Chapter 272 Abandoned
Song Xian woke up before dawn. In the dim bedroom, she leaned against the bedpost and lost in thought.
As people moved around in the yard, she made her choice.
"Wake up the young master and have him come find me." Song Xian lifted the fox fur mattress and got out of bed. She shouted outside, "Xiaoyu, go pack the young master's luggage. Pack his thick coat and boots."
The maid outside the door hesitated for a moment, but still chose to obey the order.
Huang Ancheng heard the noise from the side room next door and came out, asking bluntly, "What are you planning to do now?"
Song Xian ignored him.
Not long after, Song Congzu came over in a hurry. He asked anxiously, "Mother, why did you ask the servants to pack up my things?"
"I'll take you out of the customs." Song Xian felt relieved after saying this. She patted her chest and said cheerfully, "I'm the one who's causing all the trouble. I'm greedy and unsatisfied, so I'm worried and anxious. My original wish was just for you to carry on our legacy. I was too greedy about buying an official position. You don't have to pack anything. Just follow my caravan and I'll teach you how to trade."
"What are you crazy about!" Huang Ancheng yelled, "You are simply... you just do whatever you want."
Song Xian was startled. She tilted her head to look at him and cursed, "Did I poke your heart? What are you crazy about? I just chose my original plan."
Lu Yaer hurried over and heard the quarrel in the yard again. She was so panicked that she walked in with her head held high, only to hear her father say loudly that it was not possible.
Song Xian was too lazy to listen to him yelling. She told her son directly, "Come with me now. Don't waste time."
"Mom, what's the matter? Where are you taking my brother?" Lu Yaer asked.
"Take him out of the confinement."
"But but... didn't you say you wanted to buy an official position for your brother?" Lu Yaer said in a low voice.
Song Xian shook her head. "I've changed my mind. I took it for granted. I won't embarrass you, and neither will I. Let's focus on business first. I'll give all our wealth to your brother and prepare a dowry for you. That's all."
Lu Yaer was stunned.
"Mom, sit down and eat first." Song Congzu's face was pale but he forced a smile. He pulled his sister away with one hand and said, "Let's go and have dinner with mom."
Huang Ancheng followed with a stern face.
At the dinner table, Song Congzu suggested, "Why don't you come with us? Let's go see the scenery outside the Great Wall. My sister is timid and likes to scare herself. If she goes out and takes a look, maybe she won't be afraid anymore..."
Song Xian looked over in surprise, and Song Congzu silently shut his mouth.
Lu Yaer lowered her head and looked at the rice in the bowl, glancing at her father out of the corner of her eye. Her mother had said something similar last year, and then her father and her mother had a fight.
She waited and waited, and the room was quiet.
After the meal, Song Xian stood up to leave, and Huang Ancheng said, "You must find a child to take over your business, right?"
"Yes." Song Xian nodded calmly. "You've experienced the hardship of being broke. I'm not going to lie to you. Buying an official position without real power or holding a useless title is not as useful as holding money. We have the means to make money, and at least two generations will benefit."
Huang Ancheng admitted it and compromised, "You're telling the truth, but this matter is too urgent. Why don't you put it aside for now? Next year, when you enter the customs, take Lu Yaer and Congzu with you. It's safer inside the customs. Let these two siblings see what they can do. Then we'll see who chooses to take over your business."
Song Xian suddenly laughed out loud. She finally understood that all men love their sons. Her father was like that, and so was her husband.
Song Xian turned around and asked her daughter again, "Luyaer, do you understand? Are you willing to come with me?"
Lu Ya'er's lips trembled as she looked at her anxiously, not daring to look back at her father and brother. She stood up and walked to the door. She understood that when it came to the trade trip, one of her, her brother, and her mother had to take her with them. Last year, she had been chosen, but her father and brother disapproved. This year, her brother had been chosen, and both her father and brother had chosen to push her out. She couldn't figure out the pros and cons of joining the caravan, but she knew that if no one at home objected to her leaving home, she would be the one to leave.
It can only be said that between being an official and being a businessman, her father and brother both chose to be an official.
"I'm taking Lu Yaer away. From now on, the caravan and the slaves will be hers." Song Xian said firmly.
