Putting on airs, Sue Quinn followed the driver toward the fruit trees.
The villagers, though simple and honest, could tell that this person from Kingsford did not like them.
The white-bearded village chief tapped out his pipe and sighed.
"Everyone, disperse! Go home and prepare some farewell gifts for Young Rory..."
The crowd scattered, leaving the white-bearded village chief to gaze worriedly in the direction of the fruit trees.
***
The village was just that small. A couple's spat could be heard clear as day, to say nothing of someone being chased with a stick.
"You damn Daoist, you good-for-nothing! Where's the ring I left for Rory? Did you trick her out of it to buy booze again?"
Just as Sue Quinn and her driver arrived at Master Aerion's gate, a familiar figure came tumbling and scrambling out of the courtyard. His navy blue Daoist robes were caked in dirt, and even his crescent-moon cap had fallen to the ground.
Upon seeing them, Master Aerion straightened up, feigning composure. "This humble Daoist does not stoop to arguing with a woman..."
He habitually raised a hand to stroke his beard, only to find his chin bare. His expression changed in an instant. He quickly shot out an arm, hiding half his face with his wide sleeve.
But it was too late. Sue Quinn and the driver had already gotten a clear look.
'A fake beard?'
"You damn Daoist, give back the Jade Ring! That's part of Rory's dowry..."
Another familiar figure rushed out from the courtyard, grabbed Master Aerion by the collar, and glared at him furiously.
Her pretty, almond-shaped eyes were wide with anger, her bright red lips pressed into a thin line.
It was the coarse village woman from that morning.
Sue Quinn's frown deepened, the disdain in her eyes growing stronger.
'A fake Daoist, a vulgar woman, ignorant villagers...'
'What an eye-opener this has been!'
Trying to save face, Master Aerion pointed across the way and shouted, "Flora, Warner has the Jade Ring! Go get it from him—"
Flora Guthrie released his collar, pointed an accusing finger at him, and stormed over to knock on the opposite door with a grim expression.
Master Aerion gave an awkward laugh. With nothing left to hide, he generously invited Sue Quinn and the driver into the courtyard.
"Please, come in. Dawn Miles is packing. Make yourselves at home..."
Sue Quinn didn't move. Clutching her expensive handbag, she seemed to think it was beneath her to enter the yard. "Second Miss, the Sinclair Family has everything. There is no need to bring anything back..."
Inside the house, Aurora Sinclair and Leigh Miles naturally heard her words.
Aurora Sinclair didn't stop what she was doing. She continued to neatly fold the tracksuits from the sandalwood cabinet, one by one, placing them in the center of a square, cyan-colored cloth.
Leigh Miles's eyes were red-rimmed. Standing nearby, she watched the quiet girl sitting by the wooden bed, her heart full of reluctance. "Senior Sister, will you come back?"
Aurora Sinclair nodded. After folding the tracksuits, she started on her undergarments.
"Senior Sister, these are medicines I prepared myself. They're not as good as Apothecary Warner's, but they're effective for stopping bleeding and healing wounds. You must be careful when you're out there. Don't get hurt..."
Leigh Miles took out a dozen or so small glass vials from the drawer beside the bed and pushed them toward Aurora Sinclair.
Aurora Sinclair nodded again, silently gathering the small glass vials into her cloth bundle.
"This is my secret stash of money. Senior Sister, you keep it. Don't give it to Master anymore..."
Leigh Miles gritted her teeth and pried out a little over a hundred yuan from beneath a stone brick under the bed.
It was all in small bills and coins, clearly saved up over a long time.
Aurora Sinclair looked a little surprised, then pushed the money back to her. "You keep it."
"But..."
Leigh Miles could no longer hold back her tears. They streamed down her face as she lunged forward, throwing herself into Aurora Sinclair's arms and bursting into sobs. "Senior Sister, I don't want you to go... WAHHH..."
Her crying set off Tiger, who had been quietly playing with his toy car nearby. He sat on the floor and started crying loudly too.
For a moment, the room was filled with the sound of sobbing.
Drawn by the noise, Master Aerion came in to find the pair, one big and one small, each clinging to one of Aurora Sinclair's legs and crying their hearts out.
Aurora Sinclair, meanwhile, stared at them with a blank expression, her eyes filled with helplessness.
"What's all this now?" Master Aerion rubbed his aching temples.
Tears and snot streaming down her face, Leigh Miles pleaded, "Master, don't let Senior Sister go..."
"Nonsense! She's one of the Sinclairs. Is she supposed to stay in these mountains forever instead of going back?"
Leigh Miles wiped away her tears and cut right to the quick. "Master, how much money did the Sinclair Family give you this time...?"
Master Aerion froze. He shot a guilty glance at Aurora Sinclair before glaring fiercely at Leigh Miles.
