(2) Bidding Farewell to Family

As Guo Huilian's health steadily improved, Tian Xu also finished inspecting the various shops across Chang'an to assess the casualties and property losses, handing everything over to Han Jian to manage one item at a time. On the morning of the fifth day after Tian Xu's arrival in the capital, his party made ready to leave the city and return to Yueyue Manor. Before the sky had even begun to lighten, Han Jian had already ordered the horses and carriages prepared—the carriage beds fitted with thick brocade cushions, with several extra quilts set alongside, comfortable enough for sitting or lying down alike. Since they would not be traveling day and night without rest this time, but would instead stop each evening at a relay station to recover their strength, the four Yue-disciples no longer needed to take turns driving, and instead rode on horseback, two in front and two behind, escorting the two carriages: Yueying held the reins for the lead carriage, in which Tian Xu and Yue Heng sat; Yuelan held the reins for the one behind, carrying Wang Qiugui and Guo Huilian. Wang Qiugui had already been planning to return to Yueyue Manor, and since Tian Xu happened to be coming to the capital just then, she traveled together with him, taking the chance to look after Guo Huilian along the way as well.

With the horses and carriages arranged and the cushioned beds set up, Han Jian had dried provisions, water, wine, and other supplies loaded onto the carriages as well. Yueyue Manor's carriages were spacious and luxurious, quite unlike the one Tian Xu had ridden in over two years before. Back then he had deliberately chosen the sort of carriage most commonly used by ordinary townsfolk, precisely to avoid drawing attention and alerting anyone to his presence. As for this "luxury," it was not a matter of gold inlay or jeweled ornament, but rather soft, spacious berths and tables—furnishings born of practical necessity, suited to the long, arduous journeys of a traveling merchant caravan covering a thousand li at a time.

After finishing breakfast, the group tidied up their own travel bundles and, one by one, mounted their horses or climbed into the carriages. Han Jian brought over a horse of his own as well, since he would be leading the way. Before leaving the capital, Tian Xu had Guo Huilian first go to the Guo family gravesite to bow before her parents in farewell—both to fulfill her filial duty as a daughter, and so that Guo Huilian would know where her parents and family lay at rest.

The party arrived at a small hill just outside the eastern wall of Chang'an. After dismounting and climbing down from the carriages, they walked some distance further, past pines and cypresses growing thick and staggered along the roadside, their branches and leaves lush and green even in winter. At the end of the path stood several graves: foremost was the joint grave of Guo Sheng and his wife; behind and to either side, the separate graves of Guo Sheng's two sons and two daughters; and further back still, a communal grave for the household servants—everything arranged neatly, in careful order. This burial ground had been purchased on Tian Xu's instructions, funded by him and arranged through Han Jian, with someone assigned specifically to tend it, so that even with Guo Huilian away from Chang'an, the graves would remain well kept and properly honored with regular offerings.

The six graves were set against the mountain and beside the water, commanding a distant view of Chang'an—truly an auspicious resting place. Guo Huilian looked at Tian Xu, the gratitude in her heart now beyond any words to describe. What Tian Xu had done for her went far beyond what her own father had once done for him; she feared she could never fully repay such a debt of kindness, and so all she could do was face the road ahead as bravely as she could, and try, as much as possible, never again to become a burden to him. Guo Huilian's eyes brimmed with tears—tears of both sorrow and gratitude alike. After Lady Yang's betrayal, even Guo Huilian's young heart had come to understand that Tian Xu's journey of a thousand li to bring her warmth had never been an obligation at all, but rather an expression of his own deep-seated warmth and generosity toward others. Uncle Da had told her that Tian Xu was a man of honest, generous character, and had urged her to set her heart at ease and live well after returning with Tian Xu to Yueyue Manor. She resolved to keep Uncle Da's words close, so as never to give him cause to worry over her.

Guo Huilian bowed her head three times, precisely and properly, before the joint grave of Guo Sheng and his wife, murmuring as she did, "Father! Mother! Brothers! Sisters! Yaya is leaving today with Tenth Brother Tian, back to Yueyue Manor. Please don't worry—Yaya will live well. Thanks to Father having saved Tenth Brother all those years ago, Yaya has been able to find shelter under his protection, and has not been left utterly alone in the world; and it is thanks to Tenth Brother, too, that the Guo family has been laid to rest in peace, to sleep here undisturbed forever. Father, Mother, Brothers, Sisters—if your spirits linger here and can hear me, please watch over Tenth Brother and the whole family of Yueyue Manor, and grant them health and good fortune in all things."

