“Yes, I’ll bear in mind of everything you say, Sis!” Liu Ran nodded.
He was unwilling to part with her for so long, but his sister wanted to see the outside world, and he should not hold her back.
He would have his chances in the future, and he would go with her! Now was not the time.
“Sis, you guys have to be safe out there, alright? Make sure you have enough money with you at all times…”
Liu Ran repeated what Aunt Li had been nagging about.
During dinner, Aunt Li had said more than enough, but Liu Ran rephrased her words anyway.
Liu Ran kept smiling in response. She would not get tired of hearing those things.
Early in the morning on the very next day, Liu Duo did not oversleep at all. She got up the same time Ye Ling did.
“Duo Er, you could sleep for a little while,” Ye Ling said to her. “I’ll call you for breakfast.”
He figured she might as well get more sleep since breakfast was not ready yet.
“No, I can rest in the carriage.” Liu Duo endured the sleepiness and sat up.
She thought that once breakfast was ready she would have her fill and they could set off. They would not have to waste time waiting for her.
After all, it would be a long while before their next stop!
Ye Ling allowed her to get up and then he helped her get dressed.
The other men were quite surprised too to find Liu Duo downstairs and already washing up so early in the morning.
“My girl, you should sleep some more. There’s still some time before breakfast’s ready.” Aunt Li might have seen why Liu Duo had rolled out of bed early, but she still pointed out the obvious.
“Mother, we’re leaving today. I want to spend a little more time with you because it’ll be a few months before we see each other again.” Liu Duo spoke to her sweetly.
How heartwarming it was to have an elder who cared for her so much!
Aunt Li surrendered to Liu Duo’s sweet talk and said no more. She went off to the kitchen to start making breakfast.
Liu Ran woke up really early too. He stayed by his sister’s side right after washing up, talking to her as much as he could, as he was aware he would not be seeing her for the next few months.
“Mom, Wazi, Sister Lian, Ran Er, you don’t have to send us off, alright? Get back in the house,” Ye Liu said to them with a smile.
They had finished breakfast and were carrying their bags out. The others walked with them for a short distance.
“Be safe on the road, alright? Take good care of Liu Duo, especially now that she’s pregnant.” Aunt Li began to nag as usual.
It was apparent how much she cared for this family and how she could not bear to part for several months.
“Mom, relax. We’ll take good care of Duo Er and ourselves.” Ye Ling laughed, but he too was having a hard time parting with his home, his new mother, and his new family.
Ye Yang might have remained silent but, judging from the twinkle in his eyes, he appreciated Aunt Li’s motherly care very much.
Ye Mo remained cool as well, but he shared Ye Yang’s sentiments.
They would take the bullock cart to town, and from there they would get a carriage to ride the rest of the way. The villagers all around saw them carrying bags big and small, and heard them refer to Aunt Li as their mother. Needless to say, they were confused.
They gathered in groups of twos and threes and discussed among themselves. “Do you think the Ye brothers are leaving on a trip with their shared wife? Look, Yang and Mo are carrying bags!”
“Why do they call Aunt Li their ‘mother’? What’s going on here?”
