The fire burned for most of the night, and fog rolled in during the latter half.
There was nothing left to burn on the mountaintop.
Everything combustible had been consumed, and conveniently, a cliff created a natural firebreak.
This wave of setting fire to the mountain favored the Jiang family in timing and terrain.
One doesn't simply set fires recklessly; wind direction and topography must be considered.
Foolishly starting a fire could result in burning oneself, spelling doom.
Chu Xi hadn't expected to go all-in, but he truly did.
They were ruthless.
Jiang Er was no slouch either.
Both had backgrounds as rebels.
Why should they leave each other an escape route?
The vultures had waited so long; it was time for their feast.
To the victor go the spoils; the defeated die.
No survivors left.
That night.
Commander Jiang waited for his daughter to finish her late-night snack and go to bed soundly, soothed his wife to sleep, and then went out to kill.
A bloodbath ensued.
The stars twinkled.
To the starry sky, humans slaughtering each other was no different from ants doing the same - utterly insignificant.
At this moment, Jiang Changtian was as cold-blooded as an ant.
The enemy had ambushed his entire family, intending to exterminate them all, from the eldest to the youngest, including unborn children in the womb. And now they begged for mercy.
Should he spare them, only to wait for them to recover and come kill him again?
In Commander Jiang's view, there was only death!
About a hundred people had fled down the mountain.
A hundred survivors.
Jiang Changtian arrived and immediately ordered their execution.
As swords sliced through bodies, blood sprayed, and the dying let out wails and curses before their end.
Jiang Changtian listened intently to these curses.
If they only cursed him, he didn't mind.
But if anyone dared to curse his wife and children, he would lean down and say: "You dare curse my wife and children? I will investigate your identity, and when the opportunity arises, I will personally kill your parents, your wife, your sons, your daughters, your brothers and relatives. If you're alone in this world, it matters not - I'll grind your bones to dust and ensure you never reincarnate."
Thus, the dying became more civil in their final words.
Because the others sensed this man meant what he said.
He was emotionless, the most handsome, and the most decisive in action.
That night, vultures gathered in flocks; it seemed as if scavengers from all directions had arrived.
They pecked frantically at the feast, and when full, perched on the rocks like black umbrellas.
The next day.
There was frost and ice, but no sunlight.
A blanket of fog covered everything.
The dazzling spectacle from yesterday was gone.
Only a shivering coldness remained.
Mianmian, with her abundant energy, got up to wash and dress, warming up quickly as she moved about.
As she rose, the entire caravan seemed to awaken, becoming lively.
Jiang Mianmian was talkative, able to converse with anyone.
After all, she was someone who could chat endlessly even with Jiang Xiaoshu.
Seeing movement from her elder sister's carriage, and with her brother-in-law absent, Jiang Mianmian carried out her routine of bringing books to read to her future niece or nephew.
Even while traveling, prenatal education couldn't be neglected.
After everyone had breakfast and packed up, they set off again.
Passing through a valley, Jiang Mianmian noticed a strange smell. From afar, she saw two dark mountains, but as the carriage drew closer, she realized it wasn't that the mountains were black, but that they were covered in black birds.
These birds stood motionless, blanketing the mountaintops.
Up close, it was rather frightening.
There was a smell of burning and what seemed like the scent of blood.
However, the wind was strong today. Looking at the mountain full of birds, especially the enormous bird at the peak, Mianmian found it quite scary.
Its eyes seemed to be staring right at her.
She lowered the curtain and, inside the carriage, held onto Xiaoshu to play, feeling a bit safer.
The valley was long, and it took quite a while to pass through.
After the valley, they traveled a bit further, and suddenly the view opened up.
Amazingly, before them lay a vast plain, but they were at its upper edge, as if in a world atop a cliff.
Below was an incredibly wide riverbed.
Due to winter, the wide riverbed contained only a trickle of water, splitting into several meandering streams, with ice and snow covering the distance.
It was desolate yet beautiful.
Having lived in Jingzhou all her life, surrounded by mountains and waters, she hadn't expected such a landscape outside of Jingzhou.
It seemed perfect for a thundering herd of horses.
Without horses, cattle, or donkeys, walking in such a place where one couldn't see a single tree for miles would feel very lonely.
One might die from sunstroke or freezing.
So the peaceful and happy life of Jingzhou's people was indeed beyond the Imperial Censor's expectations.
It was like a mirage in the desert, unbelievably beautiful.
They continued forward, traveling for half a day until they reached a small village. But the village was too small to accommodate so many people for lodging, so they pressed on.
They journeyed on.
After two more days of travel, they finally reached a proper large town.
Commander Jiang, with his wife and children, would certainly need to rest in this city.
While sitting in a carriage was tolerable for others, even if tiring, it was extremely unfriendly for a pregnant woman.
Pregnancy already tends to cause water retention, and constantly sitting in a carriage would make both legs swell terribly.
Fortunately, along the way, Qin Luoxia and Jiang Changtian had seen that their daughter was not at all shy about asking for foot massages. During the day, her maids would massage her feet, and at night, even her son-in-law had to give her foot massages, sometimes continuing even after she had fallen asleep.
Every time he saw his son-in-law's hands reaching out to take something or pass food, Jiang Changtian would quietly avoid them.
