She immediately took the letter and ran to find the Ruanlin Family, who, when she was the landlord’s daughter, had to manage the household’s finances and thus had learned some reading and arithmetic.
Jiaojiao, in a panic, handed the letter to the Ruanlin Family.
The Ruanlin Family was chopping pigweed and saw her in such a hurry that she even laughed, thinking Jiaojiao wanted to read, so she played with her brothers’ homework books. She was about to tease her a little when she saw what was written on the paper.
No more studying? Going to work?
The Ruanlin Family asked Jiaojiao, "Where is your second brother?"
"He just left with a bag on his back, he can’t be far," Jiaojiao answered anxiously.
Hearing this, the Ruanlin Family threw down her knife, didn’t even bother to adjust her apron, and turned to run after him.
Jiaojiao and Xiu Xi followed behind her, and even Little Wolf joined the commotion. Seeing this, Jiaojiao said to him, "Little Wolf, go catch up with second brother and bite onto his trousers so he won’t leave."
It was as if Little Wolf understood, and immediately sped off, catching up with Ruan Jun on the village road a few hundred meters away. He lunged at him and bit into his trouser leg, refusing to let go.
Ruan Jun was walking with his head down, wiping tears from his eyes, when he suddenly felt a weight on his foot. Confused, he looked down and locked eyes with Little Wolf’s round, big eyes.
The Ruan Family’s meals had improved recently, and even Little Wolf, who was still being fed sheep’s milk, had been drinking plenty of meat soup. His little body was more plump than before—as he bit onto Ruan Jun’s trouser leg and clung to his feet, he resembled a ball of dough.
"Little Wolf..." he said in surprise, then realized what was happening. He looked back and sure enough, saw the Ruanlin Family and Jiaojiao already catching up.
The Ruanlin Family arrived and, out of breath, raised her hand to smack him, "Grown up and now think you’ve grown wings, have you? Daring to leave a note and run away from home? You sure have become something!" She snapped, hitting him several times over.
Ruan Jun shrank his shoulders and dodged a few times, looking at the Ruanlin Family in her frantic state. The tears already in the corner of his eyes fell in torrents.
He turned his head away, not wanting the Ruanlin Family to see, and said hoarsely, "I’m not running away from home, I’m going to earn money."
"Earn what? You barely have a hair on you, who would need you!"
"Who says I don’t? I know the town next door is hiring miners, and the pay is pretty..." Ruan Jun began to retort instinctively, but before he could finish, the Ruanlin Family slapped him with a smack.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" the Ruanlin Family roared, truly furious now, with bloodshot eyes. If it weren’t for her reluctance to do so, she would have felt like beating him to death on the spot.
Jiaojiao ran over, quickly embraced Ruan Jun’s waist, and cooed as she blocked him, "Granny, Granny, don’t hit brother, don’t hit brother."
Ruan Jun stared blankly at the Ruanlin Family, looking at the crimson in her eyes, and the next second he completely broke down.
Bent over and covering his face, he crouched down and began to cry.
He didn’t want this either, but what could he do? He was Liao Zhaoji’s son. No matter how much he disliked her, he couldn’t just watch her get sold off, could he? He knew he was too young, that most places wouldn’t take him, and that the pay wouldn’t be high.
Unless he went mining!
He could sign a contract for a few years, where they would pay him in advance.
He also knew how dangerous that job was, and he might never return once he went. But he had no choice—he couldn’t just watch Liao Zhaoji really get sold off, could he?
Ruan Jun cried heartbrokenly, as if he wanted to cry out all the torment and despair in his heart.