The time for parting was near. This New Year, the Lin family appeared to be full of joy and laughter, but in truth, it was all forced smiles.
Li Cuihong racked her brains every day to prepare delicious dishes in different ways. She couldn’t remember her birth parents—it seemed that from the moment she became aware, she had been with her third sister. Later, she accompanied her as part of the dowry to the Li family. Then, at her third sister’s arrangement, she married the second son, Erlang, and remained with the Lin family, seeing her third sister every day. One could say she had never been separated from her third sister since childhood. Now, nearing forty, she was about to part from her for good. How could she bear it?
Madam Tong also became unusually fussy, constantly asking if everything was prepared, if anything had been forgotten, if they had enough silver. She reminded them to take care of their health—since she wouldn’t be around to check their pulses regularly, they must seek medical attention at the first sign of trouble and not delay, lest a minor illness turn serious. She told them to frequently check their stock of medicinal herbs and replenish any shortages promptly.
As for Li Qingyun and his wife, they wished they could pack up the entire Diecui Courtyard for their daughter. Diecui Courtyard was the girls’ private residence, and even after their daughter married, everything inside remained untouched. The couple had even continued adding new items. Now that their daughter was leaving, possibly never to return in this lifetime, the things in Diecui Courtyard might never be used by her again. How could they bear to part with them?
Ziyang ran to the Lin household three times a day, bringing money and gifts. If not for his parents and family tying him down, he would have gladly given himself to his third sister.
Lin Meng was studying in Shengcheng and was already accustomed to separation. Moreover, during long breaks, he could follow Lin Wen to visit his uncle’s family, so he didn’t feel much sorrow at parting.
Lin Juan and Lin Xia, however, spent their days clinging to Lin Cui’e, Lin Wu, and Lin Fang. As girls, if they married far away in the future, they might still have the chance to travel. But if they married nearby, they might never have the opportunity to leave home in their lifetime.
“Sister, this pearl is for you.”
A few days before the New Year, Li Yinwei finally returned to the Li family. The day before the eldest son’s family left, she came with her father to see Lin Fang and took out a pearl, placing it solemnly in Lin Fang’s palm. The pearl was perfectly round, lustrous, and black—clearly no ordinary treasure. Lin Fang asked curiously, “Fifth Cousin, where did you get this? It’s so beautiful.”
Of course it was. At this time, cultured pearls were unheard of. Naturally formed, how could it not be beautiful?
Li Yinwei laughed. “Oh, don’t tease me. Before I got this pearl, you had already received three strange pearls. And yours were even snatched away by an old monk.”
“An old monk? Which old monk? Fang doesn’t remember any strange pearls.”
No matter how hard she tried, Lin Fang couldn’t recall knowing any old monk or owning peculiar pearls. The pearls in her jewelry box were all ordinary. Suddenly, she realized she hadn’t thought about her past life in a long time. She only remembered that her family in that life had doted on her, but she had suffered from many ailments, the most severe being congenital heart disease, which ultimately claimed her life.
Li Yinwei assumed Lin Fang was too young to remember things she had played with and said, “It’s fine if you don’t remember. I’m giving this pearl to you. Whenever you see it, you’ll think of me, so when I come looking for you in the future, you won’t say you don’t recognize me.”
“How could Fang ever forget Fifth Cousin?” Lin Fang placed the pearl back into Li Yinwei’s small bag. “Fifth Cousin should keep it. This pearl is precious. You can use it as part of your dowry when you marry.”
After Lin Boshi’s death, Madam Dong seemed to have lost her backbone. She no longer lashed out as freely as before and lived quietly alone. Sometimes she would sit for hours, occasionally muttering to herself, laughing heartily at happy moments, or even crying and laughing at once. Over the months, her teeth fell out one by one. By the time the eldest son brought his children and sister to visit her, she had no teeth left. Her lips sagged, her face was deeply wrinkled, and her speech was slurred. She could only chew slowly with her gums.
When Lin Cui’e spoke to Madam Dong, the latter only rambled, “Go, all of you, go.” No matter what was said to her, she repeated the same phrase. Madam Tong said she had lost her wits, but perhaps it was for the best—simple, without sorrow or joy.
The tenth son also seemed like a changed man, much gentler now. When his eldest brother, seventh sister, and eleventh sister returned, he personally served them tea and chatted with them, even cracking a joke or two. When the eldest son gave him instructions, he agreed earnestly, showing none of his former temper. Lin Fang sneered inwardly. Lin Boshi had been stingy his whole life, demanding all his sons’ wages, only to cast them out penniless. His daughters were given a mere ten taels as dowry. Now, all the wealth he had hoarded belonged solely to the tenth son. No wonder he was so cheerful.
Ah, how pitiful her own father was—no longer considered a descendant of the Lin family in name, forced to leave his hometown in exile, and even burdened with taking Lin family daughters with him.
No matter how reluctant they were, parting was inevitable. After the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth, the eldest son’s family set off.
Their new home was near the provincial border, under the jurisdiction of Baishui Town, even further north than Liangping Town. After the New Year, the weather warmed. In Liangping Town, people could already shed their heavy cotton coats during the day, and wearing thin cotton jackets under the sun would make them sweat. Villagers had begun carrying farm tools to the fields, loosening the soil and preparing to plant their planned crops.
But in Baishui Town, the ground was still frozen. It would take at least half a month before they could break ground and start work.
The eldest son, second son, sixth son, and Wang Hongbang, along with Lin Wu, rode ahead to Baishui Town to prepare for construction—buying materials, hiring craftsmen, measuring land. There were countless tasks. Manager Dong had already moved there earlier when Lin Zhongshi purchased the grain shop in Baishui Town. By the time the eldest son’s group arrived, Manager Dong had already laid the groundwork.
Lin Wen had also wanted to go with the eldest son to help build their new home. After all, his studies were already restricted, so a short delay wouldn’t matter. But the eldest son and Li Cuimei refused. Qi Biao also persuaded him, though no one knew what he said. In the end, Lin Wen had no choice but to return to school first.
Gui Cheng accompanied the women in the carriage, traveling at a slower pace. Last year, when he and Lin Zhongshi went to scout Baishui Town, they had already checked the inns along the way. They had planned when to depart, when to rest, and where to stop for meals, discussing it thoroughly with the family. Thus, the journey proceeded smoothly.
Lin Zhongshi had also wanted to go, but with his sons, nephews, and grandsons all leaving Liangping Town, only the women remained at home. No matter how capable they were, having no men in the household made him uneasy, so he had to stay behind. In any case, he already knew the location. If he wished to visit in the future, he could take his wife along.
“Sixth Sister, do you know what our new home is like?”
“No.”
“Does Sixth Sister want to go to the new home?”
“No.”
“Yuan wants to go. Father said the new home is big, with mountains, water, and fish. Next year, there might even be a fishery like the one in Liangping Town, maybe even bigger.”
Lin Yuan, with her bound feet, was usually not allowed to leave the house except to play with Lin Fang. Naturally lively, she had grown restless from being confined to the small courtyard all day. So unlike Lin Fang, who was saddened by the departure, Lin Yuan felt inexplicably excited.
Ah, Lin Fang had always dreamed of traveling the world. Now she was finally out, and the journey wasn’t short, yet she couldn’t muster any enthusiasm, feeling only gloom. If this had been a joyous trip, it would have been different. But her family was being forced to leave their hometown.
End of Volume Two.
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