261. Go with Her
Translator: Fan Translation Studio
Xiao Baoshan thought for a while before he said, âI want to find my roots, but I owe you too much.â
âYou owe me nothing. I made the choice voluntarily, so n.o.body is to blame. Iâm not a delicate or clingy woman. I wonât take what doesnât belong to me.â
He looked gratefully at her.
âDo you like your wife?â she asked.
He fell into silence. In all honesty, he didnât know. He just felt distressed on seeing Ye Xiaoxianâs sorrowful face. They said that she was his wife. Although he had given her a letter of divorce, he needed to figure out the reason why he had done so.
âWhoâs prettier, her or me?â Jin Xiaoyu asked.
She just wanted to tease him and didnât expect him to answer. But to her surprise, he replied without hesitation, âYou!â
At that moment, she burst into tears. Then, she smiled. âIâve known you for over a year and youâve finally said something pleasing.â
â¦
After that, Xiao Baoshan went to Ye Xiaoxianâs room. Standing outside the room, he hesitated for some time before knocking at the door. He felt like his hand against the door weighed a ton, as so many thoughts were whirling around in his mind. Although he didnât recall anything, he got a sense of direction after seeing Ye Xiaoxian. It was like the duckweed on the water finally knew where to go. Although it didnât go ash.o.r.e, it had hope and expectation for its future. He felt an urge to know his past, and Ye Xiaoxian and her companions were his guides.
After a while, the door was opened, revealing Ye Xiaoxianâs face. She looked somewhat tired with her slightly puffy and black-ringed eyes.
âWhat is it?â she asked in a flat tone yet with clear anger.
He said, âWhen are you leaving? Iâll go with you.â
âThen what about your bride?â She raised her brows. âYou havenât gone through the last step in the bridal chamber, have you?â
He said, âIâve talked to her. She thinks I should go with you.â
âWhat if she doesnât want you to go?â she asked deliberately. âWill you then stay?â
He knew how furious she was and didnât explain anything. He just said, âIâm sorry.â
Her hostility suddenly disappeared because she didnât know how to vent her anger on such a man. He was always like this, mollifying her so easily. As for his apology, she didnât know to whom he said that. Anyway, she felt happy to know that he would go back with her. If he didnât do so, she would hate him. Thankfully, she had come here in time and he was willing to go with her.
After a while, she asked, âWhat about your new wife? Wonât she come with you?â
âShe said she would stay here.â
âI hope you wonât regret it!â After saying that, she slammed the door.
When she went back to the room, Liu Qianqian teased her about her duplicity â happy inside but indifferent on the surface.
â¦
The next day, Ye Xiaoxian and her companions set off for the tribe. Xiao Baoshan also came out with them. He wanted to say goodbye to Jin Xiaoyu, but her room was locked.
Idiot walked over and said sulkily, âMiss Jin is sleeping. She asked us not to bother her. But sheâs prepared a horse for you to ride.â
Xiao Baoshan felt his heart pounding in his chest. Perhaps he was moved or perhaps he was affected by some more complicated emotions.
He wanted to say thank you, but words were powerless at this moment. Finally, he said at the door, âIâm sorry.â
Idiot said, âDonât hang about here. Just have breakfast and go. Oh yes, Miss Jin said you canât come back after you leave because she doesnât want to see you again.â
Xiao Baoshan paused. Then, he turned around and went downstairs.
The breakfast was buns. When he came to the hall, Ye Xiaoxian and her companions had been there eating. Xiao Tieshu immediately beckoned him to join them, but Ye Xiaoxian pretended not to see him. Being Ye Xiaoxianâs best friend, Liu Qianqian, naturally, also ignored him.
After breakfast, Ye Xiaoxian and Liu Qianqian got into the carriage, Xiao Tieshu sat on the edge and Wong Wu drove the coach.
Xiao Baoshan also mounted the horse prepared by Jin Xiaoyu. It was her own private horse which she loved very much and sometimes chatted with. The fact that she was willing to give the horse to him showed she still had affection for him.
On horseback, he looked back towards the inn. The inn was as it had been the day before. The redness of the lanterns and festoons were quite dazzling. The window to Jin Xiaoyuâs room was shut tight.
Liu Qianqian lifted the curtain of the carriage and shouted at him, âYou donât want to go? We donât mind if you stay!â
Cracking his whip, he caught up with the carriage and rode alongside it.
