Maybe it was the eager desire to return home that kept Qin Yao and her husband moving nonstop along the way. When they got hungry, Qin Yao would take over driving while Liu Ji heated the dry food they brought from the inn the previous day using the charcoal stove inside the carriage.
By the next evening, they reached the borders of Kaiyang County.
It was already very late, but neither of them hesitated. They lit torches and braved the cold wind for another three hours into the night, arriving at Liu Family Village in the dead of night.
The small village was so quiet at midnight that only the startled dogs could be heard barking.
Everyone at home was asleep. Only Ah Wang, hearing noise outside the courtyard, unbelievingly came down from the attic. As soon as the back door opened, he saw the smiling faces of the couple illuminated by the firelight.
