Watching their gradual disappearance, mother cried. Father quickly looked away. No one knew when Mei would come back again. Perhaps it would be another six years or more. The growing distance between Mei and the family was cutting boldly, as though it was destined never to be close again.
Father was the one who was most upset and most worried. Apart from father, Mei was the mainstay of the family. To a large extent, Mei’s leaving meant the roof of the house had been blown away, as the main income of the family was lost. And Mei’s getting married had left father cold to the extent of sending him to a new battlefi eld. He had always known that, sooner or later, he would have to fi ght alone. But the fi ght was happening in no time, and he didn’t even know it until the last minute.