accumulating *gentle-walking* shape had, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three months, returned to the *political-voice* role at perhaps the small accumulating *eight-of-ten* of his accumulating past readings. He could, at the past month's accumulating *moment*-training, lay the *block-and-set* at perhaps the small accumulating *five-of-ten* he had been at the past two years before the wound. The small accumulating *deep scar* held; the muscle-bind held; he carried himself at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating recovered apprentice.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the eleventh moon, the master at the cot called Heizi.
He said in the small low voice: *lad. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past five moons — the *holding* has held. The patrols have not, at the past five moons, come. The household at the small accumulating *nineteen-and-master* is, by the small specific reading I am giving, at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating sub-unit at its accumulating second formation.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad will, in the next year, perhaps the year after, hold the *nineteen* at the small accumulating *real* shape of a small accumulating *unit* the country, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, will, by the small specific reading at the next several years' accumulating shifts, need."
He paused once more.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the master is, at this dusk, at the small accumulating *holding* shape of an old man at sixty-five whose accumulating *cough* has, by the small specific reading at the past two years' accumulating Ah Chou's-tea, been bought another year or two of accumulating quiet. The master will, by the small specific reading I am giving, perhaps see another spring or two."
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — when the master's accumulating *real-end* comes, it will not be at the small accumulating *cough's accumulating shape*. It will be — by the small specific reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *Sui-court's accumulating *real* offensive-shape* the new commander Pei Renji will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the next year, perhaps lay."
Heizi nodded.
He filed.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, master.*
That night Heizi at his watch sat at the small banked fire.
He listened.
The shape of the silence on this watch was — by the small specific reading at this evening — the shape of a small specific *staff-officer-and-apprentice* whose accumulating *nineteen-and-master* held the master's hut at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating second formation, with the master's accumulating *real-end* deferred to the small accumulating *Pei Renji's accumulating real offensive* of the next year or the year after.
He filed it.
In the small lighter catalog of moments, he set: *the small specific dusk of the first day of the eleventh moon of the seventeenth year, when the master at the cot named the *holding* as held and the master's *real-end* as deferred.*
The lighter catalog stood at perhaps one hundred and twenty-five items.
The dark catalog stood at twenty-five named entries plus the *unnamed thousand+*.
He sat his watch through.
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