Chapter 26: Departure

Listening to Li Ping’an explain the situation in detail, Zhu Guodong smoked his cigarette in long, heavy silence.

Li Ping’an watched his uncle quietly, wondering if it was just his imagination, but it seemed as though tears were welling up in his uncle’s eyes.

After a long while, Zhu Guodong exhaled a cloud of smoke, patted Li Ping’an on the shoulder, and said with a sense of relief, "Your parents must be watching over you from above, and they can finally rest in peace."

"Uncle, about what I just mentioned?"

Hearing this, Zhu Guodong took another drag of his cigarette, nodded, and replied, "Alright, I'll talk to your aunt."

With his uncle’s promise, Li Ping’an felt a weight lift off his shoulders. This was perfect; now that he was earning money, he could not only look after his aunt, who had always been kind to him and his sister, but also resolve the loneliness his sister felt whenever she didn't return home during the weekends. Who wouldn't want to come home to a clean house and a hot meal?

Three thousand was a figure Li Ping’an had carefully considered. Giving too much could sometimes be a bad thing.

That afternoon, after watching Li Ping’an and Xiao Ya leave, Zhu Guodong stood in the yard with his hands behind his back and called out, "Aiping!"

Wang Aiping, worn out by life with wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and an apron tied around her waist, turned back to look at her husband. "What is it?"

"That boy, Li Ping’an, just told me he wants you to come over to his house every weekend to cook for Xiao Ya and help clean up a bit."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Wang Aiping flared up. "Are we even going to live our lives? Am I not supposed to go out and do odd jobs to earn money? Zhu Guodong, I’ve been such an aunt to them that no one could find a single fault with me, haven't I? We still have a son; we’ll need money for when he gets married! If I don't do odd jobs, where is that money going to come from?"

Facing his wife’s tearful outburst, Zhu Guodong knew all too well how much she had sacrificed for their family.

"Ping’an said he would give you three thousand a month."

Wang Aiping froze. Three thousand? That was far too much.

Calming down, she shook her head and said, "I can't do it. How could those two kids have so much money? Even if they have money, they shouldn't throw it around like that."

Zhu Guodong sighed and said, "That boy has made something of himself now. He started his own company and has been earning some money."

"He told me when he was leaving that he and his sister have seen everything you've done for them. He wants to provide a better life for his sister. If he’s going to pay someone to help, why not pay you? Plus, he trusts you."

Wang Aiping opened her mouth, her nose stinging. She lifted her apron to wipe away her tears.

"Aiping, I’ve thought about it. If he’s giving three thousand a month, we’ll take it. We’ll save half of that for the two kids. If his company ever hits a rough patch or goes under, we’ll have a safety net for them. If the company continues to thrive, even better—the money we’ve saved will just go toward our son’s future. What do you think?"

Zhu Guodong looked at his wife, his eyes filled with anticipation and a desire for consensus. A household should always be a place where a husband and wife make decisions together, not alone.

Wang Aiping said with a heavy heart, "Those two kids don't have it easy either. Let’s save two thousand of it each month. In a month, there are only eight weekend days; one thousand is already more than enough. When I go out to do manual labor, I only make ninety-some yuan a day."

"Alright," Zhu Guodong nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude for his wife’s reasonableness.

The next morning, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month—the Lantern Festival.

Li Ping’an was about to head back. Before leaving, he shouldered his heavy laptop bag and spoke with deep concern to his sister, Li Ya, giving her repeated instructions.

"The two devices in my room—you must never turn them off. Even when you go to school, do not disconnect the power."

His tone was serious and brooks no argument. These devices held the most critical user data for his "Pet Elf" software. If they went offline, it would prevent the user-side information from updating in real-time, or worse, lead to situations where users couldn't purchase skins. That simply wouldn't do.

"Once I reach the school and sync all the data to the new equipment there, I’ll let you know immediately. Then you can turn off the power, and it will be fine." Li Ping’an patiently explained the process, fearing she might overlook something.

"Oh, and one more thing. I’ll be sending you more money each month. If there’s anything you want to eat, buy it on the street after school and have Aunt cook it for you. Take care of yourself, and don't skimp on your meals."

Li Ping’an’s eyes were filled with indulgence and care. Every older brother hopes his sister can live comfortably when he isn't around, and he was no exception—especially since she was the only family he had left.

Every moment of departure was filled with a thick sense of sadness and reluctance, as if the very air were heavy with melancholy.

Li Ya lowered her head, her small mouth pouting slightly. Her hands, having nowhere to rest, kept picking at her fingernails, trying to ease her inner nervousness and unease. Crystal-clear tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any second.

Seeing her pitiful expression, Li Ping’an felt a pang of heartache. He reached out and gently patted her playful hair buns, forcing a smile onto his face as he said softly, "Alright, alright, don't cry."

"Come to Beijing during the May Day holiday, and I’ll take you out to have a good time. That’s a promise, okay?"

"Also, when you take your high school entrance exams this year, I will definitely come back to be with you. After the exams are over and you’ve submitted your preferences, you can come to Beijing with me. Then we can be together again."

"Really?" Li Ya looked up, tears still glistening in her eyes, and asked with a slight choke in her voice.

"Of course! When have I ever lied to you?" Li Ping’an looked at her with doting sincerity.

"Then... pinky swear..." Li Ya extended her little finger with a childlike expectation.

"Alright, alright, pinky swear."

Li Ping’an smiled helplessly and hooked his little finger with hers. This simple gesture seemed to carry the weight of their deep bond and endless trust, adding a touch of warmth to the impending separation.

Beside the dilapidated concrete road, Li Ya watched her brother board the old bus heading to the county seat, until the bus turned a corner and vanished completely from sight.

"Hmph."

"And now I'm all alone at home again."

Just then, a hearty voice came from behind her.

"Xiao Ya, come over for lunch and dinner."

Hearing her uncle’s voice, Li Ya turned around quickly.

...

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