Chapter 5: Parting
At this moment, Li Yan and the others were riding their carriage through the long tunnel of the city gate.
The gate tunnel was extremely long, yet not damp inside. Its tall and wide design allowed for good ventilation, keeping it dry and well-lit.
They traveled for several dozen breaths before the carriage finally exited the tunnel and entered the city.
Directly facing the tunnel were three stone-paved roads, all laid with large slabs of green stone.
Due to years of carriage wheels and foot traffic, the surface of the roads shone with an oily luster. Even the slight pits on the stone surfaces and the gaps between the stones had been worn smooth and rounded.
The middle road was clearly wider than the other two, it was undoubtedly the main thoroughfare.
The two side roads branched off from the gate, winding away to unknown destinations.
On either side of the central road stood rows of buildings, mostly two or three stories tall, with various awnings and signboards hanging over the entrances.
Even though it was already afternoon, the streets bustled with traffic and a constant clamor of hawking and shouting, creating a lively and prosperous scene.
The crowds made the streets somewhat congested, so Li Guoxin naturally slowed the carriage.
Sitting on the carriage, Li Yan, Li Yu, and Li Shan felt their eyes were not enough to take in everything. Their three heads kept turning left and right, finding everything around them novel and fascinating.
Many things they had never seen or even heard of before.
"Brother Yan, look! That place with the iron bars and high counters, you can only stand on tiptoe to talk through the little hole. That must be a pawnshop, right?"
Li Yu pointed at a building and asked excitedly.
"Little Yu, Little Yu, look at that three-story restaurant! So grand... And the smell, it's amazing! We've roasted wild boars before, but even the scent of boar fat wasn't this rich. If you can cook dishes like that after your apprenticeship, you'll be amazing!"
Li Shan said, pointing at a large restaurant they just passed.
At this, Li Guoxin turned back and laughed:
"You lot will be staying here for a long time. You'll have plenty of chances to see all this. But remember, you must work hard to learn skills. Otherwise, if you get kicked back to the village, it'll be a disgrace! The places you're heading to are still ahead."
Li Yan also felt everything was fresh and new.
Much of it he had never seen before, some he had heard of from his father and other villagers, but much he hadn't even heard about. He couldn't help but sigh at how vast the world was, and how narrow his own experiences were.
The carriage continued moving through the crowd for a while before stopping in front of a two-story restaurant.
Although it only had two floors, the storefront stretched across seven or eight units along the street, all interconnected inside, making the main hall extremely wide and bright.
Though it wasn't the peak dining hour yet, a few guests were already coming and going.
It seemed like the kind of place where you could eat whenever you arrived, without fixed mealtimes.
The restaurant's signboard stretched across several units, with green characters on a gray background, reading boldly and clearly: "Tianran Wine House."
Li Guoxin drove the carriage to the far-right storefront, found a big tree to tie the reins to, and then told Li Yan and Li Shan to wait by the carriage.
He then took Li Yu and walked into the central entrance of the restaurant.
Li Yan and Li Shan stood by the carriage, silently watching the bustling street scenes. At this moment, neither spoke.
In truth, with Li Yu about to leave, they realized that their separation was truly imminent, they would soon be living alone in this unfamiliar place.
All the earlier excitement and longing had vanished, leaving only a sense of fear and helplessness at being strangers in a strange land.
Each boy was lost in his own thoughts, silently staring at the restaurant's entrance, watching the flow of people, their eyes filled with confusion.
After some time, Li Guoxin and Li Yu returned from the restaurant, followed by a man in his thirties, stout and plump, wearing a large loose robe.
They quickly reached the carriage. Li Guoxin said to Li Yu:
"Take out your luggage."
Then he turned to the plump man and said with a smile:
"Steward Li, I'll take the contract back to deliver to the boy's parents. I'll leave the child in your care. I hope, for the sake of our shared ancestry, that you will look after him. I thank you in advance."
He then bowed respectfully to Steward Li.
The plump steward smiled and replied:
"No need for such politeness, Guoxin.Our elders are indeed from the same clan. Of course, I will take care of him. As long as he can endure hardship, he will surely have a bright future."
Li Guoxin then waved at Li Yu:
"Go on with your uncle. Be diligent, be quick with your hands and feet. Always ask questions and take the initiative."
