ThedaysbeforetheirdeparturepassedmorequicklythanSuyuanexpected。Thetemporarybridgehadbeenpleted,thegrainstoresdividedbetweenthevillages,andthewatchplatformsstrengthened。XieZhengssoldiershadalsoestablishedasimplesystembetweenthevillages:onebellforatravelerorcaravan,twofortroubleontheroad,andthreeforanimmediatethreat。
Itwasnotperfectbutitwasenoughtogivethevillagerstime。Suyuanstoodattheedgeofthesouthernvillagethatafternoon,watgthewatclimbdownfromhisplatform。
“Youllbeleavingsoon,”theoldfarmerbesidehersaid。
Suyuanlookedathim。
“Yes。”
“Goinghome?”
Shewasquietforamoment。
“Imnotsure。”
Suyuanlookedtowardthedistantmountains,perhapsitwasbutshehadspeeenyearssomewhereelse。Homewasastrangewordwhentheplaceexistedonlyinotherpeoplesmemories。Thatevening,shereturothebarracksandfoundNannyZhangwaitingoutside。
Suyuanstopped,foramoment,herspoke。ThenSuyuanwalkedquicklytowardher。
“Nanny。”
NannyZhangseyesimmediatelybecamewet。
“Mylittlegirl。”
Suyuanloweredherheadastheolderulledherintoanembrace。Ayaostoodbehindthem,smilingthroughherowntears。
“Youvebeethinner,”NannyZhangplainedafterfinallylettingSuyuango。
Suyuanalmostlaughed。
“Yousaythateverytime。”
“Becauseeverytimeitstrue。”
Ayaosteppedforward。
“Andshestillrefusestorest。”
“Nanny,”Suyuansaidhelplessly。
NannyZhangturowardAyao。
“See?Stillstubborn。”
Ayaonoddedenthusiastically。
“Ivebeensufferingforyears。”
Suyuangavethembothalook。Forthefirsttimeinalongwhile,thethreeofthemstoodtogetherwithoutfearofwhatmighthappenthem。Later,NannyZhangquietlyplacedasmallwoodenboxinSuyuanshands。Suyuanreizedimmediatelythatitshermothersbelongings。
Sheopecarefully。InsidewasthejadependantthathadbelooShuran。Suyuantoucheditwithherfiips。“Shewouldhavewantedyoutohavethiswhenyoureturned,”NannyZhangsaid。
Suyuanclosedherhandaroundthependant。
“Illtakeithome。”
Thewordscamenaturally。
Home。Thistime,shedidnotcorrectherself。
Outside,XieZhengwasgivingfinalinstrustothesoldiers。
ThecapitalwaswaitingandbeforetheyleftthefroherewasonelastthingSuyuanwaosee。
Thehillabovethevillage。
Shewaoremembertheplacewhereshehadlearhatsurvivaldidnotalwaysmeanrunningawaysometimes,itmeantstayinglongenoughtobuildsomethingworthproteg。