The day of the departure came sooner than expected, and the five people stood at the stone gates of Lunan, bidding their goodbyes. MingYu had tucked little AhXin in a straw-basked that was now carried by LongHai. The baby was well-fed and quietly sleeping under the covers, out of childe Jiang's sight.
ZhiYi called FuFu to the side and talked with her quietly. After a moment, FuFu teared up and clung to her father. ZhiYi looked aged for the first time in his life, like an old man marrying off his daughter. He was wearing a weak smile that didn't reach his clouded eyes as he brushed over FuFu's hair with his hand.
FenFen was standing before MingYu, her stare and posture both wrought with distress. After a moment of agitating silence, she reached out and held on to MingYu's sleeve.
"Uncle MingYu." The voice was hollow, her lips were trembling, trying to curve down in a sorrowful way but she controlled them, pressing them into a tight, thin line instead. MingYu hurried to take her hand into his own, squeezing it encouragingly.
"AhFen, what is the matter?"
There was a brief moment, where something resembling loneliness and grief flashed over FenFen's eyes before they hardened, her hand squeezing MingYu's. Her tone was strong, her head held high in a decisive manner as she said,
"Uncle MingYu, just tell me what to do."
MingYu's eyes widened. "AhFen, I don't-"
"Uncle MingYu, just answer me, should I follow you or FuFu?"
MingYu chuckled but the merriment soon died out as he realized FenFen was serious about her words. At that moment, it dawned on him that whatever he was going to answer, FenFen would do it without hesitation. He couldn't understand why. He was but an uncle, and not even blood related one to begin with!
This child, so silly…
"FuFu, of course! How can you even ask that, AhFen?" MingYu gave her a gentle knock over her head. FenFen smiled up at him as she rubbed the sore spot.
"Ok, uncle MingYu."
"If only FuFu heard your question! You would make her cry." MingYu scolded. He watched as FenFen cast her eyes down, she was squeezing her hands together, wringing them painfully. As she looked back up at him, her eyes were clouded over with tears. Her voice shook.
"Uncle MingYu. Can you promise me something?"
The question was important, there was a pleading note hidden under the quivering tone. MingYu gave her a firm nod.
"When you are done with your punishment, can you come to visit us? To say goodbye?"
MingYu smiled down at her. He reached out to wipe off the tears that escaped her eyes with his thumb. "Of course. I'm surprised you care of this fossil so much!"
"Uncle MingYu, you're not a fossil. You are very important to me."
MingYu had no time to react to the sudden confession as FenFen clung to him, burying her face and tears in his shoulder. He instinctively raised his hand to brush through her hair. It felt comforting, familiar even.
"FenFen, come here." ZhiYi's voice interrupted the tender moment and FenFen pushed off MingYu, wiping her tears in her sleeves, she hurried over to ZhiYi's side.
Looking after her, MingYu felt something weigh on his heart. Brushing it aside as him growing attached to his nieces, he turned around and took this time to converse with childe Jiang in private.
"Childe Jiang, this might sound odd, but, do you know anything about the Wei family?"
MingYu and ZhiYi had gone over the Wei's, the family Wu TianLan nailed across the boards and left to rot under the Sun. How come their name appeared on the scroll was beyond their comprehension.
Jiang Feng looked surprised, then a frown formed over his smooth brows. "Why yes, I know them. When me and-" Jiang Feng swallowed the hard lump in his throat as he struggled to call out his sister's name. He blinked back tears as he continued, "we used to play with the Wei girls. But how do you know them?"
"We are old family friends. After the ruckus in the imperial city, we never heard of them again." MingYu was a bad liar, but thankfully, childe Jiang wasn't aware of this.
The childe nodded without a doubt in his mind. "They sent us a letter a few years back. They wanted to loan some money from us, but mother disregarded it and burned the letter. I feel bad that I never had the chance to help them."
So they were alive. But how? MingYu could feel a headache coming towards him with full force.
"Then do you know where they live now?" MingYu prodded.
"If I remember correctly, the letter said something about Tiang'an."
In the end, the girls set off with childe Jiang, heading for HeHua. Before departure, FenFen ran back to hug MingYu for the last time.
"Uncle MingYu, I'm going to miss you." The tears were fighting their way to the surface once more and FenFen blinked rapidly to contain them.
"AhFen, you should say that to your father." MingYu teased as he patted her cheeks playfully. FenFen broke into a smile as she sniffled.
"I just did, uncle MingYu."
MingYu didn't know what to make of those words when FenFen reluctantly released her hold and turned away. Taking a few steps towards Jiang Feng and FuFu, she stopped and turned around for the last time. Her voice was now strong, demanding, as she said,
"Uncle MingYu! Remember your promise!"
MingYu grinned at her order and nodded. Then, with several hand waves and after turning around numerous times to shout their goodbyes, the three disappeared into the distance.
ZhiYi looked like he was about to tear up. MingYu reached out and gently patted him on the back while swallowing down the tears fighting to surface within him. He was going to miss the twins, even their scathing glares and FenFen's snappy remarks.
After a moment of the two standing and looking into the distant horizon, ZhiYi cleared his throat and turned his solemn gaze to MingYu.
"Where to now?"
"Jiang Feng said the Wei's reside in Tiang'an. I guess that is our next stop. But what about PingZe? How will he know where we are heading?"
ZhiYi's lips curved into a smile as he guided MingYu to take hold of LongHai. "Don't worry, I might not be able to find PingZe, but he will always find me."