In the cramped space, Qi Huan sat uneasily on Li Shuchen's lap.
She looked directly into Li Shuchen's burning eyes and softly negotiated, "How about we put this on credit for now?"
Looking at her slightly reddened eyes, Li Shuchen remembered her earlier tears. He reluctantly agreed with a "Mm," then added, "But there will be interest."
"Alright!" Qi Huan readily agreed, giggling, "The interest will be the Heart-Calming Mantra."
"I'll recite it for you, to help cool you down."
She quickly lowered her gaze then raised it again, pushing against Li Shuchen's chest to signal him to let go.
After crawling back to her own seat, she expertly began to recite the scripture, until she recited herself to sleep...
When she woke up, she heard Yan Qing's voice calling her from outside the space.
"Sister Qi, come out for lunch!"
"Coming!"
Not being eager for food means there's a problem with one's thinking. Qi Huan whooshed back into the carriage compartment.
The carriage had long since stopped, and the accompanying guards had already set up the pot and were cooking the instant noodles she had previously sold to the Yunying Caravan.
Instant noodles weren't nutritious, but she was healthy enough to eat them.
After finishing and rinsing her mouth, she took out the thermos filled with pork liver, celery, and lean pork porridge and gave it to Li Shuchen in the space.
As Li Shuchen drank the porridge, she belatedly remembered something.
"Shu, you peeked at my diary!"
The system chimed in: "How can you call it peeking when it's a scholar's business?"
Meanwhile, Li Shuchen swallowed his porridge leisurely and turned to look at her: "I had placed my book on the side of the seat and accidentally picked up the wrong one."
"Fine."
Qi Huan accepted the reality and learned her lesson, moving her diary to another space and placing it on a shelf.
She also made a silent vow: [I'm a dog if I write in my diary again.]
The carriage bumped along, though they felt none of it inside the space.
As the watch hands approached nine o'clock, night fell. They finally arrived at Meizhou City.
Qi Huan exited the space and jumped down from the carriage, quickly surrounded by Xu Nanny and the others who had been waiting for a long time.
"Greetings to Miss. We heard there was an epidemic in Yunzhou, and we were all worried about you, but we were like headless flies, not knowing where to look for you."
"Fortunately, the accompanying guards sent word that you were safe and resting in Yunzhou City. Only then could we put our hearts back in our stomachs..."
Xu Nanny rambled on, her eyes full of concern.
Finally, Tao Su interrupted her: "Nanny, Miss has had a long and tiring journey. Let's talk later and let Miss bathe and rest first."
"Look at my mouth, getting older makes one chatty. Please forgive me, Miss."
Xu Nanny lightly patted her sagging cheeks, then instructed the other two maids: "Ruo Lan, Ruo Zhu, go and hurry the staff to prepare hot water. Miss is waiting to bathe."
Xu Nanny walked and gave instructions, organizing everything meticulously, and even wanted to personally attend to Qi Huan's bath.
Qi Huan politely declined her offer, quickly finished her bath, and then asked for a second bucket of water. She prepared the Chinese medicine and helped Li Shuchen into it... By the time she finished all this, it was already late into the night.
The bed was ice-cold and uninviting because of Li Shuchen's presence. Qi Huan rolled herself into a caterpillar and tumbled to the position near the wall.
Seeing this, Li Shuchen voluntarily said, "Huan, I'll go sleep in the space."
Qi Huan thought for a moment, remembered there was heating in the space, and agreed to his request. With Li Shuchen gone from the bed, it instantly became spacious. She hugged a hot water bottle and slept spread-eagled, quickly entering dreamland.
The next day, the sun shone brightly.
The group once again set off on the road back to the capital, stopping and starting for half a month, finally arriving in the Capital City at the end of November.
After the coachman presented the travel documents and slipped some tea money to the gate guards, they were quickly allowed through.
The carriage wheels slowly rolled over the wide and smooth Imperial Avenue, passed through the bustling market, and turned into Qingping Ward.
Finally, they stopped in front of the third residence in the ward.
Xu Nanny got off the carriage first, walked to Qi Huan's compartment, and reminded her, "Miss, we've arrived."
Yan Qing lifted the carriage curtain, placed her hand on the carriage frame, and stepped aside, saying to Qi Huan, "Miss, please."
Xu Nanny had taught her the proper etiquette on the journey, so she performed it perfectly.
Qi Huan gave her a secret smile, stepped on the mounting block, and gracefully descended from the carriage.
Looking ahead, she saw the ancient-style residence with its blue bricks and green tiles. The vermilion main gate was wide open, and a plump, beautiful middle-aged woman was supporting a kind-looking elderly lady, both eagerly watching her.
The maids stood properly to the side, while another elderly nanny chimed in, "Old Lady, look, Xu Nanny has brought Miss back."
Old Lady Song's eyes glistened with tears as she excitedly watched the young girl slowly approach. It was as if she was looking at her, yet also looking through the layers of time at her exiled daughter.
It had been over a decade since they parted ways in the suburbs.
Old Lady Song had missed her daughter so much that her eyes were nearly swollen from crying. As Qi Huan approached, she no longer cared about formalities and grabbed her hand, trembling as she said, "Good child, it's good that you're back."
Xu Nanny's earlier letter had already mentioned the news of Song Zhibai's demise, and Old Lady Song was heartbroken whenever she thought about it.
Her daughter, whom she had cherished and pampered, had been exiled to a harsh and cold place. How much suffering she must have endured on the journey, and how painful and frightening her final moments must have been.
The elder had not been able to await the return of the younger, but at least a trace of her bloodline remained in this world.
Old Lady Song patted Qi Huan's hand, leading her while asking about her journey.
Qi Huan deliberately slowed her pace, answering her questions gently and softly.
Before meeting Old Lady Song, she had only thought about returning to visit the original owner's relatives on her behalf, to give them some comfort.
But after meeting Old Lady Song, a warm current kept flowing through her heart.
Perhaps it was the mysterious connection of blood, or perhaps it was Old Lady Song's loving gaze that made her experience what is called familial affection for the first time in this life and her previous one.
According to ancient etiquette, Old Lady Song didn't need to wait for her at the door. But upon receiving the servant's news, Old Lady Song had become anxious and insisted on coming to the door to greet her, despite her unsteady steps.
Elder Madam Song had no choice but to give in to her mother-in-law's wishes and followed her out with her daughter-in-law and young daughter.
The main doors were thrown wide open, with all the female members of the household waiting at the courtyard entrance. The perceptive servants immediately understood that this young miss was Old Lady Song's darling, and they'd better show respect.
Upon reaching the main hall, Qi Huan knelt gracefully on behalf of her parents, performing a deep bow. She sweetly called out, "Grandmother."
The young girl's soft, delicate voice made Old Lady Song beam with delight. "Alright, we're all family here. There's no need for such formalities between us, Huan Huan. Please stand up."
Elder Madam Song, standing nearby, also smiled and said, "Indeed, Huan Huan, do get up. Your grandmother has something nice for you."
A few days earlier, her mother-in-law had started rummaging through chests and cabinets.
Unfortunately, most of both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law's dowries had been sold off, leaving them with few valuables.
In the end, Old Lady Song chose a set of jade hair ornaments she had kept in the bottom of a trunk as a welcoming gift.
Elder Madam Song removed the thick gold bracelet from her wrist and, without a word, slipped it onto Qi Huan's fair arm.
Young Madam Song, who was Qi Huan's eldest sister-in-law, presented her with an exquisite dragonfly-shaped hairpin.
Qi Huan thanked each of them in turn. Just as she was about to offer her own prepared gifts, a small head suddenly peeked out from behind Young Madam Song.
