[L] To Me, The One Who Love You

59

A sole gyrfalcon landed on a wooden frame in an unremarkable family's courtyard outside of Tiandu city.

An old man with a bent waist hobbled over on a cane to pick up the gyrfalcon, then he undid a piece of silk that had been folded over many times from its leg.

The old man coughed twice, then he slowly returned to his house with his back still bent.

He took out a log from the pile of firewood by the fireplace. 

He made some strange hand movements, then he struck the wood. 

The piece of silk vanished with a cracking noise; that piece of firewood was all that was left in the old man's hand.

The old man threw the log into the unlit fireplace. 

After completing this series of actions, the old man coughed once again. 

He turned to leave the house with a bent back to soak up the sun in the courtyard.

***

Capital city, Windsor Castle.

The scholar's four treasures and a mythical bird figured brush rest was arranged on a large desk covered with satin cloth. 

Three rectangular pieces of silk were laid out in the middle of its surface. 

A fair and delicate hand picked up one of the pieces. 

There were dense and numerous small words written on it.

--Liam rode Longleg to travel continuously to an intersection; changed route to Lian city. 

Encountered mountain bandit Bambam outside of city gates. 

Bambam wished to follow Liam. 

Liam refused resolutely. He raced away on Longleg; then he stopped at Zaozi village.

First, he bought two kilograms of rice with a hundred and ten zhus at Erin's house. Then, he afforded sixty zhus for twenty hens at Armin's house, to gift to the Kim family. The elders shed tears of gratitude. They made Liam stay, and prepared dinner.

Bambam arrived before the meal began. 

The next day, Liam and Bambam left together.--

---

Jennie could not resist curving the corner of her lips once she read this silk report. 

Warmth flowed past her heart.

In a trance, she thought about that old couple who lived in an old courtyard, who allowed them to stay the night back then. 

LIsa helped them to chop wood and fetch water, and the two seniors liked her very much. They had even made her promise to come back again someday.

Jennie put down this silk report to pick up the second one. 

--Liam returned to camp, greeted the General. He exited the tent, no longer as spirited.

At the Flying-Feather barracks, he laughed with comrades.