Chapter 43: Paving the Way

Chapter 43: Paving the Way

Upon arrival, Sui Yu saw that the trap had collapsed again. She rushed over, but the cat was quicker. If she hadn't grabbed its hind leg in time, it would have jumped into the pit.

"Meow—" the cat protested loudly.

"Don't move," Sui Yu slapped its back lightly. She cleared away the dry grass covering the pit and pulled out a frozen field mouse impaled on a sharp stick.

"No rabbits, just a field mouse. It's quite heavy." Sui Yu handed the field mouse to Sui Liang. In autumn, when they were harvesting millet, she had seen fat rats scurrying around stealing food. These field mice had caused significant damage to their crops.

"Meow—" the cat mewed hoarsely.

Sui Liang patted it, unsure whether he should feed it.

Sui Yu set up the trap again. She took the field mouse and tossed it into the basket, then picked up the cat and walked along the ridges, saying, "Brother Liang, follow me. We're leaving now."

The siblings, with the cat, mounted their camel and followed the river downstream. To avoid meeting acquaintances, Sui Yu chose not to pass through the city, instead bypassing the military settlement and moving through the fields.

The majestic Great Wall, stretching across the northwest, was visible in the distance. As they passed through the residential area, the road became wider, and the sand in the soil increased. The cold wind carried sand, making the horizon hazy.

As the saying goes, "A horse can tire itself out trying to reach a distant mountain." Sui Yu felt this journey was similar. Although the winding Great Wall was in sight, the camel took half a day to reach its base.

Frozen stiff from the ride, Sui Yu dismounted, her legs numb. She held onto her knees for a moment before straightening up.

"Brother Liang, grab my hand and get down. Where's the cat?"

Sui Liang patted his belly; beneath his clothes, the cat stirred and emerged from his collar, landing gracefully on all fours.

It was noon, and the laborers by the wall, sitting or squatting, noticed the woman approaching. Their tired eyes lit up with greed as they stared at her. When she looked their way, someone whistled loudly and shrilly.

Sui Yu ignored the sound, scanning the crowd repeatedly without seeing any familiar faces. Her heart sank.

"Who are you looking for?" a soldier asked loudly.

"Sui Wen'an. He was exiled here in early August."

"Over there." The soldier pointed and urged, "Move faster. Don’t linger here."

Hearing this, Sui Yu led the camel forward quickly, with Sui Liang holding the cat and following behind.

The people on the wall watched the scene below. While Sui Yu squinted to find someone, Sui Wen'an had already spotted her. He bowed slightly and asked the overseer for permission to leave. Once granted, he carefully descended the embankment, wary of being pushed or tripped.

He reached the other side of the river and waved at the girl leading the camel. "Yu, over here."

Sui Yu paused. If not for his unchanged voice, she might not have recognized him. The man approaching her was hunched, his face swollen, and his hair streaked with white.

"Cousin?" she called tentatively.

Sui Wen'an managed a weak smile, glancing at Sui Liang. "Brother Liang has put on some weight. Can you speak now?"

Sui Liang shook his head.

"I came to see you." Sui Yu spoke hesitantly, taking down the basket from the camel’s back. She uncovered the top layer of dry grass to reveal a pot with thirty buns. Feeling the temperature with her hand, she found them cold.

"I made some buns. Have a bite." Sui Yu handed him two buns that weren't completely frozen.

Seeing the half-basket of buns, Sui Wen'an's eyes widened. Without thanking her, he crouched down and began eating voraciously.

Up close, Sui Yu noticed the swelling on his face had bruises, likely from a beating. She silently measured the width and concluded it was probably from a shoe sole.

She looked away, feeling conflicted. After he finished eating, she asked, "Are you full?"

Sui Wen'an smiled, the bones under his swollen skin causing him pain. His face twitched, and the smile faded.

"Full. This is the first time I've been full since I was thrown into prison. Thank you for coming to see me, Yu."

"It's only right. We are family." Sui Yu counted the remaining buns. Sui Wen'an had eaten five. She hesitated and asked, "Has Sui Ling come to see you?"

"Once." Sui Wen'an glanced at the basket, then licked his lips, a vague suspicion forming in his mind.

"Strangely enough, she brought buns too, also filled with radish." He looked up and said, "Did you plan this together?"

Sui Yu shook her head. She had no intention of being anonymous. "The buns were from my stall. I used to sell buns. She said she wanted to visit you but couldn't bring anything from home, so she came to my stall. I gave her six. Didn't you eat enough?"

"Six?" Sui Wen'an sighed wistfully, looking around. "I'm full, really full..."

This was her true sister. Sui Wen'an suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

Sui Yu sensed something was wrong and stopped asking questions. Instead, she retrieved an old pair of straw shoes hanging from the camel's sides, untied the rope, and handed them over. "These are your brother-in-law's old shoes. They're warm and inconspicuous. Take them."

Sui Wen'an thanked her again, noticing the difference between his sisters and Sui Yu. Sui Yu was thoughtful and doing well, while his previous worries seemed unfounded.

"What happened to your face?" Sui Yu asked.

