Chapter 272: Abandoned

Chapter 272: Abandoned

Before dawn, Song Xian woke up. In the dimly lit bedroom, she leaned against the bedpost, lost in thought.

When she heard movement in the courtyard, she made her decision.

"Wake the young master and have him come to me," Song Xian said as she got out of bed, throwing off the fox fur mattress. She called out to the maid outside, "Xiao Yu, pack the young master's belongings, including his thick coat and boots."

The maid outside hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to follow the order.

Huang Ancheng, hearing the commotion from the adjacent room, came out and asked bluntly, "What are you up to now?"

Song Xian ignored him.

Not long after, Song Congzu hurried over, looking uneasy. "Mother, why are you having the servants pack my things?"

"I'm taking you beyond the pass," Song Xian said, feeling a sense of relief as the words left her mouth. She patted her chest and spoke lightly, "I've been overthinking, too greedy and never satisfied, and that's why I've been so troubled. Congzu, my initial wish was simply for you to carry on the family legacy. All this talk of buying official titles and positions—that was just my greed. Congzu, pack your things—no, you don't need to pack much. Just follow my merchant group, and I'll teach you how to do business."

"Have you gone mad?" Huang Ancheng shouted. "You're just... you're acting on a whim!"

Song Xian was startled. She turned her head to look at him and scolded, "Did I hit a nerve? Why are you shouting? I'm just sticking to my original plan."

Lvya'er rushed over, her heart pounding as she heard the argument in the courtyard. She braced herself and walked in, only to hear her father loudly objecting.

Song Xian couldn't be bothered to listen to his rant. She turned to her son and said, "Come with me now. Don't waste any time."

"Mother, what's going on? Where are you taking my brother?" Lvya'er asked.

"I'm taking him beyond the pass, into the frontier."

"But... but didn't you say you were going to buy an official position for him?" Lvya'er whispered.

Song Xian shook her head. "I've changed my mind. I was being unrealistic. I won't make life hard for you or for myself anymore. Let's focus on doing business first. The family business will go to your brother, and I'll prepare a dowry for you. That's it."

Lvya'er was stunned.

"Mother, let's sit down and eat first," Song Congzu said, forcing a smile despite his pale face. He took his sister's hand and said, "Let's go and have breakfast with Mother."

Huang Ancheng followed them with a stern expression.

At the dining table, Song Congzu suggested, "Why don't we take my sister with us? We can go and see the sights beyond the pass. My sister is timid and often scares herself. Maybe seeing the world will help her overcome her fears..."

Song Xian looked at him in surprise, and Song Congzu quickly fell silent.

Lvya'er kept her head down, staring at the food in her bowl. She stole a glance at her father. Last year, her mother had said something similar, and it had led to a big argument between her parents.

She waited, but the room stayed quiet.

After the meal, Song Xian got up to leave. Huang Ancheng spoke up, "Are you really determined to drag a child into your business?"

"Yes," Song Xian replied calmly. "You know what it's like to be poor, so I won't sugarcoat it. Buying a powerless official title or a meaningless name is useless compared to having money in hand. We have the means to make money, and at least two generations will benefit from it."

Huang Ancheng conceded, "You're speaking the truth, but this is too rushed. Why don't we put it off for now? Next year, when you enter the Guanzhong region, a safer area within the pass, take Lvya'er and Congzu with you. Let the siblings see the world, and then we can decide who will take over the business."

Song Xian suddenly burst into laughter. She finally understood—men always put their sons first. Her father had been like this, and now her husband was too.

Song Xian turned to her daughter and asked again, "Lvya'er, do you understand now? Are you willing to come with me?"

Lvya'er's lips trembled as she looked at her mother, too afraid to glance back at her father and brother. She stood up and made her way to the door. She finally understood—when it came to traveling beyond the pass for business, her mother would inevitably take either her or her brother. Last year, she had been the chosen one, but her father and brother had both opposed it. This year, her brother was the chosen one, and her father and brother had both pushed her forward instead. She couldn't quickly weigh the pros and cons of joining the merchant group, but she knew one thing for sure: when no one at home opposed her going out to do business, the one who would leave home would undoubtedly be her.

It can only be said that both her father and brother chose government service over commerce.

