Chapter 131

Chapter 131

Seeing that Granny Zhao had started chatting with the woman, Zhao Beichuan guided his carriage over as well, hoping to inquire about news of his ancestral home.

Perhaps because the carriage was conspicuous enough, it drew a crowd of curious onlookers.

Gradually, more neighbors gathered, and someone recognized Granny Zhao. "Chunying?"

It had been many years since she had last heard anyone call her by her childhood name. Granny Zhao looked up sharply. "You... are you Sister-in-law?"

The old woman across from her slapped her thighs in surprise. "It really is Chunying!"

The two old women hugged tightly and began to sob loudly. This woman was indeed Granny Zhao’s sister-in-law.

Zhao Beichuan quickly stepped forward to support the two elders, fearing they might become too overwhelmed and faint.

After crying for a long while, the two women finally stopped. "I truly never thought you'd come back. What about Zhao Guang? Are these two boys from your family?"

"No, these are Zhao An’s children. All of mine are gone..."

After a brief silence, Granny Zhao let out a deep sigh. "Dead... all dead. Many people died in that disaster. Guihua, Baoshan, Baozhu... they’re all dead. Only the youngest, Baogen, is left."

"Big brother... when did he pass away?"

"In the winter two years ago. He slipped and fell in the snow, was bedridden for a few days, and then passed away. He didn’t suffer much."

Granny Zhao wiped her nose and tears with a handkerchief. "I regret coming back too late. I didn’t get to see him one last time."

"Sigh... before he died, he kept mentioning you, wondering when you'd come back."

After another bout of tears, they began discussing Zhao Beichuan’s family.

Granny Zhao led Beichuan and Xiaodou over. "Sister-in-law, are there any survivors from Zhao An’s family?"

"His cousins are still around."

"What about his uncle, the children’s maternal uncle?"

"I’m not sure. I recall that Er’an’s wife wasn’t from our village."

Zhao Beichuan said, "I heard from my mother that he’s from Beigu Village, named Qiao Sheng."

"Beigu Village isn’t far from here. Tomorrow, I’ll have Baogen take you there to look for him."

"Thank you."

"Don’t mention it. We’re all family." Most of the villagers in Zhaojia Village belonged to the same clan. Some had branched out beyond the fifth generation, but they still shared a common ancestor.

That evening, Zhao Beichuan and his younger brother were invited to stay. Granny Zhao’s youngest son arrived, along with Zhao Beichuan’s two uncles, Zhao Zhi and Zhao Gan.

Zhao Zhi was a bit older, nearly fifty, while Zhao Gan was in his early forties. Both resembled Zhao An somewhat.

Zhao Beichuan had almost forgotten what his father looked like, but seeing Zhao Zhi brought it all back. His father also had a square face, thick eyebrows, and wrinkles when he smiled, speaking in the Qing Prefecture dialect.

Upon learning they were Zhao An’s sons, the two men eagerly grasped his hands and examined him closely. "You've finally come back! You’ve grown so much... I remember when Second Brother left, there were no children."

Granny Zhao nodded. "Beichuan was born on the road, delivered by me. Since he was born near a northern river, Zhao An named him Beichuan."

Zhao Zhi repeated his name. "Beichuan, and who is this one?"

Xiaodou spoke up, "Uncle, my name is Zhao Beidou."

"Beidou, what a great name."

Zhao Gan asked, "Why didn't your parents come back with you?"

"Our parents passed away more than ten years ago."

"How did they pass away?"

Learning that he had lost his parents at a young age and had raised his younger siblings alone, both Zhao Zhi and Zhao Gan teared up.

Zhao Zhi held his hand and said, "You're a good boy. Even though your father is gone, you still have your uncle. Your father and I were close as brothers since we were young. Coming here is like coming home. You're just like my own son."

"Yes, Uncle."

Zhao Gan added, "What about your niece? Why didn't she come along?"

