书斋小说网

第 21 章（第1页）

Chapter21-ThejouroXian

ThecaravaYounisuhecoverofdarkness。ForAyao，thejourneyfeltalmostunreal，shehadraveledthisfarfromtheonlyhomeshehadknown。Eventhoughshehadspentmuchofherchildhoodinthemountains，thosemountainshadalwaysbeenclosetotheOrchidCourtyard。Shekheirpaths，theirstreams，andtheplaceswherethetreesgrewthioughtohidebeh。Thiswasdifferenttheroadstretchedendlesslyahead，disappearingintothedarknessbeyondthelanterns。

AyaosatbesideNannyZhanginthemertcart，pullinghercloaktighterwhehecoldwindslippedthroughthegapsinthewoodenpanels。“ArewereallygoingallthewaytoXian?”shewhispered。NannyZhangsmiled。“Weare。”Ayaolookedthroughthesmallopeninginthecurtain。“Iveneverbeenthisfar。”“herhaveIinmanyyears。”Ayaoleanedbackagainstthewoodenwall。“IhopeSuyuasproperlywhileweregone。”NannyZhangchuckledsoftly。“Shellprobablyplainthatwerewtoomuch。”

Ayaosmiled。Thatwaswhattheybothwaobelieve。TheywereonlygoingtoXiantoseekhelp。Thentheywouldreturnandperhaps，iftheEmperorkhetruthaboutShuransdeath，thingsmightfinallyge。Thejourneytihroughthenightandintothefollowingday。Theypassedfrozenrivers，scatteredsettlements，andwidestretchesofemptyland。Sometimesthecaravanstoppedtorestthehorsesandsometimestheytraveledforhourswithoutseeingaraveler。

Ayaoslowlybecamefasatedbyeverything，shehadneverseenmertscarryingsomanydifferentgoods。Shehadneverseensuchlongroadsorsomanytravelersmoviweeories。Atoop，sheevenboughtasmallwoodenbfromatravelingmert。NannyZhangnoticed。“Youhavemoneyforthat?”Ayaoquicklyhiditinsidehersleeve。“Itwascheap。”NannyZhanglaughed。“Yourebeingapropertraveleralready。”Ayaogrinned。

Forawhile，thejourneyfeltalmostpeacefuluntiltheroadbecamerough。Themertcartsuddenlylurchedsideways。“Holdon!”Thedrivershouted。Ayaograbbedthesideofthecartasthewheelsstruckadeeprut。ThewoodenboxbesideNannyZhangslidacrossthefloor。Ayaoreachedforitbutitwastoolate。Theboxstrucktheedgeofthecartwithahardcrack。ThelidsprangopenandseveralpiecesofShuransbelongingsscatteredacrossthefloor。NannyZhangimmediatelybentdowntogatherthem。“Careful!”

Ayaopickedupafoldedpieceofcloth。Theicedsomethingrollihtheseat。Aceramicjarhadfallenfrombehtheclothliningofthebox。Ayaofroze。“Nanny…”NannyZhangturned。Ayaopickeditupcarefully。

“Whatisthis?”

NannyZhangstaredatit。

Foramoment，shecouldntspeak，shehadseenthisjarbeforebutshehadneverputitihebox。Sheslowlyreachedforit。“Giveittome。”Ayaohaover。NannyZhangsfirembledasshelookedatthejar，thenattheopenwoodenbox。Therewasasileweenthem。Shealreadyknew。SherememberedSuyuanstandingbesidethefuneralfire。SherememberedhowcarefullySuyuanhadgatheredeveryremainingpieceofhermothersashes。ButshehadneverseenSuyuanplacethemintothebox。ShehadthoughtthejarwasleftbehindintheOrchidCourtyard。

NannyZhangsfaceslowlyged。“No…”

NannyZhahejaragainstherchest，NannyZhanglookeddownatthejar。

Shefinallyuooditall，SuyuanhadnotsentthemtoXianmerelytoaskforhelp。Shehadsentthemawaywiththeohingshehadwantedmostforhermother。

Toreturnhome。

NannyZhangclosedhereyes。Aterriblethoughtbeganfinhermind。NannyZhangtightenedhergriparoundthejar。herofthemsaidwhattheywerebothbeginningtofear。Theystillhadalongroadaheadandsomewherebehindthem，Suyuanwaswaitingforthemtogetfartherandfartheraway。