The last wave of floods in the fall crossed the border, and they zigzagged along Yecheng to the northeast.
"We have to open a canal here next year to prepare for spring irrigation." Duan Ling said.
"Yeah." Wu Du looked at the other side, there was so much he needed to do, but he was the only one who could do physical work.
He checked the surrounding terrain from time to time. The high mountains on both sides formed a deep valley here. Every summer, the Xun water would soar, and in September, the water level would gradually withdraw. The Xun River flows from the northeast to the southwest in the central and northern part of Hebei. It turns a bend in the north of Ye, turns east, and goes out to sea along Shandong.
"At that time, the upstream trees will drift down." Wu Du said, "It will be left here, you are very thoughtful."
Four hundred people led their horses in the narrow road and carefully crossed the river.
"Everyone, be careful." Wu Du sent the order, "This is already the boundary of the Liao Kingdom."
There were almost no people on the other side, and they were all plundered by the Yuan people. Although the land of the Han people was once, it is now depressed.
There are hills and mountains everywhere, the official road has long been unswept, and the weeds are almost spreading to the middle of the road. At first, Wu Du also thought about resting during the day and marching at night to avoid alerting the Liao people, but this was completely superfluous, because there was no one in the Xunbei area.
After walking for a full day, there are only ruins and abandoned village ruins and weeds nearly one person high. The Yuan people set fire to their homes, and the vegetation grew tenaciously from the ruins, covering up all the sorrows that once existed in this world.
They traveled very slowly, while Duan Ling surveyed the terrain while walking, and recorded maps, and there might be a war in the future. These are all very precious materials.
Another day later, they entered the Mangshan area, heading west, it was Xunyang, and heading north, it was Shangzi.
There are birds and beasts everywhere along the way, and there are many wild beasts foraging after the fall, and game can be eaten everywhere. Compared with the large areas of barren land in Yecheng and Hejian, Xunbei is really a fertile place to live. It's a pity that there are few people now.
"It's here." Duan Ling said, "The Black Valley is ahead."
Several rivers passed through the Black Valley, converged in one place, and flowed to the south.
"Let's start." Wu Du said, "Everyone cut down the trees!"
Most of the trees in the valley are green pines, but there are also cedar trees and many ginkgo trees. In autumn, golden yellow and dark green are layered on top of each other, and the whole mountain seems to be dyed in color, and large tracts of rocks appear black, hence the name of the Black Valley.
Wu Du assigned patrols, and the soldiers took off the logging axes around their waists and took out the saw blades. Duan Ling took the blueprint from Yan Di and asked the soldiers to cut one first, assemble a simple device driven by water flow, and install the saw blade. They were busy all day.
When dusk came, the water-powered saw was ready to run, and the cut tree was thrown into the river, where it would spin. The excess branches that have been planed are pounded into wooden pillars, piled aside, and after they have accumulated enough, they are thrown into the river in batches, and are led downstream by people.
Duan Ling was so busy with blistering hands that Wu Du wanted to stop him, but Duan Ling reassured him and signaled that he could.
"You're not familiar with this." Duan Ling looked at Yan Di's drawings and reports every day. He wore gloves, screwed the wooden tenon, and said to Wu Du, "Just leave it to me."
At night, the soldiers on the mountain rested separately, Wu Du patrolled around, and bonfires were lit in the valley, dotted with stars. I dealt with three pine trees in one day, and it was very fast with the water wheel and the time I just arrived here to investigate. If this continues, starting tomorrow, at least fifteen trees can be felled every day.
In one month, the firewood for this winter can be solved.
After eating, Duan Ling was so tired that his whole body was sore, and he and Wu Du lay in the mountains and watched the stars.
"Your mother is from Hebei?" Wu Du asked.
"Well." Duan Ling turned sideways, looked at Wu Du's face, and said, "Master, where are you from?"
The faces of the two were very close, and Duan Ling reached out to touch Wu Du's nose, eyebrows, and ears. Wu Du laughed and grabbed Duan Ling's hand.
"Where do you think Master looks like?" Wu Du asked.
"Like a party member." Duan Ling said solemnly.
Wu Du: "..."
"Because my father said that the men in the party category look like Zhou Zheng." Duan Ling smiled, "and he looks like a male dog in heat every day."
Wu Du understood that Duan Ling was teasing himself in the second half of the sentence, and immediately turned over and grabbed him, pressed him on top of him, and said, "That's right, it seems that I'm really a party member..."
Duan Ling hurriedly begged for mercy. He had been busy all day today, and his whole body was sore, so he couldn't toss. Wu Du pressed him, he couldn't stop screaming, but Wu Du pressed against the bridge of his nose and kissed him.
After a while, Duan Ling's breathing became quicker and he hugged Wu Du's neck, and the two lingered on the ground in this wilderness and forest.
