Chapter 61: Returning Home
Early morning, Changxing City, Huzhou.
A half-worn mule cart, mixed in with the hurried crowd, entered the city gate at a leisurely pace.
Niu Cheqian sat in the cart, pulling the curtain aside to reveal a thin slit, greedily gazing at the familiar streets and shops outside.
It had been seven years and eight months since the night he fled, and this was the first time he had returned to Changxing City.
This was something he had never dared to imagine.
He hadn’t expected to be alive to return to Changxing City, to see all this familiarity again.
The cart drove directly into a house. The attendant closed the courtyard gate and knocked on the cart door.
The curtain was lifted, and Niu Cheqian cautiously poked his head out.
“It’s alright now, come out. We’re almost there,” the attendant said to Niu Cheqian with a hint of helplessness.
This Mr. Niu’s courage was truly too little.
“Okay, okay,” Niu Cheqian said, his legs trembling as he slowly emerged.
“Sigh!” The attendant let out a long sigh, stepped forward, took Niu Cheqian’s arm, and pulled him out of the cart.
“Hurry up, or we’ll be late!” The attendant dragged Niu Cheqian out and pulled him through the second gate.
Niu Cheqian was dragged by the attendant, heading straight for a high wall in the backyard.
Several ancient trees stood by the high wall, their branches and leaves lush. A ladder had already been set up under one of the ancient trees.
Seeing the attendant dragging Niu Cheqian over, a guard jumped down from the top of the ladder and waved, “Hurry up and climb, we’re almost there.”
“Is it stable up there?” The attendant looked up at the top of the ladder hidden among the dense leaves.
This Mr. Niu was so timid; if it wasn’t stable, he feared Mr. Niu might fall and get injured.
“Don’t worry, our leader gave instructions,” the guard said, suppressing a smile as he looked at Niu Cheqian’s constantly trembling legs.
Niu Cheqian went first, with the guard behind him, half-supporting and half-pushing him to the middle of the tree canopy, where they made him sit and tied him to a thick branch behind him with a strap.
“Watch carefully, and don’t make a sound,” the guard patted Niu Cheqian and whispered in his ear.
Niu Cheqian nodded vigorously, not daring to utter a sound.
Next door was a small two-courtyard house. The buildings were already very dilapidated. The back auxiliary room at the very rear had already collapsed halfway. On a broken bamboo chair at the entrance of the main house sat an old woman with white hair, holding a small oiled paper packet. Trembling, she picked something out of the packet and carefully put it in her mouth.
A thin woman in worn clothes was bending over, sweeping the ground.
Tears streamed from Niu Cheqian’s eyes.
This was his old mother and his wife.
Wiping his tears, Niu Cheqian stretched his neck, searching the courtyard.
Where was his son? Where was his son?
Niu Cheqian’s heart clenched into a ball.
When he fled, his son had just learned to walk, smiling at him, reaching out his hands and stumbling towards him.
Where was his son? Was he still alive?
A middle-aged man, wearing a long gown but also carrying the shoulder bag commonly used by shopkeepers, knocked on the Niu family’s courtyard gate.
“Who is it?” the woman asked, straightening up and walking towards the gate.
“Is this the Niu family? Is Old Niu’s wife home?” the middle-aged man asked, stepping back down a step.
“Who are you?” Niu’s wife asked, pulling open the courtyard gate and showing her face.
“I’m from Yangzhou. Is the old lady well?” the middle-aged man bowed slightly.
“She’s well. Yangzhou?” Niu’s wife frowned.
“Since the old lady is home, please let me in to talk. It’s not convenient here,” the middle-aged man bowed again.
Niu’s wife thought of something but couldn’t believe it. After a moment of stunned silence, she yanked the door open.
The middle-aged man sidestepped into the courtyard gate and walked directly to the Niu family’s old lady.
The old lady was craning her neck, squinting, trying hard to see clearly.
“Mother’s eyesight isn’t very good, but her hearing is still fine,” Niu’s wife said, closing the courtyard gate and quickly following.
