Zi Xinyu's Short Stories Translated by: timebun

How Hurtful of the Maple Leaves

O maple leaves as far as the eye can see, could you help me tell him, that I'm still waiting for him to come home?

In that maple forest, under that tree, it was like a dream.

Following the gentle passing of the breeze, everything vanished into thin air as if it had never existed.

"Jing'er, we're right in the thick of autumn now. Don't go outside too much, in case you catch a cold."

The sunlight was just right at that time, and the maple leaves were still around. A handsome man dressed in white clothing; he's my husband.

While looking at him, so gentle and refined, I would always smile and speak in a soft tone, "Don't you see that the maple leaves are just starting to fall? If I don't sweep them all, won't our little courtyard be covered in these fallen leaves?"

As I spoke, I took up the broom and was about to start sweeping, when he took a step forward and took the broom from me with a tender gaze, "Let me do this. Just go and rest in the room."

He would always spoil me in this manner, he wouldn't let me do any chores.

So I would often think that being able to marry him was all thanks to the good karma I collected in my previous life.

We lived isolated from the world, in a courtyard surrounded and filled with maple trees. When there was nothing to do, I would sit with him in our courtyard and we would chat cheerfully.

He would always say that this courtyard was too desolate, and that we should have more kids to make it more lively.

Each time we talked about this, he would bring me into his embrace dearly, "I'm afraid that you'll suffer too much, so even just a single child would be fine."

I would always reply him with a slight smile, "What are you talking about? Why would I be afraid of pain? If I'm able to, this little courtyard will eventually be filled with joy and laughter, and it's best if we have a whole group of mischievous little brats, frolicking and playing all day."

After I finished speaking, he would then pinch my nose gently, tenderness and happiness in his expression.

We always felt that we were just a normal family. We didn't meddle in politics, and we weren't fighting for positions at court, so our days passed leisurely.

However, I had forgotten that we were born in troubled times, so there was no true leisure to be had.

That year, a foreign country came invading. They took over countless cities, and my country had heavy losses. Many people were left homeless; the whole nation was in a panic.

With the country in a crisis, I then realised that our days of isolation were quickly coming to an end.

I still remember that it was still an autumn day, and yellow maple leaves filled every corner of our courtyard.

I held a broom and gently swept the leaves up, but the more I swept, the more leaves appeared. No matter how I swept, I couldn't clear them all.

Like the tears on my face.

He was still dressed in white. With a slight smile on his face, he gently placed a jacket around my shoulders, "Jing'er, the country is in a crisis, I have to go."