Chapter 140

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Zhang Xiaohu thought for a moment, his expression returning to normal. Smiling, he said: “No problem, Head Escort Luo. I’m inexperienced and hadn’t considered this aspect. I didn’t realize my brother’s presence here would cause such trouble for us. How about this, Xiaohua will live with me, and I’ll immediately notify the team accountant to make a record of everything. When we get back to the escort agency, we can settle the accounts together. How does that sound?”

Head Escort Luo smiled and said: “That’s very good. Deputy Escort Zhang, don’t take it to heart. These little details are something we as leaders need to constantly be aware of. Otherwise, if people start talking behind our backs or filing complaints to the agency, that wouldn’t be good. I’m addressing the issue, not the person, so I hope you won’t mind.”

Zhang Xiaohu smiled and said: “You’re only looking out for me. How could I be upset? If something like this happens again in the future, I ask Head Escort Luo to please remind me as soon as possible. Alright then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

Head Escort Luo waved his hand with a smile and said: “That’s all. I trust your work. You’ve worked hard on this journey, and when we get back, I’ll definitely give you credit in front of Fourth Master Wen.”

Zhang Xiaohu quickly clasped his hands and said: “It’s Head Escort Luo who has worked the hardest. I’m just playing a supporting role.”

After saying this, Zhang Xiaohu energetically left the main hall.

Head Escort Luo watched Zhang Xiaohu’s back, a contemptuous smile playing at the corner of his lips.

Zhang Xiaohu went into the courtyard, first gathering everyone to announce the news that they would soon return to Pingyang City. He then instructed them to start preparing. Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed and cheered, ready to disperse.

Zhang Xiaohu waited until the crowd’s cheers had quieted down, then called over the team accountant and, in front of everyone, instructed him to carefully record all the meals and accommodations for his younger brother Zhang Xiaohua, starting from today until they returned to the Lotus Escort Agency in Pingyang City.

The accountant was puzzled and asked: “Boss Zhang, why are you doing this?”

Zhang Xiaohu smiled and replied: “My brother unexpectedly joined our team, which will inevitably add pressure to our costs. His food, drinks, and accommodation will be at the expense of the brothers at the escort agency, so it’s better to keep a record. I’ll settle the account with the agency when we get back.”

The accountant, still confused, said: “He’s just a child. What expenses could he possibly incur? I think we can just let it go.”

Everyone around them was equally puzzled, and Yuan Changqing even shouted loudly, “Don’t be like that, Boss Zhang! Zhang Xiaohua isn’t just your brother now, he’s our brother too. What’s a little food and drink? Why draw such clear lines? It only makes us feel distant as brothers.”

Zhang Xiaohu smiled at everyone but didn’t explain further. He simply instructed the accountant to make sure to keep proper records.

The courtyard wasn’t very big, and Zhang Xiaohua, who was in the small room, had heard everything clearly. When Zhang Xiaohu entered the room, Zhang Xiaohua quickly pulled him aside and nervously asked: “Second brother, what’s going on? Have I caused you trouble by coming here?”

Zhang Xiaohu laughed, pinching his little face, and said: “It’s nothing, just a bit of extra food money. Didn’t you earn quite a bit of silver yesterday? It’s more than enough. Besides, doesn’t Huanxi Villa provide any travel subsidies when you go on long trips? Just pay them, so no one can say anything.”

“Oh~” Zhang Xiaohua suddenly understood and asked: “Was it that Head Escort Luo who brought this up? Why is he being so picky?”

Zhang Xiaohu patted his little head affectionately and said: “You’re still young. When you get a bit older, you’ll understand.”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded thoughtfully. His mind was sharp, and although Zhang Xiaohu didn’t want to say much, since the subject had been raised, how could Zhang Xiaohua not grasp some of it?

Unfortunately, he wasn’t here on official business and didn’t know if Huanxi Villa would provide him with any subsidies. If not, he’d have to take some of the silver he earned yesterday to pay the Lotus Escort Agency, which made him feel a bit reluctant. At that moment, his resentment toward Head Escort Luo grew significantly.

Zhang Xiaohua wasn’t the only one silently cursing Head Escort Luo. The people in the courtyard, after hearing Zhang Xiaohu’s explanation, were equally puzzled. Since Zhang Xiaohu didn’t offer much in the way of clarification, they discreetly pulled aside the accountant to ask for more details. The accountant didn’t quite understand either, but after some discussion, everyone figured out the reason and secretly blamed Head Escort Luo for being narrow-minded. At the same time, their admiration for Zhang Xiaohu grew, and in their eyes, it became clear who was the better leader.

