The Sorrowmender

Chapter 70 – The great river carries Qingzhou

In the deep forest, the path was long and shaded, with the sound of cicadas echoing through the summer day.

Originally, the horse was swift and strong, but unfortunately, neither of the riders was skilled in equestrian arts.

The two rode slowly, crossing the Luo River, passing through the maple forest, and by the time they reached the open fields, it was nearly dusk.

The setting sun dipped into the ravine, painting the sky a shy red.

The wind on their faces carried the lingering warmth of summer, yet it was cooler than the midday heat.

Xu Qingzhou, dressed in white, rode a white horse at the front, while the white-haired girl followed behind on a black horse.

At some point, the latter tugged the reins a few times, catching up to ride alongside the former.

Xu Qingzhou held a book, glancing sideways, as the two continued on their journey, speaking as little as they always did, like strangers treating each other with courteous respect.

"Can I tell you something?" the white-haired girl suddenly spoke, adding a third sound to the wind and the horses' hooves.

Xu Qingzhou raised an eyebrow but turned another page of his book.

"Go ahead," he said lightly.

The white-haired girl wrinkled her nose, her pupils dilating slightly, as if displeased.

"I'm serious, please show me some respect, can you?"

The unexpected words left Xu Qingzhou a bit puzzled. He looked up at the white-haired girl.

"What do you mean?"

The white-haired girl glanced at the book in his hand, signaling with her eyes.

Xu Qingzhou understood her meaning and couldn't help but smile wryly. Who would have thought this child had such a side?

However, this was the first time since they met that she seemed to have something important to say, which piqued his curiosity.

He closed the book, held it in his hand, and smiled, "Can you tell me now?"

"Yes, I can," the white-haired girl nodded.

Then she fell silent again.

Xu Qingzhou patiently waited for ten breaths, then rolled his eyes discreetly out of her sight.

"If you don't speak, I'll go back to reading..."

The white-haired girl continued to look ahead, her voice carrying a hint of childish innocence as she spoke.

"I see everyone has a name. I thought about it, and I should have a name too. I didn't have one before because no one called me, and even if they did, I didn't care."

"Except for Wuyou, but Wuyou always calls me sister, so having a name or not is the same."

She slowly turned her head to look at Xu Qingzhou, her clear eyes showing a hint of disdain, making Xu Qingzhou wonder if he was seeing things.

"As for you, I used to want to kill you, so it didn't matter what you called me. But now it's different. I won't kill you anymore, and since we'll be together, you can't just keep calling me 'hey,' it's inconvenient. So I want to choose a name."

The reasoning was a bit absurd, but coming from the white-haired girl, it seemed reasonable. After all, her thoughts were different from ordinary people.

Xu Qingzhou maintained a serious demeanor, immediately expressing his agreement with her reasoning.

"Very reasonable, you've thought it through thoroughly."

He asked earnestly, "What are your thoughts?"

For some reason, the white-haired girl felt a small sense of joy at Xu Qingzhou's approval, though she didn't show it.

She mimicked Xu Qingzhou's usual serious expression and said, "I want to take Wuyou's surname because Wuyou calls me sister. But since Wuyou follows your surname, I want to ask if I can also take the surname Xu?"

Xu Qingzhou was momentarily stunned. Her clear logic made him wonder if this child had somehow gained sudden insight.

He reaffirmed, "Of course you can."

The white-haired girl was also taken aback, looking at Xu Qingzhou again, clearly not expecting him to agree so readily.

After a moment's hesitation, she thanked him again, "Alright, thank you."

"You're welcome."

The atmosphere fell silent once more. Xu Qingzhou looked ahead and asked another question.

"Besides the surname Xu, do you have a name?"

"I do."

"What is it?"

"Xu Dajiang!"

Xu Qingzhou's expression froze, and even the horse beneath him stumbled slightly, as if unable to believe his ears.

The name "Dajiang" was hard to describe.

"Why this name?"

The white-haired girl smiled slightly, her clear eyes full of innocence.

"I like Wuyou very much. I want to protect her for life, to be good to her, and as long as I'm here, I won't let anyone harm her."

Xu Qingzhou was once again bewildered, lost in thought.

"So... what does that have to do with you being called Xu Dajiang?"

The white-haired girl looked at him seriously, "Of course it has to do with it. Wuyou said you're her sky, so I want to support this sky for Wuyou, and—"

"Dajiang carries Qingzhou."

The words hit like a meteor falling from the heavens, crashing into Xu Qingzhou's chest, stirring a tempest in his mind.

Xu Qingzhou pulled the reins, and the white horse beneath him came to a halt.

His mind buzzed, staring blankly at the white-haired girl before him, repeating those three words in his heart.

"Dajiang carries Qingzhou, Dajiang carries Qingzhou."

Who would have thought that the seemingly ordinary name "Dajiang" held such profound meaning?

A meaning Xu Qingzhou could not have imagined.

Xu Dajiang, seemingly chosen at random, was actually the result of the white-haired girl's deepest thoughts.

How could he not be shocked, not feel anything—

"What's wrong with you, why did you stop, is there a problem?"

The white-haired girl's voice came again, with a hint of doubt.

Xu Qingzhou returned to his senses, took a deep breath, his eyebrows relaxing with the exhale.

He urged his horse forward, regaining his composure.

"No problem, it's fine." But he couldn't help but ask again, "But are you sure you want to be called Xu Dajiang?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Don't you think that as a girl, being called Xu Dajiang is a bit like—"

"Like what?"

A quick look at "pawread.com" will leave you more fulfilled.

"Like a boy, doesn't it bother you?"

The white-haired girl looked at him with disdain, "Names are just combinations of characters, how can characters be divided by gender, or distinguished as male or female? And even if they are, so what?"

"Each mountain has its own peaks, and I have my own rhythm. You call yourself Mister, yet you're so narrow-minded."

Her words left Xu Qingzhou at a loss for how to respond. Truth be told, in this world, few could outtalk him.

The white-haired girl was the first.

And the reason he was at a loss wasn't anything else; it was that he underestimated this child.

Someone who was illiterate suddenly seemed transformed, even quoting poetry.

As Mo Shengge said, after three days apart, one should look at a person with new eyes, yet even without parting for a day, he felt the same.

"Who taught you to say these things?"

The white-haired girl smiled calmly, pulling a book from her bosom, placing her index finger on her lips, and skillfully flipping through it in front of Xu Qingzhou.

Like flowing clouds and water.

"Naturally, I read it in a book."