After giving Zhang Yang one hundred tons of grain, Yuan Si took a train south again. She made another round as a scattered-grain boy before finally rushing back to Li Family Village in mid-January.
'Doing good deeds is surprisingly addictive,' she thought. Seeing all those little faces blossom with smiles at the sudden appearance of food always lifted her spirits. If she didn't have an "eighty-year-old mother" at home to support, she might not have been able to hit the brakes and would have turned herself into a pauper all over again.
Fortunately, she always remembered her mother's teachings, which was how she managed to get away in one piece.
"You rascal! The moment you leave, it's like you've vanished. I can't believe you actually remembered the way home." Seeing her youngest daughter, the old woman scurried over and grabbed her hand. She was worried sick, but she put on an angry face.
