The Xie family's planned trip to the north is mainly divided into two parts. The first half is to go to the capital for a few days, and then continue to Beiping.

Since they had to stay in the capital for a period of time, and the number of days was uncertain, when they booked a boat with the ship, they directly chartered a few boats for two months. In this way, when they arrive in the capital, they only need to dock the ship at the port that they have booked with the ship in advance, and they don't have to take all their luggage off the ship, or they can leave someone to guard the ship. When they set off again, they don't have to carry their luggage again, which not only saves them trouble, but also saves them time to get used to a new boat.

The people of the Xie family traveled together, and everyone was happy. Not only did the people from the clan come to see them off, but the people from the other houses in the clan also poured out. Some are simply reluctant to let their relatives leave, some are grateful for the help provided to the clansmen by the Xie family's three rooms in the past few years, and some are grateful for the Song family's contribution to the education of the clansmen over the years - the Song family has told the housekeeper who guards the house that no matter who comes to borrow books in the clan, the rules will still follow the old practice, and there will be no change because of whether she is at home or not. Everyone was surrounded by Song's mother and daughter and Xie Mulin's brothers and sisters in front of the door of the second and third rooms, and only Xie Jinman and Liu's husband and wife in the ninth room stood beside Mrs. Xie and told her to take care.

Mrs. Xie's face was not very good-looking, and she glanced at the group of Xie family members who didn't know the number of etiquette, and took the girls and mothers-in-law to the boat first.

Others walked slowly in the direction of the pier, talking as they went, and some people were crying or laughing, chattering, so lively. Even Xie Yinghui, a person who is usually not very gregarious, was said to be a little reluctant by several cousins and clan sisters, not to mention others. Although none of their brothers and sisters grew up in their hometown of Huyin, they have also lived here for more than three years, and have formed a deep friendship with relatives and friends in the clan. Now that they are separated, they don't know how many years later they will have the opportunity to reunite, and even the correspondence will be greatly reduced, at most three or four times a year, everyone is a little sad to think about, and they can't wait for time to go slower, and they can talk a little more and get along for a while.

Before arriving at the dock, Xie Yinglian, the eldest granddaughter of the sect's marriage, rushed back with her husband. She had just given birth to her eldest son, and she was just out of confinement. Although I had known that the second and third rooms were going north, I had to delay it until today to rush back, and I was so anxious that I was afraid that I would miss the time to see off, but fortunately I finally caught up.

She pulled Xie Mulin, Xie Yingfen, and Yang Yuan to cry a few times, and she was reluctant to say anything, and her tears kept falling: "This time, I don't know how long it will take to see you again, you must write back to me, otherwise I will never be able to rely on it!" ”

Xie Mulin nodded solemnly: "Don't worry." Xie Yingfen and Yang Yuan both cried and agreed.

Seeing that the sisters were about to cry, Xie Mulin had to interject and persuade: "Sister Lobby, this is only a few days after confinement, right?" It took another day to get here? How hard is the road? You better stop crying, it's sad and sad, it's not good for your recovery. ”

Xie Yinglian choked up and said, "What do you say about recovery?" I've been confined to my child, what kind of fat have I become? Do you still have to worry that I'm not going to recover well? You are the one who is the younger sister, and you are in charge of us sisters like an elder all day long, beware of growing into a little old lady at a young age! ”

Xie Yingfen and Yang Yuan couldn't help but laugh with tears when they looked at her white and ruddy face and slightly plump waist.

Xie Yinglian was embarrassed by their laughter, and touched her face: "Is it ugly fat?" During the month, my mother-in-law gave me stewed soup every day to replenish my body, and I didn't dare not eat it, so I had to secretly give half to your eldest brother-in-law, but even he gained weight and was beaten a few times by my mother-in-law. I look at your eldest brother-in-law, and I don't dare to look in the mirror. When I comb my hair in the morning, I close my eyes and ask the girls to fiddle. ”

Xie Mulin smiled: "Fat is a little fat, but it's not ugly at all, and it looks very good." Now this appearance is quite suitable for the lobby sister, and when I look at it, I feel festive, and it is the appearance that only happy people will have. ”

Xie Yinglian smiled shyly, and the sweetness and satisfaction at the corners of her mouth were overflowing.

Yang Yuan wiped away his tears and asked with some curiosity: "Big cousin, did you bring the child?" What does he look like?! ”

Xie Yinglian said a little embarrassed: "The child is too young, and my mother-in-law is afraid that he will blow the wind, so we are not allowed to take him out." But I asked your eldest brother-in-law to draw a picture of the child, and the painting was very good, and I showed it to you later, and you saw the picture, even if you saw the child's appearance. After speaking, she turned around and greeted the girl, who hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd to find Xie Yinglian's husband Cheng Xie, who was talking to Xie Xianzhi and Xie Jinzhi's brothers, took an unframed painting from him and handed it to Xie Yinglian.

When Xie Yinglian unfolded the painting, everyone in the second room and everyone except Yang Chun and his cousins were in the same place, everyone else came over, and the people in the sect room also came over with great interest. Xie Yinglian's parents, brothers and sisters-in-law had already participated in the child's washing and full moon banquet, and knew what the child looked like, but they still missed him very much, so they also used the portrait to talk about it. The Xie Mulin sisters knew the little nephew's height, weight, food intake, number of times he slept and his preferences, and so on. The atmosphere that was originally a little sad soon turned into joy. Everyone began to make fun of Xie Yinglian's cute little habit of blowing bubbles in her nostrils, and everyone laughed.

The sun rises higher and higher, and everyone indulges it because no matter how reluctant they are in their hearts, no matter how happy the atmosphere is, they also know that the time of separation has come. Everyone continued to talk and laugh and came to the dock, the servants had already loaded all the luggage on the ship, Mrs. Xie had already settled in the cabin, and the boatmen had also come to their respective posts, just waiting for the travelers to board the ship.

Everyone was silent for a moment, and finally it was Song who spoke: "Send you a thousand miles, and you must say goodbye in the end." We'll be back, so we don't have to be like that. ”

Tu Shi of Zongfang had red circles in his eyes, took a few steps forward, and held Fei Jiao's hand: "Brother and sister, take care of yourself along the way, and write back to us when you arrive in Beiping." We'll keep you in touch from time to time. You don't have to worry about the people and things here in your hometown, if you are happy to live in Beiping, just stay for a while. I have everything in the house! ”

Song shook her hand, nodded gratefully, and then turned his head to the others to bow his head, and then turned around and boarded the deck with the support of his daughter Xie Meijun and the girl.

Others also said their final goodbyes to their relatives and friends and turned to board the ship. Everyone was reluctant to go directly to the cabin, so they just stood on the deck and waved goodbye to their relatives and friends on the shore. With a slight movement, the boat moved away from the shore and headed towards the center of the river, slowly moving farther and farther.

It wasn't until the people on the deck couldn't see Xie Jiajiao's dock that everyone slowly walked into the cabin, their hearts full of sadness and reluctance. Suddenly, there was a shout from the bank, Xie Mulin and the others turned their heads to look and found that it was Yang Yiquan running along the riverbank, probably because he had just heard the news of his ex-wife and children leaving, so he rushed over in embarrassment, right?

But what's the use of him coming?

Xie Meijun, who was on the adjacent boat, looked at him twice, didn't say anything, and walked into the cabin with the two children.