“Yan Bo prepared a vase-shaped ice vessel. Should we bring it into the carriage?” Yan Peifeng spoke with a slight frown, his gaze peering through the carriage curtain as if assessing the interior layout to determine where the ice vessel might fit best.
Shen Yunying swallowed a bite of mutton pancake and took a sip of light tea, feeling warm and comfortable in her stomach.
“No need. Yan Bo mentioned it to me yesterday, and I already declined, didn’t I?” Shen Yunying’s moist eyes were filled with confusion. She had already crossed the small ice vessel off the packing list yesterday.
Though called a small ice vessel, its weight and requirements were considerable.
They were hurrying to Bianliang—where would they find the time on the road to look for places selling ice? Moreover, the carriages for the journey were just enough, with little extra space. Carrying this ice vessel would only be cumbersome.
Yan Peifeng’s expression stiffened for a moment before he calmly replied, “The summer heat is intense on the road. Yan Bo was concerned about your health, so he came to ask again.”
Shen Yunying suddenly broke into a smile, raising her arm. Her slender, pale fingers held a thin red cord from which a jade pendant dangled.
It was a cool, bluish-white cold jade that felt refreshing to the touch.
Before setting out, Shen Yunying had considered the summer heat and remembered one of the gifts Yan Peifeng had sent for her coming-of-age ceremony—the cold jade, perfect for carrying around to stay cool.
Yan Peifeng naturally recognized the jade pendant. It was actually from Princess Jiarong’s treasury. On the day he sent the gifts, Yan Peifeng had been engrossed in official documents and had casually picked two items from the storeroom. He never expected Shen Yunying to be so fond of it.
A flicker of discomfort passed through Yan Peifeng’s elegant and gentle eyes. He gave a faint “hmm” and said, “Since you don’t wish to, then let it be. We’ll set off shortly.”
Shen Yunying nodded repeatedly, watching as Yan Peifeng mounted his horse. At his command, the group officially set off. She leaned back against a soft, comfortable cushion that helped ease the carriage’s jolts.
Yinzheng folded a thin quilt in her hands and asked, “Madam, are you really going to sleep?”
“Of course,” Shen Yunying closed her eyes. “While the roads around the capital are still smooth, we can still get some proper rest.”
“I heard from Second Cousin that after leaving the capital, only half a day’s journey is relatively smooth. The official dirt roads beyond are built by local authorities.”
Such roads were usually quite bumpy.
Yinzheng said no more and gently draped the thin quilt over Shen Yunying’s abdomen to keep her from catching a chill.
Shen Yunying slept peacefully, but Yan Peifeng, riding ahead on horseback, was still thinking about what had happened before their departure.
Last night, just after leaving the study, the head steward Yan Bo had come to see Yan Peifeng, his face full of relief as he recounted how attentive Shen Yunying had been, personally reviewing every item to be packed just to ensure Yan Peifeng’s comfort on the journey.
The most senior person in the Yan household was Yan Bo. He and Nanny Yang had a good private relationship. After Yan Peifeng’s parents passed away one after another, the two of them took even more meticulous care of Yan Peifeng, and their private interactions gradually became more frequent.
In the head steward’s view, Shen Yunying had always been polite and respectful to him and Nanny Yang. Regarding the matter of Nanny Yang’s granddaughter, Yang Mingyue, both Yan Bo and Nanny Yang had worried that the madam might hold a grudge and no longer entrust important tasks to Nanny Yang. Following the typical behavior of a lady of a great household, she might even have expected Nanny Yang to voluntarily retire.
But the madam proved herself worthy of the title. Her magnanimity was such that she harbored no resentment toward Nanny Yang whatsoever, even entrusting her with significant responsibilities. Both the head steward and Nanny Yang felt that having such a mistress was beneficial for the Yan family and for servants like them.
Yan Bo smiled broadly, “This old servant will take the liberty of offering a few words of advice.”
In Yan Peifeng’s eyes, Yan Bo was the most trustworthy steward of the Yan family and a respected elder. He immediately replied, “Please go ahead, Yan Bo.”
