Chapter 38
"It's dark and there's no light, so I gave it to my good friend."
"Oh, really? I think it's a gift for your ideal husband." Lin Huan touched Lin Xing's face.
"Huan'er, don't talk nonsense." Xiaomei was obviously trying to persuade her, but her eyes expressed her affirmation of Lin Huan.
"Both of you!"
This was a blatant tease. Lin Xing chased after them while Xiao Mei helped Huan'er go to the restaurant. The three of them were so focused on playing that Huan'er accidentally bumped into Liu Lian who was coming out.
"Oh, my little ancestors, your feet are like this, why don't you behave yourself?" Liu Lian slapped Lin Huan and warned her not to act like that. Lin Huan stuck out her tongue and didn't take it seriously at all.
"Young shopkeeper, go back and pack your things. When will we set out tomorrow?"
"Si time."
Hearing this, Lin Huan, who was originally in high spirits, became listless, and kept buttoning the corner of his clothes with one hand.
"I have packed the necessary things for you. I can't help you with the rest." Liu Lian took Huan'er and said, "I will take her back. You two should go back to the house."
"Sister Lian, Huan'er, you should also go to bed early."
Lin Xing and Xiao Mei left side by side. They could vaguely hear Huan'er crying behind them. They didn't dare to look back or mention the matter. In order to cover up her crying, Lin Xing started a conversation.
"Xiaomei, something happened at the temple fair that cannot be explained in a few words. We will stay in Dingzhou for a while, and you can do what you want to do."
"Really? There's nothing I want to do." Xiaomei's tone was light, and no emotion could be heard from her voice, but based on years of experience, Lin Xing knew that she was unhappy.
"If you want to see your parents, we can help you. After all, I have no chance."
"You, I mean Lin Xing, your parents are gone too?"
This really made Lin Xing feel troubled. What was the difference between her parents being gone and not being there? After hesitating for a moment, Lin Xing replied, "They are gone, they have been gone for a long time. I grew up with my grandmother."
"So if you want to see them, do it as soon as possible." Lin Xing's depression seemed to be Xiaomei's illusion. She had returned to her normal tone when she said the next sentence.
"We will meet if we are destined to, there is no need to force it. You must be staying in Dingzhou for important matters, so it is better not to cause trouble."
"How can this be considered a trouble? You and I are a family, this is just a small matter."
Xiao Mei narrowed her eyes and smiled, "You and I are a family, but Supervisor Yu and I are not a family? No, I forgot that you and he are a family."
"Little Berry!"
Lin Xing turned around and decided not to pay attention to her, but Xiao Mei continued to tease her: "I saw that your peach blossom lantern was also given to Supervisor Yu. The lantern in your hand is a gift from him in return."
Even though she didn't look at Xiaomei, Lin Xing could imagine what her expression was. For a moment, she wanted to throw the lamp in her hand away, but after thinking about it, she held it tighter.
"I'm going back to sleep. I don't want to bother with you." The two of them had already walked to Lin Xing's room. Lin Xing ran in and closed the door without hesitation.
"You can ignore me, but don't be late tomorrow, or you'll make Supervisor Yu wait."
The door was opened, and Lin Xing's voice came out, "You!"
"I'm leaving first." Xiaomei stopped talking and left behind a meaningful laugh.
Seeing her disappear around the corner, Lin Xing blushed and closed the door.
The oil lamp in the room was lit, and packages came into Lin Xing's sight: clothes, accessories, cakes, and money. Sister Lian was really afraid that she would suffer, so she gave her so many things.
Some old things from the money house were hidden by Lin Xing, and she took advantage of this free time to pack them up. Looking at the familiar objects, Lin Xing was afraid of being reminded of the past, so she chose to pack them up quickly.
She lay in bed for a long time and couldn't fall asleep. She always felt like something was missing. Her eyes moved from the beams to the oil lamp, and then from the oil lamp to the table, and she thought.
Lin Xing sat up, lit the lamp, found paper and pen, and buried her head at the table. Perhaps her true feelings were revealed, and she finished writing three letters in a short while. After waiting for the ink to dry, Lin Xing carefully put them in envelopes and looked at them, imagining the expressions of the three people after they received them.
"Boom, boom, boom."
There was a knock on the door. It was already late at night. Who could it be?
"Young shopkeeper, I see the light is still on, are you asleep?"
"Sister Lian, I haven't slept yet. Come in and talk if you have anything to say."
"No need, just a few words, I'll go back after I finish talking outside." Listening to the noise outside the door, Liu Lian seemed to squat down and lean against the door, "Young shopkeeper, don't trust others easily when you go to the capital. If you have anything, you can discuss it with Xiaomei."
Liu Lian didn't need Lin Xing's answer. "If you meet someone you like in the capital, remember to write a letter to Sister Lian. Although I can't go to the capital to watch you get married, at least let me know."
"Sister Lian will definitely prepare a generous dowry for you when the time comes. Don't let people look down on you."
"If you are bullied, you must write to Sister Lian. No matter how far the capital is, I will go to support you. Then I will take you back to Nanru and let you be the shopkeeper for life."
Liu Lian's words became more and more rambling, but Lin Xing did not interrupt her because she was afraid that she would burst into tears if she opened her mouth. She walked silently to the door, squatted down, and leaned against the door like Liu Lian.
"I just thought of this suddenly. I'm afraid I'll forget it tomorrow morning, so I came to remind you in advance. Don't think I'm being long-winded, little shopkeeper. I can't say much more."
