Chapter 20: I'm Back

Qi Younian and his companions were lucky; as dusk approached, they arrived at a nearby large town.

The three found an inn that was neither too big nor too small to settle in, took a comfortable bath, and had a proper dinner at the inn before they discussed their subsequent journey.

Ye Xinyan repeated her concerns and discussed them with the two, mainly asking Qi Younian what kind of animal and cart they should buy for the next part of the journey.

She asked Qi Younian, between an ox cart and a donkey cart, which one was better.

Ye Xinyan's worries were grounded in reality; now that they had some silver taels in hand, they might as well do as she suggested and buy an animal for transport. With an animal and a cart, they could save on physical effort and quicken their pace. Once they arrived in Clear Water Village in Eastern Yu, the animal and flatbed cart could still be useful, so it wouldn't be too much of a loss.

"If we're talking about versatility, an ox would be better," said Qi Younian, "but since we're mainly focused on making good time, ox carts are just too slow. Let's buy a donkey instead. Our luggage isn't heavy, and pulling the cart won't be too strenuous. Besides, donkeys are a bit cheaper compared to oxen."

Ye Xinyan looked to Nanny Jin: "Then shall we acquire a donkey cart?"

Seeing that Ye Xinyan's borrowing money hadn't brought any significant consequences, and that Jiang Yifan had simply left, apparently not the least bit interested in their destination, Nanny Jin also relaxed. "This servant doesn't understand these matters; it's best to listen to the old master's advice," she said.

"Then we'll do as Grandpa suggested. Tomorrow we'll find out where we can buy a donkey and cart," Ye Xinyan nodded in agreement.

A canopy cart would of course be nice, but wouldn't that require spending more money? And it wouldn't even hold that much. A flatbed cart can carry things and is more economical; of course, it's the first choice.

After deciding, just as they were about to return to their rooms to rest, Ye Xinyan remembered the most important question: "Grandpa, do you know how to drive a cart?"

Qi Younian laughed: "If I didn't know how to drive, why would I agree to you buying an animal?"

Having silver made the road ahead much smoother, and they could truly rest easy. Of the past twenty-plus days, this was the most comfortable sleep they'd had.

Waking up early the next morning and having breakfast at the inn, the three visited the livestock market. They spent eleven taels of silver to buy a two-year-old donkey and a donkey cart, and they also sold off the single-wheeled cart at a cheap price. After topping up their wardrobe and everyday items, they spent a total of nineteen taels of silver.

Ye Xinyan, feeling the bulge of her coin purse, thought with satisfaction: Having money is indeed great.

After resting at the inn for a day, Ye Xinyan and her companions leisurely rode the donkey cart, starting their journey towards Eastern Yu.

The journey was much more comfortable with an animal to bear the load, even if it was a bit bumpy at times. Their speed had more than doubled, but they were not as tired.

It took them twenty days to enter Yuyuan Prefecture.

Qi Younian had left his home forty-two years ago, and as he approached his birthplace, his heart became increasingly uneasy. When he had left, he was too young to fully grasp the sentiments towards his parents and siblings. By the time he understood the importance of family ties, he was already beyond his own control, consigned to the military at the border pass. Later, he felt disheartened and ashamed, thinking he couldn't face his family back home.

Now nearly sixty, it goes without saying that he, the unfilial son, might not be able to see his parents again.

Ye Xinyan comforted Qi Younian along the way. After resting for a few days in Yuyuan City, where Yamen was located, they spent nearly ten taels of silver on relatively practical gifts before setting off again.

Since borrowing one hundred taels of silver, Qi Younian and his family had spent over fifty taels on buying vehicles, staying in inns, and now on gifts for Qi Younian's family. With fifty-four taels of silver remaining for the family of three, they still considered themselves to be reasonably well-off.

Qi Younian had once been a seasoned traveller, having wandered far and wide, so the bulk of the silver was entrusted to him, while Ye Xinyan and Nanny Jin carried no more than a small amount of silver each, just in case.

Three days later, the trio arrived at Qingyuan County and settled into one of the county's finest inns to bathe and tidy up. The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, they had breakfast and took a donkey cart toward Clear Water Village, where Qi Younian's family home was located.

Clear Water Village was a village under the jurisdiction of Qingyuan County, not very far from the county itself. After a little over one Shichen, before the Si Hour, they entered the village by donkey cart.

Gazing upon the village, which had changed little from his recollection, Qi Younian's weathered eyes filled with moisture, and the wrinkles on his face seemed all the more etched by time.

Now was the busy farming season, and there were not many idle people in the village; the occasional adults and children who passed by looked at them from a distance, their eyes filled with strangeness and curiosity.

Ye Xinyan observed all this, feeling uneasy. Perhaps this was what the poem meant by "the children meet, yet do not know each other, laughing and asking the guest from where he comes." And that grandfather had been gone even longer, no adult in the village recognized him.

Ye Xinyan quietly asked Qi Younian, "Grandfather, has the village changed much since your day? Do you still remember the way home?"

Qi Younian suppressed the hot tears threatening to spill from his eyes and said solemnly, "There are some changes, but overall, it's still the same old place. I remember roughly where our house is." How could he forget the hometown that had always lingered in his mind?

Having said this, Qi Younian jumped down from the cart shaft.

Seeing Ye Xinyan also moving to dismount, he quickly stopped her, "You and your nanny just sit tight. I just wanted to step onto the soil of my hometown. There's nothing else to it."

It was then that a villager approached and asked, "Excuse me, uncle, are you visiting relatives, or are you looking for someone?" The man was of average build and middle age, and he spoke with a calm tone.

Ye Xinyan figured he must be someone like the village chief or Lizheng.

Qi Younian didn't halt but bowed to the middle-aged man, saying, "This humble old man's surname is Qi. I am originally from this village. I left home when I was young and only now have I returned to my native soil."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man was momentarily stunned, then gauged Qi Younian's age, and quickly realized, exclaiming with surprise, "You're the second son of Old Master Qi, who left home for over forty years, aren't you?"

Qi Younian hastily bowed again, "Indeed, I am he. Might I ask who you are?"

The middle-aged man glanced at the two women, young and old, in the cart, and with a bow himself, said, "I am the village chief of Clear Water Village. My surname is He, He Quantai."

"So you are the village chief. I have taken the liberty of returning suddenly and have caused you inconvenience," said Qi Younian.

"Not at all, not at all. We're all fellow villagers. It's a good thing for you to be able to return to your native land," He Quantai replied.

The two men chatted as they walked further into the village. Some youngsters who overhead their conversation had already started running ahead, shouting as they went, "Relatives have come to the Qi family! Qi Sanshun's second uncle has returned!"

By the time they reached the entrance of the Qi family's old house, an elderly woman, having heard the news, was standing at the door, looking their way.

Approaching the gate, Qi Younian stopped the donkey cart and Ye Xinyan and Nanny Jin quickly got down.

Qi Younian, containing his profound sadness, studied the old woman for a long time but could not recognize her, and so he bowed again, his voice trembling as he spoke, "I am the second son of the Old Master Qi Wuer from the Qi family, Qi Younian. May I ask which of the Qi family is at home?"