Chapter 212: This is a Road Full of Hope

Chapter 212: This is a Road Full of Hope

The camels carried people out of the city slowly. Sui Yu released the reins and covered her face with her hands, tears slipping through her fingers. She took a deep breath and slowly wiped away the tears.

"Sis," Sui Liang ran over, having disappeared earlier to prepare to see her off outside the city.

"Don't cry. Little Zai won’t cry for long," Sui Liang said.

Sui Yu lowered her hand and sighed, "Then Little Zai is entrusted to you."

"Yes." Sui Liang handed her a package. He had bought cowhide, carefully drilled holes in it, and bound it with hemp rope to make a sleeveless jacket. "I remember when my brother-in-law went to war, you made him a cowhide vest. Why didn’t you prepare one for yourself this time?"

Sui Yu was stunned.

"Don't worry about home. You need to take care of yourself too. You’re human, just like us. You can be hurt and you can die," Sui Liang said seriously. "It's okay if you don't make money. Just go out and see what's out there, and come back when you've seen it. We don’t need to eat meat at every meal."

Sui Yu reached out to pat her younger brother's head. He had grown up, had his own ideas, and now worried about her.

"Okay, I'll return when the wheat turns yellow," she solemnly agreed.

Sui Liang stepped back. "We'll wait for you at home. Go now, the sun has risen high."

Sui Yu tucked the flute into her package, slung it over her shoulder, glanced at Sui Liang, and looked back once more. The father and son were no longer visible within the city gates.

The reins snapped, and the camel lifted its hooves, following the caravan out of Dunhuang city step by step.

Sui Liang stood with his arms crossed, watching as the long caravan wound forward, the camel bells ringing softly, gradually fading away.

Song Xian slowed down, looking back at the city gate. The wind whipped up the sand, and behind the caravan, a cloud of dust rolled, obscuring the figures beyond the city walls. She wasn't sure if her husband would come out to see them off for a while.

As the caravan became a black dot in the desert, Sui Liang took a deep breath and turned to enter the city.

"Brother Huang, could you find Gu Qianhu and ask him to grant me leave? I need to leave the city for ten days and will return," Zhao Xiping said. A child was strapped to his chest, a bow and arrows slung over his shoulder, and wolf skin quilts, water bags, and dry rations tied to the camel.

"Are you taking these to Jade Gate Pass?" Huang Ancheng asked.

Zhao Xiping nodded. "Yes." As he left the city gate and saw Sui Liang, he instructed, "The guest house is under your care. I'll be back within ten days."

"Wait!" Sui Liang hurriedly followed and stopped him. "Isn’t one farewell enough? If you catch up, it will only make my sister and Little Zai sad again."

"Are you going to cry again?" Zhao Xiping asked the child in front of him.

Little Zai shook his head. "I won’t cry."

But his voice still carried a hint of a runny nose.

"He won’t cry again," Zhao Xiping told Sui Liang.

Sui Liang was speechless. Could you trust the word of a two-year-old? Who was the adult here?

"Uncle, I won't cry," Little Zai poked his head out of his sheepskin jacket. "I'll go comfort my mother."

Earlier, when Little Zai had cried loudly, he regretted it as soon as the sound left him. Realizing his mother would be leaving the city and no one would comfort her, he wanted to chase after her.

Zhao Xiping had already been considering this, and after reassuring Little Zai several times, he went back to fetch the necessary supplies for the journey, ensuring everything was well-prepared. He was going to take the child on a short trip for a few days.

"I won’t say more. I'm going to catch up to your sister," Zhao Xiping urged the camel to run.

"Hey!" Sui Liang's face paled with anger. He grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it with all his strength.

Huang Ancheng saw this and couldn't help but smile. His gaze then shifted to the dark shape in the distant desert. He sighed heavily and went back to work.

"Brother Huang, why did your wife go beyond the pass too?"

"She's gone mad," Huang Ancheng said indifferently.

The other city guards smiled. Things could no longer be undone. Someone comforted him, "If the women's merchant team can make a name for themselves, they'll gain both reputation and wealth. They'll build a substantial family fortune, and your family won't have to worry about food for the next three generations."

"Yes, and you can use it to buy an official position for your son. By the time your grandson grows up, if any of them are capable, your family will rise to a new status," another added.

Sui Liang glanced at Huang Ancheng and then walked briskly into the city.

It was nearing noon. Having wasted an hour, Zhao Xiping was far behind the merchant caravan. If he were alone, he could have gone without food or drink. But with a child, he had to make sure to give him water, eggs, and take care of his other needs regularly, causing him to fall further behind Sui Yu.

As dusk approached, Sui Yu's caravan was still on the move, but Zhao Xiping had to stop and rest. He found a spot with some scattered trees where the camels could graze, and he gathered a bundle of branches. Using the dry grass and kindling he brought, he lit a fire.

The fire was burning, and night had completely fallen.

At that moment, a merchant caravan passed by. The little one stood in his father's arms, eyes wide.

"Little one? Deputy Zhao?" Someone in the caravan recognized them by the firelight.

"We wanted to see off Merchant Jade, but she left too quickly," Zhao Xiping said with a smile. "It's okay. We're just taking my child out for a two-day outing."

"Your child is still so young..." The merchant didn't know what to say, worried the child might get scared or catch a cold. The night in February wasn't warm.

"You two are very bold," the escort said, shaking his head. He advised, "Head back when it's daylight. If we catch up with Merchant Jade's caravan, we'll pass on a message for you."

