136: The Winter Letter
The winter of the twenty-first year of Da-ye laid in at the master's hut.
The eleventh moon went on. The twelfth moon laid in at the small accumulating *coldest weeks* of the year — a stretch of perhaps three weeks at the deep midwinter when the wind at the master's hut's accumulating northern face came in at the small accumulating *real bite* shape and the snow at the small clear ground laid in at the small accumulating *waist-deep* at the worst.
By the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's careful eye at the past three weeks of the twelfth moon, the master held — by the small specific reading at the past three weeks' combined tea at the every-three-hours shape — at the small accumulating *probable* shape Ah Chou had named at the past second week of the eleventh moon.
The master coughed perhaps thirteen or fourteen times an hour at the worst dusks. He did not cough blood. The accumulating *not-coughing-blood* held.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the second week of the first moon of the twenty-second year of Da-ye, a runner came up the path from the cold-spring camp's accumulating relay.
He carried — by the small specific accumulating reading at his accumulating handing-over — three small folded papers.
The first was — by the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating careful even strokes — the small accumulating *month's saying* from the cold-spring brigade. The brigade held. The accumulating *one-hundred-and-twelve* had — by the small specific reading at the past two months — been at the small accumulating *winter quiet* shape. They had laid in the small accumulating *winter-and-spring's accumulating coordinated drilling* at the cold-spring camp's accumulating *combined drilling ground*. By the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating saying — the brigade was, at this dusk, at the small accumulating *eight-of-ten* against the Sui-veteran-shape at the small accumulating *combined* reading.
The brigade had — by the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — laid in further the small accumulating *southern fold's accumulating *first cut'* and accumulating *second cut'* and *third cut'* at the small accumulating *real defensive arrangement* shape. By the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — the brigade would hold against Pang Yu's accumulating *first wave at four hundred* at the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-thirty-five-of-one-hundred-and-twelve* and would hold the small accumulating *second wave at six hundred or seven hundred* at the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-fifty*. By the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's letter — the *third wave at eight hundred or nine hundred* would, by the small specific reading at the past four months' arithmetic, break the brigade.
The second paper was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the careful even strokes — Li Mi's *fifth letter* from the new headquarters at Wagang-zhai. It said in perhaps a hundred and thirty characters:
*Heizi-zhang. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past four months — Li Mi has, at the past second moon, taken the small accumulating *Yongqiu-line* west-and-south at a small accumulating *winter advance*. The Wagang's accumulating *real control* now reaches at perhaps *one-hundred-and-twenty li* of Luoyang. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving — the small accumulating *eastern Mandate's accumulating decision* will, by the small specific reading at the next year, perhaps lay in. By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad's accumulating *upper-hills sub-base* and the cold-spring brigade are, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, at the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *Wagang-recognized* upper wing. By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *moment after the master's accumulating end* will be, at the small accumulating *real shape*, at the small accumulating *welcome of the senior staff-officer* shape. — Li Mi.*
The third paper was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the small accumulating different careful hand — from Heizi's foster sister.
He set it at the small wooden bench at the cot's-side.
He read it that evening at the dusk after the cot's-side's accumulating reading of the master's accumulating *Education chapter's* third section.
The letter said in perhaps a hundred and seventy characters:
*Big brother. By the small specific accumulating reading at the past five months at the village — the small accumulating *Heining* is, at this writing, at the small accumulating *one year and seven months* and walks at the small accumulating *real walking* shape and says perhaps fifteen characters at the small accumulating *real saying* shape. The aunt holds at sixty. The accumulating *village* holds at the small accumulating *quiet* shape; the small accumulating *Tang banner* at Taiyuan and the small accumulating *Wagang at the eastern marshes* and the small accumulating *Yang Tong court at Luoyang* are, by the small specific reading at the past peddlers, at the small accumulating *three-way* shape that has not, in the past year, reached the village.*
*By the small specific accumulating reading at the past three months — there has, at the village, been a small accumulating *second nephew*. He is, at this writing, at the small accumulating *fifty days*. We have called him *Heitiao* — by the small specific reading I am giving, after the brothers' first names: *Heizi*'s *He* and *Tie-zhu*'s *tiao* (modified at the small accumulating *peace-character*'s accumulating *companion* shape). The aunt is — by the small specific reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *real grandmotherhood* shape of an accumulating elder of sixty.*
*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 the small accumulating earlier letters.
He went to the cot's-side at the dusk.
He said in the small low voice: *master. My foster sister. A second nephew. Called Heitiao.*
Lao Wen looked up.
He laid the *Education chapter* at the cot.
He took the letter.
He read it.
He laid it down.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad. By the small specific accumulating reading I am giving at this dusk — the foster sister has, at the past two years and seven months, taken the small accumulating *Heining* and the small accumulating *Heitiao* at the small accumulating *real* shape of a young woman at the small accumulating *peaceful village* shape. The lad has, by the small specific reading I am giving, two nephews who carry the small accumulating *He* of the lad's accumulating name at their accumulating first characters.*
He paused.
"Tie-zhu's accumulating *zhu* — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past second nephew's accumulating *tiao* — has been laid at the second nephew's accumulating second character at the small accumulating *companion* shape the foster sister named. By the small specific reading I am giving — the lad's accumulating brother Tie-zhu, at the past sixth year on the road, who fell at the small accumulating *defense-of-the-master's-hut* of the past six years' accumulating *Sui-twenty-strong patrol*, has, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, a small accumulating *namesake* at the foster sister's accumulating second nephew."
He paused once more.
"By the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — the foster sister has, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two letters, become at the small accumulating *real shape* of an accumulating *kin-keeper of the brothers' accumulating names* at the village. By the small specific reading I am giving — that is, by the small specific reading at the past forty years' accumulating reading, the small accumulating *correct* shape of an accumulating *foster sister at her accumulating peace*."
Heizi nodded.
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*.
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 *senior sub-officer-and-apprentice and uncle of two nephews whose accumulating second nephew carried Tie-zhu's accumulating namesake* whose accumulating master at the cot was — at the dusk — at the small accumulating *winter probable* shape and whose accumulating *Pang Yu's accumulating first wave* was — at the dusk — at perhaps two months ahead.
He filed.
He sat his watch through.