Chapter 4 – If It Weren’t for You, You Jinx, We Wouldn’t Have Been Exiled

For the officers escorting them, this was a mission—if they failed to deliver the criminals to the desolate frontier within the specified time, they too would face punishment.

So, once it was confirmed that no one else had come to bid farewell, the officers cracked their whips and drove the crowd forward.

The people of the main branch walked at the back. In particular, Song Jiuchi was carrying Song Jiuyuan on his back. The young man was only fifteen and had always lived a pampered life. Now, he was gasping for breath.

“Jiuchi, wait a moment.”

Taking advantage of the officers’ inattention, Jiang Wan softly called out to Song Jiuchi. However, he detested her, so his steps subconsciously quickened, completely ignoring her.

Beside him, Song Jiuli—his twin sister—was supporting Madam Song and also ignored her.

Fine. It seemed no one from the Song family liked the original Jiang Wan.

But Jiang Wan couldn’t just watch the person who once saved her die from blood loss, so she quickened her pace and caught up with Song Jiuchi.

She swiftly stuffed a bottle of wound medicine into Song Jiuyuan’s hand and whispered:

“When we rest later, apply this quietly.”

If they delayed any longer, Song Jiuyuan might truly die from blood loss.

“Who knows what scheme you’re up to!”
Song Jiuchi snapped at her. For all he knew, she might have turned her love into hatred and was now trying to kill his older brother.

Song Jiuli also mocked coldly, “Exactly! If it weren’t for you, you damn jinx, we wouldn’t have been exiled!”

“Shut up!”
Madam Song, who had been silently crying, suddenly scolded her children. She glanced with pain at the half-conscious Song Jiuyuan and said:

“You know very well what our family’s situation is. Is this the time to fight amongst ourselves?”

Though she didn’t like Jiang Wan—who had married into the family through dubious means—she did think a bit better of her for being willing to follow them into exile.

Even if Jiang Wan hadn’t been willing, the Emperor’s people would’ve still forced her to come. After all, they didn’t know that she and Song Jiuyuan had never consummated their marriage. They were still worried she might be carrying the Song family’s bloodline.

“Mother, didn’t you dislike her too?”
Song Jiuli pouted. Her handsome and elegant elder brother had been forced to marry this scheming woman—it really was a flower planted in a pile of dung.

“But she genuinely likes your brother.”
Madam Song sighed. Their family was no longer what it once was. Though Jiang Wan had a difficult temperament, she truly admired Jiuyuan. That alone was enough for her to tolerate her.

Song Jiuli curled her lip in disdain, clearly not agreeing with her mother’s opinion. Who knew? Maybe Jiang Wan had only ever admired her brother’s status.

But then the officer noticed their chatter and lashed his whip at the ground, scaring Song Jiuli into silence with a scream.

What frightened them more was that a boy ahead had said he couldn’t walk any further and wanted to rest for a while—and got mercilessly lashed several times.

“You’ve barely taken a few steps and you want to rest!!!”
The officer whipped him again without hesitation, clearly intending to make an example out of him, scaring the rest into obedient silence.

“Ahhhhhh—”
The boy was soon covered in blood and dared not say another word, enduring the pain as he kept walking.

Jiang Wan, walking at the rear, stayed silent. After about another hour and a half of walking, she noticed that Song Jiuchi’s legs were trembling slightly. He was clearly exhausted but, out of fear of being beaten, said nothing and bit his lip to endure.

At last, a decent officer finally allowed a break. The leading officer, surnamed Ren, barked out:

“Rest here and eat lunch!”

Only then did the staggering crowd dare to stop. One by one, they collapsed to the ground, exhausted. The group was large, and the scene was quite a spectacle.

Jiang Wan glanced at the dazed Song Jiuyuan and kindly reminded them, “That wound medicine was something I specially hid. It’s not poisoned.”

“Jiuchi, put it on your brother!”
Madam Song made the decision. They had no medicine—what worse could happen?

She couldn’t stand to watch her son force himself any longer. If Jiang Wan dared to harm her son, she would never forgive her!

Song Jiuchi hesitated. Then, in a weak voice, Song Jiuyuan, still semi-conscious, spoke, “Put it on me.”

Though he didn’t trust Jiang Wan, whom he saw as manipulative, he believed he was still important to her. Without him, none of them would have any hope of returning to the capital.

Only then did Song Jiuchi reluctantly shift positions to block the officers’ view and quickly sprinkled the medicine onto Song Jiuyuan’s wound.

Jiang Wan frowned as she watched. Applying medicine directly to untreated wounds could easily lead to infection—but under these harsh conditions, there was little else they could do.

What surprised Jiang Wan even more was that even though the pain must’ve been excruciating, Song Jiuyuan didn’t so much as furrow his brow. This kind of strength earned her genuine respect.

While she was lost in thought, the officers brought over several pitch-black steamed buns—one per person. That was their lunch.

Those who were used to a life of luxury had never endured such hardship before. All of them wore pained expressions.

“How can we possibly eat this?”

“My family’s stable hands used to eat better than this!”

“My throat’s so dry it hurts. I’m not eating, no way.”

“……”

These young masters and ladies, who had yet to suffer real hardship, still had the energy to complain.

Shen Qian even pulled out a bundle prepared by her family. She handed a golden hairpin to an officer in exchange for white-flour steamed buns for the second and third branches.

Whether intentional or not, Shen Qian had clearly left out the main branch.

The others followed suit. Only the main branch remained seated in silence.

Young Song Jiuli looked longingly at the white buns the others had and glanced timidly at Madam Song.

“Mother…”

She was so hungry—tired and starving.

“Li’er, Mother doesn’t have any silver on her.”
Madam Song looked embarrassed. Compared to Jiang Wan’s heartless maternal family, Madam Song had no family to rely on. That was why the old matriarch had always favored the second and third branches.

Hearing this, Song Jiuli once again looked at Jiang Wan with resentment and muttered under her breath, “If only Shen Qian were my sister-in-law instead…”

Then she could’ve had white steamed buns to eat.

“As long as your brother agrees, that can still be arranged!”
Jiang Wan immediately snapped sarcastically. She tolerated Song Jiuyuan because the original Jiang Wan owed him her life, but as for the rest of them—she had no reason to endure anything!

Sure enough, Song Jiuli was so furious she looked like she wanted to claw Jiang Wan’s face, only for Madam Song to yank her back.

“Li’er, do you want to be whipped too?”

If anyone dared cause trouble on the road to exile, the officers would show no mercy. After all, they were no longer high-ranking nobles.

Warned by her mother, Song Jiuli fell quiet, and Jiang Wan finally felt a bit of relief. At least Madam Song was a sensible one. Otherwise, her fists might’ve done the talking already.

With that thought, she quietly pulled out a piece of silver from her hidden space and walked over to an officer.

“Sir, may I exchange this for two water pouches?”

The officer hadn’t expected her to have silver on her. But water pouches were cheap and not worth much silver, so he felt like he’d scored a deal. He kept a stern face and agreed.

“Fine.”

He tossed her two new water pouches. When people saw that she didn’t exchange her silver for food but for water, they began to mock her, especially led by Shen Qian.

“She’s got silver and doesn’t trade for food—goes for water instead? Jiang Wan must be brain-dead!”