A life of ups and downs is pure joy

"This small county is quite lively." Xiao Qianwen lifted the carriage curtain and said as she looked at the small county called Qilihu where the carriage had just arrived.

"Are you cold?" Tao Baiwan asked.

"A little bit." Xiao Qianwen said.

"It's cold, why don't you lower the curtain? What's so exciting to see in this remote place?" Tao Baiwan said, hugging the hot water bottle tightly in his hand.

Lin Qinghuan looked up and gave her a displeased look.

Xiao Qianwen lowered the curtain somewhat awkwardly, then clung to Lin Qinghuan again, holding her arm.

"I'm not cold. I guess it's because my body is hot." Lin Qinghuan handed the hot water bottle in his hand to Chuxia next to him.

"It has been half a month since we left Jinhan. It's just as big brother said. The further north we go, the more snowy it is. I just saw that the pedestrians outside were all wearing thick coats." Xiao Qianwen said.

"Wear something thicker when you get off the bus. I just saw some candied haws and I suddenly feel craving for them. Please remind me to ask my husband to buy a few strings later." Lin Qinghuan reminded them. Her memory is getting worse and worse.

"Childish. You are so old and still eat children's greedy food." Tao Baiwan said.

"My husband bought it at that time. Princess, please don't be greedy. Just let us childish people eat it." Lin Qinghuan said.

"If Brother Yi bought it, I would definitely eat it. After all, I have been used to it since I was a child. He likes to bring me a lot of snacks to the East Palace." Tao Baiwan said proudly.

"You are grateful for what you have received, and you should be grateful for what you have received. If you eat my husband's food, you are eating mine. I don't expect you to be polite to me, and you just need to say less." Lin Qinghuan said.

"You...Brother Yi is Brother Yi, and you are you. How can you be compared with each other?" Tao Baiwan said unconvinced.

"He is my husband and I am his wife. We are husband and wife, so of course it's the same thing." Lin Qinghuan said.

"Hmph, don't be so proud." Tao Baiwan said unhappily, then turned his face away and ignored the three people in the carriage.

Lin Qinghuan and Xiao Qianwen looked at each other and shook their heads.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the post station, and the servants brought a stool for dismounting. Xiao Yi came over and helped Lin Qinghuan get off the carriage slowly. Ning Sijue helped Xiao Qianwen get off the horse and was reaching out to help Tao Baiwan who was behind him.

"I don't want your help." Tao Baiwan patted Ning Sijue's hand and looked unhappily at Xiao Yi who was whispering to Lin Qinghuan.

Lin Qinghuan looked back at the eldest princess who was throwing a tantrum in the carriage, then looked at Xiao Yi who was standing next to her pretending to be stupid, and couldn't help but come up with an idea.

"Sixth Prince, you told me a few days ago that the candied haws in the north are delicious. I have been thinking about it all the way, otherwise..." Lin Qinghuan said with a faint smile.

"Just now on the road, I saw a stall selling some delicious candied haws. I'll go buy some for my sister-in-law to satisfy her craving." Ning Sijue retracted his arm and said.

"Chuxia, you come with me and see if there are any different snacks. Buy some back." Lin Qinghuan instructed.

"Well, okay." Chu Xia smiled and walked towards Ning Sijue. The servant Aping handed the bag in his hand to Da Yuan, and walked in the direction his master came from.

When Ning Sijue and his companions returned to the inn, Lin Qinghuan and others were already waiting for lunch in the private room downstairs.

"This candied haws is very delicious." Lin Qinghuan said while eating the candied haws.

"Is it so delicious?" Xiao Yi asked, looking at the candied haws on the table.

"Husband, try it too." Lin Qinghuan handed the candied haws in her hand to Xiao Yi. The man took it and ate one curiously.

"How delicious can it be? It's just hawthorn fruit wrapped in syrup. Boring." Tao Baiwan muttered while holding the teacup.

Lin Qinghuan glanced at her and said, "I'm relieved now that the Princess has said that. After all, I ate one more skewer out of greed, and I couldn't bear to let my husband not try some. So, there's enough for us to share."

After saying that, Lin Qinghuan distributed the candied haws on the table to each person, and Dayuan and Chuxia happily took them.

Seeing that everyone present, including Xiao Yi, had a string of coins in their hands, Tao Baiwan began to feel unhappy again. She kept looking at Xiao Yi with a wronged look on her face, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

Ning Sijue handed the candied haws in his hand to Tao Baiwan, "I'll give you mine."

"I don't want yours. I have only eaten snacks bought by one person since I was a child." Tao Baiwan said and kept looking at Xiao Yi with a resentful face.

