Family Accompanies Him

The carriage left through the western gate of the county town, and the road gradually changed from bluestone paving to a smooth dirt track.

The reed beds along both sides of the road rustled in the morning breeze. Every so often, a few egrets rose from the reeds and skimmed over the faintly glimmering sea in the distance.

Old Zhou drove steadily, and the carriage barely jolted. Chen Yuan sat on the side seat, watching the outline of the fishing village in the distance gradually come into focus, unable to stop imagining what it would be like to see his family--

He wanted to tell his grandfather about becoming a disciple first. The old man had always been steady and could surely calm his parents down; he wanted to describe the Listening Tide Courtyard at the martial hall in detail to his grandmother, so she would know he was living comfortably; and he wanted to bring Xiao Li onto the carriage and tell her that the candied-fruit shop in the county town sold licorice apricots even sweeter than sesame candy.

After traveling for roughly three-quarters of an hour, familiar fishermen's songs drifted from ahead--Chen Yuan's spirits lifted. He was just about to speak when Old Zhou slowed the carriage and pointed ahead. "Young Master, is that one of your elders?"

Chen Yuan followed the direction he pointed and saw an old man beneath the ancient locust tree at the village entrance. He wore a coarse-cloth short jacket washed pale from use and leaned on a tobacco pipe as he looked around. The wood grain of the pipe was extremely familiar. It had been made from an oar of the old Sea Swallow--it was his grandfather, Chen Tie Mao.

"Grandpa!" Chen Yuan shouted, leaping down from the side seat and running over.

Hearing his voice, Chen Tie Mao turned around. His cloudy eyes first settled on Chen Yuan, then were drawn to the carriage behind him. The hand gripping his tobacco pipe paused slightly.

Only when Chen Yuan reached him did he reach out and touch Chen Yuan's arm. Then he looked at the carriage's copper fittings and asked in a hoarse voice, "You're back? Is this... the martial hall's carriage?"

"My master had it prepared, specifically to bring you and my parents to the county town for my disciple-acceptance ceremony." Chen Yuan supported his grandfather's arm and lowered his voice. "Grandpa, I took Martial Hall Master Zhao Canghai as my master. I've become a Personal Disciple."

Chen Tie Mao froze. The tobacco pipe slipped between his fingers, only for him to clutch it tightly again.

He stared at Chen Yuan for a long while, then suddenly raised a hand and patted him on the shoulder. The force was light, but it carried the weight of deep gratification. "Good... good lad. You haven't brought shame on the Chen Family. Your father and mother went to the dock first thing this morning to look at the Flying Swallow. I told them you were coming back today, but they said you were busy at the martial hall. Your grandmother and Second Aunt are at home with Chen He; they should have food ready. Your Second Uncle is working at the fish market in town, so he probably won't hear the news until later."

Just then, Xiao Li's clear, ringing cheers came from the distance. "Big Brother! Big Brother is back!"

Chen Yuan looked up and saw Lin Sanniang leading Xiao Li by the hand while Chen Dahai ran over from the direction of the dock with a newly mended fishing net slung over his shoulder.

Xiao Li broke free of her mother's hand and rushed over like a little sparrow. She hugged Chen Yuan's leg and looked up at him. "Big Brother, the carriage you rode in is so pretty! It's even prettier than the carriage of the wealthy Wang family in the village!"

"Is that so? Then I'll let you ride it in a moment. Shall we go to the county town together?" Chen Yuan smiled and picked Xiao Li up, pinching her cheek before taking the sesame candy he had prepared in advance from his robes. "I bought this for you. Eat it on the way."

"Yay!" Xiao Li took the candy, immediately unwrapped a piece, and stuffed it into her mouth. Then she pointed at the carriage and asked, "Big Brother, will those two horses run very fast? Can they catch up to the Flying Swallow?"

Her words made everyone laugh. Lin Sanniang walked over and first looked Chen Yuan up and down. Seeing that his complexion was ruddy and that he was much sturdier than when he had last come home, she finally relaxed.

She reached out to touch the carriage curtain, then looked at Old Zhou as he climbed down from the rear carriage. Her eyes reddened slightly. "Even at the martial hall, you still had to trouble your master's people to make the trip. Really..."

"You're too kind. It's simply my duty." Old Zhou hurriedly replied with a smile. He then carried down the two gold-painted lacquer boxes from the carriage. "These are things the martial hall sent for you and Uncle. Just some household dried goods and pills to nourish the body."

Chen Dahai came over with the fishing net still on his shoulder. He looked at the carriage's ebony body, then at the Wave-Cleaving Saber at Chen Yuan's waist, and grinned. "Yuan'er, being a Personal Disciple really is different! Come on, let's go home! Your grandmother got up first thing this morning to steam corn cakes and fry some little fish. She said you had to eat them hot when you came back."