"I'm taking Lvya'er with me. From now on, the caravan and the servants are hers," Song Xian said resolutely.

Lvya'er wore a large, dark fox fur coat and a black wolfskin hat that covered half her face. Sui Yu didn't recognize her at first and had to look several times before asking, "Elder Sister Song, is this a relative of yours?"

"This is my Lvya'er," Song Xian replied with a smile.

Sui Yu was shocked, but it wasn’t the right moment to ask questions. She comforted Lvya'er, saying, "Don't be afraid, Lvya'er. Look at how many of us there are. Even if we encounter a wolf pack, nothing will happen."

"Wolf packs are afraid of humans too. With three caravans together, we have nearly four hundred camels. Later, we'll remove the camel hair stuffed inside the bells, and the sound of the bells together will scare the wolf pack away," Xiao Chunhong chimed in.

Lvya'er nodded but remained silent.

As they moved further away from the city, the camels entered the desert. The servants removed the camel hair stuffed inside the bells, and as the camels moved, the bells jingled loudly. People had to shout just to be heard over the clanging bells.

They didn't stop to rest at noon, and by evening, the caravan halted. The servants unloaded the goods, and the camels went into the desert to find dry grass to eat.

While setting up the tents, Song Xian pulled Sui Yu aside and told her about what had happened that morning.

"Now I finally see men for what they are, but honestly, I wish I didn’t. This disappoints me more than our fights," Song Xian said, shaking her head. Seeing things too clearly frightened her, and she didn't dare to use certain words, at most calling them vain and opportunistic.

"Lvya'er will be heartbroken," Sui Yu said.

"It's not too late for her to be heartbroken now. The fact that she's willing to come with me shows she's not foolish," Song Xian said, looking into the distance. She vaguely saw Lvya'er helping to lead the camels and quickly said, "Look, is that my child?"

Sui Yu squinted and said, "It's Lvya'er."

Song Xian smiled, "I knew I didn't raise a foolish child. After all, when I was her age, I was already competing with my cousins for family property. Her father is also a shrewd man. Both parents are shrewd, so the child, no matter how naive, won't be foolish."

Sui Yu laughed, "On New Year's Eve, you said her father was steady."

"He is steady, shrewd, pragmatic, and knows what to give up. He doesn't covet what isn't his, and his ambitions aren't grand. That's what makes him steady," Song Xian said, taking a deep breath of the cold air. "Now that we're out here, my mood has improved. Thinking about it now, he's not so bad. It's just that I envy others too much and want too much, which leads to resentment."

"As long as your mood is better, that's what matters. Holding onto anger can make you sick," Sui Yu said. "Now that your plans are falling into place, you’ve got your successor. All that's left is to train her and make money year after year. When you go back, try not to argue. As for what you said, it's human nature. Everyone’s got their own selfish desires—Brother Huang, you, me, Zhao Xiping, even the kids. You can't dig too deeply into these things."

"What selfish desires do you have?" Song Xian asked with a smile.

Sui Yu shook her head, "I won't tell you."

"Then what about your Zhao Qianhu? What selfish desires does he have? I think he has none."

Sui Yu snorted, "He’s no saint. You’re giving him too much credit."

"Then tell me, what selfish desires does he have?" Song Xian pressed. "You can't say, can you?"

Sui Yu didn't respond. As night enveloped the desert, she relieved herself under the cover of the wind. After Song Xian finished, they walked back, and others took their turn.

This was Lvya'er's first night in the desert. The desert wind was strong, carrying sand that could scratch one's face until it bled. She sat curled up in the tent, smelling the food carried by the wind, clutching her growling stomach, lost in thought.

"Here you go, little one. Food’s ready for you," Song Xian brought her a bowl of steaming soup and said, "Your aunt cut you a few extra slices of braised beef. Try it."

"There's beef too?"

"Probably from a cow that froze to death in the pasture. Your Uncle Zhao managed to buy a few pounds thanks to his official position," Song Xian said as she bent down to enter the tent. She sat down next to her daughter and said, "I'll take care of you on the road. If you have any thoughts, tell me. Don't be afraid."

Lvya'er murmured an "Mm" and took a sip of the soup. She whispered, "Mother, are you very disappointed in me?"

