Chapter 65: On the Road

It was already mid-April, and the weather was noticeably warm. Zhang Xiaohu and Zhang Xiaohua had been walking for a while and were already drenched in sweat.

At first, both were preoccupied with their thoughts about their family and didn't speak much, making the journey rather silent.

As they walked for a longer time, their moods gradually lightened. The bright scenery lifted their spirits, and smiles appeared on their faces. They began to talk more.

Seeing horses galloping by from time to time, Zhang Xiaohua couldn't help but ask Zhang Xiaohu, "Second Brother, the journey from Guo Village to Pingyang City is quite long. How long will it take us to get there?"

Zhang Xiaohu looked at Zhang Xiaohua and smiled, saying, "It's a journey of several hundred miles. If we only rely on our feet, it will probably take us about seventy to eighty days."

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback and said, "How could it take so long? By the time we reach Pingyang City, it will be getting cold, won't it?"

Zhang Xiaohu replied, "Of course, we can't rely solely on our own feet. Didn't Mr. Liu say that there are carriages from Luzhen to Pingyang City? Once we get to Luzhen, we'll find a carriage to Pingyang City, pay the fare, and we'll be fine. Otherwise, by the time we reach Pingyang City, it will be autumn, and our clothes won't be suitable, let alone our shoes. You must not have been paying attention when Mr. Liu was talking."

Zhang Xiaohua blushed and muttered, "I don't know when Mr. Liu said that. How could I not know?"

As they talked and walked, they didn't feel lonely. By noon, they had already arrived in Luzhen.

Since the New Year, this was Zhang Xiaohua's first visit to Luzhen. Seeing the bustling streets, his mind was filled with many thoughts. For some reason, he became distracted, his mind becoming clear, and his eyes shimmering. The events of the past six months flashed through his mind like a lantern show, and his once innocent heart gradually matured, shedding the naivety of youth.

Zhang Xiaohu walked a few steps and, noticing that Zhang Xiaohua wasn't following, turned back and patted his shoulder, saying, "What are you spacing out for? It's not your first time here. You can daydream once we get to Pingyang City."

This slap woke Zhang Xiaohua up, and he laughed self-deprecatingly, "I haven't been here for a long time, so I was thinking. I wonder how those two bullies are doing. Hopefully, we won't run into them."

Zhang Xiaohu cautiously looked around and said, "Well, it's possible. Luzhen is a small place, and we might run into them."

Zhang Xiaohua looked at Zhang Xiaohu and said, "Don't worry, Second Brother. Even if we do run into them, they probably won't recognize us. After all, their attention was on Big Sister and Wen the Hero."

Zhang Xiaohu realized he was being overly cautious but still said, "Better safe than sorry. Let's find the carriage service quickly. The sooner we leave, the safer we'll be."

They asked a passerby for directions to the carriage service and hurried to "Biao Chi" Carriage Service on the west side of Luzhen. After inquiring, they learned that the morning carriage had already left, and the last one would depart in half an hour. Zhang Xiaohu quickly asked about the price and booked two seats, feeling relieved. Although the price of a few silver coins made him wince, he still took out his money bag and paid carefully.

They didn't dare to wander far and sat under a nearby tree, opening their bundles and taking out some dry food prepared by their mother. They ate hurriedly to fill their stomachs and asked for some water from the carriage service. Then they sat quietly under the tree, waiting for the carriage to depart.

Before long, it was time for the carriage to leave. Seven people, including the Zhang brothers, were waiting to board: an elderly couple, a middle-aged woman with a girl, and a young scholar.

When the carriage arrived, Zhang Xiaohu was surprised. He had never traveled far before and had never seen such a large carriage, which was about five or six times the size of the donkey carts used in Guo Village. It was pulled by two horses. When they lifted the curtain and entered, Zhang Xiaohua curiously looked around. Inside, there were eight small square tables, placed alternately, with small cushions on the sides, presumably for seating. There were windows at the front and sides of the carriage, with curtains that could be opened. Other than that, there was nothing special. The cushions were a bit worn, but Zhang Xiaohua didn't mind. He found a cushion by the window and sat down, with Zhang Xiaohu sitting next to him.

The others also found their seats. The young scholar, however, frowned and examined the cushions for a long time before carefully taking out a white cloth from his bag and laying it on the cushion before sitting down. He then looked around uncomfortably and, seeing the small table by the window where Zhang Xiaohua was sitting, his eyes lit up. He said to Zhang Xiaohua, "Young brother, when the carriage starts moving, I want to read a book. The light here is not good. Could you switch places with me?"