"Huimei came two days ago with winter clothes and shoes, all new." Sui Wen'an weighed the straw shoes in his hands and said, "Wearing new clothes as a beggar invites envy. Within half a day, they were taken from me, and I got beaten."

"Who beat you?"

Sui Wen'an glanced at the Great Wall. The attackers were his own uncles and cousins. Under daily oppression, they resented him more each day. Even hiding didn't prevent their abuse, especially when someone brought him food and clothing.

"It was dark; I couldn't see who it was." Sui Wen'an decided not to mention it, picking up another bun and eating it. Between bites, he asked, "Are the rest for the uncles and cousins?"

"Yes, to avoid jealousy."

Sui Wen'an nodded, once again marveling at how much better Sui Yu was than his other sisters.

"Don't come here anymore. This place isn't good." Sui Wen'an stood up, knowing it was time to return to work. He quickly added, "Yu, please check on Huimei when you go back to the city. She seemed off when she left two days ago."

Sui Yu frowned, wanting to refuse, but then he continued, "Also, tell her that if I die, don't bother collecting my bones. Bury me where I fall."

Sui Yu's heart skipped a beat. She looked up at him, and when she mentioned death, a look of relief and even longing appeared on his face.

"There's one more thing: live your lives well. Don't dwell on the past, good or bad, and don't contact our clansmen anymore." Sui Wen'an added briefly.

The watchtower's whistle sounded, and the scattered laborers rose like a swarm of dark ants to begin their work. Sui Wen'an tucked up his robe to pick up the buns, and before turning away, he gently patted Sui Liang's shoulder.

"Cousin, have you ever thought about fighting in battle to earn military merit? Military merit can erase slave status," Sui Yu whispered. "Since you're not afraid of dying, why not try your luck on the battlefield?"

"But you need the opportunity to go to war."

"I'll keep an eye out for you. Just hang in there a bit longer."

Sui Wen'an pondered for a moment. He didn't want to die with a stain on his name, so he nodded. "Then I'll trouble you, Sister Yu."

"No trouble. I'm counting on you to help me escape once you're free." Sui Yu spoke earnestly.

Sui Wen'an shook his head and laughed. "You think too highly of me. Alright, if I get the chance, I'll help you both gain freedom."

With that, he walked away, his steps lighter than when he arrived.

"Oh, Cousin, are Aunt Chun's children and grandchildren still alive?" Sui Yu hurried to ask.

"Alive, they're all still alive."

Sui Yu felt relieved. Having seen what she needed to see and asked what she needed to ask, she tidied up the basket, lifted Sui Liang onto the camel, handed him the basket, and climbed up herself.

"Let's go home." She patted the camel.

After another half-day journey, they entered the military settlement as night fell. The alley was deserted. Sui Yu led the camel inside, then carried a bundle of straw in and said, "Liang, secure the door."

The door closed and bolted, and a fire started in the kitchen. With the light from the fire, the dark house seemed less frightening.

Sui Yu held a cleaver in one hand and an oil lamp in the other, searching carefully through the woodshed, bedroom, living room, and camel pen. Finding no one hiding, she felt reassured.

She skinned, decapitated, and gutted the field mouse she had caught in a trap earlier, stir-fried it, and served it on a shallow plate. It was enough for Sui Yu and Sui Liang to share.

After being out in the cold all day, Sui Yu began coughing that night. The next day, she rested at home. In the warm afternoon, she went to the vegetable garden and cut some leeks, cleaned them, and placed them on a lid to drain.

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month, Sui Yu made two egg and leek pancakes early in the morning. She filled a water flask with hot water to keep the pancakes warm and left alone when no one was around.

Following her memory, she quietly made her way to the brothel. She didn't dare approach closely and first circled the river downstream. Seeing no one, she slowly headed toward the brothel. From a distance, she heard men laughing loudly.

With no farm work in winter, the camp prostitutes no longer had to labor outside, and the brothel's gate remained open day and night.

Sui Yu stopped walking and stood in the wilderness, tormented by memories of those few days she wished she could forget. She couldn't do anything; thinking about it only tortured her.

The cold wind chilled her to the bone. Sui Yu silently counted, planning to leave and never return.

A woman emerged from the gate, and Sui Yu paused again. She took a few steps forward and saw the woman heading toward the river. Sui Yu followed.

"Aunt Chun." Sui Yu recognized her and ran over, clutching the water flask and warm pancakes.

"Yu girl? Why did you come here?" Aunt Chun put down her bucket and waved her hand. "Go away quickly. Don't come here. The men here are no good. You shouldn't run into them."

"I came to see you and will leave right away." Sui Yu pulled out the two pancakes from her chest and handed them over. "Eat quickly; they're still warm."

Aunt Chun accepted them. "Alright, you should go."

Sui Yu didn't plan to stay long. She instructed, "These pancakes are for you. Eat them before going back, so no one finds out. Also, I went north yesterday. Your son and grandchildren are all still alive. I came to tell you."

Hearing news of her family, Aunt Chun trembled. Upon realizing what Sui Yu said, tears streamed down her face. "Alive is good, alive is good, they're all alive..."