Outside West River Village in Yuanjiang County, Yi Shuyuan had long been waiting. Watching Hui Mian and Du Xiaolin descend on the wind, he noticed that the latter still looked rather nervous and walked over with a smile.
"What, still feeling awkward around me?"
Du Xiaolin hurried to explain.
"No! Seeing you feels even warmer than seeing family. It's just that your family..."
"It's all right!"
Yi Shuyuan went over and patted the little girl's shoulder.
As Yi Shuyuan led Du Xiaolin into the village, quite a few villagers greeted him, casting curious looks at her.
When Du Xiaolin appeared at the Yi Household, everyone was astonished for a while. Yi Baokang and the others even wondered whether Yi Shuyuan might have secretly started a family elsewhere.
The misunderstanding was easily cleared up, however, and Du Xiaolin's story readily stirred the Yi family's sympathy.
Born a girl, she had been unwanted by her parents. Later, she had been abducted and left with nothing but terror and despair, never imagining that someone really would come to save her. Only after her rescue had she learned that she had a grandfather who truly cared for her, but he had already passed away, leaving her only his grave at which to pay her respects.
Afterward, she had left her parents to study under a master, and now, passing through Moon Province at the year's end, she was here all alone.
Although the subjects she studied and some details of her experiences had been embellished, the account of Du Xiaolin's background was largely accurate.
"When I learned that Xiao Lin was nearby, all by herself, I decided to bring her home."
In the Yi family's main hall, after hearing Yi Shuyuan's account, his nephew's wife, Li, could not help taking Du Xiaolin's hand, tears