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Upon smelling the familiar scent of cypress under her nose, Jingwan knew who it was without even opening her eyes. Yet, she was somewhat incredulous; hadn't her cousin gone north on business? How could he be by her side?
But her mind was clear for only a short while before she fell into a deep sleep again.
Jingwan felt that she did not have a fever; she was just trapped in a dream and could not get out.
I dreamt of Fengyin Mountain again.
The landscape stretches endlessly, with glaciers at its highest point that never melt. She walked and walked, carrying a small basket, not knowing where she was going, but she never stopped.
Even though she was alone on the mountain, she overheard someone saying, "Where do you live? I'll come find you after the war."
Can you hear sounds in your dreams? That's strange.
Lu Chang lent his knees to Jing Wan, allowing her to lie on her side.
He didn't dare touch her back, so he could only put his arm around her waist and place his other hand behind her head so she could lie on her side.
The flush on her face had faded, but she was still sweating profusely, and even wiping her face with a handkerchief soaked through didn't stop the sweating.
She was a restless sleeper, kicking her legs back and forth. When she finally stopped moving, she was muttering to herself.
There were only the two of them in the carriage, and Lu Chang could hear what she was saying clearly.
"Xiaoxing Village... Xiaoxing Village..."
Lu Chang knew this place; Jingwan had lived in this small village when she was in the Northwest.
It seems he really misses home; he's even calling out for his hometown in his dreams.
Lu Chang brushed her wet hair behind her ear and hugged her tightly: "I'll take you back, let's go home now."
Wu Xiao drove the carriage, but her hearing was excellent; even though she tried to avoid it, she still overheard the conversation inside. "Going to the Northwest? The imperial family probably won't allow their master to return!"
When Jingwan woke up, the carriage was swaying. She tried to turn over but aggravated the wound on her back, wincing in pain and startling Lu Chang, who had just closed his eyes to rest.
The hand on her waist loosened its grip, and Lu Chang quickly hugged her, letting her lie flat on his lap. Jingwan finally sighed comfortably.
The further north they went, the colder the weather became. Lu Chang gently covered Jing Wan's back with the blanket. After taking care of her, he noticed that Jing Wan was tilting her head and looking him up and down with her eyes.
Her face, which used to be a little chubby, had become thinner due to illness, making her eyes appear even larger.
She kept staring at him, and Lu Chang asked him, amused, "Why are you looking at me?"
Jingwan said, "My cousin has gotten tanned."
Back in Pingdu, he was a handsome young man with fair skin. How come his face has become so rough after only a few months? It seems my cousin's official business this time won't be easy.
Lu Chang thought to himself, "She still has the mind to laugh at me."
Jingwan didn't ask Lu Chang why he was back. She just glanced up at the car window, but could only see a withered tree passing by. She couldn't see anything else.
Lu Chang followed her gaze to the window, understood what she meant, patted her little head and said gently, "Let's go to Bingzhou first. After I finish my business in Bingzhou, I'll send you back to Yongye."
Wuxia, who was outside, was startled by Lu Chang's voice. She trembled and rolled up her sleeve to look at her arm, only to find goosebumps rising all over her skin.
She couldn't help but rub herself vigorously, and pushed her buttocks further away from the horse, deciding to move further away from the carriage.
Jingwan was still looking at Lu Chang. He didn't seem to be lying to her, but then she thought about it again. In the past few years in Pingdu, she had been deceived terribly by men.
Is making things up out of thin air a unique skill of men in the capital?
She immediately exposed Lu Chang's lie: "Cousin, they probably wouldn't dare let you go back to the Northwest!" She didn't say who "they" referred to, but both of them knew who she was referring to. Looking into those clear eyes, Lu Chang thought to himself, "So she wasn't completely ignorant after all."
"Don't worry, I'll go under a different identity, I won't be discovered."
Jingwan gave an "oh," turned her head, and rested it on his lap without saying a word.
This was the most she had spoken since her fever subsided, but due to the pain in her back, she could only lie still, inevitably feeling sullen. However, seeing that the carriage was indeed heading north, the closer she got to her hometown, the better her spirits became, and she could eat more. Occasionally, Lu Chang would move her to the carriage window so she could peer out and enjoy the scenery along the way.
By the time they arrived in Horseshoe Town, most of the scars on Jingwan's back had scabbed over, giving her more freedom. She spent her time leaning against the window, gazing at the different scenery of the Great Wei.
Horseshoe Town was once a military town of the Great Wei Dynasty. Despite the ravages of war, it remained prosperous. Because it was located in the center of the world and had a canal running through it, it could be called the Central Continent of the Great Wei Dynasty. After the war was quelled, the grass market flourished. The imperial court dismantled and merged it several times, and it became a commercial town for trading goods.
After entering the city, it was already late, so the three of them found an inn to stay in.
Lu Chang bent down, and Jing Wan skillfully pounced on him so he could carry her inside. She had no time to drive the carriage to the back door of the inn and had the waiter feed the horses. Originally, this task could have been left to the waiter, but she still took charge herself, determined not to get in her master's way.
Jingwan was sitting on Lu Chang's back, and although she was sitting properly, she suddenly twisted her body a few times.
Her soft body rubbed against Lu Chang's back, causing him to catch his breath. He deliberately bounced slightly and whispered a warning not to move.
The person carrying him pouted in grievance and obediently rested their head on his shoulder.
