Chapter 16: What is Jiang Wan Anyway?

“No way.”

Xiao Deng shook his head, not believing that Jiang Wan was that kind of person, but if she really had run off, there was nothing he could do.

“You’ve only just met her. How could you understand her character? Maybe she was just waiting for this chance when she saved you.”

Old Zhang, older than Xiao Deng, had been transporting prisoners for years and had seen many things, making him more capable of understanding the complexity of human nature.

Xiao Deng silently bit his lip, not knowing how to argue. Suddenly, his eyes brightened, and he grinned.

“Old Zhang, you’ve really misjudged this time.”

Old Zhang followed his gaze and saw Jiang Wan running over with a large bundle of packages, a smile on her face.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I bought a lot of things.”

Jiang Wan, seemingly unaware of Old Zhang’s complicated expression, placed the items on the cart where they were stacking supplies and climbed up.

Old Zhang forced a smile and said, “Since you’re here, let’s head back!”

With that, he cracked the whip, not looking at Jiang Wan, and urged the ox cart towards the inn.

When they returned to the inn, it was just in time for everyone to line up for lunch. Mrs. Song waved at Jiang Wan eagerly.

“Wanwan, come here.”

“Mom, I’ve already eaten.”

Jiang Wan didn’t go over to eat. Instead, she returned to her room. On the large bed, Song Jiuyuan hadn’t gotten up yet because he had been beaten, so he was still lying down.

At this moment, Song Jiuchi was feeding him porridge, and Jiang Wan took two steamed buns from her bag and handed them over.

“Here, eat these with your porridge.”

“Thank you!”

Song Jiuyuan took the buns and ate them slowly. His gaze towards her remained complicated, but Jiang Wan pretended not to notice and didn’t concern herself with it.

Since someone had delivered silver last night, she assumed that medicine and ointments would be included, and she no longer had to worry about Song Jiuyuan’s life being in danger.

However, she hadn’t expected that Song Jiuli would come to find her and apologize before they set off.

“I’m sorry, the things before were my fault.”

She lowered her head, staring at her feet. Not far away, Mrs. Song was peeking her head around, observing the situation, and Jiang Wan knew that Mrs. Song had probably asked Song Jiuli to apologize.

But what Song Jiuli was thinking was still unclear, so Jiang Wan raised her lips and smiled.

“What are you apologizing for?”

Jiang Wan showed a mischievous smile. “Are you apologizing for calling me a jinx? Or for not believing that the herbs I picked were real? Or maybe you just shouldn’t have gone against me?”

Her words made Song Jiuli suddenly lift her head. She clenched her small fists and gritted her teeth.

“Jiang Wan, don’t go too far!”

She had already apologized first, so why couldn’t Jiang Wan just accept it?

Ah, she was so easy to play with, thought Jiang Wan as she chuckled lightly.

“Your apology isn’t sincere, so I won’t accept it.”

“You…”

Song Jiuli was so angry her teeth ground together. However, it didn’t matter, because Jiang Wan acted as if nothing had happened and casually grabbed her bundle and walked out of the inn.

It was time to set off again, and Jiang Wan noticed that their group had merged with a few officials and exiled prisoners.

Without needing to guess, she knew they were likely from the Chen family. However, they were still a bit far off, so she didn’t ask too many questions for the time being.

At this moment, Mrs. Song asked anxiously, “So, did you apologize?”

“Mom, I apologized as you told me, but Jiang Wan didn’t accept it!”

Song Jiuli pouted, feeling that the grievances she had suffered in these two days were more than all the ones she had faced in the last fifteen years.

Mrs. Song frowned, puzzled. “Could it be that you weren’t sincere enough?”

“Mom, why don’t you say that Jiang Wan is too petty?”

Song Jiuli stomped her foot in frustration. Her mother was becoming more and more biased towards Jiang Wan, which made her absolutely furious.

Mrs. Song rolled her eyes. “Do you think I don’t understand your temperament? Our family is relying on your older sister-in-law to hold things together. Don’t make trouble for me, and apologize properly!”

Song Jiuli: …

She was about to go mad. Not only had their servants been sold off, but now she had to handle all the chores herself every day. Song Jiuli was close to despair.

Meanwhile, Song Jiuchi, carrying Song Jiuyuan on his back, walked beside Jiang Wan, and Song Jiuyuan looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

“What are you looking at me for?”

Jiang Wan rubbed her face, wondering if she hadn’t washed it clean this morning. That shouldn’t be the case, as she had used facial wash from her space.

Song Jiuyuan, normally silent, couldn’t help but speak up this time. “You don’t seem the same as the Jiang Wan from before.”

The old Jiang Wan was like a flower vase, always following him around. But that was a few years ago.

In the past few years, he had been stationed at the border, and when he returned, he was met with her public confession. After that, she drugged him and ruined his reputation, forcing him to marry her.

Then came the exile. Since then, they hadn’t had a calm moment to talk.

Jiang Wan’s expression froze for a moment. Of course, she wasn’t the same. She wasn’t the original person. But…

She couldn’t tell him she had crossed over, could she? Jiang Wan took a deep breath.

“I told you before, I had to change. After all, I’ve been cut off from the Minister’s Mansion, and my in-laws have been exiled, so I had to become strong.”

Song Jiuyuan: …

So, the old her was pretentious, but now she was the real her. But in fact, the real her was more likeable than the old version.

“Pfft…”

Song Jiuchi, carrying Song Jiuyuan on his back, sneered. He didn’t like Jiang Wan at all, but he had seen the efforts she had made in the past two days.

So, even though he still didn’t like her, he didn’t say anything bad.

Seeing Jiang Wan getting along better with the people in the main room, even chatting and laughing, when Shen Qian turned around, she was so furious that she ground her teeth.

This anger reached its peak when she learned that Song Jiuli had apologized.

“Li’er, you didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing? It should be her apologizing!”

“Mom told me to apologize.”

Song Jiuli sighed. She knew that she shouldn’t have spoken so viciously earlier, as that was her brother’s wife.

But because it was Jiang Wan, sometimes she couldn’t help herself.

“Big Auntie is too much.”

Shen Qian voiced her complaints for Song Jiuli. “You’re her daughter, what is Jiang Wan even?”

Song Jiuli didn’t reply. Even if she was foolish, she could tell Shen Qian’s ill intentions, so she just smiled awkwardly.

“I think you’re just used to being bullied.”

Shen Qian hit Song Jiuli lightly on the forehead, as if they were very familiar. She then stuffed a piece of pastry into her hand.

“This was bought by the officials for me earlier. Eat it.”

“Thank you, second sister-in-law.”

Song Jiuli’s heart stirred slightly. Was she mistaken about Shen Qian? This person seemed pretty good, unlike Jiang Wan, who wouldn’t even share a piece of chicken with her.

Jiang Wan didn’t know that her little sister-in-law was almost won over by a piece of pastry. She had come prepared this time, handing out bamboo tubes of water to everyone.

On the way, she also picked some wild vegetables. At this moment, Song Jiuli was a little smarter. Seeing Jiang Wan picking, she followed suit.

She hadn’t forgotten that Jiang Wan had said she hadn’t forgiven her, so she had to do it herself, lest Jiang Wan eat while she watched.