“Allow me to kowtow to the old lady first,” the middle-aged man took off his shoulder bag, knelt before the old lady, and sincerely kowtowed three times.
“Who is he? Who is this? You don’t recognize him? Who is this?” The oiled paper packet in the old lady’s hand fell to the ground. She frantically grabbed Niu’s wife.
“It’s not Ping Ge’er’s father!” Niu’s wife quickly pressed the old lady to sit still.
The old lady’s face fell with disappointment, and she slumped back.
“My surname is Fang, my given name is Sheng. I was a close friend of Brother Niu,” Fang Sheng said, half-squatting, half-kneeling before the old lady, lowering his voice to introduce himself.
“Fang Sheng? I’ve never heard of him! Not from before, but now? You and him? Now?” The old lady grabbed Fang Sheng, asking urgently.
“Yes, I met Brother Niu three years ago. I’m passing through Huzhou this time and, at Brother Niu’s request, came to check on you and report that he is safe.”
“He’s… he’s still alive?” The old lady was stunned for a moment, then tears of joy flowed.
Niu’s wife covered her mouth tightly with both hands, tears streaming down her face, but she dared not sob aloud.
After letting the two have their emotional moment of crying, Fang Sheng continued, “Brother Niu is safe and in good health, just a little older-looking.”
“Where is he? He?” After saying “he,” Niu’s wife didn’t know what else to ask.
“He’s been drifting around various places, which was very difficult. This year, his luck has turned. He gained the favor of a noble patron and is now managing miscellaneous affairs by that patron’s side.”
Fang Sheng spoke each word slowly and clearly.
“Brother Niu entrusted me to come and report his safety. Brother Niu said: that patron values him greatly, and once he accumulates some merit, that patron said he could help him clear his name. At that time, he will return immediately to pick up the family and reunite.”
“It’s good that he’s safe, it’s good that he’s safe,” the old lady’s tears continued to flow.
“How is the child?” Fang Sheng turned his head, looked around, and asked Niu’s wife.
“He’s good, he’s gone to school. I’ll go call him!” Niu’s wife turned and ran out.
“Aqian is really alive? You’re not lying to me?” The old lady looked at Fang Sheng, holding her breath, and asked.
“He’s alive and well. Brother Niu said the old lady is sharp and specifically gave me a few words before coming, asking me to tell the old lady that when he left home that year, it was the old lady who sent him out of the city and onto the boat, saying the old lady told him that as long as he was alive, that was enough,” Fang Sheng leaned forward and whispered to the old lady.
The old lady suddenly leaned back against the chair back, and tears welled up again.
Not long after, the courtyard gate was pushed open with a bang. Niu’s wife pulled a boy of about eight or nine years old and rushed in.
Niu Cheqian, in the ancient tree in the next courtyard, stretched his head forward, staring intently at the little boy.
His son, he’s grown so big…
“Quick! Kowtow to Uncle Fang!” Niu’s wife made the little boy kneel before Fang Sheng.
“This child’s eyebrows and eyes are exactly like his father’s,” Fang Sheng reached out, pulled up the little boy, and examined him carefully.
“Indeed, his eyebrows and eyes are exactly like his father’s!” The old lady smiled through her tears.
“I shouldn’t delay too long,” Fang Sheng reached for his shoulder bag, took out two tightly wrapped square mulberry paper packets, and placed them on the old lady’s lap.
“This hundred taels of gold is what Brother Niu saved and entrusted me to bring back for household expenses.”
“Who is that noble patron? Can you reveal even a little?” The old lady touched the mulberry paper packets and leaned forward to ask.
“A very noble patron, please rest assured, old lady.”
Fang Sheng stood up, put on his shoulder bag, waved to the curious little boy, and said, “I’m leaving now, no need to see me off.”
Fang Sheng left the courtyard gate and walked away directly.
In the courtyard next door, the guard climbed up, untied Niu Cheqian, who was crying so hard he could barely breathe, grabbed his belt, and handed him down to the guards below.
