bullyxtreme Chapter 224 Departure
Chapter 224 Departure
The Xiao family sat in the carriage, watching the village gradually become blurry, feeling very reluctant to leave, knowing they would rarely return here in the future.
With many thoughts swirling in their minds, they had lived in this village for half their lives, and now it was time for them to leave.
The carriage headed towards the capital. With a large group of people, Xiao Siyue was quite happy, moving from one carriage to another for a while.
"Is Yue'er tired? Why don't we take a rest?" Old Mrs. Xiao said gently, looking at her happy granddaughter.
“Hmm,” Xiao Siyue glanced at the sky outside. It was noon, and this was their second day since they set off.
Grandpa Xiao lifted the carriage curtain and told the guards outside that he had found a suitable spot to stop and get some fresh air.
Only after Xiao Siyue and the others got off the carriage did they realize that there was another group of carriages parked not far away, not as large as theirs, but it seemed that they were also on their way to the capital.
Xiao Siyue glanced at it casually, then looked away and helped Old Lady Xiao find a place to sit down.
The maidservant cleverly brought out a foldable table and placed it in front of them, quickly setting out some water and food on it.
These things were prepared well in advance, because I thought the journey was long, so I made things that would keep for a long time.
Of course, they also brought pots and pans. Xiao Siyue didn't want to make herself or her family suffer, as they had been eating dry rations for the past few days. So, after the maids laid out the snacks, they started cooking.
Xiao Siyue handed a few pieces of pastry to the elderly couple: "Grandpa and Grandma, have some pastries to tide you over." After all, it was already noon, and it was lunchtime. They had eaten something when they left the inn in the morning.
"Yes, Yue'er will eat too." Old Mrs. Xiao smiled gently.
After waiting for a while, the aroma of food wafted over. Although it wasn't as good as what they ate at home, they still tried to choose better ingredients.
Because the table wasn't very big and there were many of them, they all sat separately. The maids had prepared the food, and just as Xiao Siyue was about to eat, she was interrupted.
"Greetings, sir and madam. My name is Han Zhiyan. Are you also heading to the capital?"
Han Zhiyan? That name sounds so familiar. Xiao Siyue turned her head and saw a somewhat familiar face before she remembered.
Isn't this the same student she met a few years ago when she went to Qinzhou Prefecture with Xiao Qinian to take the provincial examination? Moreover, this person even gave her a small gift, and had contact with Xiao Qinian afterward, but she hadn't seen him since.
"Uncle Han?" Xiao Siyue called out uncertainly. What a coincidence that she would run into him here.
Han Zhiyan looked down and saw that the little girl in front of him was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite recognize her.
"Who are you?" Han Zhiyan thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so he didn't make things difficult for himself and asked directly.
"Uncle Han, I'm Xiao Siyue, Xiao Qinian's daughter. We met a few years ago."
"Siyue? You've grown so much! Uncle Han didn't even recognize you. It's Uncle Han's fault," Han Zhiyan said with a sudden realization.
"As for Uncle Han, I've grown up a lot, it's normal that he doesn't recognize me." After all, Xiao Siyue was only five years old when they last met, and now she's almost twelve. She's gone from being a little dumpling to a slender young woman, and much of the baby fat on her face has disappeared.
"Haha, you've grown up. I remember the last time I saw you, you were still a little dumpling with three heads." Han Zhiyan laughed heartily.
"Uncle Han, please sit down. Let me introduce you." Xiao Siyue quickly invited Han Zhiyan to sit down. There were only the elderly couple and Xiao Siyue at their table, so it was quite spacious.
"Oh, then Uncle Han won't stand on ceremony." Han Zhiyan didn't stand on ceremony either. He was originally attracted by the aroma from Xiao Siyue's place and came here to see if he could buy some for his family and himself. He didn't expect to run into an acquaintance.
"Uncle Han, these are my grandparents, and the others are all our family members." Xiao Siyue didn't introduce them one by one, after all, there were quite a few of them.
"Greetings, Uncle Xiao and Aunt Xiao. I am Han Zhiyan, and I am a student in the same year as Qinian." Han Zhiyan stood up again and bowed to the two of them.
"Please sit down. I've heard my third son talk about you often before, right, Zhiyan? Please sit down. You haven't eaten yet, have you? If you don't mind, please have some with this old man." Grandpa Xiao warmly greeted Han Zhiyan.
"Uncle Xiao, then I won't stand on ceremony. To make you laugh, I was initially drawn here by the aroma of your cooking, hoping to buy some," Han Zhiyan said somewhat embarrassedly.
"Haha, it's our honor, so hurry up and try it." Old Master Xiao was amused by Han Zhiyan's words. He didn't expect this person to be so honest, which suited his personality quite well.
Xiao Qinian had indeed told him about Han Zhiyan before, saying that he was a good person.
"Uncle Han, Grandpa and Grandma, please eat this first. I'll have the maids make another portion and send it over to Uncle Han's family." Xiao Siyue glanced at the Han family members who were looking in their direction.
They weren't reluctant to part with any food; after all, they couldn't possibly enjoy a delicious meal while the rest of the Han family could only eat dry rations and snacks.
Upon hearing this, Han Zhiyan's smile widened even more: "Then thank you very much, Siyue. Uncle Han also thanks you on behalf of your aunt and uncle."
Xiao Siyue quickly shook her head: "Uncle Han, you're too kind."
After telling the maids, Xiao Siyue went to tell her brothers and uncles as well. She had seen them watching this area when Han Zhiyan came over.
Xiao Siyue sat down next to Old Lady Xiao again.
"Is Uncle Han also going to the capital this time?" After the meal, the maid served tea to the family.
Han Zhiyan was still savoring the delicious meal when he saw the tea. He sighed inwardly, wondering why there was such a big difference between the two when they were both traveling.
He felt he was well prepared, but compared to the Xiao family today, he was no match.
"Yes, I've been transferred to a post in Beijing, and this time I'm bringing my family with me." He passed the imperial examination back then and was later sent to serve as an official in another region. After several years of hard work, he has finally been transferred to the capital.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Siyue didn't ask any further questions. She had heard Xiao Qinian say before that Han Zhiyan was quite capable and had been promoted after many years. However, she didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that they all got promoted at the same time.