Chapter 17: Leaving the Town

An Xiyan took one last walk around the courtyard, storing the remaining items into her spatial space. Although she didn’t really need those things…

Well, even the smallest mosquito is still meat—might as well take everything. The more, the better.

She turned to her family gathered around the carriage and asked,
“Uncle Meng, Aunt Meng, have you packed everything? Check again in case something was missed. Make sure nothing’s left behind—we don’t want you remembering something only after we’ve already left the town.”

Truthfully, she’d already swept the entire house clean, but she was worried Aunt Meng might have stashed something in a secret room and forgotten about it. So it was worth the reminder.

He Lianrong waved her hand and smiled.
“Miss, everything that needed to be stored is already in your space. The rest of our belongings are all packed up—we’re carrying them with us. Nothing’s been forgotten.”

Meng Guangping grinned and cast a gentle glance at He Lianrong before saying,
“Miss, as a man, I don’t really have much. Everything I own is with my wife. If she says nothing’s been missed, then I believe her.”

Hearing her husband’s words, He Lianrong rolled her eyes and gave him a playful glare.

That look clearly said, Oh, so you finally realize I’m the one managing everything for you?

An Xiyan chuckled.
“It’s getting late. The house has been cleared, so let’s get on the road right away.”

“Yes, Miss!” Tangyuan’s family responded in unison.

An Xiyan stepped forward and picked up An Xixuan, gently placing him inside the carriage. She climbed in after him, followed closely by Tangyuan and He Lianrong.

Meng Guangping and his son Qingzhu sat at the front to drive the carriage.

Initially, Meng Guangping had planned on driving two carriages—one for An Xiyan and her brother, and the other for Tangyuan and her daughter. He and Qingzhu would drive.

But An Xiyan thought better of it. Two carriages would take more effort to manage, attract more attention, and be far less safe. After all, they were technically fleeing for their lives.

If they encountered danger on the road and the two carriages were forced to split up, it would be difficult to regroup. That could spell disaster.

After some thought, she decided it was best for everyone to stay together in one carriage. That way, even if danger arose, they could respond immediately.

Inside the carriage, she had laid down a thick, plush blanket, along with several large cushions. If anyone got tired, they could lie down comfortably without worrying about the hard floor.

Although the carriage wasn’t particularly spacious, it was more than enough for three women and a child to lie down comfortably.

After all, all of them were slender and didn’t take up much room.

Plus, it was September—the weather was neither too hot nor too cold—so lying on a thick blanket didn’t feel stifling. When nighttime came, they could just take out some quilts from the space to cover themselves and sleep cozily. Perfect.

“Miss, Young Master, we’re heading out now!” came Meng Guangping’s voice from outside the carriage.

An Xiyan replied loudly, “Uncle Meng, let’s move out. Try to drive a little faster—we want to get ahead of the others.”

The earlier they left, the fewer troubles they’d encounter. Crowds only brought complications, and she preferred peace and quiet.

“Aye, got it, Miss. Understood,” Meng Guangping answered, then drove the carriage out of the estate.

At the gate, Qingzhu quickly jumped down, locked the main door, then climbed back up to the driver’s seat.

“Clop, clop, clop…” The carriage sped down the street, the sound of hooves echoing as dust rose behind them.

Before long, they heard shouting and the clanging of gongs echoing down the street.

Listening closely, the shouts were indeed the town criers informing the townspeople that enemy troops would soon attack and urging everyone to flee quickly.

An Xiyan lifted the curtain and looked outside. The street was in disarray. The once neatly arranged vendor stalls now looked like they’d been looted—no sign of their owners anywhere.

Clearly, they had heard the news and rushed home to pack up and escape.

Some townsfolk were still on the street, sprinting toward their homes while crying. Their faces were filled with despair.

Seeing her young mistress’s somber expression, He Lianrong quickly spoke up.
“Miss, don’t look anymore—it’s no use. There’s nothing people like us can do to stop this.”

What she really wanted to say was: Miss, please don’t get soft-hearted now. We’re barely able to protect ourselves as it is.

An Xiyan: “……”
She was simply feeling a bit melancholic. After finally getting a second chance at life, she had hoped to live peacefully. But fate was cruel, as if the heavens were deliberately opposing her.

Refusing to let her rest, refusing to let her be a carefree salted fish.

How tragic. How unfair.

She let out a long sigh and lowered the curtain. As for the enemy invasion—she had

She had done everything she could—what came after, she wouldn’t meddle in.

Seeing that her young mistress had finally lowered the curtain, He Lianrong quietly let out a sigh of relief.

An hour later, the carriage had made its way through the main road of the town, exited the city gates, and now rolled onto the uneven countryside road.

The path was full of bumps and potholes, causing the carriage to slow down. Inside, the four passengers rocked back and forth with every jolt.

An Xiyan turned to look at An Xixuan and saw that her younger brother had an uncomfortable expression on his face.

She quickly picked up the poor little guy and placed him gently on her lap to lessen the impact of the bumps.

Gently brushing his forehead, she spoke to him in a soft voice:
“Xuan’er, we’ve left the town now. These roads aren’t paved with stone—they’re bumpy and rough. Your little body probably can’t handle it.”

“So sit on Sister’s lap. If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, tell me, okay?”

An Xixuan nodded weakly, his little voice barely audible,
“Okay, Sister… Xuan’er understands.”
Then, his tiny head leaned against her chest.

Tangyuan looked at An Xixuan with concern and asked,
“Young Master, are you alright? You’re not getting motion sick, are you?”

An Xixuan kept his eyes closed, his head feeling heavy and woozy. He didn’t want to speak.

Seeing that he didn’t answer, Tangyuan realized he truly wasn’t feeling well. She turned anxiously to An Xiyan.
“Miss, what should we do?”

He Lianrong added,
“Miss, the young master is still so small and not used to carriage rides. We’ve been traveling for a long time now—it’s no surprise his body can’t handle it.”

“He was still fine while we were in town, but once we hit this bumpy road outside, his symptoms started showing.”

An Xiyan sighed as she looked down at her pale-faced little brother who clung to her so dependently. Her heart ached.

After a moment of thought, she took out a bowl of spiritual spring water from her space and gently coaxed him:
“Xuan’er, here, drink this bowl of water. You’ll feel much better afterward.”

An Xixuan heard her voice and struggled to open his eyes. When he saw the bowl of water in front of him, he looked reluctant.
“Sister… I don’t want to drink it.”

An Xiyan gently coaxed him,
“Be good, Xuan’er. If you drink this water, Sister will give you all the fruit and snacks you want afterward, okay?”