"Won't."
"Okay, I'm going back now. Go to bed early, little shopkeeper. We have to travel tomorrow."
"Um."
There was no movement outside the house, so Lin Xing had to stand up and blow out the oil lamp, and Liu Lian left. Liu Lian, who was leaving, didn't know that her young shopkeeper stood in the same position as she left all night.
"Sister Xiao Xing, it's already noon time."
Lin Xing woke up as if from a dream, rubbed her eyes and went to open the door. Lin Huan was waiting outside the door holding a bundle.
"Huan'er, what are you holding?"
She stuffed the things to Lin Xing and said, "This is what I packed for you and Sister Xiaomei. You may find it useful on the road."
Lin Huan, who had nothing in his hands, lowered his head. Lin Xing comforted him, "There's no rush now. Let's go eat first."
The table was already full of bundles, and the one Lin Huan sent just took up the last spot. Now everything is ready and we can go to the restaurant for our last meal.
I didn't see many people along the way, probably they were all waiting there. Lin Huan's pace was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and Lin Xing tried her best to keep up with her.
"Hey, you guys are finally here."
"Sister Lian, why are you waiting outside? It's cold, stop blowing the wind."
"I asked Huan'er to call you. After waiting for a long time and seeing no one, I came out to see you."
Lin Huan muttered, "I'm walking very fast."
Neither Liu Lian nor Lin Xing heard this, and she did not repeat it, but just crushed the fallen leaves on the ground with her feet.
"Come in, everyone is here." Liu Lian pulled someone into the house.
The scene in front of me is very familiar. It is a reappearance of a moment a few days ago. The difference is that everyone’s table is full of food.
"Okay, now that the young manager is here, there's no need to wait any longer." Liu Lian's greeting echoed in the room, but no one moved, and everyone had an indescribable expression on their face.
"you…"
"Sister Lian, it's okay." Lin Xing interrupted Liu Lian and comforted her with a smile.
Lin Xing cleared her throat, "I'm sure everyone has been waiting for a long time. I'm leaving today. Although we haven't been together for a long time, I have already regarded the restaurant as my home."
After a pause, Lin Xing continued, "I believe that you are so reluctant to part with me because you share the same idea as me. I will offer you a glass of tea instead of wine."
Lin Xing did not sit down when she said this, and everyone stood up to accompany her. After drinking the tea, tears appeared on the faces of some girls.
"Boss, please come back to see us when you have time."
One person spoke, and then everyone started talking.
"Boss, you won't never come back, will you?"
"Shopkeeper, please remember to write to us?"
Lin Xing couldn't hold on to her smile any longer. Before she lost her composure, Liu Lian suddenly spoke up, "Can you guys let the young shopkeeper have his meal? We have to travel soon. How can we go hungry?"
Then there was no more sound of talking, only some sobbing. Everyone sat down and the sound of dishes and chopsticks colliding could be heard in the room.
People are always sad when they are about to leave. Lin Xing didn’t eat well at the meal. The delicious food tasted like chewing wax. She didn't know that everyone was like this. They kept observing this side, afraid that they would not be able to catch up with the shopkeeper when he went out.
Lin Xing put down her chopsticks, and the next moment everyone stopped moving. For a moment, the room fell into a strange silence. However, this atmosphere was soon broken by shouting outside the house.
"Boss, the carriage has arrived outside the restaurant and the luggage has been loaded onto the carriage."
"Really? Looks like it's time to go." The person who spoke was not Lin Xing, but Liu Lian.
As soon as she finished speaking, she stood up and said to Lin Xing, "Little Shopkeeper, let's go."
These words were a death warrant, and Lin Xing could no longer hesitate. She could only stand up and go out of the restaurant with Xiaomei. Liu Lian and Huan'er followed behind them, and not far away were the people from the restaurant.
There were three carriages parked outside the restaurant. At Lin Xing's request, no major fuss was made about this matter, and as many as possible would be kept secret.
When they were a few steps away from the carriage, Lin Xing stopped, turned around and looked at the two of them, and slowly said: "After sending you a thousand miles, we must part ways. Sister Lian, Huan'er, I will send you here."
Liu Lian and Huan'er didn't say anything, they just nodded in panic, and everyone behind them turned their heads away.
The two men bowed to everyone and walked forward with heavy steps.
"Young shopkeeper, the restaurant will always be waiting for you to come back, as well as all of us."
"Yes, come home often."
Everyone's voices mixed together and it's hard to tell us apart. Maybe there is no need to divide it at all, everyone is talking.
Lin Xing got on the carriage and lifted the curtain to take a last look at everyone. She waved to everyone, a neighing sound was heard, and a tear slipped down where no one noticed.
If heaven and earth have spirits, then this tear will definitely fall on the flowers that everyone planted outside the restaurant. When Lin Xing is not around, it will spread into a river, and her tears will dry up only when she sets foot on this land again.
"Bon Voyage."
Everyone became dots in Lin Xing's eyes, and all the voices were left behind. Lin Xing sighed and retracted his right hand.
"Xiao Xing, you haven't told me why you want to stay in Dingzhou?"
When Xiaomei mentioned this, Lin Xing suddenly remembered it and slapped her head. "Look at my memory. I'll make it short."
"There is a wealthy businessman named Li in Dingzhou who forced a girl to marry him. The girl's childhood sweetheart asked us to redeem her. But the businessman is very rude, so it might take some time."
"I see."
The two of them changed the topic and started chatting casually, but the carriage suddenly stopped.
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