The group headed home. Xiao Li insisted on sitting on the carriage's side seat while Old Zhou led the horses along at a slow pace. She chattered and asked questions the whole way. "Master Zhou, are there big restaurants in the county town? Are there ships bigger than the Flying Swallow? Can all the senior disciples and senior disciple sisters at the martial hall drive off Sea Beasts?"

Old Zhou had a mild disposition and answered each question with a smile. Every so often, he would point to the seabirds in the distance and say, "There are Magic Ships at the county-town docks. Some are several times larger than the Flying Swallow, and they even have Runes on their hulls. They can race across the sea. Just wait for Young Master to take you there to see them."

When they returned to the Chen Family compound, Grandmother Zhang Shi was sitting on the threshold of the main hall, mending clothes. In her hands was the coarse-cloth shirt Chen Yuan had worn last year.

Hearing the commotion at the courtyard gate, she set down her needle and thread and rose with the support of the doorframe. When she saw Chen Yuan and the carriage, a smile immediately spread across her face. "Yuan'er is back! Come in quickly. The cakes are still warm in the pot, and the little fish are still hot too."

Chen Yuan helped his grandmother inside and handed her the blue cloth he had bought. "Grandma, this cloth is the finest soft silk from the county town's cloth shop. Make yourself a new outfit and wear it when we go to the disciple-acceptance ceremony."

Zhang Shi accepted the cloth, touched its fine texture, and looked at Chen Yuan with a smile. "Good, good. Grandma will wear new clothes to see my Yuan'er become someone's disciple."

Second Aunt hurried out of the room as well, with the curious Chen He peeking out behind her.

After learning that Chen Yuan had become the Martial Hall Master's Personal Disciple and that he would take everyone to the county town to attend the ceremony, Second Aunt was both astonished and delighted, offering her congratulations again and again.

Chen He gazed at the saber at Chen Yuan's waist and the carriage at the gate, his eyes filled with admiration and longing.

The family gathered around the table. Chen Yuan ate as he recounted his experiences at the martial hall--describing what it had felt like to break through the Skin Grinding Realm, the authority and consideration of his master Zhao Canghai, the care he had received from Second Senior Disciple Zhang Zhenshan, and the warmth of Fifth Senior Disciple Wang Meng and Senior Disciple Sister Sun Yun.

Chen Tie Mao listened most intently. Every so often, he would ask, "Is the cultivation method your master teaches difficult?" or "Were you injured when sparring with others?" Chen Yuan answered each question.

After the meal, Chen Yuan said to Old Zhou, "Uncle Zhou, I'll have to trouble you again. Let's take a slight detour and stop at the fish market in town to pick up my Second Uncle."

"Of course, Young Master. Don't worry. I know the roads in town like the back of my hand." Old Zhou readily agreed.

The family began bustling about as they packed. In truth, there was not much luggage, merely a few clean changes of clothes.

Lin Sanniang packed several large bundles of dried salted fish and kelp from their own home, insisting that Chen Yuan take them for his master and senior disciples to taste.

Old Zhou stepped forward with a smile and deftly arranged everything inside the spacious carriage.

The carriage first headed for town. The town where the fish market was located was not far from Iron Clothes Village, roughly a half-hour ride.

When they arrived outside the fish market, Chen Yuan jumped down and happened to see his Second Uncle, Chen Dajiang, wearing a somewhat worn blue cotton robe and sitting behind the counter, rapidly clicking his abacus as he checked the accounts.

"Second Uncle!" Chen Yuan called.

Chen Dajiang looked up at the sound. When he saw Chen Yuan, a smile first appeared on his face. Then he spotted the carriage behind him and the family aboard it, and froze. He even forgot to move the abacus in his hands.

"Yuan'er? What... what's going on?" He hurriedly rose and came out to greet them.

Chen Yuan briefly explained the disciple-acceptance ceremony and how his master had sent a carriage to collect them.

Chen Dajiang was dumbstruck. His face showed both delight and disbelief. "The Martial Hall Master's Personal Disciple? And he even sent a carriage to pick us up? This... this is an honor from heaven!"

He was so excited that he could barely speak coherently. He quickly asked the manager behind the counter for leave.

The manager had already heard the commotion. He poked his head out, and when he saw the martial hall's carriage and Chen Yuan's bearing, his face broke into a broad smile. "Brother Dajiang, go on, go on! This is a great occasion for your family! The accounts can wait."

Chen Dajiang thanked him repeatedly, hurriedly tidied up, and followed Chen Yuan onto the carriage.

The carriage immediately grew even livelier. Chen Dajiang looked at its comfortable furnishings and the generous gifts from the martial hall, listened to his family recounting everything over one another, and was filled with emotion. He kept saying, "Yuan'er has really made something of himself. He really has..."

With everyone finally gathered, the carriage set off again, heading straight for Lin Hai County. Chen Yuan sat on the side seat, feeling the morning breeze against his face. He raised his head toward the distant sea, where the morning light spilled across the waves in a shimmer of gold.