Qin’er, having eaten her fill, peacefully fell asleep in her mother’s arms.
Madam Shen and Shen Yujiao helped carry her, but after walking all the way, their arms were sore and aching.
Shen Xinglan was also being carried by someone along the way.
He, who had nearly been abandoned, had once again become “valuable” because of Mu Wanting’s words about a “chance for him to turn things around.”
Everyone was exhausted from the journey, yet no one dared to say again that Shen Xinglan was a burden.
As for Mu Wanting, she was completely relaxed. She strolled along as if she were out on an outing, even finding the leisure to weave straw hats while walking.
She made quite a few, even giving one each to Madam Shen, Shen Mingjiao, and Shen Xinglan.
Shen Xingchi, under the blazing sun, glanced enviously at the straw hat. Just as he felt his head was about to be scorched, something suddenly cooled it, blocking out the sun.
He looked up—and happened to see Mu Wanting smiling with eyes curved like crescents.
“I’ve got one for you too.”
Back when she had been fixated on Shen Xinglan, he had helped her pursue him and had always treated her politely. Now that there were benefits, she naturally couldn’t forget him.
Shen Xingchi froze for a moment, then broke into a grin.
“Then thank you very much, Wan… sister-in-law.”
Mu Wanting waved it off and walked away with a smile.
Shen Xingchi and Shen Yujiao looked at the wide-brimmed, sun-shielding hats with envy, but who told them they had offended Mu Wanting before?
In addition, Mu Wanting softened and processed vines into flexible strips, weaving a carrying strap and sewing cloth on the inside layer.
When she handed the strap to Shen Mingjiao, Shen Mingjiao was momentarily stunned.
“What is this?”
Mu Wanting placed the child onto the carrier, then tied it onto Shen Mingjiao’s back. The previously sore and exhausted arms were instantly freed.
“This is a baby-carrying tool,” she said.
They took turns carrying the child with Madam Shen and Shen Yujiao, making the journey much less tiring.
Mu Wanting helped Shen Mingjiao purely out of pity for the child—so young, and no one knew whether she could endure this hardship.
At the same time, she also liked people who valued loyalty. Everyone knew exile was suffering, yet Shen Mingjiao had voluntarily chosen to follow her maternal family into exile, giving up a life of wealth.
So she wanted to treat her and Qin’er a little better.
Even with the carrier, the group had walked too far. Their cloth shoes had long worn through; blisters formed, burst, and re-formed, the soles stained with blood.
Every step felt like walking on blades.
Shen Yujiao initially cried out with every step, but later she no longer had the strength—she could only grit her teeth and endure.
Shen Mingjiao, being gentler by nature, had a pale face from the pain, tears continuously dripping down as she walked.
By nightfall, everyone was pale and exhausted, and Shen Mingjiao had completely run out of strength.
Even Shen Xingchi and Shen Xingyi, who had been on battlefields, were pale-faced with cracked lips.
Mu Wanting, however, wore comfortable shoes, and the workload wasn’t as heavy for her as usual, so she felt relatively fine.
She took out a small box of ointment and handed it to Madam Shen.
“Mother, have everyone apply this to their injuries. It heals very effectively.”
Madam Shen applied it to her own feet. The burning pain instantly turned cool and soothing, and the pain disappeared.
She then passed it to Shen Xingchi, who had been carrying Shen Xinglan. His foot injuries were far worse than others, and he had been waking up at night from the pain.
Shen Xingchi raised an eyebrow. “Would she be so kind?”
Madam Shen glared at him. “She could have stayed behind and not come with us into exile, but she still chose to follow. Along the way she hasn’t complained once and has helped us in many ways, both openly and subtly. And you still doubt her? Where is your upbringing?”
Shen Xingchi knew he was in the wrong, but given Mu Wanting’s past obsessive pursuit of his second brother, he still couldn’t fully let go of his prejudice.
He couldn’t help but suspect, “Does she have ulterior motives?”
Madam Shen sighed. “What else does our family have left that she could want? Your brother is already crippled.”
“Even so, she continues to do her best for our family. That shows her deep affection for your second brother.”
Shen Xingchi’s expression grew complicated as he applied the ointment. Sure enough, the pain eased immediately. He glanced at Mu Wanting, who was sleeping nearby, and felt something stir in his heart.
In this state, she looked like an ordinary young woman—who could have imagined she had once been so calculating and shameless?
Shen Yujiao curiously leaned over.
“Mother, what is this?”
Madam Shen also applied it for her. Shen Yujiao looked at the pale green ointment in surprise, then at Mu Wanting, who was already asleep.
Her thoughts churned.
“I have to admit, Mu Wanting is more capable than I imagined.”
She had been completely unremarkable in the capital before.
In all those years of rivalry, she had never thought much of Mu Wanting. Yet during this exile journey, everything seemed to depend on her.
Afterwards, Shen Mingjiao, Shen Xingchi, and several concubines and children took turns applying the ointment, and everyone’s condition improved noticeably.
They were in a forested area. At night, mosquitoes bit relentlessly, and many couldn’t sleep.
Mu Wanting was awakened by the buzzing, got up to apply some floral water, and was about to sleep again when she noticed Shen Mingjiao looking at her pitifully.
“Sister-in-law.”
Mu Wanting had no choice but to give her the old-fashioned bottle of mosquito repellent.
The entire third branch applied it and finally slept well.
But the first and second branches suffered all night from mosquito bites, waking up the next morning covered in swollen, itchy welts.
The third branch looked at Mu Wanting with increasing gratitude; without her, that would have been their fate.
Shen Xingchi snorted. Mu Wanting was starting to look much more pleasant than before.
On this day, the small cart was finally completed, and Shen Xinglan was placed on it to rest.
He had been running a fever intermittently for the past two days, and only Mu Wanting could feed him.
Thanks to her care, his wounds were healing relatively well and had not become infected despite the hot weather.
That day, Mu Wanting brought fish soup to feed him. Just as she lifted his chin, she met his deep, piercing gaze.
Shen Xinglan’s eyes sharpened instantly as he grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer—so close she could smell the fragrance of honeysuckle on her.
“What are you doing?”
“Of course…” Mu Wanting smiled lightly, eyes flowing with charm as she steadied the bowl of soup.
“…poisoning you.”
Shen Xinglan frowned, looking at her with a complicated expression.
Mu Wanting then pushed the bowl forward.
“Drink it. I warn you, this soup contains poison that will make your intestines rot. But if you don’t drink it, you’ll just starve.”
“Husband, choose one.”
Shen Xinglan stared at her for a long moment, then took the bowl and drank it in one go.
Mu Wanting smiled.
“So you’re not afraid of death?”
Shen Xinglan said coldly, “If you truly intended to kill me, there were countless chances along the way. I wouldn’t still be awake.”
“Besides, what would you gain from killing me?”