"The journey was long, and I wasn't sure if I could find you guys, so I didn't dare bring everyone. I'll bring the rest of the family to meet you next year when I have more time."

"Good, good!"

Zhao Baogen urged everyone to sit down for dinner. Since they had guests, they slaughtered a chicken, bought meat, and even went to town to buy wine. They prepared five dishes, which was quite a feast for the village.

As they ate and chatted, they avoided bringing up sad topics.

"Where do you live now? How are you doing?"

Zhao Beichuan replied, "We've opened a restaurant in Ping Prefecture. Our life is passable."

Old Madam Zhao didn't say anything; she wasn't one to talk much.

Zhao Zhi laughed heartily, "Good lad, you're really capable!"

"Running a business is better than farming. Here, we work from dawn till dusk, but we don't earn much."

Seeing that his uncles weren't prying into the details of the restaurant, Zhao Beichuan felt relieved. Listening to his uncles speak in their hometown dialect and seeing Zhao Zhi's face, which gradually overlapped with his father's, it felt as though he was seeing his father again. Zhao Beichuan felt a pang of sorrow and took a sip of his wine.

Zhao Gan asked, "How long can you stay this time?"

"Not too long. This trip was mainly to find our relatives. We were thinking of relocating my parents' graves here. When my father passed away, he held my hand and kept saying he wanted to go home..."

The men all felt their noses turn sour.

"It's right to move them back. Your grandfather and my father are both buried on Small West Mountain. When your second uncle returns, you can all be buried together, a true return to the roots."

Zhao Beichuan nodded. This was his father's last wish, and he should have done this sooner.

The meal went on late into the night. Zhao Zhi insisted on taking Zhao Beichuan and his brother to his house to rest.

Madam Zhao stopped him, "Everyone has had quite a bit to drink, so go rest. The two children have traveled a long way and must be exhausted. They'll stay here for the night, and you can come to pick them up tomorrow."

"Alright then."

After seeing them off, Madam Zhao arranged Zhao Beidou and Zhao Beichuan in the west room. Her grandchildren occasionally stayed over, so there were beddings available.

Lying on the kang, Zhao Beichuan let out a long sigh.

"Big brother, are you pretty worried?"

"Worried about what?"

Zhao Beidou turned over and said, "Worried that the relatives might only care about money and not about people, or that they might be either too warm or too cold?"

"Hmm..."

"I think the uncles are all good people."

Zhao Beichuan said, "That uncle named Zhao Zhi looks very much like our father. As soon as I saw him, I was reminded of our dad."

"Really? Unfortunately, I was too young to clearly remember what he looked like."

Zhao Beichuan reached out and stroked his brother’s head. "If Dad were still alive, he would probably be about this age, with gray hair and laugh lines on his face..."

Zhao Beidou imagined it and closed his eyes, feeling content in his heart. The two brothers lay on the kang and soon fell asleep.

Half-asleep, Zhao Beichuan felt the light come on in the room, and an old man walked in from outside.

The old man was hunched over, leaning on a wooden stick, dressed in blue cloth clothes, with a long beard, and looked at Zhao Beichuan and Zhao Beidou with a smile, calling them "children."

Although Zhao Beichuan had never seen him before, he wasn't afraid at all, and there was a sense of familiarity in his heart. Just as he was about to speak, he opened his eyes and saw that it was already bright outside.

Old Madam Zhao and the elder sister-in-law were sitting at the door chatting. Because they were older, they woke up early and had already prepared the meal.

"Awake? There are pancakes and porridge in the pot. Come and eat."

Before they finished breakfast, Zhao Zhi and Zhao Gan arrived, bringing their children along. Zhao Zhi's eldest son was two years older than Zhao Beichuan, and his younger son was a few years younger, both married.

The brothers greeted Zhao Beichuan and Zhao Beidou awkwardly by name.

