Nanny Lin was making small shoes for little Jingchen when Jun Wan suddenly appeared in her room.
“Princess, aren’t you asleep yet?” she asked.
“Mm. I’ll still take Jingchen with me tonight. You don’t need to keep working—go to bed early. It’ll be a long time before he can wear shoes anyway.”
“This old servant isn’t tired,” Nanny Lin replied. “We’ll soon reach Diancheng, and it’ll turn cold before long. After finishing shoes for the young prince, I still want to make some cotton clothes for you, Princess. I can’t sew properly outside, so I want to make use of the time while we’re here.”
“Alright then. Just don’t overwork yourself.”
Jun Wan didn’t stop her further. After all, it was her sincere care, as long as she didn’t tire herself out.
Thinking that Xu Xueming was still waiting to see Jingchen—and that the video call was costing money—Jun Wan quickly picked up the baby and returned to her room.
On the other end of the phone, Xu Xueming was anxiously staring at the screen, waiting. The moment Jun Wan appeared, she immediately said excitedly, “Quick, quick! Bring my grandson over so I can see him!”
Jun Wan held Jingchen up to the camera. The baby was fast asleep, no matter how she gently poked him, he wouldn’t wake.
Looking at the adorable little Jingchen through the phone, Xu Xueming’s eyes softened until they seemed to melt.
“He’s as beautiful as you were when you were little—and just as well-behaved.”
“Of course,” Jun Wan replied proudly. “How could my child be ugly?”
“Show-off,” Xu Xueming laughed, though her eyes never left the baby.
After chatting for a while longer, they ended the call. A message popped up:
(This call lasted 65 minutes. Charge: 6,500 taels of silver.)
Adding the earlier 500 taels for sending messages, Jun Wan had spent a total of 7,000 taels. Although she felt a bit pained, being able to contact her mother was worth it. Still, such an expensive call meant she would definitely need to earn more money in the future.
Feeling happy, she hugged Jingchen and fell asleep.
The next morning, the three of them brought Jingchen out of the space. Before leaving, Jun Wan had Linglan take out some osmanthus cakes, buns, and the millet porridge Nanny Lin had made early in the morning for breakfast.
If it were like yesterday, Zheng An would have already ordered the group to set off, but today he had not. Jun Wan asked Linglan to call Madam Yi and the others to their room to eat together.
When Madam Yi and the others arrived, she looked at Jingchen lying on the bed and said worriedly, “This morning, Old Lady Shi passed away. The Shi family is petty, so you must all be extra careful from now on.”
Jun Wan frowned slightly upon hearing this. She hadn’t expected her to die so quickly, but she nodded to show she understood.
Madam Yi continued, “Yesterday, when Jiang Shi and the others went out, they happened to meet the Shi family’s daughter scolding you for refusing to treat Old Lady Shi. Lord He’s daughter argued with her. Lord He is the Left Chancellor and has always been loyal to the emperor, so Prince Mo Cheng framed him with false charges.”
She stopped there and sighed.
Jun Wan understood what she meant and said with a smile, “Don’t worry. Since Miss He helped me speak up, if their family ever needs help in the future, I will do what I can.”
Madam Yi nodded. He Hong was indeed a good official; otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought it up.
After they finished eating, the outside officers shouted for them to set off. Linglan quickly went to prepare the carriage, and everyone gathered outside.
In the courtyard, members of the Shi family glared at Jun Wan with hatred as she came out.
Jun Wan ignored them and instead looked toward the He family, offering He Muqi a friendly smile.
He Muqi smiled back and supported her grandmother as they moved forward.
Soon, the carriage was ready and the group set off again.
Aside from the Shi family, there were also a few other pairs of unfriendly eyes fixed on Jun Wan’s carriage, watching like predators tracking prey.
Jun Wan could feel it even inside the carriage.
So… the hunt is about to begin?
She closed her eyes in thought. The others remained silent so as not to disturb her. Madam Yi held little Jingchen in her arms.
Because the baby was still small, the carriage curtain was slightly opened for ventilation, but he was wrapped tightly, leaving only his head exposed so he wouldn’t overheat.
Mo Lian stared at the chubby little face in Madam Yi’s arms, feeling an urge to hold him.
“Mother, let me hold him,” she whispered expectantly.
Madam Yi felt comforted by her change and carefully handed Jingchen over, instructing, “Be careful. Support his head and waist.”
“Mm.” Mo Lian carefully took him, then lowered her head and gently kissed his forehead.
Her heart filled with regret—she had missed his birth and his first ceremonies. At the time, she must have been under some kind of spell from Lu Chunxuan, otherwise how could she have never even bothered to look at her brother’s child? He was so adorable!
Jun Wan opened her eyes and saw the scene, thinking that suffering really does make people realize who is truly good to them. As long as Mo Lian didn’t cause trouble again, she would protect her on this journey for Madam Yi’s sake.
They set off late that day, and by nightfall they still hadn’t found a place to rest, so they camped outdoors again.
Jun Wan handed Linglan a silver ingot to buy steamed buns. When Linglan returned, she not only brought buns but also brought Fan Wei, who was carrying a roasted chicken.
He walked to the carriage and raised the chicken.
“Miss Jun, this chicken is for you.”
Jun Wan lifted the curtain. She understood that Fan Wei was repaying her for saving him.
She smiled faintly. “Officer Fan, thank you, but it’s alright. We’ll just eat the buns.”
“Take it,” Fan Wei insisted. “I already spoke to our captain. Don’t worry. You can’t just eat dry buns—you need something better for your health.”
His face was slightly red, and he couldn’t quite meet her eyes.
Madam Yi, worried they had little to eat that day, quickly nodded in agreement. Right now, Jun Wan and the baby’s health mattered most.
Jun Wan accepted the roasted chicken. “Thank you.”
Fan Wei scratched his head awkwardly and chuckled. “No problem. I’ll head back now. If you need anything, you can send someone to find me.”
After he left, Madam Ding not far away sneered coldly.
“So pretentious. Acting all noble, but in the end she still took it.”