Just before dawn, the family arrived at the minibus station.
Cecilia Adler tried to pay for the oxcart, but the old villager refused to take the money.
She happened to have an unopened jar of beef jerky in her luggage, so she took it out and handed it to him. "Grandpa, this is just a small token of my appreciation. If you don't accept it, how could I have the nerve to ride your cart the next time I come home?"
"Alright then. Be careful on your journey."
"We will."
Cecilia watched him go until he was out of sight, then waited quietly for the bus.
The minibus arrived around six-thirty.
The family boarded the bus, transferred to the train station, and took a train back to Valoria.
On the night of the fifth day of the New Year, the train arrived in Valoria. They rested at a nearby guesthouse until morning, then took a trolley back to the courtyard house.
