Chapter 3 Departure (Middle)

  "Sister, I'm going to the toilet, I'll be back in a moment." Da Tou put on his outerwear with several large patches and hastily got out of bed.

  "Alright, go ahead, it's getting dark, be careful." Lin Chun smiled slightly and watched as Da Tou rushed out of the house.

  "Er Ya, sister will give you a name!" Lin Chun said softly, looking at Er Ya who was shrinking beside her.

  "Okay, okay, sister. Xiaoshan also has a name, called Lin Qi, which was given by Uncle Dashan. It sounds good! Father left, mother left, and everyone always calls me Er Ya, without a name." Er Ya heard that Lin Chuan wanted to give herself a name, she was very excited, thinking that she had no name until she was five years old, and felt a little lost.

  "But sister, you gave me a name, what about yourself? And brother? Can't you give yourself and brother a nice name too?"

  Lin Chun looked at Er Ya, who was staring back with big, shining eyes. Despite her young age, she knew to consider Lin Chun's feelings, and his heart felt soft. As a grown adult in his twenties preparing to find a partner and start a family, Er Ya seemed like a child to him, very dependent on him.

  "Alright, from now on, Er Ya will be called Xiao Ming at home, and when outsiders ask, Er Ya will be called Lin Xuan, sister will be called Lin Chun, and Big Head will be called Lin Huan." Lin Chun said the names she had thought of long ago.

  "Lin Xing, it sounds so good. I really want to be like Hai Gege from the village chief's family and go to school, then I can learn to write my own name." Er Ya was very happy.

  "Huh? Is Second Sister going to school too?" Lin Chuan was well aware of the thoughts of ancient children wanting to go to school, as attending school meant a higher status, but he was also surprised that Second Sister wanted to attend school.

  "Uh-huh, I'd like to, but I heard from the villagers that the school doesn't accept female students." Er Ya expressed her thoughts very straightforwardly, but felt helpless in the face of reality.

  "It's okay, once Sister Lin's leg is healed and she has earned some money, we can hire a tutor to teach Er Ya at home, how about that?" Lin felt more and more that he had to hurry up and heal his leg in order to make arrangements for the future.

  Er Ya responded with a sound, probably also not holding any hope, thinking that her sister must be coaxing herself again, but she didn't mind much, still indulging in her new name, muttering from time to time, her small face already very satisfied.

  Lin Chun looked at Er Ya's innocent face and clenched his fists, saying nothing more.

  "Sister, sister, I saw Xiao Hui coming back and entering the main house." Da Tou was still holding his pants in his hand, like a monkey, and rushed into the house, hastily running to the front of the bed.

  "Is Xiao Hui back? Big Head, take a closer look?" Lin Chun's heart suddenly had a bad premonition.

  It's so late, Xiao Hui coming back is definitely not a good thing, besides it's not the time to pay wages at the end of the month yet?! Lin Chun was very suspicious.

  "Big Head, put on your clothes quietly and go listen to what Uncle and Grandma and Grandpa are saying. Be careful not to be discovered, come back and tell me."

  "Ah, okay!" Da Tou put on his clothes and slipped out again through the gap in the open door.

  Lin Chun's heart was racing with anxiety, hoping that nothing serious had happened, or else the three siblings would have to suffer again. Lin Chun sighed and rubbed his temples.

  About a quarter of an hour later, the big-headed and small-faced man returned to the house with a slightly pale face. Lin Chun hurriedly pulled him onto the bed and covered him with a quilt. It was already very cold outside in September, and frost had begun to form at night.

  "Sister, uncle and grandparents said they want to sell you." Da Tou's voice trembled a bit.

  "Sold? My sister's legs are broken and haven't healed yet! And she can't work, who would want her?" Lin Chun let out a sigh of relief. Hearing that he was to be sold himself, Lin Chun still felt a little scared, but thinking about his own leg, which had been recovering in the house with few outings, even if he went out it was when no one was home, so probably no one knew his leg was almost healed.

  "Sister, I heard little uncle say that he's going to sell you to a brothel and can get five taels of silver for it! Originally, grandfather said that since your leg is broken, no one would want you, but little uncle said that with some nursing, your leg will be fine, and also said that he could get silver for you, so grandfather and grandmother agreed. They said that tomorrow evening when the sky gets dark, they'll bring people to take you away. Sister, what should we do? If you're sold by little uncle, I and Er Ya will definitely be sold too when we grow up."

  Two girls heard this and were about to cry. One of them got out of bed, pouted her mouth, and was on the verge of bursting into tears.

  Brothel?! You're really heartless! She's your own niece, your own granddaughter, and you're going to sell her into a brothel for just five taels of silver?! A 21st-century woman like me is worth only five taels of silver?! Of course, it's not about the amount of silver now.

  Lin Chun saw that Da Tou and Er Ya were about to cry, so she quickly gestured, "Shh, don't worry, sister won't be sold, sister will think of a way, can't cry, if they hear the sound it'll be troublesome."

  Da Tou and Er Ya see Lin Chun start thinking of a way, both suppressing their emotions, lowering their heads, not speaking.

  The room was dark and blurry, with no oil lamp. Although the cracks in the wall were stuffed with straw by Lin Chuan, a chilly wind still seeped into the small hut. Lin Chuan felt that the cold on his body could be ignored, because his heart had lost its temperature.

  After a while, Lin Chun raised his hand and touched the heads of Da Tou and Er Ya. He had made up his mind that since things were like this, he might as well take advantage of this opportunity to leave this cold so-called home.

  "Big head, second, sister asks you, if in the future we three siblings live together and separate from grandfather and grandmother, what do you think?" Although she had already made up her mind, Lin still asked for the opinions of her two younger siblings.

  "I'm fine as long as I'm with my sister and brother, Grandpa and Grandma don't care about me anyway, they won't even give me food to eat." Er Ya said her thoughts without hesitation.

  "Sister, can we divide the house? Father is gone and mother has passed away. Will grandfather give us a share of the house? As long as I can be with my sisters, Dage will be happy." Dage was older after all and had some understanding of things.

  "As long as you are willing, I have a way, but I still need your help."

  "Sister, you say that as long as the three of us siblings can be together forever, I'll listen to whatever you say." Da Tou's eyes lit up with attention, and he patted his chest firmly as he spoke.

  Er Ya also nodded heavily on one side, indicating agreement.

  "Alright, let's do it this way... tomorrow..." The three siblings leaned in close, listening to Lin Chuan's whispers for a while. During which Da Tou added a few sentences and Er Ya kept nodding, her mood gradually improving. Apparently the three of them had come up with an idea and finally reached a consensus.

  As night fell, Lin Chun made Er Ya and Da Tou lie down to rest and build up their strength for a victorious battle the next day.

  After Dà Tóu and èr Yā made up their minds, they couldn't sleep. èr Yā started talking to Dà Tóu about names, and when Dà Tóu found out he had a great name, he was overjoyed. They called each other by name, laughing and chatting until they fell asleep.

  Lin Chun hugged Er Ya who was sleeping on the right, and wrapped his arms around Da Tou who was sleeping on his left. In his heart, he thought about tomorrow's matters, and his eyelids gradually grew heavy.