After the meal, Zhao Zhi wanted to take them to the mountain to offer incense. Zhao Beichuan also wanted to visit the graveyard and discuss the relocation of the graves.

Little West Mountain was not far from the village, and it took them less than half an hour to reach the foot of the mountain. A winding path led straight to the graveyard.

As they walked, Zhao Zhi explained to Zhao Beichuan, "This graveyard is our ancestral burial ground, where your great-grandfather, grandfather, and grandmother are buried."

Zhao Beichuan suddenly remembered the dream he had last night. "Last night I dreamed an old man came to see me."

Zhao Zhi stopped in his tracks. "Did you get a good look at him?"

Zhao Beichuan described it, and Zhao Gan exclaimed, "That’s my second uncle, your grandfather! He had a long beard!"

Zhao Zhi said, "Our ancestor is happy to see his grandchildren, that's why he came in your dream!"

They quickened their pace and soon arrived at the graveyard.

As the eldest, Zhao Zhi walked to the front, knelt, and bowed. "This unworthy descendant, Zhao Zhi, pays respects to the ancestors. I was unable to find my second brother and his son, but now these children have returned, having made their own achievements. I brought them here for the ancestors to see."

"Come, Beichuan, Beidou."

Zhao Beichuan and Zhao Beidou stepped forward and knelt as well.

Zhao Gan lit incense sticks and handed them to the three. "Offer a stick of incense to the ancestors first."

The two brothers inserted the incense into the mound and kowtowed three times to their ancestors.

The autumn wind gently blew fallen leaves onto their bodies and hair, as if an invisible hand was touching them, a silent welcome home.

At this point, they had found their roots and were no longer strangers adrift far from home.

After honoring their ancestors, including their great-grandfather, grandfather, and grandmother, Zhao Beichuan led Xiao Dou in offering incense. Behind them, Zhao Zhi, Zhao Gan, and the children also knelt to perform the kowtow, as they all shared the same great-grandfather.

After the ancestral ritual, they were led to Zhao Zhi’s house.

As soon as they entered the yard, it was clear that Uncle Zhao’s household was prosperous. The main house had five spacious rooms, and they even kept mules.

A shrewd and capable woman came out to greet them, “So these are Er’an’s two sons, aren’t they? You both look really handsome. Come in, I’ll prepare some meat for you.”

“Thanks, Auntie.”

“There’s no need for formalities among family. Please, come inside.”

The interior was just as spacious. On the heated brick bed (kang) sat two six or seven-year-old children. They showed no fear of strangers.

Zhao Zhi introduced, “These are my youngest grandsons, twins. Come here, Da Shuang, Er Shuang, call your uncle.”

“Uncle!”

Zhao Beichuan promptly took out money and gave each of them a two-tael silver coin.

“Nephew, you shouldn’t give so much!” Zhao Zhi, startled, immediately tried to return the silver coins to Zhao Beichuan.

But Zhao Zhi couldn’t match Zhao Beichuan’s strength. Zhao Beichuan easily opened Zhao Zhi’s hand and put the silver coins into the children’s hands, “It’s our first meeting. I didn’t get any gifts for the children. Next time I come, I’ll bring some snacks from Ping Prefecture.”

“Thank you, Uncle!” The two children, delighted with the money, ran out but were intercepted by their grandmother at the door.

Da Shuang and Er Shuang cried loudly, so Zhao Zhi’s wife had her daughter-in-law take the children away and returned the silver coins to Zhao Beichuan.

“My dear boy, keep the money for yourself. It’s only proper that we give you money on your first visit. How can we let you spend so much?”

Zhao Beichuan felt a warmth in his heart and felt even more fondness for this uncle and aunt.

At noon, a large feast was prepared, including chicken, fish, and dumplings.

Zhao Zhi’s son offered to pour them wine, but Zhao Beichuan waved him away, “I have things to do in the afternoon, so I won’t drink.”

Zhao Gan asked, “What’s the matter, Nephew?”

