Back at Aunt Qian's house, Leng Yue put the suitcase on the kang (a heated brick bed), opened it, and took out a bag of silver dollars.
"Aunt Qian, this is a small token of my appreciation. You and all the other aunties saved my life, and I can never repay you in this lifetime. Please accept this money!" Leng Yue said, stuffing the silver dollars into Aunt Qian's hand.
Aunt Qian quickly declined, "Girl, look at what you're saying. We have daughters of our own, and you and our daughters are about the same age. What kind of life-saving is this? It's just a matter of running an errand."
"That's right, that's right, young lady, keep this money safe, don't lose it. I heard you live far from here, and you'll need money for the journey!"
"That's right, as the old saying goes, 'A poor family should travel with plenty of money,' so you should put it away quickly, young lady."
………………
"See? The older women won't take your money. Hurry up and put it away. When you get home, if you can, burn a message for us to let us know you're safe. That's better than anything else." Aunt Qian glanced at the women and then put Leng Yue's money pouch into the box.
Leng Yue thought about it carefully and realized that giving money directly like this wasn't ideal. She didn't want any conflict arising from who got more or less. Since it's said that it's not scarcity that's the problem, but inequality, Leng Yue didn't insist further.
"Alright, I appreciate your kindness, ladies. I'll definitely let you know I'm safe when I get home," Leng Yue said with a smile.
Aunt Qian held Leng Yue's hand and nodded. "That's right, young lady. We're so happy that you've returned home safely. By the way, I think you should wear these clothes. It's not good for a young lady like you to dress too flashy."
“Yes, it’s better to dress simply so you won’t attract thieves,” another older woman nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's go to the ferry terminal to buy tickets as soon as possible, or there won't be any boats left." Aunt Qian looked at the time and saw that it was getting late, and there were already quite a few pedestrians walking around the entrance.
Leng Yue nodded, picked up her suitcase, and prepared to leave. "Then, Aunt Qian, ladies, I'll be going now."
"Come on, come on, go home early so your parents can rest easy," Aunt Qian couldn't help but urge. "Girl, when you look for a man in the future, listen to your parents. They won't ruin you. Don't do anything foolish like this next time!"
Leng Yue nodded, "Don't worry, Aunt Qian, this is a lesson I'll remember for the rest of my life. I'll never do it again!"
"Alright, let's go early, lest that ingrate catches up with us." Aunt Qian thought for a moment, "Or I can take you to the boat, I'm really worried about you going alone."
Leng Yue wanted to say no, but another older woman beat her to it, "Sister-in-law, have you forgotten my nephew? Wouldn't it be perfect to have him escort this girl?"
“Oh right, how could I forget about Dazhu?” Aunt Qian slapped her thigh and turned to Leng Yue, saying, “Dazhu, Aunt Li’s nephew, is a coachman. He often goes to the ferry to wait for passengers. He should be heading out at this time. Let’s go find him. Dazhu is very reliable and dependable. We’ll feel much more at ease with him accompanying you.”
As Aunt Qian spoke, she pulled Leng Yue toward Aunt Li's nephew's house.
Because they were all in the same alley and not far apart, the group arrived quickly.
Aunt Li explained her purpose to her nephew, who agreed without hesitation.
“Young lady, if you don’t mind, you can ride in my car. I’ll be driving even if it’s empty.” Aunt Li’s nephew said to Leng Yue in a particularly honest manner.
Leng Yue smiled and nodded, "Then, Brother Dazhu, I will respectfully accept your offer."
After speaking, Leng Yue got into Li Dazhu's car. Looking at the group of elderly women, Leng Yue said, "Take care, everyone. I'll definitely come back to see you all when I have the chance!"
"Alright, go ahead, go ahead, remember to let me know you're safe!" Aunt Qian waved her hand and smiled at Leng Yue.
The car moved forward, and Leng Yue turned around and waved to the crowd again. Then, she saw Bai Yanlang hiding in the corner of the house.
Leng Yue pretended not to see it, calmly withdrew her hand, and turned around as if nothing had happened. She remained silent all the way to the ferry.
Although Leng Yue repeatedly said she was ready, Li Dazhu still escorted her onto the ship. He gave her a lot of instructions, telling her to keep her suitcase with her, not to go near the ship's side unnecessarily, and not to talk too much with strangers.
Although the two were complete strangers and had little contact, Li Dazhu genuinely treated Leng Yue like family, showering her with care and concern. Leng Yue listened attentively to everything Li Dazhu said and agreed to each and every one of his suggestions.
These people are so kind, so incredibly kind, that they open their hearts to complete strangers. Even though they themselves aren't well-off, they still try their best to help others, without considering their own gains or losses.
Leng Yue felt that such kind and simple people deserved respect, and she didn't want to let them down.
The ship started moving, and Leng Yue saw Li Dazhu waving at her until he was out of sight.
To get back to Heyuan from Tianjin, you first need to take a ferry to Shanghai, then transfer to a train. After arriving in Guangzhou, you still need to take a horse-drawn carriage to get home.
Leng Yue knew that transportation in this era was very underdeveloped, and she would definitely have to put in a lot of effort to get back. She never expected that it would take her nearly ten days just to travel by boat. And the smell in the cabin? It was truly indescribable!
After finally disembarking from the boat and buying a train ticket to Heyuan, Leng Yue barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before discovering that the conditions on the train weren't much better than on the boat. She felt like dying!
Ling also asked Leng Yue why she didn't use the Anywhere Door, and Leng Yue said she dared not. He Wan knew the time she and Bai Yanlang left. If her return time didn't match the actual time, it would definitely give her something to talk about.
Even so, Leng Yue still couldn't stand the stench! It was so foul it made her dizzy, and the sight of it brought tears to her eyes. Don't misunderstand, she was completely overwhelmed by the stench. It was truly an eyesore, wasn't it?
When Leng Yue saw the familiar streets of Heyuan, tears almost welled up in her eyes.
Ling, oblivious to everything, joked from the side, "Yueyue, you're in such a good state. When you get home and see your old man, you won't even have to pretend. You're just as pitiful as can be!"
Leng Yue's lips twitched. Yes, how could she not be pitiful? It was the first time since she started this mission that she could smell such a rotten, sour stench emanating from her body.
Standing in front of the Leng Mansion, the gatekeepers watched her warily. "Go away, go away! Where did this beggar come from? The Leng Mansion is not a place for you. Get out of here!" When the gatekeepers saw that Leng Yue was not leaving, they stepped forward to chase her away.
Leng Yue ruffled her hair, glanced at the doorman, and said, "Ah Cai, don't you recognize me? It's me."
"You...you...you're really Miss?" Ah Cai looked at Leng Yue, who was unrecognizable, in disbelief. "How did you get like this?"
Ah Cai looked at the woman in front of him, dressed like a village woman, her hair matted together, looking like a beggar. If she didn't speak, who would guess that she was the high-class, stylish young lady?
"Where's my father? I need to see my father." Leng Yue slapped Ah Cai aside and went inside.
Ah Cai tried to catch up, saying ingratiatingly, "Miss, Master is in the study. But, are you really not going to wash and dress yourself first?"
Leng Yue also wanted to come, but she held back after thinking about Ling's words. "No, I miss my father. I want to see him first."
“But you are like this…” Ah Cai stopped halfway through his sentence, after all, how could a servant like him interfere in his master’s affairs?
He shook his head and stood at the gate.
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