Chapter 7: Isn’t Jiang Wan the Person Song Jiuyuan Dislikes?

“Master, don’t forget your stockpiling task,” the little spirit’s reminder left Jiang Wan speechless.

“I’m on the way to exile right now. Don’t even talk about it; the officers won’t let people wander, and there’s nowhere around here to get anything to stock up,” Jiang Wan said, feeling helpless. But the little spirit kept trying to tempt her, “Doesn’t the master want to have a space where you can plant and raise things? Then you’ll have everything you need, nothing you can’t get, only things you can’t even think of.”

“Stop!”

Jiang Wan interrupted the spirit’s incessant chatter. “Fine, I’ll try my best.”

She would find a chance to stock up on some things later.

The journey continued, but Jiang Wan didn’t linger at the back of the group. With everyone feeling resentful, no one had the energy to argue anymore.

They were simply too tired—so tired that their legs felt like they weren’t even their own. Jiang Wan could clearly feel the blisters forming on the soles of her feet. She could barely resist the urge to use her abilities to speed up, but it was impossible.

Actually, it wasn’t just her—others felt it too. Especially Shen Qian, whose resentment boiled over. When she saw Song Chen ahead, she rolled her eyes and dramatically fell to the ground.

“Ah!”

Shen Qian lay on the ground, sobbing, “It hurts so much, husband, I can’t go on.”

Her cry immediately caught everyone’s attention. They thought that Song Chen would pity her and carry her, but instead, Song Chen frowned and said, “Get up and keep walking. I can’t go on either.”

Song Chen felt his own legs were weakening, so how could he pity his newlywed wife?

Even the concubines who were exiled with them didn’t dare act weak in front of him.

Shen Qian froze, her eyes still glistening with tears. She clearly hadn’t expected Song Chen to be so heartless. “Husband?”

As they fell behind the group, Song Chen quickened his pace and walked ahead.

“Are you coming or not?”

An officer swung a whip at Shen Qian, and the pain brought tears to her eyes. She hurriedly got up.

“I’m coming, I’m coming, I’ll go right away.”

The pain of being whipped was unbearable, but fortunately, due to her beauty, the officer used the opportunity to take advantage of her, so the whipping wasn’t too harsh.

Still, Shen Qian was so scared that she didn’t dare slack off. Though her steps weren’t exactly swift, she gritted her teeth and pushed through.

With Shen Qian leading the way, everyone understood the officers’ nature and no one dared pretend anymore.

Other people, however, had other ideas. Some slipped silver to the officers, eventually earning themselves a chance to rest for a quarter of an hour.

While resting, Jiang Wan walked over to Song Jiuyuan with a water pouch. Though Song Jiuyuan didn’t like Jiang Wan, he tactfully turned his face away.

“Drink some water.”

Jiang Wan held Song Jiuyuan’s chin roughly, and despite his frown, he didn’t say anything and obediently opened his mouth to drink a sip of water.

With his intelligence, he immediately noticed that this water pouch was the only one with sweet water. Otherwise, with Song Jiuli’s clueless nature, she would have definitely made a fuss about it.

“Thank you!”

Even though marrying this woman had been forced upon him, at this moment, Song Jiuyuan’s attitude toward her had softened.

It seemed that she really cared for him, so much so that even while being exiled, she still showed concern for him. If he recovered, even if he couldn’t love her, he would certainly treat her with respect.

Jiang Wan had no idea that this guy had already taken the wrong idea. She put the water pouch away and whispered in Song Jiuyuan’s ear, “If you can get rid of those leeches, I’ll find a way to get some good food for your family.”

Leeches?

Was she referring to his second and third uncles?

Song Jiuyuan looked up and realized that his second and third uncles had never cared about him.

Jiang Wan’s description was rather fitting—they were leeches clinging to him, and he should have known this long ago.

Song Jiuyuan lowered his gaze and said in a low voice, “Mm, I’ll think about it.”

Getting rid of them wasn’t just about timing; it also required making his family give up on them.

The two of them were just whispering, but it shocked the others in the Song family. Wasn’t Jiang Wan the person that Song Jiuyuan despised?

Why were they so close now?

Everyone was puzzled, and Jiang Wan had already handed the water pouch to Song Daniu. This time, it was just her and Jiang Wan drinking water. Song Jiuli wanted some, but after remembering what Jiang Wan had said earlier, he felt too embarrassed to ask. As for Song Jiuchu, he couldn’t bring himself to ask either.

Since that was the case, Jiang Wan didn’t bother going out of her way to offer water. She just pretended not to notice their cracked lips.

Jiang Wan thought that Song Jiuyuan would need some time to think it over. But as plans often fail to keep up with changes, when night fell, and they arrived at the cave to rest, Song Jiuyuan suddenly developed a fever.

“Trouble!”

Song Jiuchu was the first to sense that something was wrong with his older brother’s temperature. He hurriedly looked toward the leading officer.

“Master Ren, my older brother has a fever!”

“Out here in the wilderness, there’s no doctor. Whether he survives depends on his own luck,” Master Ren said, having seen this kind of thing many times. He wasn’t surprised. In fact, he knew that people from the Emperor’s side might still be watching this entire situation.

After all, Song Jiuyuan was someone the Emperor wished would die immediately. This place wasn’t far from the capital, so he didn’t dare show any pity.

His words made everyone freeze, and the first branch of the family was frantic.

“Yuan’er!”

Song Daniu was heartbroken as she touched Song Jiuyuan’s forehead, which felt as hot as boiling water, making her heart tremble.

“Wanwan, what should we do?”

She suddenly lost her composure and looked at Jiang Wan with pleading eyes.

Jiang Wan also touched Song Jiuyuan’s forehead. He seemed to have already lost consciousness and was lying there with his eyes closed, as though he were having a nightmare.

Jiang Wan’s heart stirred. “Mother, there’s no doctor nearby, but these officers are used to escorting prisoners. They’re in good physical condition. Look how energetic they are now. If we give them some silver, they can go to the village ahead and bring back a doctor.”

“That makes sense, but…”

Song Daniu’s eyes were filled with tears. “I don’t have anything valuable, no silver, nothing. When we were raided, all our jewelry was taken. We don’t have anything left.”

“I don’t have anything either.”

Song Jiuli was simple and easily deceived, so he didn’t have the mind to hide silver. Song Jiuchu was the same.

Jiang Wan turned to look at the second and third branches of the family, who were watching from a distance. “Mother, at least my husband has supported them all these years. It’s time for them to repay the favor. We can borrow some silver from them.”

From what she knew of these people, they would surely refuse, and this was a good opportunity to propose a division of the family.

“Alright, I’ll go!”

Song Daniu gritted her teeth. For her son, she would humble herself even in front of the enemy without any hesitation.

She was just afraid her son might never come back.

So, they waited. When the officers went to the entrance of the cave to start a fire, Song Daniu, not even biting into the steamed bun, tearfully approached the second and third branches of the family.

“Second brother, third brother, and both sisters-in-law, Yuan’er has a fever. If we can’t find a doctor, his life might be in danger. Could you… could you please help my Yuan’er?”