A month pass, unknowingly i get used to the life style and these men who followed me around. Since they are useful, keeping them here is a good thing. For instance, there was some thugs who came by the other day. Those thugs threaten the villages and asked for money. So those men give them a good fight and was made promise never to return.
A few days later, the soldiers who left and return on horsebacks. They also return with a lady on her horse. She is skinny and tall. She gets off the horse like a man. The way she walks also like a man. "Wen'er!" She rush towards me and hug me. At that moment i feel like a piece of wood have just wear her arms around me. I thought woman should be soft and cuddly but she is really hard, stiff and flat chested. All i can tell she is a girl is her face and her long silky hair.
"Man and woman shouldn't be so close!"
"Wen'er, i am your woman!"
"Impossible! I don't like girls who are like wash boards!" I try to push her off but not to get her fall. The soldiers behind her are trying to control their face expression. She release me and look at my face. "You really don't remember who am i?"
"Should i? Are you some princess that i should know?"
"I did not lie to you. I am your woman. We are married."
I walk away from her while wiping my face. She turn around and i can hear her scolding the men. Placing my towel on the bamboo stick, I yell at her to get lost. She look at me with her big eyes. "I cannot believe you can just forget like that? We spend our best years together. We fight in some battles together. We sleep in the jungle together. We train under my father and grandfather when they are alive! We ate and drink from the same bowl! We even sleep in the same bed!"
"I don't know anything you say. Whatever you said, it's your saying. What i know now is this!" I point to where i am standing and look at her furiously.
We stand in the same place argue for a long time. Strangely i feel like i have this kind of conversation with this person before. Soon i start to have a headache. I went into the hut. Close the door and lay on the mat. Close my eyes and try not to think of anything.
For the next few days, she keep appearing and watching me. She watch me go off fishing. Watch me returning on land and removing the catch of the day. Follow me to the market and watch me selling them off. Follow me back to the Hui Village. Ate the dinner that was cooked. I hold myself not to yell at her for it is a waste of breath. At night i sit near the river bank and watch the quiet sky. The stars are blinking. She comes walking near and sit down. We sit there in silence. Just when i am about to get up and walk off. She show me a hairpin in my face. A strange feeling linger in my heart. The pearl on the hairpin is glimmering in front of me.
"You do remember this? You can forget everything but not her? How strange."
"Who are you talking about?"
"The owner of this hairpin. You gave it to her. "
"I give it ... to who?"
"If you want to know. Follow me back to the capital. She lives there."
My eyes dart left and right. Thinking if returning to a place that i have forgotten is it the right thing to do. I take the hairpin and look at it closely.
"Why is this hairpin in your hands? If it belongs to her... is she dead?"
"No. She is alive but barely breathing. She just can't run anywhere. She had invisible chains around her neck. "
"Who is she? What is her name?"
"If i tell you the name, will you remember? Just come back with me. When you see her, you will maybe remember something."
She sounds disappoint while I continue to look at the hairpin. The pearl at the center of the hairpin glimmer in the dark lightless environment. Somehow my heart seems to ache at something.
Ten days later, i make up my mind to follow these people back to the capital. I bid farewell and gave my saviour all my earning from selling in the market and the coins that i got from the soldiers. Additionally i give them my clothes too as i probably won't be wearing them in the capital. With this i start my journey back.