It's bitterly cold in the north of Saibei, and there's not even a hint of spring in sight in mid-April.
The yellow sand is vast, sandwiched with streaks of unmelted snow.
Vertical and horizontal, there is endless desolation.
Under the rugged poplar trees, there are several dome yurts close together.
The three-headed gold-clad mastiff paced back and forth leisurely, but never left the area around the yurt.
Suddenly their ears all stood up and they looked northwest.
At the far end of the sky, a small black spot appeared.
The three-headed mastiff remained motionless, staring closely at the black spot without even blinking.
Gradually, the black spots became larger and larger, and it was clearly visible that a person was riding a horse.
The sound of horses' hooves hitting the ground can be heard from afar.
The door of the yurt opened, and a middle-aged woman stood by the door.
Her beautiful eyes contain lingering melancholy, and at the same time there is innocence that cannot be erased by time.
It was just when the sun was setting in the west, and the man and the horse seemed to be galloping down from the sunset.
The woman had to cover her forehead with her hands to see clearly.
The person on the horse is wearing a black mink ball and has a tall figure.
The middle-aged woman took a few steps forward, her gait a little panicked.
But then she stopped again, smiled bitterly and shook her head.
A man and a horse came up to him, and the mastiffs also ran over and started cheering around the man.
Immediately afterwards, two more teenagers walked out of the yurt. They were both tall and thin, with handsome features.
"Mother, the wind is blowing, go in quickly!" It was Jiang Nuan's eldest son Huo Zao who came on horseback.
He is twenty-two years old this year and looks exactly like Huo Tian when he was young.
Jiang Nuan couldn't help but feel a little confused every time she saw him, as if she was seeing Mr. Huo again.
Huo Ji and Huo Ce asked their brother: "Is the road easy to walk? Is there any letter at the inn?"
Huo Zao took out a letter from his arms and said: "There is still some snow on the road that has not melted, but it doesn't matter."
There was a sheep oil lamp burning in the station building, and Jiang Nuan knew as soon as he saw the cover that it was written by Xu Chunjun.
The third child, Huo Ce, laughed and said to his eldest brother: "Brother, it's not just this letter, right? Did Sister Fangfei also write to you?"
Huo Zao's face turned red and he coughed uncomfortably.
Huo Ji was loyal and gave the third child a push and said, "Hurry up and ask someone to cook. My eldest brother must be hungry after being away for most of the day."
It has been more than three years since they came here. Huo Tian disappeared during the war and has not been found after so many years of searching.
Jiang Nuan refused to give up and took his three sons to search for him personally.
The place where they live now is the battlefield of that year.
When the army set off to the west during the battle, Jiang Nuan made the door of the yurt face west, hoping that one day Huo Tian could return from where he started.
Every day she would stand in front of the door and look at it for a long time, but three years later, there was still no news from Huo Tian.
Jiang Nuan finished reading the letter under the oil lamp and didn't speak for a long time.
"Mom, are everything okay at Aunt Xu's house?" Huo Ze asked in a low voice.
"My aunt's family is fine." Jiang Nuan came back to his senses and said, "I have suffered a lot for you in the past three years. Because of my infatuation, I have caused you to suffer in this bitter and cold place."
Jiang Nuan felt deeply sorry for his three sons. They were young and at the age where they loved to play. Who would be willing to leave the prosperity and wealth of the capital and come to this desolate and cold desert?
"Mom, we are willing, we are willing to accompany you and wait for father to come back." Huo Zao, as the eldest son, is the most sensible and filial son.
As long as the weather is not too bad, he will always go out to look for his father. The total distance he has traveled over the years is hundreds of thousands of miles.
Huo Ji and Huo Ze also said quickly: "We don't feel bitter. When we are with our mother, we are at home everywhere."
Jiang Nuan looked at her three sons distressedly, with tears in her eyes.
She shook her head slowly, as if she was talking to her three sons, or to herself: "As a mother, you can't be too selfish. I have owed you a lot in the past three years.
Your Aunt Xu wrote to me asking how I was doing, and told me to take good care of myself.
From the time I decided to come to the frontier to this day, no one from my relatives or friends has stopped me, and no one has blamed me.
But I know it’s time to go back.”
"What about father? Can't we wait for father?" Huo Zao's face was tense. Is there any obsession in his heart?
"Brother Zao," Jiang Nuan looked at Huo Zao lovingly and said, "Fangfei is already seventeen years old. Although there are some things that are not stated clearly, both our families know it well.
I can't pretend to be ignorant, and neither can you. How many more years are we going to make this girl wait?"
When Huo Zao heard his mother mention Fang Fei, he couldn't help but slowly lower his head. The torment in his heart made him extremely painful.
One is his most beloved woman, and the other is his most respected father.
"What about father? Don't we wait for him here?"
Jiang Nuan didn't answer him immediately. She looked at the small jumping wick for a long time.
"Actually, I've known it for a long time, but I just haven't been willing to admit it." Jiang Nuan smiled miserably, "Your father is the coach, how could he disappear so inexplicably on the battlefield?
Even if there was a sandstorm, he would definitely be able to find the camp.
The reason why such a result was reported to the court must be that he had already agreed with others.
He knew that I was impatient and was afraid that I wouldn't be able to bear it, so he asked someone to report that he was missing.
In this way, although I am anxious and sad, it is always limited.
As time passed, I gradually got used to it, adapted to it, and accepted the ending that he would never come back.
It’s natural to understand what’s going on here.”
For more than a thousand days and nights, Jiang Nuan's heart was suffering all the time.
She was so eager to come back the day after tomorrow, just like he did when he went off to war.
But time will make people calm down gradually.
After waiting for more than a thousand days, the sun rises and the moon sets in the desert, and the silent changes of nature make Jiang Nuan understand that there are some things that cannot be done by humans.
Huo Tian must have died on the battlefield and died in the country.
But he knows himself too well and loves himself too much.
So he told Ke Wangchen and others not to tell anyone about his death, only to say that he disappeared in the wind and sand of the desert.
Leave a trace of thoughts for Jiang Nuan to support her through the saddest days.
He also believed that one day Jiang Nuan would be able to let go and accept the facts.
Because even though he is gone, his love is always there.
For this reason, he did not want a funeral, no meritorious service, and he did not even leave a tombstone.
He slept quietly in this desert, just to protect his most beloved person.
The three Huo Zao brothers all hung their heads and cried silently.
"Stop crying, kids, pack your bags tomorrow and let's go back to the capital!" Jiang Nuan tried his best to smile.
The night in the desert was desolate and lonely. Jiang Nuan didn't sleep. She quietly walked outside and whispered in the wind: "Master, I know you are here. I asked the wind to send you a message that I am going back."
Don't worry, I will take good care of myself and my three sons.
Come to my dream tonight! No need to hide from me anymore. I haven’t dreamed of you once in the past three years. You must come to my dream more often in the future.”