Li Yu, carrying his luggage, first bowed to Li Guoxin, then turned tearfully to Li Yan and Li Shan:
"Brother Yan, Brother Shan, come see me when you can!"
His voice choked as he spoke.
Li Yan and Li Shan forced smiles uglier than crying and answered:
"Sure, we'll come visit when we can."
"Little Yu, work hard. When Brother Shan visits, I want to eat your cooking, make sure there's plenty!"
"Mm!"
Li Yu nodded vigorously.
Seeing this, Steward Li smiled and said:
"Let's go."
After saluting Li Guoxin, he turned and walked back toward the restaurant, Li Yu trailing behind him, looking back with every few steps, reluctant to part, until finally disappearing inside.
Watching them vanish, Li Guoxin called Li Yan and Li Shan back onto the carriage. After untying the reins from the tree, he climbed onto the driver's seat.
Seeing the boys' heavy expressions, he tapped the carriage board and said:
"You are men, act like it! You're here to learn skills, to one day bring your parents to live with you in comfort, that's what a real man does."
After that, he no longer looked back at them and drove the carriage onward.
The carriage made several more turns and finally stopped again in front of a place called "Ironware Pavilion."
Just as before, he had Li Shan get down and accompany him, leaving Li Yan alone to watch the cart.
After some time, they returned, but this time two more people came with them.
One was a man over six feet tall, bare-chested, with muscles even more pronounced than Li Guoxin's, gleaming darkly under the sun.
Every time he moved, his muscles rippled like little mice jumping under his skin. He had thick eyebrows and round eyes, and looked to be in his forties.
Beside him was a boy around Li Shan's age, but visibly more robust with bigger hands and feet, and sturdier overall.
Later, Li Yan would learn that the muscular man was named Lu Kui, a renowned blacksmith.
Whether forging weapons or farming tools, no one in the city could match him. He frequently repaired military equipment for the garrison troops and was well acquainted with the military officers.
The boy beside him was Liang Shi, Lu Kui's eldest apprentice. Li Shan would now become the second apprentice.
What followed was similar to what had happened with Li Yu.
Li Guoxin gave some instructions, and Li Shan, with reddened eyes, bade farewell to Li Guoxin and Li Yan and then left with the two blacksmiths.
Having experienced two separations in a single day, Li Yan's mood sank even lower.
Li Guoxin glanced at the sky and said:
"We need to hurry to the martial testing grounds.
It's still the Shen hour (3–5 PM), but if we're late, you might have to wait until tomorrow."
Li Yan quickly collected himself and nodded. Still, the scenes with Li Yu and Li Shan had stirred emotions in him, making him miss his parents and siblings even more.
But he also understood: There was no turning back now. The future was uncertain, and he could only move forward step by step.
Li Guoxin drove the carriage quickly toward a different location. After about half an hour, they arrived at a place enclosed by high walls.
Looking around, Li Yan saw that the walls curved outward in both directions.
Even with his sharp eyesight, he couldn't see the full extent, it must be a massive compound.
Li Guoxin parked the carriage far away, tying it to a hitching post already crowded with horses and carriages.
After quickly tidying up, he led Li Yan toward the main gate.
At the gate, about a dozen armed soldiers stood guard. There was already a line of about a dozen youths and their escorts waiting.
Seeing Li Guoxin and Li Yan approach, the others merely glanced at them without much reaction, focusing instead on the guards, clearly waiting to enter.
When they reached the gate, a soldier stepped forward:
"Here for the Imperial Guard recruitment?"
Li Guoxin pointed at Li Yan and bowed:
"Yes, esteemed officer. He's here to take the exam."
The soldier gestured toward the group of youths:
"Good. You, go join them."
Li Yan quickly moved to the end of the youth line.
After making sure everyone was lined up, the soldier turned back to Li Guoxin and the others, pointing to one side:
"Go wait over there. Results should come out around the You hour (5–7 PM). Whether you pass or not will be decided then."
Only then did Li Guoxin notice the waiting area farther off to the side, already filled with many people sitting or standing, peering anxiously toward the entrance.
Clearly, many had come for this recruitment.
After all, the prestige and relatively safer duty of the Imperial Guards made it very appealing to rural families.
Li Guoxin looked at Li Yan, who also glanced back. Li Guoxin pointed at the waiting area, then at himself, signaling that he would be waiting over there.
Li Yan nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Li Guoxin then walked off to join the others in the waiting area.
(Chapter End)