That night, their family had the inn's communal sleeping platform all to themselves.
The old matron had already gone to bed, and Uncle Ma had wandered off somewhere. Gu Fei took out the remaining sheepskin, and the women gathered under the oil lamp to sew jackets from it.
The days were growing colder, so they would need the jackets soon.
As they sewed, Gu Fei secretly took out some broken silver and had Mrs. Chen and the others sew it into the corners of the garments. "The road is getting more and more dangerous," she said. "If something happens and one of us gets separated, having a little silver is better than having none. If we're truly separated, everyone should try to find a way to meet up in Ping'an City."
Gu Sanlang leaned in with a grin. "In that case, sew a little extra silver into my jacket."
Mrs. Chen slapped him lightly. "This is just a precaution. Our family must stay together, no matter what."