"Go on, get out of here. Why is a child so obsessed with money? Am I that kind of person? Your Senior Sister is going back for the college entrance exams. She'll be back after they're over! She's the next Sect Leader of our Radiant Void Sect, and she bears the glorious responsibility of making our sect renowned..."
"Really?"
Leigh Miles looked up at Aurora Sinclair, her eyes blurry with tears.
She nodded.
Master Aerion secretly breathed a sigh of relief. In the past, whenever he mentioned Aurora Sinclair inheriting the Radiant Void Sect, she never reacted. This time, she had actually nodded for the first time ever.
'This is truly a cause for celebration!'
"My good disciple, Master doesn't have much to give you. Take these peace charms!"
Master Aerion pulled out a thick stack of yellow paper talismans—the kind used to fool people—from who-knows-where, making Leigh Miles roll her eyes. "Master, Senior Sister is leaving. Can't you be a little more sincere with your gift?"
"What do you mean, not sincere? Shoo, shoo... Kids don't know a thing! Go play somewhere..."
Aurora Sinclair took the peace charms and carefully put them away. "Thank you, Master!" she said gratefully.
Leigh Miles was even more confused. 'Aren't those just for tricking people? Why is Senior Sister treasuring them so much?'
Just as she was pondering this, the wooden door was pushed open again, and a figure burst in like a whirlwind.
"Rory, this is the dowry this master has prepared for you. Keep it safe and don't lose it."
The Jade Ring didn't look to be of the highest quality. The jade had some impurities, but the carvings on its surface were exceptionally rare.
Because Aurora Sinclair's fingers were slender, Flora Guthrie threaded a red string through the ring and put it around her neck.
"Thank you, Mistress!"
Flora Guthrie's smiling eyes instantly rolled. She stood up and tossed another small bundle to her. "This is from Warner. Use it once a month. It's just enough to last you until after the college entrance exams!"
Before leaving, she landed a hard punch on Master Aerion. "You think you can get one over on me that easily?"
***
When Sue Quinn saw Aurora Sinclair again, she was rendered speechless.
She was still wearing an ordinary tracksuit, but now she had a massive bundle on her back. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was a refugee fleeing a disaster.
She couldn't help but lecture, "Second Miss, the Sinclair Family has everything. You don't need to bring a bedroll..."
"What bedroll? Those are my Senior Sister's tools of the trade!" Leigh Miles had no patience for this condescending old woman.
"There's even less reason to bring things for eating. The Sinclair Family has it all, and even if they don't, it can be bought..."
Leigh Miles rolled her eyes, not bothering to waste another word on her.
She turned to Aurora Sinclair. "Master Stone is probably drunk again..."
Aurora Sinclair nodded, shouldered her bundle, and walked out the gate. Instead of heading toward the village entrance, she went in another direction.
The driver opened his mouth, about to call out that she was going the wrong way, but he snapped it shut when he saw Sue Quinn standing there with her lips pursed, watching coldly.
Aurora Sinclair was heading to the back of the mountain. The area was sparsely populated, with only a single, dilapidated courtyard standing alone. The gate was unlatched, left wide open.
Aurora Sinclair pushed the gate and stepped inside. Her foot landed on scattered wood shavings, making a CRUNCHING sound.
The small courtyard was piled high with logs, wood chips, and wine bottles. It was such a mess there was nowhere to step.
She walked into The Stone-Wood House with practiced ease, immediately hit by the foul stench of alcohol.
As if she didn't smell a thing, she picked up a blanket from the floor and draped it over the man on the wooden bed.
Finally, she left a note, written in a neat, slender script: "Dawn Miles has gone down the mountain for exams and will return shortly. —Dawn Miles."
***
The crowd of villagers by the fruit trees gradually grew. Everyone came carrying something, saying it was for Aurora Sinclair to take to Kingsford.
When Sue Quinn saw a village woman approaching with a chicken coop, she stumbled back several steps, her face as pale as if she'd seen a ghost.
The woman, holding the coop, gave Sue Quinn a simple, honest smile.
"I heard Young Rory is goin' to Kingsford for her exams. We don't have much, so I brought her a hen to make some nourishing soup. Don't you worry, this hen's homegrown. All-natural, no pollution..."
"Get it away from me—"
Sue Quinn shrieked, her voice piercing the heavens.
Both the woman and the hen were startled. The woman was fine, but the hen pooped.
Fresh chicken droppings fell through the coop and, as luck would have it, splattered right next to Sue Quinn's feet.
Sue Quinn continued to scream. The driver immediately rushed forward to protect his charge and kicked the coop.
Startled again, the hen thrashed wildly inside the coop, managing to push the door open. It flew out and headed straight for the crowd.
"Hey! My chicken—"