When he returned home, Father and his two elder brothers were already back from hunting, and their harvest was not bad: two rabbits and one antelope.
Seeing Gou Wa, Father remembered him leaving early that morning and asked directly, “What were you doing this morning?”
Gou Wa was happy that Father and his brothers were back, but then he immediately wilted.
Seeing this, Father became furious and said, “I knew you and Xiao Hei secretly went into the mountains.”
Seeing that Father was about to give him a long lecture again, Gou Wa’s eyes darted around, and he quickly changed the subject.
“When I just came back from Uncle Han’s house, Uncle Han told me that he ran into Lu Er in town, and Lu Er sent word that he would be back to see us in a couple of days.”
Father immediately rejoiced upon hearing this, “Really?”
Gou Wa excitedly said, “Yes, that’s what Uncle Han said.”
Father happily said, “Good, good, good, I haven’t seen your Lu Er in a long time, and I miss him very much.”
“But you, boy, remember this, you are not allowed to go into the mountains again. If I find out again, I’ll break your legs.”
Gou Wa shrank his head and said, “I know, I won’t go again.”
Lu Er, our Lu Er, is a well-known figure around here.
He is an external member of the Green Dragon Gang, helping the Green Dragon Gang manage its business, and is the proprietor of the largest inn in town, the Eight Directions Inn.
Lu Er has two sons and one daughter; both sons help out at the inn, and his daughter is already married.
Members of the Green Dragon Gang are divided into external members and internal members. External members are mainly responsible for the business in the gang’s territory.
Internal members are the core foundation of the Green Dragon Gang. Internal members are divided into:
Gray-Robed Disciples (probationary Disciples);
Green-Robed Disciples (official Disciples);
Black-Clothed Disciple (elite Disciple);
Purple-Robed Disciple (Core Disciple);
…
Two days later, in the afternoon, a beautiful carriage arrived at the village entrance, and as soon as it entered the village, it was curiously surrounded by villagers.
Village Chief Old Han saw it and came over to take a look; it turned out to be Lu Er. After some pleasantries, he chased away the curious villagers and took Lu Er to Lu San’s house.
Old Han yelled at the top of his lungs, “Lu San, your Lu Er is back, come out quickly.”
Father heard it and quickly said, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go welcome your Lu Er. How coincidental, I waited all day at the village entrance and didn’t see him, and he just arrived as soon as I got back.”
As Father led his family out of the house, he saw Lu Er had already gotten off the carriage and was walking towards their home, chatting and laughing with Old Han.
Father saw Lu Er and called out, “Second Brother.”
Lu Er heard it and smiled, calling out, “Third Brother.”
The two held hands for a long time without speaking. Father pulled Lu Er and said, “Come, let’s go inside and talk.”
Old Han saw that he had delivered the person and bid farewell, preparing to leave.
Lu Er stopped Old Han and asked, “Your Xiao Hei is also twelve this year, right?”
Old Han nodded and said, “Yes, he’s twelve.”
Lu Er then smiled and said, “I have some good news, you should stay and listen.”
Old Han was very clever. As soon as he heard there was good news, he quickly said, “Good, good, good.”
In those years, whenever they couldn’t hunt anything and went hungry, Old Han’s family always helped them out. Lu Er was also a person who remembered old favors.
After everyone sat down in the house, Father said, “Second Brother, it’s been a full year since you’ve been back, hasn’t it?”
Lu Er nodded and smiled, “It’s one month shy of a full year.”
He then sighed and said, “Third Brother, I haven’t seen you in a year, and you already have white hair.”
Father sighed and said, “Time spares no one. On the contrary, you seem to be getting younger.”
At this moment, Gou Wa and his five siblings greeted Lu Er one by one.
Lu Er brought back many small trinkets and snacks from town, with a share for everyone, and he also gave some to Old Han.
At this point, Mother had also prepared the meal, and Father smiled and said, “You must be starving after traveling all day. Let’s talk after dinner.”
Lu Er chuckled and nodded, “Don’t say it, I really am hungry.”
Father smiled and said, “There’s nothing particularly good to offer in the village, but you’re lucky today. We caught rabbits and an antelope these past two days, so you must eat well.”
After dinner, it was almost dark.
Lu Er looked at everyone and said, “I have good news, and it’s also the reason I made this special trip back.”
“It’s like this: in a few days, the Green Dragon Gang will be recruiting a batch of Disciples, and the age requirement is no older than fifteen.”
“To prevent spies from mixing in, this time the quota is to be recommended by the gang’s senior Disciples.”
