No one expected the little girl to faint, likely overwhelmed by the shock of her mother’s sudden death. The three men couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for her.
“Brother Yao, what should we do now?”
Lu Xingyao rubbed his temples, clearly troubled. No good deed goes unpunished, he thought.
“This whole mess started because Father couldn’t stand by. Let him deal with it,” he muttered, glancing at the dead woman on the ground.
He turned to the two men with him and sighed, “What else can we do? Let’s bury her under the cover of darkness.”
One of his cousins hesitated, his lips trembling. “Brother Yao, she’s a living, breathing child. Isn’t burying her alive a bit too much?”
The two men exchanged uneasy glances, looking at Lu Xingyao as though they had grossly misjudged him. No one wanted the burden of a helpless child, but they hadn’t expected him to suggest something so ruthless—burying the little girl alive alongside her mother.
Veins bulged on Lu Xingyao’s forehead as he suppressed his frustration. He lowered his voice and growled, “What nonsense are you spouting? I meant bury the mother and quietly bring the girl back with us!”
Seriously, do you think I’m the kind of person who would bury a child alive?
Relieved, the two men let out long breaths. They had really thought for a moment that their brother Yao had it in him to be that cruel. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
After they buried the mother, the three men quickly carried the unconscious little girl back to the camp.
They wanted to inform the old man about the situation and see what he would decide, but when they returned, the old man was fast asleep, snoring away.
Lu Zhou and Madam Song had also retired for the night.
With nothing else to do, Lu Xingyao laid the girl down, covered her with his coat, and wrapped himself in a scarf while warming up by the fire. He figured they could sort things out in the morning.
He sighed deeply, thinking to himself, It’s truly unfortunate to have such unreliable elders.
Just then, Lu Xingyan, who hadn’t gone to sleep, appeared and sat down beside him. “What’s with the sighing?”
Lu Xingyao rolled his eyes. “Our well-meaning elders are all fast asleep, leaving me to deal with the mess.”
Lu Xingyan chuckled softly, his smile faint. “You’re becoming responsible, stepping in to help your elders. Very commendable.”
As he spoke, Lu Xingyan lifted his hand to ruffle his nephew’s hair, trying to offer some comfort.
Lu Xingyao instinctively ducked away, his brow twitching. “Third Uncle, let’s not do that, alright?”
Years ago, a wandering Taoist priest had told Lu Qing that’ he was born under an extraordinary fate but with certain complications.
Lu Qing was supposed to have only two sons, but Lu Xingyan’s birth had defied destiny, bringing a curse upon him. The Taoist warned that Lu Xingyan’s life would be fraught with illness, and his death was inevitable.
Lu Qing didn’t believe in such superstitions, but when Lu Xingyan fell gravely ill not long after, the imperial doctors couldn’t do anything. In the end, they reluctantly followed the Taoist’s advice and altered the family registry, placing Lu Xingyan in the generation of his nephews. Strangely, after that, his health improved significantly.
Though he still battled frequent illnesses, his life was no longer in immediate danger. So, while Lu Xingyan was technically still addressed as “Uncle” by the younger generation, everyone in the family knew he was considered a peer in the family registry.
For Lu Xingyao, he called him “Uncle,” but in his heart, Lu Xingyan was more like a contemporary. The idea of his uncle trying to ruffle his hair like an elder annoyed him greatly.
Lu Xingyan sighed and withdrew his hand, lamenting softly, “Ah, my nephew has grown up.”
The next morning, when Lu Qing woke up and saw the little girl standing before him, he was stunned. “What…?”
Lu Zhou quickly pulled his son aside. “We could’ve just given her some food. Why did you bring her back here?”
Lu Xingyao resisted the urge to roll his eyes, silently reminding himself that this was his father, deserving of respect despite his occasional lack of insight. Father may not be considerate, but I have to remain filial.
“Her mother died,” Lu Xingyao explained, “I couldn’t just leave her there. Without her mother, she would’ve likely ended up sold to some terrible place by the end of the day.”
Madam Song, shocked, asked, “Her mother died?”
Lu Xingyao nodded and recounted the events of the previous night. “By the time we got there, she was already on her last breath. She passed away without even saying a word. The little girl fainted, so we had no choice but to bring her back.”
Lu Zhou sighed, casting a glance at the girl, who was now gnawing on a biscuit. “You’re usually so level-headed. Why didn’t you come back and discuss this with us first before deciding to bring her here? It’s one thing to take in stray cats and dogs, but a person? A young child at that, and we don’t even know where she came from.”
Lu Xingyao suppressed his frustration and replied sarcastically, “I would have discussed it if you all hadn’t been sound asleep after we buried the body.”
His expression and tone were laced with irony, as if to say: Look at you, lecturing me when you didn’t do any of the work.
Lu Zhou fell silent.
Madam Song shot her son a warning glance, signaling for him to stop. There was no need to embarrass his father further. Ultimately, the decision to keep the girl rested with Lu Qing, the head of the family.
Lu Qing looked at the little girl for a long time before finally asking, “What’s your name? How old are you?”
The girl swallowed her food and replied obediently, “Grandfather, my name is Yuan’er. I’m ten years old.”
Lu Qing sighed. She was younger than his own granddaughter by a year. If she fell into the wrong hands, her life would be ruined.
“Your mother has passed away, and now you’re all alone. Have you thought about what you’ll do next?”
The mention of her mother brought tears to Yuan’er’s eyes, but she shook her head. Then, suddenly, she looked up with determination. “Grandfather, can I go with you?”
Lu Qing hesitated, taken aback. “You and your mother left your home with those men, likely heading toward a more prosperous place. We, on the other hand, are criminals being exiled to the far north, where the winters are harsh, and some of us are murderers. Are you sure you want to come with us?”
He tried to explain the situation as clearly as possible, though he doubted she fully understood the gravity of it.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Yuan’er said, her bright eyes unwavering, undeterred by his warnings.
Lu Qing sighed again. “We have little food for the journey, and no warm clothing. The north is even colder than it is here. Are you certain?”
Yuan’er nodded firmly, her posture tense, like a kitten afraid of being abandoned.
Lu Qing relented with a weary sigh. “Alright, you may come with us.”
Standing nearby, Lu Xingyan said nothing, though he did glance at Yuan’er a few more times.
Lu Qing then gathered his son and daughter-in-law and informed them of his decision to let Yuan’er accompany them on their journey to the northern wastelands.
Madam Xu was shocked. “Father, the journey is long and difficult. Can this little girl really handle it?”
She looked even younger than her daughter, Lu Youtang.
Lu Youtang, however, was excited to have someone her own age to play with and eagerly took Yuan’er’s hand.
Yuan’er stiffened, instinctively wanting to pull her hand away, but under the watchful eyes of everyone, she restrained herself.
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