“Master, the mistress is a lady from a noble family who has never traveled far. Please do not focus solely on making haste. You must take good care of yourself and also look after the mistress.”
Yan Bo’s words completely caught Yan Peifeng off guard.
When had Shen Yunying become so well-liked? He hadn’t heard of Shen Yunying taking any actions, yet even Yan Bo had been won over by her?
Yan Peifeng thought about the time since Shen Yunying had married into the family. She hadn’t made any moves to seize power within the household. Recalling the usual calm in the residence, he couldn’t help but feel even more satisfied with his wife, Shen Yunying.
The sun hung high in the sky, blazing and scorching, making the weather extremely sultry.
Yan Peifeng led the group to rest temporarily at a post station outside the capital. The lunch was prepared by the station’s cook and tasted decent. As it was the nearest post station outside the capital, many officials from other regions entering the capital chose to stay there. The station’s managing official had specifically hired a cook to encourage the lodging officials to spend more money.
Shen Yunying stayed in a separate room, and her lunch was delivered by a dedicated attendant. The sun outside was scorching, and she had no desire to venture out.
Yan Peifeng had been busy outside, only sending Siqi in to relay a message for Shen Yunying to rest well and that he wouldn’t be joining her for lunch. Shen Yunying rewarded Siqi with a golden peanut and asked him to take a bowl of cooling sour plum soup to Yan Peifeng at the front.
Yinping handed over another bowl of ice-cold sour plum soup, with two ice cubes at the bottom of the bowl.
Siqi drank it in one gulp and looked gratefully at Yinping.
After the hottest part of the midday passed, they continued their journey. Shen Yunying still passed the time in the carriage, sleeping when tired, chatting with Yinping and Yinzheng when energetic, and occasionally gazing at the scenery outside the window.
“Mistress, it’s a good thing you only enjoy reading travelogues and don’t like traveling far,” Yinzheng remarked, already a bit weary after just half a day in the carriage. Being confined to the carriage with nothing to do felt stifling.
Yinping pursed her lips and smiled, “This servant guesses that the mistress must dislike traveling because the journey is uncomfortable.”
Shen Yunying snorted lightly, “You see through it but don’t say it out loud.”
Who wouldn’t want to travel after reading vivid and fascinating travelogues for the first time? So, Jiang Wensheng took the delighted Shen Yunying to a manor outside the city—one of Jiang Wensheng’s more remote estates.
Shen Yunying learned a profound lesson: she began feeling unwell halfway through the journey, and by the time she persevered to the manor, all her enthusiasm for fun had vanished. Learning from this experience, Shen Yunying decided to enjoy the beauty of travelogues only in spirit, sparing herself the reality of travel.
They hurried along the way, and by nightfall, they had missed the nearest post station, with the next one still a considerable distance away. Yan Peifeng decided to camp overnight in the woods.
Shen Yunying was helped out of the carriage by Yinping and Yinzheng. Her tent was set up right next to Yan Peifeng’s.
“The master said he needs to discuss matters with his advisors and guards, and sharing a tent with the mistress would be inconvenient,” Yinping relayed the news she had gathered from Siqi.
Shen Yunying nodded indifferently, “The tents aren’t very spacious. I’ll be more comfortable having one to myself.”
While waiting for dinner, Shen Yunying, Yinping, and Yinzheng took the opportunity to arrange the decorations inside the tent, aiming to make their stay as comfortable as possible.
Shen Yunying had not considered going to find Yan Peifeng. And Yan Peifeng, constantly busy, showed no intention of coming to see Shen Yunying either.
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, the group set off at dawn. By noon, they were not as fortunate as the previous day. Surrounded by forests, they could only eat the dry rations they had prepared in advance—steamed buns, cornbread buns, and flatbreads.
These provisions were dry and coarse, scratching the throat even when washed down with hot water.
However, Shen Yunying had come prepared. She had someone fetch dried sour bamboo shoots and beef paste from the carriage behind. Whether it was steamed buns or cornbread buns, dipping them in the paste and heating them over a warm stove made them surprisingly appetizing, transforming the bland rations into something delicious.
