“Grandmother, we should go.”
“I haven’t finished speaking yet.” Madam Qi burst into tears again. “The token in there is a keepsake of the Yan family. If you run into trouble, go find one of our trading houses—the shops all have a totem identical to this one over their doors, so they’re easy to recognize. Show them this token, and someone will take care of things for you.”
Cheng Yao couldn’t hold back her tears either.
The little old lady had given her everything she had, giving her the very best she could, all in the hope that Cheng Yao would suffer a little less on the road and have a better chance of surviving.
“Oh, right. Since your maid is a free woman, give her this carriage. It’ll be just right for carrying your husband.”
Madam Qi had the coachman get down and handed the reins to Hongxiu. She also explained the horse’s temperament and habits so that Hongxiu could learn to control it as quickly as possible.
“Grandmother, I’m afraid the officers will find an excuse to confiscate the carriage.”
“Then let them take it. If they don’t, we’ll consider ourselves lucky.”
“Grandmother…” Cheng Yao choked up. “If you give us the carriage, how will you get back?”
“Oh, why are you worrying about that? We can hire a carriage on the way. If all else fails, I’ll walk back.”
“That’ll take you at least a whole day.”
“You have more than a thousand li to travel. What’s one day’s journey for me?”
By the time Madam Qi finished speaking, she was already sobbing uncontrollably.
More than a thousand li… Even iron feet would be worn away before completing such a journey.
Would her granddaughter ever make it back?
“Grandmother, I won’t be walking the whole way.” Cheng Yao hugged her. “Trust me.”
“Waaah!” Madam Qi clutched her tightly and burst into tears.
“Old Madam, your ‘granddaughter’ is me now,” Hongxiu reminded her kindly.
Madam Qi froze and forcibly swallowed her sobs.
What was the point of crying? Could crying make her granddaughter stay?
Of course not.
It would only make the officers suspicious and cause Cheng Yao unnecessary trouble.
Madam Qi gave Hongxiu a perfunctory hug. Since Hongxiu wasn’t her actual granddaughter, she simply couldn’t bring herself to act affectionate.
Hongxiu climbed into the carriage, tentatively flicked the whip, and drove after the procession.
Cheng Yao sat beside her and waved at Madam Qi.
“Grandmother, take good care of yourself.”
Madam Qi turned away rather than look at her. There was no way she could hide her tears.
“Grandma, wait for me.”
Cheng Yao switched to a more common, everyday form of address.
The carriage rolled away with a clatter, and Madam Qi began to sob aloud.
“When did that wretched girl become such a crybaby? She used to be distant and aloof, never close to anyone.”
She was crying herself to death.
The maid thought to herself, You’re even more of a crybaby than she is, Old Madam.
She dabbed at her own sympathetic tears, but she was more levelheaded than the old woman. “Old Madam, how are we getting back?”
“Didn’t I just say we’d hire a carriage?”
“But… do we have any money on us?”
Madam Qi froze, then stammered, “What? You didn’t bring any silver when we left?”
“We did. It’s in the bundle.”
The bundle…
She had given it all to Cheng Yao!
Madam Qi stretched out her hand dramatically toward the carriage. “Girl, stop…”
…
When Cheng Yao returned with a carriage, everyone in the procession stared at it in astonishment.
They had mocked her earlier for having no one come to see her off, but now not only had her relatives arrived, they had even sent her a carriage!
Someone complained indignantly, “Officer, why were our belongings confiscated while Cheng Yao was allowed to keep hers?”
One of the officers snapped impatiently, “Are you blind? That carriage was sent by her maid’s relatives.”
“It’s only a cover. Anyone can tell that the carriage actually belongs to Cheng Yao’s relatives.”
“Do you have proof?”
The man fell silent at once.
They were too far away to make out Madam Qi’s appearance. Even if they had seen her clearly, they wouldn’t have recognized her. Merchant families found it difficult to enter the circles of the nobility, and none of them had ever met her.
Someone else said, “We have to walk while they get to ride in a carriage? That’s too unfair.”
The head constable said coldly, “If you get someone crippled and happen to have a carriage, I’ll let you ride in it too.”
The man was rendered speechless.
At the same time, the others began to notice something as well. The head constable seemed to be intentionally, or perhaps unintentionally, favoring Lady Cheng.
