By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the third week of the seventh moon of the twentieth year of Da-ye, a runner came up the path from Liyang's accumulating *cold-spring camp's accumulating relay*.
He carried two small folded papers.
The first was — by the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating careful even strokes — the small accumulating *month's saying* from the cold-spring camp.
The *eighty* held, by the small specific reading at the past month's saying. The *eighty* had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months — been at the small accumulating *quiet* shape since the small accumulating southern fold's engagement of the past third moon. They had laid in the small accumulating *late summer's training* and the small accumulating *forge's accumulating new spear-points* (the smith's son had laid in two hundred and twenty new spear-points at the small accumulating second bog-iron deposit through the spring; the *eighty* now carried, by the small specific reading at the past month, perhaps three hundred and twenty spear-points across the unit).
The Wagang's accumulating *new headquarters* at Wagang-zhai had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past month's relay — been at the small accumulating *building-for-the-coming-campaign* shape. Li Mi was — by the small specific reading at the past month — laying in the small accumulating *winter's accumulating major offensive* against Yang Yichen's accumulating remaining lower-country garrisons. By the small specific reading at the past month — Li Mi expected, in the small accumulating *winter's offensive*, to clear the lower country south of the eastern marshes and to bring the rebellion's accumulating *real control* to within perhaps two hundred *li* of Luoyang itself.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past month's relay — Li Mi had asked Yan Wenshu whether the *eighty* could, in the small accumulating *winter's offensive*, lay in the *real* shape of the small accumulating *upper-hills sub-base's accumulating contribution* — perhaps fifty of the *eighty* committed to the lower country campaign for two months, with the small accumulating *thirty* held at the cold-spring camp at the small accumulating *holding-the-master's-hut* shape.
Yan Wenshu had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two weeks' deliberation — laid the small accumulating *yes* at Li Mi.
The *fifty* of the *eighty* would, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two weeks, leave the cold-spring camp at the dusk of the first day of the eighth moon and would walk east to Wagang-zhai for the small accumulating winter's offensive. The *thirty* would hold the cold-spring camp.
Heizi at the small clear ground at the dusk of the third week of the seventh moon read the letter twice.
He filed it.
He laid the letter at the small wooden bench.
The *thirty* would, by the small specific reading I am giving, not be at the small accumulating *eighty's accumulating reciprocal-intervention* shape against an accumulating *real* Sui patrol. *Thirty* against five-hundred would, by the small specific reading at the past four years' accumulating *moment*-teaching, take the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-twenty-eight-of-thirty* and would not hold the cut. The Wagang's accumulating *reciprocal* of this past third moon was — by the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — the small accumulating *one and only* the master had named.
The next major Sui patrol — by the small specific reading I am giving — would, by the small specific reading at the past four months' Sui-court arrangement, perhaps come within the small accumulating *next year*. The Wagang would, by the small specific reading I am giving, be at the small accumulating *winter's offensive's accumulating commitment*. The Wagang would not — by the small specific reading I am giving — intervene.
The master would — at the small specific accumulating *real* moment — walk.
By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad had, at the dusk, the small accumulating *clearer* shape of the small accumulating *unfound moment* the master had named at the past *fourth moon of the fourteenth year*. The moment was — by the small specific reading at this dusk — perhaps within the next six months to twelve months, by the small specific accumulating reading at the Sui-court's accumulating *fourth-or-fifth acting sub-officer's* accumulating need for the small accumulating *real engagement*.
He filed it.
The second letter was, by the small specific accumulating reading at the small accumulating different careful hand, from a different writer.
Heizi looked at the address.
It was — by the small specific accumulating reading — the small accumulating *small specific careful brush of his foster sister's hand*.
His foster sister's letter.
He had not — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three years' accumulating absence of letters — received a letter from his foster sister since the small accumulating *carved horse* and the *silk square with 生* of the past tenth year. There had — by the small specific accumulating reading — been the small accumulating *Liyang-to-village's accumulating peddler-relay* the small accumulating *seventh year* of the brothers' accumulating second walking, but no further letters.
This letter was — by the small specific reading at this dusk — at the small accumulating *first* in seven years.
He took it inside the hut.
He sat at the small wooden bench beside the cot.
He opened it.
