"Perhaps my subordinates took the wrong items." Brother Ming genuinely had no idea where these strange goods had come from.
A middle-aged man standing beside him leaned in and whispered into his ear. Brother Ming rolled his eyes. He knew his boss would never do something like this.
It turned out to be Elder Zheng’s doing. He had merely taken a few extra bags of medicinal herbs from the old man, yet Elder Zheng acted as if he had been robbed of his very life. If the old man didn’t possess such incredible medical skills—which made everyone too afraid to offend him—Brother Ming would have definitely taught him a lesson upon his return.
"Do any of these catch your eye? If so, please accept them as a meeting gift from me, ma’am," Brother Ming said, stepping forward with an ingratiating smile.
Bai Jiu didn’t want to take too much advantage of them. "Let’s just exchange them at a low price," she replied. "Alright, count the money."
Since the cash consisted entirely of ten-yuan notes, Bai Jiu simply counted the bundles to estimate the total rather than verifying every single bill.
"The cash totals seven hundred and fifty thousand, offset by one hundred thousand for the herbs and gold. Alright, help me push the handcarts over to the opposite side." Bai Jiu was trembling with excitement on the inside, but she didn’t dare show it, maintaining a calm and nonchalant expression. "Remember, leave immediately after pushing them over. Otherwise, if something happens, I won’t be held responsible."
She lacked true confidence, but she certainly knew how to put on a good act. Brother Ming, naturally, understood the implications.
"Understood."
The five handcarts were pushed into the woods on the left. As soon as they arrived, Brother Ming noticed several footprints on the ground. He didn’t dare stare; he just wanted to finish this transaction as quickly as possible.
"Alright, go on. You can come back for the handcarts tomorrow," Bai Jiu said, waving her hand with an impatient expression.
Brother Ming didn’t linger and hurriedly left with his men. Only after they were completely out of sight did Bai Jiu begin storing the goods into her spatial dimension.
By the time she returned to the guest house, it was already one or two in the morning, a testament to how long she had been delayed. Bai Jiu was absolutely thrilled. Now, no matter how capable Gao Zhijun was, she was no longer afraid. As long as she survived, she would rise above the rest and master her own destiny.
The next day, after checking out of her room, she bought a train ticket and left Songxiang City. No matter how prosperous the city was, it was not her final destination.
When Bai Jiu arrived back home, Father Bai’s restless heart finally settled upon seeing his daughter return safely. However, watching her unpack an endless array of bags and bundles gave him a massive headache.
"Why did you buy so many things again?" he asked.
His daughter had never been a spendthrift before. How did she end up like this after getting married?
"It’s fine, Dad. These are all things we can use at home," Bai Jiu replied casually. "Dad, I plan to return to the village after the fifteenth. It’s too difficult to buy a job position here in the city."
She didn’t want to burden anyone else, which was why she insisted on going back. In the village, no matter what situations arose, she could handle them.
"Didn’t we agree you would stay in the city? Why are you going back?" Father Bai could not bear to let his daughter return to the countryside. "It doesn’t matter if you didn’t buy a job. You can just take over your mother’s position. I absolutely disagree with you leaving!"
After what had happened, he simply couldn’t put his mind at ease. Besides, his daughter had sacrificed so much for their family; giving her that job was the least they could do.
Seeing her elderly father’s vehement reaction, Bai Jiu felt a warm rush of affection in her heart. She stepped forward and gently patted his back.
"Dad, I know what you’re worried about. But the Gao family has already moved away. And even if they were still there, I wouldn’t be afraid."
She understood his fears—he worried that she would be bullied by the Gao family or subjected to the strange, judgmental stares of the villagers. But she wasn’t afraid. She had her own unavoidable reasons for staying, though she decided not to share them to spare her parents from needless anxiety.
"What happened?" Father Bai perked up the moment he heard they had moved. "Where did the Gao family go?"