Lu Ya was wearing a loose, dark fox fur coat and a black wolfskin hat, the brim of which covered half of her face. Sui Yu didn't recognize her at first. She looked at her several times and asked, "Sister Song, is this a relative of yours?"
"It's my Green Bud." Song Xian smiled.
Sui Yu was extremely surprised, but this was not the right time to ask, so she comforted him, "Don't be afraid, Lu Ya'er. Look, there are so many of us. Even if we encounter a pack of wolves, we will be fine."
"Wolves are also afraid of humans. There are nearly 400 camels in the three caravans. We will take out the camel hair stuffed in the camel bells later. The combined sound of the camel bells will scare the wolves away." Xiao Chunhong continued.
Lu Yaer nodded without saying anything.
Far away from the city, the camels walked into the desert. The slaves took out the camel hair from the camel bells. Every time the camels moved, the camel bells jingled. People had to shout at the top of their lungs to speak in their ears.
They did not stop to rest at noon. In the evening, the caravan stopped, the slaves unloaded the goods, and the camels went to the desert to find dry grass to fill their stomachs.
While setting up the tent, Song Xian pulled Sui Yu away and told her what happened in the morning.
"It was only then that I saw the man clearly, but it's better not to see him clearly. This disappoints me more than our quarrel." Song Xian shook her head. Seeing too clearly made her afraid. She didn't even dare to say those words. At most, she would call him vain and snobbish.
"Lu Yaer will be sad." Sui Yu said.
"It's not too late to be sad now. The fact that she came out with me proves she's not stupid." Song Xian looked into the distance and vaguely saw Lu Ya'er helping to lead the camel. She hurriedly said, "Look, isn't that my child?"
Sui Yu squinted his eyes and took a closer look, then said, "It's Green Bud."
Song Xian smiled. "I knew I wouldn't give birth to a stupid child. After all, when I was her age, I was already fighting with my brothers for the family property. Her father is also a man who knows how to handle current affairs. Both her parents are thoughtful people. No matter how naive the child is, she won't be stupid."
Sui Yu laughed, "On New Year's Eve, you said her father was content."
"He's content. He's thoughtful, knows how to make choices, doesn't covet things that don't belong to him, and isn't too ambitious. He's content." Song Xian took a deep breath and said, "I feel better now that I'm out. Now that I think about it, he's not a bad person. It's me who gets envious when I see others doing well. I want too much, and that's why I'm full of resentment."
"Just be in a good mood. Constant anger can easily make you sick," Sui Yu said. "Now everything you planned is coming together. You've found your successor. All you need to do next is train her and make money year after year. Don't argue when you go back. As for what you mentioned, it's human nature. Everyone has selfish motives. Brother Huang has it, you have it, I have it, Zhao Xiping has it, and the children have it too. You absolutely can't delve into the root of these things."
"What's your selfish motive?" Song Xian asked with a smile.
Sui Yu shook her head, "I won't tell you."
"Then what selfish motives does your Captain Zhao have? I don't think he has any."
Sui Yu snorted, "He's not a saint. You think he's too perfect."
"Then tell me what his selfish motive is?" Song Xian asked after her, "You can't tell me."
Sui Yu didn't say anything. She waited until the night enveloped the entire desert. She urinated under the cover of the wind. After Song Xian finished, the two of them walked back and other people came over.
This was Lu Yaer's first time to spend the night in the wild. The wind was strong in the desert, and the sand and gravel that blew up on people's faces could scratch them. She sat in the tent with her legs curled up, smelling the fragrance of food in the wind, holding her rumbling stomach and staring blankly.
"Xiaoya, here, the rice is for you." Song Xian brought a bowl of steaming hot soup noodles and said, "Your aunt cut two more pieces of braised beef for you, try it."
"And beef?"
"The cattle on the ranch must have frozen to death. Your Uncle Zhao used his official position to buy a few pounds." Song Xian bent down and walked into the tent. She sat down next to her daughter and said, "I'll take care of you on the way. If you have any ideas, tell me. Don't be afraid."
Lu Yaer groaned, took a sip of her soup, and whispered, "Mom, are you disappointed in me?"