He put her on the bed and didn't leave until Wuxia came up. The moment the door closed, Jingwan couldn't hold back any longer. She quickly took off her clothes and lay on the bed, letting Wuxia scratch her itch.
The wound has been scabbing over for the past two days, but her back is really itchy. Two days ago, she couldn't help but scratch it in the carriage, which caused the scab to come off and bleed again.
Lu Chang was worried about leaving scars on her back and about inflammation of the wound, so he kept a close eye on her. Sometimes when he saw that she was itchy, he could only gently pat her back to relieve the itch, but he would never allow her to reach behind her back again.
Wuxia smiled helplessly, but still sat on the edge of the bed and gently scratched her back as instructed.
Fortunately, she doesn't like to grow her nails long, so as long as she scratches them lightly, it's fine.
Jingwan snored comfortably and closed her eyes to rest. She fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. When she woke up, there was no one in the room. Fortunately, the light was on, so it wasn't too dark.
"Dongxia? Dongxia?" she called out twice, but no one answered.
The window closest to the bed was half open, probably blown open by the cold wind. She felt a little cold, so she hugged her arms and dragged her embroidered shoes to the window. As soon as she looked down, she saw Lu Chang and Wuxia standing together talking in the open space downstairs.
She was on the third floor of the building and couldn't hear what they were saying. Only by the dim moonlight could she see Wuxia hunched over as she spoke.
She was actually the same height as Lu Chang, but she deliberately lowered her head to show weakness. As for Lu Chang, his face looked genuinely frightened.
My cousin never expresses his dissatisfaction by yelling or blaming. He prefers to remain silent, quietly watching you with a calm and composed demeanor. Only his thin lips seem to be smiling, and his eyes reveal a hint of mockery that makes the person being looked at feel uneasy.
Wuxia kept her head down, not even daring to look Lu Chang in the eye, and simply accepted Lu Chang's interrogation, only replying when appropriate to calm Lu Chang down a bit.
"At the palace banquet that day, I was just thinking of covering for her at home, I never expected things to turn out like this..."
"You knew all along that she was going to be kidnapped by that kid, but you didn't tell me?" Lu Chang interrupted Wuxia, his tone icy, and he was even colder.
Wuxia bit her lip, sighing inwardly. She had thought she would see her master make a fool of himself, but she never expected that she would fall into the pit she had dug herself.
She offered no further explanation: "This subordinate is willing to accept punishment." She dared not raise her head, but heard Lu Chang snort coldly.
"What happened to the person who hurt her? Did you kill him?"
Wuxia shook her head: "When I arrived, the thief had already been dealt with by the Pingdu magistrate. It must have been at Gao Yun's behest."
The incident happened so suddenly that Wuxia didn't have time to think about the details. After leaving the Gao residence, Jingwan was seriously injured, and Wuxia was only thinking about treating her injuries. It wasn't until her master returned and Wuxia was driving the carriage that she had a moment to think about what happened that night and discovered that there were many strange things involved.
"I've lived in Pingdu for so many years, and this is the first time I've heard of soldiers patrolling the riverbank. How can it not be strange?"
Wuxia suddenly looked up: "Master, could it be that someone is deliberately framing the young lady?"
But Lu Chang didn't look at her; instead, he looked up at the person upstairs who was tilting his head and straining his ear to listen.
Jingwan found it increasingly strange. She kept leaning her head out to try and hear what they were saying, but when she turned around, she saw that the two people downstairs were gone. She looked around and could only close the window in disappointment.
When Wuxia came back up, she was carrying a bowl of noodles. Jingwan ate with relish, and Lu Chang was waiting for her at the door. Wuxia washed her hands and said, "Miss, eat quickly, the ghost market is about to close."
She slurped her noodles and asked, "What kind of ghost market is this?"
I didn't know that before.
Wuxia said, "Young Master said he would take you to the Ghost Market tonight. After all, you've come all this way, so it's good to have some fun."
Jingwan thought she would only stay one night before leaving, but she didn't expect to be able to visit the night market. She had loved the local scenery when she arrived, and even though she wanted to go home, she regretted not being able to visit. Suddenly, she felt excited and quickly finished her noodles in a few bites. With her cheeks puffed out, she went out to find Lu Chang.
There was no time to follow them to buy things, as they still had to travel and sometimes camp in the wild, so they needed to prepare food and supplies.
"Ghost Market" is just a general term, famous for "opening at midnight and disappearing at cockcrow," where vendors sell rare and exotic treasures as well as used clothes, shoes, and other discarded items.
They even sell children, but it's hard to tell if they're real or fake. Whether you're scammed or get a bargain depends on luck and skill.
Jingwan, wearing a veil, obediently followed behind Lu Chang. This place was different from the Dongqiao Night Market; the government did not manage it, and all buying and selling relied on the people to resolve it spontaneously.
Some sellers are of unknown identity, with their faces covered by cloth, only their eyes showing. Sellers who hide their identities like this are either selling goods of dubious origin, or they are from impoverished families selling their ancestral possessions but do not want anyone to know.
When she first arrived, she was walking behind him, but in the blink of an eye, she was walking ahead on her own. Lu Chang followed behind Jing Wan and watched her look around and touch things like a little mouse that had fallen out of an oil jar. His gloomy mood of the past few days improved quite a bit.
He suddenly remembered that time four years ago, when he held the little girl's hand and took her to every night market in Pingdu.
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