"Not at all. I raised you too well," Song Xian said with a smile. "Forget what I said earlier. I'm satisfied that you're willing to come with me."

Lvya'er nodded, speaking with a hint of anger, "When I earn money, I'll spend it on you first, and then my father. In his heart, I'm not as important as my brother, so in my heart, he's not as important as you."

Truly kind-hearted, still thinking about earning money for her father even now. Elder Sister Song felt she was not as good as her daughter, as she had many grievances against her own father.

"As you wish," she said, "The money you earn yourself, you can spend on whoever you want. That's the power of earning your own money. Look at your aunt, now that she can earn money, who dares to bring up old matters in front of her? No one dares to say she's inferior because of her origins as a convict slave, and even her in-laws dare not speak loudly in front of her."

Lvya'er smiled faintly, "My aunt is a good person."

"Yes, she is a good person, tactful, thorough, gentle yet firm, preferring to discuss profits over personal sentiments, which is why she gets along well with the merchants. You should learn more from her; it's okay if you don't learn from me."

"Well, well, well! I heard that." Sui Yu came over with two bowls of oil tea, saying, "It's not my fault for eavesdropping, the wind changed and brought your words to my ears. Elder Sister Song, it seems you not only think highly of my Zhao Qianhu, but also of me."

"Yes, you two are a perfect match, I can't find any faults." Elder Sister Song laughed heartily, "You came just in time, say a few words to my girl."

"What your mother said about me is all true."

Elder Sister Song patted her, "Be serious, don't make me say bad things about you."

Lvya'er watched with interest, noticing that her mother was quite different outside, much more playful and youthful.

"We'll see as we go along, the days on the trading road away from home are tough, but worth reminiscing about for half a lifetime." Sui Yu said seriously, "No matter how much we talk, it's all just words. You have time to savor it carefully along the way."

Indeed, it was all just words, Lvya'er nodded.

"Eat quickly, the food is getting cold." Sui Yu said, "After eating, go to sleep, it gets colder as the night deepens."

"Don't we wash our feet?" Lvya'er asked softly.

"We'll wash when we reach Jade Gate Pass, there's no water in the desert, the water we brought is only enough for drinking and cooking." Elder Sister Song replied, "It's cold, and we've been riding camels all day without sweating, our feet aren't dirty."

When it was time to sleep, nine female servants entered one tent, along with three masters, making twelve people sleeping in one tent. Once everyone lay down and covered themselves with sheepskin or wolfskin blankets, it was hard for Lvya'er to even turn over, the only benefit being that it wasn't cold anymore.

Listening to the sound of sand hitting the camel skin, the breathing mixed with the howling wind, and the occasional ringing of camel bells, Lvya'er closed her eyes trying to fall asleep. She thought she wouldn't be able to sleep, but when she opened her eyes, breakfast was already being prepared outside the tent.

"Awake?" Xiao Chunhong lifted the hanging curtain and poked half her body in, saying, "You sleep quite soundly, the camel bells didn't wake you."

"Once you're awake, put on your fox fur and hat and come out, we'll leave after breakfast." Elder Sister Song called out.

Lvya'er crawled out of the tent and realized it wasn't fully light yet. The goods unloaded last night were already strapped onto the camels' backs, and the servants were feeding the camels with bean mash.

Breakfast was a sticky millet and soybean porridge, the soybeans soaked in the first half of the night and cooked in the second half. The night watch was responsible for cooking the porridge, two large pots of porridge cooked to a thick consistency, the beans bursting with a touch.

"Take two pancakes and steam them in the porridge, these are the bean pancakes your aunt made, the beans were planted and dried by her little treasure, try them." Elder Sister Song said with a smile.

Lvya'er glanced at Sui Yu, took a sip of the porridge, and chewed on a pancake. Perhaps because she was hungry, the ordinary porridge and pancake tasted surprisingly good to her, the aroma of rice, flour, and beans blended together, creating a very comforting taste.

After eating their fill and packing up the kitchenware, everyone mounted their camels.

Zhang Shun struck the gong, followed by two more gong sounds of varying intensity, and the caravan set off.

The dawn light climbed over the sea of clouds, gradually brightening the horizon. As the warm, soft orange sun slowly rose, the thin night quickly faded over the desert, and in an instant, the world was illuminated.