Although his son-in-law was massaging his daughter's feet, he still found it distasteful.
Hands that massaged feet daily might carry foot odor.
Disgust and admiration coexisted, after all, it was for his beloved daughter.
The town they arrived at was called Dwarf Horse Town, and its commerce was exceptionally bustling.
Probably because this town had become the largest market for trading horses, mules, cattle, and donkeys, so there were many travelers and it was very lively.
They found a large inn, and after checking in, Jiang Yu couldn't wait to go out for a stroll.
There was no help for it; if she didn't walk around and see some people, she felt she would suffocate.
To go out for a walk, with so many people and prying eyes around, and considering the ambush they had encountered on the road, a group went out with visible protection and hidden guards as well.
Jiang Mianmian suddenly felt like she had the air of a little princess. Not only did she have a strong-built attendant in Wei Biao and a robust maid in Pangya, but she was also followed by a group of bodyguards, with more hidden from view.
She had noticed that those in front and behind, who appeared to be casually strolling, were actually arranged in a neat formation.
The only unsafe aspect was the worry of a cold arrow being shot from a tall building somewhere.
However, this was a small town, and although prosperous, it lacked tall buildings.
In ancient times, constructing tall buildings by hand was extremely costly, so with land being cheap, buildings were built wide rather than tall.
Without high places for cold arrows, they only needed to watch their surroundings.
Her mother was also worried about her eldest daughter. One downside of her being married was that in front of her son-in-law, it wasn't appropriate to scold her daughter. With so many people coming and going, insisting on going out for a stroll while heavily pregnant was cause for great concern.
Aunt Yin was also very worried, but pregnant women can sometimes be quite contrary - the more you try to stop them, the more determined they become. It was inexplicable; the mistresses in the palace who were usually quite intelligent would seem to lose their senses when pregnant.
Jiang Mianmian knew this was because pregnancy altered hormones, which in turn affected emotions.
Postpartum depression and such were all due to hormonal changes.
In any case, she advocated for pregnant women to maintain a happy mood and stay active.
Those who were overly cautious, tiptoeing around daily, afraid to walk or move, extremely tense, and lacking exercise were actually more likely to miscarry at the slightest touch.
In reality, the little life inside was quite robust. As long as one was mindful, it wouldn't be lost so easily.
The market was very lively and quite spacious. The bodyguards provided good protection, ensuring no one could suddenly rush in and bump into her.
They couldn't get in at all, first of all.
The roadside stalls sold many things, a dazzling array of goods. There were many small trinkets and many unfamiliar foods, along with various spices.
Mianmian and her sister would buy a little of whatever they liked.
Nothing was expensive; money went a long way.
After browsing for quite a while, they saw a small eatery by the street.
The owner was cooking food right by the roadside, emitting a rich aroma.
Surprisingly, he was cooking clear soup with meatballs.
On a cold winter's day, drinking a bowl of hot soup warmed the entire body, and with the added meatballs for satiety, it was quite satisfying.
A sign above indicated that extra soup could be added.
Not far away, there was actually a public restroom establishment.
A pay-to-use public toilet? Truly befitting a commercially developed small town.
It gave a strange sense of a chain operation.
Eating soup here, pouring water there, not sure if they're relatives, but this business has quite a flavor.
It seems many people are eating here.
Jiang Yu stopped in her tracks.
Jiang Mianmian also stopped, and honestly began to salivate.
No matter how delicious home-cooked food is, you get tired of it after a while and start craving takeout.
A couple was making meatballs, very enthusiastically.
Great-aunt had inquired and learned they'd been doing this for over ten years, not newcomers.
This kind of street food that can last for over a decade must indeed be delicious.
The broth was flavorful, the meatballs had a nice chew, satisfying from the first bite, feeling worth it.
No wonder the small stools and tables by the roadside were greasy, with a thick layer of oil that couldn't be wiped clean - not exactly hygienic, but the kind of place where you eat without getting sick.
Jiang Mianmian found it delicious and ordered a small plate, picking out a meatball for Jiang Xiaoshu.
Xiaoshu wasn't picky about food and ate very elegantly, using his small claws like a knife to cut the meatball into pieces before putting them in his mouth, finishing cleanly.
Jiang Mianmian's table manners were now quite proper as well.
Under great-aunt's watchful eye, Jiang Yu behaved +1, contentedly eating a bowl of meatballs, thoroughly whetting her appetite.
They continued strolling and eating.
The journey was smooth, with bountiful gains.
Back at the inn.
Jiang Mianmian was tired from all the walking, but Jiang Yu, despite her big belly, still seemed to want more.
Under her mother's death glare, she obediently went back to rest.
While waiting for her husband in the room, a servant came to deliver something.
He said it was food sent by Young Master Meng.
Jiang Yu looked and saw it was the clear soup meatballs she had just eaten, and she was very happy.
Indeed, her husband knew her well. She had just eaten these and couldn't stop thinking about them, but didn't want to walk all the way back. He had actually gotten them packed for her.
She excitedly sat in the room and started eating.
But she felt the takeout tasted a bit odd, not as good as before.
She had only eaten half a bowl when Meng Shaoxia returned, carrying a packed bowl of clear soup meatballs in his hand.
...
