ebookland Chapter 11: Discovering a Spring
Chapter 11: Discovering a Spring
Originally, the bandits wanted to scare Qin Ziqian, but a whistle sounded from somewhere and the bandits immediately stopped their actions. In a moment, they disappeared without a trace.
Soon, the officers and soldiers stationed here arrived and they were finally rescued.
Jiang Nianwei wiped the blood off her face, took out the tightly held note, and stared at the four words on it, "Save your life."
After careful consideration, this person looks very much like someone sent by Prince Yu. It seems that Prince Yu is trustworthy and secretly sent people to protect them.
Just the appearance of him as a gangster is really frightening.
Moreover, along the way, she did not see anyone following her, and even her eldest brother did not notice it. It seems that the people sent by Prince Yu are still quite capable.
Fortunately, they were protected by the golden soft armor and the group of people arrived in time, so no one in their family was injured, only a few people were frightened.
On the contrary, Qin Ziqian, who had been so arrogant just now, could no longer be arrogant. The disgusting scene just now had hurt him both physically and mentally.
I originally wanted to make the Jiang family unlucky, but I didn't expect that I would be the unlucky one.
Jiang Lanxu was comforting her sister-in-law, but Jiang Yan's cough became more severe. Even after taking medicine, he still looked sick.
Jiang Nianwei was extremely anxious, fearing that her father's condition would worsen. She wanted to leave the forest quickly and ask a doctor to diagnose Jiang Yan's condition.
With the escort of soldiers, they quickly left the mountain road. The officers who had attempted to assassinate Jiang Yan but were killed instead could only be regarded as "died in the line of duty", and the Jiang family was not held responsible.
As night fell, they camped by the river this time, more than ten kilometers away from the nearest town. At their current speed, they would be too late.
It was already late, and this time they were stationed by the river, more than ten kilometers away from the nearest town. At their current speed, it would be too late. The most urgent task was to solve the problem of food and clothing for everyone.
The officers and soldiers brought their own rations and camped not far from them, with only two guards guarding their position.
Jiang Nianwei took out some pickled meat that had been stored in the carriage. She happened to have picked some wild garlic in the forest, so she planned to cook some rice and stir-fry the pickled meat with the wild garlic for lunch.
Taozhi helped pick a lot of wild onions, while Aunt Liu washed the bacon by the river and cooked it in boiling water.
It's just that they just went through a disaster, and now they are still in fear. Taozhi came to Jiang Nianwei's side and said, "No wonder you asked me to prepare so many things before, Miss, now they are all in use."
Especially the gold-thread soft armor she was wearing inside. Just now, a killer was only one meter away from her, and she was so scared that she almost screamed. Fortunately, the eldest master was very powerful and fought off the robbers, and they did not suffer any losses.
Jiang Nianwei just smiled and looked at her reflection in the river. She was still so thin. She couldn't help but sigh that it would be great if she had martial arts. Soon the smell of bacon spread through the forest. The two officers also smelled the fragrance and looked over here from time to time.
Jiang Nianwei asked Aunt Liu to send two portions over. Her younger sister Jiang Siyu was still unhappy and pouted, "Sister, why do you have to give them food?" Jiang Nianwei just stroked her hair and said earnestly, "When you are out there, you have to understand the ways of the world. It will be easier to do things if you build good relationships."
Jiang Siyu nodded, not quite understanding, "I understand."
Sure enough, the officers got two portions of fried bacon and relaxed their guard on them.
When they were attacked just now, Jing Qiudie covered Jiang Siyu's eyes tightly the whole time, so Jiang Siyu did not see any bloody scenes. She also had a good appetite and ate with relish.
No one else had the same appetite as her. Jiang Nianwei only ate a few bites of food reluctantly, thinking that she would encounter many disasters on the way to exile. Only with the help of King Yu's men could she escape the disaster.
But it’s really hard to say what will happen in the future.
