Departure

Xiong'Da and Xiong'Er descended from Spiritual Mountain, their arms laden with a bounty of fruits.

Upon spotting Qibao, the two grizzlies eagerly approached. Qibao reached out to pat their ample bellies, saying: "You've put on weight again."

The grizzlies, grinning foolishly, obliged. Xiong'Da even took a fruit from his arms and handed it to Qibao.

Qibao accepted it without a second thought. After wiping the fruit clean, she took a bite and began to eat, still chewing as she asked: "By the way! Xiaoling, what happened to that little owl we found last time?"

Xiaoling replied smugly: "Is there anything I can't handle? That little owl is doing just fine now! It's only just starting to grow feathers, but it's already sharing the villa with us."

Qibao entered the villa, and in the living room, she spotted the owl sitting on a padded cushion.

Hearing the movement, the little owl closed its eyes and opened its beak, ready to be fed.

Qibao broke off a small piece of the apple and placed it in the owl's mouth. In no time, the owl had swallowed the fruit.

"What do you feed it, Xiaoling?" Qibao asked.

"The fruits from your space are good for its health:" Xiaoling advised: "It may look ugly now, but once it grows up, it'll definitely be a king of the skies—very powerful. While it's still young, spend more time with it, bond with it. It might even help you in the future."

Qibao nodded: "I understand."

Xiaoling sighed: "I've missed the twelve guards during this time apart."

"Once I'm back, you'll get to see them again." Qibao said: "They've achieved a lot since you last saw them. I even plan to send them out for some training."

"That's a good idea." Xiaoling agreed: "They need to gain more experience. The world outside will toughen their minds, which is good for them."

Qibao spent some time in the space with Xiaoling, while Xiong'Da and Xiong'Er played around. Feeling sleepy, Qibao left the space, lay down on the bed, and soon fell asleep.

The next day, Qibao woke up to the sound of Fuqiu knocking on the door.

Looking outside, Qibao noticed the sky was just beginning to light up, showing a light gray glow.

"Madam said we should leave early." Fuqiu said: "That way we might get back to Xujia Village before dark."

Qibao missed home and quickly changed into the clothes Fuqiu had laid out. After washing up, she stepped into the courtyard.

Mrs. Zhang had already packed everything and placed the bags on the stone table.

The Dean and Master Sun were also ready with their belongings.

Once everyone arrived, they loaded the two horse-drawn carriages. One would carry the Xu family, while the other would hold the Dean, Master Sun, and a few students.

"Xuedong, take care of your mother and brother at home." Boss Qian said, pulling out a red wooden box from his lapels and handing it to Qian Xuedong: "This is something for your mother, make sure she gets it."

"Don't worry, Father." Qian Xuedong replied as he took the box: "I'll take care of my mother and my little brother. You take care of yourself too."

"I'm not a child anymore." Boss Qian said: "I can take care of myself. We probably won't see each other again until New Year's Day."

The old man said: "Boss Qian, if you are homesick, you should go back for a visit."

Boss Qian replied: "Uncle Xu, after you're gone, I plan to visit other towns. I want to open more branches of Juxiang Pavilion. Business in Qingyun City is stable now, and with the governor looking out for us, it's time to start planning."

The old man patted him on the shoulder: "Boss Qian, you've worked hard!"

Boss Qian replied: "It hasn't been hard. Juxiang Pavilion is my heart's work, as important to me as my own child. I must build its reputation. My greatest hope is to one day open a Juxiang Pavilion in the capital city."

The old man said: "That day will come. Boss Qian, don't worry. Your family is in our Xu family's care. We won't let them be treated poorly."

"Uncle, with you taking care of them, I'm not worried at all."

Here, the five Kui brothers also bid farewell.

"Brother, take care of yourself!" Said the second brother.

Kui Wu said: "Well, you are always calm, second brother. You should keep an eye on the third, fourth and fifth brothers and don't cause trouble casually."

"Brother, I understand. I will watch over them."

Seeing that it was almost time to leave, the old man said: "Alright, everyone, get on the carriage! It's time to leave."Everyone got on the carriage one after another, and just as Kui Wu was about to drive the carriage...

"Brother Xu!"

A shout came from behind...

Xu Wenwu lifted the carriage curtain and peeked out the back window. The siblings Wen Yuan and Wen Die were rushing towards him.

"We're finally here. I thought I would miss it! My sister and I are here to see you off." Wen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Wenwu smiled faintly: "You didn't need to come specially. We'll see each other again."

"I just want to say goodbye properly." Wen Yuan said: "If you need anything, write me a letter."

Wen Die's eyes were fixed on Xu Wenwu's face, not looking away for even a second. She didn't want to part with him, and her gaze brimmed with warmth.

How could Xu Wenwu miss Wen Die's look? He just didn't show it on his face.

Fuqiu in the carriage also noticed the expression on Wen Die's face as she looked at Xu Wenwu, and while there was some bitterness in her heart, she was also secretly happy for the eldest young master.

In her heart, the eldest young master is a top-class individual, and the future eldest young lady should be a beautiful and gentle lady like Miss Wen.

"Grandpa Xu, Aunt, Qibao, Big Brother Xu, take care on your journey." Wen Die said.

Mrs. Zhang smiled and said: "Die'er, you must come to our house when you have time. I will make you something delicious."

Wen Die nodded in agreement.

They exchanged more farewells.

Kui Wu raised the whip and gently whipped the horse's butt, and the carriage moved slowly forward.

Even after the carriage had gone far away, everyone was still standing at the entrance of Juxiang Pavilion and watching.

"Sister, let's go back!" Wen Yuan said gently to his sister, noticing her dejection.

"Brother, am I too cowardly? I was planning to express my feelings to Brother Xu, but I suddenly backed off." Wen Die murmured.

Wen Yuan stroked his sister's hair comfortingly: "There will be another chance. Mother and Father really like Big Brother Xu. They'll support you."

Wen Die nodded softly, allowing herself to be reassured by her brother's words.

Inside the carriage, Uncle Xu said: "We can finally go home. You don't realize it until you're away for a while, but I've missed it."

Mrs. Zhang agreed: "That's right! There's no place like home. You know, when we were in Qingyun City, I saw all those wealthy ladies and young misses. They'd go out with several maids and servants by their side, and speak in a cliquish manner, which makes me tired just looking at them."

Uncle Xu grinned: "It might look tiring to you, but they are used to it because they have been doing this since they were young. Unlike us rough people, we never pay attention to these things."

Mrs. Zhang smiled: "But you know what, the ladies in this city dress up very beautifully, they don't show their teeth when they smile, and they don't swing their skirts when they walk. There are a lot of rules."

"Madam." Fuqiu interjected: "Don't be fooled by those ladies' fancy facades. I bet they don't live as freely as we do!"

Mrs. Zhang looked puzzled: "Why do you say that?"

"I used to work for a wealthy family. There are so many twists and turns in life. You never know if you will get tricked."