When Cheng Yao had failed to catch up earlier, he had ordered the procession to stop and rest.
However, he was in charge of everything on the road. They couldn’t afford to provoke him, or no one would have an easy time of it.
The second branch of the Zhan family, for once, had not jumped in to make trouble.
After all, they hadn’t separated from the family yet. If Cheng Yao received benefits, they could share in them—or even seize them for themselves.
When Cheng Yao suggested accompanying Zhan Haoting in the carriage, Zhan Qingrou once again called her selfish.
“Our grandmother is advanced in age, and Mother is weak. They’re both elders and vulnerable at that. Are you trying to make them collapse from exhaustion on the road by refusing to give them your seat?”
Cheng Yao calmly turned to Lady Zhan. “Mother, she’s cursing you.”
“Qingrou.” Lady Zhan chided her. “Don’t talk nonsense. Your sister-in-law is riding in the carriage so she can conveniently take care of your elder brother. I’m not as attentive as she is.”
Zhan Qingrou pursed her lips in disbelief. “I heard you say that you used to care for Father whenever he was injured. Why can’t you do the same for Elder Brother?”
“Your father and I are husband and wife, so there are no inconveniences between us. Likewise, your brother needs his wife by his side to accompany and care for him.”
“So Elder Brother really did forget his mother after getting married.”
“Don’t say that about your brother.” Lady Zhan was becoming angry.
Zhan Qingrou stamped her foot indignantly. “Mother, no matter how you put it, you’re determined to spoil her.”
Lady Zhan glanced at Cheng Yao.
Her daughter-in-law was intelligent and steady. Everything she had done over the past two days had been impressive. She would rather suffer herself than lose her daughter-in-law’s loyalty.
“Yao’er, ignore her and get in the carriage.”
Cheng Yao acknowledged her and prepared to board. Zhan Haochen thought for a moment before saying, “How about everyone taking turns?”
Cheng Yao remained silent. Zhan Qingrou gave a cold snort. “There’s no need to offer charity. Let her sit there to her heart’s content.”
Cheng Yao smiled. “Whether you’re willing to take a turn or not, it won’t be up to you.”
Zhan Qingrou’s face flushed red with anger. “You!”
“No one needs to take turns.”
Second Madam Zhan walked over. “Let Grandmother and Haoting sit in the carriage.”
“This…”
Lady Zhan hesitated.
One was elderly, and the other was crippled. They were indeed the two most qualified to ride in the carriage.
Cheng Yao’s expression turned cold. “I’m taking care of my husband. He’ll recover faster with me by his side. Grandmother isn’t good at caring for the injured.”
“Hmph. Don’t underestimate Grandmother.” Second Madam Zhan was forceful. “I’m informing you that Grandmother will ride in the carriage. I’m not asking for your opinion.”
“Heh!” Cheng Yao was so angry that she laughed. “Since that’s the case, then I’ll make myself clear as well.” She stared into Second Madam Zhan’s eyes and enunciated every word. “No. Absolutely. Not.”
“This is the decision of the entire clan!” Second Madam Zhan sneered contemptuously. “Do you really think you can oppose the entire clan by yourself?”
Cheng Yao was about to reply when Lady Zhan tugged at her and shook her head.
But Cheng Yao pulled free and was about to say, “The old madam would be delighted if Zhan Haoting died. Not only would she refuse to care for him, she’d secretly harm him. There’s no way I’ll let her ride in the carriage.”
In truth, that was only an excuse.
Someone would come to assassinate Zhan Haoting again. If she stayed by his side, she could teleport him into her space and avoid the attacks, whether open or hidden. But if someone else were beside him, all they could do was wait for death.
Second Madam Zhan’s pupils contracted. She rose to her feet and shouted, “Didn’t you hear her? Cheng Yao said the old madam would harm Zhan Haoting, which is why she won’t let the old madam ride in the carriage with him. Even a complete stranger wants Zhan Haoting to stay alive, yet his own grandmother wants him dead. Do you think that’s possible? What a joke.”
The crowd joined in, sneering and jeering.
“She actually slandered the old madam just to keep her from riding in the carriage!”
“Such a heartless, immoral woman—unfilial and unrighteous. She ought to be cast aside.”
“Her elders are right here. It’s not her place to make the decisions.”
The people were outraged, and a steady stream of curses filled the air.
