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Grandma Shen looked at the restless Song Shi and spoke, “They’re not far away, if you want to go, go pay them a visit. Fei Xi just mentioned that Ah Chen has confirmed their location before informing us.”
“Since it’s also close to the New Year, don’t go empty-handed. Take some things with you before you go.”
Song Shi smiled and replied, “Sure, thank you, Mother.”
Song Shi went inside the house to gather some practical items, like food and fabric, things that would be useful at the moment.
Having found their family members, there was no reason for Song Xiao Ni to continue staying at the Shen household.
Taking advantage of the moment when Song Shi was fetching items, Song Xiao Ni also began packing her belongings from the room.
The Shen family treated Song Xiao Ni like their own child, and they never spared any expense for her.
After some packing, Song Xiao Ni had managed to fill two parcels with her things.
The ox cart that had been used to transport the Bai family earlier had been sent away to the county by Shen Ming.
Shen Dalang casually selected another cart and loaded it with the items Song Shi had prepared.
Shen Dalang took the reins, with Shen Yu’an, Shen Rong, Song Shi, Shen Wulang, and Song Xiao Ni sitting in the cart behind him.
Shen Dalang guided the ox cart out of the courtyard, and Song Shi, sitting in the cart, said, “Mother, we’ll be off now.”
Grandma Shen waved her hand and replied, “Go ahead, go ahead. If they need anything at your in-law’s place, be sure to help out.”
Song Shi felt touched. Just before they left, Grandma Shen slipped ten silver coins into her hands.
“Alright, I understand.”
As the ox cart began to move, Song Shi’s response gradually faded into the distance.
The rest of the Shen family stood at the entrance, watching the ox cart disappear into the distance, all wearing smiles on their faces.
Upon hearing the news that Song Shi’s maternal family had been located, the Shen family shared in her happiness.
During their time here, they had become somewhat familiar with the nearby villages, at least enough to know the way.
Little did they expect that the Song family would be so close, just in a village not far from them.
As the people sat on the ox cart, the initial joy was followed by a sense of worry.
They had forgotten to ask Fei Xi about the current situation of the Song family.
While they hoped for the best for the Song family, they also feared that the reality might not match their wishes.
Only the sound of rolling wheels on the road and the clattering of the cartwheels remained, as the ox-drawn cart made its way toward Song Village.
Upon reaching Family Village, the ox cart gradually slowed down.
Now it was the ninth day of the new year, and all the relatives who were supposed to visit had already left. A group of people sat under the large banyan tree at the entrance of the village, cracking melon seeds and chatting.
As Shen Yuan and his group, who had just entered the village, caught their attention.
“Whom are you looking for?” asked a person sitting among the crowd.
Those people all lifted their heads to look at the cart; apart from a few individuals, it was laden with various items.
The villagers wondered which family’s relatives had arrived.
However, before Shen Yu’an and his group could initiate a conversation, a middle-aged man sitting in the crowd lifted his head and caught sight of their faces.
“Oh my!”
The middle-aged man quickly stood up and walked towards the Shen family.
“Xiao Ni?!!!”
Upon hearing her name being called, Song Xiao Ni instinctively turned her gaze in the direction of the person.
Upon seeing this man, Song Xiao Ni quickly jumped down from the cart, stumbling a little due to the sudden movement.
The middle-aged man hurriedly extended his hand to steady Song Xiao Ni, preventing her from falling to the ground.
Seeing Song Xiao Ni, the middle-aged man naturally noticed the other people on the cart.
Although he wasn’t very familiar with them, the Songs were originally from Song Village, so he must know them.
“Oh my, you all…” the man seemed a bit at a loss for words. He pointed at Song Xiao Ni and said, “Xiao Ni, this girl disappeared, and everyone thought she couldn’t be found. Unexpectedly, you encountered her.”
At this moment, Song Xiao Ni also recognized the man and exclaimed in delight.
” Brother Liangzi!”
Song Xiao Ni also hopped down from the cart and engaged in conversation with the man.
The people sitting at the village entrance, who had observed this family’s connection with the recent newcomers to their village, remained silent and watched from the sidelines.
As it turned out, the man’s name was Song Liang, the legitimate son of the original Song Village.
After a brief chat, Song Liang smacked his forehead and said, “Look at me, how did you find out we’re here? Come, come, let me take you over.”
Shen Dalang followed behind Song Liang, urging the ox cart to proceed into the village.
The rest of the group disembarked from the cart and walked along.
Before long, Song Liang led Shen Yu’an and the others to the front of a courtyard.
Song Liang stood at the doorway and shouted into the courtyard, “Uncle Tian, come quickly and see who’s here.”
A woman opened the door from the inside and peered out.
As soon as the door was opened, Song Xiao Ni rushed over and cried out with a choked voice, “Mother!”
Inside and outside the door, there was a moment of commotion, even drawing the attention of several neighboring households.
Song Xiao Ni’s mother, Gao Shi, composed herself and gestured for them all to come inside.
Song Liang remained at the door without entering, and once everyone had gone inside, he left.
Seeing the Song family approach, other members of the Song family gathered as well, even those who were about to leave were called back.
The main hall of the Song residence wasn’t as spacious as the Shen family’s, so when everyone entered, they stood shoulder to shoulder.
The Song siblings were three in number, with two elder brothers above them.
In addition to the elder Song couple, the eldest son of the family, Song Dalang, had no children after marrying He Shi.
The second son, Song Erlang, married Gao Shi and had two sons, Song Erlang and Song Sanlang, along with Song Xiao Ni, making a total of three children.
However, Song Shi scanned the surroundings and realized that one person was missing.
She asked, “Where’s mother?”
At her words, the entire Song family fell silent, and a heavy feeling settled in Song Shi’s heart.
After a while, Granpa Song, sitting on a stool with an aged appearance, sighed and spoke, “Your Mother… was lost on the way.”
Song Shi covered her face and wept. Shen Yu’an couldn’t fully empathize, but seeing her in such distress was difficult. She stood beside her and gently patted her back, hoping to provide some comfort.
The group remained in silence, unsure of what to say. Once Song Shi’s emotions had calmed down a bit, they explained how her mother had passed away.
They had been heading south all the way, getting closer to the town, when they encountered a group of thief refugees.
Song Xiao Ni and her family were separated during the chaos. The two elderly members of the Song family were already in poor health, and during the incident, Grandma Song injured her waist.
The grandmother’s condition deteriorated to the point where she couldn’t continue walking, but the Song family refused to leave her behind.
Feeling like a burden due to her inability to continue and devastated by Song Xiao Ni’s disappearance, the grandmother stopped eating and, unable to endure, passed away after a few days. Presently, even Grandpa Song health was not great.
After a while, Song Shi managed to calm down and come to terms with the situation.
They had faced a natural disaster, and surviving it was already a stroke of luck.
Seeing her emotions stabilize, the group began to speak again, inquiring about Shen’s family and their current whereabouts.