When the moon hung high in the night sky, a group of people secretly snuck into the military compound where the soldiers’ families lived.
After confirming that no one had noticed them, the leader said, "Brothers, let’s meet here again in a quarter of a sichen."
The others nodded and quickly dispersed. Before long, the leader slipped into the tent where his mother and younger sister lived.
Seeing that the two of them were still asleep, he approached and gently nudged them.
"Mother, wake up. Mother." He called in a low voice, then turned to rouse his younger sister. "A Mi, wake up."
After a few more calls, his mother stirred. Surprised to see her son, she asked in a hoarse voice, "Ha Tuo, why are you here? Don’t you have guard duty tonight?"
Ha Tuo replied with a hint of urgency in his tone, "Mother, I will explain to you later. We need to pack up and leave this place immediately."
Sensing his anxiety, Mother Ha nodded and quickly began gathering their few belongings.
Meanwhile, Ha Mi woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she sleepily asked, "Elder Brother, what is going on?"
Ha Tuo looked at her and said, "A Mi, we are leaving right now. Don’t make a sound—just follow closely."
Trusting her elder brother, Ha Mi nodded and helped her mother pack. Before long, the three of them had tied their cloth bags to their backs.
Ha Tuo signaled for them to wait inside the tent while he scouted the area. Except for the moonlight and the wind carrying grains of sand, the surroundings were silent.
Seeing the coast was clear, he took his mother’s hand and whispered, "Let’s go."
With that, the three of them quietly slipped out of the compound and made their way toward the north gate.
Along the way, they regrouped with the others.
Noticing that someone was missing, Ha Tuo asked, "Where is A Bu?"
The others shook their heads, and the youngest replied, "Brother A Tuo, Brother A Bu isn’t coming with us."
Ha Tuo’s expression flickered for a moment, but he only said, "If he won’t come, then we have to go now."
Guessing why A Bu stayed behind, the group nodded in agreement and rushed toward the north gate.
Just as they were about to escape, someone spotted them from afar and shouted, "Who is there?!"
Turning toward the voice, Ha Tuo saw the patrolling soldier. As his heart skipped a beat, he ordered, "Run!"
As the group ran as fast as they could, the soldier gave chase while shouting, "Stop right there!"
Soon, his shouting quickly alerted the other patrolling soldiers.
Seeing the growing number of pursuers, Ha Tuo called to his comrades, "Split up! We will meet again in Xiqiang City!"
Understanding the consequences of being caught, the others responded without hesitation, "Yes!"
With that, they immediately ran in different directions. The soldiers hesitated when they saw this scene.
"Should we give chase?" one of them asked.
Before anyone could answer, another soldier rushed up to them. Wiping his sweat, he breathlessly said, "Let them go. That is the Military Advisor’s order."
The others looked at him in confusion when they heard what he said.
"Why would the Military Advisor order that?" one asked curiously.
The soldier shook his head and replied, "Don’t ask questions. Just remember. Next time you see someone running away, pretend you didn’t see it."
Though confused by the strange order, the soldiers could only accept the order. "Yes, Sir."
With that, they returned to their posts without further questions.
Two hours later, Ha Tuo looked back and, seeing no one in pursuit, said between breaths, "L–let’s take a break."
The moment he spoke, Ha Mi collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
"Elder Brother, what should we do now?" she asked, wiping sweat from her eyes.
"Let’s rest first." Ha Tuo said.
Helping his mother sit, Ha Tuo pulled out a water pouch from his cloth bag. He uncorked it and offered it to his mother. "Mother, drink some water."
Knowing how precious water was, Mother Ha shook her head. "Save it for yourself."
After saying that, she paused and asked, "It’s hard to find water. Where did you even get this?"
Ha Tuo closed the water pouch and put it away before answering, "I stole it from the Supreme General’s tent before we left."
Ha Mi’s eyes widened in shock at his words. "Elder Brother, you are too brave!"
Seeing her reaction, Ha Tuo explained, "I had no intention of returning. Rather than risk our family dying of thirst, it’s better to take the risk and steal some water and food for the journey. Anyway, the Supreme General won’t know who stole his water and food now."
After saying that, he then pulled out a map made from animal skin and studied the route to Xiqiang City.
A moment later, he put it away and said, "If nothing goes wrong, it will take at least six days on foot to Xiqiang City. But given our condition and mother’s physical strength, it may take eight to ten days for us before we reach Xiqiang City."
Looking at his mother, he added, "This journey won’t be easy. Mother, if you get tired, just let me know. I will carry you."
Mother Ha’s eyes turned red when she heard this. Patting her son’s sunken cheek gently, she said, "Don’t worry about mother. Mother has lived long enough. As long as you two survive, even if your mother dies on this journey, it’s worth it."
Feeling both sorrowful and ashamed after listening to his mother’s words, Ha Tuo took her thin, wrinkled hands in his.
Looking into her eyes, he said firmly, "Mother, I won’t let anything happen to you or Ha Mi. I promised Father, and I will keep that promise to the end."
When she heard this, Mother Ha smiled sadly and sighed. "I know you are a filial son. But your younger sister is still young, and she needs your protection. A Tuo, can you promise me this?"