The handwriting on the letter was clean and dignified, clearly written by a scholar. Her family had never produced any scholars as far as she knew.
After thanking Bai Fan, she opened the letter. As she read its contents, her heart could not settle for a long time.
Cousin Qingyu was the eldest of the children and the gentlest older sister in the family. Aside from asserting herself when it came to her marriage, she was usually quiet and reserved.
Whenever there was anything good to eat, Qingyu couldn't bear to eat it herself, and most of it ended up in Qingyun's mouth—after all, Qingyun had been the youngest in the family.
At the thought of this, Gu Qingyun went straight to the duty room to find Head Constable Liu.
“Uncle Liu, I'd like to request leave to take a trip to Zhaoyang County.”
Head Constable Liu raised his head from his desk. “Oh? Is there an urgent matter?”
Gu Qingyun bit her lip and said softly, “Uncle Liu, it's a family matter. My elder cousin sister married into a family in Zhaoyang County, and it seems she isn't faring well.”
The letter hadn't said much, only cautiously asking how the family was doing and if someone could come visit her. The entire wording was drenched in tentative caution, giving off an unmistakable sense of grievance.
“Sigh, go on then. Be careful on the road, and make sure to hurry back tomorrow. However, it's getting late now. Wouldn't it be just as fine if you went tomorrow?”
Head Constable Liu glanced at Gu Qingyun, then lowered his head back to his case files.
“I'd better head out today. Arriving a bit earlier will give me peace of mind.”
Gu Qingyun cupped her fists, quietly stepped out of the duty room, and returned to her room to pack her belongings.
“Hey, Sister Yun, where are you going dressed like that?”
Seeing Gu Qingyun walking out through the window, Bai Fan called out hastily.
Gu Qingyun turned her head and explained, “I have an urgent errand that requires a trip out of town, but I'll be back tomorrow. Thanks for taking on tonight's duty. I've already spoken to Little Black and asked him to join you on night patrol. I'll treat you to noodles when I get back.”
“Ah, wait a second then, Sister Yun, I have something for you!” Bai Fan rummaged around inside the room for a moment before bringing out a small parcel. “Here. Inside are medications for insect bites and ointment for bruises and injuries. Take them just in case.”
Gu Qingyun said, “Thank you.”
Walking onto the street, Gu Qingyun checked the sky. She first went to a bun shop to buy a few flatbreads and mantou, then hired a street scholar by the roadside to draft a letter of divorce before heading straight to the carriage agency.
“Yo, if it isn't Constable Gu! Please come inside! Xiao Liu, go brew a pot of tea!”
Gu Qingyun raised a hand to stop the errand boy named Xiao Liu and looked at the carriage shop proprietor. “Proprietor, I'm here to hire a carriage to take me to Zhaoyang County. How much will that be?”
The fat proprietor stroked his beard and spoke frankly, “Constable Gu, from here to Zhaoyang County is about eighty li. For a two-horse covered carriage, even the fastest single trip takes three and a half shichen. A same-day round trip is six hundred wen, with an extra two hundred wen for each additional day you stay. You don't need to cover the driver's meals or lodging.
“Dusk will fall before long, so you'll definitely be traveling through the night today. That requires an extra fifty wen for labor and lamp oil. Whichever option you choose, you'll need to pay a deposit of two hundred wen first, and settle the remainder upon return. Which one would you prefer?”
Gu Qingyun pulled out two mace of silver and handed it over. “I'll return tomorrow. I need it now—the sooner, the better.”
“Alright then! I'll have it prepared for you right away. Please take a brief rest!”
The fat proprietor worked quickly. In just a moment, a carriage pulled up in front of the shop. Gu Qingyun surveyed it briefly and found that although the carriage box was old, it was swept clean. It was clear the driver took good care of it.
She boarded the carriage with an unreadable expression. The driver flicked his whip, and the horses set off with a rhythmic clatter of hooves.
