They had only chatted for a short while in the house when Uncle Lin returned. He was carrying a rather large cloth bundle that looked quite heavy. As soon as he entered and saw the mother and daughter, he immediately smiled and placed the bundle in front of them.
“Here, girl. I’ve sold the last two courtyard houses for you. I collected everything in silver dollars—two hundred for each. As for the train tickets… I have to apologize. There’s just no way to get any, and there probably won’t be any available for over a month.”
“Uncle, what are you saying? There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s not your fault the tickets couldn’t be bought. If there’s no train, we’ll just take a carriage instead—it’s fine. And it seems Butler Hu has already found us. We have to leave today. I don’t want to get entangled with them anymore—I just came to let you know,” He Yuping said, fully aware that he had already done his best.
“Then I’ll go find you a carriage,” the old man said, immediately getting up to head out.
He Yuping quickly stopped him. “Uncle, wait. We can’t hire from the carriage agencies in the city. They’ve all done business with the Qu family—many people there know me. We can’t risk it. I’ve already made a plan. My child and I will take the bus out of the city, and outside there are still several carriage drivers. I’ll find one there.”
She didn’t dare use the city’s services. She had grown up here, and later, during the three or four years she was favored in the Qu household, she had managed the kitchen and was familiar with many delivery workers. It would be too easy to be recognized.
“Oh! Look at me, how did I forget that?” Uncle Lin said, a bit embarrassed. “Then I’ll get you something for self-defense. You must be careful out there. When you arrive, send us a telegram so your aunt and I can be at ease.”
“Got it, Uncle. We’ll be leaving soon. You two take care as well. By the way, has Ping An come home recently? I’ve been here so many times but never ran into him.”
Lin Ping An was Uncle Lin’s son. In his early years, he had learned carriage driving from his father, as well as some accounting skills. He was smooth and capable, well-liked outside, but later she heard he had gone off with a large group. She didn’t know if he had returned.
“Sigh, that brat did come back—but then left again. I heard he’ll return here in a few months. Don’t worry about us old folks—we’re still in good health. When you get there, give my regards to your father. Tell him we’re doing fine here, so he doesn’t need to worry.”
As he spoke, the old man grew a bit emotional. They had grown up together, but after parting years ago, they had never met again. Who knew if they would ever see each other again?
Then he rummaged in the kang’s storage hole and pulled out a dusty little cloth bundle. From it, he took out a sharp dagger and pressed it into He Yuping’s hands.
“Girl, take this with you—just in case.”
The mother and daughter looked at the dagger, then at the old man’s reluctant expression. It was clear this was something very important to him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so unwilling to part with it.
Yet despite that, he still offered it to them for protection—showing just how much he cared.
He Caiwei quietly took a dagger out of her space and slipped it into her mother’s hand, signaling her to show it to the old man. That way, he wouldn’t worry so much about their safety.
“Uncle Lin, I already have one. My father gave it to me years ago. You don’t need to worry about us. I’ll send you a telegram as soon as we arrive,” He Yuping said, showing him the dagger. Then she glanced at the time—it was about time to leave. If Butler Hu reacted and started searching the streets, things would get troublesome.
“Wait, wait! Let your aunt pack some flatbread for you to eat on the road. Food outside is too expensive now—prices change every day. Bringing some from home will save money,” Aunt Lin said as she hurried out from the kitchen, clutching a cloth bundle.
“Thank you, Auntie. You both take care,” He Yuping said. She didn’t refuse, accepting the bundle, giving Aunt Lin a quick hug, and then turning to leave.
She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to go.
He Caiwei was deeply moved by how kind the old couple had been to her mother. Before leaving, she took out a cloth bag from her space and packed about five jin of cured meat, a dried chicken, a dried duck, and a jar of ginseng wine.
Her mother had told her that Uncle Lin loved drinking, but his health had declined, and Aunt Lin didn’t allow him much alcohol.
She also pasted a note on the wine jar: Ginseng wine—only one liang per day; helps improve health.
After the mother and daughter left, the old couple felt sorrowful for quite a while. It wasn’t until later that Aunt Lin remembered she had planned to go out and buy some meat.
As she tidied up and prepared to leave, she suddenly noticed a cloth bundle left on the kang. Opening it, she found a large amount of meat and a jar. Not knowing what it was, she took the jar out and handed it to her husband.
“Old man, take a look—what does this say?”
“Huh? Where did this come from?” the old man asked, still not fully out of his melancholy. The jar had been shoved right in front of his face, nearly knocking his teeth.
“It must be from that girl. Every time she brings something, she sneaks it in and runs off so I can’t refuse. She’s already a mother, yet she still hasn’t changed that habit. Hurry and see what’s written—I can’t understand it,” Aunt Lin urged anxiously.
“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you,” the old man said, smiling as he read the note. “She says this is ginseng wine she made herself. I’m to drink only a small cup a day—it can improve health. You can drink it too.”
“What? Such a precious thing—how can I, an old woman, waste it?” Aunt Lin exclaimed the moment she heard it was ginseng wine. At her age, she felt she shouldn’t squander something so valuable.
“Why can’t you drink it? You old fool—our grandson hasn’t grown up yet. Are you willing to leave so early?” the old man teased with a smile.
“Of course I’m not willing. It’s all that rascal Ping An’s fault—why hasn’t he come back after so long? My poor grandson is suffering out there,” the old lady said, thinking of her grandson with a heavy heart.
Her long-awaited grandson was only ten years old. She wanted to live longer—to see him grow up, get married, and build a life.
“Well then, let’s try Yuping’s wine. Come on—you said you’d stew meat for me, didn’t you? Now we have meat. Let’s have a drink at lunch,” the old man said, pulling his wife toward the kitchen.
While the old couple happily prepared to add dishes to their meal, the mother and daughter had already left the Lin household. Just in time, they caught a bus heading out of the city.
And so, they set off toward a new journey.