Although Su Nuan had thrown government silver into the Su Mansion, the mansion had already been emptied. Since they couldn’t find any other gold or silver, the authorities were anxious and had no time to deal with the Su family members, sentencing them to exile instead.
Although the Su Mansion’s gold, silver, and jewels were gone, there were still considerable fixed assets like the estate and farmlands. After these were confiscated and sold, wouldn’t the emperor’s secret treasury be refilled?
Thinking of this, Su Nuan felt pleased, though one thing still bothered her.
In her previous life, the Su family had stayed in Jingcheng and thrived, but in this life, they were following her into exile. This meant that future developments would be entirely different.
The advantage she held from foreknowledge seemed limited now, but that didn’t matter—a future full of variables was something to look forward to, filled with challenges.
In any case, Su Nuan was in good spirits now, patiently waiting for the convoy to depart.
Just then, the front of the convoy began to move, indicating that everyone was setting off.
Although the group had grown larger, there was no chaos. Everyone advanced in an orderly manner, and no one dared to cause trouble.
By evening, everyone was camping along the official road. The grasslands on either side were damp and unsuitable for overnight stays.
Su Nuan examined the sandy ground—water had drained to the sides, leaving the road surface firm and dry. Spreading oilcloth and setting up tents would allow for a good night’s sleep.
She glanced at Dong’er at the back of the convoy. “Mother, I’m going to check on Dong’er.”
Xue Shi replied, “Alright, go ahead.”
Su Nuan made her way to the rear of the convoy, only to find someone else driving the cart.
“Dong’er? Who is this?”
The driver looked up at Su Nuan, an aged face breaking into a stiff, somewhat incongruous smile, though it was hard to pinpoint what felt off.
Dong’er opened the carriage door and leaned out. “Cousin, come on up.”
Su Nuan climbed into the carriage. The seats on both sides had been removed, turning the interior into a large bed. At the moment, bedding was rolled up to one side and covered with oilcloth.
Dong’er affectionately pulled Su Nuan down to sit. “I bought a lot of oilcloth from the village ahead these past few days. It’s a shame there’s no tavern to get good food.”
Su Nuan was speechless. On this journey, not going hungry was already an achievement—and here she was thinking about delicious meals?
But speaking of good food, she had plenty of items like preserved meat stored in her Space. She could easily pass them off as coming from Dong’er.
Later, when they reached the exile destination, even if they chatted about it, no one would notice anything amiss—after such a long time, who would remember the details clearly?
Su Nuan smiled. “Who’s that outside?”
Dong’er answered, “An old madam from the village. Her children wouldn’t support her, so I brought her along to drive the cart for me.”
Su Nuan nodded. “Having someone drive the cart is good, but you need to stay alert. The world is chaotic, and people’s hearts aren’t what they used to be.”
Dong’er laughed. “I’ll be careful. What are you short of? I collected a lot of dried vegetables in the village—are they useful?”
As she spoke, she pulled a wooden box from under the carriage seat, filled with small cloth bags.
Su Nuan opened one of the bags to find dried shepherd’s purse, tender artemisia sprouts, willow leaf buds, mulberry leaves, and other edible wild greens.
It was clear that the village Dong’er had visited wasn’t well-off either, relying on foraging wild vegetables to supplement their food.
Knowing that Dong’er wouldn’t know how to prepare these greens, Su Nuan said, “Give them all to me. I’ll cook every evening—you can come over to eat.”
After a pause, she added, “If that’s inconvenient, find an earthen pot and take some back to eat.”
Dong’er blinked her big eyes. “Since when did you learn to cook, Cousin?”
Su Nuan gave a dry laugh, “Well… my mother-in-law is an excellent cook, and I suppose I have some talent—I pick things up quickly.”
Dong’er was rather naive; she unconditionally believed everything Su Nuan said and never questioned any inconsistencies.
Using her sleeve as cover, Su Nuan pulled out several packets of medicine. “This is for colds, and this one contains dehumidifying tea. Brew a little each day to drink, or you might fall ill in this continuous rainy weather.”
Dong’er nodded repeatedly, carefully storing the medicine packets away.
Su Nuan said, “I’m heading back. Don’t come down—it’s still raining quite hard outside.”
Dong’er nodded, understanding that staying healthy meant not causing trouble, and that formalities could be overlooked under the circumstances.
As Su Nuan stepped down from the carriage to return, she noticed the elderly driver again and finally realized what had seemed off about him.
He was a eunuch, around fifty years old, with white eyebrows and hair, and a beardless face.
His eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence, clearly marking him as someone of exceptional skill, but why was he following Dong’er?
Noticing Su Nuan’s stare, the old man simply raised a finger and pointed.
Su Nuan looked down and saw the ring on her hand—he was indicating this token.
“You are…” She raised her hand and waved it slightly, allowing the old man to see the ring clearly.
The old man nodded. “This subordinate is A Da.”
Su Nuan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Take good care of Dong’er. She’s my own sister.”
A Da nodded. “Yes!”
Noticing the sixth finger on A Da’s left hand, Su Nuan suddenly understood. She had seen him in her previous life—he had been following the procession all along.
Perhaps he was a guard arranged by Ling Cang to protect the Ling family. Now, driving Dong’er’s carriage gave him more freedom, unlike in her past life when he was constrained like a prisoner.
Reassured, Su Nuan turned to leave, clutching an oilcloth-wrapped burlap sack in her arms.
She tried using her mind to swap the contents of the sack and found that it actually worked.
This would make things much more convenient; she could exchange items at will from now on.
Just as she rejoined the procession, someone stopped her.
Su Zhen stood holding an umbrella in one hand and toying with her braid with the other. If not for her pale complexion, one wouldn’t have guessed she was ill.
Su Nuan watched Su Zhen, wondering why she was blocking the way. Was she also here to demand the carriage?
Su Zhen’s demeanor was different from her usual willfulness. She scrutinized Su Nuan several times before speaking, “So you’re Su Nuan?”
Su Nuan raised an eyebrow. “You don’t recognize me?”
How could Su Zhen not know her? Could it be that she, like herself, had experienced something extraordinary?
Su Zhen sighed. “I can see you’re a great beauty, but rather foolish. If you’re willing to listen to me, I can change your fate of a tragic death.”
Su Nuan feigned confusion. “How could I die tragically?”
A smirk, uncharacteristically coquettish for a young lady, played on Su Zhen’s lips. “I know you resent the Ling family for marrying you through dishonorable means. You’ve been causing trouble all along the journey, but they tolerate it out of guilt.”
“But you’d better not make a fuss. Once we reach the exile location, things will improve within a few years, and we’ll eventually return to Jingcheng.”
Su Nuan narrowed her eyes, her mind racing. This person was definitely not Su Zhen. Could another soul have taken over Su Zhen’s body?
Had this person been present in her previous life? Was it this individual or the original Su Zhen who had killed her?
Seeing Su Nuan silent, Su Zhen added, “I possess much knowledge. Once we reach the exile site, I can farm, trade—our future will be prosperous. It’s just that you…”
She deliberately paused, first painting a rosy picture for Su Nuan. Given Su Nuan’s personality, she would definitely press for details, and that would be the perfect time to state her conditions.