A Yao was born in Beiyuan and raised in Beiyuan.
She thought she would end up just like her mother, trapped in this wasteland of Beiyuan, trapped behind Yuguan for the rest of her life.
That is, until she met Huanyin.
She found Huanyin in the snow and dragged him home, just as she would drag Ah Huang when he got halfway through a walk and refused to go on.
Though Ah Huang was a dog.
Huanyin was nothing like the people in the village. He was handsome, had good table manners, and was always proper in everything he did. Even when he spoke, he took his time. Whenever A Yao talked to him, she got so impatient she stamped her feet.
Her mother called her a wild girl with a short temper. A Yao refused to admit it. It was clearly Huanyin's fault. Still, he taught her how to read and write, so she forgave him.
Beiyuan lay on the border of Dayin, separated from the iron hooves of Mobei by only one pass, Yuguan. Later, Yuguan fell. Smoke filled the skies for miles, and Beiyuan became a wasteland.
Her mother died, and Ah Huang died too.
The village was burned to the ground.
The proper Huanyin carried A Yao, covered in blood, on his back and fought a bloody path to safety for her, saying over and over, "A Yao, don't fall asleep."
Blurb written on 2023.03.04, screenshot archived
The cover background and title were both provided by BS Gugu
Theme: When the nation is in peril, every citizen has a duty to act