The following days passed without incident. Zhang Xiaohua stayed in the small courtyard and didn’t venture outside at all. What a joke, why would he, now that he had to start paying for his own meals, go out and waste more money?

In truth, the main reason Zhang Xiaohua stayed put was that, after spending so much time on his own, he was glad to have found a group again and didn’t want to leave. Moreover, with the world outside covered in snow and ice, where would he go? Treading through the snow in search of plum blossoms? Please, he had just come from that kind of place. How could he possibly be interested?

Besides, Zhang Xiaohua had just taught the local thugs a lesson. To be honest, Zhang Xiaohu was a bit worried that they might gather reinforcements to retaliate, so he repeatedly warned Zhang Xiaohua not to leave the courtyard.

Zhang Xiaohua, for his part, quite enjoyed this lifestyle. In the mornings, afternoons, and evenings, when he had nothing to do, he would practice his fist technique in the courtyard. Since many of the guards and escort agents were also practicing their martial arts, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t draw any particular attention. However, he refrained from practicing the sword techniques that Elder Yu had taught him, when his hands itched to do so, he would only lightly practice them indoors.

What excited Zhang Xiaohua the most was that he found some travelogues in the possession of the team accountant. These books described the customs and cultures of different regions, and Zhang Xiaohua was delighted to discover them. He begged and pleaded to borrow them for a closer read. The accountant, who hadn’t even read them himself, was initially reluctant to lend them out. But after seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s eager expression, his heart softened, and he decided to lend out all but one book. Zhang Xiaohua was thus able to settle into a leisurely routine of reading and writing and practicing martial arts when idle.

In contrast to Zhang Xiaohua’s relaxed life, Zhang Xiaohu was busier than ever. He managed all the affairs of the escort team on his own, while Head Escort Luo had essentially become a hands-off manager. With so many tasks to juggle, like preparing the team for departure and negotiating with the merchants, Zhang Xiaohu was often absent from the courtyard, so Zhang Xiaohua rarely saw him.

What made Zhang Xiaohua envious, however, was that Zhang Xiaohu’s training regimen had changed. Every night when he returned, Zhang Xiaohu would sit cross-legged in meditation. Occasionally, he would practice the Six Harmonies Fist, but whenever he practiced internal cultivation, Zhang Xiaohua stayed completely still, afraid of disturbing his second brother. More often than not, Zhang Xiaohu would wait until Zhang Xiaohua had fallen asleep before beginning his internal exercises.

After several days of preparation, the entire escort team had packed up their belongings and completed their negotiations with the merchants. Finally, the day of departure arrived, much to the delight of everyone, whose hearts were eager to return home.

It was a sunny day with clear skies. Although the snow had not yet melted, the northern wind lacked its usual biting chill. It was the perfect day for travel.

At the entrance of the small courtyard, four large wagons were fully loaded with the goods of the escort team. Several horses were tethered to nearby trees. Zhang Xiaohua placed his brother’s belongings on one of the wagons, his eyes filled with envy as he watched the guards and the caravan hands standing beside their horses. He had grown up without ever having ridden a horse.

Before long, more horses came galloping from the alley, with Zhang Xiaohu and his team leading the merchants’ convoy back. The merchants’ convoy was even larger than the escort team’s, and with the addition of their vehicles, there were now about a dozen or so carriages in total. The two groups combined into one, and after a few brief instructions, they began their journey.

Though Zhang Xiaohua had spent his days in the small courtyard eating, drinking, and playfully roughhousing with the others, he hadn’t realized just how many people were actually part of the escort team until they set off. There were dozens of them.

Leading the way was a portion of Zhang Xiaohu’s men, acting as scouts. In the middle was the bulk of the group, led by Head Escort Luo and his guards, protecting the merchants, their wagons, and goods. The wagons bore large triangular flags emblazoned with the word “Lotus”, signifying the Lotus Escort Agency. Zhang Xiaohu and the rest of his men brought up the rear, along with a few clerks and porters. Aside from these few, everyone else rode tall, imposing horses, armed with weapons at their waists, looking quite formidable.

