Chapter 286 - 285: Family Letter from the Northwest
Old Master Qin’s letter was thick. First, it brought news of the family’s safety; although they faced hardships on the road and everyone fell ill, they all safely arrived at their destination and settled down in the northwest Flowing Camp Area. Only Old Master rested at home temporarily, tended by the two younger children, while his three sons sought out various jobs to earn patterned silver to support themselves.
Qin Bohong knew that sharing only good news and hiding the hardships would only lead to Old Mrs. Qin and the others worrying even more. Thus, they didn’t only share the good news but also the difficulties they faced along the way. However, these were all manageable, and with the help of some benefactors, even when ill, they had some money left to see the doctor and buy medicine.
Regarding their life in the northwest, they mentioned a little—that their current accommodations were not very good and food mostly consisted of coarse grains, with the priority given to Old Master and the two younger children.
As for seeking work, in that place, there were officers who had been exiled and criminals charged with serious crimes. The criminals were often made to do heavy labor by the officials, like mining. Hence, the work they sought was different from those criminals, unless they voluntarily went to higher-paying jobs or were reassigned to such.
Currently, they could only find odd jobs, since they had just arrived and needed time to get acquainted with the local conditions.
In the continuation of the letter, they asked about everyone at home and mentioned Qin Liuxi. Qin Mingqing particularly noted her merits in saving Mrs. Gu and her family, and Old Master Qin also praised her cleverness and wisdom which exemplified the demeanor of an elder sister, entrusting her with the care of the women and children of the Gu Family.
The content of their journey was narrated in detail in the letter, bringing tears to those listening.
After the family letter was read, there were also individual letters from the brothers. Mrs. Wang only kept the ones from the main branch, while handing out the letters from the second and third branches to Mrs. Xie and Mrs. Gu respectively.
Mrs. Xie was alright, but Mrs. Gu, as soon as she unfolded her letter and saw Qin Boqing’s handwriting, her tears dropped onto the paper. She hurriedly wiped them off, but reading his written words, "You have suffered," made her tears fall like broken pearls.
As for Mrs. Wang, Qin Bohong’s letter was formal, simply a reminder to take care of her mother-in-law, raise the children well, manage household affairs, and to take care of herself amidst the hardships. Her heart also wavered slightly.
It was only at the end of the letter, seeing her son Qin Mingyan’s handwriting, that she began to feel a sourness in her nose, and upon reading his words, "Mother, I miss you," tears streamed down nonstop. She turned around quickly, pressed the letter against her chest, took a deep breath, wiped her tears, and then turned back to face Old Mrs. Qin.