Ren and Suli returned to the salvage line with the copper collar wrapped in cloth. The steward had released it to them after the claim meeting, but the family still needed to exchange the fitting for its salvage value. A stamped release accompanied the collar, folded into the same cloth as the night-shift roster.
The steward checked the release against his ledger. “The claim is approved. The salvage offer is half value because the missing worker’s tools may need to be stored until the sect confirms his status.”
Suli laid out the stamped release, the wage slip, and the route copy in that order. “The collar itself was released to the family. The tools are still part of the separate search. Those should not reduce the payment for this fitting.”
The steward reviewed the lines one by one. “The release gives you possession. The salvage scale determines value. I am holding the lower offer because the original claim included the cart tools.”
“We narrowed the claim,” Ren said. “We are bringing only the collar to the scale.”
The steward glanced from the page to the wrapped copper. “Then I’ll weigh the collar by itself.”
Ren put the collar on the scale. Its weight pulled the needle past the mark he expected. “It came from my brother’s furnace cart. Why should we lose half its value because he hasn’t come back?”
Suli stood beside him, hands clasped around the roster. “We have waited months. We need the money now, not after another search for his status.”
The steward folded the offer sheet. “I can’t release full value without confirming the item belonged to the family.”
“Bai’s delivery book records it from the cart,” Yan said. “The route time matched the night roster. The release notice says the collar belongs to Ren’s family.”
Bai opened his book to the copied route entry. “I collected it after the trial shift. Here’s the date, the seller’s mark, and the intake time. This is why I keep the record.”
The steward read the entry and compared it with the stamped release. He asked Ren to show the collar’s dent. Ren turned it over. The shallow hammer mark aligned with the repair described in the family’s claim. The steward checked the inventory notch once more, then set down his pen.
“The dates and the repair mark agree. Full salvage value.” He recalculated the amount and wrote a new figure on the receipt. “Huo Jue’s advance is being returned to him under the prior order. It will not be deducted from your payment.”
Ren looked at Suli before answering. She nodded. “We accept the full amount.”
The steward counted out the copper onto the scale tray. Suli checked the stack against the receipt. Ren signed the payment line, then asked for a stamped copy. The steward stamped it and passed it to him.
Ren put a portion aside. “This goes to the night crew who gave statements. They lost shift time helping us find the roster.”
“You don’t have to share the payment,” Suli said.
“I know. I want to.” He set the coins apart and tied the remaining money in the cloth. “We can buy food, fix the latch, and still have something for the search.”
Bai closed his book. “I’ll make a copy of the route entry for your family file.”
“Make it from the tag,” Ren said. “Keep the original in your book. I want a copy in the room where we can find it.”
Yan found a blank sheet and copied the batch number, collection time, and delivery mark from Bai’s entry. He showed the copy to Ren and Suli before handing it over. Bai retained the original delivery record. Both copies carried the same time and source, so neither depended on memory.
Ren inspected the figures. “That’s clear enough. I’ll keep it with the stamped claim.”
Suli rolled the collar in its cloth again. “The money helps. It still doesn’t tell us where he went.”
“No,” Yan said. “But now there’s a record that he was here after the transfer date.”
Ren nodded. “I’ll search the old furnace road. A courier may have seen him take that route.”
Bai considered it. “My next route crosses the road two days a week. I can ask at the repair yards. I won’t promise I’ll find anything, but I can ask if anyone remembers his cart.”
“Thank you,” Ren said.
The family left the salvage line together. Yan carried the copper collar, which was heavier than it looked. Ren took the payment and the stamped copy. Suli kept the family copy of Bai’s route entry and the roster in a separate pocket so the papers would not touch the dusty fitting.
At their rented room, Ren placed the collar on a shelf beside his brother’s old work gloves. The door latch was loose enough to rattle when wind crossed the threshold. Suli set the stamped payment on the table and counted what remained after the night crew’s contribution.
“We can buy food tonight and a sturdier latch tomorrow,” she said. “There will still be enough for the road search.”
Ren rubbed soot from one glove. “I hoped the collar would be heavier and the trouble shorter.”
“The trouble isn’t over,” Suli said. “But the claim is.” She tucked the brother’s records into a small wooden box. “We have a route to check now. Bai can ask at the yards, and you can take the old road.”
Yan helped carry the copper to the shelf and set it beside the gloves. He did not know whether the brother had used the road or gone somewhere else. The family had money for food, a stamped claim, and a route record they could show to anyone who asked. It was not an answer, but it was something they could use.
Ren counted the remaining copper once more. “I’ll buy the latch first. If the door stays shut, the papers stay dry.”
Suli wrote the market day on the outside of the record box. “I can ask the stall keepers who used the road. You can start at the old furnace turn.”
“If he took the cart there, someone would remember the copper mark.”
“Maybe. Don’t spend the search money on a rumor.”
“I won’t.” Ren separated the contribution for the night crew and tied the remainder into two bundles. One would pay for the latch and food. The other would stay for travel. He checked the knot twice before putting it in the box beside the papers.
Suli unfolded the route copy and traced the entry with her finger. “And we ask Bai to check every stop on the old road.”
Bai came by before evening to confirm he had copied the record correctly. He read the family copy against his book and fixed one smudged digit in the time. Then he signed the bottom to show that he had checked it.
“Now it matches,” he said.
Ren handed him a bowl of rice. “You’ll need to eat before asking around.”
Bai accepted. “This time I’ll call it payment for the search.”
“Call it dinner,” Suli said. “The search can wait until morning.”
They ate with the copper collar on the shelf and the old gloves beneath it. The missing brother’s fate remained unknown, but the family no longer had to borrow for supper. Ren planned the search along the furnace road; Suli kept the papers close and marked the next market day when she could ask other couriers for sightings.