Now, it is the beginning of spring.
The night wind still felt a little cool on my face.
Zi Shu walked on the streets of Dingxicheng, following Qin Ming from a distance.
He has been wandering around the west of the city for more than half an hour, and he is a little confused.
I don't understand what the confusion is, so I asked my son to search for the answer all night long.
What puzzled him even more was that his young master had been wandering around the west of the city for a long time.
Except for the occasional stop, squatting on the roadside, and chatting with the victims standing by the fire, most of the time they were just wandering around.
At least, that's how it looks in Zishu's eyes.
Unknowingly, the two of them arrived at the open space below the city wall.
Qin Ming took a look at the dozens of fires scattered under the city wall.
Then, he looked up again and saw the soldiers walking back and forth on the city wall.
Qin Ming hesitated for a moment and said to Zishu:
"Let's go up to the top of the city."
After saying that, Qin Ming stepped forward and walked towards the horse road not far away from the city.
The soldiers at the foot of the city, after inspecting Qin Ming's identity token, straightened their backs, gave Qin Ming a military salute, and said:
"Subordinate, I have seen Qin join the army."
Qin Ming nodded slightly and stepped onto the steps first.
Zishu followed closely, hesitated for a moment, and said:
"Sir, it's war time now. You don't know when the barbarians will come. How about we go back?"
Qin Ming paused for a moment, turned around and asked:
"Are you scared?"
Zishu shook his head violently when he heard this and said respectfully:
"Subordinate, don't be afraid."
"I am willing to die for you!"
Qin Ming patted Zi Shu on the shoulder and said:
"Don't say anything about immortality. Don't talk about it in the future. I just went up to see the scenery, not to stop the enemy, so I'm talking nonsense."
After saying that, Qin Ming took steps and walked up.
Looking at Qin Ming's back, Zishu silently took off his belt and held the sword tightly in his hand.
Qin Ming walked to the top of the city. After checking his identity again, he took Zi Shu and stepped onto the ancient city wall.
After walking for about half an hour,
Suddenly, a slightly older voice reached Qin Ming's ears.
"Young man, which regiment are you from? Since you are a sentry, why don't you wear armor?"
Zishu on the side was about to step forward to explain, but saw Qin Ming waving to him, so Zishu patiently stopped.
Qin Ming turned around and took advantage of the light from the torches on the wall.
Soon, the source of the sound was found.
It was an old soldier wearing old leather armor, leaning against the city wall.
Qin Ming straightened his clothes, saluted the old soldier, and said:
"My surname is Qin, and I am a doctor in the military medical team."
"Qin has never been to the city, so he is curious and wants to come here to have a look."
"But I don't know that I am resting here. If I disturb you, I hope you will forgive me."
When the old soldier heard that Qin Ming was a doctor in the military medical team, he immediately turned sideways and avoided Qin Ming's salute.
Then, he quickly stood up, patted the dust on his butt, waved his hand towards Qin Ming, and said:
"No, no, the young man is our benefactor. If my colleagues know that the young man salutes the old man, the old man will probably be disliked by others."
After saying that, the old soldier straightened his leather armor, bowed respectfully to Qin Ming, and said:
"Old man Zhang Jian has met Mr. Qin Xiaolang."
Qin Ming quickly stepped forward, helped the old man up, and said:
"Old man, it doesn't have to be like this."
The two stood by the city wall and chatted briefly.
The old pawn, who was a little cautious at first, gradually relaxed.
After a while,
Old man Zhang hesitated for a moment, then asked the doubts in his heart.
"It's so late, and Xiao Langjun didn't go to rest, but came here instead. Maybe it's out of curiosity, right?"
Qin Ming fell into silence after hearing this.
Seeing that Qin Ming didn't answer, Old Man Zhang realized that he had made a mistake, so he smiled and said:
"The old man just asked casually. If it's not convenient for the young man to answer, it doesn't matter."
Qin Ming glanced at Zi Shu, who was pressing the handle of the knife not far away. He turned his head towards Old Man Zhang, smiled bitterly, and said:
"Old man, if I told you that I sometimes feel lonely, would you believe it?"
Old man Zhang was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh and lamented:
"Hey, to be honest, young man, old men often feel this way too!"
"Especially, after the old man's fierce wife left a few years ago, this feeling is even stronger."
"I dream back at midnight, old man, and I often feel alone, lonely, and cold."
"Why!"
After saying that, Old Man Zhang lifted up his sleeves and wiped his eyes.
Qin Ming choked when he heard this.
Seeing that his words seemed to arouse old man Zhang's sadness, he quickly changed the subject and said:
"Old man, the kind of loneliness I'm talking about may not be the same as yours."
Old man Zhang put down his sleeves, blinked his eyes, and asked sincerely:
"What's the difference? Young Master, you might as well tell me. Maybe the old man feels the same!"
Qin Ming sighed and turned around.
He held the battlements with both hands, looked at the full moon in the sky, and murmured:
"What Qin calls loneliness is not a physical feeling, but a spiritual feeling."
"Most of this loneliness comes from the fact that I am incompatible with this world. In other words, I often feel that I am an outsider and should not belong here."
Old man Zhang scratched his head and asked:
"Soul? Incompatible with the world? What does this mean?"
Qin Ming lowered his head and thought for a moment before replying:
"Let's put it this way. About August last year, by chance, I was forced to leave my familiar hometown and go to Chang'an City."
"When I first arrived in Chang'an, although I had a worry-free life, I was still very careful and cautious. I was afraid that I would make a mistake and fall into a situation that would never be recovered."
"Just because Chang'an and my hometown are very different."
"From the names people use to each other; to people's views on various things; to the... uh... laws, they are all completely different from my hometown."
"Therefore, I often feel homesick and feel that I don't belong in Chang'an, let alone stay in Chang'an."
When Old Man Zhang heard this, he nodded heavily, patted his thigh again, and lamented:
"Oh, what a coincidence, isn't it! Young Master! It seems that you and I are really destined!"
"I recall that when I was young, I also visited Chang'an."
"That time! I feel the same way. After all, no matter how high our status is in our hometown or how good our background is, it is not worth mentioning to those in Chang'an City!"
As he spoke, Old Man Zhang patted Qin Ming on the shoulder and said meaningfully:
"After all, we are all foreigners, hey!"
Qin Ming was stunned for a moment, then whispered softly:
"A foreigner? Yes! As far as the Tang Dynasty is concerned, am I not just a foreigner? Haha."
Old man Zhang didn't hear Qin Ming's words clearly.
However, he became deeply curious about Qin Ming's experience.
So, he patted Qin Ming's shoulder, curious, and said:
"Xiao Langjun, please continue to tell me, what happened after you arrived in Chang'an? How did you get into the military medical team?"
Qin Ming nodded and recalled everything he had with Wan'er and Xi'er.
"Later?"
"Later, I met the girl I loved, and gradually I felt less lonely."
"As time passes, I gradually adapt to life in Chang'an. Unknowingly, I don't miss home so much anymore."
"Gradually, I feel I have adapted to this era and this identity."
"But...."
Old man Zhang asked curiously:
"But what?"
Qin Ming looked up at the stars and was silent for a while before speaking:
"But, after I came here, I realized that I didn't adapt to the life here."
"It turns out that I have always been a foreigner."
.......
