Chapter 26 — That Day of Reconciliation, the God of War Former Husband Resolved Not to Let Go

Life is like a stream of water in the capital's moat, calm but strong, flowing forward. Cam Tam Tu Phuong's business is increasingly prosperous. I accepted more apprentices, and also invited a few ladies with exquisite skills. We no longer need to do everything ourselves, so we have more time to design new patterns and research more advanced techniques. I took out a portion of the profits, bought some land in the suburbs, and rented it to poor women who lost their land, only charging extremely low rent so they could support themselves and their families. We also bought a small monastery next to the Tu Ward, opened a small "girls' school", and taught literacy and basic embroidery skills to poor ladies for free. I don't ask them to become great masters. I just hope they have a skill to survive, so they won't starve to death in the future, or be easily sold. My reputation is no longer limited to the skills of "Dieu Thu Nuong Tu". The people gradually spread the beautiful name "Cam Tam Nuong Tu" as a kind-hearted person who helps people and supports the weak. To those words, I just smiled lightly. Just do what is within your ability and pray without shame. In the blink of an eye, it's the end of autumn of another year. I was invited to Tu An Duong on the outskirts of the capital - a charity hall managed by several ladies who retired to retire together - to bring a group of cotton clothes and anti-cold products to the poor people in the hospital. When returning, the carriage passed through a maple forest. The sunset was as red as fire, dyeing all the maple leaves on the mountain into dazzling, burning clouds. I told the driver to stop the car, took Xuan Dao into the forest, intending to pick a few of the reddest maple leaves and bring them back to make book cards. The forest was extremely quiet, only the sound of dry leaves rustling on the floor underfoot. Coming to a slope of land with a wide view, we stopped and admired the majestic scenery before our eyes. Suddenly, my eyes were attracted by a lonely figure under a maple tree in the distance. That person was wearing a blue cloth outfit that had faded from being washed too many times. The body is still as tall as before, but no longer straight, carrying a feeling of sadness and silence after being honed by life. He stood with his back to me, clasped his hands behind his back, raised his head and looked at the sky full of red clouds, not moving. An autumn wind blew past, rolling a few red leaves and falling onto his shoulders. He tilted his face slightly, as if wanting to brush off the leaf on his shoulder. Right in that moment of tilting my face — My breath caught. Hoac Quyet! Yet it was Hoac Quyet! He was even thinner than the last time we met, and his skin was the color of barley, like someone who is often exposed to the sun and dew. The chin has a short, jagged beard, and between the eyebrows there are deep traces of weather. The sharpness and arrogance that once carried the aura of looking down on people has now been replaced by a calmness as deep as an abyss of water. His eyes were still as deep as before, but there was no longer any anger or harsh sharpness, only a kind of calmness and understanding remained after going through countless storms in life. Why is he here? Shouldn't he and Mrs. Huo return to Jiangnan? It seemed like he also felt the eyes on this side, so he slowly turned around completely. When his eyes pierced the red leaves flying down, over a distance of more than ten steps to reach me - Time seemed to freeze in that moment. A trace of extremely complex emotions immediately flashed through his eyes. Amazing. Alarm. Then there was a kind of relief so thick that it couldn't dissolve. There was still a glimmer of calm, like the dust had finally settled. There is no resentment. There is no anger. There is no unwillingness. There isn't any lingering attachment like we thought might appear. He just looked at me quietly like that. I also quietly looked at him. The autumn wind blows our clothes, rolling dry leaves on the ground to make rustling sounds. Maple leaves are as red as blood. The sunset sparkles like melted gold. In the midst of that burning autumn scene, the couple once hated each other

Deeply entangled, in the end it came to the end of each person going his own way like us, just like that unexpectedly meeting each other again. A few steps apart. Separated by an insurmountable gulf of five months. Apart from each other, all the love and hatred soon disappeared. Looking at each other without speaking. A long time later. The corner of Hoac Quyet's lips moved extremely slowly and with great difficulty. That's not a smile. More like a sigh of exhaustion to the end... after letting go of all the burden. Then, he turned towards me, extremely softly, almost imperceptibly, and nodded. There are no words. His eyes were calm and unwavering, like he was looking at an old friend he had met after a long time... but there was nothing left to say. Next, he turned around and didn't look at me anymore. Steadily step by step stepping on the thick layer of leaves under his feet, slowly walking deep into the maple forest, towards the place where the sunset is sinking. That back gradually merged into the sea of red clouds on the horizon. Further and further away. Finally disappeared and was never seen again. I stood still, looking in the direction he left. A very long time. A bright red maple leaf rotated in the wind, gently falling into my palm. Warm. Bringing with it the remaining heat of the sunset. I closed my hand and held that piece of autumn color. Then turn around. Looking at Xuan Dao who was still waiting quietly behind, looking at the carriage parked outside in the forest - the carriage carrying my completely new life - I softly said: "Xuan Dao, let's go home." The golden sunset covered the road back. (END OF FULL TEXT) (I love everyone who reads this far... whoever reads it and finds it interesting, feels uneasy, comes back to give Chili Pepper a review or give Chili Pepper a 5-star recommendation.)