Chapter 10: The Little Girl Hasn't Returned

Xu An did not linger long. After leaving the candy shop, he went to another one and bought a pound of white sugar.

It cost two hundred wen!

Besides that, Xu An also purchased some pastries, eggs, spices, and ten pounds of fine rice.

After buying these items, the five qian of silver given by Xu Panpan was all gone.

Only one tael of silver remained from selling books and stationery.

Remembering the shabby clothes Su Yan’er wore, Xu An went to a clothing shop and bought her two sets of clothes, a pair of shoes, and some undergarments.

Of course, Xu An also bought himself a long robe suitable for meeting guests.

He would inevitably have to negotiate business in the future, so his attire couldn’t be too shabby.

Since all the materials, except for the short outfit, were of good quality, he just managed to spend the entire one tael of silver.

By this time, his basket was already full.

As he stepped out of the clothing shop, a light rain began to fall.

Xu An opened his umbrella and prepared to leave the city and head home.

Outside the city, he saw Li Erzhuang from the same village driving a donkey cart out of the city gate.

Xu An called out quickly, “Hey, Erzhuang!”

Li Erzhuang stopped the cart, his attitude somewhat unfriendly. “Oh, I thought it was someone else. So it’s our Xu big official!”

Li Erzhuang was actually the same age as Xu An, and they grew up together. They were close as children.

But after the original owner passed the county examination, he gradually looked down on Li Erzhuang, and the two drifted apart.

Xu An smiled, “Erzhuang, you’re joking. I’m nowhere near a big official.”

Li Erzhuang snorted coldly, clearly sarcastic.

Usually, Xu An looked down on everyone with a haughty nose, so why was he suddenly so humble today?

Had he lost his mind?

Li Erzhuang looked at Xu An coldly and said, “What do you want with me?”

Xu An smiled, “Nothing much. The journey home is long, and I’m carrying heavy things. I wanted to ask if you could give me a ride for a while. I can pay you if it’s convenient.”

Li Erzhuang was good-natured and honest. Seeing Xu An’s unusually gentle attitude, so different from his usual arrogance, he didn’t mock him further.

“No need for money, we’re from the same village. Get on!”

“Thank you very much, Erzhuang.”

Xu An thanked him and got on the donkey cart.

“Erzhuang, did you come to the city for something?”

There was silence in the cart, a bit awkward, so Xu An broke the silence first.

“My father’s old illness relapsed. I’m bringing some wheat to sell to buy medicine for him,” Li Erzhuang answered, his face dim.

Xu An knew about his father’s old ailment.

It was said to have resulted from his military service when he was young, but the exact details were unclear. The illness had lingered for many years and frequently flared up, never fully cured.

Of course, there were many renowned doctors in this world, but their fees were exorbitant.

For instance, in the Yunyan Valley, sixty li from the county seat, there was a doctor famed for snatching lives back from the underworld.

With his skill, treating Li Erzhuang’s father’s illness should pose no great problem.

But each consultation cost one thousand taels of silver.

One thousand taels!

For common folk, that was an astronomical figure, utterly unaffordable.

“Everything will get better, Erzhuang. Don’t worry too much.”

Xu An patted Li Erzhuang and comforted him softly.

At the same time, a grander plan was slowly taking shape in his mind.

To make money and grow prosperous, he couldn’t do everything himself; he needed to cultivate a group of loyal and trustworthy people to work for him.

Li Erzhuang’s honest and simple character, and the fact that Xu An knew him well, made him a good candidate.

Most importantly, with Li’s father suffering from a chronic illness requiring significant expenses, he would be willing to take on work to earn money.

But this matter could wait for now; first, they had to solve their basic living needs.

Hearing Xu An’s words, Li Erzhuang was clearly taken aback.

There was surprise in his eyes.

That usually harsh and arrogant Xu An was actually comforting someone?

In the past, he had looked down on him and everyone in the village, considering them mud-legged peasants beneath him.

Li Erzhuang found it hard to adjust to this change in Xu An.

He had heard that Xu An almost drowned in the river last night; perhaps his spirit had been shaken?

Worried that Xu An might do something rash, Li Erzhuang hesitated before saying, “Xu An, I’ve heard about what happened to you!”

“Are you alright? If anything’s wrong, don’t bear it alone. There’s no problem you can’t overcome; just look on the bright side!”

Xu An: “???”

What a straightforward person, comforting him instead!

It seemed the original owner really had a terrible reputation among these people.

The autumn rain was light but chilly.

By the time they reached home, it was already evening and growing dark.

After putting down his things, Xu An did not see Su Yan’er’s figure.

“Where’s that little girl? Could she still be out?”

Xu An frowned, worried.

He called out a few times but got no response, so he picked up his umbrella and went out again.

He had to look for her.

Passing through an alley, a village woman suddenly called out, “Master Xu, are you looking for your wife? I saw your wife heading into the mountains this morning and she hasn’t returned yet. Could she have gone deep into the mountains? It’s not safe there.”

“Deep mountains?”

Hearing this, Xu An’s expression changed.

He dropped his umbrella, thanked her, and dashed toward the mountains.

On a rainy, cold day, the mountain paths were slippery and shrouded in mist, making it easy for strangers to get lost.

More importantly, there were many wild beasts.

The more he thought about it, the more anxious Xu An became.

Please, nothing bad should happen!

“Yan’er, where are you?”

“Yan’er, I’m your husband. Can you hear me?”

He ran and shouted the little girl’s name but got no reply.

Xu An was filled with anxiety.

He quickened his pace, slipping and falling twice on the wet ground.

But thinking of that pure and kind little one who had vowed to make money to support him and pay for his studies, he ignored his pain and muddy clothes and kept searching and calling.

“Hus... husband, I’m here!”

After a while, Xu An finally heard Su Yan’er’s voice from below a slope.

His heart finally relaxed a little.

He reached the slope and saw Su Yan’er sitting motionless at the bottom.

Her small, thin body was covered in mud and water.

Her clothes were soaked through, with droplets falling from the hems.

Her hair was disheveled, and her once fair face was streaked with dirt.

She was curled up in a ball, looking pitiful and trembling in the rain.

Around her were scattered dry branches, and she clutched a tattered basket tightly.

Inside the basket were some fresh mushrooms.

Seeing the little one like this, Xu An felt a pang in his heart and said with a trembling voice, “Yan’er, are you... alright? I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Hus... husband, you finally came!”

The moment Su Yan’er saw Xu An, her bright violet-tinted eyes filled with tears.

Then, like raindrops, big tears began to fall...