Jiang Tou'er felt a pang of regret. Watching the children gather and chatter endlessly, he didn't feel annoyed; instead, he felt a touch of envy. He mused that if he had married and had children back then, he would have had a similar brood of grandchildren.
Alas, regret! But who would believe him if he spoke those words aloud?
...
With a hint of weariness he couldn't quite explain, Jiang Tou'er decided they would stop for the day at a small village about twenty li from Ningyuan City.
Fu Xin Ci stood by the official road, the entire village spread out before her eyes.
The small village was well-situated, surrounded by fields of crops stretching as far as the eye could see. A small river meandered past the village, and next to it lay a large patch of woods, beyond which a small hill rose.
At this hour, farmers were still toiling in the fields. Seeing the corn stalks swaying in the breeze by the roadside, Qi He shot Jiang Tou'er a look that spoke volumes.
Jiang Tou'er knew what he was thinking and cautioned him, "Kid, grain is precious this time of year. If you dare to damage their crops, you'll surely get a beating, and they'll come looking for you at home."
Going home to face them was impossible, but getting a severe beating in front of Sister Fu, crying and wailing, was something he couldn't bear.
He absolutely could not lose face in front of Sister Fu.
Seeing that Qi He had abandoned the idea of plucking green corn, Jiang Tou'er relaxed and lay down to rest in a spot thick with mugwort.
Qi He was so excited about seeing his father, whom he had longed to see for many years, that he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.
He hadn't really intended to damage the cornfield; his heart was just ablaze with excitement, and he wanted to do something to calm himself.
Fu Xin Ci, noticing his restless mood, suggested they go to the river.
"Let's go fishing!" Qi He thought Sister Fu's suggestion was excellent.
"Let's go together," Meng Yu Tang knew his future was uncertain and that staying with Qi He and the others a while longer would be good.
"Alright, let's go together."
Lounging in the mugwort, Jiang Tou'er was inspired by the children's suggestion. He stood up, a blade of grass in his mouth, and said to the members of the Meng clan, "This place we've found is good. You ladies should go to the small river and wash up too, lest you be laughed at when you reach Ningyuan City tomorrow."
...The ladies of the Duke's mansion, upon hearing Jiang Tou'er's words, all wore joyful expressions, almost treating Jiang Tou'er as an ancestor, if not for the need to build an altar and worship him.
"Go in batches; the men first, then the women and children," Jiang Tou'er instructed, adding, "When the women go to the river, have your men stand guard at a distance, so that no careless individuals might bump into them."
"Ah, thank you, Jiang Tou'er, for your consideration," Lady Li said, leading the thanks. Having traveled this far, she had realized that although Jiang Tou'er was constantly shouting orders, he wasn't a bad person.
At least, the women of their Duke's mansion had all remained chaste. This alone was a testament to a person's character.
Furthermore, as long as they didn't cause trouble, these escort officers were quite humane and wouldn't pick fights for no reason.
They considered themselves fortunate amidst their misfortune, having encountered this group of escort officers during their exile.
Otherwise... she dared not think further.
Among the men, those with a conscience felt the same way. They were deeply grateful for Jiang Tou'er's kindness.
Some people only truly reflect when they reach their lowest point.
Fu Xin Ci and Qi He exchanged glances, and Qi He and the others let out excited cries and ran towards the river.
"Brother, take me with you." Qi Ren climbed down from the donkey cart and chased after them.
"What about me? Why isn't anyone waiting for me?" Yu'er, anxious, began to shout from atop the donkey cart.
"Don't worry, Yu'er. We'll go together after your father has finished parking the cart."
"Okay." Yu'er, hearing his grandfather say that he and his father would also be going, then extended his small hand for his grandfather to lift him down from the donkey cart.
"Let's go too. Wu Lao San, seeing the escort officers heading to the river, felt his own desire to go."
"Not now. Let's wait until Brother Fu and the others return and ask them to watch our things for us before we go."
"Brother is right. I didn't think it through."
From the small riverbank in the distance, occasional sounds of men's laughter and children's playful shouts could be heard. Fu Xin Ci, her back to the river, stared lost in thought at the weeds by the roadside.
Suddenly, a faint rustling sound from afar caught her attention. "Wow." She hadn't expected there to be rabbits at the edge of the bean patch.
Her body was more honest than her mind. The instant she heard the sound, she had already darted out.
Leaving behind a wave of exclamations.
"Ci'er..."
"My heavens!"
The commotion among the women immediately drew the attention of those by the river. The men looked over, their eyes widening as they watched the little girl seemingly glide over the tips of the grass, her feet barely touching the ground.
"Told you to run, but I caught you, hahahaha."
The sound of tinkling laughter carried on the wind. Qi He, stunned, scrambled towards the riverbank in a flurry.
"Qi Ge, you, you, you..." At a crucial moment, Meng Yu Luo, ever observant, reminded him that they were bathing in the river and none of them were wearing clothes.
Qi He, who had nearly exposed himself, immediately submerged himself, sinking to the bottom of the river, only his small head peeking out, too afraid to move.
Thinking about his recent actions, his face flushed and paled. He wiped his hot cheeks with river water before waving to Meng Yu Luo, "Thank you, Yu Luo." If Meng Yu Luo hadn't stopped him in time, he would have been utterly humiliated today.
The thought of it made him shudder; he almost wouldn't have been able to face Sister Fu again.
"We're all friends, aren't we? Why thank me for such a small matter?" Meng Yu Luo had also learned to be playful.
As the two of them chatted, the others remained silent, their eyes fixed on the little girl.
Fu Xin Ci struggled to lift a large rabbit, giggling twice, before looking towards the distance.
"Hahahaha, do you plant rabbits in your bean patch too?"
After her laughter, Fu Xin Ci was a little dismayed. Her current posture was quite awkward. The two rabbits were quite heavy, and her small frame simply couldn't lift them.
Looking down at her comical pose, kneeling on one rabbit with her hands pressing down on the other.
This was too pathetic. "Can someone help me!"
The little girl's cry for help amused several people riding horses in the distance. The man at the head, his peach blossom eyes narrowed, took in the girl's embarrassing predicament. He let out a few hearty laughs and urged his horse forward.
When he reached her, he was even more amused. "I say, little girl, you're too greedy. With your tiny frame, barely enough to fill a plate, you've caught two big rabbits. Can you even get up?"
Fu Xin Ci desperately wanted to say, isn't that obvious? If I could get up, would I be calling for help?