This is an extremely desolate place. As far as the eye could see, the land was flat for dozens of miles, without a single tree…
Yellowed weeds lay toppled in all directions. A cold wind blew, stirring up dust.
For the past few days, they had slept wherever they found an inn. If there was no place to rest, they slept in the carriage.
After all, they had enough charcoal and food, so they wouldn't go hungry…
“Young Master Kong, what is this place?” Yun Sanman lifted the carriage curtain and peered outside.
Kong Xingzhuo replied, “This place borders Chen. There have been constant wars here, and many people have died, so it’s known as a mass grave!”
“Mass grave?” Yun Sanman shivered upon hearing this.
It sounded so eerie…
Yun Jinhe smiled and asked, “When will we reach Bocai Academy?”
They had been traveling for three or four days, and he hadn’t even seen a shadow of the academy…
“At this pace, it will take at least another five or six days!” Kong Xingzhuo sighed.
“That’s really quite far!” Yun Jinhe murmured.
This was how ancient scholars pursued their studies. The Yun family was considered well-off, with a carriage to escort them. For those from impoverished families, the students had to carry their own book boxes and walk all the way to the academy…
Not to mention the risk of encountering bandits or robbers on the road. If they were unlucky and caught in heavy rain or a blizzard, they could simply die on the way.
Xiao Xitian slept soundly. When she woke up and saw Xiao Jinheng reading beside her, she asked, “What are you reading?”
Xiao Jinheng closed the book and handed it to Xiao Xitian. “Want to read it?”
Xiao Xitian took it and glanced at it. The book had no cover. When opened, it was filled with dazzling grids of text…
For example, the conduct of the Empress, the demeanor of the Crown Princess, and what concubines should pay attention to, and so on.
Xiao Xitian grew more and more confused as she read, “No, why are you, a boy, reading this sort of thing?”
Wasn’t this meant for women newly arriving at the palace?
It contained various etiquette rules and precautions, how to bow, how to dress oneself, and so on…
Xiao Jinheng chuckled and snatched the book back. “You don’t understand. I’m reading this in advance for someone!”
“Tch!” Xiao Xitian rolled her eyes.
This brat was reading it for no one but her, of course!
However, Xiao Xitian didn’t have much longing for a place like the palace…
Once one entered the palace gates, it was like a deep sea. She wanted to live a few more years.
She didn’t want to be caught up in some palace drama and poisoned to death!
“Little village girl, starting next spring, you’ll study with me. You don’t need to attend elementary school!” Xiao Jinheng said casually.
Xiao Xitian: “……”
Good heavens, this brat had even arranged a tutor for her.
“Let Xiao Bao come study with us then. I won’t charge tuition!” Xiao Jinheng smiled slightly.
“No!” Xiao Xitian shook her head, wrinkling her little nose. “I can pay tuition with jam!”
She couldn’t always let this brat bear all the expenses; she had to give something back…
Xiao Jinheng narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. “Do you really want to give it?”
“Yes, absolutely!” Xiao Xitian said with a firm expression.
“Isn’t jam a bit too cheap? Ten jars of jam aren’t even worth a month’s tuition!” Xiao Jinheng continued to tease her.
Xiao Xitian scratched her face and asked, “Then, what do you want?”
He wouldn’t want her dog, would he? She couldn’t give him that…
Besides, this brat already had Da Hei, so what use would he have for so many dogs?
Xiao Jinheng leaned lazily against the carriage wall, resting his hands behind his head. He looked at Xiao Xitian and said, “Do you remember what I asked you to promise me?”
“I remember, to go fishing with you!”
Xiao Jinheng: “……”
“No!” He sat up straight, his expression suddenly becoming serious. “I asked you to promise me that you wouldn’t marry yourself off casually in the future. Can you do that, little village girl?”
Xiao Xitian: “???”
This sounded so awkward.
What did he mean by not marrying herself off casually? Was she an object?
Thinking of this, Xiao Xitian turned her big eyes, wanting to tease him. “But… but Mother said that when a man grows up, he marries, and when a woman grows up, she marries. After I reach the age of Ji Ji, I will definitely get married. Alas, I don’t know what my future husband will look like, whether he’ll be handsome or not!~”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinheng rushed in front of Xiao Xitian and grabbed her shoulders. “I said you can’t marry just anyone! Without my permission, you… you just wait obediently. Someone will marry you eventually!”
This annoying girl always said such things to provoke him.
Seeing this, Xiao Xitian lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers. “But… but it’s the command of parents and the words of a matchmaker. What I say doesn’t count. What if one day my parents arrange a child marriage for me, and my future husband is disqualified?”
Xiao Jinheng didn’t understand what “disqualified” meant. He only knew that the little village girl was saying it on purpose.
“That won’t happen!” Xiao Jinheng curved his lips. “Uncle Yun and Aunt Gu won’t easily arrange a child marriage for you…”
The little village girl was a lucky charm, a precious gem in the old Yun family.
Even when choosing a future husband, they had to keep their eyes peeled and go through rigorous tests and screenings before daring to marry off their daughter.
At least in Xiao Jinheng’s eyes, whether it was in Dashui Village or a small county town, there wasn’t anyone who could be worthy of the little village girl…
“Are you so sure?” Xiao Xitian couldn’t help but laugh.
Just as Xiao Jinheng was about to nod, the carriage suddenly stopped.
“Huh? Why did we stop?” Xiao Xitian was very curious. She lifted the curtain and looked outside.
She saw Kong Xingzhuo, Xiao Ying, and Xiao Jun riding horses towards them…
“Young Master, your subordinate just discovered two unidentified women ahead. Their eyes look strange. Should we continue our journey?” Kong Xingzhuo asked.
Xiao Jinheng heard this and waved his hand. “As long as there’s no danger, just go past them!~”
What threat could two unarmed women pose to them?
Xiao Xitian pondered for a moment. She felt this was exactly the problem she was worried about, but she didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing…
Yun Sanman and Yun Jinhe got out of the carriage to walk. They had been cooped up in the carriage for too long, and their minds felt sluggish.
Unexpectedly, as they walked, they saw two women supporting each other, standing by the side of the official road, looking around.
Neither of them was ugly, but their clothes were too tattered, making them look dusty and disheveled, and their hair was a mess.
Even so, it was hard to hide their delicate features and appearance.
The older and taller woman seemed a bit deranged, with a vacant look in her eyes. She was around twenty-five or twenty-six years old.
The shorter girl was around fourteen or fifteen years old, with sharp and capable eyes.
Yun Sanman and Yun Jinhe were both taken aback. Who were these two people?
Why were they in the wilderness?