Even though the escort team had so many people and wagons, they were highly disciplined, moving without the slightest confusion. In no time at all, they had left the small town and were now traveling on the official road. Initially, Zhang Xiaohua had thought that such a large convoy of people and wagons would slow down their progress, but in reality, they moved at a pace not much slower than Ou Yan’s small convoy of four carriages.

Although Zhang Xiaohua desperately wanted to ride a horse himself, he was assigned to one of the wagons, seated alongside the clerks and other support staff. At first, Zhang Xiaohu was too busy to pay much attention to him and tasked Yuan Changqing and the others with keeping an eye on his younger brother. Once they reached the main road and the convoy was moving steadily, Zhang Xiaohu finally found time to come to the front of the wagon. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua looking upset, he asked: “Xiaohua, we’re finally on our way back to Pingyang City. Why do you look so unhappy?”

Zhang Xiaohua, pouting, replied: “I’m happy that we’re heading back to Pingyang City, of course. But I can’t just keep sitting in the wagon all the time, can I? I want to ride a horse too! I noticed there were still some horses at the back with no riders. Can’t I ride one?”

“Haha,” Zhang Xiaohu laughed after hearing Zhang Xiaohua’s plea. “So that’s what you’re upset about? Xiaohua, it’s not that I don’t want to let you ride a horse, but riding a horse isn’t as easy as it looks. You have to learn how to ride first. Our escort agency’s horses are trained to run long distances and are quite spirited, they’re not suitable for beginners like you. When we get back to the agency, I’ll find a gentler horse for you to practice on.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua finally realized that riding a horse wasn’t something you could just do without training. It required skill. Still, he was reluctant to give up and said: “But don’t the horses at the back seem really calm? Can’t I just give it a try?”

Zhang Xiaohu frowned and sternly replied: “Xiaohua, don’t be stubborn. We’re on a job here, escorting goods. This isn’t the time for fooling around. Those horses may look calm, but they’ll be different once you mount them. Besides, the horses at the back are kept as spares in case something happens to the ones in front. You can’t just ride them for fun right now.”

Zhang Xiaohua sighed and rolled his eyes but remained silent after that.

It’s strange how people can change depending on their surroundings. When Zhang Xiaohua was alone, his thoughts and actions were mature beyond his years, even meticulous. Yet, when he was around family or elders, he reverted to the innocence and playfulness of a boy his age. Perhaps this was just human nature, a desire to rely on the familiar.

Since riding a horse wasn’t an option, Zhang Xiaohua stopped pestering his brother and instead focused on the passing scenery.

The landscape seemed slightly different from what he had seen before. Although the winter snow had not melted, there were patches of green plants stubbornly clinging to life along the roadsides and fields. Small streams still flowed gently, no longer frozen. Occasionally, Zhang Xiaohua spotted children playing with their dogs in the snow, their laughter ringing through the air as their footprints left patterns resembling plum blossoms on the pristine white ground.

The wagon rolled swiftly along the road, and a cold wind howled into the cabin. Zhang Xiaohua instinctively pulled his coat tighter around him. This coat, much too large for him, belonged to Zhang Xiaohu. His own autumn jacket had long been washed and stored away by his brother, after having been torn during their recent adventures. Zhang Xiaohu had been heartbroken, knowing his younger brother had gone through the New Year without new clothes and was still wearing his autumn jacket, cut open by a blade, no less. Unfortunately, due to the limited time and the closed shops, Zhang Xiaohu had no choice but to make Zhang Xiaohua wear his own coat. Despite Zhang Xiaohua’s insistence that he wasn’t cold, Zhang Xiaohu wouldn’t hear of it and forced him to wear the oversized coat. Yet, the coat was so large that even the wind found its way in.

The accountant next to him looked over and shrunk his neck as well, asking: “Xiaohua, are you feeling cold?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “No, Mr. Mo, I’m not cold at all.”

Mr. Mo laughed and said: “You’re such a sensible child. It’s fine, but if you do feel cold, I have a shawl here. It’s quite large, but if you wear it, it can block the wind.”

Zhang Xiaohua, speechless, smiled and said: “It’s okay, although it’s a bit cold, I can handle it. How can a young person grow strong if they don’t endure some cold?”

Sometimes it was strange, Zhang Xiaohua clearly wasn’t cold, but as soon as he said he wasn’t cold, others would assume it was because he didn’t have clothes that fit properly. They thought he was being considerate, so they would express concern for him. Because of this, Zhang Xiaohua became more cautious and thought, ‘What if I don’t tell the truth? I’ll say something that’s half true and half false’.

