I served as Li Bai's page.

Chapter 144 Preparing to Move

I went to Anlu Street and bought some local specialties, packed them into a parcel, put the letter inside, borrowed a brush from a calligraphy and painting shop to write the words "Longxi Academy," and then returned to the restaurant. The caravan members had already finished eating and were waiting for me in their carriage. I handed the parcel to the leader and said:

"Please give this package to Madam Li of Longxi Courtyard, and tell her that her son is taking it back to her."

"Okay, I'll definitely deliver it to you. We're in a hurry, let's go," the team leader said.

"Thank you, and have a safe journey," I said.

After mailing the letter, I returned to Baizhao Mountain. Li Bai had gone to Peach Blossom Rock, and Xu Ziyan was packing clothes inside. I peeked out from the doorway, and Xu Ziyan called me in, saying, "Yuehua, I have no experience moving. How should I prepare? It seems your young master doesn't care about anything."

"Just pack what you want to take to Donglu, and I'll find a caravan going to Donglu to take us there," I said.

"What will happen to the houses and land here if we leave?" Xu Ziyan asked.

"Madam, what do you intend to do? If you settle in Donglu, you may never return to Anlu in this lifetime."

"Why? We can live in Donglu for a few years, and then come back here for a few more years when we miss it, isn't that okay?"

"Of course, so who would you like to entrust this place to?"

"Of course it's Wu Chao and Xiaoqian. The rent from the land should be enough for them to live on. If Aunt Wu wants to go to Donglu with me, I'll take her. As for Aunt Zhang and the others, they have families; we'll give them some money so they can go home. Is this arrangement acceptable?"

"Yes, Madam, you've thought of everything." I said.

That evening, after Li Bai returned from Peach Blossom Rock, he saw the clothes Xu Ziyan had packed and discussed with her:

"Let's have a family meeting first to tell everyone about our plans to move to Donglu, so that everyone can be mentally prepared. Madam, what do you think?"

"Husband, you're in charge of things at home. If there's a meeting, I'll have Yuehua inform everyone," Xu Ziyan said.

"Okay, have Yuehua tell everyone to gather in the dining room for a meeting."

After receiving the notification, I gathered everyone in the dining room.

Xu Ziyan said, "My husband and I have gathered everyone here today to tell you that we are planning to move to Rencheng in Donglu. There, my husband will have a better future. He could have gone alone, but I want to take the children with us; we don't want to be separated from him."

When Wu Ma and Xiao Qian heard that Xu Ziyan was leaving, they started to cry.

Aunt Wu said, "Madam, I've always treated you like my own daughter. How can I bear to let you go to such a faraway place?"

"Aunt Wu, you have no children, so I am your daughter. Come with me to Donglu, and I will take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days," Xu Ziyan said.

Aunt Wu said, "I'm getting old, and I'm reluctant to leave my hometown. Please let me think about it."

Xiaoqian said, "Madam, I've followed you since I was a child. Wherever you go, I'll follow."

"Silly girl, you're already married and have your own child. You have to stay with your husband. You and Wu Chao will still live here and take care of this house. I can come back whenever I want."

Wu Chao said, "Master, Madam, I will definitely protect this home for you."

"The rent from the fields should be enough for your livelihood. If not, you can grow some more yourself," Xu Ziyan said.

"That's enough, more than enough. We'll keep the extra for you and give it to you when you come back," Wu Chao said.

"Zhang Ma, Xiao Peng, and Xiao Zhang, I'm so sorry, I'm not hiring you anymore. Here's some money for you; find other work or go home."

Zhang Ma cried and said, "Madam, I've cooked for you for so many years, and it's really hard to get used to not doing it all at once. I won't look for work anymore; I'll go home and take care of my children."

Xu Ziyan distributed the money to Zhang Ma and the other two. After receiving the money, Xiao Peng and Xiao Zhang went to pack their things to leave the Li residence.

Zhang Ma said, "Master, Madam, I'll leave whenever you wish, is that alright?"

"Of course, thank you, Aunt Zhang," Xu Ziyan said.

At this meeting, Li Bai didn't say a word. Xu Ziyan arranged everything and instructed Zhang Ma to cook more dishes so that everyone could have a reunion dinner.

After dinner, Xiao Peng and Xiao Zhang said goodbye to Li Bai and Xu Ziyan and asked, "Madam, our home is nearby. May we rent some of your land to farm?"

"Of course you can, just tell Steward Wu directly," Li Bai replied.

"Thank you, sir and madam." The two left the Li residence with their luggage.

After the meeting, our departure from Baizhao Mountain began its countdown. According to Li Bai, everything else in the house could remain, but the books in the study had to be moved to Rencheng in Donglu. This presented me with a difficult problem. I carefully selected what to keep and moved two-thirds, which would require at least three horse-drawn carts.

For several days in a row, I went to the streets of Anlu to look for caravans heading to Donglu, hoping to find a caravan with a few carriages that could carry all our things.

"Yuehua, have you found the convoy yet?" Li Bai asked me that day.

"Young master, there are several caravans that are hard to find. Almost all of them that pass through Anlu are carrying goods," I said.

"You can do this: book a caravan, and we'll come to Anlu to load our goods after the caravan has finished delivering its cargo," Li Bai said.

"That's a good idea. I'll ask around tomorrow, just like you suggested."

The next day, I went to inquire about every carriage I saw on the streets of Anlu, regardless of whether they were carrying goods or not. I did this for several days. Finally, a caravan of six carriages, fully loaded with goods, stopped on the official road outside Anlu. I rode my horse toward the leader of the caravan.

"Young man, stop for a moment, we'd like to ask how to get to Jiangling Port?" the leader called out to me.

Upon hearing his accent, which was fluent in Donglu dialect, I said, "Brother, you're from Donglu, aren't you? Are you going to Jiangling?"

"Yes, we're helping a customer deliver a shipment to Gangneung Port. He's waiting for us there."

"Are you going back to Donglu?" I asked.

"Of course I'll go back. I'll go back after I finish trading. Are you going to Donglu?"

"We need to go to Rencheng in Donglu, and we'd like to use a few carriages. Can we rent your caravan?"

"That's fantastic! Isn't this a round-trip business deal? Where do we load the truck when we return to Jinan (Eastern Shandong)?"

"Brother, you can reach Jiangling by following the main road beside the official road. It's already afternoon, so it will probably be dark by the time you arrive. You probably won't be able to unload the goods until tomorrow. After unloading, come back here, and I'll wait for you. We'll go to Baizhao Mountain, which isn't far away, to load the trucks. Is that alright?"

"Sure, we'll meet there. What's your name, young man?"

"My name is Yuehua. May I ask your name, elder brother?"

"Just call me Uncle Liu, that's what they all call me, simply because I'm a few years older than them."

"Uncle Liu, it's settled then. I'll wait for you here tomorrow; I'll go back and pack up right away."

Uncle Liu led the caravan toward Jiangling, and I rode back to Baizhao Mountain at full speed.