Abandoning Wife and Selling Daughter? Turning Around to Marry a Powerful Minister and Wiping Out Your Entire Clan! - Chapter 14

Zhou Xiang Ning looked up at Cen Ning’er, who was standing in front of her.

Her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, her small mouth was pouting, and her little face was full of reluctance.

“Being sold was the work of evil people. My mother is still waiting for me in the capital, so of course, I must go back,” Zhou Xiang Ning said firmly, her voice steady.

She didn’t know how many connections her mother had sought or how much money she had spent to get the imperial merchant to search for her along the way. She had to go back.

General Cen glanced at Zhou Xiang Ning, his eyes carrying a hint of appreciation.

If not for her dirty clothes and messy hair, she could easily be mistaken for an elegant young nobleman.

This girl had endured hardship, yet she remained intelligent and strong-willed. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to form a good relationship with her.

When they returned to their own courtyards, General Cen spoke with his wife, and she agreed.

“When the girl leaves the day after tomorrow, I’ll go to send her off. In these two days, let our eldest daughter-in-law prepare some things for her journey,” Madam Cen said after thinking it over.

Time passed quickly. At dawn, the rooster crowed.

Zhou Xiang Ning had already finished preparing.

She changed her clothes, combed her hair, and dressed as a young man.

At the city gate, Jiang Yutong handed her a large bundle, saying it was something prepared for the journey.

Zhou Xiang Ning cupped her hands in gratitude.

Cen Ning’er hesitated before handing over a protective charm.

Surprised, Zhou Xiang Ning still reached out to accept it. After thanking her, she placed it close to her body, and Cen Ning’er finally looked a little happier.

“Ning’er!” Someone called for Cen Ning’er. Zhou Xiang Ning looked up and saw that Madam Cen had also come to see her off. She was smiling warmly, yet for some reason, Zhou Xiang Ning found her face familiar.

Who could she be? Zhou Xiang Ning couldn’t figure it out.

She climbed onto the carriage and looked at Cen Ning’er, who was reluctant to part. She pressed her lips together and finally said that once she arrived in the capital, she would send a letter.

Cen Ning’er’s face lit up instantly, and she waved at her enthusiastically.

“The time has come. I’ll take my leave now!” Shi Wentao, sitting on his horse, raised his voice to bid farewell before leading his men away.

Zhou Xiang Ning had no time to think further and quickly sat inside the carriage.

By midday, the trade caravan stopped to rest.

Zhou Xiang Ning didn’t leave the carriage. She took out the dry rations Jiang Yutong had given her and slowly ate.

Shi Wentao didn’t say anything. He only noted that the girl was quite cautious. He didn’t mind and simply asked a servant to bring her a bowl of lamb soup.

Even though they were in the frontier lands, Shi Wentao still liked to maintain a certain level of comfort.

Housing couldn’t be helped, but at least he could enjoy good food.

The servant was quite talkative. As he delivered the lamb soup, he chattered away about all sorts of gossip within the trade caravan.

He spoke about how everyone in the caravan was skilled in combat and how, whenever they passed through a place and encountered bandits, they would sometimes even help catch them.

His storytelling was lively and animated.

When he described how they caught bandits, he even gestured dramatically, making it all seem quite amusing.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching hooves echoed from outside.

Zhou Xiang Ning lifted the carriage curtain slightly and peeked outside.

She saw a group of riders approaching in a cloud of dust, kicking up high waves of yellow sand.

“That’s a friend of Master Shi, also a merchant,” the servant said before getting ready to leave.

Seeing Zhou Xiang Ning’s hesitant expression, he grinned. “My name is Yan Yuyang. Just call me Yuyang. Next time, I’ll come back and tell you more stories.”

With that, he jumped off the carriage and ran toward Shi Wentao’s tent.

Zhou Xiang Ning watched as Yan Yuyang ran off, still waving at her. She found it quite amusing.

Inside the tent, Shi Wentao and the newcomer gave each other a firm hug, patting each other’s backs.

“Brother Shi!”

“Brother Nian!”

After some polite greetings, they sat on the floor by a table.

The foreign merchant looked troubled and told Shi Wentao that he probably wouldn’t be doing business for the next two months.

“Did something happen at home?” Shi Wentao asked.

“No, my master divined that there may be bloodshed on the grasslands in the coming months,” the merchant shook his head and continued, “I thought about it, and with the season of tornadoes approaching, it might be a good time to rest anyway.”

“Bloodshed? Tornadoes?” Shi Wentao murmured.

Normally, the deputy shopkeeper handled travel. If it weren’t for Shopkeeper Hao asking him to find someone, he would have just stayed in the capital and handled business with the foreign merchants there.

That was how he had become familiar with this particular merchant.

He had only heard of such disasters before but had never personally paid attention to the seasons. Now, he realized that this might not be the best time to be traveling.

Furthermore, the trade caravan always traveled with someone skilled in reading the weather.

Shi Wentao kept this in mind and casually chatted with the merchant for a while before the group quickly departed.

After the meal, the trade caravan packed up and prepared to move again.

Zhou Xiang Ning sorted through her bundle.

Jiang Yutong had been very thoughtful—not only had she included a few sets of clothes, but also some simple jewelry, some loose silver, and even a small knife. The rest was food.

After checking her belongings, she put them aside and looked out the window. If she felt sleepy, she would just lean against the carriage wall and doze off.

“Wake up, wake up.”

Zhou Xiang Ning opened her eyes and saw a face in front of her. Still drowsy, her eyes were filled with confusion.

Yan Yuyang laughed at the sight, handing her two flatbreads.

“Here, eat quickly. They’re freshly made.” He then pulled out a thick cloak from behind. “The grassland nights are freezing. Use this to cover yourself when you sleep.”

After saying that, he left the carriage.

Still holding the flatbreads in a daze, Zhou Xiang Ning was startled when Yan Yuyang suddenly ran back and knocked on the carriage window.

“I didn’t finish my story this afternoon! I’ll tell you the rest tomorrow. Sleep well!”

After saying that with a cheerful grin, he ran off again.

Zhou Xiang Ning, still half-asleep, finally came to her senses, slowly eating the flatbread.

It tasted quite good.

She wrapped herself in the cloak and gradually fell asleep, still thinking about the flatbread.

Shi Wentao trusted the merchant’s warning. For several days, he urged the caravan to hurry forward. Finally, as they neared the Central Plains, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Xiang Ning, however, had suffered. The rough roads and the caravan’s rapid pace had left her battered and bruised from being jolted around in the carriage.

Now that they could rest for a while, she climbed out to stretch her legs.

The autumn sun was warm, filling her body with comfort.

The cook had prepared lamb soup again, but this time, there was also flatbread soaked in the soup.

Zhou Xiang Ning took a bowl. The bread was soft and chewy, and the lamb soup was rich and delicious.

She finished a bowl but still wanted more.

Noticing her hesitation, Yan Yuyang placed his own bowl beside her, grabbed hers, and ran off to get more.

Sitting on a rock, Zhou Xiang Ning propped her chin with her hand and watched as the boy was playfully teased by the cook, struggling to get the soup ladle.

She thought to herself, “After Mother, this is the second person… no, the third person who has been kind to me. Cen Ning’er was also very nice. I will remember them all.”

Her cold face slowly melted into a smile.

Just then, Yan Yuyang’s face suddenly turned red with embarrassment, then instantly paled. His eyes widened, and his bowl fell to the ground.

He shouted something at her.

Before she could react, she was swept up into the sky.