Bai Jiu knew he would ask about this, so she didn’t hide anything. She relayed the information she had gathered from the village to set his mind at ease. Sure enough, upon hearing that the Gao family had left immediately after Song Caihua and Gao Zhiguo’s sentences were carried out, Father Bai finally relaxed.
"Dad, I’m an adult now," Bai Jiu reassured him. "I know what the best choice is, and I won’t wrong myself."
"Sigh." Hearing those words, a sour pang hit Father Bai’s chest. His daughter was no longer the little girl who relied on her parents for everything. She had grown up and become a mother herself.
"Go talk to your mother," he finally said, feeling quite distressed. Since he couldn’t persuade her, he could only call upon his wife to intervene.
Bai Jiu’s mouth twitched. How could he just pass the buck like that?
Nearby, Xiuxiu and Zhengyang had overheard the conversation between their mother and grandpa. They weren’t exactly averse to returning to the village, but they couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. How could they not? Here, they had experienced family affection, care, and a warmth they had never known before. If given the choice, they strongly preferred staying at their grandpa’s house.
"Mom, do we really have to go back to the village?" Zhengyang asked, walking over to look at her.
An intense struggle flashed in his eyes. If it were up to him, he certainly didn’t want to go back, though he wouldn’t completely resist it either.
"Zhengyang, Xiuxiu, do you not want to go back?"
If they really didn’t want to, she supposed her family wouldn’t mind taking the two of them in.
"Are you going back, Mom?" Xiuxiu put down her toys and snacks, walking up to her. "If you go back, I’ll go back too. I want to be with you."
Grandpa’s house was wonderful, but wherever Mom was, was even better. Zhengyang didn’t need to think twice. Hearing his sister’s words, he quickly nodded. "I want to be with Mom too."
Bai Jiu smiled warmly. "Alright, then you’ll come live in the village with Mom."
She didn’t mind inconveniencing her maiden family, but she refused to burden them with any potential fallout. Everything would have to wait until Gao Zhijun returned.
"What if he really is dead?" she wondered.
"Okay!" the kids cheered.
Soon, the New Year passed, and the fifteenth day of the first lunar month arrived.
The elderly Bai couple were completely helpless against their daughter’s stubbornness. Since she was dead set on going back, they could only let her have her way. Fortunately, things were different now. Whenever they missed her, they could simply visit her in the village; it was very convenient.
"I’ll have your eldest brother take a day off tomorrow to escort you back," Mother Bai said as she helped pack, her eyes full of worry.
"There’s no need. Eldest Brother just got married recently, and he’s already taken so much time off. His boss will complain if he asks for another leave," Bai Jiu replied. There was no need for an escort. It wasn’t snowing anymore, and the wind had died down; the only issue was that the melting snow made the muddy roads slightly harder to walk on.
"I’ll go wait by the East Gate tomorrow. I might just catch a ride heading back to the village," she added. Even if she couldn’t, she wouldn’t suffer. She could easily rent an ox cart; it wasn’t as if none were running.
"Absolutely not," Mother Bai insisted. "If you were by yourself, I wouldn’t say another word. But you’re taking Xiuxiu and Zhengyang with you. It’s best to have your brother escort you."
She simply couldn’t put her mind at ease letting Bai Jiu travel alone with two children.
Bai Jiu was speechless. Apparently, her own safety was of little importance! In the end, however, she won the argument against her family. She would be taking the two children back to the village on her own.
When Xiang Gaoli found out that her sister-in-law was returning to the village, she hurriedly urged her own mother to ask around and see if anyone was selling a job position. Unfortunately, there was no news whatsoever. She could only watch helplessly as Bai Jiu prepared to leave.
On the morning of Bai Jiu’s departure, Xiang Gaoli actually burst into tears, repeatedly crying about how much she couldn’t bear to see them go. Her heart ached even more for her nephew and niece, Xiuxiu and Zhengyang. Having spent so much time with them, she loathed the thought of parting.
Yet, unable to change her sister-in-law’s mind, Xiang Gaoli could do nothing but watch them leave.