“Customer, we'll probably not reach Zhaoyang County until the middle of the night. If you're tired, go ahead and rest. I'll wake you when we arrive.”
Gu Qingyun replied, “No matter. Driver, take it slow. Safety comes first.”
The driver acknowledged, “Rest easy, Customer. Old Ma here has been driving carriages for over twenty years. I know the roads around these neighboring counties like the back of my hand. I'll get you to Zhaoyang County safe and sound.”
“Mm.” Gu Qingyun nodded, closed her eyes, and began to cultivate.
The autumn chill was biting. As night fell, the wind swept withered leaves against the window frame, carrying a penetrating cold.
Old Ma pulled his clothes tightly around himself, grabbed a heavily patched padded jacket lying beside him to wrap around his shoulders, and sneezed a few times.
Peering through the cloth curtain, he saw Gu Qingyun still sitting inside the carriage clad only in her black outfit, so he called out, “Customer, it's late into the night and it's gotten much colder. You should put on an extra layer.”
Gu Qingyun pulled open the curtain and handed an oiled paper parcel to the driver. “Thank you for your hard work. Pull over to the side and eat something before we continue. As a martial artist, I don't feel cold. Uncle, you're driving into the wind, so keep yourself warm.”
“I'm fine, used to it by now. But as for this food... thank you, Customer! You can just call me Old Ma. Everyone at the shop calls me that.”
Old Ma, the driver, was a man in his fifties of short stature and a stooped back. His face was dry and chapped, giving him an earnest, honest appearance.
He urged the horses a bit further forward to stop by the roadside, pulled a kerchief from his pocket to wipe his face, and opened the oiled paper parcel. Seeing the flatbreads and white mantou inside, his eyes widened. “Customer, such refined food! How could I possibly accept this?”
Old Ma was the sole pillar of his family. His elderly wife required medicine year-round, while his son and daughter-in-law had tragically fallen off a mountain cliff two years ago while gathering mushrooms, dying on the spot.
His grandchildren were still young, so his sick wife dragged her ailing body to look after them at home while he worked outside to earn money. He usually survived on coarse wotou corn cakes and hadn't tasted fine grain in a long time.
Gu Qingyun's voice was calm. “Take it and eat. I still have more for myself.”
Old Ma gingerly took out a white mantou and ate it in big bites, while carefully wrapping up the rest and tucking it into his tunic. He glanced briefly into the carriage before pulling his gaze back, his eyes brimming with gratitude and warmth.
Bringing these flatbreads and mantou back home would surely make his wife and grandchildren overjoyed. At the thought of this, he felt a burst of energy and whipped the horses back onto the road.
“Giddyup!”
Gu Qingyun quietly watched him. She ate a few flatbreads and mantou, drank some water, and closed her eyes to cultivate once more.
However, with her mind preoccupied, she couldn't quiet her heart at all. Giving up on forced cultivation, she stepped out of the carriage box and sat beside Old Ma.
“Customer, the night dew is heavy and you aren't wearing much. Why come out?”
“I can't sleep, so I thought I'd sit here and chat with you, Uncle Ma. Seeing that you're getting up in years, driving a carriage late at night isn't easy.”
Old Ma chuckled cheerfully. “Every family has its hardships. I still have three grandchildren to raise, and my wife needs medicine year-round. Although it doesn't cost a fortune, it still adds up. As long as there's work, I'm willing to do it.”
Gu Qingyun felt a slight twinge of regret for bringing up the topic. She hesitated for a moment, at a loss for what to say.
Holding the reins, Old Ma continued in a warm and cheery voice, “Though my son and daughter-in-law are gone, my daughter and son-in-law still visit us from time to time. This driving job is pretty good. As long as I can raise my three grandchildren properly, Old Ma here will be content.
“Customer, you look quite young yourself. How come you're traveling to another place all alone without any elders accompanying you?”
Gu Qingyun looked into the pitch-black night ahead. “It's similar to your family. My uncles and father are all gone, so someone has to step up and earn a living for the household.”
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