After the meal, Shen Yunying also prepared a cup of Luo chrysanthemum tea for each person. With over thirty people in their party, everyone ate to their satisfaction.
Yan Peifeng dined with his subordinates. Siqi, standing nearby, thought to himself that having a mistress around truly made a difference. When he followed his master on missions, having a sip of water was considered lucky—there was no room for improvement.
Yan Peifeng ate large chunks of beef and drank the heat-relieving Luo chrysanthemum tea, feeling that bringing Shen Yunying along had unexpectedly turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
As the sun set and the moon rose, the long June days meant that even as the evening glow filled the sky, a faint crescent moon was already visible. The group had no choice but to seek temporary lodging in a nearby village.
Passing by a stone tablet engraved with the words “Chen Family Village,” the oppressive heat in the air gradually faded, replaced by a cool breeze carrying the scent of earth and grass.
Shen Yunying quietly lifted the carriage curtain and saw farmers scattered along the ridges, gathering their hoes and hurrying back home.
Upon seeing the convoy heading toward the village, the villagers dared not approach. Instead, they walked along the ridges or trailed far behind, preferring to return home later rather than risk offending the noble guests.
News of the convoy entering the village quickly reached Village Chief Chen, who hurriedly brought a few strong young men to take a look.
Yan Peifeng dismounted and walked toward Village Chief Chen.
Seeing Yan Peifeng dressed in fine silk robes, with an air of nobility, Village Chief Chen immediately recognized him as a distinguished young master and dared not slight him. He stepped forward with a smile and asked, “May I ask what brings you to our Chen Family Village, young master?”
Yan Peifeng smiled warmly. “We are returning to our hometown to visit relatives and happened to pass by this place. As it is getting late, we would like to stay in the village for the night. Would you be willing to accommodate us, elder?”
Village Chief Chen immediately replied with a smile, “Of course, we happen to have several new houses in the village.” He turned to his dazed son and called out, “Dawa, come quickly and take the guests to the new houses!”
A dark-skinned, simple-minded man hurried over, scratching the back of his head. “I’ll take you there right away,” he said, not daring to look directly at Yan Peifeng and his party.
Village Chief Chen sighed. This child was a bit slow-witted.
Watching from a distance, Shen Yunying couldn’t help but feel curious. It was quite a coincidence that this village happened to have new houses, and empty ones at that. Although Shen Yunying seldom traveled, she had basic knowledge of such matters.
Building a house in the countryside was no small expense. Why would anyone build a house and not live in it?
However, seeing that Yan Peifeng raised no questions and followed along, Shen Yunying temporarily set aside her doubts. Perhaps the answer would become clear once they arrived.
The June twilight was exceptionally long. The orange evening glow slowly descended beyond the low walls and soon disappeared from sight.
Standing in front of the new house mentioned by Village Chief Chen, Shen Yunying could see clearly even through the thin veil of her hat. Everything from the couplets at the door to the copper lock was brand new.
“Brother Dawu,” Yan Peifeng began, and Chen Dawu was both flattered and flustered, stammering, “You, young master, you can just call me Dawu.”
Shen Yunying couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile upon hearing the refined and gentle gentleman, whose demeanor was as clear as the breeze and bright as the moon, utter the rustic name “Dawu.”
Yan Peifeng’s handsome face remained unchanged, his voice still gentle as he asked, “Dawu, I noticed that not everyone in your village is well-off, so why have you built two new houses?”
That’s right—there weren’t just one, but two new houses.
This made it even more puzzling, and Yan Peifeng couldn’t wait until later to ask the village chief for answers.
Hearing Yan Peifeng’s question, Chen Dawu immediately grinned widely. “So that’s what you’re asking about, young master! This is a great joy for our village! The houses were built with contributions from everyone in Chen Family Village!”
Author’s Note: Sorry, sorry, my dear readers~
I originally planned to update at 9:30, but I just realized I mistakenly set it for 10:30.
Also, tomorrow’s update will be delayed until 11:30 due to the featured list~