The sky was starting to lighten, but the stars still shone. Sun Ce kept Zhou Yu company the entire way to Hangu Pass, and when they arrived, he offered his reins. “Take my horse.”
The two of them exchanged mounts. Sun Ce added, “Take Fei Yu with you. If anything happens, send it my way with a message.”
Zhou Yu accepted the bird from Sun Ce.
“Sun Bofu,” Zhou Yu said without warning, turning his horse around.
Sitting astride his steed, Sun Ce watched him with a careless air.
He grinned. “Don’t miss me too much.”
“I will come back,” Zhou Yu promised.
He rode several dozen feet away, but Sun Ce couldn’t hold himself back any longer.
“Zhou Gongjin.”
Zhou Yu reined his horse to a stop, turning his head back casually, meeting Sun Ce’s gaze.
Time seemed to ebb and flow around them. Countless years appeared to pass like the ever-surging tide, the roll and retreat of waves. Flames blazed across the sky, and beacon-fires lit the land. All of that swept by in the span of a single inexplicable, indescribable gaze.
No matter how many years passed, Zhou Yu still remembered the way Sun Ce looked that daybreak, his silhouette lit by the stars above and the dawn behind. He still remembered the look in his eyes.
They were half filled with the brightness of day and half with the darkness of night. The light of the new day was breaking over the horizon, and a single thread of twilight stretched taut between the two of them. The shadows cast by the mountain range whirled slowly across the land, moving with the brilliant, blinding light of the blazing, newborn sun.
“Are you willing to stand with me, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, to conquer the world?” Sun Ce asked, face solemn. “That is all I shall ask. But if you come, you shall not be able to leave.”
Zhou Yu met his gaze. “I know.”
“If you are agreeing because you fear you owe me a debt,” Sun Ce added, “then forget it—let’s not speak of this any longer. I, Sun Bofu, have not done these things because I wish to take advantage of you.”
“I know,” Zhou Yu repeated, calm and composed. He replied slowly, “I am willing to come to your side and assist you, not because of this debt.”
“Then why?” Sun Ce asked.
“Because I think highly of you,” Zhou Yu said. “Perhaps, there will come a day when the entire world is your Sun family’s. Before that day comes, let’s see how far we can go. What does this tiny debt count for in the grand scheme of things, right?”
Sun Ce smiled. “You’re willing to come?”
“I’m willing,” Zhou Yu said. “Jia!”
The white piebald swung around, racing after the tail end of the caravan, vanishing into the depths of the vast mountain’s forest.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was late autumn, and on the road back to Shu County, a downpour began. It took only three days after Zhou Yu left for him to feel regret. The road was nothing but mud, and the weather was turning cold. Every time the wheels of the carts sank into the mire, the entire group would need to shove the cart to free it.
Zhou Yu thought to himself that if he had known earlier, he would have accepted Sun Ce’s offer of troops to escort them. But if Sun Ce left his post without permission again, Sun Jian would give him a disciplinary beating upon his return. Ever since the day he met Sun Ce, Zhou Yu had brought him endless troubles, so if he could decrease that by even just a little, it was worthwhile.
Zhou Yu’s frame was large, and he was strong, so as the caravan traveled, he helped push the carts like everyone else. But with such a deluge, he was often utterly drenched. On the journey, he devoured ginger soup to ward off the cold, afraid he would fall ill before he got home.
The trip took half a month, and the weather fluctuated between good and bad. Originally, after bringing the caravan back to Shu County, he planned to head at top speed toward Shouchun, where Yuan Shu was, to await Sun Ce’s arrival. But if he fell ill, he might need to spend months recuperating…which gave Zhou Yu a headache whenever he thought about it.
Though they ran into countless dangers on the way, they thankfully managed to return safely in the end. When they arrived in Shu County, they caused a stir throughout the small town.
Zhou Yu, wholly exhausted, returned home, where his mother awaited him.
“You’ve returned?” Madame Zhou asked.
“I’ve returned,” Zhou Yu said. “All the carts are back, and no one is missing either.”
Outside was a constant stream of people coming to their door to give thanks. Madame Zhou had worried while he was away, but now that her son was home, she was finally relieved of that weight. She returned to her rooms to change into a set of formal robes before walking out into the yard to greet the people.
“Madame Zhou!”
“Young Master Zhou.”
“The Zhou family has shown us great kindness…”
Madame Zhou indicated they shouldn’t speak just yet, and she knelt down and kowtowed to the villagers.
The entire courtyard flew into an uproar. Zhou Yu hurried to steady his old mother before also dropping to his knees to kowtow three times to their fellow villagers.
“My son has lived in Shu County all his life,” Madame Zhou said earnestly. “All of you old neighbors and fellow villagers took care of him, and the silk store could only have reached the success it enjoys today because of the efforts of everyone here. Our contribution is what you deserve from us, so how can we allow you to thank us for simply doing our duty?
“After my husband bade farewell to the world, we relied on all of you. I should be the one, on behalf of my deceased husband and my naive child, thanking everyone for their constant support and kindness.” Madam Zhou smiled. “Dear villagers, please return home and let us not speak of any further debts. If anything arises on a day-to-day basis, then please, do let us know how we can be of use.”
Everyone went through another few rounds of thanking each other before finally leaving their presents and returning home.