21、第 21 章 The j ...
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Chapter 21 - The journey to Xian
The caravan left Younis under the cover of darkness . For Ayao, the journey felt almost unreal, she had never traveled this far from the only home she had known. Even though she had spent much of her childhood in the mountains, those mountains had always been close to the Orchid Courtyard. She knew their paths, their streams, and the places where the trees grew thick enough to hide beneath. This was different the road stretched endlessly ahead, disappearing into the darkness beyond the lanterns.
Ayao sat beside Nanny Zhang in the merchant cart, pulling her cloak tighter whenever the cold wind slipped through the gaps in the wooden panels. “Are we really going all the way to Xian?” she whispered. Nanny Zhang smiled. “We are.” Ayao looked through the small opening in the curtain. “I've never been this far.” “Neither have I in many years.” Ayao leaned back against the wooden wall. “I hope Suyuan eats properly while we're gone.” Nanny Zhang chuckled softly. “She'll probably complain that we're worrying too much.”
Ayao smiled. That was what they both wanted to believe. They were only going to Xian to seek help. Then they would return and perhaps, if the Emperor knew the truth about Shuran's death, things might finally change. The journey continued through the night and into the following day. They passed frozen rivers, scattered settlements, and wide stretches of empty land. Sometimes the caravan stopped to rest the horses and sometimes they traveled for hours without seeing another traveler.
Ayao slowly became fascinated by everything , she had never seen merchants carrying so many different goods. She had never seen such long roads or so many travelers moving between territories. At one stop, she even bought a small wooden comb from a traveling merchant.Nanny Zhang noticed. “You have money for that?” Ayao quickly hid it inside her sleeve.“It was cheap.” Nanny Zhang laughed.“You're becoming a proper traveler already.” Ayao grinned.
For a while, the journey felt almost peaceful until the road became rough. The merchant cart suddenly lurched sideways. “Hold on!” The driver shouted. Ayao grabbed the side of the cart as the wheels struck a deep rut. The wooden box beside Nanny Zhang slid across the floor. Ayao reached for it but it was too late. The box struck the edge of the cart with a hard crack. The lid sprang open and several pieces of Shuran's belongings scattered across the floor. Nanny Zhang immediately bent down to gather them.“Careful!”
Ayao picked up a folded piece of cloth.Then she noticed something rolling beneath the seat. A ceramic jar had fallen from beneath the cloth lining of the box. Ayao froze. “Nanny…” Nanny Zhang turned. Ayao picked it up carefully.
“What is this?”
Nanny Zhang stared at it.
For a moment, she couldn't speak, she had seen this jar before but she had never put it inside the box. She slowly reached for it. “Give it to me.” Ayao handed it over. Nanny Zhang's fingers trembled as she looked at the jar, then at the open wooden box. There was a silence between them. She already knew. She remembered Suyuan standing beside the funeral fire. She remembered how carefully Suyuan had gathered every remaining piece of her mother's ashes. But she had never seen Suyuan place them into the box. She had thought the jar was left behind in the Orchid Courtyard.
Nanny Zhang's face slowly changed.“No…”
Nanny Zhang held the jar against her chest, Nanny Zhang looked down at the jar.
She finally understood it all, Suyuan had not sent them to Xian merely to ask for help. She had sent them away with the one thing she had wanted most for her mother.
To return home.
Nanny Zhang closed her eyes. A terrible thought began forming in her mind. Nanny Zhang tightened her grip around the jar. Neither of them said what they were both beginning to fear. They still had a long road ahead and somewhere behind them, Suyuan was waiting for them to get farther and farther away.
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第21章 第 21 章
