Qin Yiqing saw her daughter enter the home of Zhan Tianye and Yun Shu.
Her lips twitched fiercely.
How had she given birth to such a daughter? So cunning and sharp! Did she know that no matter how angry she was, half of it would dissipate when facing Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye?
She walked in, feeling rather speechless.
"I'm not unreasonable, chasing her all over town. She's only eleven, a mere child, yet she thinks she knows it all and insists on going to the capital with Jing Lan and Jing Yun." Qin Yiqing said, sitting down beside Zhan Tianye and Yun Shu.
Seeing the couple leisurely sipping tea, Qin Yiqing sighed. Fine lines had appeared around her eyes, yet time seemed to have stopped for them. They were still as magnificent as they had been over a decade ago.
"Uncle Ye, Aunt Yun, I just miss Brother Xiao Li and Brother Xiao Feng. I've never been to the capital before, and I want to see it! Jing Lan and Jing Yun and I have already agreed to go together. Brother Xiao Li and the others went out to explore the martial world at our age, so we should go out and explore too. And Xiao Jun, Xiao Jun is the same age as me, and she's already gone out with Brother Xiao Jing. Don't you think so?" Ji Ruoyu presented facts and evidence.
Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye exchanged a glance.
Yun Shu smiled gently, "What you're saying has some truth to it."
"Yun Shu, why aren't you on my side? What do you mean 'some truth'? We've only been back a few days and she can't stay put. We've been away for over a year, and she's become too wild! She must have instigated Jing Lan and Jing Yun to want to go together." Qin Yiqing knew her daughter best.
Ji Ruoyu showed no sign of embarrassment at being found out. She grinned, "Mother knows me best, hehe. I just heard that people in the capital are very shrewd, and I'm afraid Brother Xiao Li and Brother Xiao Feng might be bullied there. Besides, they have some things to do in the capital, perhaps we could help?"
Qin Yiqing was truly at a loss for how to handle her daughter. She could only roll her eyes speechlessly and then said to Yun Shu, "You talk to her. She usually listens to you the most."
Yun Shu took a sip of tea and smiled, "We plan to set off for the Ruan family in the next couple of days to see Zhi Ruo and Ruan Xi. We'll be going in that direction anyway, so we can let them travel with us."
It had been two years since she last saw Zhi Ruo and the others.
Zhi Ruo was pregnant again and had been feeling unwell these past few days. Ruan Xi was extremely anxious and had sent a carrier pigeon urging her to come.
The current Ruan Xi was completely different from his past self. He was devoted to Zhi Ruo, and there were no other women around him. He already had two sons, one seven years old and the other five. Now that Zhi Ruo was pregnant again, Ruan Xi couldn't bear to see her suffer and worried about any unforeseen circumstances.
"Ah! Aunt Yun, that's wonderful! Aunt Yun is the best, I love you the most, Aunt Yun!" Ji Ruoyu cheered excitedly.
She was going to the capital. She wondered if the people in the capital were easy to trick out of their money!
She was going to make a fortune!
"That's great! Father, Mother, look, Aunt Yun agrees," a young boy's voice was heard from the entrance.
Yun Shu looked up. It was Jing Heng and A'cha, with their son and daughter.
After they got married, Jing Heng had a family and later had a son and daughter. Gradually, he was no longer a person devoid of emotion. A smile would occasionally appear on his face, and he doted on A'cha immensely, pampering her all the time.
"That's fine. Let them go out and gain some experience. At this age, they should go out and see the world themselves," Jing Heng agreed.
A'cha had been a little worried at first, but thinking that her son and daughter were skilled in martial arts, and her daughter knew some medical skills, coupled with the cunning Ji Ruoyu who also knew divination, she felt that the three of them traveling together shouldn't be a problem. Others wouldn't gain an advantage.
They carried so many hidden weapons and poisons that others would be the ones at a disadvantage.
Seeing that they all agreed, and seeing Ji Rong approaching and nodding at her, Qin Yiqing also nodded, "Alright, I agree."
"Hooray!"
The three children exclaimed in unison.
These three children admired Brothers Xiao Li, Xiao Feng, and Xiao Jing the most.
They used to love following them around when they were younger.
They missed them greatly after not seeing them for some time.
Now that Brother Xiao Li and Brother Xiao Feng were in the capital, they naturally wanted to follow!
The three children winked at each other, their happiness overflowing.
The adults, with a shared understanding, watched them with smiling faces. They knew exactly what these children were thinking.
It felt like everything that had happened before was just yesterday.
Today, these children had all grown up, each with a desire to venture out and see the world.
...
Northern Frontier.
The language of the Northern Frontier was different from that of the other three kingdoms.
If people from the other three kingdoms entered, they would be immediately discovered as outsiders by the people of the Northern Frontier.
The scenery of the Northern Frontier was also different from other places.
Zhan Xiaojun had recently read a book that circulated from the Northern Frontier, which spoke of various poisons and curses, making her very curious.
Yun Xiaojing doted on Zhan Xiaojun the most. Hearing his sister's curiosity about the Northern Frontier, he immediately agreed to take her there personally.
He was also somewhat curious.
After entering the Northern Frontier, the siblings first arrived at a city.
The city was crowded, and the attire of its inhabitants differed from theirs.
There were also many people from Dongning Kingdom, Xixia Kingdom, and Nanzhao Kingdom.
The siblings wore disguised faces, making them look ordinary and unexceptional.
They browsed the marketplace and bought some rare medicinal herbs. Afterward, Yun Xiaojing took Zhan Xiaojun to a restaurant.
There were few people in the restaurant.
It featured Northern Frontier specialty dishes.
The aroma wafting from the kitchen was spicy, easily bringing tears to one's eyes.
Fortunately, the siblings had traveled far and wide in recent years and had tried almost all kinds of cuisine. Their adaptability was strong, and they had even eaten spicy hot pot with their parents many times.
Subsequently, the siblings ordered a few dishes.
While waiting for the dishes to be served, Zhan Xiaojun said to Yun Xiaojing, "Third Brother, we'll go to the apothecary and bookstore later. I want to buy more herbs and books."
"Alright, after we finish eating, Third Brother will take you," Yun Xiaojing replied softly.
Just then, some people ascended to the second floor.
They were noisy, a group of several people.
There were men and women.
They were around their age and were accompanied by attendants.
One of the men was holding a large, colorful snake coiled around his arm.
The waiter, being experienced, was unfazed by the snake and led them to a table behind Yun Xiaojing and his sister.
After they sat down, they ordered a lavish spread of dishes.
One of the young girls, bored, looked around after sitting down. At first, she didn't pay close attention to Yun Xiaojing and Zhan Xiaojun.
But as she looked, her gaze stopped on the siblings.
Then, she stared intently at the white jade bracelet on Zhan Xiaojun's wrist.