128: The Autumn into the Winter
The autumn of the twentieth year of Da-ye went by, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three months at the master's hut, at the small accumulating *holding-and-deepening* shape.
The Liji's *Royal Regulations* round laid in. By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the third week of the eighth moon, Heizi had — at the past two months at the small wooden bench at the small clear ground at every fair-weather noon and at every dusk — read the *Royal Regulations'* first six chapters. By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the second week of the ninth moon, he had laid in the small accumulating *first response*-piece of perhaps two hundred characters on the small accumulating *officer-arrangement chapter's accumulating modern reading*.
The piece was — by the small specific accumulating reading at Lao Wen's eye on it — at the small accumulating *real* shape.
Lao Wen had said in the small low voice at the dusk: *yes, lad. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two months — the lad has, at twenty-six, laid in the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *officer-of-state's accumulating governance reading*. The piece is — by the small specific reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *complete enough for a sub-officer's accumulating decision-shape*.*
He paused.
"The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, lay in further at the *second response*-piece on the small accumulating *taxation chapter*. The *taxation chapter* is — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past forty years — the small accumulating *single chapter* of the *Royal Regulations* that an accumulating *new-state's accumulating early-officer* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, need at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *first-year decision*. The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, lay in the *taxation chapter* through the winter."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the tenth moon, the small accumulating *fifty* of the cold-spring camp's *eighty* — having left the cold-spring camp at the small accumulating *first day of the eighth moon* — were, by the small specific reading at the past peddler's accumulating saying, at the small accumulating *winter offensive* with Li Mi at the small accumulating southern lower-country.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past month's peddler-saying — the small accumulating winter offensive had, at the past two weeks, taken the small accumulating *third Sui garrison-town* of the lower country (a small accumulating town called *Liyang-of-the-southern-fold*, not to be confused with the more northern Liyang at the cold-spring camp's accumulating relay). The lower country south of the eastern marshes was, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — perhaps at the small accumulating *half-cleared* shape.
By the small specific reading I am giving — Li Mi's accumulating *real political reading* was, at the past two months, at the small accumulating *winning leader-of-the-rebellion* shape. The Wagang was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — at the small accumulating *real ascendant rebellion* of the country's accumulating shape.
The Sui southern command at the southern garrison was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — at the small accumulating *fourth-or-fifth acting sub-officer's* accumulating *cautious-after-Qu-Tutong* shape. The new acting sub-officer (a man called *Yu Wenhuo*, perhaps thirty-three, by the small specific reading at the past peddler) had — at the past three months — sent two small accumulating *small-strength* patrols of perhaps fifty each at the small accumulating *southern-fold's accumulating reconnaissance* shape, but he had not — by the small specific reading at the past peddler — laid any small accumulating *real* offensive against the cold-spring camp or the master's hut.
The two small accumulating *fifty-strong* patrols had — by the small specific reading at the cold-spring camp's accumulating *thirty* held at the southern fold's accumulating *first cut* — taken the small accumulating *cost-of-twenty-eight* across both engagements (the small accumulating *thirty* had taken the small accumulating *cost-of-five*, with three of the five at the small accumulating *non-fatal wound*). The small accumulating *thirty* held the cold-spring camp at the small accumulating *real* shape.
Yu Wenhuo had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past month's peddler-saying — laid the small accumulating *temporary withdrawal* of his small accumulating reconnaissance shape. He was — by the small specific accumulating reading — at the small accumulating *waiting-for-spring* shape.
The master's hut held at the small accumulating *quiet* through the autumn.
The *nineteen* drilled. The *moment*-teaching held. The brothers — at the past three years' accumulating *one-mark-knowing* of the small accumulating sub-base — had become at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *small specific seasoned* unit at the small accumulating *seven-and-three-quarters of ten* against the Sui-veteran-shape.
Heizi sat at the cot's-side at most evenings. The master read. The lad read.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the eleventh moon, the snow began. By the small specific reading at the past three days — the snow had laid the small accumulating *first thin layer* on the master's hut and on the small clear ground.
The master at the cot — by the small specific reading at the past three days — was at the small accumulating *winter cot* shape. He no longer sat at the small wooden stool at the cot's-side at the late afternoons. He held — by the small specific accumulating reading — to the cot through most of the days. Ah Chou's combined tea (now with the small accumulating *northern dried lichen* of the past spring's addition) was, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three days, laid at the small accumulating *every-three-hours* shape.
The cough was — by the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's careful eye at the past three days — at the small accumulating *winter-deeper* shape. The master coughed perhaps eight or nine times an hour at the late afternoons where, at the past summer, he had at most coughed five or six.
Ah Chou said in the small low voice at the dusk of the third day of the eleventh moon: *Heizi-zhang. By the small specific reading I am giving — the master will, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three days' winter-deeper, perhaps not be at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *spring-into-summer* shape if the small accumulating winter is at the small accumulating *cold-and-long* shape this year. By the small specific reading at the past peddler — the small accumulating *cold-and-long winter* is, by the small specific reading at the past three days' wind-shape, at the small accumulating *probable* shape.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the master may, in the small accumulating *winter's* accumulating worst weeks, be at the small accumulating *real shape of an accumulating *winter's-end* shape. The combined tea will, by the small specific reading I am giving, hold him at the small accumulating *probable* shape, but not at the small accumulating *certain* shape."
He paused once more.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad should prepare at the small accumulating *winter's possible end* shape."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
He went to the cot's-side at the dusk.
He said in the small low voice: *master. Ah Chou's reading.*
Lao Wen looked up.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad. The master had, at the past four years and a half, taken Ah Chou's accumulating reading at the small accumulating *real* shape. By the small specific reading at this dusk — Ah Chou's reading is, by the small specific reading I am giving, the small accumulating *medical* reading.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the *Royal Regulations'* accumulating *taxation chapter* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, perhaps not, at this winter, be completed by the lad at the master's accumulating reading. The lad will, by the small specific reading I am giving, lay it in at the small accumulating *first reading* with the master and the small accumulating *response-piece* afterward, at perhaps the small accumulating *spring after the winter* — at the small specific accumulating *whichever spring the lad is at* shape."
He paused once more.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the master is, by the small specific accumulating reading at this dusk, at the small accumulating *not-knowing-the-end* shape. The accumulating *medical* and the accumulating *political* readings are, by the small specific reading I am giving, the *one-and-the-same*. Whichever comes first."
He looked at Heizi.
"By the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — the lad will hold."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
He could not — at the small wooden stool — say more.
He held the silence.
That night Heizi at his watch sat at the small banked fire.
The wind was at the small accumulating *cold-and-long winter* shape Ah Chou had named.
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 master had, by the small accumulating *winter-deeper cough* of the past three days, perhaps moved at the small accumulating *unfound moment* from the small specific accumulating *next major Sui patrol* to the small accumulating *winter-and-not-the-patrol*.
He filed.
He sat his watch through.