“We need to go to Beigu Village to search for our uncle. If we can’t find him, we might have to leave.”

“No, no, since you’ve come all this way, you should stay a bit longer before leaving!”

Zhao Zhi also said, “Yes, stay at my house. You can leave when you’re tired of it.”

Zhao Beichuan explained, “We came with the escort agency. They are still waiting for us in Qing Prefecture. It wouldn’t be right to keep them waiting for too long.”

“Oh…” Both Zhao Zhi and Zhao Gan seemed reluctant.

Zhao Beichuan actually didn’t want to cause any trouble. Though they were relatives, they hadn’t been in contact for many years. Now that they had returned, they were being treated with good food and wine. It was fine for one or two days, but if it went on for too long, it might cause dissatisfaction.

After the meal, Zhao Beichuan hitched the horse to the carriage, said goodbye to Old Madam Zhao, and asked whether she wanted to return with them or stay in Zhaojia Village.

Old Madam Zhao hesitated for a moment before saying, “I will go back with you.”

Zhao Beichuan was a little puzzled. On the way here, Old Madam Zhao had been eagerly looking forward to returning home, so why did she now want to leave again?

Old Madam Zhao explained, “I’m too old to farm anymore, and staying here would only be a bother to the younger generation… Besides, I’m not familiar with them. If I stay too long, I’m afraid they might start to dislike me.”

Zhao Beichuan said, "Then come back to Ping Prefecture with me. You can help out at the wine shop when they're short-handed."

"Yes." Old Madam Zhao knew that returning would be a burden to her son, but she was accustomed to it. She knew that those three children were grateful and would repay kindness...

"You stay here for now, and I'll go to Beigu Village with my brother to look for our uncle. If we don’t find him, I’ll come back for you."

"Alright."

Fearing that Zhao Beichuan might get lost, Old Madam Zhao had her son, Zhao Baogen, accompany them.

He was about the same age as Zhao Beichuan, but according to the generational hierarchy, Zhao Beichuan had to call him 'younger uncle.' It was likely his first time in a carriage, and he chattered excitedly.

"This carriage is really spacious! It must have cost a lot of money, right?"

"Not really, we bought it second-hand."

"Even used, it’s quite impressive! No one in our village owns horses. Although Uncle Zhao has two mules." The Uncle Zhao he referred to was Zhao Zhi.

"Is Ping Prefecture far from here?"

"Quite far, about two thousand li, roughly a thousand kilometers. It takes over a month by carriage."

"Wow, that’s amazing!" Zhao Baogen exclaimed, "You're really something, to be able to find your way back from so far!"

"We traveled with an escort service. With a seasoned guide leading us, otherwise, it would have been hard to find."

The mountain road was tough to navigate, and it took two hours to travel a short distance. Beigu Village was slightly smaller than Zhaojia Village. As they entered the village, they saw several elderly villagers chatting under a tree at the entrance.

Zhao Beidou murmured, "It feels like we're back in Wangou Village."

Zhao Beichuan had the same feeling. As the carriage moved along the path, people stood up and stretched their necks to see.

When they saw the driver's face clearly, they exclaimed, "Could this be the missing child from Old Qiao’s family? He looks exactly like him!"

Zhao Beichuan stopped the carriage and asked, "The Old Qiao you're talking about, is his name Qiao Sheng?"

"Yes, and the person carrying firewood over there is him."

Zhao Beichuan looked in the direction he pointed and saw a fifty-something man approaching them, wearing simple clothes and carrying two bundles of firewood.

The uncle and nephew were both stunned at first sight. They were strikingly similar, from their tall, rugged builds to their matching expressions of surprise.

There was no mistake... This must be his uncle!

Qiao Sheng dropped the firewood he was carrying and came running over, "You, are you Xiao Min's child?"

Hearing his mother’s name, Zhao Beichuan’s eyes welled up with tears, "Yes, and you, are you my uncle?"