Xiao Yi felt that the string of candied haws was really hot in his hands. He then looked at his sweet wife who was laughing carefreely beside him.

Lin Qinghuan saw that the eldest princess was about to cry in the next second, and then glanced at Xiao Yi who was holding the candied haws and looked a little at a loss.

"Husband, if you don't want to eat it, don't waste the Sixth Prince's kindness." Lin Qinghuan looked at Chu Xia again, "Wrap it up and I'll eat it this afternoon."

"I'll buy you whatever you like to eat. Why bother Ajue?" Xiao Yi handed the candied haws to Chuxia.

"What my husband bought for whom in the past was all in the past, but things are different now," said Lin Qinghuan.

"What's the difference?" Ning Sijue asked curiously.

"Of course, I can only enjoy it now. When will it be Dayuan's turn to eat it?" After Lin Qinghuan finished speaking, Dayuan stood there in a daze, biting the candied haws, looking at everyone present with resentment.

Tao Baiwan and Xiao Yi could naturally understand what the woman meant. One could only nod guiltily while the other was sulking on his own. They finished their lunch with their own thoughts.

After dinner, Xiao Yi and Da Yuan went to the county magistrate's office. Ning Sijue's status prevented him from going with them, so he stayed at the post station as a flower protector. After dinner, Xiao Qianwen went for a stroll in the town with Hong Qi and bought some medicine packs for the journey. Tao Baiwan returned to his room first with a lot of anger.

"Girl, do you want to go inside and rest?" Chu Xia asked.

"I'm not tired. I just want to sit in this yard for a while." This inn is quite elegant and has a backyard where you can sit and relax.

"The Sixth Prince is coming." Chu Xia looked at Ning Sijue walking towards her from a distance and reminded Lin Qinghuan.

"Yeah." Lin Qinghuan looked up and saw the sixth royal brother walking towards his small pavilion.

"Today I borrowed your candied haws and angered the eldest princess. Please don't take it to heart." Lin Qinghuan poured a cup of tea for Ning Sijue who was sitting opposite him and said apologetically.

"No, I won't be suspicious no matter what you do. I will always stand by you." Ning Sijue took the tea and said in a gentle voice.

Lin Qinghuan looked at him in surprise, not knowing what he meant.

"I...I just saw her bullying Wen'er along the way, so I got a little angry." Lin Qinghuan explained.

"She has been unruly and headstrong since she was young. If my father hadn't allowed her to come, I wouldn't have come with her." Ning Sijue said.

"You...you're traveling together because of her?" Lin Qinghuan asked, sighing in his heart, could it be that this Lao Liu likes Tao Baiwan? Wouldn't doing this ruin his mood?

"I came here because of you." Ning Sijue shook his head.

"Ah? Because of me...what does the Sixth Prince mean?" Lin Qinghuan became a little flustered.

"Sister-in-law, I promised Ayu that I would protect you well." Ning Sijue said to Lin Qinghuan who looked a little panicked.

"So... I remember you were best friends with him." Lin Qinghuan's heart was beating fast but then it calmed down again. Maybe he was just overthinking it.

"Ayu went to Dayan because he wanted me to live. I went to Dayan secretly..." Ning Sijue didn't finish his words.

"How is he now? Is he living well? Is he happy?" Lin Qinghuan asked anxiously.

Ning Sijue looked at the woman in front of him with eyes full of concern, but for some reason he felt a little strange in his heart.

"Ayu is now the new emperor of Dayan. Except for his lack of freedom, everything else is fine. Huan'er doesn't need to worry about him." Ning Sijue didn't call her sister-in-law this time.

Lin Qinghuan hummed, then smiled bitterly, "Isn't it ridiculous? You're clearly married to someone else, but... you still care about your old friend. You're truly a ridiculous person."

"He is an old friend to others, but he is someone close to us. Huan'er, don't blame yourself." Ning Sijue comforted.

"Thank you, Ning Sijue." Lin Qinghuan looked up at the young man sitting opposite her with tears in her eyes and said, tears also rolled down her fair cheeks.

Ning Sijue wanted to reach out and wipe the woman's tears, but he didn't have the courage to raise his hand. Lin Qinghuan picked up the handkerchief and wiped her tears, then smiled at Ning Sijue.

Chuxia and Aping were standing by the pond outside the pavilion, watching the ornamental fish swimming around and throwing a handful of fish food into the pond from time to time. No one noticed that Tao Baiwan, who was standing on the corridor, had a slight smile on his face.

"Lin Qinghuan, so this is what you're thinking about."

Then he sneered and turned away.