After a long time, Wu Ducai let go of Duan Ling, and the single coat and robe that were attached to his back muscles were soaked through. Duan Ling's clothes were messy, and he only looked at Wu Du, gasping for breath, hugged him and kissed his lips.
After Wu Du stormed in like a hurricane, he still didn't want to let go of Duan Ling. He draped his robe around his waist, hugged him and whispered under the tree.
"My whole life." Wu Du whispered, "The most regrettable thing is that I didn't go to Runan back then, but took Jiangzhou Road. If I went to Runan, I would have a good look at the children in the city at that time. you."
Duan Ling laughed and said, "When you come to Runan, maybe you can't meet me, maybe you just glanced at me and missed it."
When he was a child, Duan Ling was filthy and cluttered with some beggars all day long.
"Master said." Wu Du replied, "Everyone has a destiny and is destined from birth. If I went to Runan back then, I would have stood outside your Duan's alley and watched you run out and in. of."
Duan Ling leaned against Wu Duchi's naked chest and replied with a smile, "Then you must remember to buy me a bowl of wontons."
"I'll take you to eat now." Wu Du said, "To Runan? Let's go."
Duan Ling: "..."
It's not that Duan Ling never thought about revisiting his old place, but he always thought about cutting down trees along the way. I don't know if it went smoothly. When Wu Du said this, he suddenly wanted to go back to Duan's house to have a look.
I just don't know if Mrs. Duan and those maids would dare to beat him and scold him again when they saw that he was back. At this time, there was Wu Du behind him, and no one needed to be afraid anymore.
But that place left him with the deepest memory, instead, it was the warmth of Lang Junxia in the wind and snow, and the bowl of wontons in the alley with the lights on and off.
Going home with Wu Du, he was thinking of another person, and it was unfair to him.
"Next time." Duan Ling said in a trance, "I have something I haven't put down yet."
Wu Du didn't answer, he slapped Duan Ling and hugged him. Duan Ling hurriedly said, "I haven't agreed yet!"
Wu Du let Duan Ling ride on Benxiao, put on a robe, swayed his shoulders, then got on his horse, and went down the mountain involuntarily.
Duan Ling no longer struggled and curled up in Wu Du's arms. He felt that Wu Du knew what he was thinking - he wanted to untie this knot in his heart. He remembered that eight years ago, Lang Junxia hugged him and left Runan, following the same path.
It was a snowy winter night, and the two mountains were like landscape paintings.
Now, the autumn wind is blowing, and the stars are rising in the long night, embellishing the sky, the stars are everywhere, and the wind blows the grass, blowing the pieces low. Wu Du's robe fluttered, and his horse carried Duan Ling, galloping up the road, flying high in the wild wind, and heading to Runan City, which was shrouded in darkness in the distance.
Duan Ling leaned against Wu Du's warm chest and gradually fell asleep. He came back again, once again, once again, all those complicated and thrilling things in the world were just a big dream.
The man on the horse seemed to be there all the time, accompany him to the end of the world, to the spring flowers.
Ben Xiao stopped and Duan Ling woke up.
"Are you there yet?" Duan Ling asked in a daze.
Wu Du said nothing and looked up at the city wall.
At the fourth watch, they were stationed outside the city gate of Ma, and there were still those two dilapidated characters - Runan. The city gate on the side is hidden, tattered, and the city wall has traces of being burned by fire.
"Do you want to go in?" Wu Du was also very surprised. He didn't expect that Runan seemed to be empty.
"Go in and have a look." Duan Ling said.
Wu Du was very apologetic and should not have mentioned this suggestion that he came up with. It seems that Runan has become an empty city, and the people have all moved away.
"Go from the east of the city." Duan Ling woke up, took the reins, and said, "I know the way."
Although he was only eight years old when he left, Duan Ling thought of this impressive hometown countless times in his dreams. He rode the sky and walked around the city wall.
"Go back." Wu Du said, "Come back later."
Duan Ling said, "Let's go to worship my mother tomorrow together."
Wu Duyi thought too. After Cai Yan returned to the court, he never mentioned Duan Xiaowan's affairs, nor did Duan Ling's parents be buried together - maybe they did, but they didn't know. But no one has come to Runan to move the tomb. After all, this is the place of the Liao people, and they will be very sensitive when they cross the national border.
If Duan Ling can successfully ascend to the throne in Japan, his parents will be buried together. When he was in Beijing, Li Jianhong also said that when he returns to the south, he must go back to find his mother.
After walking too far, there was a place where the city wall collapsed. Duan Ling rode his horse directly over the fallen bricks and tiles into the city. After turning into the city, he looked around.
The house was damaged a lot, and it seemed to have been burned by the enemy. The autumn wind blew along the main street along the way, and it was desolate. There were no lights on the houses.
Today's Runan has become a ghost town, and there is not even a dog barking, but the riverside full of willow trees is still there, and the river water makes a fine sound in the quiet night.