Chapter 45: Treasure Bag

Bang——

Qin Xiangnuan dropped the half-empty bottle of milk from her arms. She hurriedly bent down to pick it up, brushing off the dust with her hands, afraid the glass would shatter. Qin Feng's eyes widened, staring at the milky white liquid with immense curiosity. "Little sister! Could this be milk? Where did you get it? We don't have this stuff in our supplies! It's been ages since I've tasted milk!"

Even in the capital, milk was in short supply.

The general's mansion would only occasionally see cattle farmers from the village come in and reluctantly ask for a bucket of milk for the old lady to drink.

Qin Feng took a glance at it and immediately drooled. He raised the back of his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth and asked while swallowing.

"Do you remember, I was away for a while at the official post?" Qin Xiangnuan mentioned the experience of being almost persecuted by Ma Han. Qin Feng couldn't hide his anger, and nodded with clenched fists. She thought and found a perfect excuse, "I took these things from his room. Ma Han is the Seventh Prince's man, and he had the best food, clothing, and other necessities at the official post. I thought these things might be useful on the road, so I kept them with me."

Carry it with you? Qin Feng tilted his head and looked Qin Xiangnuan up and down carefully.

Qin Xiangnuan is petite, and coupled with the long journey of exile, her face is now only the size of a palm, and her waist is so slender that it seems like it can be held with two hands together.

The loose clothes covered her body and fluttered in the wind.

"Cousin, I'm afraid you don't know how much a woman's bib can hold!"

Qin Xiangnuan's smile was playful. Qin Feng's dark skin flushed red when he heard it. He frowned but acted like a brother and said to her seriously, "Little sister, you are not young anymore. You should pay attention to the difference between men and women. Remember not to say these things casually, otherwise people will misunderstand you. Since you are keeping this thing for emergency use, keep it in your pocket and don't let them see it."

Qin Feng still didn't trust Xu Jian and others.

After all, what happened to the General's Mansion would cast a shadow on anyone else.

There are many people and things that say one thing to your face and another behind your back. It is always good to be on guard.

Qin Xiangnuan knew that now that these bottles of milk had been exposed, they couldn't be hidden or kept. She said casually, "Don't worry, cousin. I have some in my bib..." Seeing Qin Feng's startled expression, she quickly changed her words, "I have some more hidden. You and Beibei can share one of these two bottles of milk, and I'll give one to Grandma to replenish her energy."

"Don't save it. You know, if you keep it for a long time, it will go bad."

Qin Xiangnuan patted Qin Feng's shoulder and walked towards Old Madam Qin.

Old Madam Qin leaned against a tree stump, her eyes closed as she slept. Her face was covered in wrinkles, yet she possessed a kind and approachable air. Qin Xiangnuan gently held her wrist and placed two fingers on her pulse. Apart from being a little weak, she was otherwise fine.

"Nuannuan?"

Qin Xiangnuan's touch woke the old lady up. She smiled and patted the seat next to her, "Sit with grandma for a while."

"Grandma, have something to drink."

Qin Xiangnuan knew that if she gave the milk directly to Old Madam Qin, she would definitely not drink it and would only focus on the children in the General's Mansion. So she poured the remaining milk into the kettle. This way she could not see how much was left and could conceal it, killing two birds with one stone. It would also be easier to take it out from the space later when filling it up.

"This is..." Old Madam Qin took a sip and felt something was wrong.

Qin Xiangnuan raised the corners of her lips and coaxed the old lady, "Grandma! Drink it up secretly! Your granddaughter has worked so hard to find this, don't waste it!"

The two of them laughed together. Qin Xiangnuan leaned her head against her grandmother's chest, looking up at the stars in the sky. A gentle breeze blew by, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility to her soul. "Grandma, don't you think that life like this is actually quite good? In the past, when Daddy was away fighting, you and Mom would worry about him every time he went out. You would run to the Buddhist temple every day to chant sutras, and when you didn't receive any letters from home, you would be so anxious that you would cry."

"Every time Daddy goes to war, he comes back with many wounds."

"The General's Mansion may seem glorious, but in reality, it was all earned through blood and sweat. Aside from the gold and silver, which were personal possessions, we haven't gained anything. We've even added so much burden to our lives for no reason. Now, look! Daddy is just a commoner. When we get to the border, we can find a place, farm, and live out our days in peace and contentment. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Qin Xiangnuan pointed at the stars in the sky and said to Madam Qin, "Grandma will definitely be very busy by then. My cousin and I don't know what to plant in the fields, so we need you to tell us. By then, the yard will be full of vegetables and fruits, and we won't be able to eat them all!"

"Nuannuan is right."

These days, Old Madam Qin has been thinking about how, back in the capital, so many imperial consorts would visit her mansion, paying her respects and drinking tea, trying to establish kinship with her and marry their daughters off to the general's mansion. But now? Not even a single letter, let alone a greeting. She's avoiding them. Only when one experiences a low point can one truly see the true colors of those around them, who is genuine and who is fake.

"Nuannuan is the most sensible one. The people in our mansion will still rely on you in the future."

Old Madam Qin gently stroked Qin Xiangnuan's hair. Seeing that her hair was a little dry, her eyes were filled with a little heartache. "Girl, you always liked to apply osmanthus cream. The ladies in the capital said that you had the best hair, but now..."

"What's the point of having good hair? Don't you use hair to do your work? My granddaughter is much healthier now. Sometimes my cousin can't even compete with me!" Qin Xiangnuan deliberately used an exaggerated expression to make the old lady happy, but what she said was all the truth. "If you use your beauty to please a man, you can't keep him and you can't rely on him. You still need to be strong and healthy to live a long life."

Old Madam Qin looked at the little girl with shining eyes, was stunned for a moment, and said softly, "Our Nuannuan has really grown up."

"Now you understand more than I do."

Madam Qin was not very energetic. After only saying two sentences, she felt drowsy and could not sit still. Her eyes closed slightly. Qin Xiangnuan saw this and helped her lean against a softer surface, offering her shoulder so that she could sleep a little more peacefully.

The sky is already showing a hint of paleness, and I think the weather will be good in the next few days.

"Cousin, Beibei, what are you eating?"

On the other end, Qin Xiangsong looked at the two people drinking milk, and asked out of nowhere, pouting and with an angry face.