Four Years Ago. At Zhe Village...
Mama Chi was together with her older sister at the transportation station waiting for a commercial wagon that would be going to the capital town, Beiwang.
She had come to the Zhe Village which was her hometown for about three months now.
After her sister's husband died due to an illness, her sons had wanted to spend some time with her older sister who was her only family after their parents died, which to her was indeed a great decision.
Her sister could have enough rest and the pain she felt whenever she thought of her late spouse had drastically subsided. She helped her sister with other minor things and kept her company to lessen the loneliness.
Her sister seems to be getting back to her former self again. She even joked sometimes and they would laughed together.
Now that her sister was okay, she too will like to leave for her matrimonial home. She misses her family really bad.
The first son, Chi Yuan had just married and moved into his new home with his wife just a few houses away. They live at one of the Chi family houses that is just adjacent their family guild.
Under the usual circumstances, the first son would have stayed at their main home after he got married but he could not.Their father had put him in charge of their family guild.
As a new boss, he had to get a proper hold of the business and so he will be spending more time there than his home, thus he made his wife who was also a may like Yun Lui, join him there.
Her older sister had come to see her off. They were really close to each other but hardly see each other since they both got married and had kids.
An empty wagon arrived after about an hour of waiting. Mama Chi was the first in the queue so she took a seat that her sister had signaled her to take.
Her sister went to stand outside of the car but beside her seat so they could continue with the conversations. She only left when the wagon was about to set off after waving her younger sister goodbye.
As their wagon left the last town and reached into the hills, their coachman was made to stop the wagon. Immediately there was an unrest among the passengers.
Being stopped in the middle of the road while travelling on such a long distance is the normal activities of thieves trying to rob them.
Their apprehension is thus not unfounded.
But soon they all calmed down when they realised that there were some people in the official attires of physicians and policemen.
This could only mean that there was an accident and someone had informed the authorities who were now there to deal with the situation.
Some of the passengers got out of the wagon to stretch their legs as they watched what was happening. Mama Chi was also the same.
She noticed that the officials had brought a stretcher and surrounded what looked like a young woman with beautiful features.
Even from where she stood, she knew that this person seemed to have had it worse than the other injured persons.
She felt bad for whoever she was. 'I hope she survives. Her parents will be very devastated enough to see her like this, what will happen if she does not survive then?', the though made her shiver.
This made her wish to get home faster.
She has been away for too long and now she wished more than anything to see her family.
It took quite a while before they got to continue with their journey.
Beiwang is their capital town because it was where the emperor's palace is. There were usually many things happening at the same time. It is the busiest place in the whole of Zichen.
Finally, their vehicle arrived at the capital. Some of the passengers alighted along the way before the wagon reached the capital's transportation station.
Mama Chi did not go home straight, she went to their family guild to check on her oldest son before she will continue her journey home. Since it was only eleven in the morning, her husband and second son will be at work and so the house will be empty.
"Mother!", Chi Lan, the moon or wife of the first son called out as soon as he laid eyes on his mother-in-law. He hurried to her side and took the two heavy bags that she was holding in each of her hand.
"Mother, how was your journey?", Chi Lan asked after he has served Mama Chi some water to drink and they were now sitting in the living room.
"It was safe. As you can see I am in one piece. How are you and your husband? Will he be at the guild by now?", Mama Chi asked. She has decided to see her son-in-law before going to the guild which is just next to the house they were in.
"We are doing well mother, thank you. And yes he is at the guild right now. I myself was just about to take his lunch to him. We can all go there together. Mother please give me a moment and let me get the flask with the food so we can leave.
Chi Yuan was entertaining some guests and so they both choose to wait in one of the private chambers that the family use whenever they were around.
"Mother. I just heard of your arrival. Welcome home, mom. So how is big auntie and our cousins doing now? Better I hope, otherwise you wouldn't have left and come home yet.", Chi Yuan said as soon as he entered and sat down.
"Oh, they're all doing good. Her second son has even asked her to come and live with him and his wife but she refused. She said she would visit them after I leave and stay for only three days with them.
Her reason was that she doesn't want her daughter-in-law being so self conscious around her. You know the people in my family are so open minded.
Yuan, there's something else that I want to ask you.", Mama Chi said with a serious countenance. Seeing this, Chi Lan left the room to give some privacy to the mother and son.