Journey to South

After a week of traveling by horse, Zhang Ju Long and Fang Yan finally reached the Yueyang District in Hunan Province. Ju long decided to take the risk a bit to stay overnight at the lodge. Usually they prefered to stay at people's houses, because it was safer. Once tethered horses, and made room reservation, they were escorted by the waiter into the bed room to get cleaned up, eat dinner and then took rest.

The trip to Yunnan was not as difficult as imagined by Zhang Ju Long. During one week of travel, there was no royal soldiers in pursuit. Now they have arguably safer. Plans drawn up by Du Xue Yin was so brilliant, that if separate these two brother and sister would be able to fool the soldiers, because soldiers were being sought by a pair of little boy and infant baby girl, and not a boy with his uncle and a baby girl with her nurse…

Deep in his heart, Zhang Ju Long remained worrisome for Xiao Ci. But for a while he forced himself not to think about her first. Now Fang Yan was his responsibility, to ensure the safety of Fang Yan, as the only son heir of Fang family.

Fang Yan… since departed from Hangzhou and said goodbye to her mother, hardly talking at all. Although did not know exactly what happened, it looked like the child who was still five years old was already understood the situation with his parents. In the silent look of sadness, and in his eyes, there was a question that did not dare to ask. Admittedly, for Fang Yan, Ju Long was a stranger. They met on a few occasions, when he came to the residence of Fang Zhi Hang who was his adopted brother. Three months ago he got a letter from Du Xue Yin told of her husband's arrest. And after being in Hangzhou, along with Du Xue Yin bend over backwards to free his adopted brother. But all the way to no avail. For there is no hope, Du Xue Yin begged him to take her son away from Hangzhou, saved and given a new life to Fang Yan. And… he had promised.

Ju Long and Fang Yan left Hangzhou one day before the death penalty for Zhi Hang implemented. And with high confidence, Du Xue Yin was now also not in this world, the method she used, Ju Long did not know. For all he knew, Fang Yan was now his responsibility, his duties, to raise and give education. To took care of him. Therefore, he had to do now is to build a connection or bridges heart, so intertwined closeness with the child.

"Fang Yan… Are you getting ready to go to sleep?" asked Ju Long

He paused for a moment before he replied "Not yet…"

"Well… do you mind if we talk for a minute?" Fang Yan just nodded his head. "Is… there something you want to ask?"

"No… Yes…" seems doubt in his eyes for seconds.

Ju Long smiled and said to calm him down "Then ask, do not be afraid… and do not hesitate, we are a family, and I will try to answer your question, as far as I can… so… what do you want to ask?"

"Uncle… where we are going?"

"We're going to Dali in Yunnan"

"To Dali… but why… why should we get there?" he asked further.

"Dali is my hometown, we will live and settle there."

Fang Yan looked confused for a moment before returning to ask "we…?"

"Yes… we. You and I from now on will stay in Dali" Ju Long replied firmly.

"But… why… I want to go home… can we go home? I want my mother… and I want my father too…"

Hesitated to answer the question, how to explain this condition to five years old boy. "We can't go back to Hangzhou, if that what you want." Silent for a moment.

"But why we can't go home?

"Fang Yan… it is very dangerous for you to go back to Hangzhou… and even if you go back there… perhaps… there's no more left." How was he supposed to tell Fang Yan that is parents were dead? How was he supposed to tell him that his father was arrested and his mother was already suicide her self? He want to protect this child from the reality, but there is no point giving false hope. He finally decided to tell the truth "Fang Yan… In the heart, you may already know… that you now no longer have parents. So… there is no way you will go back there."

Hearing his uncle explanation, sad, disappointed, pain, Fang Yan was crying now, but still trying to look strong. Ju Long felt anxious to see this little boy crying. "My son… cry if you need… crying would have eased yout pain, it would have been relief… and after that… forget. Your parents do not want you to live in the grief and certainly do not want you back there. So to Dali we are going."

"But… but what about my little sister, why… why she is not coming with us?" he asked. There was a bit of anger in his question.

"Xiao Ci will temporarily stay in Beijing. You don't need to worry. She is with her nanny. And will be delivered to the Wu family in Beijing. Wu family will temporarily keep and care for her. She will be happy there."

"But…"

Ju Long cut his words, "nothing but, do you still remember what your mother said before the separate?" Fang Yan nodded, "Then that's what we'll do now. I'm not going to explain all the problems that happened to you today, but someday… perhaps. For a while, I just want to say this to you… that this is the best for you, this is also the best for Xiao Ci, for all of us… and I really hope you would accept all these conditions. Would you be? "

Long silence, before finally replied in a whisper, "Yes… uncle" and fell silent again. Ju Long thinks the talk was finished here, got up from his chair when Fang Yan asked.

"Uncle… how much longer we will get to the Dali"

Calculating the day and replied "If the weather is bright and clear, I'd estimate between eight to ten days, we'll get there. Well, now go to sleep. We will leave early tomorrow…"

"All right…" and Fang Yan walked towards the bed.

Ju Long knew for sure that there were still many things Fang Yan did not understand and would like to ask, but the child seems to exhausted from the trip. Ju Long had convinced himself that this is what they do best. For the good and happiness of this child.

With heavy heart, he stepped into the bed. Yes… about ten days' time they will arrive at Dali. Starting a new life.