Chapter 26: Departure

Before dawn, Wan Changsheng and his wife got up.

“Husband, I’ll go prepare breakfast. You wake Ping’an up. If he really wants to sleep, I can hold him and let him nap a bit on the cart later.”

Wan Changsheng nodded. They couldn’t afford to be lazy. If they got up late, it would be a rush to get to the county, and they still needed to handle the road pass at the county office. From what the young master said, they should set off today.

Ping’an, half-asleep, heard someone calling him to get up. His mind suddenly cleared; today was the day they were leaving, and he couldn’t sleep in.

“Father, I know.”

Seeing that his child had sat up, Wan Changsheng turned to harness the mule. Most of the luggage had been packed in the main room last night; they just needed to move it to the cart.

Half an hour later, as the first light of dawn appeared, the cart was filled with their belongings, leaving just a small space for his wife and child to sit.

Looking around the house, everything that could be taken had been taken. What couldn’t be brought along was left behind. If nothing unexpected happened, it would eventually be given to his elder brother. No matter how bad his brother was, he was still family. A mere twenty taels of silver wasn’t worth sacrificing a good reputation over.

When Meiniang came out and saw her husband standing next to the mule cart, looking around with a reluctant expression, she understood. After all, he had built this place with his own hands, so it was natural for him to have deep feelings for it.

Unlike her, she had only been here for a little over a month and was eager to leave as far away as possible, wanting no one to know she had once been a widow or that she had had a first husband.

As long as they could get by, no woman wished to remarry. However, the creditors were pressing, and she didn’t want to reach out to her family. Her family had already pooled their resources to open a small general store while still owing some debts.

How could she ask for help?

Earlier this year, her family had accidentally discovered the debt situation after her husband proposed. Since life had become unbearable, and with her in-laws having passed away, remarrying seemed acceptable. No matter how much she liked that person, he had been gone for five or six years.

Thus, she had discussed with her son about using the dowry to pay off debts, making sure that their family’s debts wouldn’t drag her family down.

“Husband, breakfast is ready.”

Wan Changsheng smiled and walked over, taking her hand. “Let’s eat; then we’ll leave. I spoke with your elder brother yesterday, and the mule cart won’t go into the house. He will wait for us at the road junction with Erqiang.”

Meiniang nodded. This way, they couldn’t say goodbye to her parents. The sound of the mule cart would alert her elder uncle and third uncle’s families, who would ask where they were going. It would be awkward not to say anything, but her husband clearly didn’t want to reveal it.

“Alright, dear. Later, let your brother and Erqiang check the cart. We’ll say farewell to your father and mother. There’s no reason not to say goodbye.”

“I understand, husband.” Meiniang brightened up; it made sense.

On this early May morning, the weather was still a bit chilly. Wan Changsheng helped his wife and son into the cart, locked the courtyard gate, took one key with him, and hid another under a stone slab.

One last look at the home he had built with his own hands filled him with reluctance.

“Go!” Ping’an pushed open a window of the cart, watching as the mule cart began to move. In just three months, he would turn eight. His journey in life began at this moment.

In this world, no achievements come without reason. If one wants to live well and rise above others, they must forge their own path. The more effort one puts in, the greater the hope.

In his past life, he had been fierce and strong-willed, coming from a good family. He had fought harder than most, and when he got going, he was relentless. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gained fame by thirty and become the head of surgery at a major hospital shortly after.

By forty, he was nominated for the position of deputy director, but he didn’t want to get into management. While others were puzzled, he studied traditional Chinese medicine in his spare time. For the next twenty years, he became the most valued person in the hospital, achieving both fame and fortune.

Unfortunately, he died too early from a cerebral infarction.

He looked at his small hands. If he died, so be it; he was now a young boy, stronger in age, and with memories from his past life.

Having those memories meant he carried decades of medical experience with him.

This was the greatest gift Heaven had bestowed upon him.

But it was hard for his wife and son. They had lived together for thirty years, still as loving as at the start. His son, now in his twenties, was a graduate student at a prestigious medical university, idolizing him to the highest degree.

If he suddenly passed away, what would he miss the most?

For a moment, Ping’an was lost in memories, and his mood suddenly fell. Meiniang saw her son being quiet and thought he wanted to sleep.

“Ping’an, hold on for a bit. We’ll go say goodbye to your grandparents soon. On the road, I’ll hold you and let you sleep a bit.”

Ping’an nodded, saying nothing. He wouldn’t let her hold him; he was too old for that.

Sure enough, Uncle He and his wife, along with Erqiang, were already waiting at the road junction.

Erqiang’s little face was full of excitement. When he saw the mule cart approaching, he waved his little hand and ran up. “Ping’an! Ping’an!”

The cart came to a stop.

Wan Changsheng helped his wife and son down. “Elder Brother, Sister-in-law, you’ve been waiting a while?”

Hu Shi smiled. “We just arrived a little while ago; Erqiang was the one who was anxious.”

Everyone laughed.

Meiniang said, “Sister-in-law, my husband and I are taking the children to say goodbye to my parents. Can you keep an eye on the cart for us?”

He Zilin shook his head. “Our parents said to let you leave directly. If you can come back, try to visit them.”

Hu Shi whispered, “It’s true. Our parents are getting older and don’t want to say goodbye. When we left, Father went to the fields; you should just go.”

“Wife, let’s go then. In a year or two, we’ll come back to see Mom and Dad. Elder Brother, Sister-in-law, we will keep Daqiang in mind. Remember, stay away from the deep mountains. Always bring  medicine when you go up the mountain. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“I understand. You all should set off; it will take at least an hour to reach the county.”

Meiniang took the two children onto the cart. At that moment, Erqiang felt a bit reluctant, looking at his parents with reddened eyes.

He Zilin smiled. “You lucky little rascal! Be good when you go out, learn some skills, and be diligent. And remember, don’t cause trouble for Ping’an.”

Erqiang nodded. “Father, I understand.”

As the mule cart gradually picked up speed and rounded a bend, He Zilin and his wife soon disappeared from view.

Erqiang looked at the fields passing by quickly on both sides and became excited again. “Ping’an, the mule cart is great! It’s much faster than the little donkey. How fast would it be if it were a horse?”

Ping’an also smiled, thinking it was the right decision to bring this little cousin along. In his memory, the youngest cousin was only a few months older than him and was quite polite, far from the lively Erqiang.

“Ping’an, I wonder if we’ll leave the county today. If we don’t leave today, should we go to the market? I’ve never been to the county.”

Ping’an nodded. “Alright. If we don’t leave today, we can ask Father to take us to the market.”

He was still small, and if he were caught by human traffickers, it wouldn’t be a joke.

Meiniang quietly listened to the two children talking, one chattering away and the other responding leisurely. It was indeed quite entertaining.