I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Fang Rui had come with much on his mind, intending to pour his heart out and say his goodbyes. But now that he was here, he found himself at a loss for words.

’Since Jiang Ping’an isn’t here, perhaps it’s for the best. Seeing him would only make things sadder. I came in high spirits, and now they’ve faded, so I’ll leave. Why force a meeting?’

It carried the sentiment of the old story: ”I came on a whim, and now that the whim has passed, I shall return. What need is there to see the man himself?”

”Leaving Changshan City?!”

Sister-in-law Jiang exclaimed, her eyes filled with sorrow. ”Xiaofang, wait! We have some good things at home. I’ll get them for you to take on your journey.”

The ”good things” she mentioned were merely some dried chicken and rabbit, cured meat, and soybeans.

”Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

Fang Rui didn’t refuse her kind gesture. He accepted with a smile and a word of thanks, then took his leave.

He then led away the nag he had been stabling in the courtyard and departed from Sweet Water Well Alley.

On his way back, the evening breeze blew gently, rustling the grass and trees with a sound like falling raindrops.

’Dusk brings its own sorrow, now made worse by wind and rain!’

Fang Rui sighed to himself.

In front of Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, Fang Ling, and Nannan, he always appeared calm and composed. But in truth, as he prepared to leave the comfort zone of Changshan City and face the unknown, how could he not feel a little apprehensive?

...

When he returned home, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, Fang Ling, and Nannan were busy packing.

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family sighed as she packed, speaking quietly with Third Lady. She reminisced about amusing things that had happened here over the years, her eyes full of sadness at the thought of leaving.

Third Lady listened, her expression gentle, though a hint of wistfulness showed on her face as well.

She had spent the most peaceful, content, and joyful time of her life here. Back then, it had all seemed so ordinary, but looking back now, every moment was a cherished memory.

The two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, were also scurrying back and forth, packing up their little trinkets.

Fang Rui didn’t disturb them. He moved quietly through the house, taking a long, careful look at everything, inside and out.

The mottled yellow-mud walls, the counter, the wooden table, the kitchen, the courtyard—every blade of grass, every tree—it was all so familiar.

Scene after scene from the past flowed through his mind: reciting from medical texts, eating meals as a family, holding Third Lady in his arms, getting up in the middle of the night with Fang Ling to roast buns...

Now that Fang Rui had come into some money, he had once suggested moving to a larger courtyard. But both Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady had been reluctant to leave, so he had dropped the idea.

The place was a bit small, true, but it wasn’t unlivable, and he was certainly no stranger to hardship.

’We’re leaving tomorrow!’ Fang Rui’s heart was a tangle of emotions.

...

That evening, the Fang Family had an early dinner, after which Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, Fang Ling, and Nannan continued to pack.

Fang Rui went to bid farewell to the neighbors in the alley.

They still had several hundred catties of wheat bran at home. After his finances had improved, they had barely eaten any of it. It would take up too much space to bring along, but leaving it would be a waste. So, as a gesture of goodwill, he decided to give it away to his neighbors.

Of course, the amount each family received depended on how close they were.

Uncle Changlin’s house, Uncle Zao Hua’s house, Uncle Bai Yang’s house...

He went from one house to the next. Perhaps it was because they felt indebted for the gift, or perhaps it was simply because of the impending departure, but everyone wished him a safe journey and promised to help look after his courtyard.

...

In the deepening twilight, as the last glimmer of dusk vanished.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

A knock came from the door, followed by Jiang Ping’an’s voice. ”Brother Fang?!”

CREAK!

Fang Rui opened the door. ”Brother Jiang?”

”Brother Fang, your family is leaving? Why in such a hurry? I heard about it from my wife when I got home and came over right away. I didn’t even have time to eat...”

In the courtyard, beneath the large willow tree, the two of them sat facing each other at the stone table as a gentle evening breeze blew past.

Jiang Ping’an, who had sworn off alcohol after catching the plague, made an exception and was drinking again tonight.

Jiang Ping’an silently drank one bowl after another before finally speaking. ”Brother Fang, after we part ways tomorrow... who knows when we’ll see each other again!”

”Indeed.”

Fang Rui sighed. He said nothing, simply refilling their bowls.

In this era of slow horses and carriages, many a parting became a final farewell.

Both of them knew this all too well.

”Brother Jiang, in that satchel I gave you, besides some gold and silver, there are also several property deeds. Please look after them for me. If my family never returns, then consider them a gift to you.”

The deeds to the Fang Family home, Third Lady’s house next door, and her three other courtyards in the city were all in that satchel. It would have been difficult to sell them on such short notice, and Fang Rui wasn’t concerned with that small amount of silver coins anyway, so he had decided to handle it this way.

Bowl after bowl, they drank and talked until they had finished the entire flask of wine.

Jiang Ping’an could hold his liquor well and was only slightly tipsy. He stood up to take his leave. ”Brother Fang, I’ll be back in the morning to see you off!”

...

A thin mist curled through the air in the early morning.

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, Fang Ling, and Nannan climbed into the horse-drawn carriage. Fang Rui led the horse, with Jiang Ping’an walking alongside to see them off.

At the city gate, thanks to Jiang Ping’an’s connections, their carriage passed through smoothly without being searched, and they didn’t even have to pay the toll.

In truth, even without Jiang Ping’an, they could have gotten through as long as they weren’t stubborn and paid a small bribe to the guards.

Behind them, a donkey cart was stopped, apparently because the driver wasn’t sensible enough to pay. An argument broke out, but Fang Rui didn’t stick around to watch the commotion.

Once outside the city, Fang Rui spoke up. ”Brother Jiang, this is far enough!”

”Brother Fang! Auntie, Sister-in-law, little ones... all of you, take care! A safe journey to you!”

”The same to you, Brother Jiang. Take care. And please say goodbye to your wife and children for me!”

Jiang Ping’an stood for a long time, watching the Fang Family’s carriage until it disappeared into the morning light. Only then did he let out a heavy sigh.

”Sigh... Brother Fang is gone. My only true friend in the city... he’s gone now. Gone.”

He turned away, looking desolate.

...

CLIP-CLOP CLIP-CLOP!

The carriage slowly departed, following a merchant caravan.

Fang Rui gazed back. Changshan City, shrouded in the light of dawn, gradually receded until it vanished, like an old, yellowed scroll being slowly rolled shut.

’What an unforgettable time this has been since I arrived in this world,’ he sighed to himself, burying the memories deep within his mind.

He glanced back, then looked ahead.

The sun was steadily climbing above the horizon. A new red sun was rising, flooding the world with its brilliant light.

...