The sky brightened, revealing a seemingly endless official road.
Meng Qingping and Jiang Tou'er walked at the very back of the group, speaking in low voices.
Not quite at the very back, though. A little shadow trailed them.
Fu Xinci hadn't expected Grandpa Jiang to warn her grandfather about the officials in Liaodong.
Seeing Meng Qingping's furrowed brow, Jiang Tou'er, fearing he had scared the man, tried to reassure him. "Second Brother Meng, don't worry too much. There are good people and bad people everywhere. I'm just reminding you to be careful, to avoid falling into certain people's traps and becoming their scapegoat."
"..."
"Many years ago, when we went to the Northwest, something happened. Lord Guo was also dismissed and demoted to the Northwest due to his main family's troubles."
"The moment we saw him report to the yamen, the very next day, before we even left the city, we heard that Lord Guo had been hired by the county magistrate as a grain and fodder clerk. We didn't understand it then and were happy for him. He was also very grateful for our care on the journey, so he cashed in his salary in advance and treated us to a good meal at a restaurant."
"And then?"
"Not long after we left, we heard that something had happened in the Northwest. Someone had embezzled military pay meant for the Northwestern army, and Lord Guo was accused of being the mastermind."
"How is that possible?"
"We thought so too, but the evidence was irrefutable. He was awaiting execution."
Meng Qingping grew tense and quickly asked, "What happened then?"
"Fortunately, Lord Guo had a good father-in-law who took the case directly to the Emperor. The Emperor, in his rage, quickly sent people to investigate the truth. Not only was Lord Guo's name cleared, but he also benefited from the misfortune, directly entering the Dali Temple and becoming the Shaoqing of Dali Temple."
Fu Xinci: Her family could forget about such good fortune. Her grandfather was suppressed by his eldest legitimate brother, leaving him with no connections in the officialdom.
As for her grandmother's relatives, they were all small merchants, peddlers, and farmers. They always came to their grandmother for help during festivals.
Fu Xinci, possessing all the memories of the original body, reviewed her family's relationships but couldn't find a single person who could act as a patron.
As for those who might cause trouble, it went without saying they all shared her grandfather's surname.
Ahead, Meng Qingping bowed deeply to Jiang Tou'er. "Meng offers his sincere thanks for Brother Jiang's warning."
"Hey, Second Brother Meng, what are you doing? Get up quickly." Jiang Tou'er was surprised by Meng Qingping's profound bow and hurried forward to help him up.
"It is deserved. If Brother Jiang hadn't informed me in advance, when faced with the situation, my emotions might have gotten the better of me, and I truly would have jumped into such a trap."
"I believe Second Brother Meng is a sensible person."
"Sensible people are still mortals, and mortals make mistakes."
"Heh heh." Meng Qingping insisted on being humble, and Jiang Tou'er could say no more.
The two ambled forward, their camaraderie stretching out like the official road before them.
Fu Xinci, following behind them, repeatedly told herself that Grandpa Jiang was a good person and that she would repay him when the opportunity arose.
As they walked, the scorching sun reached its zenith, making everyone gasp for breath. Finally, they spotted the next town.
"Qingshui Town." Fu Xinci saw the three characters carved on a large stone in front of the town and immediately thought that Qingshui Town must have a Qingshui River.
Indeed, the town was quite large, and it happened to be market day. Seeing the bustling streets, the young ladies from the Duke's mansion felt as if they had traveled through time.
The eldest branch of the Meng family had two daughters. The elder daughter, Meng Yujiao, born to Consort Mei, was already married. After the Meng Duke's mansion fell into ruin, Meng Yujiao, although not divorced, was sent to a dowry estate by her husband's family.
The second daughter of the eldest branch was a concubine's daughter named Meng Yuwu. She was fifteen this year and born to Concubine Li, who was a distant niece of Duchess Li.
With Duchess Li's backing, Concubine Li felt emboldened. Moreover, she was well aware of Consort Mei's character. As soon as they embarked on their journey of exile, she took her daughter and quietly stayed by Duchess Li's side.
No matter what excuse Consort Mei used to try and coax her into serving her, Concubine Li always used the reason that she and her daughter needed to attend to the Old Madam, refusing to comply.
Consort Mei was so angry she could only glare, unable to do anything to the mother and daughter.
The second branch of the Meng family had a total of three daughters. The eldest, Meng Yulian, and the second daughter, Meng Yuyan, were both born to the legitimate wife, Lady Liu. The third daughter, Meng Yusu, was born to Concubine Tao.
Fortunately, Lady Liu was not a cruel person. Despite the hardships along the way, she did not mistreat Concubine Tao and her daughter.
In turn, Concubine Tao and her daughter were grateful for Lady Liu's kindness and served her diligently.
The aroma of steamed buns wafted from a distance, and a bun vendor loudly hawked his wares: "Big steamed buns! Freshly made big meat buns, three wen each. Take a bite, and a whole basket of oil!"
Hearing the vendor's call, everyone couldn't help but look. Regardless of age, they all felt a pang of hunger.
Jiang Tou'er, for reasons unknown, pointed to a shaded empty spot nearby and told everyone to sit and rest.
Everyone thought: Are we meant to just smell them?
Meng Yulin, the only male heir of the second branch and the youngest child, gazed wistfully in the direction of the savory aroma, licked his lips, and said to Lady Liu, "Mother, I want to eat meat buns."
Lady Liu looked at her son's aggrieved little face and felt a pang of heartache, wanting to cry. But at this juncture, she couldn't cry. She was the pillar of the second branch; if she cried, what would happen to her children?
She couldn't be like Consort Mei, only thinking of herself.
In reality, she had two silver notes hidden in her personal clothes, secretly given to her by her brothers before leaving the capital.
These two silver notes were the sole hope for their mother and daughters. All three daughters were of marriageable age. Without the Duke's mansion's wealth, they couldn't marry into official families. However, they still had to marry into ordinary families. If they didn't marry, they'd end up as old maids at home, which wouldn't do.
She had already planned to find suitable husbands for her three daughters once they settled in Liaodong.
As long as the family background was reputable, the household was simple, and ideally, the mother-in-law was easy to get along with, she would be ready to marry off her three daughters.
This way, she could also be at ease. Otherwise, as a woman, how could she raise three daughters alone? She dared not imagine the future.
In short, all three daughters must marry well and be legitimate wives. She would not allow her daughters to become concubines, not even wealthy ones. She didn't want her daughters to be subjected to rules dictated by other women.
Thinking of the days ahead, Lady Liu gritted her teeth, suppressing the tears in her eyes, and said to her son, "Lin'er, Mother doesn't have any money to buy you buns right now."
"Mother, do we really have no money?" Meng Yulin knew that the Duke's mansion had been raided and they were not allowed to bring out anything but their clothes.
But he really wanted to eat a meat bun. He felt like he hadn't eaten meat in a long time.
Upon further reflection, it wasn't that he hadn't eaten meat in a long time; rather, he hadn't eaten a full meal in a long time.