Xie Jiang casually handed the half-eaten, unappetizing biscuit to Da Chui.
Da Chui, without even looking, took it and stuffed it into his mouth.
The entire sequence of actions was incredibly natural and practiced.
It was as if such things had happened between them countless times before.
"Who is this brother?"
Xu Hengyan guessed that Da Chui might be a relative of the Xie family.
Xie Jiang understood his meaning, "Da Chui is not from the Xie family."
Xu Hengyan's brow twitched slightly.
Xie Jiang pondered for a moment, "When I was very young, I was probably kidnapped, though I don't remember it very clearly."
Xu Hengyan was surprised and looked up, listening intently.
"Anyway, it was a bad memory. After I escaped, I wandered in a foreign land, in a daze for a long time. Of course, I was bullied too. Later, I met Da Chui."
As Xie Jiang spoke, she glanced at Da Chui, her eyes and brows filled with a gentle smile.
"Da Chui wasn't big back then either, but he always protected me. As long as he had a bite to eat, he wouldn't let me go hungry."
Hearing her speak of this, Da Chui nodded foolishly while eating, "Can't let Jiang Jiang be bullied..."
"Da Chui wasn't this strong back then. Although he was much taller than his peers, he was often underfed. How could he possibly build up such muscles?"
"Da Chui was a skinny stick back then."
Da Chui grinned upon hearing this.
"When there were few people, he could still take down two. When there were many people, he could only..."
Xie Jiang left the sentence unfinished.
Da Chui's smile faded, and he said seriously, "In any case, no one can bully Jiang Jiang."
"No one can bully us anymore," Xie Jiang tilted her delicate chin, surveying the surroundings with a commanding air. "Only we bully others."
"Bully others!"
Da Chui brandished his muscular arms, still clutching a greasy pork knuckle.
Seeing her spirited demeanor, Xu Hengyan couldn't help but smile.
He also began to understand the closeness between her and Da Chui.
Xie Jiang said to Xu Hengyan, "Even though I returned to the Xie family later, Da Chui will always be my good friend, my family."
Xu Hengyan nodded, "I see."
He hadn't expected her to have such an experience in her childhood.
Xu Hengyan couldn't help but recall her cries in her dreams when she was ill, and her ramblings when she was drunk.
She spoke of it so lightly, but what had happened to her back then must have been incredibly complex and cruel.
After eating, they continued their journey.
In the afternoon, Xie Jiang did not return to the carriage but rode a horse with Xu Hengyan, occasionally chatting about their observations on the road. They stayed at an inn for the night.
Xie Jiang had originally thought they would arrive the next day.
After all, whenever Xu Hengyan was needed, he had always rushed back quickly from Ninghe, and should have arrived by the evening of the next day at the latest.
Yet, after dark, they were still staying at an inn.
"Why aren't we there yet? How much further is it? How much longer do we have to travel?"
Xie Jiang stood in the inn's courtyard with a dejected expression, stretching her limbs.
Xu Hengyan sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. "At our current pace, we should be there by nightfall the day after tomorrow."
Xie Jiang found this almost unbearable. "The day after tomorrow? We still have two more days on the road?"
Xu Hengyan replied, "About that."
Xie Jiang clutched her head, on the verge of a breakdown. "How can it be so far! Don't you usually get back to the capital very quickly?"
Xu Hengyan smiled at her reaction. "I change horses but not riders. After all, as the magistrate of a county, I can't be away for too long, nor can I waste time on the road."
But this time, with her accompanying him, he couldn't rush like that.
Fortunately, he had already given all the necessary instructions before leaving.
A delay of two to three days was acceptable.
It was only because Xu Hengyan also held the title of heir to the Duke of Wei, which granted him the privilege to leave Ninghe for the capital repeatedly. Other county magistrates wouldn't have such convenience.
"You traveled all the way from Lan Yong across the sea. Can you not endure this mere distance from the capital to Ninghe?"
"Traveling by boat is more comfortable than riding horses or carriages."
"That's true."
"It's not that I can't endure it, it's just that it's beyond my expectations."
"Take a hot bath later, and then get some good rest. We have to keep traveling tomorrow."
"I think eating something good is more important."
As soon as she finished speaking, Da Chui appeared from somewhere.
"Eat what?"
Xu Hengyan couldn't help but chuckle.
During their two days of traveling together, he had found Xie Jiang's attendants to be quite remarkable.
"Let's have roast meat."
Da Chui immediately cheered with delight.
"Roast meat! Jiang Jiang said roast meat!"
Then, everyone from Xie Jiang's side cheered along.
In contrast, Xu Hengyan's guards, even though their eyes lit up at the mention of roast meat, remained orderly, each attending to their duties.
"Let's roast it in the courtyard."
Soon, three makeshift grills were set up, and the quiet courtyard was filled with the aroma of cooking.
Following closely, various prepared meats and vegetables were delivered, neatly portioned.
With a command from Xie Jiang,
Everyone sprang into action.
There was no need for a steward to assign tasks; everyone knew exactly what they needed to do.
Xu Hengyan's guards, wanting to help, couldn't find an opening.
Guang Bai, after these two days of interaction, had also gained a new respect for these individuals.
Despite their usual relaxed and unorganized appearance, when it came to tasks, they were never slack. Their efficiency and decisiveness were no less than that of his own men.
Xu Hengyan had also been observing these people throughout the journey.
He found them to be very special.
At least, they were different from the people under his command.
They were also different from everyone in the noble families of the capital.
Each of them retained their own unique personality.
The atmosphere of their interactions was visibly relaxed and casual.
Even when facing their master, Xie Jiang, this was the case.
It wasn't that they weren't respectful to Xie Jiang.
On the contrary, they revered Xie Jiang as if she were a deity.
But the spirit and energy they exuded was something Xu Hengyan had never seen before.
Xu Hengyan found it difficult to comprehend for a moment.
"What are you thinking about?"
Xie Jiang came over with a plate and handed him two roasted rabbit legs.
Xu Hengyan smiled and accepted them. "Do you really like roast rabbit legs?"
"I always eat them during barbecues. Although other things are also delicious, I think roast rabbit legs are the best, so I wanted to share them with you." Xie Jiang placed the plate between them.
Xu Hengyan raised the rabbit legs in a toast. "Thank you for sharing. They do taste good roasted."
He wondered if it was the general standard in Lan Yong, or if she simply had a knack for culinary creativity, but he felt his palate was being spoiled.
Xie Jiang asked with a smile, "Would you like to have some wine?"
Xu Hengyan looked at her. "I remember you said earlier that you were too young to drink."
"But wine pairs well with barbecue. Besides, traveling is so tiring, a little drink would be relaxing."
Xie Jiang didn't usually drink; she had no interest in alcohol, but she was interested in Xu Hengyan!
Having tasted the benefits of pretending to be drunk with him before, she wanted to try again...
"You still remember that we have to travel tomorrow? You can drink when we get to Ninghe, and it's not too late. Besides, you were right earlier, you are indeed too young to drink frequently."
"I don't drink frequently. I rarely drink."
"Didn't you get completely drunk the day before yesterday?"
"..."
She was pretending...
Under Xu Hengyan's gaze, well, she had indeed gotten drunk.