Having finished, Guo Huilian bowed three times more before rising and walking to Guo Qing's grave, where she bowed her head once again, solemnly and properly.

"Eldest Brother! Yaya misses you..." The moment the words left her, the tears Guo Huilian had been holding back all this time finally spilled over, and she choked up, unable to say another word. She gently traced the name "Guo Qing" carved on the headstone with her hand, though the two characters blurred before her eyes, veiled behind a mist of tears.

Guo Qing had been the Guo family's eldest son, twenty years old. Given the considerable age gap between him and Guo Huilian, he had doted on his youngest sister with special fondness ever since her birth. Guo Sheng served at the imperial palace and was often away from home, and so Guo Qing had come to stand in as both father and elder brother at once, tending to his younger siblings—Guo Huilian above all—with the utmost care. Unlike Guo Sheng, Guo Qing would speak up directly on Guo Huilian's behalf whenever Lady Guo moved to punish her. As a son, he could not openly defy his mother, but he would always bring medicine and comfort once Guo Huilian's punishment on the palm was over, or quietly slip her something to eat while she knelt in penance—and it was for this reason that Guo Huilian had grown especially close to Guo Qing.

Seeing Guo Huilian weeping so bitterly, both Tian Xu and Wang Qiugui stepped forward to comfort her. Wang Qiugui crouched down and wrapped her arms around Guo Huilian; she said nothing, only stroked her back gently, then helped her back to her feet. Tian Xu stood behind Guo Huilian, at a complete loss for what to say, and simply stood there in silence.

Guo Huilian wept in Wang Qiugui's arms for a good while before murmuring again, "I'm sorry to Xiaocui... I don't dare face her... if I'd... just insisted harder... harder... on pulling Xiaocui up into the tree... she wouldn't have... wouldn't have died..."

Wang Qiugui found this murmured self-accusation utterly bewildering, and looked to Tian Xu in confusion.

Tian Xu thought it over for a moment and came to understand roughly what Guo Huilian meant: she had escaped disaster by hiding up in a tree, and had wanted to pull Xiaocui up with her, but in the chaos of the moment, Xiaocui had not known how to climb, and no matter how earnestly Guo Huilian had wished it, there had been nothing she could do—so she had been forced to watch, helpless, as Xiaocui met her death. She could not get past this in her own heart, and had convinced herself it was her own fault for not insisting hard enough.

"Xiaocui didn't know how to climb, Fourth Sister—there was nothing you could have done to pull her up, no matter how hard you tried. Only someone well practiced beforehand, the way you clearly were, could possibly climb a tree calmly in a moment of such dire crisis. Xiaocui's death was absolutely not your fault, Fourth Sister. The fault lies with the Jingyuan troops who ran wild out of control."

Tian Xu's words of comfort were reasonable and sound, and hearing them eased Guo Huilian's heart considerably. She walked slowly to the servants' communal grave, pressed her palms together, and said, "I'm leaving Chang'an for a while now. Thank you, Xiaocui, for seven years of companionship..."

A cold wind rustled through the treetops and brushed across Guo Huilian's face; though it felt chilly, there was some warmth in it as well. Bright sunlight softened the desolate winter scene spread across the hills. Tian Xu wore a pale brown round-collared robe that day, its color as warm as the winter sun itself. Guo Huilian turned to look at him and bowed to him respectfully, with great formality.

"Huilian thanks Tenth Brother for this great kindness..."

"You mustn't..."

Seeing this, Tian Xu quickly helped her back up. Before the two of them had even steadied themselves, the sound of hoofbeats came from a distance. A moment later, Zhou Mengda appeared, a bundle on his back, running toward them, out of breath.

"I... finally made it..." Zhou Mengda gasped, panting hard—even in the chill of the day, he had worked up a full sweat from running.

"Inside are a few bottles of medicinal pills—Fourth Sister should take three each morning and evening every day on the road, and by the time you reach the manor she ought to be fully recovered. There are also a few boxes of medicinal powder; if anyone in the party comes down with a headache or fever, three spoonfuls three times a day should tide them over in a pinch. Mistress Wang, please keep these somewhere safe." Still catching his breath, he removed the bundle from his back and handed it to Wang Qiugui with these instructions.

"Understood. Thank you, Physician Zhou, for running all this way out here."

"No need for such courtesy—I had to come see Fourth Sister off too, didn't I?"