In their team, there are pregnant women, the elderly, the sick, and children, and the only one who is proficient in martial arts is the eldest brother.
The whole family also needs to be able to protect themselves. It seems that I have to ask my eldest brother to teach us some martial arts. In times of crisis, we can only save ourselves.
Zhuang Qiuhe and Qin Mengrui had not yet recovered from what had just happened. Qin Mengrui was so shocked that she kept trembling while hiding in her mother's arms.
Meng Wanran and Qin Ziqian were naturally not much better off. They saw with their own eyes that officer being hacked to death with a machete in front of them.
As a modern person, it was the first time that Meng Wanran saw someone die in front of her. Now she realized that the ancient times were not as beautiful as described in novels.
After dinner, everyone took a rest.
Jiang Nianwei couldn't sleep either, so she found an excuse to go to a forest, took out the walnut hanging on her chest, and entered the walnut space, trying to find some medicine that had been there before.
All this time, she had no time to observe the space, which was filled with various supplies she had previously hoarded.
Not far away, there is a place shrouded in mountain mist, and the sound of mountain spring water lingers in the ears.
Jiang Nianwei walked in that direction, and what came into view was a vast expanse of land and a small hill, on which there was indeed a spring flowing.
According to the description I saw in the novel before, this space only has the function of storage.
But now that it is in her hands, it seems to have more magical properties.
She couldn't help but think of what her mother Jing Qiudie had told her before about the origin of this walnut. It was a treasure passed down from the Jing family's ancestors.
It is said that at that time there was a Taoist priest who succeeded in cultivating immortality and left this to the descendants of the Jing family.
Later, because the Jing family had no male heir, they gave it to their mother as a dowry and brought it to the Jiang Mansion, and their mother gave it to her as a dowry.
Could it be because she is also a descendant of the Jing family, so the other functions of the space are activated?
Jiang Nianwei scooped up the spring water and took a sip. The sweet taste was refreshing and slid down her throat into her stomach, making her feel refreshed and even feel that all the fatigue of the past few days was swept away.
This spring water must have special therapeutic effects. Thinking of this, she had an idea and put some spring water in a kettle.
Walking deeper into the space, she found a piece of empty land. She thought that if she could grow crops and vegetables on this land, then wouldn't their future food problem be solved?
Jiang Nianwei just tried to loosen the soil, sprinkled some cabbage seeds, and poured some spring water, thinking of waiting until tomorrow to check the situation.
Looking up, there are still many places shrouded in clouds and mist. Perhaps there are more unknown things in the deeper part of this space.
She brought back some spring water, and in the quiet late night, she could still hear her father coughing violently.
Jiang Nianwei helped her old father up and gave him some spring water.
As Jiang Yan drank the spring water, he sighed leisurely, "Time is merciless. I am now old and I am afraid I can no longer withstand the tossing and turning. If something happens along the way, don't panic too much." He paused for a moment, as if he was choosing his words, "Burn me into ashes and scatter them on the farmland. This will be my last contribution to this land."
Jiang Nianwei frowned, "Dad, what are you talking about? You won't die, it's just a cough, it can definitely be cured."
Then he gave Jiang Yan a Chinese medicine pill and said, "You are still strong and healthy at your age. Don't say such things. You still have to see your eldest grandson born."
Thinking of his eldest grandson, Jiang Yan couldn't help but smile with relief, but then he felt disappointed. "Ah, I don't know if I can hold on until then. Now that I see you are so capable, I feel relieved. From now on, this family will rely on you to support it. Take good care of your sister-in-law, mother, and little sister."
Jiang Yan never had the idea of favoring boys over girls. Even after giving birth to two sons, he had always hoped to have a daughter, so the birth of Jiang Nianwei contained his infinite hope.
She is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and is gentle and well-educated.
However, she was later trapped in love and blinded by a man like Qin Ziqian.
Jiang Yancai then felt that if his daughter had a more bold and free-spirited personality, she would not have suffered so much.