Zhang Xiaohua didn't mind. He didn't read books and had chosen the window seat to see outside. Seeing that the scholar was sitting on the outer side and had lifted the curtain behind him, he smiled and nodded, getting up to switch places. The scholar happily bowed and sat down.

Once everyone was seated, a robust man with a knife at his waist was invited to sit in the last seat. The carriage service staff said to Zhang Xiaohua and the others, "This gentleman is our carriage service's protector, Mr. Wang. If you have any issues, feel free to talk to him."

The man bowed and said, "I am Wang Qisheng. Please take care of me on the journey."

Then, a slightly hunched old man with a long whip in his hand appeared from behind the carriage service staff. He smiled and said, "I am the driver. I wish you all a safe journey." Without saying more, he cracked the whip and walked away.

The carriage service staff smiled and said, "Mr. Wang is just like that. Don't mind him. Have a smooth journey." He then lowered the curtain, and the carriage slowly started moving.

Zhang Xiaohua watched the ground recede through the curtain lifted by the wind, feeling the increasing speed of the carriage. He knew he was getting farther from home. His old life was fading away, and what lay ahead? He felt a sense of confusion. The morning journey from Guo Village to Luzhen, though he had left home, still felt within his familiar circle. Now, as the carriage moved, he was heading into an unfamiliar world. His feelings were different, and his eyes became a bit blurry. However, Zhang Xiaohua kept encouraging himself, remembering his promise to his mother that this would be the last time he would cry. He couldn't be a child anymore and couldn't shed tears.

Zhang Xiaohu seemed to notice his brother's clear change and reached out to hold his hand, smiling without a word. Zhang Xiaohua read the content in his eyes and felt reassured.

Although the familiar and peaceful feelings were fading as the carriage sped along, Zhang Xiaohua had a sense of anticipation. His newly matured heart was becoming more complete. What awaited him ahead?

During the journey, as they were not familiar with each other, no one spoke much. Zhang Xiaohu, who was also on his first long journey, didn't know what to say to Zhang Xiaohua. He just held his hand, but as the carriage jolted, he gradually closed his eyes and leaned on the small table, falling asleep.

Zhang Xiaohua pulled his hand away and thought about whether to cover him with something, but the afternoon was still hot, and the only breeze came from the windows, so he dismissed the idea.

The driver seemed skilled, managing the two horses well, and the large carriage moved quickly on the road. Surprisingly, there was little jolting inside, and the others, like Zhang Xiaohu, were also dozing off.

Zhang Xiaohua actually wanted to sleep too. On such a boring journey, he couldn't keep looking at the passing scenery. However, he found it strange that, except for sleeping at night, he almost never slept during the day. He remembered that he used to enjoy napping in the afternoon, always sleeping under a tree after lunch in the fields. He wondered when he had lost this habit. He missed the large rock on the hill where he used to sleep and stay cool. Sighing, he thought he wouldn't be farming the hill anymore and could leave it for his older brother. Why was he still thinking about sleeping? But then, he remembered his brother saying that he wouldn't wake up until morning. What was going on? He realized that he used to wake up frequently at night, but now it had been a long time since he had woken up in the middle of the night. Was he just a heavy sleeper? And there was that recurring dream, which was strange. Every day, it was the same dream. Zhang Xiaohua shook his head, unable to understand.

Right, he also had a lot of strength now. Although he hadn't compared his strength with his brothers, he was sure it wasn't less than theirs. He was happy thinking about it. At thirteen, he was already strong, and he would be even stronger when he was as old as his brothers. He could help his father with the work, but then he thought, why was he thinking about work again? He should focus on learning martial arts to protect his family. He wondered if the bandits from Xicui Mountain had really given up their vendetta.

As Zhang Xiaohua's thoughts wandered, the carriage traveled for the entire afternoon. As the sky darkened, the speed of the carriage slowed down.

The passengers woke up one by one. Zhang Xiaohu rubbed his eyes, stretched, and looked out the window, asking Zhang Xiaohua, "Xiaohua, did you sleep? Where are we now?"

Zhang Xiaohua replied gloomily, "I didn't sleep, and I don't know where we are."

Zhang Xiaohu chuckled, "If you knew, you'd be a god."

The young scholar sitting next to Zhang Xiaohu said, "We're approaching Baotown, a small town about the same size as Luzhen."

Zhang Xiaohu was surprised and said, "Baotown, what a nice name. Has it produced any treasures?"

The young scholar was also surprised and laughed, "Brother, you have a good sense of humor. I haven't heard of any treasures from Baotown. The name comes from a prominent person surnamed Bao who lived here a long time ago."

Zhang Xiaohu felt a bit embarrassed.