Zhou Mengda caught his breath, then turned and patted Guo Huilian's head, telling her, "Little Fourth Sister, you really are far too thin. Remember to eat well and eat plenty—it's fine even if you eat Yueyue Manor out of house and home."

"How could such a little slip of a girl possibly eat Yueyue Manor out of house and home? We eat four bowls of rice a meal and still can't manage it! Physician Zhou does love his jokes." Yuefeng blurted this out without thinking twice.

Yuehua, standing nearby, looked displeased at this and shook her head. "You're probably the only one eating four bowls a meal. I certainly don't—don't go painting everyone with the same brush."

Yuehao and Yuesheng quickly shook their heads too, distancing themselves from Yuefeng's four-bowl habit.

"We only eat three bowls." Yuehao gestured between himself and Yuesheng.

Unwilling to let it go, Yuefeng turned his gaze toward Yueying.

Yueying found the lot of them thoroughly foolish and had no wish to get involved, but catching sight of Guo Huilian smiling beside them—the first smile she'd shown in all this long stretch of time—he kept his expression flat, crossed his arms, and, with obvious reluctance, held up three fingers.

Seeing this, Yuefeng scratched his head and added, "The Manor Lord eats plenty too..."

"Do you want to die?" Yueying was genuinely irritated now—daring to comment on the Manor Lord's appetite was practically suicidal.

Yue Heng shot Yuefeng a sidelong glance, and without a word, walked off toward the carriage. Wang Qiugui hurried to smooth things over. "All you children are still growing—it's good to eat plenty. Fourth Sister too. Yueyue Manor isn't worried about feeding you; there will always be enough, and you'll never eat it out of house and home." Then, turning to the four Yue-disciples, she added, "Your master's already walked off—aren't you going to catch up?"

And so, one after another, the group made their way toward the horses and carriages, with Zhou Mengda and Han Jian seeing them off the whole way. Wang Qiugui had, after all, spent over two years here in Chang'an, and having grown close to Han Jian over the long time they'd spent together, felt real reluctance now at the moment of parting. She urged Han Jian to take good care of his health, and asked Zhou Mengda to keep an eye on her own dear Han. Han Jian took Wang Qiugui's hand and told her to take good care of herself and the children too. Tian Xu joined in as well, telling Han Jian and Zhou Mengda to read the situation carefully—if things in Chang'an grew truly dangerous, they should withdraw without hesitation when necessary, since personal safety mattered more than anything else. Guo Huilian, watching all this, seemed to grasp something at last: judging by how familiar Uncle Da was with everyone at Yueyue Manor, there was simply no way he and Tian Xu could have met for the first time only two years ago at the General's residence. She recalled that Tian Xu had once admitted he was the hidden proprietor behind nearly every thriving shop in Chang'an—so could it be that Mochou Hall belonged to him too? Were he and Uncle Da old acquaintances all along?

"Has Tenth Brother known Uncle Da for a long time? And does Mochou Hall belong to Yueyue Manor too?" Guo Huilian suddenly asked Tian Xu, her question startling in its bluntness.

Tian Xu started at this, having nearly forgotten how sharp this girl really was—even in such wretched circumstances, her mind still worked quickly. What he had done in scheming around Guo Huilian back then was hardly something to be proud of, and he was particularly wary of letting the truth slip out. Now that Guo Huilian had seen through, in a single sentence, just how close his relationship with Zhou Mengda truly was, he could neither admit it nor deny it, and could only answer awkwardly, "He spent over a month treating my illness—wouldn't that make anyone familiar with each other?"

Tian Xu's answer clearly skirted the real issue. Guo Huilian looked at Tian Xu, then at Zhou Mengda, and found both their eyes full of guilt—it was as plain as a sign reading "no silver buried here," the answer obvious without needing to be spoken. But she had no wish to press the matter further; after all, everyone had their own secrets. What could be told would be told, and what couldn't, she wouldn't press for—and so she followed along quietly with everyone else.

At last the party set out for Yueyue Manor. Wang Qiugui and Guo Huilian kept turning back to wave farewell to Zhou Mengda and Han Jian through the carriage window, and only let the curtain fall once the two men had faded from sight entirely.

Yueyue Manor still lay a thousand li away, but this new "family" of hers was, every one of them, kind and full of life—as if they had given Guo Huilian a shot of pure courage straight to the heart.

That, then, was to be her second home—Yueyue Manor, distant and unknown as it still was.