A Lifetime Promise

Chapter 8

Lin Xinglan lifelessly looked around the burned down village, everything was burned, nothing was spared. One couldn't tell there was even a village in the first place, it was simply horrible. With dirt all over her figure from searching around, she decided to go to the nearest river and wash herself clean before she began her journey to the capital.

The sound of a carriage coming closer ran through Lin Xinglan's ears, she hastily stood up from the ground and patted her clothes to wipe off the dirt on her clothes. Finally a carriage could be seen running on the main road. Lin Xinglan had been waiting for a whole day right after she went to Madam Weng to inform her what had happened.

Madam Weng was unwilling to let a seven years old girl travel alone to the capital, it was an absurd thing to do. Lin Xinglan had a hard time to convince Madam Weng but everything ended alright. Madam Weng had given Lin Xinglan food and a little pocket money so that she could survive for the rest of her trip, saying that it was a compensation for all the years Lin Xinglan's family had given her the food and care. Madam Weng was really a kind person.

Lin Xinglan jumped in the middle of the road and when she could clearly see the carriage coming, she shouted out loudly, "Stop!"

The driver driving the carriage immediately yelled to stop the horses from running.

"Little girl, don't block the road! See what happens if you got hurt.." The driver started to scold but just as he took a look at the young girl who blocked the carriage he stopped to scold. "Huh? Isn't it the little girl of the Jian family?"

As soon as Lin Xinglan heard the driver mentioned the Jian family, she took a closer look at the driver. Her eyes brightened, the driver was a person who often worked with Jian Duan, her father!

"Mister Cha!" She ran to the man who was in his mid forty.

"So it was you, little Da! I came to visit your father but when I arrived, the whole village was burned down. I didn't expect you were alive." Mister Cha, whom Lin Xinglan called, exclaimed in shock. He thought if someone had survived, it wouldn't be such a little girl, it seemed like she was really lucky.

"Yes... The bandits raided the village just some days ago and burned down everything... Little Da was lucky little Da wasn't in the village when it happened. Little Da is the only one who survived..." Her face was full of grievance, that made Mister Cha's heart ache to see.

"I see... What you are going to do now?" He asked. It was a pity to lose one's parents in such a small age.

"Little Da... Little Da was thinking to go to the capital. Little Da heard that one of mother's close friend lives there. Little Da wants to see if that friend would take little Da in." Lin Xinglan acted shyly as she looked down. Seeing her like that, the man couldn't help but soften a little.

"Well, isn't this just great? I was just planning to go to the capital for errands, why don't you let this old man take you along." Mister Cha laughed as he clapped his leg happily. Lin Xinglan's face brightened and nodded restlessly before she jumped on the carriage.

Thus, her journey to the capital city had begun.

Lin Xinglan leaned against the wall of the carriage, she was inside while Mister Cha was sitting outside, driving. She looked very absent as she was lost in her own thoughts, memories flowing all over her mind, and she couldn't help to touch the jade hairpin that supported her hair bun.

The ride was smooth and steady, just a bit bumpy but Lin Xinglan was already used to it. Mister Cha treated her well, sometimes during the ride he would give her snacks to eat as he would tell children's stories. Lin Xinglan couldn't show her impatience and incuriosity towards the man's storytelling so she had to pretend to be curious and ask questions in between. She just wanted to rest in peace but for the man's goodwill she had to endure it.

Slowly, the carriage stopped and hearing the soldiers' voices, Lin Xinglan knew that they had already arrived at the capital's gate.

After Mister Cha drove the carriage further in the capital, he made a stop to let the young girl inside the carriage hop off.

"Are you sure you will be fine now? This old man can walk with you until you find your mother's close friend's place."

"Thank you, Mister Cha, but it is fine now. Thank you for letting me on the carriage and for the stories you told me. Little Da bids mister goodbye and have a good day." Having to bid goodbye to Mister Cha, Lin Xinglan began to walk away from the carriage to roam around the main streets.

She made up her mind to search after available jobs that she could take but alas, it was harder than she had thought.

Nobody wanted to hire her as she was just a little child, having no experience whatsoever. Some drove her away, making her fall on the ground, dirtying her light blue clothes. This made her look like a beggar, maybe she was a real beggar. After all, she didn't have a home nor did she had a lot of money left, just a few coppers.

Catching sight of people taking out their money made her heart ache badly, considering the fact that she could be said to be a former money grubber. In her past life, she would do things just to get her hands on money. Her family would call her shameless for her acts but she would deny as she wasn't a hardcore money grubber, just a little mild and nothing too serious.

After being transmigrated, she wouldn't think much of money since she couldn't earn because of her age and could only help her parents by working in their home. Now that she was all alone, the money grubber side of her surfaced and she could feel her hands itching to take people's money by her very own hands, or conning them. She was extremely poor, a beggar, so no one could really blame her for her shameless thoughts.