The evening sky was painted with the colors of sunset.
One girl, one dog, and one system were bathed in warm hues, gradually blending into a single picture.
They exchanged many unspoken thoughts—about the present, and about the future.
Xia Youmi was not someone particularly ambitious.
Often, her actions came from a simple desire: not to owe anyone anything, and not to neglect herself.
Be it in the modern world or in this one—
She didn't challenge the rules, nor force others to think like her.
As long as she outwardly conformed, no one could dictate her heart.
Xia Youmi stood up and patted Da Huang's back, cheerfully saying:
"Let's head down the mountain, Da Huang!"
"Woof woof!"
With a bundle of neatly packed firewood on her back, Xia Youmi walked lightly down the mountain.
There were many things she wasn't qualified to learn, nor interested in exploring deeply.
But she had mastered a bit of martial arts.
Uncle Qing in the village was a retired soldier, a sworn brother to the Wang family elders.
Before her uncles joined the army, they had sent the three cousins to him to learn horseback riding and archery.
Back in the day, it had been her own father, Xia Li, who taught the clan such skills.
Come to think of it, Uncle Qing, her uncles, and even her older cousins she'd never met—all of them had been Xia Li's students.
In the distance, cooking smoke rose.
When she pushed open the door, she was immediately greeted by the scent of food.
Da Huang wagged his tail and trotted straight into the kitchen.
"A-niang, I'm home!"
Xia Youmi called out while heading toward the firewood shed.
She lifted the bundle with ease, gave it a shake left and right, and with a flourish, tossed it on top of the firewood stack.
"Mi-niang! Quick, come wipe your sweat!"
Wang Xiu wrung out a freshly washed cloth and draped it over Xia Youmi's face, gently wiping her down.
"A-niang, I can do it myself," Xia Youmi raised both hands in surrender.
"You, you, such a little dirty kitten."
Wang Xiu clicked her tongue and kept wiping.
Starting from her forehead, slowly revealing Xia Youmi's smiling eyes, then flipping the cloth to clean her cheeks—drawing a pair of rosy apples—and finally dabbing her chin as a finishing touch.
Mother and daughter locked eyes.
Xia Youmi understood—ever since the news about Second Uncle, her mother had been consumed by anxiety.
She would wake in fright from dreams, her care for Xia Youmi growing excessive.
In the past, her father had been a garrison soldier, and for most of the year, he was home.
Later, even when he could no longer return, Datang had stabilized, and it seemed the days of constant battlefield disappearances were over.
But unexpectedly, even in a time of peace, her brother's body was never recovered.
That kind of trauma eventually turned a mother's wish for reunion into one of simple survival:
As long as father and son could live on safely, she no longer needed to see them again.
The only one she could truly hold onto was the daughter gifted to her by heaven.
After dinner, Xia Youmi learned from her mother that Eldest Uncle had written back.
In the letter, he instructed them to follow the steward sent by the noble and go ahead to settle in Chang'an.
He would return home with Second Uncle in six months to a year at most.
He emphasized they must act quickly—the noble's moods were unpredictable and he might not have the patience to wait.
Three days later, a convoy of ox carts entered the village.
When they saw the small mountain of firewood piled up outside Xia Youmi's house, the convoy leader Niu Dashun was stunned. The porters behind him were just as dumbfounded.
The men exchanged glances.
Xia Youmi broke the silence with a quick greeting and started hauling things herself.
The porters had no choice but to catch up, explaining how to load the carts to maximize space.
Meanwhile, her mother pulled Niu Dashun aside, whispered something to him, and slipped him a cloth pouch.
It jingled faintly inside.
Soon after, Niu Dashun came out chewing on a steamed bun and started shouting orders.
"Move fast! We've got to reach the city in two days!"
"Hey! Easy with that—don't shake it all over!"
"Ma Laosan, what's your problem? Even a little girl is outpacing you!"
"Hey-yo!"
They joked, but no one dared to stop working.
Time was tight. Ox carts moved slowly; under normal conditions, the trip would take two to three days.
Every extra night on the road increased the danger.
Thankfully, these workers were efficient, like they'd been professionally trained.
Their packing and weight distribution were perfect, in contrast to their clumsy, rustic appearances.
They arrived at the village entrance ahead of time and lined up to wait for the Wang family.
Xia Youmi's mother went to Eldest Uncle's house to check on things.
Xia Youmi stayed beside the cart convoy.
Looking around, she saw that right across from them was Wang Dazhu's house.
Xia Youmi got up, intending to say goodbye.
They had been so busy recently, they hadn't realized Wang Dazhu had gone quiet.
Knock knock knock.
The front door was tightly shut. She knocked for a while, but no one answered.
Seemed like no one was home.
Just as she turned to head back, a door next door opened.
A little girl around five or six years old peered out. Her clothes were worn, but her eyes were bright and clever.
She clutched a piece of dry grass and asked cautiously,
"Who… are you looking for?"
Xia Youmi gave a polite bow and flashed a friendly smile.
"Little lady, I'm looking for Wang Dazhu," she said, pointing at his door.
The girl hesitated, so Xia Youmi took a cloth pouch out of her basket and continued:
"I'm his friend, Xia Youmi. If he's not home, that's alright.
Next time you see him, please tell him the Wang family came to say goodbye."
She handed over a steamed bun from the bag as a thank-you.
Though buns were common, Wang Xiu's cooking was anything but ordinary.
The one Xia Youmi offered was soft, filled with minced meat and scallions—utterly irresistible.
Tempted, the girl thought for a moment and gestured for Xia Youmi to follow her.
Behind her house, she looked around—there was nothing but a pile of grass—and then said in a hushed tone:
"They left… I heard they escaped to Luoyang."
The girl's expression was guarded, like she was sharing a huge secret.
"When did they leave?" Xia Youmi asked in shock.
"About… two months ago. They left in the middle of the night, real quiet," she smacked her lips and continued,
"My grandpa checked on the house next day and got so mad—he cursed for days."
"Said they didn't even leave behind a single jar!"
"…"
After relaying everything she knew, the little girl finally took the bun, sniffed it, then took a big bite.
As she slowly chewed, she mumbled with her mouth full:
"That's all I know. Mmm… so fragrant… so good…"
Xia Youmi seemed to realize something. After thanking the girl, she turned and walked away.
She hadn't expected fate to be so full of coincidences.
The Wang brothers probably never received any letters.
They had all been overwhelmed with family affairs—
No time or energy left to check in on one another.