After gazing at the scenery for a while, Zhang Xiaohua got a little tired of it and asked: “Mr. Mo, I want to ask you a question.”

Mr. Mo replied: “Sure! What’s troubling you?”

Zhang Xiaohua curiously asked: “Mr. Mo, I feel like the weather and the scenery here are quite different from Pingyang City. At this time of year, Pingyang City should be frozen solid with bitter-cold winds and thick snow, and the trees should have lost all their leaves. But here, even though there’s quite a bit of snow, it doesn’t feel that cold. The wind is mild, and look over there, some things are even still green and growing.”

Mr. Mo said with a smile: “You’re right, Zhang Xiaohua. The climate here is indeed different from Pingyang City. It’s much milder here, and the surroundings are quite moist, which makes it feel less cold than Pingyang City.”

Zhang Xiaohua asked: “Why is that?”

Mr. Mo explained: “It’s very simple, it’s because this place is to the southeast of Pingyang City, near the sea.”

“The sea? Oh!” Zhang Xiaohua cried out in surprise, saying: “I completely forgot, I haven’t even seen the sea since I arrived here!”

Zhang Xiaohua regretfully patted the back of his head. In the few days before leaving, he had been bored and idle, why hadn’t he thought of going to see the sea? The books had said that the sea was vast and boundless, merging with the sky and that the scenery was magnificent. Back then, it had filled him with longing. Now that he was here, how could he have missed the chance for no reason?

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s frustration, Mr. Mo laughed and said: “It’s fine. You didn’t see it this time, but you can see it next time. This little town is just by a small bay on the sea, so you can’t see very far. The vast and grand expanse of the ocean can’t be fully appreciated here. If you ever get the chance to sail out to sea, that’s when you’ll really experience it.”

Zhang Xiaohua forced a smile. There wasn’t much else he could do.

He then asked: “So tell me, how is this weather related to the sea?”

Mr. Mo explained: “This small town is close to the sea, so the climate is naturally very humid. The water in the sea doesn’t freeze, which affects the surrounding climate. Also, this place is farther south than Pingyang City, so you feel it’s much warmer here than there.”

Zhang Xiaohua listened, nodding in partial understanding. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he asked again_ “Mr. Mo, if we keep going farther south, will it get even warmer?”

Mr. Mo laughed: “Yes, it’s said that in the far south, there’s also a vast ocean, and the weather there is scorching hot all year round, they’ve never seen snow.”

“Really?!” Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed in surprise. “If that’s the case, then the children there can’t build snowmen or have snowball fights. That’s truly a pity.”

Mr. Mo replied: “That’s true, but they have their own joys, ones you don’t have. And if you head even farther north, it’s said that there’s another great ocean in the extreme north. It’s frozen all year round, with icebergs taller than mountains, they are so big that people live there in houses made of ice.”

“Ah? That’s so strange!” Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed again in shock. “Frozen all year round? Then they can’t even enjoy bathing in streams, how pitiful!”

Mr. Mo said: “Actually, there are many fascinating places in this world that we don’t know about. If one day we could travel across the entire continent, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

As he spoke, countless little stars seemed to twinkle in Mr. Mo’s eyes.

Zhang Xiaohua asked curiously: “Then, Mr. Mo, why don’t you go and explore? Even if you can’t travel the whole world, couldn’t you start by exploring one corner of it?”

Mr. Mo sighed helplessly and said: “There are too many unknowns in this world, and the outside world is too dangerous. I don’t have the means to protect myself, so how can I talk about traveling? I’d probably be eaten by wild beasts in the mountains before I’d even leave Pingyang City. It’s hopeless. I might as well read other people’s travel writings to satisfy my curiosity.”

Zhang Xiaohua agreed, thinking that in this world, one must act within their means. If you venture out without the ability to protect yourself, you’re just asking to become food for wild beasts.

After chatting for a while, Mr. Mo seemed a bit tired from getting up early and started to doze off with his eyes half-closed. Zhang Xiaohua said nothing more and took out a travel book from his bundle. He picked one at random and read it with great interest.

Although he couldn’t go personally, it was still quite satisfying to enjoy the vicarious experience through reading.

Time passed quickly, and the convoy didn’t stop for lunch. Zhang Xiaohu rode over and handed out some dry rations to Zhang Xiaohua and the others. Everyone ate casually and then continued on their journey.
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