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Chapter 31 – Jiang Wan Enjoys Watching Them Tear Each Other Apart

“Madam, this servant remembers what the herbs they used earlier looked like. Let me go pick some.”

Concubine Duan stepped forward. She had a good memory and still remembered what the herbs Jiang Wan had handed to the officers looked like.

“Alright, go quickly.”

Madam Song responded, casting a cold glance at Shen Qian. Clearly, she was blaming her as well.

This dog-eat-dog drama was quite entertaining. Jiang Wan was watching with great interest, so much so that she forgot to deal with the wild rabbit in her hands.

“I’ll do it.”

Song Jiuyuan took the wild rabbit and the borrowed dagger from Jiang Wan’s hands and skillfully handled it. He had once been in the military and had eaten his share of wild game.

As a result, he skinned the rabbit in one clean piece, leaving Jiang Wan amazed.

“You’ve got great skills.”

She genuinely praised Song Jiuyuan. The rabbit hide could be used to make a pair of gloves—perfect for keeping warm in winter.

“You flatter me.”

Song Jiuyuan was a little embarrassed by the compliment, though his face didn’t show it. He handed both the rabbit meat and the skin to Jiang Wan.

Seeing his hands covered in rabbit blood, Jiang Wan passed the rabbit to Song Jiuli to wash and took out a bamboo tube herself.

“Here, wash your hands.”

As she poured water, Song Jiuyuan cooperatively washed his hands. The two of them didn’t look like they had any tension between them.

Madam Song couldn’t help but nod slightly, feeling satisfied in her heart. Although they had been exiled, as long as the family stuck together, she believed things would get better and better.

Song Jiuyuan’s health had improved significantly. Though he still couldn’t walk, he had no trouble moving his upper body.

Seeing how experienced he was, Jiang Wan simply handed the rabbit over to him and steamed some rice herself.

With such delicious food, Jiang Wan didn’t want to drink thin gruel anymore. Besides, her bundle was large—no one would think it strange if she took out a handful of rice.

The officers had no intention of organizing anyone to make porridge today either, so everyone handled their own meals. Each person got a small handful of coarse grains, and Jiang Wan dumped it all into the pot.

As for the officers, they were also eating meat today—specifically the wolf that Ren Bang had taken away. While they ate wolf meat, Jiang Wan’s group had rabbit meat.

Song Jiuyuan finished roasting the rabbit first. He handed it to Jiang Wan. “You divide it.”

Though he hadn’t acknowledged her identity aloud, Jiang Wan could sense that his hostility toward her had lessened.

After all, the first time they met, his eyes were full of disgust. Clearly, he had been forced into marrying the original Jiang Wan.

No one objected to Song Jiuyuan’s decision. Even Song Jiuli looked eagerly at Jiang Wan, clearly already treating her as the backbone of the group.

“Sure.”

Jiang Wan smiled as she took the rabbit and divided it into five fair portions. Madam Song shook her head and refused.

“Wanwan, Mother doesn’t need that much. You worked hard killing that wolf. Eat more.”

“Sister-in-law, I… I don’t need that much either.”

Song Jiuli spoke up shyly, then added sincerely, “Thank you for saving me earlier, Sister-in-law. I… I’ll definitely repay you in the future.”

“Just don’t cause me trouble.”

Jiang Wan didn’t have high expectations of Song Jiuli. As long as she didn’t make things difficult, that was enough.

Though Song Jiuchi was proud and awkward, he knew they owed Jiang Wan a lot. “Sister-in-law, if you ever need anything, just say the word.”

“Just take care of your big brother.”

Jiang Wan bit into the rabbit meat. It actually tasted pretty good. It was clear that Song Jiuyuan used to cook a lot. Thankfully, she had brought seasonings—otherwise, it would’ve been bland.

“Miss Song.”

At this moment, Ren Bang walked over, holding a large piece of roasted wolf meat.

“Earlier, you saved everyone. I’m truly grateful.”

The wolf meat was a token of thanks and a sign that he was willing to look out for them in the future. Jiang Wan’s eyes curved with a smile.

“You’re too kind, Officer.”

“You saved my life. From now on, I’ll treat you like my own sister. How about you call me Big Brother?”

Ren Bang was bold and loyal. As he spoke, he gave the Song family a cold glance—a clear warning.

Shen Qian trembled and recalled the feeling of the whip striking her earlier. She shrank, trying to minimize her presence.

Jiang Wan acted as if she hadn’t noticed, smiling as she responded, “Alright then. I’ll be relying on Big Brother Ren from now on!”

“Here, take it.”

Ren Bang set down the wolf meat and returned to where the officers were eating. Jiang Wan used the dagger to cut the meat into pieces and shared it with everyone.

“Come on, wolf meat’s a bit tough, but better than nothing.”

“Mhm, mhm.”

Song Jiuli’s eyes sparkled. The whole family was eating happily, while the distant Song family watched and swallowed hungrily.

And it wasn’t just them—most of the exiles were envious of Jiang Wan’s group. But no one dared approach.

That suited Jiang Wan just fine. From now on, she wouldn’t need to be so restrained.

After the meal, Chen Ce brought his wife and child to thank her. “Miss Song, thank you for saving my family earlier.”

“Truly, thank you so much!”

Lady Chen was about to kneel, but Jiang Wan quickly stopped her.

“No need to be so formal. It was nothing.”

Lady Chen thanked her repeatedly. Jiang Wan responded casually, then noticed that Concubine Duan, Song Chen’s concubine, had returned with some picked herbs.

The woman was somewhat clever—the thistle she picked was indeed usable. Jiang Wan curled her lips though—the amount was too little.

A quarrel was bound to happen again. Sure enough, though no one dared raise their voices, there were still internal disagreements.

In the end, the old matriarch made the final decision: save the men first, then distribute what’s left to the women. By the time it reached Shen Qian, there was barely any left.

But now she didn’t dare say a word. Even though she was filled with rage, she couldn’t express it, and nearly coughed up blood from the frustration.

Jiang Wan thoroughly enjoyed watching their infighting. She always found it entertaining.

Now full and satisfied, Song Jiuli recalled how Shen Qian had nearly gotten her killed and angrily exclaimed:

“Shen Qian is such a wicked person! I hope she dies from the pain!”

If it hadn’t been for her sister-in-law saving her, she would’ve been doomed by Shen Qian. Song Jiuli now loathed Shen Qian with all her heart.

No wonder her mother and brothers never liked her getting close to Shen Qian—she had been too foolish before.

“She’s got a particularly vicious heart.”

Jiang Wan replied coolly without saying much more. After all, everyone now clearly saw Shen Qian’s true nature.

Song Jiuli was simple-minded, but that didn’t mean she was stupid. For the rest of the journey, she didn’t hold back from targeting Shen Qian.

Meanwhile, Song Jiaojiao composed herself and returned home with her maidservants. The moment she stepped inside the gate, she felt waves of dizziness.

Caught off guard, she fainted on the spot—right in front of her husband. The man’s expression turned cold as he looked at her maid.

“Where did the Madam go?”

“M-Madam…”

The little maid tried to cover for her mistress, but the man had his methods. In the end, she had no choice but to confess that Song Jiaojiao had gone to see the Song family.

Upon hearing that, the man broke out in a cold sweat. “Someone, Madam’s not feeling well. Send her to the manor to recover.”

With that one sentence, Song Jiaojiao’s fate was sealed. For the rest of her life, she would never again know her husband’s favor.