After drinking the spring water, Jiang Yan, who had just felt pain in his chest, suddenly felt his breathing become much smoother, and the depressed feeling in his chest disappeared without a trace.
"Why do I suddenly feel a lot better?"
Jiang Nianwei knew in her heart that this spring water did have the effect of strengthening the physical fitness, and she couldn't help but feel delighted that there was such an unexpected harvest in this walnut space.
If family members drink these spring waters for a long time, their physical condition should be improved to a certain extent, and perhaps they can also resist many diseases during exile.
Changing the subject, she thought of the gang of bandits she encountered today, "Father, did you find that there was something wrong with the bandits who came this time?"
Her father still had some thoughts about the court, and she had to make him completely give up these thoughts.
Jiang Yan stroked his beard and became even more melancholy. "I realized that they wanted to kill our entire family. I have fallen to such a state, but they still won't let us go."
"Dad, I know you are dedicated to the country and the people, and you have great justice in your heart, but the current situation is like this, we can only protect ourselves."
There is no point in saying more. When Jiang Yan sees the miserable situation of the displaced people on the road of exile, he will naturally understand that the current emperor is beyond redemption. By then, her father will figure these things out without her persuasion.
After her father fell asleep, she sat in front of the still burning fire. Jiang Lanxu was still worried about the unknown future.
"Nianwei, what happened today, I'm afraid it will happen again in the future. Now your sister-in-law is pregnant, but I can't give her a stable future."
Jiang Nianwei found a wound on his arm, and before she could treat it, she applied herbal medicine to Jiang Lanxu first.
Then he slowly said, "Brother, I know exactly what you are thinking. We are homeless now, and our father is sick. If you can teach us some martial arts, maybe we can protect ourselves if we encounter danger."
Jiang Lanxu sighed slightly, "I do have this intention, but martial arts are acquired over many years, not overnight."
"You won't know unless you try. Even if it only helps to strengthen your body, it will be beneficial."
"That makes sense."
Jiang Nianwei wrapped her cloak tightly around herself as the weather was getting colder.
They were about to reach Chunzhou, and the great revenge of the previous life had not yet been avenged. Although Qin Ziqian and Meng Wanran had suffered a blow, they were still living well there.
If the Qin family is kept, they will always be a scourge. It would be better to eliminate them as soon as possible when they are least prepared. Only then will she feel at ease.
Jiang Nianwei only slept for two hours and woke up just as the sun rose.
Taozhi is already stewing minced meat porridge. The weather is cold, and eating some minced meat porridge can warm the body and also enhance nutrition.
After breakfast, they continued their journey to Chunzhou.
This place is close to the capital city, but just across the border, what you see is completely different.
The prosperity of the capital disappeared in Chunzhou, and there were a large number of refugees from Jingzhou flocking to the city gate, but the guards refused them entry.
As soon as Qin Ziqian arrived here, he became excited. His former classmate and friend Shi Junxian was an official here, and the two had always been exchanging letters. Maybe he could lend him a helping hand when they met this time.
The officials from the capital were only responsible for sending them to Chunzhou, and then they were handed over to the officials from Chunzhou for escort.
They also lived in the post station in Chunzhou for the time being, but perhaps because this was the area under Shi Junxian's charge, their treatment was obviously not as good as before. Even after some arrangements were made this time, they were only arranged to live in the stable.
The place was leaky everywhere and filled with the stench of horse manure. It was obvious that someone was deliberately trying to make things difficult for them.
Qin Ziqian was arranged to stay in an inn next to the post station. As soon as he saw Shi Junxian, Qin Ziqian's tears burst out like a flood.
The spoiled Marquis had never suffered such hardships. As soon as they met, he complained to Shi Junxian like a bamboo tube pouring beans, "Brother Shi, we haven't seen each other for many days. I miss you so much."
Shi Junxian had never expected that the once high-spirited marquis would fall into such a state and be exiled to Yazhou. The two of them could not help but sigh.