“I have the authority for two recommendation slots. Old Han and I grew up together, and he’s helped our family a lot, both inside and out.”
“My first thought was our Gou Wa and Old Han’s Xiao Hei, who both just meet the requirements.”
“For the future of these two boys, I specifically rushed back to discuss it with you all.”
Seeing Third Brother and Old Han contemplating, Lu Er continued, “Joining a gang will definitely have dangers, but can you be sure that doing other things won’t have dangers?”
“In the gang, they can study, learn to read, and practice martial arts. They also receive a monthly stipend.”
“Moreover, in the gang, they eat well and dress warmly, and they will be taught to read and practice cultivation, which has many benefits.”
“If my own sons weren’t already past the age, I would have sent them.”
Gou Wa’s heart was instantly moved upon hearing this, and he then looked at Father seriously and said, “Father, I am willing to go.”
Father said with a stern face, “Do you know the dangers of joining a gang?”
Gou Wa quickly said, “I know, but I want to make a name for myself, I want to learn to read, I want to practice martial arts, and I want our family to live a respectable life like Lu Er.”
Lu Er nodded with satisfaction and said, “Our Gou Wa is good. A man should have a drive to succeed to accomplish great things.”
Father thought about it and realized it was true; always protecting them might not be a good thing. Then, Father nodded in agreement.
Old Han listened with mixed feelings of gain and loss. He actually wanted Xiao Hei to go, but he was also afraid of Xiao Hei being in danger. After a moment of contemplation, he said,
“I’ll go back and discuss it with my wife and Xiao Hei. If he’s willing to go, I’ll let him.”
Lu Er nodded after hearing this and said, “Alright, but you must hurry. I have to return to town tomorrow morning; a lot of things can’t be left unattended.”
“So, Old Han, you should go back and ask early. Once it’s decided, I’ll take both of them to town tomorrow.”
That evening, Gou Wa’s family sat together. Mother was crying, tears streaming down her face. His elder brother, third brother, and fourth brother were all saying encouraging words to Gou Wa, and Fifth Sister’s eyes were red.
Father said with a reluctant expression, “This separation might mean not seeing each other for several years.”
“When you get to the Green Dragon Gang, work hard. My son will be outstanding wherever he goes. Remember to write more letters to your Lu Er; he will have someone send messages back.”
Mother admonished Gou Wa, “Don’t cause trouble when you’re out there, and learn to take care of yourself.”
Father saw that everyone was going on endlessly, and a strange irritation welled up inside him. He said, “Alright, it’s getting late, everyone rest. Gou Wa still has to get up early tomorrow. Cuihua (Mother’s name), prepare some food and clothes for Gou Wa for his journey.”
Mother heard it and went to prepare, crying. Fifth Sister took out a pair of shoes she had sewn for Gou Wa and said, “You’re already a little adult now. When you’re out there alone, you must learn to take care of yourself.”
Gou Wa grinned and said, “Don’t worry, Fifth Sister, when I earn a lot of money, I’ll take you to town to buy whatever you want to eat and drink.”
(Because he was close in age to Fifth Sister, they often played together), he was quite close to Fifth Sister. Fifth Sister nodded and said, “I’ll be waiting.”
The next morning, Old Han’s family arrived early.
When Old Han went back and mentioned it last night, Xiao Hei immediately agreed happily.
His reasoning was similar to Gou Wa’s, essentially that he would earn a lot of money in the future so that Father and Mother could live comfortably.
Old Han was both happy and relieved to hear this, thinking to himself, that little rascal has grown up without him even realizing it.
In the morning, Mother prepared two large bundles, which contained dry food, water, and a change of clothes and shoes.
With red eyes, she kept admonishing, “Gou Wa, this is your first time traveling far from home. You must take good care of yourself out there, don’t cause trouble, and if something happens, try to endure it. Taking a loss is a blessing.”
Gou Wa nodded, his eyes red, and said, “Mother, I know, don’t worry.”
Lu Er saw that both families had arrived and then said, “If you’re ready, get in the carriage. Let’s try to reach town before dark.”
After the two families said their final goodbyes, Gou Wa and Xiao Hei got into the carriage.
Then, Lu Er looked at the worried families and comforted them, “Third Brother, Old Han, don’t worry. When the two boys arrive at the gang, I will ask someone to look after them.”
“They will send letters to me, and I will relay the messages back to you then.”
Subsequently, Lu Er got into the carriage, and with a neigh, the carriage sped away.