It said — by the small specific accumulating reading at his foster sister's accumulating careful brush — perhaps two hundred characters:
*Big brother. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past seven years' accumulating walking — Liyang's accumulating peddler-relay has, at the past two months, been at the small accumulating *real* shape and has carried the small accumulating *news of the brothers' return to the master's hut at the upper hills* to the village. By the small specific reading at the past two months — I have, at the village, sat at the small accumulating *recognition* shape that the brothers are, at the small specific accumulating real moment, at the master's hut.*
*The village holds. The aunt holds. The aunt is at the small accumulating *fifty-nine* and is at the small accumulating *late winter's accumulating arthritis* shape but is, by the small specific reading I am giving, at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *aunt at sixty*. She has — by the small specific reading at the past three years — laid the small accumulating *small specific quiet* shape of an accumulating elder who has, at the past three years, let the brothers go.*
*I am at the village. I have, at the past two years, taken at the small accumulating *carpenter's-second-son's accumulating second-cousin* of the village (a man called Li Yongxin, perhaps twenty-six, a carpenter) at the small accumulating *marriage* shape. By the small specific reading at the past year — we have a small accumulating son. He is, at this writing, ten months. We have called him *Heining* — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past year, after the brothers' first names: *Heizi*'s *He* and *Tie-zhu's *zhu* (modified to *ning* at the small accumulating *peace-character* the master once read at the brothers' tenth year on the road).*
*By the small specific accumulating reading at this writing — the village is at the small accumulating *quiet* shape. The Sui-court has not, at the past year, been at the village. The accumulating *Tang banner* at Taiyuan is, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *third real-rebellion*. By the small specific reading I am giving — the country will, by the small specific reading at the next year, perhaps be at a small accumulating *new* shape. The village will, by the small specific reading I am giving, hold.*
*Big brother. The brothers will, by the small specific reading I am giving, write at the small specific accumulating *real* moments. I will, by the small specific reading I am giving, hold here. — Sister.*
Heizi read it twice.
He folded it.
He laid it at the small wooden bench beside Li Mi's accumulating four letters and his accumulating one *forty-character* reply to his foster sister of the past tenth year.
He sat at the bench for a long beat.
He filed the small accumulating *carpenter-Li-Yongxin* and the small accumulating *Heining-at-ten-months* at the lighter catalog at the small specific accumulating new entries.
The lighter catalog stood at perhaps a hundred and thirty-three items.
He went to the cot at the small wooden stool's-side.
The master was reading.
Heizi laid the letter at the cot's-side bench.
He said in the small low voice: *master. My foster sister.*
Lao Wen looked up.
He laid the *Daxue* at the cot.
He took the letter.
He read it.
He laid it down.
He said in the small low voice: *the lad has, at the past tenth year of the brothers' walking, a small accumulating *carved horse* and a small accumulating *silk square with 生* at the lad's accumulating bundle. The lad now has, at the past seven months in the foster sister's village, a small accumulating *nephew* called *Heining* at the small accumulating ten months.*
He paused.
"By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving at this dusk — the foster sister's small accumulating *Heining's accumulating ten months* is, by the small specific reading I am giving, the small accumulating *single most-important-news* the lad has received in the past seven years. The lad has, by the small specific reading I am giving, an accumulating *kin who is not on the road*. The lad has — by the small specific reading I am giving — an accumulating *future at the village*. By the small specific reading at the past four years and a half at the cot — the master had not, by the small specific reading I am giving, expected this. The master is — by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving at this dusk — at the small accumulating *grateful* shape, by the small specific accumulating reading at the foster sister's accumulating saying."
He looked at Heizi.
"Lad. By the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — at the moment after the master's accumulating end, the lad will go to the small accumulating *new* state's accumulating service. The lad will not, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past four years' accumulating preparation, return to the village immediately. The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, perhaps return to the village after the small accumulating *new* state holds. The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, see the nephew at perhaps four years, perhaps five. By the small specific reading I am giving — the foster sister's accumulating writing of *we will, by the small specific reading I am giving, hold here* is — by the small specific reading I am giving — the foster sister's accumulating saying that *we will be here when you come back*. The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, file that."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
He could not — at the small wooden stool — say more.
He laid one hand briefly at the cot's-side bench at the small accumulating *foster sister's letter*.
He went out of the hut.
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* and *foster brother and uncle*, whose accumulating foster sister had, in the past seven years, married, borne a small accumulating son called *Heining*, and held the village.
He filed.
He sat his watch through.
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