"I haven't seen you for a long time. How come you are like this?"
"Stop talking, Brother Shi, you are the only one who can help me now."
Shi Junxian helped Qin Ziqian and his family change their clothes and held a banquet for them. After three rounds of drinks, Qin Ziqian revealed what he was thinking, "Brother Shi, I have something to ask of you."
While the two were talking in secret, Meng Wanran was reluctant to leave this place. In the present life, she was also a spoiled girl.
She had finally traveled here, thinking she would have an earth-shattering love, but she didn't expect it to end up like this. If she really went to Yazhou, wouldn't her talent and beauty be wasted?
She should be second only to one man, above everyone else, enjoying wealth and glory and being loved by everyone.
Moreover, she didn't know when Qin Ziqian would be able to turn things around. Thinking of this, she began to feel melancholy again.
They had just breathed a sigh of relief when the wicked mother-in-law Zhuang Qiuhe began to boss her around and ask her to do all kinds of things. She really couldn't stand it for a moment.
"Wanran, pour me a glass of water."
"Wanran, give me a back massage. My waist and back hurt."
"Wanran, wash these clothes. Now there is no maid around to serve you, so you have to do these chores."
Meng Wanran didn't dare to confront the old lady openly and could only endure it.
As soon as Qin Ziqian came back, Meng Wanran began to complain non-stop: "I didn't marry into your family to serve your mother, why did she embarrass me like this?"
Qin Ziqian replied perfunctorily: "As a married woman, it is natural to serve your parents-in-law. Well, don't worry about these trivial matters anymore. Brother Shi and I have important matters to discuss, so I won't be back tonight."
When Shi Junxian asked him to go to Qinlou and Chuguan, he refused at first, thinking that he already had Meng Wanran, but how could domestic flowers be as fragrant as wild flowers? Besides, it was normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. He did not have a concubine, he just went there to discuss business.
Qin Ziqian quickly comforted himself for such behavior, leaving the resentful Meng Wanran to serve Zhuang Qiuhe and Qin Mengrui.
Meng Wanran felt depressed, "I want to go too."
"You are a woman, so don't interfere in what men are talking about."
Meng Wanran felt a huge sense of disappointment, as if something had changed about this man.
Thinking of the resentment she had suffered along the way, Zhuang Qiuhe wanted to find trouble with Jiang Nianwei, "We have watched them eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks along the way. Now it is finally our turn to be proud. Mengrui, come with me. Let's take a good look at the miserable life that the Jiang family is living now."
Zhuang Qiuhe thought they would be locked up in a smelly and dirty stable, but she didn't know that Jiang Nianwei had already made secret arrangements.
The officers changed their room to a new one, which was spacious, clean and bright. After all, who would refuse it if there was money?
Jiang Nianwei didn't feel sorry for the money, since it was all silver she had stolen from Qin Ziqian's house.
Not only that, on the table there was a roast duck with golden skin and tempting aroma, braised pork trotters, and ginseng chicken soup specially stewed for the pregnant women and the elderly in the family. Their lives were not at all as miserable as Zhuang Qiuhe had imagined.
Jiang Siyu, who was greedy, couldn't help drooling as she looked at the food on the table. "I haven't had such a sumptuous meal for a long time."
"Look at what you said. Have you been treated unfairly along the way?"
This meal finally dispelled the shadow of the previous encounter with robbers, and Jiang Yan even ate the whole dinner.
Just as Jiang Nianwei was enjoying her meal, a familiar and harsh voice sounded outside the door, "Jiang Nianwei, tut tut tut, look at where you are staying. Today we have eaten all kinds of delicious food and stayed in a high-end inn. Look at where you are staying, so shabby."
Jiang Nianwei felt annoyed and hid the chicken leg. It seemed that her ex-mother-in-law really liked to make trouble. She hadn't come to punish her yet, but she came here on her own.