125: The After-Quiet
The household held the small accumulating *normal-day* shape through the rest of the second moon of the twentieth year of Da-ye, and into the third.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past three weeks' accumulating peddler-saying — Qu Tutong's accumulating *five-hundred*, withdrawn at the southern fold's accumulating cut at the past third week, had returned at the small accumulating *defeated-and-wounded* shape to the southern garrison. Qu Tutong had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — been at the small accumulating *interrupted* shape of an accumulating *acting* sub-officer whose accumulating *first real campaign* had ended in a small accumulating *cost-of-two-hundred-twenty* against an accumulating *upper-hills sub-base* he had been at the small accumulating *under-estimating* shape regarding.
The Sui-court at Chang'an had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two weeks — recalled Qu Tutong at a small accumulating *internal-disorder's accumulating censure*. The southern command had been laid in the small accumulating *acting* shape of yet a further sub-officer, whose name the peddler did not yet, at the past dusk, have.
The southern command was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three weeks — at the small accumulating *fourth-or-fifth acting sub-officer* shape of an accumulating *Sui-court whose accumulating Mandate is withdrawing* (by the master's saying at the past year). The next patrol of *real* shape was — by the small specific reading at the past peddler — perhaps eight to twelve months ahead, perhaps later if the small accumulating *new acting sub-officer* was, by the small specific reading at the past peddler, at the small accumulating *cautious-after-Qu-Tutong's-defeat* shape.
The Wagang's accumulating *eighty* at the cold-spring camp had — by the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating *post-engagement* letter at the past two weeks — taken the small accumulating *twelve* dead and laid them at the small accumulating *cold-spring camp's accumulating burial slope* (a small accumulating *new* slope on the southern face of the bear-back's accumulating southern arm; the same slope Heizi's accumulating brothers from the past *cost-of-ten* had been laid at the past three years).
The *eighty* held — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two weeks' Yan Wenshu letter — at the small accumulating *real seasoned* shape. They were — by the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating saying — at the small accumulating *waiting* for the next call from Li Mi's accumulating new headquarters.
The master at the cot held.
He had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three weeks — read the *Daxue's* tenth round at the cot.
He had begun — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past week — the small accumulating *eleventh* round.
The cough was — by the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's accumulating careful eye — at the small accumulating *holding* shape. The combined tea (huang lian, western-bark, dried ginger, plus a small accumulating new addition Ah Chou had laid at the past two months: a small accumulating *northern dried lichen* a passing herb-trader had named at the small accumulating *cooling-the-late-cough* shape) was — by the small specific reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *real working* shape against the cough's accumulating *winter advance*.
Ah Chou had said in the small low voice at the dusk of the third day of the third moon: *Heizi-zhang. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the master is, by the small specific reading I am giving, perhaps at the small accumulating *another two springs and a winter, perhaps three*. The combined tea is, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, at the small accumulating *real* shape. The master will, by the small specific reading I am giving, hold to perhaps the *twenty-second* year of Da-ye, perhaps the *twenty-third*. By the small specific reading I am giving — that is the small accumulating *medical* reading. The accumulating *political* reading — that is, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, the lad's.*
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — Ah Chou's *medical* reading was, at this dusk of the third moon of the twentieth year, *two springs and a winter*. The master would hold, by the small specific reading I am giving, into the *twenty-second year of Da-ye*. The accumulating *unfound moment* the master had named at the past *fourth moon of the fourteenth year* would, by the small specific reading I am giving, come at the small accumulating *next major Sui patrol* — perhaps in the next year, perhaps in the year after.
The lad sat at the small wooden stool at the master's cot's-side at the dusk of the seventh day of the third moon.
He said in the small low voice: *master. By Ah Chou's reading — perhaps two springs.*
Lao Wen looked up from the *Daxue*.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad. By Ah Chou's reading — perhaps two springs. The master accepts. The master had not, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past four years' accumulating preparation, named the accumulating *real* end at this dusk. The master named the small accumulating *real* end at the small accumulating *next major Sui patrol*. The two readings are, by the small specific reading I am giving, the small accumulating *one and the same*. Whichever comes first.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad will, in the next two springs, lay in the small accumulating *real* preparation. The lad will lay in the *Daxue's* twelfth round and the *Zhongyong's* third round and the small accumulating *Liji's accumulating *Royal Regulations* round* I have been laying at the next teaching of the past two months. By the small specific reading I am giving — at the moment after the master's accumulating end, the lad will leave with these in the lad's accumulating *one-mark-knowing*. The lad will leave with the lad's accumulating *small-specific-shape-of-an-officer-whose-hand-is-in-the-country's-failure-but-not-of-it* memorial of the past fourteenth year, by the small specific reading I am giving, expanded to perhaps three thousand characters with the lad's accumulating last two years' reading."
He paused once more.
"The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, leave with the small accumulating *complete* apprenticeship."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
He looked at the master for a long beat.
He said, finally, in the small low voice: *yes, master.*
He could not — at the small wooden stool at the cot's side — say more.
He held the silence.
The master held it with him.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past five minutes' silence at the dusk of the seventh day of the third moon of the twentieth year of Da-ye — the small accumulating silence between an accumulating master who had, in the past four years and a half at the cot, taught the lad the *eight teachings* and the small accumulating *real political reading* of the country's accumulating failure, and an accumulating apprentice who had, by the small specific accumulating reading at this dusk, accepted that the master's accumulating end was, at this dusk, perhaps two springs and a winter — was, by the small specific reading at this evening, the shape of the small accumulating *real* apprenticeship's accumulating *late season*.
That night Heizi at his watch sat at the small banked fire.
He filed.
He sat his watch through.