The next morning, the family rose just as the sky began to lighten.
Chen Song was in a hurry to get back to a case and couldn't wait for his wife and daughter. He grabbed two buns, wolfing them down as he strode out the door.
He didn't forget to call back over his shoulder with instructions, "Don't try to drive our ox cart—you don't know how, and you'll just tip it over again. After you eat, head to the village entrance. Dashan's ox cart will be waiting there. Take his cart to the county seat. Once you get there, don't wander off. Finish your business and come straight back."
For all his earnest instructions, all he got in return was Xu Suying's disdainful reply, "I know, I know. Just get going. Talk any more and you'll get a mouthful of cold wind."
