Chapter 612: A Letter from Far Away
Chapter 612: Chapter 612: A Letter from Far Away
One man chuckled and teased, "Hey, what enemy activity? Only you are this energetic every day, never letting a single thing slip by. Who’d want to come to this dump of ours? It’s nothing but a few petty thieves who show up every now and then to try and pilfer something."
Xia City was a strategic fortress, but the environment was simply too harsh. Many brawny men couldn’t stand it. Anyone with connections tried their best to get transferred away after arriving.
Those who remained were mostly grunts from poor backgrounds, just trying to get by.
Having been here for a long time, they had gradually figured out the methods of the outsiders. Sometimes they would go out for a fight and come back with ears to claim merits, but more often, they just guarded this tiny patch of land, with only the yellow sand and rocky mountains for company.
After a while, that initial spirit had long since been worn away.
Only a greenhorn like Ye Yunfeng could still muster up any enthusiasm.
Another man clapped him on the shoulder. "Alright, A Feng isn’t wrong. We are guarding the city, after all. Everyone, look sharp!"
The men weren’t really arguing with Ye Yunfeng, just teasing him a bit.
"Oh, right, A Feng, do you have any of that golden sore medicine your family sent last time? A while back, Old Zhao got ambushed while on patrol outside the city. He broke a leg and barely made it back with his life. It’s been a long time, but the wound just won’t heal. You see..."
The speaker rubbed his hands together, looking a little embarrassed.
"It’s fine if you don’t have any! It just means he’ll have to recover for a while longer..."
"Alright."
Ye Yunfeng agreed without hesitation.
The man was both surprised and delighted. "Really?"
Ye Yunfeng nodded. "I didn’t go on patrol last time, so I didn’t know about this. He’s about to be discharged. It would be a real shame if he ended up crippled now. I’ll take the medicine to him later. Maybe it can save his leg."
"That’s great! I—I really don’t know how to thank you... I mean, you already teach everyone to read in your spare time, and now you’re giving away such precious medicine..."
As he spoke, the man’s eyes reddened.
He and Old Zhao were close. If he hadn’t been completely out of options, he wouldn’t have been able to bring himself to ask Ye Yunfeng.
Ye Yunfeng smiled and waved his hand dismissively. His tone was casual, yet it carried an unconcealable, bone-deep pride.
"It’s nothing. I’ve said it before, my sister’s medical skills are second to none. Back in our hometown, the clinic my sister opened saved a lot of lives!"
Everyone had long heard him go on about how amazing his sister was, and their hearts were filled with curiosity.
They used to not believe such a perfect woman could exist in this world, laughing it off as an exaggeration. It was only after Ye Yunfeng started producing all sorts of miraculous medicines that they finally believed it: his sister back home was truly extraordinary!
Ye Yunfeng gazed into the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Old Zhao’s family is probably waiting for him to come home. It’s not too late for him to leave after he’s healed... I wonder what my sister and Xiao Wu are eating today. Third Brother is one thing, but those two are the pickiest eaters. Without my cooking, they must be missing it like crazy..."
Toward the end, his voice trailed off.
The men beside him exchanged glances.
Anyone could see he was homesick. He was just a teenager, barely a man. How could he not miss home after being away for so long?
But for some reason, he refused to go back.
He even said he wanted to build a name for himself and achieve great things!
No one knew where he got such drive and pride, but it had sustained him here for so long.
Time passed, and their watch continued until dusk.
One of the men couldn’t help but stretch his sore muscles. "Guess no one’s coming to cause trouble today. Sigh, there’s a downside to this, too: if they don’t come, we don’t go out. We just stand here stiffly all day! I’m turning into a statue!"
Another man pulled his collar tighter. "Isn’t that the truth? It gets especially cold at night. Cold enough to freeze your hands and feet right off!"
Only Ye Yunfeng stood there like a javelin, his back ramrod straight.
The cold wind howled.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened.
"Someone’s coming!"
"What?"
The men all looked toward the distance and, sure enough, saw a lone figure on horseback galloping toward them.
The horse’s hooves kicked up so much yellow sand that it was almost impossible to make out the rider’s form.
They immediately became vigilant.
"It’s this late? The city gates are about to close. Who would be coming now?"
This place was sparsely populated; sometimes a whole day would pass without anyone coming or going.
So, a situation like this usually meant an enemy attack.
As they spoke, someone had already reached for their quiver.
But Ye Yunfeng found it strange. "Wait. It seems that person is coming alone."
Everyone looked closely and confirmed that besides the one person and one horse, there was no one else.
This...
The men relaxed. "Then he’s probably not here to cause trouble."
The rider drew closer and closer, finally stopping just before the city gate.
One of the soldiers stepped forward and asked, "What’s your business?"
The man dismounted, his expression rushed. "I’m here to deliver a letter!"
That was common enough.
However, Xia City was a border city after all, so entry and exit were strictly controlled. Even for just a letter, the questioning would be thorough.
Just then, the horse behind him suddenly collapsed from exhaustion. It foamed at the mouth, twitched a few times, and then fell silent.
—It had been ridden to death!
"Who’s it for?"
Ye Yunfeng frowned.
’Is it that urgent?’
The man was covered in dust, looking as if he hadn’t rested in a very long time.
The man paid no mind to his horse and replied directly, "Ye Yunfeng! He’s a soldier guarding the city here, too! Do you know him?"
The expressions on the faces of the assembled men instantly turned strange.
The man said he was looking for Ye Yunfeng, but Ye Yunfeng was standing right in front of him! How could he not recognize him?
Usually, correspondence came from family or friends, but this...
Ye Yunfeng also realized something was wrong. He took a step forward and sized up the man again.
He was a man who looked to be in his twenties, with an ordinary face and a thin build. Ye Yunfeng was certain he had never seen this person before.
"I’m him. You said... you have a letter for me?"
The man was stunned for a moment. He hadn’t expected this stern-faced youth to be the person he was looking for. He was instantly overjoyed.
"You’re Ye Yunfeng? That’s great! I have a letter from your sister. She said I must deliver it to you personally!"
As he spoke, he did indeed pull a letter from his robes and hand it to Ye Yunfeng.
Ye Yunfeng almost thought he’d misheard.
"What did you say? A letter from my sister!?"
He had just received a huge box full of food, injury medicine, and letters from his sister before the New Year!
It had been less than a month. Why was there another letter?
’Could it be... that something happened at home!?’
Ye Yunfeng’s heart immediately leaped into his throat.
He immediately took the letter.
Just as he was about to open it, the man suddenly grabbed his hand and said, word by word:
"Your sister instructed that you must read this letter very carefully."
Ye Yunfeng’s heart skipped a beat.