"Thank you. Since it's her first time leading a team beyond the pass, please look out for her, brothers. When she returns, if there's anything you need from me, just let me know," Zhao Xiping said straightforwardly.

For merchants, befriending an official was like having a protective charm. They gladly agreed.

The caravan left. The desert had no rough paths, and the full moon lit the way. They had to travel through the night.

Zhao Xiping heated the pancakes. He broke off the burnt parts for himself and gave the white insides to the little one.

"Dad, are there wolves?" The little one stared at the endless desert, his mind filled with endless thoughts.

"No," Zhao Xiping added two more sticks to the fire. He used a stick to separate the cracked eggs, eating the dirty parts and leaving the clean ones for the little one.

"Mom... Mom every day..." The little one didn't know how to express himself. He stood up and looked west. The caravan was no longer visible, but he could still hear the camel bells.

"Mom is pitiful," the little one muttered.

Zhao Xiping nodded in agreement. "Your mother is pitiful. We enjoy blessings at home while she works hard outside to earn money. When she returns, we'll keep her happy and not let her cry."

"Okay." The little one sat back on his father's lap.

After feeding him a few more bites of egg and pancake, Zhao Xiping saw him shaking his head, indicating he didn't want anymore. He opened the warmed water sack and tasted it. The water was warm enough, so he fed the child a few sips.

After eating, Zhao Xiping took down the bundle of grass and wolf skin blanket from the camel's back, spread the dry grass on the ground, and laid down with the little one in his arms. He placed the sheepskin jacket under the child and covered him with the wolf skin blanket. With the fire still burning nearby, it wasn't cold.

The little one snuggled in Zhao Xiping's arms, smacked his lips, mumbled incoherently, and gradually quieted down.

Zhao Xiping also fell asleep. He woke up five times in the middle of the night to add more firewood. When the sound of camel bells echoed again in the desert, he fed the little one breakfast, packed up, and resumed their journey.

Zhao Xiping understood that he had completely lost track of Sui Yu, but he had no intention of stopping. It was good to let the little one experience the life of traveling and camping in the open. Sitting on a camel and looking at the desert would keep him from crying when they returned.

At noon, a caravan approached from behind. This caravan was based in the civilian quarters of the city. Despite being strangers to each other, the caravan folks kindly asked if any help was needed and why they were traveling through the desert with a child.

"We're going to find my mother," the child spoke first.

The merchant glanced at Zhao Xiping, asking, "Do you need any assistance?"

Zhao Xiping waved his hand, "We’ll turn back after reaching Jade Gate Pass."

The merchant, though puzzled, did not press further. The caravan passed them, continuing on their way.

Zhao Xiping slowed down, steering his camel to turn north, creating some distance to avoid the dust. He then sped up.

By midday on the third day, Sui Yu’s caravan had already left Jade Gate Pass, while Zhao Xiping and his child only caught a glimpse of the city walls.

After another day in the desert, they entered Jade Gate Pass just as the gates were closing.

Jade Gate Pass was much smaller than Dunhuang, but it had tall walls. Outside the city were large granaries and hay stores, stocked with supplies for wartime.

Zhao Xiping and his child stayed overnight in the city after finding lodging. The next day, they ventured out. He allowed the child to gaze at the granaries from the Gobi Desert. The granaries, about three zhang high and stretching forty to fifty zhang from east to west, resembled a dragon lying on the ground.

"Wow," the child exclaimed, pointing and eager to go there.

"We can't get closer, or we'll be riddled with arrows," Zhao Xiping said with a smile.

As the sun rose, the granary cast a huge shadow on the Gobi, which gradually shrank as the sun climbed higher.

Another caravan emerged from the city, the sound of camel bells ringing out. The child turned his head to watch intently.

The camels took heavy steps on the hard Gobi, stirring up dust that glittered in the sunlight. The merchants wore wide hemp cloths covering their hair and faces. The biting northwest wind howled past, lifting the cloths to reveal determined eyes.

As the caravan moved further away, the sound of the camel bells changed in the wind.

"It's time for us to head back," Zhao Xiping said, honestly telling the child, "We're too late, and your mother has already left."

The child withdrew his gaze.

"Should we come back next time to send her off?" Zhao Xiping suggested.

"Okay," the child readily agreed with a nod.

"Then shall we go back? Your uncle is waiting at home."

The child nodded once more.

Zhao Xiping chuckled, feeling the trip was worthwhile; the child no longer resisted Sui Yu’s departure.

Zhao Xiping drove the camel back. The expanse outside the gate was wide and empty. Except for an oasis where Jade Gate Pass stood, all around were Gobi and desert. Standing outside the gate, he could see the snowy mountains to the south more clearly than from Dunhuang.

As they entered the gate, Zhao Xiping and the child looked back. "Tell your mother, you're not crying anymore," he said.

"Yes, I won't cry, and neither will Mom," the child said, mimicking Sui Yu's farewell gesture.

Zhao Xiping glanced into the distance, then turned to enter the gate with the child.

"Once we're back, we'll start planting wheat," he told the child.

"When the wheat turns yellow, Mom will be back," the child said with a smile of anticipation.

"Yes, when the wheat turns yellow, your Mom will return," Zhao Xiping said, tucking the child into his arms. He went to the street to buy a bag of eggs and paid someone to boil them. After restocking their supplies, he left Jade Gate Pass on his camel.

They returned, encountering continuous caravans heading west. During this season, the camel bells between Dunhuang and Jade Gate Pass echoed continuously.

It was a road brimming with hope.