An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

As she was speaking, she suddenly saw their carriage parked not far away. Jing Chunxi's eyes suddenly lit up, and she trotted over, skirt in hand: "Wait!" She climbed onto the carriage nimbly, her movements as nimble as a little squirrel.

"Xi'er, no need..." Xu Zize thought she was going to take something out of the space to share with the villagers, and hurriedly lifted the curtain to stop her. But he saw Jing Chunxi taking out cakes and pastries from the food basket: osmanthus cakes, mung bean cakes, rice dumplings, sugar cakes... The snacks soon filled up the cloth towel.

This was not the end. He took out steaming steamed buns and meat dumplings from the space and filled two large cloth bags, which were tied tightly.

"Give it all to them. What are you going to eat on the road?" Xu Zize frowned as he looked at the empty food basket. He knew this girl too well. She always liked to grab some snacks when she was traveling. If he gave away all the food now, she would go hungry later.

Jing Chunxi waved his hand nonchalantly: "We're not starving. This is just the right time to cleanse our intestines. We'll have a good meal when we get to Dalangge's territory!"

After a pause, he continued, "Brother Xiaokang, didn't you see the conchs and shells the children brought? You can't just take other people's things for free."

Xu Zize was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I was just too busy watching them drinking." He sighed softly, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. This girl is always so sincere, but on second thought, if this kindness meets someone with ulterior motives...

He picked up two heavy packages in one hand and naturally took Jing Chunxi's hand with the other: "Let's go. If they drink any more, they'll get drunk and miss their trip. The next town is still twenty miles away. If we don't set off now, we won't make it before dark."

The setting sun stretched the shadows of the two people very long, one to the left and one to the right, swaying back and forth, looking very harmonious.

...

The rest of the journey went very smoothly and the road became a little easier to walk on.

The continuous rain of the past few days finally stopped, the mud on the official road gradually dried up, and the horses' hooves no longer splashed muddy water when they stepped on it.

After unloading porcelain and tea at Baisha Bay and collecting a large amount of sea salt, Jing Chunxi turned back and was about to reach the area near Shibaao when he whispered to Xu Zize who was riding side by side with him.

"Brother Xiaokang, how about staying in Shibaao for one night? Xi'er misses her uncle." Jing Chunxi's voice was as light as a feather, with a hint of coquettishness. She turned her head to look at Xu Zize, her long eyelashes casting fine shadows in the sunset.

Xu Zize pulled on the reins, slowing his horse. "The general and his men should have dispersed to the north," he said in a low, steady voice. "The day before we left Chancheng, my father's secret letter had already reached the capital and Shibaao."

He frowned slightly as he said this, his eyes looking at the rolling hills in the distance.

"Ah! What about the capital?" Jing Chunxi never expected that Prince Yan would be so quick. Does this mean that the pace will change soon?

Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the reins, her knuckles turning white. The horse, as if sensing its owner's uneasiness, snorted uneasily.

Xu Zize patted her saddle soothingly: "We have the Praefectus Urbi and the Iron Eagle Battalion, people from Daqing Mountain and several villager towns, as well as Jianfeng Mountain, where there are many soldiers." His voice was neither hurried nor slow, but it carried a reassuring power.

After a pause, he continued, "My father is not the kind of person who puts all his hopes on others. He must have a backup plan." The setting sun cast a layer of gold on his profile, outlining his firm outline, deep eye sockets, and high nose bridge.

"So, will Qingshan Manor be in trouble?" Jing Chunxi felt a little scared at the impending storm, and she couldn't help but worry about her family back home. Thinking of her mother's growing belly and the many children at Qingshan Manor, she felt like a stone was weighing down her heart.

Xu Zize turned to look at her, his eyes softened a little: "Xi'er, don't worry, Third Uncle is not the kind of person who would put his wife and children in danger." He paused, "Besides, the baby in your mother's belly is the descendant of Prince Jing's Mansion. They will not ignore them. It's not just Third Uncle who will protect them." He said this with certainty, which made Jing Chunxi's tense shoulders relax a little.

Yes! The secret letter from Prince Yan must have been given to Prince Jing. Knowing that things had changed, given his temperament, he would definitely protect his children and grandchildren first.

Xu Zize's words reassured Jing Chunxi, but she began to worry again. "Then we need to get our food over here quickly!" she said hastily, her voice filled with anxiety. A gentle breeze rustled her hair, lifting a few strands.

Thinking that food was more urgent, she didn't dare to rest after unloading the cargo at Baisha Bay that night. Xu Zize accompanied her into the space. One of them selected seeds, the other planted the crops, and also watered the well. They were busy until almost dawn, and only then rested for an hour in the space.

This morning, she went in to observe. Not only had the seeds sprouted, but leaves had already grown to the length of chopsticks. The tender green leaves stretched endlessly across the space, brimming with lush greenery and vitality, filling her with confidence.

The growth rate seemed faster than she had expected. She wondered if they could have their first harvest by the time they reached Jiangnan. Jing Chunxi counted the days in her mind, her fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the saddle.

After passing Tanxiang and heading north, the two of them felt increasingly depressed day by day, and the place seemed more and more desolate the further they went.

The last time I went back to Beijing, I could occasionally see a few waves of refugees fleeing from the north on the road, but this time, there were waves of people in tattered clothes. In addition to the war that made people's lives miserable, there were also many people who fled from the north after their territory was occupied and were forced to flee.

They were skinny, ragged, with haggard faces and empty eyes, like the walking dead. There were old men staggering on branches, women holding crying babies, and children stumbling barefoot in the mud.

"Go and find out what's going on."

Xu Zize tightened the reins, watching the mother and child, who had fallen to the ground, still clutching each other. The mother's hands remained protective, the child's face bruised, yet he clung tightly to his mother's embrace. A few crows clung to a nearby dead tree, their shrill cries aching with grief.

Looking back at Jing Chunxi who was already showing some fear, Xu Zize called out to the people in the car, "Get down quickly and help the young lady into the car." There was an unquestionable command in Xu Zize's voice.

Chuntao and Tangshuang jumped out of the car immediately, stepped forward and offered their hands to support Jing Chunxi, followed closely by Xiaoman who was afraid to step forward to support him.

Jing Chunxi shook his head and stopped them. It was not possible to turn a blind eye just by getting on the carriage.