Liu Qianqian sat back and said to Ye Xiaoxian, âIâm so afraid that he might turn around.â
Ye Xiaoxian replied, âIf so, just let him go. Anyway, he can choose only one of us.â
âLittle Ye, now that heâs willing to go with us, you should be nice to him. Donât be so sarcastic, or he might return to Longmen Inn on impulse.â
Ye Xiaoxian still looked contemptuous. âHe can do whatever he likes.â
âHo ho, if he really turns around, youâll be heartbroken.â
Ye Xiaoxian didnât say anymore.
â¦
The group went to Baoning city first. Wong Wu advised Xiao Baoshan to meet the two kings and Qian Qi. After all, Xiao Baoshan had been a general before disappearing, and once saved Qian Qiâs family. Grateful for his help, they even set up a memorial tablet for him on the last Tomb Sweeping Day.
Knowing that he was back, the Sixth King hurried to hold a banquet and invited Qian Qi and his family over. Seeing him, everyone became emotional. Old Mrs. Qian even shed tears since she hadnât expected that Xiao Baoshan was still alive. She also regretted that they hadnât enlarged the search area, having him suffer outside for over a year.
She then held Ye Xiaoxianâs hand in hers. Having heard about Yeâs deeds, she praised Ye for her capability and virtuousness and said she was a perfect match for Xiao Baoshan.
Xiao Baoshan didnât remember any events or people. But from their tears and words, he could feel their sincerity and became sure of his ident.i.ty as Xiao Baoshan, a hero. His duckweed-like heart was getting closer to the sh.o.r.e. He would soon find his true self.
For the others, it was a great pity that he had lost his memory. But the Sixth King promised that he would send every well-known doctor in the state to cure Xiao Baoshan until he remembered everything.
Tears rolled down Old Mrs. Qianâs face again. âGeneral Xiao had been such a mighty figure before. He killed enemies bravely on the battlefields and risked his life to protect us. What an awesome man he was! But now⦠Your Highness, if you know a good doctor, please be sure to send him over. I really donât have the heart to see a great man becomeâ¦â
Qian Qi said to his mother, âMom, General Xiao has just lost his memory, not his abilities or n.o.ble spirit. As long as his heart of gold and martial arts remain, heâll always step up at moments of crisis when our country needs him.â
Old Mrs. Qian wiped away her tears again.
Hearing their conversation, Ye Xiaoxian felt as if she saw a Xiao Baoshan that she had never known. She was proud of him when he won the praise of the king and the general. But she didnât forgive him. Could he marry another woman just because of amnesia? Could he do so before he knew who he was?
Suddenly, Old Mrs. Qian turned to Ye Xiaoxian and said, âMrs. Xiao, now that General Xiao canât remember anything, please take good care of him. Youâre a couple. If you chat more with him and tell him more about the past, perhaps he can regain his memory.â
It was Ye Xiaoxianâs first time being called âMrs. Xiaoâ. In front of so many people, she couldnât show too much grievance, so she simply replied, âI see. Iâll try my best.â But the time they had spent together was merely one or two years.
Just then, Li Chengru asked, âOh yes, how did you find him? What was he doing when you saw him?â
Xiao Tieshu hemmed and hawed. Liu Qianqian and Wong Wu were also silent. So, all the people looked at Ye Xiaoxian in confusion. Was Xiao Baoshanâs life very miserable?
Ye Xiaoxian didnât want to mention the wedding in front of so many people. With dignity, she said, âHe was⦠a waiter in an inn.â
They sighed with relief and said there was no shame in being a waiter, as long as he was not tortured and didnât do anything harmful.
â¦
After the banquet, Ye Xiaoxian took Xiao Baoshan back to the tribe. Those who stayed in the tribe were more than uneasy when they were waiting. A man would be happiest when he married a beloved woman. Would Xiao Baoshan go back in such a jubilant situation? If he was reluctant, would Little Ye be very disappointed and unhappy?
During these days, Li Hongmei had asked Wong Mudan many times, âDo you think Baoshan will come back or not?â
Wong Mudan wished Ye Xiaoxian well and naturally spoke for Xiao Baoshan, âYes! Little Ye is such a good wife. Baoshan wonât marry that innkeeper unless heâs blind. Donât worry. They will take him back. You shouldnât necessarily listen to Tieshuâs nonsense. He doesnât know much. Perhaps Baoshan is not going to marry anyone.â
But what she said to Chen Ju was totally different. âA manâs heart is too unpredictable. How could a man care about his previous love after having a new affair? Iâm so afraid that Baoshan wonât come back.â
But at dusk, they saw a carriage approaching from the distance. Together with it was a man riding a horse. He looked exactly like Xiao Baoshan!