Li San immediately stepped in front of Su Wan’ning.
“What are you shouting about? She isn’t even asking you to refund her money, so why are you still going on and on? What exactly are you trying to do?”
“Brother Li, Escort Leader Zhao may just be worked up for the moment.”
Su Wan’ning was still making excuses for him.
“He was entrusted with my safety by my cousin, and he has taken good care of me throughout the journey. He probably just thinks he’ll have trouble explaining himself to my cousin when he returns to the capital.”
Escort Leader Zhao narrowed his eyes and said coldly, “Madam Su, think this through carefully. This relay station is small and run-down, hardly any better than an inn. But at the inn, you also have experienced escort guards looking after you…”
“What do you mean by that?”
The station chief immediately became displeased.
“Madam Su has already made herself perfectly clear, yet you keep pestering her. You’re even insulting our relay station just to coax her back. Could it be that you have some other intentions toward her?”
The others also quickly surrounded Escort Leader Zhao.
Forced backward, Escort Leader Zhao gritted out through clenched teeth, “Of course not. I’m only concerned about Madam Su.”
“There’s no need for Escort Leader Zhao to worry.”
Su Wan’ning spoke at just the right moment, smiling at the station chief and the others.
“Let’s go back. The food is going to get cold.”
“Get lost! If you dare bother Madam Su again, I’ll beat you to death!”
The station chief issued the threat, and everyone turned around and went back inside.
The relay station’s main door was slammed shut.
But the surrounding wall was low and had several collapsed sections, so the voices from inside carried out clearly.
They vaguely heard Su Wan’ning saying that she would stay up tonight to prepare some food that could be stored for a while, so they would not have to eat bland meals every day.
The relay workers repeatedly thanked her.
Escort Leader Zhao’s expression darkened completely.
He had thought that the noble guest would be difficult to please and that Su Wan’ning would surely be driven out.
But now, not only had she been allowed to stay, she had also won over the relay workers with a few simple dishes. They were even protecting her and helping her cut ties with him!
But so what if she stayed at the relay station?
Since she refused to listen to his advice, she could not blame him for being ruthless!
Meanwhile, Su Wan’ning stood there dumbfounded as she watched the station chief and the others devour every last dish on the stone table.
The elm-seed steamed buns were about the size of a palm. Su Wan’ning, Qingfang, and Xuancao had only managed to eat two between the three of them.
There were still a full thirty buns left, and the five men had eaten every single one.
“D-Doesn’t that… make you feel stuffed?”
“Ha! This is nothing, hiccup~”
Li San hurriedly covered his mouth and chuckled.
“Madam Su, hiccup, however much you make, I can eat however much you make!”
“Stop joking around! Hurry and take Madam Su to rest. The rest of you, clean everything up!”
At the station chief’s command, everyone immediately got to work.
Su Wan’ning was indeed a little tired. She did not insist on helping clear the dishes and followed Li San into a room nearby.
The room was not large, but it was a private single room!
The bedding had all been freshly changed and was very clean and tidy.
“Brother Li, didn’t you say I would be staying in a shared room? I feel bad taking this one.”
Li San waved it off.
“It’s fine. There are only you and the others staying at the relay station anyway.”
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony. Could you show me what other ingredients we have here?”
Su Wan’ning had not been joking when she said she would stay up late to prepare food for them.
But it was not merely to thank them.
“Get some proper rest first. Miss Qingfang said we won’t be leaving until the Hour of the Snake tomorrow.”
Li San could not bring himself to actually let her stay up all night.
“Miss Qingfang said Miss Xu won’t get up unless she’s had enough sleep, so don’t tire yourself out. You can still prepare everything tomorrow morning.”
Su Wan’ning agreed and thanked him.
Li San then took her to the storeroom and told her to choose whatever she wanted and use whatever she needed.
There were actually only carrots, cabbage, beans, dried vegetables, pickled vegetables, cured meat, coarse grains, seasonings, and similar ingredients.
The two of them carried whatever could be used into the kitchen. After making some preliminary preparations, they returned to their respective rooms.
Su Wan’ning changed into a practical outfit, then returned to the kitchen.
One jar of mushroom venison paste would never be enough to last throughout the journey.
If all they had was ordinary food, Miss Xu might throw another fit.
During the day, she had mentioned wanting some kind of spicy noodles.