"No, I raised you too well." Song Xian smiled, "Forget what I said before. I'm satisfied as long as you are willing to come out with me."
Lu Yaer nodded, and she said angrily, "When I make money, I'll give it to you first, and then to my father. In his heart, I'm not as important as his brother, and in my heart, he's not as important as you."
She is so kind that she is still thinking about making money for her father. Song Xian feels that she is not as good as her daughter, so she has many opinions about her father.
"It's up to you," she said. "You earn your own money, so you can give it to whoever you want. That's the confidence that comes with making money. Look at your aunt. She's making money now, and no one dares to talk about the past in front of her. No one dares to say she's inferior because she was born a convict. Even her in-laws don't dare to speak loudly in her presence."
Lu Yaer smiled and said, "My aunt is a good person."
"Yes, she's a good person, tactful, thoughtful, gentle yet strong. She prefers profit to personal relationships, so she gets along well with the merchants. You should learn from her, or not from me."
"Yo yo yo! I heard it!" Sui Yu came over with two bowls of oil tea and said, "It's not my fault for eavesdropping. It's just that the wind changed, and I heard what you said. Sister Song, it seems that you not only think highly of my captain Zhao, but you think equally highly of me."
"Yes, you two are a perfect match. I can't find any fault with you." Song Xian laughed. "You came at the perfect time. Have a few words with my daughter."
"What your mother said is true, about her evaluation of me."
Song Xian patted her, "Be serious and don't make me say bad things about you."
Lu Yaer watched with interest. She found that her mother looked very different outside than at home. She was much more playful and younger.
"Just wait and see. Life on the road away from home is hard, but it's worth savoring for half your life." Sui Yu said seriously, "No matter how much I say, it's all empty talk. You have time to savor this journey carefully."
It was indeed very weak, Lu Yaer nodded.
"Eat quickly, the food is getting cold." Sui Yu said, "Go to bed after eating, it will get colder as the night goes on."
"Don't you want to wash your feet?" Lu Yaer asked in a low voice.
"We'll wash them when we get to Yumen Pass. There's no water in the desert, and the water we brought is only enough for drinking and cooking." Song Xian continued, "It's cold, and we ride on camels all day long, so we don't sweat and our feet don't get dirty."
When it was time to go to bed, nine maids went into a tent, and together with the three masters, there were twelve people sleeping in one tent. They all lay down and covered themselves with sheepskin or wolfskin mattresses. It was difficult for Lu Yaer to turn over. The only advantage was that she was not cold.
Listening to the sound of gravel hitting the camel's hide, the sound of breathing accompanied by the whistling wind, and the occasional sound of camel bells, Lu Yaer closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. She thought she would not be able to sleep, but when she opened her eyes, breakfast was already being prepared outside the tent.
"Awake?" Xiao Chunhong lifted the curtain and leaned halfway in, saying, "You were a very deep sleeper. The camel bells didn't even wake you up."
"When you wake up, put on your fox fur and hat and come out. We will leave after dinner." Song Xian shouted.
When Lu Yaer came out of the tent, she found that it was still dark. The goods that had been unloaded last night had been tied onto the camel's back, and the servants were feeding the camel soybean meal.
Breakfast was sticky millet and soybean porridge. The soybeans were soaked in the first half of the night and cooked in the second half. The person on night watch was responsible for cooking the porridge. Two large pots of porridge were cooked until it was very thick, and the beans would burst when you took a sip.
"Tear off two pieces of cake and stew them in the porridge. These are bean cakes made by your aunt. Her little darling grew and dried the beans herself. Let you try them." Song Xian said with a smile.
Lu Yaer glanced at Sui Yu, drank some porridge and chewed some bread. Maybe she was hungry, so she found the ordinary porridge and bread delicious. The aroma of rice, flour and beans mixed together gave it a very satisfying taste.
After filling their stomachs and packing up the kitchen utensils, they each rode on their camels.
Zhang Shun struck the gong, and two gong sounds of varying strengths rang out in succession, signaling the caravan's departure.
The morning glow climbed upwards over the sea of clouds, the sky gradually brightened, and as the warm, non-glaring orange sun slowly rose, the light night quickly faded over the desert, and the sky and the earth were lit up in an instant.
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