Chapter 76 - 69: Take Me Away
Chapter 76: Chapter 69: Take Me Away
Dawn was approaching, but Little John tossed and turned, unable to sleep. What had happened during the day weighed heavily on him.
The memory of Mary getting slapped tormented him, as did the words of his father and younger brother.
"Take this money for now. We still have some grain left at home, and your old man here can still weave some baskets to sell."
"Bro, I can wait a few years to go to school. Sister Mary is a good person. You have to marry her."
Little John sighed, threw on some clothes, and walked out of the house.
He had refused his family’s offer. While it was one solution, he couldn’t accept it. His father had toiled all his life and was getting old, and his younger brother was at the age where he needed to be in school. Little John felt he had to solve this problem on his own.
"I’ll just have to ask my boss for an advance of a few Gold Coins," Little John said, looking up at the Starry Sky.
’At least I still have Shire. My partnership with the goblin should be able to continue. I just don’t know if he can understand human emotions, or if he’ll understand why I need an advance.’
’After all, I’ve never heard of goblins having things like weddings and funerals.’
But Little John felt Shire was different. ’A goblin who could say, "I’ll support you," might understand my current predicament. He might even trust me.’
"My boss... he’s no ordinary gob—" Little John said with conviction.
"Jack." A soft call interrupted Little John’s thoughts. He hurried to look toward the sound and saw a slender figure standing outside the yard fence.
The visitor pulled down the scarf from her head, revealing chestnut-colored hair in a long braid.
"Mary," Little John whispered, rushing to open the yard gate. "What are you doing here? It’s so late. It’s not safe."
"It’s fine. Listen to me," Mary said, her hands twisting the fabric of her dress. Her voice was laced with anxiety. "My father... he’s drunk."
"Don’t you worry. I’ll figure out a way to get the money." Little John huffed, before softening his voice to comfort her.
"That’s not it. I wanted to ask... do you love me?" Mary looked up at Little John, a pleading look in her eyes.
"I love you like a fish needs water," Little John said with a solemn nod.
"Will you always treat me well?"
"I will. I’ll treat you better than anyone in the world. I won’t let anyone hurt you."
"In that case..." Mary took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Take me away from here."
Little John’s eyebrows shot up, and he froze. "You mean...?"
"Yes. We’ll elope," Mary said, nodding firmly.
"But why? I’ve already figured out a solution," Little John asked, confused. He never expected a level-headed girl like Mary to make such a suggestion.
"No... there’s no other way." Two streams of tears rolled down Mary’s cheeks. She spoke softly, "After you left, my father went out. He went to see that man."
Little John rushed to wipe away her tears, but she caught his hands in hers.
"That man... he offered 20 Gold Coins."
"Twenty?" Little John almost shouted. In the next moment, however, his expression turned resolute. "Don’t be afraid, Mary. I’ll figure something out."
"No, Jack, you don’t understand. My father isn’t marrying off a daughter; he’s auctioning off a piece of property. To him, I’m no different from a hoe or a sickle, just a bit more expensive. He won’t stop until he’s bled you dry."
"I don’t want that. Even if you manage to come up with all that money and marry me, it won’t be a healthy marriage. We’ll face all sorts of problems in the future. This whole affair will become an Abyss we can never cross."
"So if you truly love me, take me away. I’ll go anywhere, as long as I’m with you. Escaping is the only way I can be free—the only way I can be a person, not a shovel."
"Mary, let me think." Little John’s mind was in turmoil. ’If Mary comes to live with me in Yangjiao Town, we’ll need to rent a room. My income should be enough... but she’s just an ordinary girl, not like those Adventurers who are always brandishing blades. She’d only be able to find work in town, and she’d have to keep a low profile.’
’I’ll have to do more work for my boss to earn extra money,’ Little John considered. ’Or maybe... I could ask him this morning if he has any other tasks he could give to Mary?’
After nearly a minute, Little John finally met her hopeful gaze and said, "You should probably prepare yourself."
Mary’s eyes were fixed on Little John, waiting for him to continue.
"Yangjiao Town isn’t like home. We’ll have to work hard. You might have an endless pile of laundry to do."
Mary closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face. She threw herself into her lover’s arms.
They embraced for a moment, then Little John immediately asked, "Are we leaving right now?"
"Yes," Mary nodded. "My father is drunk; he doesn’t know I’ve slipped out. We have to leave immediately. I don’t have anything else to take. This is all I need."
She held up a small cloth bundle, showing him she was ready.
"What about your family’s apprentices?" Little John asked.
"They helped me pack and even slipped me a Small Knife," Mary said, her face blooming into a smile like a flower. "He said if you ever treat me badly, I should use it to stab you."
Little John laughed out loud. He knew that Mary’s father was often harsh with his apprentices, but Mary was always kind to them, often sneaking them food.
"Okay, wait here. I’ll go pack my things. I’ll be quick," Little John said. He tiptoed back into the house. A moment later, he emerged, fully geared up. He quietly pulled the door shut, took Mary’s hand, and they ran off into the night.