If Su Wan’ning made sour bamboo shoot noodles and added plenty of dogwood pepper and wild ginger, the sour and spicy flavor would be rich and intense. Perhaps that would satisfy her.
The dried bamboo shoots needed to soak overnight.
The relay station did not have dried rice noodles, so the brown rice would need to soak for at least two or three hours.
For the broth, she could use cured meat and dried shrimp and simmer them slowly over low heat.
She could also prepare some dough and pickle some small vegetables, leaving them for Brother Li and the others to eat slowly.
After preparing the ingredients that required time one by one, Su Wan’ning slowed down.
Wild ginger, dogwood pepper, vegetables—
She washed them bit by bit and cut them carefully.
The night grew darker.
Escort Leader Zhao quietly slipped outside the relay station.
He peered inside through a collapsed section of the wall.
Sure enough, the kitchen was still lit.
He saw Su Wan’ning yawning repeatedly from exhaustion. She even took out an incense stick meant to keep her awake, lit it, and inhaled several deep breaths.
Then she went over to the basin to wash her face.
After washing, she did not get back up.
Instead, she leaned against a small stool and began dozing off.
Her back was toward him.
And she was still crouching down!
Escort Leader Zhao quickly jumped inside and approached her step by step.
He slowly extended his arm.
In his palm was a handkerchief soaked in a sleeping drug.
As long as he pressed it over her nose and mouth, she would lose consciousness in the blink of an eye.
By the time the people at the relay station woke up tomorrow, they would find Su Wan’ning lying in a pool of blood.
By then, there would be no saving her hands.
But Su Wan’ning suddenly moved.
Escort Leader Zhao quickly withdrew his hand and stepped back.
Su Wan’ning stretched lazily and stood up, completely unaware that another person had entered the kitchen.
She reached over and adjusted the calming incense, then stirred the broth with a spoon before starting to scrub the stone mill.
Escort Leader Zhao stayed right behind her, no more than half a meter away.
Finally, he found his opportunity.
He stretched out his arm again, intending to cover her mouth and nose.
But Su Wan’ning suddenly spun around.
Their eyes met.
Both of them clearly saw each other’s faces.
Escort Leader Zhao’s heart jolted.
He had thought his plan was foolproof and had not even bothered to hide his face.
Now he was in trouble.
If she called the others over, things would become troublesome.
He was about to simply rush forward and knock her unconscious when he saw the surprise on Su Wan’ning’s face.
She did not scream or show any fear.
Instead, she lowered her voice and asked,
“Escort Leader Zhao, what are you doing here? Did you need to see me about something?”
She had not suspected him at all!
The tension in Escort Leader Zhao’s chest eased. He lowered his voice as well.
“I saw that the kitchen was still lit, so I came over to take a look.”
“Oh. Then what are you holding?”
Curiosity filled Su Wan’ning’s eyes.
“Ah, just a piece of old cloth.”
Escort Leader Zhao held it out toward her.
“Here, take a look.”
But instead of leaning closer as he expected, Su Wan’ning took two steps backward, looking disgusted.
“It smells awful.”
She smiled.
“Escort Leader Zhao, you came at just the right time. I’ve just made some little pickled vegetables. Try some. If you like them, take some with you for the journey.”
“All right.”
Although he said that, Escort Leader Zhao had absolutely no intention of eating them.
When escorting people on the road, he never ate food unless he was certain it was safe.
Besides, he had always felt that something was off about what this young lady had said and done today!
He decided to end things quickly.
The moment Su Wan’ning turned around, he lunged forward, intending to cover her mouth.
But as soon as he lifted his foot, he realized that his legs had almost no strength.
It was not just his legs.
Almost the instant he noticed it, a wave of weakness rapidly swept through his entire body!
His tongue began to feel numb.
“Madam Su…”
The moment he spoke, his legs could no longer support him.
With a thud, he fell to his knees, barely managing to support himself with both hands against the ground.
“Oh? Escort Leader Zhao, why are you kneeling to me?”
Su Wan’ning turned around.
Her hands were empty.
There was no pickled vegetable in sight!
“You…”
Escort Leader Zhao struggled to straighten his tongue and raised his head before he could clearly see Su Wan’ning.
“What is… happening?”
“Do you really need to ask?”
Su Wan’ning looked at him quietly and extinguished the “wakefulness incense,” putting it away.
“Whatever you wanted to do to me is exactly what I wanted to do to you.”