Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

By this time, the people who had fallen behind had caught up, and without further delay, the group continued on their way with the people they had rescued along the way.

So Zhou Cai and Steward Li were left to take charge of the front carriage, while Gu Nanzhi, Xia He, and Cang Ling came to the back and rode in the same carriage with Jun Yanchen.

They hadn't walked for long, and hadn't yet reached their usual route or their usual rest time, when Chen Qiang was already preparing to call a halt to the group.

As the leader, Chen Gang naturally stepped forward first to inform them of the arrangements: "Miss Gu, we've chosen a spot with a stream ahead to rest tonight. We'll be approaching Flying Tiger Ridge soon. After discussion, my elder brother said we'll rest again tonight and proceed through Flying Tiger Ridge tomorrow."

Gu Nanzhi's gaze fell on the long, slender shadows cast on the ground as the sun slanted across the ground. It was already late afternoon; even if they continued, they wouldn't be able to go much further. She understood Chen Qiang's plan.

"okay"

After walking for a few more minutes, the group saw the stream Chen Gang had mentioned. The stream wasn't large, but it was crystal clear. Beside the stream was a flat clearing, just enough for everyone to rest.

Being able to rest early today, and even more so by the stream, brought a smile to everyone's face. They eagerly scooped up water and washed their faces to cool off from the heat.

"This stream is nice; it looks like there are fish in it. Uncle Li, you guys gather some firewood to start a fire, and I'll go upstream and see if I can catch a couple of fish."

With such a good opportunity, it's time to change things up. Even if there are no fish in this stream, Gu Nanzhi still has some in her spatial storage.

Anyway, we're definitely having this fish tonight;

"Yes, ma'am"

Steward Li stayed behind, but Cang Ling and the others, being his subordinates, couldn't let their master suffer, so they took on the work themselves.

"Madam, please stay and rest. I'll go catch some fish."

"Oh, let's go together!"

Gu Nanzhi did not choose to stay, mainly because if she went there, she could ensure that there were fish in the stream, regardless of whether there were any originally. If she let Cang Ling and the others go by themselves, she didn't know if they would be able to eat the fish that night.

As she spoke, Gu Nanzhi had already started walking towards the stream.

Therefore, Cang Ling and Zhou Cai said no more and followed the lady's steps. Butler Li and Xia He put things away, set up the table, and then went to collect firewood.

The three fishermen followed the stream upstream to a calmer spot, took off their shoes, rolled up their trousers, and went into the water.

Originally, Cang Ling and the others wanted the lady to stay on the shore while they went into the water.

But Gu Nanzhi was interested in these kinds of outdoor activities, and given her personality, she was destined to be unconventional. So without hesitation, she rolled up her skirt and trousers and went into the water.

After spending so much time together, Cang Ling and the others had come to understand that the lady was not like the typical young ladies of wealthy families in the capital; she possessed more of a free-spirited, chivalrous air.

Therefore, there is nothing surprising or inappropriate about this behavior;

"Madam, there really are fish! I see them!"

"Catch it"

Yes, there are fish.

Once in the water, they indeed saw fish swimming happily. Overjoyed, they quickly aimed their sticks at the harpoon, splashing water. But by the time the splash subsided, the fish had already vanished.

"They escaped; we didn't catch them."

The three of them worked hard in the stream, each searching for fish, then waking them up to catch them. After a while, they became more skilled and successfully caught some fish.

"Caught!"

"Good, catch a few more."

Gu Nanzhi saw that the fish Cang Ling had caught from the water weighed only about three or four ounces; it wasn't big. There weren't many fish in the water, and they weren't particularly large.

Therefore, Gu Nanzhi had a little idea. Since she was just keeping those fish in her space anyway, she decided to release two of the fish that didn't blink much.

First, they released one, which they immediately grabbed, and pulled it out of the stream, exclaiming, "I caught it!"

Upon hearing this, Cang Ling and Zhou Cai immediately turned their gazes over and saw the fish in Gu Nanzhi's hand, which was several times larger than the one they had just caught.

His eyes showed surprise and admiration; the lady seemed to be very skilled in these matters.

"Madam is formidable."

"Madam, the fish you caught is so big!"

"Not bad right?"

Gu Nanzhi cheated without batting an eye, placing the fish she caught on the shore with the ones Cang Ling had just caught, and then returning to the water.

Seeing their earnest and diligent expressions, Gu Nanzhi simply decided to release two of them from her spatial storage so they could try catching something.

"Quick, Canglin, there's a really big one here, don't let it get away!"

"Yes, ma'am"

Cang Ling and Zhou Cai need to catch them right now; they can't come back empty-handed and end up relying on their wives for food.

Therefore, both of them were internally competing with themselves.

"Caught"

"Amazing, amazing!"

"Madam, I've caught one too."

Gu Nanzhi then released large fish from her spatial storage for the two to catch. Of course, seeing the smaller fish in the stream, she also quietly put three or four of them into her storage space.

At this moment, she had no worries, savoring the simple joy that fishing brought her. This wasn't the first time she'd caught fish in the stream; she'd experienced these pleasures in her past life.

Her life in this world was more like a return to the countryside, a life of retirement;

While they were enthusiastically fishing in the stream, other families also came to the stream, striving to get some fish to eat.

With Gu Nanzhi's help, the trio quickly caught four large fish weighing two or three pounds each, and five smaller fish weighing three or four ounces each, which originally came from the stream.

They had caught the fish, but Cang Ling and Zhou Cai felt a vague sense of unease. They felt that these large fish didn't seem like the kind of fish that could grow in this water.

But they definitely caught these fish from this water, it's incomprehensible...

"Cang Ling, Zhou Cai, there are so many fish, we can't finish them all. Take them back and give one large one to the Qi family and one to the escort officer. Then prepare the fish and wait for me to come back to cook them."

Just as they were filled with doubt, Gu Nanzhi gave them instructions, which forced them to pull themselves out of their confusion.

"Yes, ma'am"

"Madam, is there anything else you need? Do you require any assistance?"

"No need, I'll look for some edible wild vegetables and scallions to take back and use in cooking with the fish."

Gu Nanzhi declined and left first, because she needed to take some seasonings out of her spatial storage, and she couldn't let them follow and cause delays.

"Oh, right, go back and start a couple more fires, they'll be useful."

"Yes, ma'am"

Seeing this, Cang Ling and Zhou Cai had no choice but to process all the fish on the spot before carrying them back. They then sent two of them out as Gu Nanzhi had instructed.

Then we prepared the pots, pans, and utensils together, and also set up the extra fires that the lady had mentioned, and waited for the lady to come back;

Gu Nanzhi already had a plan for how to cook the fish tonight: she would make fish soup, braise one, and grill another. With those ingredients in mind, she took out some and returned to the camp.

"Madam, you're back. Everything is ready."

"Miss"

"Okay, take these and wash them clean."

"Yes"

"By the way, is that person still not awake?"