The Closing

He had noticed that, a moment before the immortal produced the token, he had made a peculiar movement, stroking the small pouch hanging at his waist.

Cheng Buzheng secretly wondered, Could that be a storage pouch?

But his face betrayed nothing. He stood quietly beside the immortal, waiting for the inspection to end.

At the same time, he silently calculated when his letter would arrive. My family should have received my farewell letter by now!

Meanwhile.

Qingshan Town, Cheng Family Village.

A young courier in uniform emerged from the Qingshan Town post station. Dusty from the road, he soon reached a home at the eastern end of Cheng Family Village and hammered on its battered wooden door until it clattered, calling out at the top of his lungs.

"Knock, knock! Knock!"

"Cheng Hanzi, your Xiao Er sent a letter!

Open the door quickly! I've got other letters to deliver!"

Before long, the door swung open.

A middle-aged woman with somewhat yellowed hair and a sallow face hurried to open it. Before she even reached the door, her voice came from inside.

"I'm coming! Take it easy with the knocking. You'll break the door down!"

The middle-aged woman opened the wooden door and saw the young man dressed as a courier. She asked,

"Young man, my Xiao Er sent a letter?"

"Mm! Here you are. I've got more letters to deliver, so I'd better get going!"

As he spoke, he took a letter from his pack and handed it to Cheng Jiang Shi, then turned and left without a moment's delay.

Cheng Jiang Shi looked at the letter in her hand, delight in her eyes, though she couldn't stop muttering,

"That brat, always showing off. Couldn't he come home and see us when he had the chance?

A letter costs money, you know! Does he think he won't need a bride price when he gets married?"

Then she turned and went inside, a smile tugging at her lips as she called into the house,

"Cheng Hanzi, come out! Xiao Er sent a letter!"

In the blink of an eye, Cheng Hanzi came out of the house, looking honest and simple-minded. He saw his wife beaming with joy and scratched the back of his head.

"Neither of us can read. When Da Gou gets back at sunset, we'll have him read it to us!"

"Since when can Da Gou read? How come I didn't know?"

"Two and a half years ago, Xiao Er took Da Gou to secretly study with the Sour Scholar for half a year. Then, after Xiao Er learned to read, he taught Da Gou for another half year. Xiao Er told me before he left that Da Gou can read and write now. We can have him read any letters that come."

"Our Er Gou had the makings of a scholar, but we held him back! We couldn't afford to send him to school. Alas, now he's gone off to work as a Medicine Boy to support the family at such a young age!"

"You three—father and sons—have you got any other secrets you haven't told me? If that's really true, I'd pawn everything we own to send Er Gou to school!"

As she spoke, Cheng Jiang Shi flew into a rage and grabbed Cheng Hanzi by the ear, demanding an answer.

"No, there's nothing else! Er Gou told me not to tell you."

"You fool, don't you know what matters? You kept something this important from me! Go on, get out to the fields right now and call Da Gou home to read the letter!"

Her eyes reddened. She knew the family owed Xiao Er so much, and the thought weighed even heavier on her heart.

Before long.

A little child came running back from outside, followed by a crowd of playmates. She pushed open the door and cried,

"Mother! Second Brother's home! Where is he?" She began searching the house as she spoke.

In an instant, the house was as lively as Heaven turned upside down.

"Xiao Cao, he's not here!"

"Xiao Cao, he's not here either!"

"Mother! Where did you hide Second Brother?"

After searching in vain, Xiao Cao asked her mother in an irritated voice.

"You little rascal, your second brother didn't come home. He sent a letter!"

Cheng Jiang Shi's eyes were slightly red as she scolded her.

"Is it something tasty? Where is it? I want some!"

As she spoke, she scanned the room over and over.

Cheng Jiang Shi tapped the child on the back of the head and snapped,

"You can't eat it! Go play outside. Stop underfoot!"

With that, she ushered the little girl and her playmates out.

At once.

The house grew quiet, but seeing the mess they had left behind made her temper rise. Still, she was eager to know what Xiao Er had written, so she let the little girl off.

Otherwise, a sound thrashing with a bamboo switch would have been unavoidable!

Two quarters of an hour later.

The father and son, drenched in sweat, pushed open the door and entered one after the other.

As soon as Cheng Jiang Shi saw her eldest son, she handed him the letter and urged him impatiently,

"Da Gou, read it quickly. What did your brother say?"

Da Gou's face was dark, and he looked honest and simple-minded. He opened the letter, and his deep voice filled the room.

"To my esteemed parents.

I hope all is well at home! I miss you very much, but there is one thought I cannot put aside. Earlier this month, I witnessed a Sword Immortal flying on a sword with my own eyes.

After making many inquiries, I learned that an immortal in the county town is recruiting disciples. There is no need to worry about my journey to the county town; I will be safe.

If I do not find Immortal Fate, I will set out for home in ten days. If an immortal takes a liking to me, I will return within ten years at most.

I beg you, my esteemed parents and elder brother, not to reveal this matter under any circumstances, lest we invite revenge from spiteful people!"

After hearing the letter, Cheng Jiang Shi couldn't help crying and cursing,

"You heartless brat! How can you expect me not to worry, not to be afraid?

When you come back, I'm going to give you a good hiding!"

Cheng Hanzi, gloomy and irritated, snapped,

"Enough. Stop bawling. Didn't you hear Xiao Er say we can't let this get out?

How can he feel at ease if you carry on like this?"

It was rare for him to lose his temper.

Cheng Jiang Shi had never lost an argument in her life. "If you've got the guts, tell him to come back and say that to my face!

Look at you, acting all high and mighty!"

Cheng Hanzi stood up and waved a hand.

"I'm not going to argue with you. I'm going back to bed."

Cheng Jiang Shi, who could make a fuss even when she was in the wrong, wasn't about to spare him.

"Argue? You don't know the first thing about anything! You old fool, you don't know what matters!"

Seeing his father retreat, Da Gou scratched the back of his head and tried to reason with his mother.

"Mother, Father's right. Xiao Er's always been clever. He must be worried about something. I'm not clever, but I know we should listen to him!

Xiao Er wouldn't harm us. Mother, you mustn't tell anyone about this. If anyone asks where Xiao Er went, we'll say he went away to study an art!"

If Cheng Buzheng had heard his elder brother say that, he would have applauded. His brother had learned to think about how to handle a problem—he had made great progress.

Cheng Jiang Shi rolled her eyes at her eldest son.

"Of course I know. I was only angry when I said that. Did you think I was as clueless as your stupid father?"

Then she let out a quiet sigh.

"I want him to achieve his wish, but I also want him back by my side. If an immortal takes a liking to him, ten years—how am I supposed to live without seeing Xiao Er for that long?"

Da Gou spoke in his honest, simple way, trying to comfort his mother.

"Even if an immortal takes a liking to him, wasn't ten years the longest it could take?

He could be back in three or four years!"

"I hope so! Don't tell Xiao Cao. She can't keep her mouth shut. Only the three of us are to know. Don't tell your wife either, understand?"

"Also, what you said just now was right. If anyone asks where Xiao Er is, say he went away to study an art. Make sure your father knows too.

"And in the letter, Xiao Er asked you to go to Bairen Hall in Qingshan Town and apologize to the physician. He said he'd also written the physician a farewell letter, but didn't say where he was going. You know what to say, right?"

Da Gou nodded earnestly.

"Mother, I know what to do. I'll go into town tomorrow and apologize to Xiao Er's physician."